Calefaction

"Keep it up like this, you'll turn them into quaggan."

Koruscar turned to his brother who was still lounging in the gently rocking boat. "You said you were asleep."

"Someone has to keep an eye out for you." The dark-furred male cast his twin a sidelong glance as if to prove a point. "Not to mention, she shrieks like a gutted raptor." He watched as Koruscar just grinned over his shoulder as the small female pawed at his cheekhorn. 

He'd never given that much thought to the actual workings of charr cubs except maybe the general consideration that they're not very good at holding neither weapon, nor decent conversation at this age. At the few months, they were surprisingly agile, even if half their more complex attempts at movement ended up with them tumbling this way or that. The female seemed to have natural affinity for magic, eagerly waving every stick she could find attempting to mimic even the most basic elemental summoning. The male was smaller, more methodic in his approach, but endlessly curious. Nothing was safe around him, as he would take it and fiddle with it long enough to completely dismantle it, usually beyond repair.

"You would make a pretty good primus, you know that?"

Koruscar gently scritched the cub's budding mane with an affectionate purr. "Easy to be one with your own blood." The male in his arms wiggled impatiently, trying to get back to splashing around. "See, love of water does run in the family." 

His brother made a face as if his omnomberry pie had traces of risen in it. "Mine limps at best, thank you very much."

"Maybe you Irons just need to start earlier."

Kirruak scoffed and nestled deeper into the cushion of his little boat. His gesture went mostly ignored, the other male again fully focused on the skritt-sized bundles of joy in his care. He knew his usually reserved, soft-spoken brother opened up when attuned to his elements. Thunderstorms, lava fonts, open water. And now, apparently, cubs.

Maybe that primus idea was worth pursuing.

Festival of the Four Winds is upon us once again, but since the usual festival boys ended up recently getting some cubs of their own and their mother decided she wants some time off, it's time to take the little ones for a swimming lesson.

Follow-up to [this illustration].

When Tyria invented boats, Kirruak probably declared it a national holiday.

This is a first painting I managed to finish in about a year of just working on doodles and comics, so I am rusty as hell. It's also not even a month when I complained I never want to paint another boat as long as I live, but here I am...

And I even managed to finish it on time for the Festival of Four Winds this time around! Granted, it only lasts three more days, but still.

Thank you for your patience and your support. I should have a full recording of this, so I should have a breakdown post soon.