As the heat of the noonval sun baked the city in its glow, there was one who surrendered to it, laying within the shade of an estate.
“…”
“Kaka, are you okay?” called a voice as a small army of steps approached the girl.
“I was betrayed,” the girl replied, still laying on her stomach, pressed against the corner, facing the wall.
“Oh dear.” The eldest dropped to her knees before the girl, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Feel better soon, okay?”
“Okay…”
Adam watched as the trio greeted their younger sister, who remained pinned to the corner, unable to pull away from the wall. After a moment, he stepped closer.
“Daddy, how can they do this?” The girl groaned, still on her stomach, panting lightly.
“What happened?”
“Did you know, daddy? When you eat too much dessert, your stomach hurts?”
Adam glanced aside to little Jarot, who sipped away at his milk, and for a moment the half elf considered what he should say. “A wise philosopher once said too much of anything can make you sick, even the good can be a curse.”
“I believed myself wise, but I, too, am your daughter.”
Adam closed his eyes, slowly turning towards his wife, tears within his eyes. “Did she also act like this with you.”
“Yes.”
‘My daughter is the cutest in the whole world,’ the half elf thought, though the thoughts glistened on the surface of his eyes. “It is quite a shame, for I brought a guest who was excited to meet you.”
“Today, it is darkness which reigns, and forever more, shall it claim this day in the land of sun and gold,” Jirot replied darkly.
Adam wrapped his arms around the girl, reaching down to gently rub her stomach, picking her up, causing her to squirm within his arms, and she twisted, clutching at his collar, and in this position, as though she were a screw, she let out a soft sigh.
Lay on Hands: 50 -> 49
The girl half melted within her father’s arms, feeling the warmth of his magic tickling him, and she rested her head against his chest. She remained silent as her father lifted his son up too, holding him within an arm, for the girl seemed to be behaving this day, so he showed her mercy instead of trapping her between both arms. The girl then turned to face the strangers, finding the one armed, one legged, one eyed, half burnt man.
“Daddy, is that Kal Vadim the Chimera?” Jirot whispered.
“How many books have you read?”
“Daddy, papo Chosen told me his tale, and last year he met Vadim the Chimera, and I listened to the stories from papo, I am so good at listening, you know this daddy, you know this.”
“So I do.” Adam planted a firm kiss on his daughter’s cheek, and as he carried his twins to the pair, they noticed the looks they exchanged. Adam smiled. “This is my daughter, Jirot, and my son, Jarot, named after his grandfather, and it is this fool of a half elf, who just so happens to be able to beat the Elder of Amber well, who can claim to be their father.”
It was this fool of a half elf, who just so happens to be able to beat the Elder of Amber well, and was a Mo of Death, and seemingly was an Executive of the United Kindom, its High Alchemist, who threatened them so overtly.
“I ask you to show forgiveness, for I am suffering from eating too much dessert,” Jirot said, greeting the two.
“Did you not listen to your mother?” Adam asked.
Jirot’s head slowly turned to the accusation, her mouth forming a tiny circle of surprise, revealing she was indeed the half elf’s daughter to the pair. “Mistakes were made.”
Adam’s jaw tensed up, leaning down to kiss the girl’s head once more, unsure if he should continue to allow her to be this charming, for how could she be this funny?
“I am never going to eat ever again.”
“All the more food for Jarot and I.” Adam smiled, meeting his son’s gaze, the boy flushing lightly.
Vadim remained silent. As the dozens of gazes fell upon, and his grandson, who dared to wear a sword at his side, he realised the mistake in his thoughts. She was green skinned. She was amber eyed. She was leaf eared. She was an Iyrman.
“This is Kal Vadim, the Chimera, who you recognised so quickly,” Adam said, realising the old man was still trying to gather himself, for he hadn’t expected them to look as they did, and though they had seen the triplets, and how they were so red of skin, and horned, just like a few around them.
“You must be little Jirot…” Vadim replied, staring down at the girl, whose eyes quickly darted to her father, and she clutched at his collar tighter, her eyes full of an accusation that went unsaid.
“Greet them properly,” Adam said, his tone slightly heavier than usual, for he had worked so hard to bring the two here, and also, if she understood she was being rude, perhaps she would show him a hint of mercy.
“Greetings, Kal Vadim, I am Jirot, daughter of Ray Vonda of Life’s Rose,” the girl said, and paused a long moment before continuing, “and my father, Mo Adam, and this is my younger brother, who also heard of your stories, Jarot, named after my great grandfather, the Mad Dog, but you may not know him, because he retired before you were active, but he is to Aldland as Butcher Marmak is to Aswadasad.”
“I have heard of your great grandfather.”
The girl gasped, turning towards Jarot, her eyes full of such joy, and she whispered ecstatically in the Iyr’s tongue. “The Kal knows of our babo!”
Little Jarot’s mouth formed a tiny circle of surprise, confirming whose son he was, and the boy beamed up brightly towards the Kal.
“It is a terrible shame what the nobles did to you,” Jirot called, not quite understanding that she shouldn’t speak such words, however she held out her fist towards the old man. “If you wish for it, my father will beat them for you, because my father is so strong.”
“Why are you calling me your father?” Adam asked, his eyes falling down to his daughter with such a look, the kind of look that was equally as audacious as it was heart broken.
“You really are mummy’s husband…”
“You!”
The girl squealed with delight, though was trapped within his arm, and allowed him to pepper her cheek and neck all over with his affection.
Vadim’s one good eye glanced around towards the Iyrmen nearby, noting the Iyrman with the wooden arm and leg. ‘To think an Iyrman would accept such dishonour. He is lucky the Mad Dog is not around or he would find his neck…’
Vadim’s hair stood on end as the old man’s gaze fell upon his, and very quickly he had become prey for the old man, and though he stepped back upon his crutch, his grandson held onto his shoulders, his eyes darting towards the old man, and though he could feel the intense pressure, Hakam swallowed and stepped forward.
“That’s my grandfather, the Mad Dog, and if he’s bothering you, you can tell Jirot and she’ll sort him out,” Adam half joked, the half elf smiling proudly, and the girl, upon hearing her father’s words, understood what needed to be done, but her body betrayed her, so she raised her hand in the air to catch her greatfather’s attention.
“Babo, you think because I am sick I will not?”
“I have not done anything yet.”
“I know you have done something, for you are within my sights,” Jirot replied, revealing whose great granddaughter she was, for only the greatdaughter of the Mad Dog could harass him.
“It is good to finally meet you, Kal,” Vadim said, placing his hand over his heart, holding the old man’s gaze. ‘To think the Mad Dog has fallen this low…’
“He thinks just because he beat up the Full Moon he can go around acting like this.” Adam sighed, as though the words truly wounded him, but his lips formed that kind of smirk, especially as Vadim’s eyes met the half elf’s, his smirk widening. “My grandfather, he’s that kind of guy, just because he beat up one or two weaklings, he thinks he’s tough.”
Vadim’s eyes fell to the little girl within the fool’s arm, for the girl clutched at his collar, her eyes full of an accusation, one she did not speak, but was evident from the look within her eyes, the way her brows shifted, and the way she caught her twin brother’s look.
‘He is insane too…’ Vadim thought, for he had heard of the half elf’s strength from the lips of Chosen and Tanagek, who admitted the half elf could defeat them both even if they, two Masters, were to attack him at once. It followed the half elf, with his grandfather being who he was, would be the kind who was equally as terrifying, equally as foolish, and equally beyond his imagination.