Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

The wooden wheels rattled against the stone floor. She was dark skinned, adorned all in white, hiding her thinness. Her eyes were like emeralds, sparkling with delight, and her thin fingers were unadorned, save for the orange of henna, her nails painted a gold, as though to remind all those this unassuming woman was not quite so simple.

Adam stood, motioning a hand down towards his children, and they each stood, upright as their innocent hearts.

“Is that Jazza’s tajin I smell?” the woman said, basking in the heavy scent of spices which filled the air, and though the group were towards the end of their meal, they were not lacking for thirds or fourths, while the woman adorned in white beamed brightly. As the woman peeked between the Iyrmen, the servant who wheeled her continued to wheel her towards the group which had stood to greet her, those of a particular family. “Greetings, Mo. I would stand, but…”

“It’s always good to stretch your legs after a meal, so I just thought to stand,” the half elf replied, flashing an awkward smile, the kind touched by a sadness. “How are yo-,”

“You shouldn’t look at me that way, at least,” the woman stated, narrowing her eyes towards the half elf, who chuckled awkwardly in response. Her eyes fell to the children, and then to the other standing woman, smiling towards her. “Noor’s Rays Illuminate.”

“Mother’s Mercy,” Ray Vonda replied, the woman holding out her hands, and she clasped the woman’s thin fingers, feeling the softness, the wrinkles, the lightness.

“Your husband has spoken of you often, Ray Vonda.”

“I hope he did not disturb you too much.”

“What else can we expect from him?”

Vonda swallowed, calming her heart lightly. “What else can we expect from him.”

The Malika smiled, still holding the Ray’s hand, feeling the calluses of the woman’s fingers, the kind of a woman who had to work hard to earn her title, and who did not think she had worked hard to claim her title.

“These are my children,” Adam said, for even if she could meet other great figures, who were considered greater than the children of the Iyr? “This is Konarot, my eldest, and-,”

“Though I rarely step out of my wheelchair, my memory is sharper than your axe, and I speak such words even after hearing of the matter from yesterday,” the Malika said, though the glare within her eyes gave way, and Anastasha reached out to pinch the children’s cheeks. “It is not though we are strangers, for you are the children of your father and mother, and you have some connection to a friend of mine. Did you think I would not recognise those eyes of yours?”

The awkwardness caused Adam to swallow, but Konarot peeked up to the woman, who continued to brush along her cheek and hair, feeling the thinness of the girl’s hair, her horns, which were not like those of the Gaks, but more so of the Talia family, and she continued to tease the children, pinching their noses and cheeks one by one, until she finally came across the twins.

“If I tease you, will you trouble me?” Anastasha asked.

Jirot’s mouth formed a tiny circle, and she turned, an accusatory glare towards her father as her cheeks flushed. “Gah! Dah! Daddy! What did you say?”

“I only spoke the truth!” The half elf replied simply, turning to look towards his wife, who, upon seeing him turn to her, closed her eyes. “This father of yours, he cannot lie.”

“At the very least, little Jarot, though named after his great grandfather, will not trouble me,” Anastasha said, tickling his cheek with a finger, the thin woman smiling brightly, for the children were the siblings of the triplets, and the triplets were born of a mother who she was familiar with, and so that made the children her nieces and nephews, so she thought, even they, whose skin matched her eyes, and their eyes her wealth.

“I’m surprised that the Amira brought you here today so quickly, although…” Adam smiled innocently, the kind of innocent smile which suggested he knew. “I had this whole plan to surprise you in order to ease you into the bad news, but I suppose if that doesn’t work, maybe I should gift you a potion, or make one for you, if you need something?”

“Is your ability that great?”

“I would say I’m as good as some of the better alchemists, probably those you are familiar with, but…” Adam glanced aside. “If you want me to be someone even greater, I can become an even greater alchemist.”

“Oh? Do you wish to retire now that you have beaten my friend so brutally?” the Malika of Aswadasad, the wife of the Shen, the mother to the Amira, and the friend of the Moon Commander of the Golden Guard, asked, and through those titles, she accused the half elf.

