Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG
[1195] – Y06.095 – Trouble in Our Hearts V

“I caught you!” Jirot declared, grabbing onto Lucy’s leg, the woman having fallen, accidentally most certainly, and coincidentally within arm’s reach of the girl. 

“You caught me!” Lucy gasped, feigning such a deep surprise and awe. “You are too amazing, Jirot!”

“Yes! How can I be so amazing?” Jirot asked, the little girl running a hand through her curly hair, throwing her head up, exhausted by just how amazing she was. 

“Kako…” Jarot panted, for though Jirot had caught Lucy first, it was not because she was quicker than her brother, but rather because Mara wanted to draw out more of his potential. 

“You did well,” Mara assured, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Ah! It seems you’ve caught me, since I couldn’t resist your cuteness?”

Jarot flushed lightly, the boy holding onto his finger shyly. He allowed Mara to hug him, and as they cuddled, he couldn’t help but think of how warm it was within her embrace.

‘You’re a little quicker than your sister already, even though you’re still not eating well.’ Mara hoped the boy wasn’t hiding his exhaustion in order to play. ‘I will need to watch over his eating habits.’

Konarot eyed up the demons as they played with her twin siblings, her tail swaying from side to side. Her greatfather caught her attention by ruffling her hair, the girl groaning as she tried to fix her hair, causing the old man to laugh. 

“Sorry, sorry, my Kona!” Jarot continued to laugh heartily, while little Kirot stirred against his chest, the girl’s sleepy eyes glancing up towards the old man. Even little Karot began to stir against the old man’s side from how hard the old man laughed. “Ah! Sorry, my Kirot, my Karot, did I wake you? Go back to sleep, my greatchildren. Konarot, you must sleep too, or you will grow tired under this noonval heat.”

“Watching,” the girl replied, but she was quickly overtaken by a yawn. 

Little Jirot stretched out her arms as she yawned, before getting up to begin a small stretching routine her greatuncle taught her, trying to wake herself so she could continue playing. Little Jarot followed the routine too, and once the pair were done, they sipped upon the water the demons brought them. 

“Kako?” Jirot called.

“Yes?” Lucy replied.

“Babo is very strong!” the girl declared.

“He is!” Lucy confirmed. “A-and I’m strong too!”

“No!” Jirot huffed. “Babo is very strong!”

“So am I, aren’t I?”

“Kako, you do not understand.” Jirot wiped her face. “Babo is so strong… but how come he always loses?”

“Oh…” Lucy flushed lightly, the woman reaching up to her mouth to hide her smile. “Your greatfather is strong because he always loses.”

“Huh?” the girl replied with an almost exaggerated tone, tilting her head towards her aunt. 

“Your greatfather is strong because he lost so many times. There might be few who have lost as much as your greatfather, but he never stayed down. Every time he was knocked down, he stood back up and continued to fight.”

“Babo is strong because he loses and then he stands up?” Jirot furrowed her brows.

“It is called tenacity,” Mara informed the girl. “Though your greatfather lost again and again, he stood up and grew stronger, and because he never gave up, he grew to become strong enough to defeat those who beat him. Your greatfather fought almost daily for years, and grew to become a Master by a young age, just like kako Jaygak.”

“Kako Jaygak is so strong…” Jirot agreed, rubbing her chin in thought. “So if I lose, I have to keep trying, and then I will grow stronger?”

“Yes.”

“Me too?” Little Jarot’s eyes beamed at the woman.

“Yes, you too, Jarot.” Mara rubbed his leaf shaped ear gently. 

“I am never going to give up!” Jirot declared. “I am going to become the strongest Demon Lord in the whole world!”

“Ehehehe.” Lucy smiled awkwardly. “Perhaps you can be the second strongest, after me?”

“How can you be the Demon Lord when you are my Demon General?” Jirot asked, wagging her finger as she informed Lucy of her place once more.

Mara wondered how much cheek she should allow towards her liege, but since it was Jirot, she decided to let her off, for now. Although, could she ever dare to speak up against her, when her father was so insane, and she owed him so much?

‘Politics.’

Meanwhile, at the Order, the fool of a father was currently causing trouble, though that wasn’t new.

