Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG
[1257] – Y06.157 – The Fallen Moon II

“Taygak, even though I’m so weak right now, one day I’ll be strong,” Adam said, far more seriously this time. “So don’t worry at all. Live the way you want. If anyone bullies you, you can call me.”

“Taygak fight,” Taygak replied.

“You! How could you bully me like this?” Adam reached over to grab her shoulders, shaking them lightly, before he pulled her in for a deep hug. “Who gave you permission to grow up, you punk!”

Jurot and Kitool exchanged looks, for Adam had made the joke again, but this time it didn’t seem like a joke. Adam had explicitly stated his intention to grow more powerful, not just the business, but personally.

“Should I beat up their New Moon?” Adam asked.

“No,” Taygak replied.

“Someone should go tell them that Taygak has decided to show them mercy today,” Adam grumbled, ready to pick a fight with the Order, having already forgotten what they had told him, though the fury continued to rise within him, the pent up annoyances finally bubbling to the surfaces.

“You sound like a villain,” Kitool accused.

“Sure! For my friends and family, I’m a hero. For someone who dares to take a shot at my family, I’m a villain. That’s how it should be!”

The others noted the look upon the half elf’s face, and realised he needed more time to figure out his thoughts, so left him be.

‘Damn it! If I keep hiding my strength like this, won’t they get hurt? What happens if they unite to force Taygak out like they did with Gangak? Shouldn’t I just beat the fear into them? They already have generational trauma from whatever happened last time, but how dare you take a shot at my family! I should just run a gauntlet through them all and teach them a lesson, all these damned Orders! Aldland, Floria, Aswadasad, you’re all the same!’

Dunes was pretty sure the half elf was thinking of something ridiculously dangerous, but he decided to let Adam vent within his mind, for they could speak within he carriage in peace.

‘Damn it! If only I wasn’t only a Master! If I had some more Health, I’d be able to rampage more freely, but I can still get one shot by a lucky hit!’ Adam huffed, crossing his arms tighter, and though the half elf was behaving cringe, they allowed him the moment to get rid of his frustrations, since beating the sense out of a Paragon had only sparked a greater rage, denoting whose grandson he was.

While Adam fumed to the side, Jurot sat with Naqokan, for there was definitely a way to salvage this situation. “Would your family be willing to return the sword?”

“Hmm…” Naqokan replied, but the tone implied the true answer. It was difficult for her to state if they would, but at the same time, she had no authority, though she understood the answer was more than likely a no.

Jurot tapped his bicep as he thought, before finally he stood, approaching his brother. He sat beside his brother, who finally glanced aside to meet his eyes. “The business should gift the Order a Greater Enhanced sword, of a similar design to their moonsabres, and it should be among the likes of Thunder’s Triumph or Phantom.”

“I’m sure if you asked the Enchanter, they would do it,” Adam replied simply, suddenly cooling down, noting how how brother was thinking so deeply. ‘Did I really mess up that bad?’

“Okay.”

Kitool had informed them of the deal, but if Jurot was going that far, then she supposed he was trying to do much more. It made sense, since Arisa was but a day away, and it was the closest Aswadian capital city to the business. “It is a good idea to turn this meeting into a meeting worthy of friendship.”

“Seriously!” Adam replied, annoyed, but he let out a sigh. ‘This is just like Honeysuckle…’

“It is your choice, if you wish to form a negative relationship with the Order because they acted arrogantly, or if you wish to form a positive relationship to allow your children to travel peacefully within this land.”

“I don’t think my children will be able to travel peacefully in this land no matter what I do, not unless I become a monster that threatens it all, but if you’re going that far, then you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Will you apologise to the Full Moon?”

“Are you asking me to?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will.” Adam sighed, getting annoyed by all the Orders picking a fight with him, and yet he was the one to apologise? ‘I should just pick a couple of Orders and get them to fight the others, then swallow them whole when I can.’

“Adam,” Dunes called with a groan. “I would like my daughters to travel peacefully in this land too.”

“Now you are all just bullying me!” Adam complained, feeling the words strike true within his heart. ‘Damn it!’

Adam ignored all the stares he received from the various women around, glad Jurot and Kitool were escorting him, and Dunes had come along too, just in case the name of Black Mountain needed to be used. ‘You guys should trust me more than this…’

Once Adam was done lying to himself, he settled himself upon the chair, opposite the heavily armoured and beautiful Full Moon, who stared at the half elf quizzically, still trying to understand just how she had managed to lose. He could see it in her eyes, the arrogance that he should have beaten harder out of her, but he had shown too much mercy to her by beating her quickly, engraving it within the rest of the Order’s heart, but not hers.

“I wanted to apologise for my behaviour,” Adam said, sipping the tea, though he did not taste it, his entire body tense, his face pulled taught as he batted away the annoyance.

“Do you understand what you did?”

“I went too far, since I don’t like it when someone attacks my family, but I had no idea of your history, in which those who look like me had caused you a deep wound, one I’m certain they haven’t apologised for, but wish for time to wash away,” Adam said.

The Full Moon’s brows furrowed, hearing the strangely accurate context, and seemingly the half elf still didn’t know how deep the grudge went. “I see.”

“I see?” Adam replied, inhaling deeply, but as he glanced aside towards Jurot, the half elf frowned. “I see that you see, then, I guess.”

“Is there something else you expect from me?”

“Aren’t you going to apologise?”

“What need of I to apologise to you?” The Full Moon glared at the half elf.

“You heard that, right?” Adam said.

