Beyond Average Prequel [DiceRPG]

Giants seemed to be so normal. They were large and lumbering, sure, but otherwise they were just like him and the others. They woke up at dawn, went about their business, and would meet their friends and family throughout the day to eat together. The giants only worked for a few hours, and many of them took guard duties in short shifts. Each shift was only six hours, and that was the most any of them seemed to work. All but the Runeguard, who seemed to have endless stamina.

Many of the giants were engraved with simple runes, none which Adam could decipher, and some had tattoos, usually a mixture of both was common.

Then there were the Runesmiths. They wore thick clothing that covered them from the neck down, and a cloak over their shoulders. They were also heavily tattooed all across their bodies, with runes engraved within the few bits of armour they wore, as well as the various weapons they held at their side. Rings adorned their fingers as well, which wasn't different to most other frost giants, but Runesmiths had one for each finger, and sometimes more. The rings were made from all manner of iron, and some were even ice, though Adam was sure it wasn't just ice but something more mystical.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Entalia asked as the sun began to set. It was hard to see the sun through the heavy clouds, but one could feel it.

"In a certain manner, I suppose." Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just observing the frost giants."

"Have you found out anything interesting about them?" Entalia scanned across the giants.

"The men wear rings on their right hands, women on their left. Most wear few clothings, and those that wear thicker clothing or armour seem to be well off, or at the very least they hold some status." Adam's eyes scanned the frost giants with her. "Children roam freely, doing as they please. I've seen a few climb onto roofs to nap. Everyone carries a weapon, most also have a shield. Some children have tattoos."

"Is all that so interesting?"

"Yes," Adam replied back firmly. "What do the engravings mean? Why are some people tattooed? Why do some people have both? Why does everyone carry a weapon? What does it mean to have a nap? Why does everyone work so little?" Adam shrugged his shoulders. "People live so differently than I expect. They seem like Iyrmen, but they are also different."

"Are people all the same from where you hail?"

Adam shook his head. "No. At the basic level we were, but there were disagreements on how to implement our values. Every country worked differently, I'm sure it's the same here." Adam reached down and scooped up some snow, feeling the coolness flow through his fingers.

"I was from a country which had arguably the most impact on the world. There were countries which dwarfed mine by many times over, dozens of them. We were but one of nearly two hundred countries. Yet there was a time we had a quarter of the entire world in our empire, both by land and by population. We were masters of the sea, with the greatest navy, and we used it to conquer and colonise. We made a few mistakes here and there and then our empire crumbled. Slowly at first, and then all at once. By the time I was born, the glory days were over, and yet so many people dreamt of brighter days long gone." Adam smiled, but there was no joy in it.

"We thought ourselves the greatest, we were exceptional because of our history. Yet, there were so many other countries which were richer. So many countries which were happier. So many countries which looked after their citizens better. We refused to accept any wrong doings, past or present. They would laugh at us constantly with how spoilt we behaved, not that I could blame them. Sometimes I was ashamed of my country, other times I was filled with pride."

"It sounds like you loved your country after all."

"I do. No matter how far we've fallen, there were countries worse off than ours. We were still one of the richest nations. I'd say more, but I think political talk is not a very lively topic, not in the right way anyhow."

"I do not know of your world's politics, so I cannot say."

"Well," Adam said. "Perhaps one day I'll tell you more. I'm sure I'm wrong in many of the things I think I know, but it may as well be fact to me." He shrugged his shoulders again.

"Are you the man you are because of your country?"

"I'm sure I am. My parents too, they were a large factor in what I have become. My siblings, the rest of my family, my teachers."

"Teachers? Did you go to an academy?"

"No, nothing like that. We go to school from very young. Then we go on to university, which is something like an academy I guess, though not everyone goes there. We weren't the cheapest, but we weren't the most expensive. We weren't the best, but we weren't the worst."

"Wasn't your country one of the richest?"

"Yes."

Entalia seemed to taste his words for some time, ruminating on them. She judged his face, her eyes flashing across his face.

"We chose not to be the best," Adam said. He frowned at his words, but he felt them to be true. Everything had suggested it.

"Why?"

