Path of the Slayer B2 66. The Squad of Nobodies

The next stretch of silence came from almost everywhere.

My friends gawked at me.

Our junior squad members gawked at me – even Noodles stopped laughing and gawked.

The brainwashed nomad half-orc stopped thrashing about and gawked.

The distant nobles doing their best to eavesdrop on the conversation turned fully and gawked.

The Veteran guards and their super enhanced hearing stopped trying to mind their own business and turned to gawk from all over the area.

Zez looked up at me like I was madness incarnate, and my doom avatar watched me obsessively while I existed in the middle of her shaded hips.

The weight of doom persisted on my soul, but that didn’t bother me much while I gave Melody a reality check and a long overdue gift called accountability.

“This is what I suggest we should do,” I directed calmly. “You’re going to give me and Zez a new version of the Royal Quests to kick defiler ass. In fact, you’re going to include my entire new squad. Twelve Young Pathwalkers and two Veterans in total.”

“Two?” Zez squeaked.

“You and your wife,” I told him before continuing with my suggestions for the Dragon Princess. “Then you’re going to do your own investigations and deal with whatever political fallout comes from me waving your crest around and spreading some chaos. One way or another, you will have your vengeance, and I will become stronger.”

After half a minute, she finally responded. “This disrespect … won’t go unpunished. I will make you pay, Arden. Please raise your power high enough so I can divulge some pleasure out of the pointers we will exchange in the future.”

“That’s a given.”

“So be it. I’ll fulfill all of your requests. I’ll deal with the problematic politics to come.”

New notifications arrived. Everyone in my squad lit up with even more shock. We all had Royal Quests. Zez was practically breaking into a sobbing fit.

I nodded resolutely. “Thank you.”

“Before you go, I have a question.”

“Hit me.”

“What is my Brand doing right now? I can feel it. Something’s changed.”

I smiled. “I took your absolutely wonderful gift and made it my own.”

“Arden, what are you? Why do I feel our fates are entangling more and more? How do you do what you do while so far beneath me?”

“Until next time, Melody.”

Ending the call, I watched the transcommunicator fragment apart in my grasp.

With a midsize burst of Path Energy – dropping me to 67% – the doom avatar contracted quickly to human size. Her arms returned to wrap me from behind, her eyes set on the side of my helmeted face with an obsessive stare, her dragon wings fanning slowly.

“Shut your mouths. You all look like idiots.” I turned toward the clothing shops and strode confidently. “Come along. We’re going to get the big zero-down discount now. I’ll bet a hundred credits that Redfang comes out the prettiest of us all. If not, I’m in favor of Veteran Zez as a close second if he doesn’t mind sporting clothes for Young Pathwalkers.”

“I think I should call my wife first,” Zez murmured, still in shock.

“Do that as we get tailored. Come on. Keep up. Do I need to have the doom avatar nudge you all?”

“Zero down discount?” Velira’s voice was small, distant, and airy.

“Is it because we’re on a Royal Quest? Right? Right?” Grimmy recovered faster than the others.

“Huh. Me? Royal Quest? No way,” Brug said, hauling the brainwashed nomad with him.

“Pretty dress!” Redfang forgot her shock and ran over to join my side. That seemed to wake up most of the squad – the girls especially.

“Was that Sir Arden popping off?” Syleth slithered excitedly on the other side of me. “On the Dragon Princess of all people? How is that possible?”

“Again! Do it again! Let’s mouth off to another forerunner!” Noodles cackled.

Weaver sighed. “This is all too distressing. I’m going to wrinkle at this rate. And defilers? Perhaps it would’ve been better to be eaten by a big one?”

Marnarka and Kroker had nothing more to say as the two regarded me like I was both a devil and a god. Technically, we were all gods and goddesses, but my actions made me seem bigger than I truly was.

Melody was probably going to kick my ass the next time she saw me, and I was okay with that. It had felt really, really, really good to unload all of that.

Very much worth it.

It would set a precedent as we entered multiple shops without resistance and found the service far more accommodating than before.

Just as I predicted, the shop owners and workers waved off all prices. We didn’t take anything right away though, which had me wrangling Grimmy, Redfang, and even Noodles.

We spent the time wandering and peeking and cataloguing what we wanted to wear before entering the Auction House.

After his call with his wife, Veteran Zez became much more enthusiastic about helping us all with our fashion choices, especially our Savage Redfang. The half-gnoll was crying tears of joy now.

We took a break at the Chasmview Ember Grille and sat at the biggest and fanciest booth with a wide-open view of the gardens.

There were no costs, and it was all we could eat Rank 4 Epic food. When the platters of food came out, it nearly floored me. The look of hunger, desperation, and thankfulness intensified on my juniors’ faces.

