Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

‘Do I tell him?’ Zijin thought, sitting opposite the half elf who had spent the last couple of weeks Awakening an Iyrman and resting.

“I know, I know, but look, it’s not as insane as some other weapons I’ve used,” Adam offered. “If that’s too much, then we could do something where it holds one charge, and I can deal more damage, and each charge is recharged daily, or through a Second or Third Gate spell?”

“I can allow the second,” Zijin said, noting the numbers Adam had laid out before him. ‘It is stronger than Wraith in some ways, weaker in others.’

“I was also planning on finishing the formula for the fire swords too, I should have that done by the end of the year. I’ll hand it over to the Iyr, as promised.”

“Okay.”

“Hoo! Mummy is working! Daddy is working! Always working!” Jirot complained finally, sobbing against her greatfather’s chest. She held out a fist, growling, before returning back to his chest. “How they can do this.”

“I will speak with your father and mother,” Jarot assured, brushing her hair gently. “Little Jarot, do you miss your father and mother too?”

Little Jarot nodded his head, sucking against his thumb lightly as he nestled against his greatfather’s shoulder.

“Your father and your mother, they work so hard. Your mother always plays with you, and as a mother, she watches over your younger siblings, yes?”

“Mummy does not! She is working now!”

“She used to watch over them, but she wishes to work for a short while for…” Jarot paused, before leaning down to plant a kiss on the girl’s head. “Your mother always works so hard for you and your siblings. Your father, he works hard for you all too, but he must watch over the business too.”

“I do not like business!”

“The business, you will one day become its Executives, so you must care.”

“Zecutives?” Jirot asked.

“You are the Little Boss, yes?”

“I am not little!”

Jarot cackled lightly, before nuzzling against her cheek. “Your father is working hard now so that you can all play later. When you are an Executive, you will work hard too, and then you will play with your father so much, yes?”

“I play with you, babo, not silly daddy!” Jirot huffed, returning back to his chest, grabbing the old man’s shirt tight in hand, sucking on her thumb as she snuggled up angrily with him.

Thankfully, Vonda did not need to work for long, and the children stuck to her like glue when she remained rather than going off to work.

“I love you mummy!” Jirot urged, holding her mother’s neck tightly, the woman wearing the twins since they refused to let go. Even the triplets remained with her, for when had their mother left them for this long to work since she had become their mother?

Though Adam continued to work, he spent plenty of time spoiling the children in the evenings. He played with them as it began to snow lightly in the Iyr, with the triplets snoozing in the cold, while Jirot and Jarot waddled in their thick clothing, each wrapped like green burritos.

“Kaza!” Inakan called, holding up the snowball between her hands, staring at the half elf. She blinked, realising she was meant to throw the snowball first. She dropped it and fled, squealing with joy, leaving Adam confused.

“You cannot eat the snow,” Gurot explained to Murot, though it pained him to say such words.

“No?”

“No!” Gurot urged, though he pouted. He hugged his brother close. “We can play, not eat, okay?”

“Okay…” Murot glanced down at the snow. If he could not eat the snow, why did Nahtu make it look so yummy?

As Adam continued to enchant the fire swords, he spent his breaks with his family, as well as the rest of the children.

“Oho! What’s this? Majin, Tinajin, what are you two doing here?” Adam asked, placing his hands on his hips, as though he were completely surprised to see the pair. Except, it wasn’t the pair he was surprised by, but the Iyrman whose beard was full of beads.

“Playing,” Majin replied, staring up at the half elf.

“Are you happy that your brother is back?” Adam asked.

Majin’s eyes darted to Timojin, and the boy smiled shyly. “Yes…”

“Kaza…” Tinajin called, her eyes peering up at the half elf, her nose and cheeks red from the chilly air.

“Yes, my Tinajin?”

“Hello.”

“Hello, Tinajin. Ah, let me introduce you to my cousins! Samfev, Ramfev, Shofev, Kifev, come.” Adam revealed the trio of boys, while Mulrot held the youngest, a girl, within her arms.

Amokan should have expected Adam there, while watching the young children run around and play together.

“Ah! You’ve finally come?” Adam asked, holding out his arms as Inakan and Mokan rushed towards him, allowing the half elf to scoop them up.

“I had some matters to deal with,” Amokan admitted, exchanging a knowing look with Timojin, who had dealt with it already. “Adam…”

Adam smirked. “Yes?”

“…”

“…”

Amokan had realised, upon seeing the smirk, the half elf had already won. “Thank you.”

“…” Adam smirked wider. “It’s just a Basic Enhanced weapon, what’s there to thank me about?”

Amokan wanted to ask why Adam had secretly gifted it to the parents, rather than allowing the children to play with them first, like he usually did. However, apparently, Adam had been forced to compromise, not only reducing the number he could gift, but also the way he could gift them.

‘What is the Iyr doing?’ Amokan thought. ‘Are they finding his limits or is it something else?’

Timojin shook his head as Amokan caught his eyes. Timojin had complained to Elder Zijin, and though he had to receive an answer, the Elder had asked for his faith. Since he had gone that far, Timojin had to let the matter drop. If Elder Zijin said it was okay, then it was okay.

Since Jaygak had left, and Raygak and Saygak had gone, Adam spent much of his time spoiling Kavgak, Maygak, Tavgak, and Faygak. He relented to Taygak, or rather, assigned Taygak to play with them each day. Taygak wasn’t sure what this had to do with training.