“I forgot we’re meant to be acting in the business’ capacity,” Adam admitted, rubbing the side of his neck. “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble for you, Sir Paige. As an Executive, I should have remembered my role within the business, and the directives I was meant to follow, especially due to the relationship the business wishes to have with you. Although I am a bit of a troublemaker, rest assured, the silver token I handed you is very real, and if it pleases you, we can discuss the specifications of the weapon.”

Jurot glanced aside towards his brother, who was finally acting the part of an Executive. If the half elf had finally calmed down, this would move smoothly enough. 

Sir Paige wasn’t sure what this tactic was, to act so hot and so cold, constantly shifting the conversation one way or another. In order not to lose herself, she focused completely upon the matter at hand. “Which enchantments could one provide for this blade?”

“Typically, we specialise in more damage, with most elements. Fire, cold, radiant, so on.” Adam wasn’t sure just how much he could offer. It would need to be enough so that they didn’t feel ripped off, but not too much that they felt like they were getting a steal of a deal due to how subservient the business was acting towards them. “If you are willing to hear my recommendation, I did have something in mind, since I am somewhat aware of the Enchanters capabilities.”

“This Enchanter…” Upon seeing their eyes, Sir Paige dropped her curiosity. “I would be willing to hear your recommendation.”

“A longsword, one that strikes as hard as a greatsword...” Adam wasn’t sure which way he should go forward, so took a moment to think. 

‘That would be a decent weapon,’ Sr Bella thought. ‘If it strikes as hard as a greatsword, but I can still wield a shield, that would be great.’

“Also… it will hold three charges, which will be regained at first light, and each charge can be expended…” Adam thought about it, and if he made a blade like that, he could make several at once he could pass on. However, should he make such blades for just her, or all the Orders? No, he certainly should make it for all three Orders, and the fourth can be sent to the Iyr. “One charge can be expended during a strike, and it will strike as harshly as a typical smite.” 

Sir Paige reached up to hide her lips, trying to hide the shock of the blade on offer. It wasn’t the greatest blade in the world, but it was more than great for her, especially since she was an Oathsworn. Essentially, it was a Greater greatsword which could be used in one hand with three free smites daily, but that was more than enough for the typical Oathsworn, even for the likes of her. Such a blade might be surpassed by some of the more prestigious blades across the land, but it was without a doubt a wonderful gift, one she hadn’t expected from the half elf or his business. In fact, if they had offered the blade without the three charges, it would have made a fine gift by itself.

So the question she needed to ask herself was why they picked a fight, only to hand them thousands of gold immediately after?

“I hope that is acceptable,” Adam said, growing slightly nervous, though Jurot placed a hand on the table once more, gently tapping it with his finger tips to reveal it was fine. 

“I am… surprised at such a wonderful gift.”

“I hope you understand just how much we are wishing to form great relations with your Order, as well as all those within Floria, a kingdom formed to fight against tyranny. Though we started off on the wrong foot, and surely I have caused you trouble with Aldland, I want you to know that I still hold Floria well in my heart, and that last year was just… a misfortune that should never have happened.”

The woman wasn’t sure how to take Adam, who had gone from glaring at her, to holding such a deep sadness within his eyes. “I wish to ask… the children who were…”

“My little Jarot and my little Larot?”

“I wished to know their names,” the woman stated, though that wasn’t all she wanted to know, for she had heard the children were… special. 

“Jarot was named after my grandfather, the Mad Dog, while Larot was named after…” Adam turned to Jurot. 

“My greatuncle slew the dragon known as Black Hyena,” Jurot said. “He was the one who inspired my grandfather.”

“I thought there was a Priest of Mahtu?” Adam whispered.

“Hmm,” Jurot replied, recalling the conversation. “Yes, he was named after an ancestor who became a Priest of Mahtu.”

“Didn’t he have something to do with Life’s Rose?”

“Yes…” Jurot tried to recall, but he shook his head, unable to remember exactly.

“Well, anyway, since my wife is a Ray, I had to name him properly,” Adam said. 

‘What did he just say?’ Sir Paige thought.

“Ah,” Jurot gasped, realising who they were talking about. “He did not use an axe.”

I miss our adorable kids. 

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