“I did,” Jurot replied, reaching out to pack Adam’s back.

“So, we’re not offering it, yeah?”

“Okay.”

“Alright, good. We’ll keep the original deal that was offered, but that’s it. We’re not offering an empowered version of the sword to them, since they don’t want it.”

“Okay,” Jurot said.

Mother Crescent closed her eyes, burying the ache within, the woman hoping they would be able to form a greater relationship, but then again, the Full Moon’s pride had been heavily wounded. She opened her eyes to see Kitool staring at her expectantly.

“Will you allow me to apologise in her stead?” Mother Crescent asked.

“Why do you need to apologise? It’s not like you did anything wrong.”

“I am Mother Crescent of Five Moons. Though I am not as strong as the Full Moon, it is my role to guide the Order, and if it has taken the wrong path, it is a mistake that should be attributed to me. I apologise, young man, for allowing one of ours to strike so deeply against yourself, your business, and your family.” The woman stood up, and as she did, Jurot slapped the half elf’s shoulder, causing him to yelp.

“Mother Crescent, we accept your apology,” Jurot said, for if he didn’t stop it now, who knows what would happened.

“Mother Crescent,” Adam said, quickly standing, reaching out his hands, though pulling them away quickly. “I see that it’s my fault, since with a Mother as wise as you, surely your Order is blameless in this matter.”

‘You did not have to go that far,’ Kitool thought, though the half elf bowed respectfully towards the woman.

“So please, please, aha, you don’t have to…” Adam smiled awkwardly, his heart thundering in his chest, because Jurot’s hands definitely acted fasted to inform the half elf to stop this, while his words had kept the Mother from continuing whatever she was about to do, and though Adam was a fool, he was certain something bad was about to happen. Plus, the woman reminded him of his wife, who probably would need to do the same when he caused too much trouble, and so he hoped that one day the world would return the favour of showing such grace.

The Mother smiled innocently, glad that the Iyrmen had the sense to stop before it escalated too far. “I am glad to hear that you are willing to forgive us.”

The Full Moon’s annoyance rose, but she bit her tongue, for it was untoward to allow outsiders to see them fight.

The silence encompassed them all for a moment, until Jurot gently rubbed the half elf’s elbow with his own.

“What? Why?” Adam whispered.

“Adam,” Jurot stated firmly.

“Ah, right, uh…” Adam flushed, disliking the fact he still needed to give it up. “We, uh, had the idea to…”

Kitool could see the half elf was trying to form his words in order to politic.

“Look, I’m a little tired, so I’m just going to be straight with you, and I get how funny that sounds because I’m a half fae, but seriously, we don’t want any trouble with your Order. As an apology, because let’s face it, an apology that stops at words is pretty meaningless, we are here to offer you a Greater Enhanced sword that is perhaps among the best the business will have traded, and that’s saying something. As a proper apology…” Adam paused, trying to figure out what he could offer. “Let’s say that it’ll be a really, really nice Greater Enhanced sword, and in exchange, I hope that you are willing to take our sincerity to heart.”

The New Moon had remained silent, but she eyed up the half elf, who, with some reluctance, offered them a Greater Enhanced blade, one that would have been greater than even the Greater Enhance sword they had offered previously, apparently.

“You may misunderstand, so allow me to speak clearly,” Kitool said. “The original weapon we offered has offered shall be even greater, and we are now offering two, the latter as an apology, the empowered blade as our sincerity and wish for a brighter future.”

‘Two?’ Adam thought, annoyed, since he was the one to enchant them. ‘I guess I can make multiple, so it’s fine, but still…’

“The weapons shall strike as harshly as greatswords, and thrice per day, they will sing with the might of a smite upon each strike,” Jurot said.

“Each for a minute,” Kitool assured, adding to Jurot’s words. “They will also remain as slimmer blades and sabres, and will also glow, but they will not rise in powerful within the hands of either the Full Moon or New Moon.”

‘Guys! What the hell?’ Adam’s heart ached. ‘Why do I have to gift up weapons that are even better than Seventh Sky? It’s not fair!’

“However, you should understand,” Kitool continued. “It was Taygak who offers you this mercy, for she had requested Adam show you mercy today.”

‘Why would you-,’

“You should know, it was Adam who took the head of Sir Yamas of High Garden.”

Jurot swallowed, the young man biting his tongue, for it was untoward to allow outsiders to see them question one another.

The three Moons each turned their eyes towards the half elf, who flushed lightly, obviously bashful.

“That’s right,” Adam said, his cheeks crimson. “My cousin, Taygak, let you guys go today, you know?”

“…”

“What?” Adam asked, noting their looks. “It’s true!”

“You killed Sir Yamas?”

“Who?” Adam asked, his eyes darting to Dunes, who remained completely frozen, wondering if things would go this poorly with his own Priest Commander.

“Sir James Greatwood.”

“Oh! Yeah, I did kill him,” Adam stated, his annoyance rising once more, his heart aching for he hadn’t killed the man as gruesomely as he wished, not yet realising that Kitool had revealed the secret. “At least you know how to apologise! He came and demanded my head after his people killed my kids! How dare he, that bastard! I should have at least toyed with his life!”

Mother Crescent remained completely focused on the half elf, finding it more difficult to breathe, until her eyes met Kitool’s, the young Iyrman smiling innocently, glad she had managed to get revenge on the Mother from trying to put them in an awkward position by reversing the roles, since the Mother had not yet understood the madness that was the fool of a father.

So it begins.