I waved them on. “Dig in.”

They ravaged the food like it would be their last meal. Brug had to slow down to feed our hogtied Ranker, who stopped thrashing about and was just allowing himself to be hauled around.

I was certain I could break through to the lost nomad any moment, but I might need to shock him a few more times.

“It’s more than just the Royal Quest,” Thumper said softly to the squad after we had our third servings. We were eating slower and enjoying the flavors better. “Arden placed himself as a peer to the Dragon Princess. That’s a bigger deal than a Royal Quest. That’s why we’re getting some extremely privileged service.”

“Why is the wizard boy looking sick over there?” Grimmy bounced on her booster seat and pointed across the table.

Thumper chuckled. “That’s because Merlin’s thinking of all the consequences to come. We’re officially seen as part of the Dragon Princess camp, and at the highest tier of that. We’re basically the enemies of the other three camps for the First Heir, the Purest Child, and the Chosen Prince.”

“Oh.” Grimmy blinked rapidly. “So, we’re all going to die.” Two seconds later, the half-goblin shrugged. “Oh well!”

“If I die, I’ll die pretty!” Redfang cheered. She was a simple half-gnoll Savage, and I didn’t mind that.

“Could die a worse death. I’m okay with dying as a somebody,” said Brug, the half-orc tearing into a roasted ham leg with one hand while feeding another roasted ham leg to the other half-orc.

They all talked idly, excitedly, fearfully, and energetically. I ate slowly and watched them while the doom avatar held me in an embrace that separated me slightly from everybody else.

There would be no real relief for me. My soul was doomed. But something about seeing this random squad of nobodies getting treated well made me feel good.

Why was I doing this for them?

For Merlin and Thumper, yeah, it was a no brainer.

For the lost nomad, my ancestral roots called for it.

But the nine other strangers? They were still strangers, weren’t they? Grimmy, Weaver, Velira, Marnarka, Syleth, Redfang, Kroker, Brug, and even godsdamn Noodles.

Chances were they were going to die because of me.

“Apologies are not needed, Sir Arden.” Kroker looked at me sharply with orange and slitted eyes. The half-kobold Cleric was good at reading people. “What’s done is done. Our reasons here are for power, riches, and growth. With you, we get there quicker. With you, there is death and danger, yes. But without you, our death and danger will be unworthy.”

“Hear hear!” screeched Noodles, cup raised.

“Hear hear!” cheered the others.

“Hear hear, to the Doom Squad,” I said lightly.

“Hear hear!” They shouted.

The mood lightened even further.

Brug and Grimmy threw food at each other. Syleth, Marnarka, and Redfang talked excitedly about their fashion picks for the Auction House. Noodles eyed the nobles below our window-view booth like she was planning a serial killer’s list, while Kroker watched her as if he was going to make it his mission to convert her from evil. Vilera, red in the face and eyes-sparkling with interest, switched seats to sit on the edge next to Weaver who had to stand.

Zez sat at his own table as a Veteran, but he was speaking on the scrying orb again. His mood looked chipper as he talked to his incoming wife.

Thumper was examining the others with a reserved curiosity just like me. He seemed happier with the new atmosphere provided by our sudden supply of juniors.

I felt … hopeful.

I shouldn’t feel that way.

Not with the weight of doom pressing down on me.

But I wanted to believe in the new opportunities within my grasp. I wanted to see how it all turned out.

“Was there no other option?” Merlin asked under his breath.

“The other options would be too slow.” I drank from a watered down cup of liquor. My head swam anyway. “The only way to succeed fast enough is to be loud and bold.”

“If she didn’t send assassins before, she’s probably going to do so now with how you talked to her.” Merlin shook his head.

“She won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“We like each other.”

“What?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, she’s a sheltered mess. But she’s attractive with it. And I find her more interesting than any girl I’ve met before.”

I snorted. “She probably likes me a little more than I like her, though. She’ll still try to dominate me, but she’ll have fun with it.”

“How do you know she likes you more?”

“She wouldn’t have given us all Royal Quests to act in public under her name, would she?” I took another tasty sip of my Epic drink. It hit the spot. “She’s probably going to kick my ass the next time she sees me. There’s no avoiding that. So … I better stock up on more power.”

Merlin sighed wearily. “Don’t we all?”

No kidding. We all had to get strong as hell.

And not just for the Dragon Princess.

I needed more power to face all the forerunners and their unlimited reach. They would come for me. They would attack my obvious weaknesses, this squad of nobodies I was taking a chance on – the Doom Squad.

But when they do come, I would make them pay for it.

Hellion whispered into my ear. “We will make them fear you.”