Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

‘Ah,’ Rowan thought. ‘This is the business.’

‘Ah,’ Adam thought. ‘This is the Iyr.’

The Iyrmen were out in force, the hundred or so Experts, as well as those with their silver hair. It was not just three of the Ten Paragons, but several other figures. It didn’t take long for Adam to understand just how strong each of them were. 

‘Three Paragons. Four Grandmasters. Twelve Masters. Sixty Experts. No, one hundred and sixty Experts?’ Adam’s eyes darted around, for the sixty were tasked to the Masters, five to each Master, and three Masters were then tasked with the Paragons. The other Experts, a hundred strong, were an auxiliary force to assist. ‘Crazy.’

“Adam!” shouted a voice, a bald man, who reached out his arms and half tackled the young man, doing the same to Jurot. “Where is Nirot?”

“She’s assisting someone we found, but she should return soon,” Adam replied. 

“His talent is greater than my own,” Jurot explained.

“Ah? You have claimed another?” The Iyrman grinned wide at his grandnephew, patting his shoulder gently. 

“Adam has claimed him.”

“You have?” Kamrot asked, raising a brow. Adam wasn’t allowed to claim someone like that, Kamrot was certain, and even if the Mad Dog caused trouble, that was going a step too far. Except, Jurot would certainly know that, meaning…

“He shall be trained as an Oathsworn,” Jurot confirmed. 

“If his talent is that good, it is a blessing,” Kamrot said, grinning wide, pulling his grandnephews in for a tighter embrace. 

Adam wasn’t sure what was up with his granduncle, but he hugged him back all the same, patting his back. “How have you been, granduncle?”

Kamrot just smiled, brushing the half elf’s hair, patting his back lightly. “I have heard you have brought another legendary child!”

“Ah!”

Kamrot stared down at the girl, who had nestled against the Lion King’s chest, but upon seeing the bald older Iyrman, she stared up at him in return. 

“Look, Amal, it’s babo Kamrot!” Adam said, causing the girl to look towards him, the girl them holding out her hands, one covered in saliva, but Adam lifted her up and held her close. “Granduncle, can you believe this?”

“She is well built!” Kamrot confirmed.

“No, no, well, yes, but I meant the fact that Jurot is trying to steal her from me!” Adam planted a kiss on Amal’s forehead. “Even though she’s obviously my daughter!”

“She is?” 

“What? How can you say that? Granduncle, I’ll tell Jirot!”

“Ah, my eyes are not what they used to be, of course she is your daughter,” Kamrot replied, rubbing his eyes.

‘Babo, you think you are so tough?’

‘Yes,’ Kamrot had replied.

‘Wow, so tough! I will tell babo that you are so tough.’

‘Hmm?’ Kamrot had no idea what Jirot had meant by that. 

‘You brat, do you think you are so tough to bully my greatdaughter?’ Jarot had exclaimed, ready to cut Kamrot down, only held back by the likes of his wife. 

Kamrot had seen it then, the smirk on the girl’s lips, the sparkle within her eyes. 

‘Babo, it is okay, since babo is so lovely, yes?’ Jirot had said, raising her brows towards Kamrot, a wide smirk on her lips, having almost gotten him killed. 

“No, she cannot be yours,” Kamrot finally said, hoping to see his little Jirot again soon.

“How could you say such a thing, granduncle?”

“She is too well behaved, and you have so many well behaved daughters already, so Jurot should adopt her,” Kamrot teased, hoping he could return to tease his greatniece who would try to get him killed once more. 

“Even though I bought so much tea for you from that cursed town!” Adam complained.

Kamrot laughed, reaching over to Adam’s shoulder, patting it once more, the figures moving to one side to settle so they could speak the tales to all the Iyrmen nearby. Adam poured the older man tea as the Iyrmen spoke the tales of their adventure, the newcomers hearing their current tale not for the first time, but it was still unbelievable. 

Kamrot laughed, for the commoners of Red Oak no doubt would not know the various names of such fine warriors, perhaps they would believe their own warriors were greater than the Aswadians, but Kamrot, like all Iyrmen, was a warrior, born and raised, and so the Aldishmen would say, the savagery was bred. 

“You fight well, Taygak,” Kamrot said, reaching out a hand, the girl bowing her head lightly to allow him to place a hand atop it. 

“Yes…” Taygak replied, fleshing lightly. 

His touch lingered, for in his time, Gangak had gone out, and it was that land, the land of black and gold, which had forced her away, but with Taygak, perhaps it would be different? That was what the touch meant, the expectations which would chain the girl’s heart. 

