Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

The early morning rays of sunlight fell upon the Iyr. The Iyrmen made their way to their assigned tasks, tending to the fields, chopping down trees, crafting everything from shoes, to bows, to books. From the young, who were studying, those who were older who taught the youth, and those between.

”Okay,” Churot said, passing the slip to the Elder, who checked his notes. The Elder nodded, reaching down to ruffle his hair for only a moment, before allowing the young Iyrman leave.

”His skills are so good, one might thing it is magic,” the Elder said, glancing aside to her aide. It was times like this she thought to ask the Great Elders to allow Churot to remain as her own aide, but she understood just how many Elders coveted the boy too. ’I should thank Zijin for lending the boy this much.’

Once the warehouses’ inventories were checked by the young teen, he returned back to the Elder’s estate, where he found Zijin staring down at his book. It was not the black book he sometimes wrote within, but another, plain, book. He rarely wrote within the book, but was beginning to write within it more recently.

”Ah, Churot. Come.” Zijin motioned with a hand, before clasping the shaft of an axe. The shaft was made of dark wood, wrapped in a long, thick leather, the blade made of quality steel. ”Do you know of this axe?”

”It is granduncle’s axe.”

”How did you remember?”

”Grandfather spoke of granduncle when he left,” Churot replied. ”He held the axe and spoke of its tale.”

Zijin smiled. ”I have a few requests of you today, and once those requests are complete, you may remain at the shared estate.”

”Okay.”

While Churot continued to assist the Elder, his cousins prepared themselves for their own work that morning.

”Retiring?” Adam asked, furrowing his brows.

”I have done all I wish to do, and more. It is time for me to step back.” The young red skinned Iyrman sipped at her tea.

”What are you talking about? You’re not even a Paragon yet, why do you need to step back?”

Jaygak raised her brows, smiling slightly. ”If I become a Paragon, I will overshadow Taygak.”

”No, no. You can be a Paragon, and I’ll make Taygak into an Idol.”

Jaygak almost snorted, though her lips formed a wide smile. ”That’s why I should retire, so you moderate yourself.”

”I’ll make her stronger than all the Idols if you quit now.”

”It seems the Gak family is on the rise,” Jaygak joked, staring down at the water within her cup. It was a cup that had been roughly formed, from one of the first which the girl’s hands had made. ”I have requested the Iyr to allow you to train Taygak.”

”Me? Jaygak, you should be the one to train her.”

”It has to be you.”

”I don’t even use a sword!”

”I know, but you find the sword the most romantic.”

”That’s beside the point.”

”The point is that I have reached the height I want to reach. I will keep training, cultivating my abilities within the Iyr, for the Iyr. I am almost a master, by the end of the year, I may reach such a great height.” Jaygak let go of the cup, staring at her rough palms, noting all the calluses. She clenched her fist, as tightly as she could, before relaxing her hand once more.

”You really want to stop here, when you can become a Paragon?”

”Yes.”

Adam frowned, and he glanced down at his own cup, also roughly formed, though not quite as badly as Jaygak’s cup. It had been one of the first gifts he had received in the Iyr, a gift he could no longer receive in such a state since she had learnt well within the Iyr’s walls. ’Damn it.’

”Adam?”

”Yeah?”

”Will you promise me something?”

”Why would I promise you something when you’ve broken my heart like this?” Adam asked, sipping his flavoured water, peeking at the young Iyrman as he did.

”If Taygak begins training with you now, she will become an Expert by the time she leaves the Iyr. She can fight in the younger segment with mundane equipment, and she can win. With you, she could join the older segment, and with the magical equipment her cousin can make for her, she will be able to win that segment.”

”So what’s the favour?”

”She has to win.”

”Yes, but what’s the favour?”

”Adam. She must win.”

”Who do you think I am?” Adam asked. ”Of course she’s going to win, it’s Taygak. She’s so hard working, and her cousin, isn’t he a fool who will gift a Greater shield and plate to her?”

Jaygak’s lips formed a small relieved smile, and she closed her eyes. She knew Adam was going to accept, since it was Adam, but upon hearing the words, she let out a long exhale and whatever regrets she held from quitting, fell away with the cool breeze.

”Everything’s changing...” Adam said, his voice almost whisper quiet. ”I don’t like it.”

”The winds of change wait for no Iyrman, or half elf.”

”What about my adorable children? It should at least let them stay small and cute forever, shouldn’t it?”

”It should.”

”Cousin Jaygak, cousin Adam,” called a small voice, who approached the pair, holding up an axe in hand. ”Cousin Jaygak, Elder Zijin is calling for you. Cousin Adam, you must have this axe.”

”Why must I have this axe?”

”You must have it because Elder Zijin said you must have it,” Churot said.

”Oh, alright.” Adam could feel how heavy the axe was, seeing his murky reflection within the steel. He noted the steel was scratched slightly from use, it was certainly not a blade that had been forged recently. ”Nice axe.”

”It is granduncle Sarot’s axe,” Churot said.

”Oh? Granduncle’s? Then why am I being given it?”

Churot blinked. ”I do not know.”

”Fair enough. How are you doing today, Churot?”

”I am well.”

”Having fun working with Elder Zijin?”

”Yes. I am relieved from my duties for today.” He looked to Jaygak, who smiled, nodding her head before excusing herself to go speak with the Elder.

”Oh? How come?”

”I do not know.”

”Fair enough.” Adam motioned a hand to the seat Jaygak had left empty. Churot stared at the seat. ”You want to sit down?”

”Yes.”

”...”

Churot thought for a moment, before sitting opposite his cousin. He stared at the axe for a moment. ”Granduncle’s axe is heavy.”

