A Small Scout In A Big World

“...” Sore subject, clearly.

“Merry Sanguinala!” He hands Darius a painting of the Inner Circle all together, with Nathan in the middle of them.

Darius smiles. “Have you been taking lessons from some of the Blood Angels? This painting is amazing.”

"Nope! I learned it alllllll by myself!" He puffed his chest out proudly.

“You should be teaching the Blood Angels then.”

"You really think so?"

“Why yes I do. I’m actually due to meet Sanguinius later this week. Do you want me to show off your art and brag about you?”

He gasped. "You'd do that?!"

“Of course I would.”

He hugged Darius. "Thank you! You're the best!"

“Now that’s not true. YOU’RE the best. So I can’t be the best.” Darius says as he gets on a knee and hugs Nathan back.

"I love you, Papa."

“Merry Sanguinala!” He hands Darius a painting of the Inner Circle all together, with Nathan in the middle of them.

Darius smiles. “Have you been taking lessons from some of the Blood Angels? This painting is amazing.”

"Nope! I learned it alllllll by myself!" He puffed his chest out proudly.

“You should be teaching the Blood Angels then.”

"You really think so?"

“Why yes I do. I’m actually due to meet Sanguinius later this week. Do you want me to show off your art and brag about you?”

He gasped. "You'd do that?!"

“Of course I would.”

He hugged Darius. "Thank you! You're the best!"

“Merry Sanguinala!” He hands Darius a painting of the Inner Circle all together, with Nathan in the middle of them.

Darius smiles. “Have you been taking lessons from some of the Blood Angels? This painting is amazing.”

"Nope! I learned it alllllll by myself!" He puffed his chest out proudly.

“You should be teaching the Blood Angels then.”

"You really think so?"

“Why yes I do. I’m actually due to meet Sanguinius later this week. Do you want me to show off your art and brag about you?”

He gasped. "You'd do that?!"

“Merry Sanguinala!” He hands Darius a painting of the Inner Circle all together, with Nathan in the middle of them.

Darius smiles. “Have you been taking lessons from some of the Blood Angels? This painting is amazing.”

"Nope! I learned it alllllll by myself!" He puffed his chest out proudly.

“You should be teaching the Blood Angels then.”

"You really think so?"

“Merry Sanguinala!” He hands Darius a painting of the Inner Circle all together, with Nathan in the middle of them.

Darius smiles. “Have you been taking lessons from some of the Blood Angels? This painting is amazing.”

"Nope! I learned it alllllll by myself!" He puffed his chest out proudly.

“Merry Sanguinala!” He hands Darius a painting of the Inner Circle all together, with Nathan in the middle of them.

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

“I pinky promise.” Darius says as he holds out his pinky.

He hesitantly linked pinkies with him, not looking entirely reassured.

“You know I never break my promises, right? I have this one big promise, called an oath, that I haven’t broken in twelve thousand years. And I pinky promise to you, that Irista will get better.”

"Yeah, but... What if something happens that you can't control?"

“Then I reason. I talk. And I haggle. I’ve been around for so long that I know that if Irista doesn’t keep his promise, it’s because of reasons he can’t tell me. But he will tell Cossus or Retbah. So I have trust in him that if he has problems that I can’t solve, he will go to Retbah or Cossus. Because that’s what promises are all about, trust. I trust him, and I hope you trust me.”

"I... Of course I do. Thanks, Dad!"

Darius smiles. “By the way, we’re going to be close to the Lords of Dawn chapter soon. And one of my boyfriends is in that Chapter. He’s an Apothecary, and he even has horns. His name is Korivan. Do you want to meet him?”

"Uh-huh!" He nodded excitedly with a bright smile.

“All right. We’ll be with their fleet in about two weeks. So think of any questions you have for him. And please don’t be alarmed by his eyes. He’s a former Night Lord, just like Uncle Khyron.”

"O-Okay! That much doesn't really mean much to me, as long as he's nice..."

