Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

“Since I want to show off, why don’t all of you come at once,” the half elf said, beckoning them with a finger. “I don’t have all day.”

Jurot let out a small sigh, glancing aside towards Dunes, who had reached up to rub his forehead. However, Jurot’s eyes were full of pride, for he had always wanted to say it too, and seeing how the half elf stood a little taller, he had always wanted to say it too.

“This braggart doesn’t know his place,” the merchant said, laughing. “Do you even know who I am?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Akbar Shums!” the young man declared, as though declaring it to the world. “I am the eldest son of the Setting Sun Merchants!”

‘Oh!’ Dunes thought, fairly certain he had heard of them before, though he wasn’t sure in what context. However, since he was still unfamiliar with Arisa but had heard of them, it meant they must have been a somebody.

“You sound pretty rich,” Adam said.

“Rich?” Akbar laughed, followed by his companions, who slapped one another’s hands in laughter, as though unable to contain themselves. “I am not rich, I am wealthy! With every bottle of wine which passes through the city, my father earns a copper, and our city is a thirsty city.”

“Yeah? You earn a lot, do you? What? Ten thousand?” Adam asked, trying to guesstimate how much money he earned.

Akbar frowned. “What kind of merchant earns ten thousand gold, for only Noor should earn so much.”

“Really? Then how much do you make, since you’re wealthy?” Adam asked.

“My family is blessed! Everyone knows, we earn hundreds of gold each month, and when Noor blesses us, a thousand.”

“Is a thousand gold each month a lot of money?” Adam asked.

“It is more money than you will ever see, treehead!”

Adam blinked, reaching up to rub his chin. “Oh, right, I guess a thousand gold a month is a lot of money? I mean, we did end up spending a thousand or so on the ship travel to Aswadasad? I also had to spend more than that to buy some really nice swords, and a decent enough spear, since I needed to show off to my kids and our hardworker.”

‘What does he speak of?’ Akbar thought, finding himself falling into Adam’s pace.

“Oh ho?” Adam flashed a wide smile. “I see the look in your eye. You’re thinking that I’m some kind of fool, right? Even Flaming Dragon Spear beside me, I can feel it, that she thinks I want to impress her as some kind of insane fool. That’s why I told you, hurry up and come at me all at once so I can show off. Even without my armour, I can take on four Experts, and I need to farm some XP. I should have brought Taygak along, but oh well.”

‘This half fae, is he insane?’ Akbar thought.

Wild Cobra Sword remained tense, catching the half elf’s eyes, and there he could see it. The half elf’s gaze was full of confidence, and a danger, like he was the cobra which had trapped a mouse.

“So you noticed it too, did you?” Adam asked, flashing a wide smile towards the fellow. “If you were the Mad Dog, or Flame Brand, or Butcher Marmak, maybe you could have done something, but who do you think you are, acting up in front of me?”

Dunes’ brows raised up in alarm, the Priest surprised by the tone of arrogance within the half elf’s voice. ‘Adam…’

‘Hmm?’ Yasha thought.

“Wild Cobra Sword!” Akbar commanded, but even then, the guard remained frozen in place, hand firmly wrapped around the handle, and yet he could not draw his blade.

‘He is drowning,’ Jurot thought.

“Adam, perhaps this is enough?” Dunes asked.

“Aw! I wanted to play the hero a little longer.”

“I hope my friend here has not bothered you, sister,” Dunes called, approaching the pair with a warm smile.

“Ah, no, Mo,” the woman replied, bowing her head respectfully.

‘It’s one of those?’ Akbar thought, glaring at the vestments, though he bowed his head lightly.

“I understand it’s rude to step forward into another’s business, but I hope you can forgive us,” Dunes called out to the merchants and the guards. “We are currently travelling to the Order, and we noticed the great warrior who you wished to speak with. We were currently looking to hire someone who used a spear to train one of our new employees. I hope you don’t mind if we make a counter offer.”

“Yeah, that’s right, that’s right,” Adam said, surprised by how good Dunes was at this sort of thing, but then he recalled that Dunes was from an Order. “What’s your offer for the Flaming Spear Dragon?”

“A gold for a meal and conversation.”

‘I thought you made a thousand gold each month?’ Adam thought, frowning slightly. “Hey, what’s your allowance?”

“What?”

“I’m asking you, what’s the allowance you get for messing around, young man,” Adam said, making sure he referred to him politely, though his tone was asking for a fight.

“A pouch of gold, fifty, each month to enjoy myself,” Akbar replied, grinning wide at the half elf, since fifty gold each month was about five or six times as much as the average commoner, which is why he wore gold, and they wore bronze.

