Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

“How was I meant to know he wasn’t a Paragon?” Adam whispered to Jurot, the half elf wise enough to retreat beside his brother and allow Dunes to heal the Fariq. The older Aswadian shuddered awake, tensing up lightly as he readied to grab his blade.

“Fariq, stand,” the old woman called, and the old man did so, swaying slightly as he tried to gather himself. 

Where was he? 

What had happened?

“Do you not know your limits, young man?” the old woman asked, her eyes falling upon him curiously. 

“No, but also, I thought he was a Paragon, so I didn’t hold back much,” the half elf admitted, with a tone that would have gotten him killed by a noble for the offence it would have caused. 

“Did you hold back?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

Adam let out a soft sigh, counting within his mind. “I don’t really think it’s about how much I held back, but, I didn’t use many of my special abilities, but most of my strength actually comes from my magical equipment. I would say that I showed you, technically? Half of my abilities, but the last half really only make up a tiny amount, and don’t make me that much stronger. This armour, this shield, this axe, you give some of your other warriors these items, and they’ll do well against the Fariq too. Plus, if he wore a shield, even a simple one, I think he would have done much better.”

The old woman narrowed her eyes towards the half elf, unsure of what he was doing. He was speaking far too casually for someone so suspicious. “It is dangerous to reveal such.”

“I know, but I wanted to bring a story back to my son,” Adam said, with an earnestness that came from his title, or rather, his title came from such earnestness. “Since you are so close to the Shen, I wanted to be upfront, as upfront as I am allowed to be. Thankfully, I’m with the Iyrmen, and if you’re as wise as I think you are, you won’t cause much trouble since our Taygak is here. She won’t let you bully me, I know that much to be true.”

‘Is he trying to get his companions killed?’ the old woman thought, her eyes darting to Taygak, who reached up to rub her forehead. 

“I know what I’m doing can easily be seen as arrogance, since you are a group full of power, wealth and you see this upstart you’ve never seen before. I’ll let you think about who or what I am, but that’s irrelevant to me, all you need to know is that-,” Adam paused, furrowing his brows. “Why am I being so aggressive? I’m here to form good relations, and so far you are one of the only Orders to treat us slightly disrespectfully, though considering your role, that’s understandable.”

The woman could see the half elf was fighting within his heart and mind, quite literally shaking off his thoughts. She understood, he was one of those that appeared now and again across the land, across each era. 

The half elf was one of those insane geniuses.

“If it makes you feel any better, the Fariq here lasted longer than at least half of the other Grand Commanders I’ve faced,” Adam stated, the young man bowing his head lightly, towards the older Aswadian. “It was my honour, thank you.”

The Fariq bowed his head lightly, his heart still pounding, the shame rising within his heart. He had been defeated by a young man? How old did he say he was? Ashmir had mentioned the half elf during their conversation, but he had half ignored it.

‘My nephew is only twenty four, but he worries me,’ the Lion King had joked, his voice and eyes so devoid of humour, but full of a dry sarcasm.

‘Is he really only twenty four?’

The old woman’s eyes darted to Kitool’s, who bowed her head lightly, and Ellani took in the sight of the half elf. It was under this light that she realised, with the shadows forming upon his face, the young man was beset by a tiredness which came to those far older. The Iyrmen knew of her, they knew of her role, they knew that she was particularly close with the royal family, so why was it they would allow her to see this much? 

“I will speak the tale of what happened last year,” Jurot offered, for the half elf had mostly skimmed through it, but Jurot could speak of it on a deeper level, and at the very least, reveal enough to the old woman to pass on to the royal family. 

“My nephew, come sit,” Ellani called, motioning a hand beside her, motioning another to a worker to bring the half elf his seat. ‘If you were not married…’ 

“Shouldn’t I be your greatnephew since my grandfather is probably your nephew?” Adam joked, causing the old woman to burst into laughter. ‘Man, I just don’t miss! Recently. Today. In the past hour.’