“He’s grumpy, but that’s because he’s an Apothecary. He’s plenty nice, just...grumpy? Kind of like me.”

"Well, if he's just like you, then he's great already!"

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

“I pinky promise.” Darius says as he holds out his pinky.

He hesitantly linked pinkies with him, not looking entirely reassured.

“You know I never break my promises, right? I have this one big promise, called an oath, that I haven’t broken in twelve thousand years. And I pinky promise to you, that Irista will get better.”

"Yeah, but... What if something happens that you can't control?"

“Then I reason. I talk. And I haggle. I’ve been around for so long that I know that if Irista doesn’t keep his promise, it’s because of reasons he can’t tell me. But he will tell Cossus or Retbah. So I have trust in him that if he has problems that I can’t solve, he will go to Retbah or Cossus. Because that’s what promises are all about, trust. I trust him, and I hope you trust me.”

"I... Of course I do. Thanks, Dad!"

Darius smiles. “By the way, we’re going to be close to the Lords of Dawn chapter soon. And one of my boyfriends is in that Chapter. He’s an Apothecary, and he even has horns. His name is Korivan. Do you want to meet him?”

"Uh-huh!" He nodded excitedly with a bright smile.

“All right. We’ll be with their fleet in about two weeks. So think of any questions you have for him. And please don’t be alarmed by his eyes. He’s a former Night Lord, just like Uncle Khyron.”

"O-Okay! That much doesn't really mean much to me, as long as he's nice..."

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

“I pinky promise.” Darius says as he holds out his pinky.

He hesitantly linked pinkies with him, not looking entirely reassured.

“You know I never break my promises, right? I have this one big promise, called an oath, that I haven’t broken in twelve thousand years. And I pinky promise to you, that Irista will get better.”

"Yeah, but... What if something happens that you can't control?"

“Then I reason. I talk. And I haggle. I’ve been around for so long that I know that if Irista doesn’t keep his promise, it’s because of reasons he can’t tell me. But he will tell Cossus or Retbah. So I have trust in him that if he has problems that I can’t solve, he will go to Retbah or Cossus. Because that’s what promises are all about, trust. I trust him, and I hope you trust me.”

"I... Of course I do. Thanks, Dad!"

Darius smiles. “By the way, we’re going to be close to the Lords of Dawn chapter soon. And one of my boyfriends is in that Chapter. He’s an Apothecary, and he even has horns. His name is Korivan. Do you want to meet him?”

"Uh-huh!" He nodded excitedly with a bright smile.

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

“I pinky promise.” Darius says as he holds out his pinky.

He hesitantly linked pinkies with him, not looking entirely reassured.

“You know I never break my promises, right? I have this one big promise, called an oath, that I haven’t broken in twelve thousand years. And I pinky promise to you, that Irista will get better.”

"Yeah, but... What if something happens that you can't control?"

“Then I reason. I talk. And I haggle. I’ve been around for so long that I know that if Irista doesn’t keep his promise, it’s because of reasons he can’t tell me. But he will tell Cossus or Retbah. So I have trust in him that if he has problems that I can’t solve, he will go to Retbah or Cossus. Because that’s what promises are all about, trust. I trust him, and I hope you trust me.”

"I... Of course I do. Thanks, Dad!"

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

“I pinky promise.” Darius says as he holds out his pinky.

He hesitantly linked pinkies with him, not looking entirely reassured.

“You know I never break my promises, right? I have this one big promise, called an oath, that I haven’t broken in twelve thousand years. And I pinky promise to you, that Irista will get better.”

"Yeah, but... What if something happens that you can't control?"

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

“I pinky promise.” Darius says as he holds out his pinky.

He hesitantly linked pinkies with him, not looking entirely reassured.

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."

“It’s alright. He had a long talk with me, Uncle Cossus and Uncle Retbah. He wasn’t eating, but he pinky promised he would. He has to start slow or else he’ll get sick. But he’s getting better.”

"Y-You promise?"

"H-He looked... He looked like he was starving... I wanna help, but..."