Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

The stars twinkled above, one of the brighter stars leading their way back towards the fort, though one might have thought it was the path their horses were following which led them back to their fort. The soldiers kept an eye upon the surrounding trees, in case the Reavers leapt out to attack them, especially after hearing that the Reavers had managed to slip through their land as far as towards the Iyr.

“Sister, shouldn’t we have-,”

“Captain,” the soldier corrected.

“Sister Captain, shouldn’t we have-,”

“Captain!”

“Alright, alright! By the Divine!” the young woman huffed, shaking her head as she rode up towards her elder sister. “Cap! Tain! Should not, I dare suggest, we have arrested him?”

Seeing as how she was being so annoying, the Captain inhaled deeply, bracing herself to berate her younger sister. “Our duty is to scout the lands, not arrest every random fellow who stumbles their way upon the border.”

“It’s not just any random fellow, now is he? He’s a leaf ear.”

“So?”

“After what happened in Rock Hill, how could he have the shame to come to our land?” The younger sister glanced back towards the other scout, each who nodded their heads subconsciously, since she did have a point.

“Why are you so worried about what happened to Rock Hill? We were not the ones who lost our family.”

“But-,”

“It doesn’t matter! Who is to say he was there when it all happened? It was the elves who massacred the town, not the half elves who travel this land.”

“That’s just what they want you to think! How else could they-,”

“Enough about Rock Hill!” the Captain snapped, glaring back towards the rest of the soldiers. “You all need to think about what you saw, and not think about the future that shouldn’t happen! Must I be the one to remind you they were escorting one of their children?”

“They were escorting a child?”

“The horned one who sat within the circle of all those other Iyrmen! She wore no tattoos upon her head, what do you think that means?”

“How do we know she’s an Iyrman?”

“The Divine have given you eyes to see, but you cannot see, a brain to think, but you cannot think, a mouth to speak, at least have the decency not to speak!” 

‘An Iyrman child?’ the younger sister thought, not caring that her sister was ranting so viciously at her, not for the first time that day, and probably not the last. 

The other soldiers sobered up as they rode back towards the fort. If the teen was truly an Iyrman’s child, then their Captain’s actions suddenly made far more sense, and the presence of three different Priests probably made up for the lack of powerful figures. Although, then again, who was the old Aswadian man? Was that half dragon someone like Vasera? What about the Crazy Father? Was he really as strong as the rumours said?

“Hey, Captain…” the younger sister whispered, riding up until she was beside her elder sister. “You really think his children are… you know?”

“That’s just a rumour,” the Captain replied. “You know how the Orders are, they’ll say anything to justify what they did.”

“So you think they killed his children?”

“Goblins and demons as children? I doubt it. Still, I heard the children were Iyrmen, but…” The Captain wasn’t sure. If the children were Iyrmen children, then they would have caused an even bigger mess. ‘They did say that the Order went to greet them and they were all slaughtered. Does that mean they really did kill Iyrmen children? Why would an Order do that? They know how crazy the Iyrmen are…’

The fire crackled and as Adam returned after his bath, wearing his pyjamas, though his axe remained at his side, and his shield within arm’s reach. The half elf dropped beside the rest of his companions, letting out a low sigh. 

“I didn’t think we were going to camp out tonight, that’s my bad,” Adam apologised, smiling awkwardly to the Priests beside him.

“We expected as much,” Dunes said, though upon seeing Mork’s eyes, the Priest apparently hadn’t expected such. “It is fine.”

“Once we get to Gold Port, let’s find a nice place to stay! I’ll be sure to find some nobles to rip off too, so we can continue funding our journey.” Adam chuckled, taking a bite of the porridge, leaving his cheese and cracker for later.

“It has been a while since we camped out like this…” Dunes tried to recall the last time, realising when it was, and he cleared his throat. “Though I can’t say that I have missed it.”

“Tomorrow, we may camp out,” Jurot said, recalling the map within his mind. “We may camp north of Ever Green and continue east to the Order.”

“The Order?” Adam asked. 

“The Order of the Blooming Bellflower, which has taken over the land of the previous Order when they were exiled,” Jurot said. 

