Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

“The villages required assistance,” Uli stated, holding out his sheathed blade in both hands like a staff in front of him, squatting down before the Mustashalur. The woman glared down at him, a wild grin upon her face, as though to dare him to plant his blade into the earth to assist.

“Since you have returned alive, this little nephew of mine, I shall show you some mercy,” Ellani, the Mother of Lions, said, beckoning him to relax with her fingers.

Uli stood, letting out the lightest of huffs, hoping she wouldn’t pick that apart. His legs burned furiously, for the woman had first made herself a cup of tea, but was glad he had begun training earnestly during his return, for otherwise he would have stumbled.

“You may begin your report,” the woman said, pouring the Black Lion a drink while listening to his words. She listened to every word, allowing him to speak his mind first, reporting every last thing he felt he needed to speak of, for he was afforded that opportunity. It was out of respect for his duty, her faith within him, that she did not speak up to the ridiculous words which spilled from his mouth, spewing out a waterfall of Chaos.

Kal Uli sipped his tea, long cooled, staring up at the woman, who was deep in thought. She had remained silent ever since asking him to give his report, and had remained silent for an age after. Uli had already prepared his argument for as to why he was sane, but would wait for the woman to prompt him.

“What are your recommendations?” Ellani asked, for she knew Kal Uli spoke the truth. If they had meddled with his mind, they would have stated something else, and considering what she knew of the half elf, who could draw his blade against even their Fariq, all the words Uli spoke could only be true.

“The Amira seems to favour him, so we should also favour him,” Uli replied, for that was enough reason alone.

“I have granted you full authority over this matter, Kal,” Ellani stated. “What is your recommendation after journeying with them across Aldland.”

“He is a figure who could clash with you, and I am uncertain if you could defeat him,” Uli said, though after a moment to gather his thoughts, he reached up to his brow, brushing it lightly. “The Mo is not a threat to Aswadasad at this time, and his companions, though they are geniuses among geniuses, monsters among monsters, I believe they are like those born of the Iyr, those with no machinations within our fair land.”

The Mustashalur thought of the Kal’s words, and then returned her attention to the letter the Amira had written to her. Since both the Black Lion and the Amira had both came to the same conclusion, there was little else they could do.

Meanwhile, many hundreds of miles away, where the mountains dared to reach the heavens, a figure yawned.

“Next year we’ll go do something fun,” Adam promised.

Bael peeked open an eye towards the half elf, his lips forming a gentle smile, returning back to his nap. He would need more time to sleep to recover not just from this year’s events, but from being awake for too long over the last few years.

“We could step towards the east, and come to blows with the Reavers,” Jurot suggested, all the while Lanarot cuddled up to his chest, the girl’s ears perking up, the girl shifting her head to glance towards the other brother, a hopeful gaze within her eyes.

“Ah, right, well…” Adam remained uncertain, since his wife hadn’t asked him to step forward, but there was also so much to do the next year. To face the Reavers, it was something which required greater preparations, more time, but at the same time…

Amalrot squirmed against his chest, the girl glancing up, sucking on her dummy as she met Adam’s eyes, the girl pausing a moment to smile, returning back to cuddling against her brother’s chest, not realising just how heavy she was.

Ah, what was he thinking?

She was not heavy at all.

‘I need a new weapon,’ the half elf thought. Gentle Sky was a fine enough axe, that was for certain, however, to face against the greatest across the lands, to give him a greater chance of success, the half elf would need something more than just a Basic Enhanced axe. A Greater Enhanced weapon, that was the minimum to step onto the stage.

Jirot held her mother’s gaze, her amber eyes expectant, but as her mother nodded, she smiled. “Daddy! I can make a weapon for you!”

“You can?”

“Papa Karot, will you help?” Jirot asked. “You are the best at drawing…”

Karot sat up taller, the boy’s tail swaying behind him as he smiled shyly. “I can help.”

Adam’s heart throbbed, for his son was so adorable, so charming, so cute.

