Beyond Chaos

The blaming flames within sparked greater embers, spreading from deep within her, towards the tips of even the hair upon her skin, and yet as she meditated upon her lives, the young woman could feel the struggle of her inner butterfly, still trapped within the mortal cocoon.

She opened her eyes to find the ever watchful Mara opposite her, keeping an eye upon the young woman as she tried to surpass her current limits, first by being beaten to near death by the Iyrmen, then by the meditation to process such losses through her heart. She let out a soft sigh, before staring down at her hands, her skin so rough from wielding her greataxe, swinging it hundreds of times daily.

"What is wrong?" Mara asked, her tone calm and sweet, coaxing Lucy's words.

"I should have insisted on leaving," Lucy said, but guilt tore away at her heart. "No. Never mind."

Mara fell silent as the woman returned to her thoughts, with little understanding why the woman felt so particularly harsh upon herself that day. She had an inkling, but she wasn't entirely sure. She knew why the woman had felt so guilty, but what was the look of shame and annoyance?

Lucy found the twins charging at her as she returned, freshly bathed, adorned in the Iyr's clothing. She lifted each of them up with an arm with ease, pulling them close to her chest as they assaulted one another with affection.

"Kako, kako, look, I am praying," the girl said, revealing the beads along her wrist. "I pray and I push, and I pray and I push, and then when I am all done, I have finished praying, but I am praying for so many people so I pray so many times. I prayed for mummy, I prayed for daddy, I prayed for kakas and papas, and I pray for kakos and papos too."

"Are you going to pray all day?" Lucy joked.

"No, I pray so fast, so I will be done before you know it, kako, before you know it," the girl assured. "Then we can play, okay?"

"Okay," Lucy said, before nuzzling against the girl's nose, doing the same for her little brother, who beamed so brightly up towards her. She was particularly close to these two children, for reasons she did not wish to admit, in the same way that her meditations came to her easier even without the Flames of Seven Realms.

She placed the twins down to greet the triplets, allowing the twins to greet Mara, who smothered them in affection.

"Kako, have you eaten?" Jirot asked.

"I have eaten, but shall we snack?"

"You are so wise as you are pretty, kako, like mummy," the girl said, perhaps the greatest compliment of all, since their mother was the prettiest and wisest.

Mara smiled and accepted them into a deeper hug and kissed their cheeks, as they returned the affection, including little Jarot who almost began to snooze against her neck, though she would soon be feeding him from her fingers.

"Huoof!" Lucy groaned, lifting all three of the triplets up. "You've all grown up too much! No wonder your father is always complaining about it, since you're all so heavy now!"

Konarot's tail swung from side to side, the girl smiling slightly, while Lucy swung her younger brother and sister with each arm, the children clutching tight to her arms.

"What is the Iyr feeding you?"

"Kekekeke," the triplets cackled in return, before she finally placed them down, and she stretched out her back, groaning.

Virot held the Demon Lord's gaze for a long moment, slowly sipping from her cup, until she was finally done, a trail of white foam atop her lip. She continued to glare at the Demon Lord, until finally, she smirked.

"Jirot, Virot is so much like you…" Lucy admitted, picking up the fool's youngest daughter, who hugged her so tight, the pair rubbing their cheeks. Lucy wiped the girl's mouth with a sleeve, causing her to squeal and clap her hands.

"Kako! Kako! Dink!"

"I'll drink, but you have to feed me," Lucy joked, the pair cuddling together and Lucy poured a cup of milk for the girl, feeding her, until she finally held the cup with both of her hands and fed the Demon Lord in return.

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Damrot sipped upon his juice, smiling shyly as Lucy glanced towards him, allowing the woman to draw him into a hug too.

Mara smiled, noting the sight of Lucy holding the pair close to her, adoring them so tenderly. 'You should retire like this.'

However, she knew it wasn't so easy. Even if she was at the height of her power, it would have been difficult to keep Lucy out of trouble, since Lucy was Lucy.

"You are joining us so early?" came the voice, his steel leg striking the floor, the old man carrying within the sling a babe who tried to squirm his way out of the sash, though the old man's arm kept him pinned so close. The boy let out a small cry, until he finally saw his mother's face, who plucked him away from his greatfather's chest.

"My meditations are complete, for now," Lucy admitted.

"Should I beat some more meditation into you?" the Mad Dog offered.

"No thank you," Lucy replied, since out of all the Iyrmen, even though she had sparred with those who were stronger, the Mad Dog was still the most vicious, even with only a single arm and leg.