“Fifty one,” Adam said, turning to the young woman, whose hair fell to her shoulders, braids twirling from her temples to her neck. “Fifty one gold for each month you travel with us to train our fellow.”

‘Hmm?’ The woman stared up at the half elf, as though he were speaking of another language. ‘Fifty one gold each month?’

“Fifty one gold each month, just so you can toss a gold to him if you want him to join you for meal and conversation,” Adam stated, a petty smirk plastered across his lips.

“Fifty one gold?” Dunes asked, raising his brow.

“What? Do you have a complaint, Mo Dunes? You should know how well we pay, shouldn’t you?”

“I am hurt.”

“How many magical items have we gifted you?” Adam asked, tutting at him. “Excessive greed leads to ruin, don’t you know? Just like messing with someone you shouldn’t mess with, don’t you agree?”

“I thought those were gifts, not pay?”

“Seriously! Do you see this, Jurot?” Adam gasped, placing his hands on his hips as he shook his head. “This is the problem with Aswadians! All you want is gold and gold and gold! You’re worse than event the dragons!”

Jurot’s lips twitched into a tiny smile for an instant.

“Fifty one gold?” the woman asked.

“Do you accept?”

“Yes?”

Adam reached into his cloak, plucking out a single gold coin from his cloak, nodding to his brother, who brought out a gem worth fifty gold from his own cloak, handing it to the young woman, who stared at the two items within her hand for a long moment, quickly hiding them with her fist, unable to hide her confusion as she stared at the half elf and the Iyrman.

‘Messing with someone you shouldn’t mess with,’ Akbar thought, glaring at the half elf, who was far too relaxed. His eyes darted towards the Priest, someone who couldn’t dare to touch.

“Setting Sun Merchants,” Adam said. “That is quite a beautiful name. I still prefer our United Kindom, but Setting Sun has its own ring to it, that’s for sure.”

‘United Kingdom? Does he work for the King?’

“Wild Cobra Sword, huh? That’s a pretty cool epithet, the kind that suits someone that has scrupulous morals.”

“Adam,” Dunes called, not wanting Adam to escalate the situation.

“What? I’m not the one harassing women on the road because I’m rich, and I’m not the one who sold my pride for a few silver to harass women either,” Adam replied, glancing aside towards Kizwolima, catching her eyes, the half elf smiling and waving his fingers at her, glad she couldn’t understand his words. ‘These assholes are the type to harass you when you’re older, so I’ll teach them a lesson.’

Jurot placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder, seeing the tension within the half elf’s jaw, and the rising annoyance within the half elf.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill them, I’ll just take an arm or two or something,” Adam replied through gritted teeth, though calmed quickly as Jurot squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

“An arm or two?” Akbar replied in the Aldish tongue. “Are you so brave?”

“You have no idea the kind of people I’ve offended,” Adam replied back in Aswadic. “People-,”

“Adam,” Dunes interrupted sharply, leaning in to whisper into the half elf’s ear, “we must be careful of the knowledge we let slip.”

“Alright, alright, I got it.” Adam let out a small huff. “Though, if they send assassins after me, or if they cause trouble with me later, I get to take, at least a hand. A finger? Oh, come on, Mo! How else is he going to learn?”

“If he continues to cause trouble, I will deal with it,” Dunes promised.

“Alright, fine, but…” Adam sighed, shaking his head lightly. “Alright, alright, you don’t need to look at me that way. It makes me feel ashamed, even though he’s the one who was going to-,”

Dunes was glad the half elf bit his tongue, noting that he riled himself up, but he tensed up and relaxed under the Brother’s glare. “We have paid for the assistance, Akbar. Do you have any complaints?”

“No,” Akbar replied, narrowing his eyes towards Dunes. “It is fine, Mo.”

“Noorshukhur,” Dunes threatened.

“Noorshukhur,” the merchant replied.

“Wild Cobra Sword,” Adam called. “How strong around you? A Master? Grandmaster?”

“I am between Expert and Master.”

“Oh,” Adam replied, the disappointment in his voice evident. “Oh, that’s pretty good though. Four Experts? That’s not bad, not bad at all. I’m not wearing my armour, but I thought it would be a close fight, what do you guys think?”

Dunes sighed, looking to Jurot, who bowed his head, and the Iyrman turned to lead the group onwards.

“What?” Adam asked. “Why am I the bad guy when he was the one harassing a random woman on the road?”

“We should be wary offending too many great powers, and the Setting Sun Merchants, I don’t know of them exactly, but I have heard of them. We have wounded his pride enough.”

“I’m just saying, I showed a lot of mercy.”

“I know.” Dunes frowned, for seeing such a thing almost immediately arriving upon his soil wounded him deeply.

Wild Cobra Sword is a cool name, I can’t believe I used it on this random nobody!