Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

“Taygak?” Adam replied, confused. His eyes fell to Xarot, who sucked away at his dummy quietly, but stopped as he saw his father’s eyes upon him. The boy smiled with a childish joy, the kind that only a child could have for their parent. Adam leaned down to nuzzle his son’s nose, the boy giggling, reaching up to his father’s collar with a chubby hand. 

Adam leaned back within his chair, his eyes taking in the sight of his brother’s stone cold appearance. It was contrasted by Monarot, who looked up at the half elf with curious eyes, and as their eyes met, the girl smiled in the way only a child could have for their parent, and if their uncle was Adam.

Jurot waited for the half elf to return back to the topic at hand, allowing him to act Adamly for a moment, since it was his day off. If he didn’t, he was certain the girl nearby, who was in the middle of reading to her youngest sister, would come and tell him off.

“Is that… a good idea?” Adam asked cautiously. 

“We are able to deal with Aswadians with Dunes’ title as a Brother of Black Mountain. Brother Mork and Tork wish to come too, and I have requested Tanagek and Chosen to travel with us. We may also travel with the Silver Fate Squad. Bavin’s relation may help us too.”

“Right, but… Taygak’s still considered a child?” Adam could feel a chill run through him, the half elf shuddering, revealing his thoughts so easily to his brother. “Isn’t she too young to be going on such a dangerous journey?”

“We will protect her.”

“With the Reavers on the land…” 

“We will work hard to keep her safe,” Jurot said, his words pressing down upon his brother’s shoulders. The Iyrman could see the worry on the half elf’s face, since Adam was thinking such Adamly thoughts. Jurot understood, since Adam was Adam, for the half elf was surely thinking of what happens whenever he travels, and the insanity of the current decade. However, he probably wasn’t thinking about how they had overcome so much already, in no small part thanks to the boundless luck they had so far. 

“I’m still not sure, but… if you think it’s fine, then I can’t really refuse, now can I?” Adam’s heart ached, filling with the familiar chill.

“If you are uncomfortable, you may decline.”

“No. You’ve placed so much trust in me, what kind of brother would I be if I didn’t return it in kind? We’ll take Taygak, and we’ll assign proper guards to her. Everyone should understand that her safety is our first priority. Dunes and the others too.”

“Kitool and I will deal with the preparations,” Jurot assured, seeing the half elf’s mind already racing, but the Iyrman was certain this was considered work, therefore Adam could not do it today. “It is our honour to make such preparations as Iyrmen.”

Adam could see the twinkle in Jurot’s eyes, just like when he first faced King Merryweather. It threw him off, since it was so rare for Adam to see it, perhaps once a year or so, and usually it appeared whenever Jurot was able to live his dreams as an Iyrman. ‘Is it that import-,’ 

Sometimes Adam had to remind himself to think for a few seconds before speaking, but he also needed to think a few seconds before having such thoughts too. 

“I’ll let you deal with it, but…”

“I will not.”

“What?”

“I will not surrender Monarot.”

‘Damn! I really am that predictable!’ Adam turned red slightly, the half elf’s ears drooping slightly. “Please?”

“Okay.” 

“That easy?” Adam replied, wrapping an arm around Monarot, who squirmed slightly, but upon seeing her uncle’s face, she smiled once more, with the look of a child to her parent, or of course, Adam. The half elf returned a smile as his entire body grew hot, ready and eager to slay a dragon all for the sake of the little boy and girl within his arms. He leaned in to nuzzle the girl’s nose gently, cooing towards the girl, who giggled in return, returning back to sucking her dummy a moment later.

“It is because you asked appropriately,” Jurot replied simply. 

“You’re so Iyrmanly.”

“Yes,” Jurot said, the shadow of a smile encroaching his lips.

“If Taygak is going to come with us, then…” Adam frowned slightly. “I’ll need to rethink my gifts. I want something nice to gift them after all they’ve done for me, but it feels… I don’t know.”

“You could gift two fire blades to them, for they will still hold the same weapon.”

“Yeah but… I don’t know. It doesn’t feel good enough for what they’ve done for me. Plus, it feels so cheap, considering his gift.”

“You will owe a greater blade in the future.”

“Do you mean greater, Greater or Greater Enhanced?”

“You may gift a Greater Enhanced blade in the future.” Jurot could see that too, Adam plotting to gift the children many weapons.

“Jurot?”

“Yes?”

Adam tried to hold out a fist but he was trapped under Xarot and Monarot. “I’m not sure how to explain it, but I feel so… happy. The days are passing by, and… I’m trying to enjoy them. Day by day. This kind of life, I…”

The constant pauses gave more than Adam intended, but Jurot left it be. 

“I like it a lot more than when I’m travelling and fighting this and that. Konarot rolled really well the other day, and she managed to get the last hit on the hydra that was threatening the village. The way her face lit up, man…”

Jurot watched as the half elf shook his head, his smile so bright. The half elf leaned back into his seat further, closing his eyes, falling deep into his thoughts. Jurot wondered just what the half elf was thinking to smile so peacefully. He knew it was about the children, but he wasn’t sure what it was exactly. 