”It is, isn’t it?”

”Yes.”

”Yeah...” Adam took in the sight of the young Iyrman. He was in his teens, the blankness of his forehead revealed he was not yet considered a man. He was getting older, though, and would soon get tattooed with the blue circle and diamonds. ‘You’re all grown up now, Churot.’

“Cousin Adam?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have work today?”

“Yeah. I should go soon.” Adam sipped the rest of his water.

“Thank you for your hard work, cousin Adam.”

“Thank you for your hard work, cousin Churot.” Adam reached up to rubbed the top of his head, the teen squirming slightly, before watching the half elf leave, first greeting his children, his wife, then even Ranya, before heading out.

“Kiara?” Adam asked, blinking towards the young teen as he approached the shrine. She was small and lean, and though she was going to turn eighteen this year, she still looked only thirteen. Her hair and eyes matched his triplets, sparkling silver. ‘I keep forgetting you exist.’

“Hello…” Kiara replied simply, before she began to walk out.

“What were you doing here?”

“I was waiting to see if you were enchanting.”

“Oh. Alright. How come I didn’t see you yesterday?”

“I was enchanting.”

‘Did they ask her to sub in while I wasn’t working?’ “Thank you for your hard work,” Adam said.

Kiara only nodded her head, before she returned to the Rot family estate. Her eyes darted towards the Iyrman who escorted her, but she returned her gaze back to the ground.

‘If they had her miss Lanarot’s birthday, these Reavers must be a big deal.’ Adam glanced down towards the three weapons which had been assigned to him to pluck an enchantment upon. He could start the enchantments, and the Iyr’s enchanters could continue them. Due to his ability as a Chaos Enchanter, he could enchant essentially any and all enchantments, with some effort. Thankfully, the Iyr asked him to enchant the weapons with something simple, a Greater Enhanced enchantment.

‘A plus two and a couple of charges to deal extra damage?’ Adam tossed the paper into the fire, rubbing the side of his neck. ‘I suppose it’s time to start enchanting then. Wait. Hold on. Where’s Filliam?’

Thus Adam’s routine began the second month of dawnval.

Taygak followed Adam and the rest of her companions in the morning as they ran along the perimeter of the estate complex, following the outline of the nine shared estates. They first walked a lap, then ran a lap, followed by another half lap before they began the light routine Adam had formed, consisting mostly of a full body routine with weights, completing a light set to warm up, followed by two working sets.

‘How else should I train her?’ Adam thought, though he decided against introducing any swordplay too soon. ‘I’ll have her keep training with the Gak family while I figure something out. If only I…’ Adam blinked, his eyes glancing to the side towards the Aswadian pair who had joined him in his training.

“Dunes?”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind training Taygak with swordplay while I figure something out?”

“Okay,” Dunes replied, though a moment later wondered if he was allowed to train the young woman.

It was during the first week of the month Adam thought about it. He brought the blended fruit to Ranya’s lips, the girl sucking the food off the spoon. The girl was still small, though larger than his own Virot. She was warmer, though, apparently due to her devilkin nature. As he finished his thoughts, he continued to feed little Ranya, allowing Amira a break.

“Look at you, so adorable,” Adam cooed once he was done feeding her. He gently tickled the girl’s nose with a finger, causing her to squeal with delight. “What, you think just because you’re so cute, I’ll spoil you on my day off? Of course I will!”

Ranya brought her hand up to her mouth, sucking against it as she smiled up towards Adam. She reached up to grab at him with her hands, trying to grab at his face.

“Ranya,” Amira called, noting how disappointed Adam’s own children were. The girl turned towards her mother, and upon spotting her, reached out for the woman.

“Adam, may we speak?” Dunes asked once the half elf had surrendered the girl. The pair stepped out, while Dunes glanced around the Iyr, noting the long wall around him, and the other Iyrmen who moved about, busying themselves with work. “I should return soon.”

“Oh, right.”

“Could I leave Amira and Ranya here, until you bring your children to the fort?”

“Of…” Adam paused, humming quietly to himself. As much as he wanted to say yes, he was no Iyrman. “I’ll ask Jurot.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you willing to surrender Ranya to me finally?”

“No.”

“You can’t deny me my rights, though.”

“What rights are those?” Dunes replied, raising a brow towards the half elf.

“Don’t say that! Aren’t we friends?”

Dunes chuckled, before turning to return back to the estate. He had half expected the half elf to call after him, though as he turned back, he noted Adam was staring at the floor. “Adam?”

“Ah, right. Remind me to ask Jurot when I return.”

“Okay…” Dunes watched as the half elf made his way out, motioning an Iyrman to escort him. He returned back to the estate, where he found a child’s eyes upon him.

“Daddy is gone?” Jirot asked.

“He is…” Dunes replied awkwardly.

Jirot huffed, turning to her mother. “You see? Daddy is always working. I always tell him. Today he must not work, but he is working again?”

“Elder Gold said that there is trouble, so your father must work,” Vonda said, rubbing the top of the girl’s head.

“I said I will not cause trouble!” Jirot stated proudly. “I will not!”

“You are not the trouble.” Vonda couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter’s words, glad she understood she did cause so much trouble.

“Just a little bit, okay mummy?”

“Just a little bit,” Vonda confirmed.

Meanwhile, Adam’s brow trickled with sweat. ‘Should I wait for the Chief to return? They won’t kill me for this, will they? No, what am I saying, if they wanted to kill me because of this, they would have killed me last time.’

You thought Ranya was safe? He’ll make her into an Idol before she steps out of the Iyr.