Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

“I suppose I need to take a day off today for no reason in particular,” Adam said, but he had already lifted Larot up, and pressed his cheek against the boy’s.

“Kekekeke!” Jirot cackled, also swarming the boy, trying to clutch at him. “Larot!”

Adam surrendered the boy, allowing his siblings to swarm him, the other children also embracing the tiny hornless red skinned toddler. The children handed over their gifts while Jirot held him close, brushing his hair. She continued to hold him tight for a long while, finally giving him up at the behest of her grandmother. Jazool handed the boy a bracelet, hugging him tight and planted a firm kiss on his forehead.

“Jarot,” an older Iyrman called. “Give up your grandson to me.”

“Draw your blade and I will consider taking only an arm,” the Mad Dog replied. “You cannot covet my grandson. He loves me too much.”

The older Iyrmen continued to brim with envy upon seeing how the children behaved, for which children were as affectionate as these?

Mosen smirked, since Chisen had learnt well from the time she had spent with Danagek and Dagek, while the half elf spoiled the boys. ‘I should have brought my Chisen.’

One might have wondered what Adam had brought for the boy. There were many guesses, from the likes of Sonarot, Jurot, to even the older Iyrmen who had met him a handful of times, with shiny silvers ready to slip from palm to palm upon the half elf’s gift.

Mana: 34 -> 31

Spell: Fly

Mana: 31 -> 28

Spell: Fireball

“How did you know?” Rajin whispered, eyeing up the crippled Iyrman.

“I know my greatson,” Jarot replied simply, not wanting to admit he was joking, more than ready to lose his gold piece. The old man had a thought as he watched his grandson fly around with his greatson, flinging out Fireballs to kill the mass of skeletons, all the while his pouch grew heavy with gold. Had milk ever tasted so sweet?

Mana: 28 -> 25

Spell: Fireball

Mana: 25 -> 22

Spell: Fireball

‘Oops,’ Adam thought, realising he had cast four Third Gate spells, the half elf making his back to the fort with a stone faced Larot, who held only the shadow of a smile upon his face.

‘Heh.’

“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m going to make you a-,” Adam began, only to freeze in place, still floating down towards the fort, the half elf finally landing, but he blinked. ‘Couldn’t I have given Sentinel’s Rest to Larot?’

Adam sighed, bringing his son to his chest, whispering into his red leaf shaped ears. “I’ll make you a nice sword, alright?”

“…”

Adam stood facing the wall for some time, staring at it. Most of the time, when he said he had pretended to be stupid for so long that he might have actually become stupid, he was kidding. Now? It felt more true than ever before. Larot stood beside his father, his hands tied behind his back, though instead of standing in shame, the boy stood with nothing in particular in mind.

‘Did he give the pearl?’ Jaygak thought, fairly certain Adam had forgotten.

Bael stood upon the gates, watching the skeletal army march towards the village, while the Iyrmen dealt with the issue. Jurot, Kitool, and a handful of the older Iyrmen fought. He stood out of the way, understanding he couldn’t ruin the fun for Iyrmen, though eager as he waited on standby in case the skeletons began to cause trouble, in which case he could start blasting.

Noon peered overhead, the rays falling upon the villagers as the sorted the bones. Much to Bael’s chagrin, the undead had not yet overrun the village, in no small parts thanks to the business, which sent Tork and Jane along to assist.

The gates opened, welcoming the carriage within, and as the doors opened to allow the women to step out.

“Mummy!” the children shouted, one shouting louder than the others, as they swarmed their mother. Even Larot, who had stuck to his father like glue, sauntered his way towards the woman.

Damrot’s dummy froze as the boy stared at the woman, almost dropping out of his mouth as he smiled, reaching out with both of his arms, Pam plucking the boy from his father’s arms.

Adam waited for the children to greet their mother and aunt, before he wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her in close. “Vonda.”

“Adam,” Vonda replied, holding the half elf tight within her arms, their cheeks pressed against one another, feeling his breath tickle her neck. As they swayed together in their embrace, Vonda understood the burden within the half elf’s heart.

“Were you fighting the undead?” Pam asked, reaching up to brush along a bruise near the Iyrman’s neck, which surely would have killed a normal man.

“Yes,” Jurot replied, and with that, the pair made their way to one side, Jurot preparing to tell her the tale while Damrot continued to smile and laugh at his mother’s affection.