"You should grow even stronger, enough to match my grandsons!"

"I'm already as strong as one of them, Mara will be as strong as the other!" Lucy complained in return, though she was fairly certain at the height of her potential future strength, she should be able to match the half elf at the height of his.

"Jirot, tell her she cannot behave so meekly."

"Kako…" Jirot began, narrowing her eyes slightly, before turning to her greatfather. "Babo, just because kako is so pretty, you cannot bully her like this."

'Jirot!' Lucy's heart called out.

"How can this be? Jirot, has she turned you against me?" The old man reached up to his heart. "I knew it! I should have aimed for her neck!"

"Babo! You cannot!" Jirot urged.

"Babo…" Little Jarot pouted.

"You too, my Jarot?" The old man clutched at his heart. "This pain can only be healed if I-,"

Virot gasped, turning her head towards Lucy in shock. "Kako! Poopoo!"

"Oh?" Lucy replied, before realising. "Oh! I will take you, come on."

"Huu!" Virot complained, waddling away with Lucy, making her way to the potty in order to train, but unfortunately for her, she had spent too much of her time drinking milk when she had first felt it.

"Kako…" Damrot called, staring up at Mara.

"Do you need to pee?" Mara asked.

Damrot nodded, and held her hand as the woman escorted him away to the bathroom.

Jarot glared at the Iyrmen who followed each of them, but since they weren't of the Rot family, he decided against strangling them, though he would swing his axe at them later in the evening.

"Leave them," Mulrot warned.

"Those brats, they should know!"

"They feel at peace."

"I do not."

"Oh? You do not? The Mad Dog feels upset at so little? Jirot, Jarot, come, your greatfather feels upset for such small reasons, you must play with him."

The Mad Dog flushed red with annoyance, but since Jirot and Jarot came to play with him, he decided against acting up, kissing each of their foreheads, and melting down into the seat with them.

Even now, Vonda couldn't believe this old man was the Mad Dog. Even last year, when he had gone out, she had only heard of the savagery he had displayed against the likes of the Sir Iris, a Vice Commander of the Cherry Blades, but only after clashing with Sun Sword, the previous Grand Commander of the Floral Sun. She thought of the scene as it had been retold, near countless times, for it was perhaps one of the greatest stories of this generation, and she hoped, would be the only one of its ilk.

The scariest part to the Iyrmen, however, was not how powerful the Mad Dog remained, crippled though he was, having retired so long ago, nor how even Shaool had almost killed the Platinum Shield with a single strike, nor how terrifyingly powerful Adam had become in the span of but five years, going from a boy who could be killed by accident by the likes of a Vice Commander, to being able to cut their head clean off.

To the Iyrmen, it was the fact that Duteous Dogek, of all Iyrmen, the one who had refuted the relationship between the children and the Iyr, had gone on ahead and almost killed the Sky Commander, even when he wasn't meant to.

'It was fortunate she was of Eagle Wing and not the Thousand Hunts,' Dogek had stated when he had spoken the tale, the only time he had revealed his thought on the matter.

'No,' Vonda thought, realising that such a matter was not considered terrifying within the Iyr, but a source of pride.

For even Duteous Dogek would give up every honour he had earned to make sure the Prime Law remained supreme.

"Mah mah mah," the boy called, reaching up to reach for his mother's chin, his tiny hand grabbing onto her face, drawing her attention.

"Damrot," Vonda called, meeting the boy's eyes, noting them catch her gaze, the boy's eyes glistening with delight, and he squealed. Vonda smiled, leaning in to nuzzle his nose, and kissed the corner of his lips, causing the boy to lean in to kiss his mother's cheek all over.

"Mah mah mah mah mah mah mah!" The boy called with such delight, all the while the woman peppered his cheek and neck with kisses.

Lanarot stood, holding Monarot within her arms, half carrying the girl. She glanced up towards Pam, who blinked down at the little girl who called her sister, noting the look within her eyes, as though she had just returned from war.

"Are you… okay?"

Lanarot inhaled deeply, reaching up to brush her hair back, revealing her exasperated face. "Monarot eats so well."

"You keep feeding her bread."

"I must do it, I must do it," the girl replied, leaning down to kiss the baby's head, the girl squirming lightly, and smiling up to her mother. "Who eats bread as well as my Monarot?"

"Jurot."

"Ah," Lanarot replied, the girl smiling and nodding her head. "Brother Jurot eats bread so well."