Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

[1139] – Y06.039 – Answers I

“She wants to see me?” Adam asked, tapping the table with a finger, while rubbing his chin lightly. ‘On today of all days?’ “I won’t be able to, though?”

“It would be difficult to refuse,” Jurot replied, his arms crossed, the Iyrman tapping his bicep in thought.

“I want to go see,” Lanarot said, her eyes beaming up towards her brother expectantly. The girl pouted before her brother could respond, but her eyes revealed her excitement. 

“Why don’t you stay here and I’ll go invite the Countess here?”

“It would be difficult to invite the Countess,” Jurot said.

“I have a title too, you know?”

“It is not the same.”

“She’s the one who wants to speak with me, isn’t she?” Adam replied, with the audacity that came from wanting to bully the Aldish. “She should put in the effort to come and see me then!”

Jurot fell silent, allowing his brother to act so audaciously, especially since it was that day today. He peeked down at his sister, who remained mesmerised by her elder brother, the girl giggling lightly. His eyes fell to the girl’s forehead, painted with the tattoos of her family, adorned in the thick attire of the Iyrmen.

‘Although, I guess it is a little awkward to bring the Countess here, since she’ll be surrounded by so many guards, and the kids might be a little sca-,’ Adam thought about how frightened his children may have been, only to recall the appearance of all the Iyrmen around. ‘I probably should go since otherwise the Countess will be scared.’

“I will come too,” Vonda said, approached the half elf, the woman adorned head to toe in her modesti, her silver amulet sparkling lightly under the dawnval sun. 

“If you come along, I’ll want to show off,” Adam replied.

“You will show off if I am there or not, but I will have to calm you before you go too far,” Vonda replied.

“It is a little scary how you know me so well.”

Vonda smiled innocently, before she and Jurot exchanged a look, both understanding how hard they’ll need to work to keep Adam alive when meeting the Countess. As they stepped out, Kamrot approached the group, exchanging a look with Jurot, who just nodded in return. The older Iyrman watched them go, before sending word along the grapevine until it reached Sonarot, who already knew for her son was not such a fool. Jurot, Adam, and Vonda were enough to protect Lanarot from the likes of a Countess. 

The guard stared down at the little girl, who stared up him expectantly. Those small eyes were full with the pride that was often found in noble children, except he could see something even deeper within the surface of those eyes, something only Iyrmen children possessed.

“The Countess requested a meeting only with the half elf,” a guard said, before tipping his helmet slightly towards the Ray. “I mean no offence, Mother.”

“Please send our apologies in advance,” Vonda replied calmly, smiling warmly towards the guard.

With no other response, the guard slipped away to inform the Countess, not wishing to offend a Ray.  

“I am not allowed?” Lanarot asked, pouting up towards her elder brother. 

“So what? You met an Emperor, a Queen, a Prince, and someone who is even greater than all of those.” Adam shrugged his shoulders far too casually. “Really, you should be meeting with a Duke or Duchess, since that’s about the level of a Prince, and then a Marquis, then a Count, and finally a Baron.”

“The Countess is wise,” Jurot said, before pausing for a long moment, frowning slightly, unsure of whether he had spoken a lie. “She will wish to see you, since you are the Young President.”

“I am Little Boss,” Lanarot corrected.

“You are the Little Boss because you are the Young President,” Jurot explained.

“Only if you want to be,” Adam said, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “If you want to live your own life, that’s fine too. If you want to stay in the Iyr and just do your own thing, that’s okay too! No one can tell you what to do.”

“The Iyr can,” Jurot corrected.

“What? How dare they? Don’t they know who her grandfather is?” Adam picked up his sister, who giggled and hugged the half elf’s head. “If the Iyr bullies you, you can just tell your grandfather, okay?”

“Okay!”

Jurot remained silent, allowing the guards to hear Adam joke about the Iyr, since spreading the word of his grandfather’s madness would only amplify his stories further. It would also remind the Countess of just who she was daring to deal with, and how close the Mad Dog was, just in case she had any dull ideas.