"Money."

"Money?"

"It's the tale of every civilization, isn't it? The rich make sure to keep the other poor and stupid so they can continue to steal from them."

"That is a common language our worlds share, it seems."

Adam smiled. "I think it will be a common language everyone shares. Speaking of a common language everyone shares, my country was very good at exporting it's language too." Adam smiled.

"Will you tell me more?" Entalia asked.

"I think I might," Adam replied with a smirk, "once you also tell me about yourself."

"Perhaps another time then?"

"That's not fair. I've told you so much."

"You volunteered the information."

"I spoke as though I was speaking to a friend."

"Aren't I more than a friend? Yet you'll speak about marrying others right in front of me…" Entalia frowned.

Adam tried to not become unnerved by her frown or her soft words. "I don't remember putting a ring on your finger."

"A ring on my finger?" The dragon looked down to her fingers and then up at him questioningly.

"It’s a figure of speech from my world. There is a religious tradition where two people who want to marry place a ring on their ring finger to symbolise wanting to be together forever.”

“Forever? Even in the life beyond?”

“Well, the life beyond doesn’t really…” Adam paused for a second. How could he say that the life beyond didn’t exist? “Uh, I guess? Though many marriages end up in divorce.”

“A split? Even though they had made a promise to one another?”

“Yes.”

“That is terrible news. Would you divorce me?”

“I’m not marrying you so there’s no point discussing it.”

“Do you hate me so much?” Entalia frowned. “I have been nothing but cordial, haven’t I?”

Adam raised his brow, smiling in the way she did. “It’s just impossible for…” Adam realised two things as he spoke. The first thing was that it was incredibly rude to be so blunt to Entalia, who has helped him so much, risking her life to help him. Secondly, it wasn’t impossible. It was impossible for him to be reincarnated into a new world, riding on the back of a dragon.

“Sorry,” Adam said. “I didn’t mean to be so rude. I just mean that I haven’t agreed to marrying you. If I do marry anyone, I would not divorce them, unless they did something awful.”

“So you’re not saying no to me?” Entalia said.

“I am saying no, right now, yes.”

“Yes or no?”

“No.”

“So you are okay with it?”

Adam looked at her and blinked a couple of times. “I think I’m too hungry for this conversation.”

“Hungry for what?”

Adam turned, leaving her alone in the snow. She followed after him quickly, and Adam could feel her smiling in that way she enjoyed. He sighed, shaking his head as he returned to his temporary home. He noted that the blue flames were lit, meaning that they would be eating soon. Most giants ate something cold, as the cold didn’t seem to bother them at all. It was as though he was in the scorching heat of India and eating a spicy curry. He thought it was crazy, but there was a respect to it that he had to give the giants.

Adam waved to one of the Runeguards who was standing on watch, and then he stepped inside to the building. There he saw a tiny form walking around, being led by Redboulder, who held out a meaty finger for each hand. The tiny merman princess, with her grey-blue skin, was wearing a simple piece of cloth which wrapped all around her. She stomped around, babbling quietly whenever she stopped. She was a little pudgy, as a child should be, and had little gills across her neck, curly dark blue hair that went down to her neck.

“It’s good to see her walking about,” Adam said, surprised to see her moving. He hadn’t seen her do anything so strenuous, so to see that she was healing up so quickly was a wonderful sight.

“Aye,” Redboulder said. “Tha Su’dai have potions ta help with recuv’reh.”

“Potions as well?” Adam asked. “What can’t they do?”

“Aye, they’re hardy folk in tha north, but they need their smarts as well.”

“Are there… dwarves in the north?”

“Aye, ice dwarves,” Redboulder said, nodding his head. As he nodded his head, his beard shuddered, and the merman princess let go of the meaty finger and then reached out to grab his beard. “Aye, aye,” he said, picking the girl up to let her tug his beard.

“Where are the others?” Adam asked, noting how empty the place was. Usually someone else would be with the pair, though it did seem like they trusted the frost giants enough to be alone with the child. Adam wondered if Redboulder ever got bored, but he thought it would be rude to ask. Instead, Adam grabbed onto his pack to check his items.