Adam smiled, letting out a soft chuckle, the kind that held the darkest of secrets. “No, no, but if you wish me to become a greater alchemist…”

Anastasha noted the half elf, the way he fell into thought, considering what he possibly could be thinking of.

Adam ignored the Crimson Blade, the Radiant Blade, each of whom were currently adorned in such a way that denoted they were on business, and he also ignored all the other warriors around, for the Iyr took special note of them.

The half elf peeked down at his children.

The children peeked up towards their father.

They could feel it.

Uh oh.

“I want to become an even greater alchemist, but I need you to pray for me and to send me your strength!” Adam declared.

“Daddy you are so strong already?” Jirot accused, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes, but I need to become even greater at alchemy,” Adam replied, noting the look within his daughter’s eyes.

However.

Who did she think he was?

He was Adam.

The Crazy Father.

Did she think he would be unable to defeat her?

“Then…” Adam’s lips formed a gentle smile, almost a smirk, and as the girl stared up at him, she tilted her head, for how dare her father take a step towards her? Did she show him too much mercy?

It was then she was reminded.

Daddy was Daddy.

“Daddy will be able to make potions of giant strength easier?”

The girl’s lips formed a tiny circle, and she brushed her hair behind her ear, in just a moment of thought, before she began to roll up her sleeves, causing her twin brother to do the same, and then the eldest triplets followed suit. They held out their palms and concentrated.

Adam’s eyes then slipped to the side, and he furrowed his brows. ‘Oh? I can’t get Skill Expert? Didn’t I get it last time though? I guess I can only grab it once? That sucks, but…’

“It seems as though I need a little more help?” Adam said, turning his head slightly, noting his sister from his periphery.

“I suppose if you require my strength,” Lanarot said, with a sudden formality, and she hopped onto her feet and rolled up her sleeve. “Amalrot, watch carefully.”

Anastasha blinked. ‘He really is like you, habibi.’

As the children concentrated upon sending Adam their strength…

XP: 13 400 -> 8 400

Feat Gained!

Feat: Prodigy

+1 Skill

+1 Tool or Language

Mastery (Medicine)

Adam eyed up the additional XP he was missing, but decided against doing anything with it right now, but then his eyes fell to the price of gaining the feat.

‘500 XP per Level… I should have spent my XP when I was lower Level…’

[Penalty: 100%]

‘Sorry, sorry.’

[…]

“I am now one of the best at…” Adam paused. He stared at the woman in sheer shock.

‘No,’ Adam thought. ‘No…’

Vonda side eyed her husband, while Jurot and the others suddenly stared at the silent half elf.

A chill filled Adam.

Adam reached up to cover his eyes.

‘I’m so stupid! I’m so fucking stupid! No! Nooo!’

The pain in the half elf’s face denoted something far more serious than usual.

“Daddy, are you stronger now?” Jirot asked.

“…”

Jirot looked towards her twin brother, who returned a questioning look, but the two then reached over to hold their father’s shirt lightly. “Daddy, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, dear.”

“Uh oh,” Jirot whispered, looking towards her mother.

“What did you do?” Vonda asked, for she knew her husband well, and did not need to ask if he had made a mistake.

“I just remembered Alchemy and Medicine are different things,” Adam admitted, his voice low, in great pain. “I’m now really, really good at Medicine, and I’m still only really good at Alchemy.”

“I see,” Vonda said, reaching out a hand. “Can you also gain such skill with Alchemy?”

Adam wiped his eyes, sniffling, doing his best to stop himself from laughing. “I suppose, perhaps I could? I guess it helps with Alchemy anyway? Although, then again, I am pretty amazing at Alchemy normally, and I also have a couple of other abilities which makes me better than some alchemists.”

‘He is such a fool,’ Anastasha thought, her lips forming a smile. ‘He really is like you, habibi.’

Sonarot wasn’t sure if the half elf should be revealing all this much, but she had let the half elf go this far in front of his children, and then he ended up undermining his own abilities.

In this way, Adam was a fool.

In this way, Adam was a genius.

In this way, Adam was Adam.

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

Adam spending 5K XP just to be an idiot.