Path of the Slayer B3 17. Housewives & Horde Chiefs

As Arden plotted to shrink down the shady behemoth sitting on top of him, Sharia was fending off the horrid fear that was filling her up from the inside and out.

The fear had invaded her own Domain, forcing upon her flashing visions of the monstrous Dragon Princess and the promise of doom.

Every time she thought of killing Arden the Nomad and running off with her husband, the fear and nightmarish visions worsened. Not only was negative karma a risk, but there was a sense that the Dragon Princess would know of the betrayal immediately.

As much as Sharia hated her family’s circumstances and wished to run away, there was no escape.

Arden the Nomad was protected by the Dragon Princess, and he was a powerful Pathwalker with powerful friends. That was the only explanation possible for how they defeated a Nemesis on their own.

Sharia had seen the work of a Nemesis before. One had crushed a horde chief she’d used to follow years ago.

She’d gotten to kill the Nemesis herself after the death of the chief, but the prior battle was a haunting memory that guided Sharia’s many decisions ever since.

She was a half-orc housewife with a ratkin husband because life as a free Veteran with someone she loved to snuggle with and make love to every night was a dream come true. It was a far better fate than facing a horrid end to whatever monstrous thing the Realm Verse System had in store for every ambitious Pathwalker.

Yet, Arden the Nomad had found her husband.

He’d dragged him and Sharia into an impossible Royal Quest.

And Sharia wasn’t brave enough to split the Pathwalker in two with a chop of her battleaxe.

How could she?

Yes, he was far weaker than her, yet the creature sitting on top of him was over a thousand feet tall with a wingspan that was longer than a mile.

It towered over everyone. It made the floating ship with the weaker Pathwalkers aboard look like a toy. They were all bugs compared to that grand thing.

The Nemesis had gotten crushed under the weight of that behemoth. And Sharia felt like the invasive fear and promise of doom were crushing her.

“Sharia, are you okay?” Her lovely husband was by her side now.

Every time she looked at him, he made her heart hurt. He was truly the best thing her life could ever have. She would die for him.

“Sharia, dear, I think you need to relax. You’re too tense. It’ll become better if you relax,” he said, rubbing his cute little hands over her thigh.

Sharia couldn’t relax, not when her heart was beating with renewed determination. This might be her only chance to end Arden the Nomad and free her husband, if not herself.

Something small and green came down fast in front of her. It was a small half-goblin girl, and she held a little shortsword pointed up at Sharia.

It was by far one of the most laughable things Sharia had seen. The Raider woman was Level 152, and her power could crush the little half-goblin with ease.

It would be like stepping on a bug.

Yet, the half-goblin held her ground while looking up at Sharia with a determined yellow gaze. Slowly, the little one lowered her shortsword and straightened her stance.

“I believe in him!” she chirped.

“What?” Sharia grunted.

“I believe in Sir Arden the Nomad. He’ll take us down to the Embassy of Defilement, beat them, and take us all back out of there.” She pointed her shortsword behind her, where the behemoth and the infamous Pathwalker stood/sat victoriously. “I’ve seen nobody else do what he does. It makes me want to believe in him. Because he’s dangerous. And determined. And he’s way better than anyone else I know. He makes me want to be stronger! So you should believe in him!”

Dumbfounded, Sharia blinked down at the little half-gob child. A genuine change overcame the half-orc wife, and the same happened to the weight of horror and her nightmarish visions.

The less hostile Sharia became, the freer she felt, until the sense of doom completely wiped away.

With a final and reluctant sigh, she reached down and plucked her husband into her arms. She nuzzled her face into his before striding over and patting the little half-gob on the head.

“Okay … I’ll believe in him,” Sharia decided.

“Yay!” cried the little half-gob.

“Huzzah!” Zez cried out as well, making Sharia’s heart thunder from the cuteness overload.

It was hard being a half-orc housewife with a passionate disposition. She couldn’t help but give everything and more to those she cared for … even if it meant she would end up sacrificing herself.

There’s no surviving the Embassy of Defilement intact, Sharia thought. If it comes down to it, I’ll make the sacrifice for you, Zez. You are my everything, and I can’t live without you.

Sharia was doomed, but at least she could make the most out of it. Even if it meant helping that damned Arden the Nomad.

“So,” she drawled. “How the heck do you shrink that thing?”

“I have no idea,” Zez said.

“Maybe we can ride on her shoulders from now on! Doomie ride, Doomie ride!” the half-gob cheered.

“Hell no!” shouted Arden. “I’m summoning Sabretooth. Merlin, help me with your Path Magic. Give or take a few hours, Doomie will be back to normal. Everybody else, get to training with our new Veteran!”

“Yessir!” the juniors shouted.

Sharia nearly responded the same. She frowned as a strange thought struck her.

Huh … he’s like a proper horde chief.

She didn’t want to admit that was raising her approval of him.

Instead, she turned her gaze toward the juniors and assessed them with all the experience a combat Veteran like her could bring to the forefront.

“Yeah, okay, I can work with this,” Sharia said, ignoring the cute smile on her husband’s fuzzy face.

Ugh, he was lucky she had work to do, or she would’ve smushed him under her like Doomie.

But with less gore, of course.