“Karot was a little sad. Poor guy, failed all those checks to try and tame the thing. Kirot did her best to help him, but man, I can’t believe my son has almost as much bad luck as me. Jirot tried to hold it but she’s not a high enough level, though Jarot managed to roll so well to keep it pinned. Even though it had a better bonus because he was so small, he managed to keep it down, my little Jarot, what a cute punk!”

Jurot’s eyes fell down to Monarot, the girl sucking away at her dummy lightly, her eyes staring up at her uncle, taking in the sight of his jaw and neck. Her eyes trailed all along Adam’s face as though spotting something new each time. Sometimes she would look towards his collar, grabbing it and tugging it every so often, which Adam allowed without a second thought, though he’d sometimes rub his cheek against the girl’s hand, causing her to withdraw. She stared up at her uncle for a long moment before bursting into a fit of joyful giggles. 

Jurot’s eyes fell to the side. Kitool sat with Jitool upon her lap, allowing her younger sister to move her pieces against Katool, who thought so deeply about each of her moves. There was something about this situation which caused Jurot to pause. His eyes then darted to the side, where Amokan and Timojin sat, each also holding their siblings upon their laps while they chatted away. 

“They are so strong?” Inakan asked.

“They are,” Amokan replied. 

“But, papa, you are going?” Inakan tilted her head to the side, trying to understand.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“We must go because we are Iyrmen.”

“I must go too?”

“You are too young.”

“Cousin Ilyakan is not going?”

“She is a Priest. She cannot go, she is needed here.”

“You are not?” Inakan asked, narrowing her eyes slightly, though they appeared so large to Amokan due to her glasses. 

“I follow our family’s way. I dance with our rage and swing my greatsword. Perhaps you will too, one day, but today, I do so. Though some of our cousins dance like me and swing a greatsword like me, I must go because I wish to become Chief.”

“Kaza Timojin, you wish to become Chief too?”

“Yes,” Timojin replied. 

“If papa is Chief, then kaza, you cannot be Chief?”

“That is right.”

“You are going too because you want to be Chief?”

“Yes.”

“Oooh,” the girl said as though she understood, for they were both trying to become Chief, so they must go, even if only one could be the Chief. Of coas. “The Reavers are so strong?”

“They are.”

“If they are so strong, how can you win? You are as strong as kaza?” The girl raised her brow incredulously.

“…” Amokan smiled wide. “Am I as strong as kaza? Am I stronger? Am I weaker? It does not matter, does it? I am an Iyrman who wishes to become Chief. I cannot allow Reavers to stop me.”

“Oh! Papa! You sound so strong!” Inakan’s eyes widened, the girl’s eyes darting to Timojin. “Kaza Timojin, you sound strong too?”

“I fought against the Aldish. Did you see?”

“I saw! I saw with my glasses, I was wearing them so I could see!” The girl said, holding around the edges of her glasses, adjusting them upon her nose. “I see so well!”

“Your grandmother came. She did not come to save me, but so that I could save Uwajin.”

“You fought so well, kaza.” Inakan reached out and pat the Iyrman’s shoulder. “You must be careful to come home safely.”

“If I die, then I die,” Amokan said.

Inakan gasped. “No?”

“You should not be sad. You should be happy, for I died a Kan.”

Inakan’s lower lip began to tremble. “Kaza! Kaza Adam!”

“What!” Adam called from the side, standing up instantly, Xarot and Monarot clutching at his shoulder as the half elf stormed away. “Who was it? Who made my Inakan cry? I bet it was you, Amokan! Do you think because you’re so handsome that I’ll forgive you?”

“Do I need your forgiveness?” Amokan replied, flashing a playful smirk.

“Don’t embarrass yourself in front of your sister,” Adam shot back, causing even Amokan to raise his brows.

“Are you no longer pretending to fear us?”

“I don’t pretend to fear you, but if you make Inakan cry, I’ll need to teach you a lesson.” Adam’s eyes fell down towards his son. “Do you hear that, Xarot? He thinks he’s a big man making his sister cry. Even if Inakan looks so cute when she cries, how can he do it? Does he think papo Jurot won’t beat him up?”

Xarot replied with a bright smile, the boy clasping his hands together, clutching at his father’s collar once more. 

“Monarot, you need to tell your daddy, no, your papo to tech your other papo a lesson!” Adam planted a kiss on the girl’s forehead, causing her to squeal, the girl clapping her hands together. “Inakan, do you want me to teach him a lesson?”

“Kaza Adam!” Inakan giggled, her tears retreating as joy swiftly engulfed her eyes. “Nooo!”

“Do you forgive your brother?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“My papa is so handsome!” Inakan cackled.

“No, no, you have to forgive him because you love him! Even if he’s handsome, you can’t forgive him!” Adam smiled, though the stress appeared on his face as he realised what a terrible precedent he had established into the girl, and all the other children. 

“Okay!” 

“Do you love your papa?”

“So much!”

“How much?”

“All this much!” Inakan held out her arms wide, causing her brother to lift her up to a stand upon his lap, and he held her close in a tight hug. 

“I love you too, Inakan. That is why I will try to return alive.”

“Since you are so strong you can do it,” Inakan assured, the girl holding the top of his head, brushing his hair tenderly, the girl’s tears drying against her brother’s cheek. 

‘What a scary brother you have, Jurot…’

Adam might be cringe, but at least he’s also very cringe.