“Mama!” Virot cried aloud, while she charged out from her grandmother’s arms, the girl squealing loudly threatening to barrel her way through her older siblings, who made the wise decision to step out of her way. The girl complained at her father, trying to pull him away by his trousers, until she was finally free to embrace her mother.

“Virot…” Vonda called, her voice so soft, picking her youngest daughter up, who wrapped her arms around her mother’s head.

“Mama! Mama!” the girl squealed, hugging her mother’s head, before the pair kissed one another’s faces, Virot holding her mother’s face to kiss the woman as much as she could.

Adam glanced away, though peeked towards the girl, unable to contain the pride brimming within his chest. Even as the darkness had threatened to grasp his heart with its chilly grip, it was always his children who forced it away with such ease, if not his wife.

‘My children are the cutest!’

“It is okay, Larot,” Lanarot said, reaching out to brush the boy’s hair. “Virot missed her mother, but she loves you too.”

Larot’s eyes drifted to the side, towards his aunt, who tried to soothe his heart of stone. ‘…’

Vonda handed the boy a gift, a yellow scarf, while Pam pressed a yellow knitted hat upon his head, hiding his black hair. The boy sat to one side, upon his mother’s lap, the woman refusing to let him go. She stared atop his head, while the boy ignored her gaze, though he did not struggle against her affection. Her rough hand brushed along his cheek, her thumb trailing along his chubby cheek, her eyes then falling upon little Jarot, whose cheeks were so much thinner than his sister’s.

‘Mother Soza…’ Vonda prayed within her heart.

Adam remained to one side, allowing his children to shower their mother in their attention, Jirot babbling away about this and that, while the woman listened intently.

“I would like to hear Jarot tell me something too,” Vonda said, pinching her son’s cheek gently, the boy flushing lightly.

“Mm. We played with Jitool.”

“What did you play?”

“We played wall ball.”

“Was it fun?”

“Yes.” The boy beamed with his gentle smile.

Konarot, Kirot, and Karot each spoke about their own play, while Virot complained, until Vonda finally held the girl to her side, allowing Virot to rest her head upon her mother’s shoulder, the girl sucking her dummy lightly as she clutched at her mother’s collar.

Eventually, Jirot began to speak of that tale in particular.

“Mummy.” Jirot sighed, reaching up to her forehead, wiping her face. “What am I to do?”

“What can we do?” Vonda agreed, reaching up to her forehead, rubbing it gently.

“How he can do this, mummy?”

“How can he do this,” Vonda agreed.

“Daddy… used a sword?” Jirot tutted, looking up at the sky, as though Adam had brought home his results, revealing he had failed all his subjects. “Seriously, what am I going to do with you? Silly daddy.”

“I did it for Ranya,” Adam replied, flushing slightly. “It’s a good story for your cousin, who is uncle Dunes’ daughter.”

Jirot blinked. “I forgive you, just this once.”

“Thank you, my dear!” Adam lifted her up, peppering her face with kisses.

Jirot threw a look to her mother, the kind Vonda would sometimes give to her whenever Adam did something foolish, but she had to accept it, since she loved him so much.

As late rays of the late afternoon sun filled the fort with its warmth, Adam and Vonda sat to one side, holding hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I had no choice,” Adam whispered, noting her raised brow in response. “You know what I mean. It was him and me, or him and someone else.”

“Why did you not allow someone else?”

“He came for me. What if… I couldn’t let someone else die fighting for me.”

Vonda sighed, but intertwined their fingers together, her thumb brushing along his. “Did you enjoy it?”

“No. I… made sure to end it quickly, so the children didn’t… well, they did end up seeing a slaughter anyway. The old geezer wanted them to watch.”

“They do not call him Lovely Dog.”

“It’s not fair that my grandfather has such a cool name but I get stick with The Purple.”

Vonda pulled her head away, narrowing her eyes at him. “Grandfather?”

“Ah, yeah…” Adam flushed slightly.

“Did I miss the first time?”

“Well, yeah, but… oh come on, you get to see their first time crawling, their first steps, and they all always call for you first.”

“You wish for them to call me first.”

“That’s beside the point.”

“I did not wish to miss your firsts.”

“Well, you-,”

“Adam!” Vonda jolted upright, the woman’s brows raised, her face red as the half elf smirked towards her. She pulled her husband in close, whispering how he was a fool, but Adam allowed her to cuddle him so tenderly.

Jirot always cheers me up.