Agadun remained quiet, feeling a small betrayal within his heart for the old woman showing the young man such favour, though he kept his eyes upon the half elf. However, the covetous gaze at his side quickly caused him to glance aside, and he noted the young Iyrman staring at his blade. Seeing the weapon upon the Iyrman’s side, the Fariq bowed his head lightly, and Tanagek returned a bow of his head. 

“Oh! Aunt, would you allow our Taygak to draw the Fariq’s beautiful blade, please?” Adam asked, his eyes beaming like that of a little boy’s.

“Fariq,” the woman called, and the older Aswadian sighed slightly, but gave his blade to the young girl, who beamed with such brightness, her eyes full of such awe as she drew the blade. Tagak ignored Laygak’s gaze, and Tanagek ignored Chosen’s. 

Jurot spoke the tale to the old woman, while John, Zabir, and Yasha each listened intently, Yasha sometimes glancing up to her grandfather, who made the appropriate faces at the right time, which meant she was hearing things correctly. There were a great many assumptions within the Iyrman’s words, for who could believe it? 

Adam had defeated Sir Yamas of High Garden? 

That Sir Yamas? 

However, with how brightly he was showing off Thunder’s Triumph, his niece’s sword, the sword which was his niece’s, how lucky he was to have such a niece with such a wonderful sword, and how lucky the sword had such a wonderful owner, what a greedy father she has to keep her all to himself, surely, it had to be true.

‘High Garden, Honeysuckle, and even Five Moons?’ Ellani thought, having understood from Jurot’s words that the half elf had fought their Grand Commanders, and had defeated each of them. Meaning that right now, Adam had earned his place among the strongest across the lands. If he had defeated such figures, wouldn’t that place him at the top? Alongside Sir Robin of the Order of the Wings, and King Merryweather, the King of Floria? 

‘He could defeat the Great Elders of the Iyr too, though they do not have to worry, those terrifying cultists,’ the old woman thought, glad that the Iyr had no greed for the lands beyond. Perhaps it was their focus was small and clear that the Iyr had remained as it had, matching the likes of the elves and longer lived nations. ‘If it is the Iyr, then…’

Adam, who had grown flush red with the alcohol, arguing with Dunes loudly about how he should steal Ranya, was a beast that could not be allowed to roam free. However, if the Iyr had taken the reins in keeping him leashed, there was little the old woman could do. Jurot eventually dragged the half elf away to one of the rooms they were allowed to stay at, while Bael requested to sit atop the highest point in a way that suggested he was not asking, but the old woman, understanding he was undoubtedly a dragon in disguise, allowed him to do so. 

‘How stubborn,’ Bael thought, sending wave after wave of lightning through his blade.

Dunes remained with the old woman for some time, drinking tea to sober himself up. “I apologise for Adam’s behaviour.”

“You are working hard to keep him alive,” the old woman said. 

Dunes smiled and let out a sigh, one that was light with humour, but heavy with worry. “Adam may be a rude fool, but there are few I would rather be friends with.”

The old woman nodded her head, but she needed to ask. “His children… are Iyrmen?”

“They are.”

“Not bavwa?”

“Not bavwa,” Dunes confirmed, his eyes staring deep within hers, for the old woman had put together that he had special children, though she might not have figured out Larot yet. 

“Why did the Iyr show such mercy?”

“Adam is close with Baktu, Lord Sozain, but his wife is a Ray, and he is not eager to kill,” Dunes admitted. 

“Is his daughter truly so brutal to his heart?”

Dunes replied with a wide smile, though it quickly disappeared. Dunes inhaled deeply. “I was there when he found them.”

“The… twins?”

“Yes.”

The woman remained silent as the young man thought back to the time, closing his eyes as he did, and he wore the shame upon his face. What could cause a Mo of Black Mountain to make such a face?

Poor Dunes.