Path of the Slayer B3 42. Masters & Feasts

While I stood back and watched Grimmy go on the offensive, Paige replied by slamming the butt of her staff into the muddy earth. A shockwave pushed aside heaps of mud and rain in all directions while aimed to smash the devoted Little Fighter back.

It would’ve worked, if it weren’t for Grimmy’s Great Skill: Invincibility Framer Dance.

With one tuck-and-roll, she phased through the shockwave, but not as cleanly as she might’ve hoped. A portion of the blast snagged her leg and fouled her next step, placing her under Paige’s next swing.

Yet Grimmy hunkered down quickly enough. She blocked the powerful downward strike from the nine-foot construct of an Elder Slayer.

That should’ve forced her down to a knee. But Grimmy shimmied her feet and angled her sword into a slanted position, making Paige’s powerful blow glance off.

Then the half-gob was back on the attack, the rain gusting away in great arcs from the power of her sword swings, the yellowish light beaming from her staying strong and bright.

The moment I felt a disturbance coming from Paige followed by a ripple of orange power, I stopped watching. I quickly started up Sabretooth and left her to watch for threats from the jungle before charging into the fray.

By then, Paige turned the bout around with an intense orange light shining from her armored form.

The weight of her power slammed down on anything near her. Shades and afterimages of Paige’s body popped up around her or wherever she moved.

By the time I slid in, I concluded that my best approach was hand-to-hand, staying even closer to Paige while Grimmy moved on the fringes.

Without even having to tell Grimmy a thing, the Little Fighter automatically moved to the beat of my punches and kicks. She swerved around where I wasn’t looking to block my flank and swing an attack in response.

The moment I twisted to fire off another attack at a different angle, Grimmy orbited tightly around my every move, sticking just close enough to thwart an attempt from Paige to punish me back.

It was amazing.

Not even Thumper and Merlin could work off me this tightly.

Never had I thought I could push Paige this hard, forcing her to retreat constantly, rushing her down with little care for defense. Grimmy plugged every hole in my offensive perfectly while maintaining her own dance between shielding me and swinging precise sword strikes at the construct’s legs and midsection.

Then I found a surefire gap in Paige’s defense and landed my knuckles on her armored midsection. My power blasted forth with a loud WHUM, and just when Paige was getting thrown back, Grimmy darted in. The half-gob girl flipped her sword around and hammered the same spot I’d punched with a pommel strike.

Paige flew back so hard she created a wind tunnel that plowed through the thick sheets of rain. She crashed into multiple primeval trees and sent them careening down, each one groaning in its death throes like fallen titans. The last impact sounded off like an explosion followed by more titanic tree falls, leaving us back where we started, covered in a thick screen of gray rain.

The sunlight glow surrounding Grimmy remained as the Little Fighter placed her sword blade down in front of her, her gauntlet-clad hands resting on the hilt. She looked like a little badass, and the amount of warmth I felt in my chest knowing how much she changed for the better was nearly too much for me.

Okay, fine, I supposed being called Master Arden wouldn’t be so bad if Grimmy was going to show off like this. That and the way she fought around me even when I was at my most frenzied felt amazing. It almost seemed unfair.

How could such a talented Pathwalker belong to me? It felt like I barely did much to earn her.

Even Paige’s gravelly tone had an undercurrent of amazement as it resounded through the thick rain. “Where did you pick up the half-gob? Because wow, she packs a punch.”

Grimmy tilted her head back at me. “Do you wish to talk to that one, master? Or shall I keep attacking?”

“Ha! I wouldn’t have taken you for the type to have a deep servant like that?” Paige chuckled deeply, drawing closer.

First, I looked at Grimmy. “Don’t attack unless Paige attacks us. She’s my elder, by the way.”

Ignoring Grimmy’s squawk, I walked up to where Paige had gotten smacked away and knelt down. I bowed while keeping my head above the mud. “This junior greets the elder.”

Quick splashy steps. Then, one big splash. Grimmy knelt down and bowed just like me. “Sorry! I didn’t know! Please forgive this junior!”

“Heh. Aren’t we so quick to be polite after beating on an old dead lady? You really like to keep a woman on her metal toes, huh, Arden? Now get up and give me a hug.”

Paige’s large and armored form returned in front of us as if nothing had happened to her.

