III-32 Minions (II)

An average Pathbearer assault team numbers four. Four to magnify each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses. Four so tha

An average Pathbearer assault team numbers four. Four to magnify each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses. Four so that at least one of you has the skills to face every possible scenario that might be thrown against you while the others act as support. There are no set paths for the four, but there are archetypes that you need to embody if you wish for your team to experience maximum success.

At the head of each team should be something of a Frontliner. This individual does not need to be of the vanguard path, but they need to be high in Toughness, high in Physicality, and high in Reflexes if possible. They should be able to draw enemy attention and hold it, and they should cause immense destruction in their wake to penalize enemies that turn away from them.

Then you need a dedicated Caster. Usually this is the team's Jump Mage. It is not uncommon for a jump mage to double as the team's overall mage, the dedicated mage, but it does not need to be that way. What matters the most, however, is that you have a Jump Mage, because spatial repositioning and rapid extractions are essential.

Thereafter, you need a Logistician, someone that's capable of healing or providing active supplies on the battlefield. This can be a crafter, a Biomancer, anything of that regard. This is the most variable individual in the team. Some of you might call this the support. They go beyond that. They are the synergizer more than anyone else.

And finally, you need a Commander: a leader, a strategist for your team. They can be a Diviner, they can have a high Awareness skill, they can have something esoteric, but they must understand the nuances of the battlefield with a high Tactical or Strategic Skill, and they must guide the rest of the team for maximum effect.

With these four members, your team is mostly complete. Also understand that this is a recommendation, but you might most commonly see there are effective teams made up of three members, or even duos that have achieved great things. Beyond this, there are also teams of four Frontliners that have served specific ends. However, these teams function in specific scenarios, so don't expect them to be the norm.

The most important thing about teams, however, is that you understand your own, what yours can do, and what it can provide. By the end of your time at the academy, you should know your comrades better than you know yourself, and vice versa…

-The Paths of Ascension, Essential Reading at Phoenix Academy of The Yellowstone Republic

III-32

Minions (II)

Shiv hesitated much like Adam did earlier before entering Rose's room. The reason for his hesitation was slightly different; he was scanning for orcs. So was Adam. The Gate Lord was on guard right outside, and gathered a small group of Umbrals and two Weaveresses to serve as his mother’s personal guard after certain comments made by the orcs.

Mana strands connected both Adam and Shiv to Uva, who was currently on orc wrangling duty.

Right now, the towering monsters were making small talk. Whisper was trying to discuss the nuances of Necromancy with Valor. From the sound of things, he knew more than a little about Necromancy. Meanwhile, Can Hu and Mortar were glaring at each other, and somehow the orc was making a fight of the stare-down. Tequila, meanwhile, had lit up a large cigar and was listening to Band play his violin.

And I still don’t know the full extent of their capabilities, Shiv thought to himself. Whisper said they were mostly Master-Tier, but he could be lying. Shiv wouldn’t put it beyond the Challenger to dump a bunch of Heroic-Tier orcs on him who actively lied about being Master so they could enjoy killing him over and over. I’m gonna throw them into the nastiest fight I can later. I need to learn about them. Some things you can’t fake. Especially not in active combat.

So far, all the orcs had Magical Resistance. Wall's Magical Resistance was the weakest, while Whisper's seemed the strongest. Tequila seemed to have the highest Awareness because he flinched with every loud noise, a bit like Adam did. Uva suspected Tequila’s Skill Evolution was more for hearing than it was for seeing, considering he only reacted that way to noise. 

Mortar was a monster of Physicality and probably an artillery skill, which made him a ranged-heavy. Shiv wasn’t used to running into those. And then there was Band. Shiv had no idea what Band's deal was. The Deathless knew about Pathbearers, singers and performers, though they usually didn't participate in combat. There were a few horned users that directed umbral arm formations, but combat-oriented bards were a bit like combat-oriented chefs; cooking and music didn’t really convert to active combat all that well.

But he's still here, Shiv thought to himself, he's here, and I got a bad feeling about that one more than all the others, mainly because I can't figure him out at all.

Despite this, Shiv did have a few outright advantages against the orcs. His Vitae allowed him to hurt them like no one else could. Well, maybe no one else but an accomplished Animancer. And there was his Chronomancy. So far, only Tequila had an answer for Shiv’s time magic, but the orc’s Chronomancy Skill was pretty weak compared to Shiv’s Strider. Part of Shiv’s paranoia made him consider if Tequila was just holding back, but Shiv suspected not. Tequila couldn’t move at all when Shiv broke Wall over his knee.

Overall, they were dangerous, but they seemed manageable. Or so seemed.

