Jaygak flung backwards, landing on her side as she skid to a halt, her entire body ringing in pain. She could no longer feel her shield arm, and she had no idea if her hand still firmly gripped her blade, she could only hope so. She tried to stand, but her body refused to listen to her will.

Marmak’s blade tinked lightly against the floor, certain she was unable to stand. The fight hadn’t lasted long, about as long as he had expected. He reached up to his cheek, feeling the crimson hotness against his finger, before tilting his head slightly so it would not pool into his eyes. A wild grin appeared on his face.

“Your grandniece takes after you, Flame Brand.”

From those the business adopted, to those Adam peppered with kisses, and those who Adam peppered with kisses, but were not his kin, the children around all stared at the twitching form of the fallen Iyrman.

‘He beat up the Executive just like that?’ Alex thought, his eyes wide.

“Kako,” Jirot called out, her voice low, her head darting towards her nano to see how she should react.

‘Good,’ Taygak thought.

A cry filled the air, as Kavgak’s face contorted and tears fell down her cheeks. Her cries were joined by the chorus of other babies nearby, before their parents and guardians began to lift them up to soothe them.

Jaygak inhaled deeply, flexing her muscles, before forcing herself into a sitting position. Her entire body shook within her armour, though it felt as though a mountain pinned her to the earth. Shuddering and spluttering, the young Iyrman clambered onto her feet, almost making the mistake of resting her forearm upon her knee, before she finally forced her head upwards, the rest of her body following like a snake.

“Thank you for the fight!”

“You are politer than your grandaunt,” Marmak replied, still grinning wide. “I am so old, do not make me wait so long to hear your tale.”

“You cannot say that,” Jaygak replied, barely able to speak so many syllables without gasping for air. “Taygak will bring us-,” Jaygak gasped for air, barely able to hide the deep pain rocking through her body, “great glory.”

“Taygak?”

“Taygak, me,” the girl said, standing up tall and proud. “Cousin Jaygak, strong! Cousin Jaygak, great!”

‘Our Taygak is speaking so much!’ Adam thought, his lower lip quivering slightly as he filled with pride.

Jaygak wanted to say more, but every breath felt like swimming across an entire ocean, so she did what she did best. She cracked a smirk.

Marmak returned the smile, noting it through her visor, before Jaygak finally stepped aside, Kitool assisting her as the young woman almost collapsed beside her.

“Okay?” Kitool asked.

Jaygak glanced to the other Gaks around her. She nodded in response, wincing. She was glad her helmet hid her face.

Adam watched as Marmak returned back to Gangak to praise her grandniece in front of her. ‘Damn. He knocked out Jaygak like I knock out Seventh Hopes. No, Jaygak did better than the Seventh Hope…’

“I had no idea he was the Butcher,” Korin admitted, his eyes glued to the old man, just like the other Aswadians around.

“The who?”

“The Butcher…” Korin fell silent for a long moment. “He caused a mess in Aswadasad when I was younger, but he disappeared. He killed many Kals who hunted him for what he did.”

“What did he do?”

“He killed a noble, and many great warriors who were sent to hunt him down. The Black Lions were almost sent, but he disappeared. We thought he had died since he disappeared so suddenly.”

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“Marmak is to Aswadasad, as grandfather is to Aldland,” Jurot stated, still holding Lanarot tightly, having calmed the girl while she watched the fight. Jurot added a small comment in the Iyr’s tongue. “Though, he did not retire.”

“Is he part of the One Hundred Paragons of the Iyr?” Korin asked.

“Yes.”

Adam raised his brows. ‘So he’s on par with Shaool then?’

‘One Hundred Paragons…’ Korin was still surprised by the knowledge the Iyr truly held so many Grandmasters and Paragons. However, he supposed it made sense. Though the Iyr was fewer in number, they were far more elite, and it was how the Iyr still remained in one piece even with so many great forces around it. They were like the elves far to the south, except their monsters could be raised within twenty years, in comparison to the elves, who required anywhere between fifty and one hundred years for a child to grow into an adult.

‘What can we do about the Iyr?’ Korin thought, which fell away to the wind. He was unsure of the politics behind Marmak and what had happened back then, especially considering Marmak had killed so many nobles, apparently unjustly. However, the Iyr did not step forward to protect those who caused issues in the other land, leaving them to deal with it.