“Daddy uses axes so you must draw an axe,” Jirot informed, knowing her brother was better at drawing swords, since he drew at least a few every day.

“Okay…” Karot hadn’t drawn many axes, but he had sometimes sketched the various axes of the Rot family. However, was he any good at making his own?

“Shall we design one tonight?” the half elf asked, beaming so proudly towards his children, who were both so well behaved, and who adored one another, easing his heart once more.

“Yes!”

“It is late in the evening, and you have worked hard all day, so you may draw tomorrow,” Vonda said, for her children may have been excited this evening, but exhaustion would flood them swiftly as the stars would twinkle above.

“I also have a lot of work to do so I’ll need to start working tomorrow,” the half elf admitted, calculating the various days for the rest of the twelfth month.

“Daddy…”

“I know, I know, but Jirot, next year, you’ll definitely forgive me!” Adam said, noting how genuinely sad his daughter appeared, the half elf scooping her within his strong arms, kissing her head.

“Why?”

“It’s a secret for now, but for once, your father, he wasn’t cringe!”

“I’m not going to tell you my secret then…” Jirot replied.

“You have a secret too?” Adam asked, raising a brow. “What secret?”

“It is a secret,” Jirot replied simply, for if her father would not speak his secret to her, she would not speak her secret to him.

“Dear…”

Jirot turned her head away, huffing, for how dare her father try to ask for her secret when he would not speak his own? ‘Daddy, you think you can bully me because you are so handsome? You cannot! You cannot!’

Adam held onto each of his children one by one, saying his greetings as they prepared for the evening, until eventually he stepped out with Lanarot, holding her hand, allowing her to take him for an evening walk to stretch his legs. He listened to her tale of this and that, and that and this.

‘Lanarot…’ Adam thought about what else he could do for the girl, but there was so little, outside of beating people up. ‘I guess next year I’ll make it up to you, my dear Lanababy.’

“Brother, when I raise my hand, I can clasp so many stars in my hand,” Lanarot said, holding up her hand towards the sky, then clasping it to show her brother how she could swallow the stars.

“Oh my, oh my, aren’t you so amazing?” Adam mused, picking the girl up, holding her against his chest as he carried her back to the estate. The girl cuddled up against his neck, smelling her brother’s scent, the scent of gentle sweat and uthur, and the scent of the Iyr she had grown up in.

With Amalrot asleep, and the younger children making their way to bed, the half elf glanced aside towards his wife, who smiled, drawing him away, allowing him to spoil her that evening, pouring her husband a cup of tea as they settled within the corner of the shared estate, her head upon his shoulder.

“There’s a lot of work to do…”

“There is always much work to do, but the future is long, longer than even the past,” Vonda said, holding onto his hand, brushing a finger with her thumb.

“I was a little excited to promise the Amira a lot, so now there’s a lot of work to do.”

“How did the Amira excite you?” Vonda asked, leaning up to her husband’s face, nuzzling his cheek gently.

“She didn’t excite me, she just gave me a gift I couldn’t refuse, and now I owe her a lot,” Adam replied, leaning in to stab his wife’s cheek with his nose, for daring to say such a thing.

“What was it?”

“I’d like to keep it a secret, although it’s more so a secret for our children,” Adam replied, though with her breath against his neck, he flushed. “If you really want to know, I’ll tell you.”

“I want to be surprised too, but if I judge it as too little, I will have to discipline you.”

“If you flirt so overtly…” The half elf’s cheeks flushed further, as the woman clasped her fingers between his.

“I intend to enchant a few shields, and donate some to Life’s Rose.”

Adam squeezed her hand gently, rubbing his cheek against hers. “Of course, darling.”

“We must also donate some to the nearby village for their assistance,” Vonda informed.

“Their assistance for what?”

“To allow the Iyr to work.”

Adam raised a brow, glancing aside to his wife, but her eyes informed him she also didn’t know, so he decided to not push for more. ‘To allow the Iyr to work?’