“Hello!” Jirot called, her eyes beaming brightly towards the Kal, who was one of the greatest warriors across Aswadasad. “My name is Jirot, and this is my brother, Jarot, and this is my eldest sister, Konarot, and Kirot, who is a little bit younger, and Karot, who is also a little bit younger, but they are triplets, and they are all older than me, but I am also a big girl, I am five years old, and I am turning six, and my brother, he is my twin brother, is also going to turn six too, and this is my mummy, Ray Vonda, who is so beautiful, and so wise, the most beautiful, the most wise.”
“A thousand and one blessings, I am Kal Zahid, the Crimson Blade, Commander of the Malika’s Golden Guard,” the middle aged Aswadian man replied, clasping his hand together in a martial greeting, causing the girl to stand and do the same.
“I know! I know! You are so strong, Kal Zahid, not as strong as my daddy, but you are so strong, and I know you are not yet a Paragon, but you are so strong.”
“Oh? I am not a Paragon?” Kal Zahid asked, peeking down at the girl.
“Hmm. When daddy faced you, you were not a Paragon, but are you a Paragon now?”
“I will allow you to judge it for yourself,” Kal Zahid said, and he looked to Adam pointedly, who smiled, motioning a hand to Kal Zahid, uncertain of what he was playing at, behaving like such a fool. Kal Zahid chuckled, and then looked between the children, reaching up to scratch his chin. “I require a weapon to reveal it, one that is not magical, but since your father is your father, must I ask another?”
“My great grandmother has a lovely new spear which is not magical!” Jirot said, pointing to her nano, who smiled, and offered the spear to Kal Zahid.
“It is my honour for you to wield my spear, gifted to me by my granddaughter,” Mulrot said, offering her spear.
“It is my honour,” Kal Zahid replied, noting that the spear had been gifted by her granddaughter, not her grandson as he had expected, but he should have expected such. Instead of taking the spear, the old man closed his eyes and began to pray lightly, and he guided the magic with one hand to the spear, rays from the sun beginning to curve around and them floated over to the spear, covering it in light, causing the spear to glow brightly with light.
Mulrot’s brows shot up with surprise, but she smiled, and as Kal Zahid stepped back, the woman revealed the spear to the children, which continued to emanate bright light.
“Is that…” Adam began.
“Holy Weapon,” Kal Zahid confirmed, smiling brightly.
“Congratulations!” Adam almost exclaimed, turning to his children, but they were so distracted by the spear, and so he decided against calling for them.
“After our bout, I was able to find greater insights, and after meditating for quite some time, I made quite a few realisations,” Kal Zahid said, and feeling the pair of gazes upon him, he smiled. “It was quite difficult to keep it a secret from all those around me, and the Amira herself might consider it treason, so if it has pleased your children, I hope you will be able to protect me.”
Adam’s eyes darted towards Korin, whose eyes were wide, unable to contain his surprise, and the half elf burst into laughter, almost keeling over from the force of his laughter. “Kal Zahid! When did you become so funny?”
Kal Zahid smiled, chuckling. “I thought it would be a wonderful gift for your children if I was to cast my first Fifth Gate spell in front of them.”
“Did you hear that? Kal Zahid cast his first Fifth Gate spell, and he cast it on your nano’s new spear which your kako bought. Should this father of yours protect him from the Amira?”
The children blinked at the half elf, and though they made to speak, one of the children let out a hum as she rubbed her chin in deep thought.
“If the Amira punishes Kal Zahid, then we can steal him away?” Jirot said in the Aldish tongue.
“Iyrmen do not steal,” Sonarot said, and though her tone was playful, her eyes, which fell to the women, were not.
“Ock! I did not mean to say steal! I am still very new to Aswadic, nana!” the girl said, still speaking in the Aldish tongue.
“Ah, of course.”
“Of coas,” the children echoed.
“I will not punish Kal Zahid, for to bring joy to such adorable children, it is a great honour,” the Amira assured.
“No, no, Amira, you must punish Kal Zahid so we can stea-,” the girl began, quickly swallowing, “take him away to the business so we can bully him.”
Kal Zahid blinked. “You wish to bully me?”
“What? How you can say this, Kal Zahid? Oh my gosh, how you can say this? Daddy, how he can say this?”
“How can you say that, Kal Zahid, how can you say that?” Adam replied, as equally as playful as his daughter, doing his best not to burst into laughter, all the while Kal Zahid’s jaw remained tense too.
The Amira considered executing the Crimson Blade for a moment.
Adam and Kal Zahid burst into laughter once more.
“Kal Zahid! Don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you, since you made my grandmother so happy!” Adam assured. “Isn’t that right, my dear?”
“Since you made my great grandmother happy, we will help you,” the girl assured, nodding her head. “We will see if the Amira has such courage.”
‘Ah,’ the three Aswadians thought.
“She is your daughter,” Kal Zahid dared to speak aloud, the only one with such courage.
Jirot blinked. She turned to look towards her father. She blinked again. She grumbled quietly, reaching over towards her mother’s hand. “I guess I am daddy’s daughter, I guess.”
Kal Zahid laughed again, patting the half elf on his shoulder. “Why didn’t you say your daughter was this cute?”
“What? I definitely did! I make such a fool of myself because I’m always saying that my children and my wife are so cute! How can you say this? Dear, how can he say this?”
“How can you say this?” Jirot replied, pointing at the old man. “You think I will forgive you because you are so handsome?”
“What? You can’t say that about other men!” Adam gasped, then he reached for his axe, and though he was swept up by the playful mood, the half elf quickly stopped, feeling the intense pressure in the air, turning back to see his granduncle stepping in front of the woman.
Malfev stared towards the woman, the two glaring between one another.
Adam stared at the two, but the Kal’s laughter filled the air, and he reached up to his beard.
“You will not forgive me, betti? Even though this jiddo of yours has brought you so many gifts?”
“Since you are my jiddo, I will forgive you,” the girl said, smirking playfully towards the old man, who grinned wide, after all, he understood he needed to work hard today to keep her alive.
The group settled with one another, and as the Amira sat with the half elf and his family, she tried to calm herself.
“Oh, right, Amira,” Adam called, reaching into his pocket, and then held out a piece of paper to her. “I have a small request that is awkward to speak of.”
The Amira accepted the paper, much to her guard’s chagrin, the woman still tense, and as the Amira read the slip of paper, she folded it. “I will consider it.”
The half elf smiled, and his eyes narrowed, he noted the glare within the guard’s eyes, feeling the grave aura emanating from her.
The Amira wished to greet the children, but they were distracted by the spear and Kal Zahid, who had stolen the greetings from her. She considered how she would punish him, but after doing so within her mind, she let the matter go, since the Kal was certainly plotting something, and it wouldn’t be something against her, for he was the one in charge of protecting his mother, alongside the woman beside her. Her eyes fell to the triplets.
‘I assumed they would wish to hide their heritage,’ the Amira thought, while the triplets listened intently to Kal Zahid’s retelling of his duel with their father.
Malfev stepped behind Adam, his arms behind his back, catching the woman’s gaze, who was looking at the children with such a look. “Lower your gaze.”
“…” The woman standing beside her liege narrowed her eyes and remained aware of the blade at her side.
“Oh, and by the way Amira…” Adam began, smiling innocently, his lips forming a wider and wider smile, his forehead pulsing. “If the Radiant Blade glares at my kids one more time, I’m going to beat the shit out of her.”
Kal Zahid, upon hearing the half elf’s words, slowly turned his head towards the woman. ‘Even after all this…’