“Taygak. This is the most important part of your training. If you slack off here, then I won’t train you.”

“Cousin Adam, are you joking?” Taygak asked, having confronted Adam about training her properly.

“Taygak. Do you know why Jaygak retired?” Adam asked.

“Cousin wished to retire.”

“Why?”

“…” Taygak narrowed her eyes. “She made the choice.”

“Why did she make that choice instead of becoming a Paragon?”

“She could not become a Paragon.”

“She could. Why didn’t she?”

‘Cousin could become a Paragon?’ Taygak thought. “I do not know.”

“Taygak, I have no doubt you can swing a sword. One day, we’ll adventure together, and I know you’ll be able to swing your sword well, since you are a Gak. However, if you can’t even play with your little sisters or cousins, then you won’t be able to keep up.”

“It is stamina training.”

“Partly, but there’s something more important.”

“What is it?”

“If you have to ask…” Adam paused. “No. One day, when we go out, you’ll understand. Until then, you need to keep playing with them, because the more you play with them, the more you’ll understand. You’ll have to play with the other children too, that will help too.”

“…”

“You see how much I play with them, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Am I strong?”

“Yes.”

“…” Adam raised his brows.

“You are strong because you play with them?” Taygak asked.

“That is one of the reasons why I am so strong,” Adam confirmed.

“…”

“Do you trust me?” Adam asked.

“I trust you, cousin Adam.”

“Good.” Adam smiled. “One day, you’ll see it. When you become a Paragon, you won’t regret it.”

“Okay.”

It was one particular evening, when Jirot crossed her arms and turned away from her father. It was the day when Adam was meant to take a break, but he had spent so much time with the other children recently, he wasn’t sure if Jirot could forgive him.

“Jirot. Jarot. Come. We’re going for a walk, just us three.”

“I will not go.”

“Then I will only take Jarot,” Adam said.

Jirot gasped, her head snapping to her father, before her eyes darted to her mother, the girl’s entire being filled with shock. “How you can say that, daddy! You cannot!”

“This walk is very important,” Adam said.

Jirot’s brows remained raised in alarm, but seeing how tall and sturdy her father remained, she rushed up to his side. “I walk with you, daddy.”

Adam held their hands, their gloved hands wrapped around three of his fingers, the pair shuffling slowly beside him, kicking the snow around as they walked.

Adam stopped, before dropping down to his knees, pulling the pair in for a deep hug. The children giggled and hugged their father back.

“Daddy!” the pair cried together in delight, while Adam peppered them both with kisses.

“I know I’m working too much,” Adam whispered into their ears, holding them close. “I just want to make sure you’re all okay.”

“I am okay!” Jirot said, planting a quick kiss on her father’s cheek. “I am okay so no more working!”

Adam smiled slightly, before he peeked at Jarot, whose amber eyes remained focused upon his father’s face. Adam scratched at his cheek, having let a small beard grow during nightval. “Daddy wants to work hard today so that tomorrow… I want you to succeed in life, even without me.”

“You are going?” Jirot asked, narrowing her eyes, glaring at her father.

“I’m not going anywhere for now, my dear.” Adam planted a firm kiss on her forehead. “Even if I go, mummy will take good care of you, and so will your nanas, babas, nanos, and babos, yeah?”

“Yes!”

“That’s why you need to give mummy lots of love!”

“Every day!” Jirot said. “I give mummy all my love every day!”

“I know,” Adam pulled up the pair, holding them close for a long while. “Daddy is working hard, but… I will always make time to play with you all. There are so many children, but only one daddy, you need to be nice to him!”

“I always nice to you!” Jirot exclaimed, holding up her fist, threatening her father.

“Ah, yes, of course,” Adam said, leaning in to kiss her fist.

The girl smiled bashfully, and wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek glued to his. “Oh my gosh, daddy. I love you so much!”

“I love you too.”

“Daddy…” Jarot called, before Adam nuzzled his nose.

Adam carried the pair back to the estate, playing with all the children that day, over the course of several games of Warriors and Wanderers.

“Wow! Jitool! You did so well!” Katool gasped, hugging her sister from behind.

“Good job!” Jirot said, holding up a thumbs up, while Jarot beamed.

Jitool smiled from all the attention, and she marked off the spells on her sheet, with her elder sister’s help. “Is my sword now?”

“It is your sword now,” Adam said, handing out the little card with the sword’s details, though the name of the blade was blank.

(Longsword) [+2]

Deals 2D6 slash

On hit, expend 1 charge to deal +2D6 fire

On crit, regain 1 charge

“What do you want to name it?” Adam asked.

“Fire Sword!” Jitool declared proudly, before writing down an F, followed by a picture of flames, and then a long arrow, that was no doubt a sword.

“Who but our Jitool could think of a perfectly appropriate name?” Adam asked. “How amazing!”

Elder Zijin watched from the doorway, his arms crossed behind his back. He closed his eyes, and saw the days of his youth, when he was a boy, and he would play with his cousins. They were all older now, and though they still met now and again, it was nothing like this.

Yet, how often did the eldest siblings play with their younger siblings like this?

This game of Warriors and Wanderers, it not only brought the children together to form their own stories, but it taught them what they would learn over time, not just their numbers and letters, but their abilities, and the difference between someone with a magical weapon and without, and of course, the most important subject of all, Fate.

‘It is too dangerous for you to covet those children from Adam, Elder Teacher.’

Elder Teacher better back up.