‘Oh damn it,’ he thought. He had forgotten his Tinkering Tools. Again he’d need to remind himself in the future. Tinkering Tools could be very useful, though he was in the middle of a city surrounded by snow and mountains. Perhaps the giants had some item around he could use? It would take a little while to tinker something together though, and he had far more important things to attend to.

“What’s that?” Entalia asked.

“Just some tools,” he said, quickly putting them away.

“They don’t seem like tools for enchanting or smithing…” She smirked.

“They’re just…” Adam narrowed his eyes at her. “Nothing important.”

“You’re a man of even more talents. I can’t wait to find out all your other secrets too.”

“You’re quite the stalker,” Adam replied, shaking his head. “I’ll have to keep an eye on you.”

“That’s fine too.”

Adam sighed and then decided he needed to be in an open area with more witnesses. He stepped out from Redboulder, and then walked towards the centre of the town, where a large pot was stewing. Not just a large pot, but many. Since they were under the Edict of Hospitality, they always had a seat near the flames and were served with the first wave, before most of the other giants.

He sat down next to Elowen. “Good evening,” he said. He was surprised to see how she was unarmoured, though she kept her blade at her side.

“Good evening,” she replied. “You were busy all day?”

“I was,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “I was off in my own thoughts and watching the giants.”

“Did you find anything interesting?”

“Many things, but they’re only interesting to me, apparently.” Adam shrugged his shoulders, smiling slightly. “What about your group?”

“We are taking out time, looking after the Princess for the moment. We want to make sure that she is safe, and she needs some more rest. We may eventually return with the frost bridge.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Adam said. “Much smarter than what I do.”

“What do you do?”

“I decide to fight a horde of mud giants.”

“Yes, well…” Elowen's voice trailed off. “That is something that you do.”

“Charming, aren’t I?” Adam chuckled.

“More than charming,” Entalia said, the faux-elf taking her seat beside him. “It smells like they’ve made mammon.”

“Mammon?”

“It’s a large creature,” she said, licking her lips. “Very delicious.” She stared at the pot with delight, eagerly awaiting her prize.

They were given a show of various frost giants sparring with one another. They weren’t anyone Adam knew personally. Some of them were guards, some of them were civilians. They were each extraordinarily powerful. There were fifty thousand frost giants, each more powerful than your average Iyrman.

He looked out to the Iyrmen, who were eagerly watching the fights. Eventually Lotag stood up, going to speak with one of the frost giants. Much to Adam’s surprise, the Iyrman spoke in fluent giant.

‘What?’ Adam thought to himself. He looked to Entalia in surprise, though she just looked at him confused.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

Lotag and a frost giant seemed to have come to an agreement. The giant was a woman, with a large greataxe at her side. It was made of some white wood, and the blade had been made out of ice, or so it appeared. There were many runes all along it as well, especially across the white handle. She easily hefted it over her shoulder as they walked towards the arena, which was raised off the ground by several steps so more of those who were sitting further away could see.

Lotag borrowed a giant’s greataxe, one which was very similar, though not quite the same. It was large, of course, as it was a giant's axe, but slightly shorter than the other's axe. Instead of a single blade, it was double bladed, though the bladed design was similar. Rather than ice, it was made of the blue-steel that Adam had seen among the giants. The overall aesthetics were the same though, the white handle enscribed with runes all over it like the other.

The pair lined up across one another. They both dropped a single gold coin, and then began to circle around one another. Lotag made the first move, charging in with his greataxe, his entire body turning red. The two fought in wild combat, blade slamming against blade. Whenever their weapons met, there was an explosion of sound, and the sounds of battle echoed through the city. This was fairly typical of a fight between two giants, but to think that even Lotag could possess such great strength, it was a testament to his Iyrman heritage.

Lotag fought with rage and utter joy, though it was not the joy of seeing someone you hadn’t in some time, but the joy of battle. His entire muscles seemed to scream for more, until he was beaten down by the ice axe.

Adam clapped his hands together, but stopped when the others turned to look at him. He cleared his throat and then enjoyed his meal in silence.

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Don't forget, every new patron means an extra unscheduled chapter! 

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