“Do we have any issues with the Bellflower Order?”

“…” Jurot glanced aside to Kitool. “It is uncertain.”

“Did I kill any of them?”

“No.”

“Alright, that’s fine then.” Adam rubbed the side of his neck. ‘Seriously, just how much trouble am I going to…’

“Yes?” Jurot asked, noting the way Adam was looking at him.

“Did your old man kill any of them?”

“The Order did not exist when grandfather travelled through the land,” Jurot replied, though his eyes glancing aside suggested that there was something.

“Are we going to be in much trouble once we meet them?”

“The matter of trouble is up to them.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Okay.”

“Before we continue, did any of your grandfathers, grandmother, granduncles, grandaunts, fathers, mothers, and so on, kill any of those related to the new Orders?” Adam asked, trying to gather how much trouble they’ll face while in the land.

“Yes.”

“Absolutely.”

“Certainly.”

The chorus of responses from the Iyrmen beat the half elf like a hammer, causing him to shrink further, while his heart ached. 

“The newly formed Orders are not quite like the Orders of those from Aldland,” Jurot admitted. “They are smaller, weaker, and the King will likely form more. However, they are still a force to be reckoned with, for the King may have restricted them in some way, he will surely shower them in his favour so they will be able to deal with the established Orders of Aldland.”

“Seriously…” Adam sighed, before his entire body jolted, the half elf wide awake.

For a moment, such an action forced the rest of the Iyrmen into a state of alertness one could only expect from the Iyr, but upon seeing how Ashmir and Bael were both still relaxed, it mostly likely wasn’t because Adam had spotted a threat. 

“Hold on!” Adam reached out to Jurot’s shoulder, staring at his brother, but also staring through the Iyrman. “Hold on! Wait! Wait!” 

Adam could feel it. There was something within Jurot’s words that had caused the half elf’s mind to stir to life. What was it? What was it?

Dunes furrowed his brows as the half elf’s mind raced, for he had acted such a fool for so long, that when a spark of brilliance finally burned brightly, it needed a long while to burn. 

“Wait, wait, wait!” Adam snapped, reaching up to his forehead, rubbing it as to try and coax out the geniusness that was dancing through his mind.

The others hadn’t seen Adam like this before, but almost all of them understood what Adam was doing. 

Dunes remained silent, watching as Adam tried to force the thought through, almost certain he knew what Adam was thinking about, the only problem being that Adam was insane, so he may have been thinking about something else entirely, like how to spoil his children, rather than the obvious thought which was how could he try to use that knowledge to try and propel the business forward. 

“Couldn’t we help out with that?” Adam finally spluttered out, the excitement filling the half elf, a wide grin spreading across his face, the light reaching even his eyes. 

‘Oh,’ Dunes thought, impressed that Adam had finally acted as one might have expected a reasonable and intelligent person to act. ‘My son has grown up!’

As noon welcomed the group, who had enjoyed another bath that morning, the large number of soldiers marched from the path towards them, led by a figure upon horseback, at least a dozen other mounted soldiers, followed by close to a hundred soldiers, each of whom glared at the group.

‘Hmm?’ the Commander thought, approaching the half elf, who wore a smile which completely disarmed the Commander, which only piled onto the stress.

“Oh!” Adam called towards the Commander, who was adorned in full plate of finely crafted steel, with a familiar ornate blade at his side. “Commander Silvercloud, wasn’t it?”

“Silversky,” Jurot corrected.

“Oh, right! Sorry about that, I’m still no good with names.” The half elf continued to beam at the Commander with the brightest of smiles. 

Commander Silversky froze in place. Ever since he had met the half elf, his hair had begun to whiten rapidly. If it wasn’t the ancient evil which had awoken after their first meeting, which happened after the half elf had gone blow for blow with the Lord Marshal, it was the fact he had passed his fort in order to kill the Vice Commander of the Thousand Hunts the previous year.

Except, in each of those times, the half elf had been a little bit of a troublemaker, or completely serious, but this time, surrounded by mounted soldiers, outnumbered at least four to one, the half elf was completely relaxed. 

‘What misfortune do you bring this day?’

He certainly is his daughter’s father.