[1730] – Y07.230 – A Festival In Our Hearts X

"Two times!" the girl declared, holding up a pair of fingers towards her returning papos and kakos.

Her papos and kakos glanced aside, to the half elf who was busy feeding his sister, the chonky blue girl, who they realised was the daughter of a particular figure within Aswadasad, though was now a Rot. He looked to be innocent enough, but they had grown up with him, and most of their living memories were plagued by their cousin, who had gone from strength to strength, and had surpassed a great many before him.

It was he, this half elf, who they understood to be the kind of fellow who could defeat the Radiant Blade.

Twice.

As the tale came to an end, the youngsters praised their cousin.

"Cousin Adam..." Damokan accused, his eyes completely focused on the half elf.

"I know, I know, you don't have to worry, I will take you out soon, after the Reavers, perhaps?"

Damrot showed him mercy that day, and Kalokan, too, decided to show him mercy.

"Cousin Adam, you are too strong," Turot said, placing a hand upon his shoulder. "If you continue to show off this way, how can cousin Amokan bring greater glory?"

"It seems he will have to become the Chief in order to gain such glory?" Adam mused.

"Indeed, but to face against cousin Timojin..." Turot mused, ignoring the looks from the twins.

"Indeed," Adam agreed, the two exchanging a look between one another, smirking slightly.

Yet, as they teased the twins, one of the teens was looking to their cousin who was equally as handsome as he, with his red skin, and his horns.

"You are so strong, cousin Laygak!" Raygak declared. "Certainly, the kal will gain such strength, and he will become the Scarlet Sun Sword, and it is you, cousin Laygak, the Blood Seeking Sword, who will be known throughout the lands."

"I intend to retire soon," Laygak admitted.

"What!" Raygak gasped, staring up at his cousin, whose face was so sharp, and had gained upon it, something Raygak hadn't seen before, a pride, a strength, a power. It was this way the Gak should look, Raygak was certain.

"If I make such a great name for myself, would I not overshadow..." Laygak paused. "What am I saying? Overshadow who? My sister? My darling cousin?"

Raygak spluttered in response as Laygak pinched his cheek, the boy flushing lightly.

"Taygak, and you, Raygak, are far more talented than I, so before you are able to dethrone me from the position as the greatest active Gak, should I not retire so I can save face in front of you? My sister, my cousin, each of whom will gain the title of Master, no, you should surpass your sister at least, for today she is not an Elder, so I can call her a fool, so you should both reach the realm of a Grandmaster, and should you wish to grace the Gak family, the position of Paragon."

"Two Grandmasters isn't enough, cousin! Even during grandmother's generation, with grandaunt and granduncle, the two weren't enough, so in our generation, there must be more! At least three, no, four Grandmasters, and one Paragon."

"Indeed, and there will be three or four Grandmasters and a Paragon."

"If you retire, if sister has taken the title of Elder..."

"You!" Laygak poked his cousin's nose. "It is you who needs to become the Paragon, you and Taygak, and then our little sisters, they will grow to become Grandmasters, since they are so talented."

"Our sisters are too small."

"It seems you are truly Jaygak's brother..."

Raygak narrowed his eyes, glancing aside to the girls, but then flushed once more. "I mean, they are too young, cousin Laygak."

"In no time at all they will grow older than you are now, for have you forgotten? It was at their age, or so, that you met your cousin Adam, and then they were born, and yet you are almost my age I had met your cousin, and in a few more years, you will step out, as we did, and you will grow greater fame, for I only knew Adam after I stepped out, but you, you will become an Expert before you gain your tattoos, for Taygak is almost like that now, and you, certainly, shall claim that too."

Raygak considered his cousin's words, flushing once more, and he thought of Taygak, who fought who she had fought, and managed to claim victory even against those who were almost ten years her senior. As his eyes trailed aside to Adam, who was blowing raspberries into Amalrot's neck, he considered the curse of the Gak family, and after meeting Adam, and how he had changed the world around him. He considered, if, perhaps, they would be able to finally rise up once more, after a thousand years of darkness.

It was at that time there were those called Gangak and Jogak, and in this age, there was his grandaunt and his father who possessed such names, but only Gangak had managed to cleave a name for herself, at the very least, she was the only living Gak who had claimed such a name for herself.

It wasn't that easy, was it? To leave it to their cousin, Adam, to allow them to rise once more.

"You must work hard," Laygak said, noting the distress on his cousin's face, ruffling his hair. "You do not need to worry, for when I step out to face the Reavers, I shall show the world, that our Gak family's sword is alive once more, and that there shall come a maelstrom by the name of Taygak, and then, Raygak, and you two must keep the fire alive for a decade, to allow your sisters to hear your tales, and upon hearing your tales, when they step out, knowing a particular fool, not your sister, so do not look at me that way, they shall perhaps step out as Masters?"

Raygak smiled slightly.

Laygak only hoped the young man would be willing to forgive him when he passed along such a heavy burden. No, he supposed someone should remain behind to guide the girls, and while Jaygak was the Elder, and Taygak and Raygak stepped out, he would watch over them, as Saygak lived his own dreams, to assist the Iyr in his way.

As they all made their way to rest for the night, the fires lit within their hearts, and they wondered how the future would be.

it was under the starry sky that Laygak stepped out, only to find Taygak was swinging her blade, and it was she who was training with many others, but she was the eldest of those who trained, and seeing the children swinging their blades, noting how Raygak was wielding the Gak family's sword well, he returned back to his room and lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, noting the dark red ceiling in the darkness.

'I suppose I will have to survive the Reavers so I can watch over them well,' Laygak thought, sighing, for if he could have died to them, such would have been much easier upon his heart.

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

Laygak, we believe in you!