“You fought well too, Tagak, Laygak,” Kamrot said, radiating joy, also rubbing their heads, ruffling their hair. 

“Hey, Jurot,” Adam whispered, while the Iyrmen eagerly discussed the tale between one another. 

“Yes?”

“When was the last time one of the Gak family became one of the Ten Paragons?”

“They have never claimed such a position, officially,” Jurot replied. 

Adam frowned. His eyes darted to Taygak for a moment, before falling to the floor, the half elf clasping his hands together. ‘Even if several of them become Paragons, it doesn’t mean anything will change. If they can earn more than just a few warriors who are strong, if they can become higher up in the Iyr itself, then in Aldland, Aswadasad, maybe even Drakkenlen, then…’

“Why do you always look so sad?” Jaygak asked, settling herself beside him. 

“I’m just thinking…”

“Baktu save us.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Adam replied, raising a brow towards Jaygak. After a beat, he flinched, sitting upright. “Jaygak?”

Jaygak smiled, elbowing the half elf in the side. “I have been waiting for you to notice me for minutes now, but you were so deep in thought.”

“Sorry, sorry, what are you doing here?” Adam replied, holding out a hand, shaking her forearm, half hugging the Iyrman. 

“Since the Iyr is using our fort, an Executive should watch over them?” Jaygak mused, patting the half elf’s back as they shouldered one another. 

“It’s been a while, huh?”

“It has been some time,” Jaygak agreed, smiling playfully. “Did you already speak your tale? I was busy walking the goats.”

“What does that mean?”

“I was assisting in walking the goats,” Jaygak replied.

“You mean, like, real goats?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Adam blinked. “Uh, well, we did in fact speak the tale, and you know what, I think Taygak should speak the tale, since she… well, you’ll hear it soon enough.”

“Okay,” Jaygak replied, standing, though first went to greet the other figures, including Kal Uli. She eventually settled down beside Taygak to listen to the tale from her in the Iyr’s tongue. The young woman beamed brightly upon hearing the tale, praising her cousin, who flushed slightly, as well as Laygak and Tagak for behaving so Iyrmanly. 

Rowan’s eyes continued to admire the large fort. ‘I didn’t realise the fort was so grand…’

“Tomorrow we’ll be heading to the Front Iyr, probably, and we’ll situate you somewhere,” Adam explained. “Due to all the Reavers we’ve moved to the Front Iyr, but once they’re dealt with, we’ll return back to this fort. Until then, we’ll put you onto a provisional role, you’ll learn about the operations of the business, the rules of the business, and if you want to join, you may, and if you don’t, we will escort you to Red Oak safely. We’ll figure out payment once the Executives and Managers discuss it.”

“As you say, Brother.” Rowan replied, his voice hiding his uncertainty. 

“Executive, please, the responsibility of a Brother weighs too heavily on my shoulders, and I prefer Executive, if we must speak with titles at all,” Adam said, smiling politely. 

Brittany’s eyes darted all around the fort, noting how much taller the walls were, how many more buildings were within the fort, how the fort had expanded, and all she could think was that the Iyr was truly a terrifying place.

Adam approached the young woman, motioning his head towards the townsfolk. “If you could, please watch over them. If they need anything, they’ll speak to you, and you’ll bring it to me.”

“Yes…”

“Did you enjoy the travel?”

“I did.”

“I know we didn’t buy many arrows, and you didn’t get much of a chance to use them, but next time, I’ll make sure we buy some more for you, and, you know, we’ll make sure you can use them.” Adam winked.

‘I don’t mind if we don’t…’ Brittany thought.

“Is that your panther?” Kamrot asked, while the black feline creature stared up at him.

“Yes.”

Kamrot started his meditations, and once he was done, he spoke with the creature, letting it know its place while it was here. 

‘Where are Cloud and the others?’ Adam thought, looking out across the Iyr’s land, but deciding against asking, in case it was a secret.

“What do you think?” Dunes asked.

“It is different than what I thought,” Lani admitted, her eyes taking in the sight of the fort, which was not as impressive as Black Mountain. 

“It is also different from when we left.”

“How different?”

“At least half of it, perhaps more, is different.”

‘Did they not leave only a season ago?’ Lani raised her brows. ‘So this is what Iyrman efficiency means?’

Dunes’ eyes fell to the side, where the Iyrmen were kept at bay from bothering the Sword of the Lady, for now. 

Chosen held his uncle’s eyes for a long while, before smirking, the young uncle, a cousin of his father’s, flared into anger and threatened to step forward to bother Lani. 

PATREON LINK

Kamrot courting death.