Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

The fact that a Mo of Black Mountain had arrived to the business, that much could have been chalked up to coincidence, but this fool who was such a braggart, who tried to threaten them through this ridiculous farce?

As the pair left, Adam smirked playfully, while Dunes let out a soft sigh, unsure of how to proceed.

“Ahm, is there any trouble?” Dunes asked.

“Trouble? I am blessed, Mo, blessed.”

“Is the trouble only minor?”

“It is expected. I borrowed money to expand the business, for I was always so busy, but they sold the debt to another, and the new creditors are more eager to regain their debts…” The old man let out a troubled sigh, but what was he to do?

“Do they not know how popular this place is with the town, with our Order?” Dunes asked, narrowing his eyes slightly, feeling a tinge of annoyance stir within his heart.

“The Reavers are causing greater trouble, and the Order is so busy, too busy to deal with our humble business,” Ali said, brushing through Dunes’ hair without thought, his mind currently occupied upon whether he should ask for help. However, how long would they be able to help? Once they leave, the vengeance would be swift and heavy. “How can we say this little barbershop is more important than the Reavers?”

Dunes thinks, understanding the old man’s thoughts, and would Black Mountain send much support to this place? They might be able to, but if there was an emergency, a barbershop, no matter how much they enjoyed its work, was not as important as the great threat the Reavers posed.

“How do you want to handle this?” asked the troublesome one who had caused the pair to leave.

Dunes let out another sigh, the kind that relaxed the older man, glad the Priest was as wise as someone from Black Mountain.

“Do you need any help?”

“Adam, please…”

“Why are you acting like this is a troublesome matter?” Adam asked, raising his brow. “Ahm, how much did you borrow, and how much do they expect you to pay back?”

“I was to pay back ten each month, but this group asks for double, I must pay a beht each time, more than double the typical fee, and for each month I have not paid the entire sum, they add another fifty gold at the end of the year.”

“Is that legal?”

“It is not out of their rights,” Ali admitted.

“If it is within the bounds of the coinlaw, there is little we can do,” Dunes said, though they could use some of their influence to at least reduce some of the payments. That may be all he could request of the creditors without offending them and escalating the situation.

“All we need to do is speak with the creditor, or speak with the Saib, right?” Adam asked, as though it were truly that simple.

However, Dunes considered Adam’s words. He supposed if they met with the creditor they could just ask them to step back slightly. “Why do you wish to speak with the Saib?”

“Well, if the creditor doesn’t wish to speak with us, or disagrees with us, we can just speak with the Saib, can’t we?”

Dunes could hear it within the half elf’s voice, the gentle threat. He was uncertain of what the threat meant, but the Aswadian reached up to his forehead, rubbing it gently, causing Ali to stop with lining his hairline, continuing once the Priest had completed his sigh.

“How much of the debt do you have left to pay?” Adam asked.

“Shukhur, less than I borrowed,” Ali said, not wishing to say how much he had left, already saying far too much, and he could already feel the shame in revealing so much to a stranger.

‘What a shy guy,’ Adam thought, but he understood how awkward the conversation was for the old man. “Could you ask their leader to come meet us here?”

Ali remained silent.

“It would be best,” Dunes said, since the half elf seemed to understand the issue, and was seemingly behaving rather well. “We can deal with this quickly.”

Ali took the words to hear since Dunes was the one saying them. “I will call for them. Will you return later?”

“I can stay,” Adam said.

“No,” Dunes said quickly, reaching up to his forehead once more, finding his head pulsing greater as the half elf continued to threaten to cause trouble.

“Dunes, trust me.”

Dunes turned his head towards the half elf, who was sitting upright, his arms crossed. He wasn’t sure what Adam was up to, but if he was going so far as to ask him to trust him…

“Instead of this business, you said you are married now, Mo?” Ali said, beginning the long conversation as he cut Dunes’ hair, cutting it rather short, shorter than Adam had ever seen, even shaving the lower half of the back of the Priest’s head, then trimming the tip until it covered Dunes’ dark skin, but not much more, going down to the rest of his beard, which he kept thick, but lined it around his cheeks, his neck.

Dunes stood, glancing back to Adam, but he left the half elf be, heading out to have a quick bath, and to change into new clothing, as well as to allow one of the younger assistants apply the oils to his hair.

“Kal Uli, I hear ahm’s skill is amazing, why don’t you get your haircut and have a few hours to yourself?” Adam mused.

“I shall remain here.”

“I must insist,” the half elf said, this time his voice held less playfulness.

“…”

“I wish to be a friend to you and yours, isn’t that best?” Adam threatened as he continued to smile politely, letting off a rather grave aura, for the first time even going this far.

Once Dunes returned, he noticed Uli was already midway through his haircut, meanwhile Adam was just relaxing to one side, speaking with the workers about their families.

“Seriously, you’re old enough to marry and have children now,” Adam half joked, tutting at the young man. “After I became a father, my power has tripled! It’s called dad strength!”

Though it was the typical foolishness that he expected from the half elf, it felt different. As Dunes sat down beside the half elf, who continued to chuckle, he thought about what to say to Adam.

“Adam?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

Adam smiled wider, his eyes narrowing a touch. “I won’t go too far, I promise.”

“That is not what I asked.”

“You shouldn’t ask me right now.”

“…”

Adam continued to smile, reaching up to place a hand on Dunes’ shoulder. “At the very least, Lord Sozain won’t be embracing anyone, and I’ll try to use my words. I won’t draw my axe.”

‘Adam…’ Dunes was still uncertain about the young half elf and his strange behaviour. However, since Adam had spoken with such gravity, he could only trust the half elf, who continued to try and get himself killed.

“I didn’t realise having a haircut was such a big deal!” Adam laughed, leaning back within his seat, getting comfortable.

Once Uli was done, he made his way to rinse his face, and applied the oil and wax himself, while Ali cleaned up the area.

“Is this place usually busy?” Adam asked. Dunes’ silence said more than his words, and the half elf considered it. “Why don’t you and Kal Uli head on back to the inn and I’ll get my haircut done?”

“Adam…”

“I’ll be fine.”

Dunes’ chest was heavy. It was familiar feeling. The young Priest placed down the gold coins, one for himself, one for Uli.

“It’s too much payment.”

“It is not enough,” Dunes said, not talking about the haircut, and he turned back to look to Adam. “Ahm, may I offer some advice?”

“Yes?”

“Have faith in Mo Adam.” Dunes reached up to his forehead, rubbing it, immediately undermining his point. He caught Adam’s eyes, the half elf smiling innocently.

‘How can you say that when you look like that?’ Ali thought.

Dunes left with Uli, who understood the half elf was currently not in the mood to be spied upon. As they left, the half elf remained seated, speaking with the workers, and offering them to have their haircuts done.

“No, it’s fine, Mo,” the worker said.

“Ahm, don’t you think he should have a little trim?” Adam asked.

Ali understood it was not quite a request he could reject, so he called the man to get his hair lined, doing the same for the next few, the half elf placing down a silver coin for the few moments of work, until finally he stood, but only once he heard the sounds of gentle clanging that was so familiar to him.

He approached the stool, though Ali’s eyes were upon the heavily armoured figure who appeared, not just any figure either, but Big Butrus, among the strongest figures in the town.

“That’s the one,” a figure whispered towards him.

“Does someone have business with this humble Mo?” Adam asked, reaching up to his chin, smiling innocently as he eyed up the massive figure who towered over him.

PATREON LINK

Adam...