Korin thought about the last time the Iyr sent an army to deal with Aswadasad. ‘How long ago was it? It must have been…’ While Korin thought back decades upon decades, he paused. There was a fairly recent example of Severtain, roughly seventy years ago, which he had informed Adam of.

Except…

Korin’s eyes fell onto Adam. ‘No. It wasn’t that long ago in which the Iyr spilled the blood of Aswadasad near its border. It wasn’t that long ago, a little over three years ago, when the Iyr brought a small army of their elderly to deal with the small of the Aswadians.’

Korin’s eyes then fell to Marmak once more, watching as he spoke with the Gangak and the other Iyrmen. ‘Mad Dog. Flame Brand. Butcher.’ He had heard of Flame Brand too, though she had been but a blip in comparison to Mad Dog and the Butcher. ‘Why did they force Flame Brand away?’

‘I didn’t realise that old man was so strong…’ Adam thought, glad he hadn’t accepted the fight. ‘I don’t want to lose in front of my kids.’

“Daddy!” Jirot called, sniffling as she grabbed her father’s leg. “Kako Jaygak is hee’ing now!”

“What?”

“Daddy!” The girl pointed towards her father with a threatening finger, her brows raised as if to dare him to deny her. “Kako is hee’ing now!”

“…”

“You are a Priest, so you can heal,” Jurot translated.

“Oh!” Adam gasped. “Look at you, my daughter! How did you become so smart?” Adam lifted the girl up to pepper her face with kisses, before he lifted his son up, and carried the pair.

“Kako! Kako!” Jirot called out, reaching out for Jaygak.

Jaygak paused, unsure if she should reach out for the girl, but with the look in the girl’s eyes, and seeing the look on Adam’s face, who didn’t wish to surrender his daughter, she accepted the girl into her arms. With the pain rocking through her body, she was glad her helmet was still on.

“Daddy is here! You are hee’ing now, okay?”

“Okay.”

Adam inhaled deeply. He reached out and placed a hand on Jaygak’s shoulder. He thought for a short moment.

Lay on Hands: 35 -> 20

The warmth flowed through the young Iyrman, who could feel her arms again finally, though the pain gave away to a gentle numbness. She held the girl closer, before undoing her helmet to reveal her smiling face, no longer wincing in pain.

“Did I scare you, Jirot?”

“No! You ah not scahree, kako.”

Jaygak rested her cheek against the girl’s cheek, rubbing it gently, before planting kisses on her forehead. She accepted Jarot too, who pouted up towards her, before he was also showered in her affection.

“I’m going to let it slide since you did me a solid,” Adam said.

“What did I do for you?”

“Take credit when it’s due,” Adam replied, annoyed, reaching out to pat her shoulder, though he decided against it in case she was still in pain.

Jaygak returned with a smirk across her face. Her eyes then snapped towards the older Iyrmen, who were relaxing in the corner, one whose cheek was currently being tended to by another Iyrman.

“It will grow into a good scar,” Marmak said, allowing one of the other Iyrmen stationed here to patch up around his eye and cheek. “She almost took my eye.”

“You are lucky my grandniece is so well behaved.” Gangak smiled playfully at her words, exchanging a look with Jarot.

“She should have taken your eye for the trouble you tried to cause,” Jarot growled.

“What trouble would I cause?”

“My grandson would have beaten you!”

“Am I as weak as the First Hope?”

“I would face the First Hope and my grandson with greater success than you,” Jarot replied.

Marmak narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not refute the statement. It was difficult to refute it, for Jarot would not lie to him, and he knew more of the situation. Jarot knew how strong Marmak was, and he knew how strong Adam was. Although, there was a gentleness to Jarot’s words, one which stated he was still conflicted by his statement.

“Your grandson is so strong?” Marmak asked.

“If you wish to harm a hair on his head, your luck must be greater than his, or he must allow you.”

“He is that difficult to fight?”

Jarot leaned back as he sipped his wine, smirking as he did, barely hiding it as he stared into Marmak’s eyes.

“It would be difficult for him to live within the Iyr if it was confirmed,” Gangak replied, speaking more openly.

“I did not mean to cause such trouble,” Marmak admitted.

“You did not?”

“The trouble I wished to cause was smaller.”

Jarot growled, though his lips formed a wide smile. “Only my grandson should cause so much trouble.”

“Since he is your grandson,” Marmak agreed, pouring wine for the pair.