Happy to oblige, I jumped to my feet as Paige reached down and hugged me to her metal chest like I was a child. Not to be outdone, I hugged as hard as I could, but Paige proved too tough to even be affected beyond receiving my affection.

Once she placed me back down, the thin line that made up her visor canted down at Grimmy. The half-gob was still on her feet, shaking like a leaf, her Oath gone. 

 “You didn’t dishonor me. This is how we greet each other here,” I said. “I bet you left a positive impression on my elder.”

“On the System, she sure did! Come on, little cutie. You can get a hug, too,” Paige offered.

Grimmy looked from me to Paige, back to me, then bolted into the immense hug. Once she was set back down, the yellow glow from her Oath returned, although more subdued.

“Bloodline?” Paige asked.

“No, an Oath. She has two of them,” I answered.

Paige let out a deep gasp. “What? That’s crazy. And I’ve seen plenty of crazy. How did you find an amazing talent like this?”

I shrugged casually, a slight smugness entering my tone. “Oh, y’know, a nomad has his ways. Can’t always rely on kissing up to the System, y’know?”

“Ha! Ass!” She shoved me on the shoulder, and I barely moved a few steps.

She stopped to reassess me, looking over my new bonded armor before glancing into the thick rain where Sabretooth rumbled and growled.

A second later, the snap and howl of tundra magic roared over us, and the drumming rain sounded over our heads without touching us. Looking back, I gave Sabretooth a thumbs up for the glacial gazebo she made to keep us out of the rain.

The autocycle whipped her metal tail proudly.

“Hm, yeah, it looks like you’ve grown a lot. So much so that the place readapted in a way that’s unusual for most of us. But before I get started, how much does your half-gob know? Because try as she might, I can see the confusion on that adorable green face.”

Grimmy stood on her tippy toes. “Elder Paige! I don’t need to know anything to serve my master! If he wants to keep his secrets, that’s okay!”

I was surprised by that heel turn until she spoke further. “But knowing how wonderful and insightful and good-good my master is, he’ll reward me with the juicy secrets, and make me feel even more special. Right, Master Arden? Right, right, right?”

Snorting at her tactful shamelessness, I settled my crimson metal hand on her helmet. The moment the words left my mouth I felt an incredible burst of freedom.

“The truth is, I’m not an Artificer Warrior. Instead, I’m on Path of the Slayer.”

There.

It was out.

After what felt like forever, another ear heard my secret. It felt freeing to say it. I also tensed to prepare for the reaction.

“Oh. Okay. I like it! Sounds badass.” The clueless smile on her face nearly tripped me up.

I ended up barking with laughter. Paige laughed deeply, too. Clearly, Grimmy didn’t have the proper context. I wondered how Thumper and Merlin would react once I told them.

“May I?” Paige prompted.

I waved her on. “Go for it.”

The half-giant construct took a knee next to the much shorter half-gob girl. While Paige explained a bit of the lore, I turned away and looked down at Hellion.

The boss shredder didn’t miss a beat to be heard. “My liege, is the young lass truly trustworthy? And what great changes led to this? Why is she calling you her master? Have I been replaced?”

“No, Hellion. Nobody can replace you. She has a new Oath to go with the old one.” I explained the details of the new Oath, and Hellion’s response was mainly silence at first.

Then he reacted with a cry! “I really am getting replaced! How can I compete with a destined girl like that?! Go on! Throw me away! Leave me as a metal toothpick for that old salty rex of yours, even.”

“We’ll talk about this later. Just relax.” Turning back to the ladies, I noticed Grimmy’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “What is it now?”

Grimmy pointed her hand up at me and screeched. “You’re the chosen one! You’re the most special in all the Realm Verse! I was right to choose you as my master!”

Completely side-stepping that, I looked up at Paige. “So, what’s with the jungle and cold rain? Other than it fitting Sabretooth–” I waved over at the primal autocycle doing wheelies in the mud “–what are we here for now?”

“Hm.” Paige hummed. “Normally, the Second Portion would lead to getting another Path Magic like Slayer Modification or Slayer Drone. But this one is unique, because only one Slayer has this particular magic. And depending on the magic, the Slayer Sanctum will have you go straight to the portion that can accommodate that. This section exists because it has everything you need for that particular Path Magic.”

Grimmy kept making more noises of adoration that I ignored. I could only endure so much fawning.

“So what am I learning that’ll have me at this specific portion of the sanctum?” I asked.

“Slayer Feast.”