#lazark

The halls of the Kertia estate was filled with the sounds of crying coming from the Clan Leader's room. No, Lazark Kertia was not crying like a child. Instead, Lazark was sitting at the edge of his bed sighing profoundly as his little brother, Rael, filled the halls of the estate with his cries. The rest of the Kertia Clan had offered to take turns in taking care of Rael. Knowing that their Clan Leader was busy with work, attending to the Clan, and dispatched on missions, it was only a matter of time before he would collapse from exhaustion. Unknowingly to them, that was not the case. Lazark was indeed tired but never too tired to attend to his brother's needs. Baby Rael had his nursery, but because he would cry every night, Lazark decided to move his crib into his room to attend to his brother (He was such a good older brother). As he sat at the corner of his bed, he looked at Rael crying inside his crib and wondered if he was the same when he was a baby. It was difficult for Lazark to care for Rael since they had no parents. Lazark and Rael were blood-borne, meaning that their father used his blood to create them. He remembered when his father introduced him to Rael for the first time.  The joy he felt when it dawned on him that he was an older brother. Behind closed doors, in the privacy of his room, Lazark got up and walked to his brother's crib to hold the crying baby. He knew too well what Rael wanted. He returned to his bed with the baby in hand and began to hum a lullaby that Raiga would hum to Rael to soothe his crying. Little by little Rael stopped crying and began to suck on his thumb as Lazark caressed Rael's hair. Rael fell asleep in Lazark's arms as he always does every night. It had become routine for Lazark to sleep with his baby brother resting in his arms. Poor Lazark had unhealthy sleeping patterns, but it was all worth seeing his little brother sleep in peace. He loved Rael more than anything in the world, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for him. He looked at his brothers sleeping face, and it was enough to give him the energy to keep going every day. Rael was his motivation to become the best Clan Leader and set new personal goals because he wanted to walk under his father's footsteps. He wanted Rael to know what his father was like through him. Every morning baby Rael was the first to wake Lazark. It used to be a maid, but that was not necessary anymore since Rael was there. Baby noises always woke Lazark from his slumber. He blinked a couple of times until his eyes met his baby brother, still in his arms. "Good morning, Rael. How was your sleep?" Lazark smiled warmly at his brother and waited for an answer. "Goo," Little Rael said, smiling and clapping his hands. My goodness, what a sight for sore eyes. Every morning the maid would knock on Lazark's bedroom door to announce her presence. "Come in." Said her Clan Leader. "Good morning Clan Leader. I have brought breakfast as always." She came in placing the food on a table near Lazark's bed. She then bowed to Lazark and the bouncing baby before taking her to leave. "Rael say ahhh,"  Lazark said holding a bottle of milk in one hand and the baby on the other. Rael smiled and obliged to his older brother's request. The little blond baby was busy sucking on his bottle as Lazark held it in place for him. He made a mental note to thank god that he paid attention to his father when he was teaching him how to care for his brother. Raiga practically trained Lazark on how to care for Rael. From changing diapers, feeding, and everything in between, he owed it to his father, who helped facilitate the care for his brother. Rael drank every last drop of milk and a little spilled at the corner of his mouth. Lazark cleaned his mouth and placed his brother on his shoulder and proceeded to pat his back to make him burp gently. He heard a burp coming from the baby and put him again in his arms. "That was quite the burp little one." Lazark smiled at his brother. Rael smiled triumphantly like he accomplished something extraordinary. Hey, he was a baby after all and burping was indeed a triumph. Lazark walked to the crib to place Rael in there so he could eat his breakfast, but the baby did not have it. Rael hated the crib and wanted to be by Lazark at ALL times. When he placed Rael in the crib, he began to cry again. Big tears formed from his little eyes and looked at Lazark with pleading eyes to carry him. Lazark's heart ached to see him cry, so he picked his brother up and walked to his bed once more. Rael quieted down as he was placed on the bed. Every morning Lazark would find it difficult to eat his breakfast because he needed to focus his attention on Rael to make sure he would not crawl to the edge of the bed and fall off. He would occasionally take a bite of his breakfast while Rael crawled on the bed and it was up to Lazark to place him back next to him. This was the Kertia Clan Leader morning routine. He would juggle his brother and morning breakfast. Every time Lazark put Rael next to him, he would take a bite of his scrambled eggs, and Rael took advantage that his brother was not holding him and began to crawl on the bed…again. "I see you like to play early morning," Lazark said, grabbing his brother once more as the baby giggled in excitement. Once Lazark was done, he spent a little extra time with him in bed every morning. Rael loved to play with his brother and wanted to continue his fun. Lazark placed his hand above Rael's eyes as the baby closed them. "Where am I?" Said Lazark and then took his hand away from where it was resting. Rael opened his eyes to meet Lazark. "Here I am!" said Lazark and was greeted with the sound of Rael's giggles and waved his hands in pure joy. This went on for about thirty minutes. "Alright, Rael it's time to get dressed!" He picked Rael up in his arms and walked to a dresser where Rael's clothing stored. He couldn't decide what to choose for his brother, so he asked: "What about this one?" It was a grey onesie that did not appeal to the baby. "Alright, then. How about this one?" He held a white onesie and showed it to Rael. Rael inspected it with his baby eyes and replied, "Goo" That was his seal of approval.  Lazark changed his brother to the white onesie he chose. Rael was patient as Lazark changed his clothing. The Clan Leader then held his brother once more in one arm as his other hand was busy selecting attire for himself. He placed Rael on the floor to change quickly. Every time it was time to dress, Rael was placed on the floor where he would crawl as his older brother dressed. Lazark was done putting the last article of clothing on him. He then scooped Rael from the floor and proceeded to walk out the door. The hardest part of the morning routine was that very morning Lazark would try to leave Rael in the care of the maids and others within the Clan. Rael was a baby but knew too well that his brother was about to leave him yet once again. Big tears began to fall from his little cheeks as they looked up at Lazark. "Don't look, don't look, don't look" Lazark told himself out loud as he handed his brother to a maid. He walked out the front door and closed it. Behind that door, a baby's cries could be heard.  He sighed since it was hard to leave the little one behind. Just outside the estate was Karias Blester waiting on Lazark as he usually did every morning. "Good morning, Lazark. I take it today is the day you leave your brother in the care of your Clan?" The eccentric blond said to Kertia family leader. Rael's cries grew louder, and it made it even difficult for Karias to walk away. Lazark nodded at Karias and began walking away. Every step was heavier than the last. Karias stayed where he was standing because he knew Lazark too well. This was also part of the morning routine. Lazark would try to find a way to bring forth all his strength to leave a crying baby Rael. He never could in the end. Every time he was about to walk out the estate's gates, he would quickly do a U-turn and return into the Kertia estate to retrieve his brother. Karias chuckled as he saw Lazark coming back again with baby Rael in his arms. "I guess today is not the day," said Karias.  Both Clan Leaders proceeded to the castle to meet the lord. Baby Rael's little nose was red, which was proof that he cried yet he smiled at his brother and rested his head on Lazark's chest as he sucked on his thumb.  "Can I hold him?" Karias asked. "You should ask him." He said motioning at Rael. "Rael, may I hold you?" smiled Karias to the baby. "Goo," replied baby Rael. It was a mystery why baby Rael approved Karias as another person to hold him. Lazark handed his brother over to Karias, who held him ever so gently. Two Clan Leaders were walking calmly out in the open with a giggling baby sporting the biggest and brightest smile in the world. 

Some kertia doodles~~

How far we have come.

+ If she hugs him, he will kiss the top of her head, making her blush.