It wasn’t long until the pair were invited to meet with the Countess, who had settled herself within the Chief’s manor, within the centre of town, surrounded by half the army she brought. The other half was split between three different groups, each taking a different active shift within the village to assist in defending it, as well as other matters, for that is why they paid such taxes to the nearby town. 

The Countess wore her breastplate over chain, her trusty blade at her side, though she was flanked by Juge and Chloe, the First and Fifth Branch of the Oakguard. The Countess sat in the middle of the room, the table set before her with tea and snacks, as well as a single seat, while others were brought to them. 

“You may sit,” the Countess said, waving her hand as though conducting a symphony. 

Adam pulled back the seat, before tapping it with his fingers. “Ray Vonda.”

“You may sit, Adam.”

“If you think I won’t flirt with you in front of the Countess, you’d be wrong,” Adam whispered, almost threatening his wife. The woman relented to the half elf, sitting opposite the Countess. Adam thanked the guard for the second seat, placing it down to his wife’s side, while Jurot flanked the Ray upon the other, while Lanarot sat upon Adam’s lap. 

“Ray Vonda,” the Countess greeted, bowing her head lightly.

“Countess Redoak,” the Ray replied, bowing her head in return. 

“Mother’s blessings.”

“Mother’s blessings.”

“The Son’s blessings upon you, Adam.”

“You too,” Adam replied, wrapping an arm around his sister, as though protecting her from the world, the girl resting the back of her head against his chest, blinking at the Countess. 

“I have called you here to today to speak with you.”

“Yes, well, I hope so. If you were calling me for something else, well, I’m already married, Lady, so let’s keep this-,”

“Adam,” Vonda and Jurot both said, causing the half elf to stop. 

‘This will be difficult,’ the Countess thought, already cursing her terrible luck. “I wished to speak to you about the matter with the Grand Commander.”

“What would you like to know?”

“Did you truly kill the Grand Commander?” Countess Lottie’s eyes pierced deep into Adam’s, judging his eyes to see if he would lie. 

“It was a lawfully sanctioned duel under the eyes of Sozain, one that was to the death. The winner got to keep their life, and as you can see, I’m alive, and he’s dead.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. 

“How did it come to pass?”

“He wanted to kill me because he was angry. I was forced to defend myself for protecting my children.”

“Will you explain how you defeated him?”

“I’m a Priest of Death.”

“I would like to hear the tale in greater detail,” the Countess replied, slowly growing more annoyed by Adam’s vague answers. Who did he think he was? A noble like her?

“Jurot can tell you the tale.”

“I wish to hear it from you.”

“I don’t want to,” Adam replied, his voice clear, growing louder, causing the Oakguard to straighten slightly. “Especially not in front of my wife, Ray Vonda of Life’s Rose.”

The Countess glared at the half elf, her mind racing as she thought upon his words. It was already foolish enough of her to believe his words, but there was so much of the situation which made little to no sense. The Village Chief had informed the Countess of what she had seen, and it was one thing for the Chief of the Iyr to speak of Adam, no doubt emphasising his tale for his own plots, but it was another for the Village Chief, supposedly loyal to Aldland, to speak of such a farce.

Except, it was true enough the half elf had slain the Vice Commander and his apprentice. It was a stretch for him to be able to slay the Grand Commander though, wasn’t it?

“Would you be willing to spar with my Oakguard?” Countess Redoak asked, motioning a hand to the Oakguard beside her. “Sir Juge Cherrytree, First Branch of the Oakguard of Red Oak. It would be your honour.”

Adam furrowed his brows lightly, before a small smile crept upon his face. The smile turned into a light chuckle, before it grew into a laugh, the crescendo a cackle, which proved he was his daughter’s father. “Jurot! Jurot, did you hear that?”

“I did,” Jurot replied, though uncertain of what Adam meant exactly.

The Countess remained silent as the half elf continued to laugh, the young man slapping his knee, while his sister also began to laugh, unsure of why she was laughing, but she clapped her hands excitedly. 

‘Oh, Adam,’ Vonda thought.

Adam being able to troll the nobles is peak.