Just another set of problems I need to deal with. Can’t let me have a dull moment, huh system?

Shiv regarded four flickering beacons of vitality with a final look. He gazed at the orcs through other bodies and walls using his Vitaemancy, and Adam gave him a nod as well. “I’ll keep watch over them. And we’ll have my mother moved as soon as she is cleared.”

“Probably a good idea. But they already know she’s here,” Shiv said. “Maybe the best thing to do is just to kill them. But I think I’d prefer to spend them in active combat than here. Keep them constant in the field. Active. Close to me. That’s why they’re here, anyway. Because the Challenger’s got a crush on my ass.”

The Gate Lord’s expression flattened to one of exasperation. “Have you tried being less… you? It could help you avoid some of these problems.”

“How do I be less me, Adam?” Shiv shot back, annoyed. “And why do I have to be less me? Why can’t the other assholes take responsibility for themselves?”

“Because the system is desperate to break you, somehow, and not them?” Adam suggested.

“Yeah, well, the system can go lick a cesspit. Being me is the only way I got this far. I’ll get better. I’ll fix some of my flaws. But it’ll come up with another excuse to make us miserable. We’re not going to avoid any of this, Adam. The only way out is straight through. And straight through might just be us throwing an army of orcs at the felling Necrotechs.”

Adam’s shoulders were slumped with exhaustion. “I have no idea how to lead an army of orcs, Shiv.”

“Neither do I, but I think we’re going to need to figure that shit out if we want this to go well. It’s that, or Uva calls on the eldritch—”

“We will find a way to lead these orcs,” Adam spat immediately. Shiv could feel the Gate Lord’s heart-rate spiking. He really didn’t like the Outsiders. And Shiv couldn’t really even blame him. The Recollector had been a nightmare and a half for Adam. Hells, the monster was a nightmare and a half for Shiv. “I’m gonna go talk to her now. Just call me if they do something orc-like.”

“I suspect you’ll hear the screams before my voice ever reaches you,” Adam muttered.

“Yeah,” Shiv agreed as he walked into the room. “But if they break anyone, I’m going to break them. They know the score. Now let’s see if they can keep themselves in check.”

Rose’s room was bright and wide, lit by a soft blue ambiance from a hanging nub of bioluminescence. There were eight beds stacked here, the mattresses made from dense clumps of weaver silk, the bedsheets white and pristine. The frames were of mixed alloys, and he realized that they were likely created using leftover scrap and other metals harvested from the ruins.

There were no windows here, which was a good thing, because he could very much see an orc finding a way to squeeze himself through a tight tiny crevice, just to hurt a traumatized, defenseless woman. Said traumatized woman was now sitting up in her bed. She had a gray colored hospital gown on, and was currently sipping from a steaming-hot cup of water. She regarded Shiv with pale-green eyes.

He stood before her a giant—the basilisk venom still buzzing hot inside him. Shiv had a layer of bone armor over himself now. It took merging sets of bone armor to create something he could wear right now, and when the venom wore off, he would need to adjust it again. The only thing he didn’t have on was a helmet. He considered wearing one to spare her the sight of his face and the ugly memory of his father. Considering she was the one that asked to see him, though, he suspected this wasn’t going to be a gentle conversation.

Seconds passed as he stared straight into her eyes. The atmosphere was uncomfortable, but discomfort could go slit its own throat. Shiv wasn’t going to let pain dictate his actions, inside or out. Rose, however, wasn’t nearly as iron of will. She looked away, flinching. As she swallowed her water and discomfort, she ran a hand through her crimson hair. “Fuck’s sake. You look just like the both of them.”

“Yeah. That tends to be the case when someone gives birth to you. Bloodlines and all that.

Rose scoffed. “You even sound like—well, more like Vera than Harlon. He complained. There was never an end to his bitching. But she snarled at people. Didn’t curse so much, but she was pretty good at making you feel like garbage. I guess that was one of the reasons why I liked her at first. Because she spoke like how I wanted to speak.”

“And what happened after?”

“Well, after I stopped pretending to be the perfect City-Lord’s daughter and started telling people to go fuck themselves myself, I realized that Vera was just kind of a bitch. But by that point she was my bitch. So. Yeah. We ended up more like family, just as I realized I would have hated having her as a friend.”

Shiv grunted. “Didn’t last.”

“No,” Rose said. She wasn’t looking at him anymore. Not directly. Her eyes were staring into the far wall. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you save me? Why did you help me?”

Strange question. Shiv thought about it for a moment. “Because I could. Because you were trapped and didn’t want to be inside me. Because it would have been good for Adam to have his mother back after all this bullshit. If you are his mother.”

And that made her aim a glare at him. “If?”

“Listen, lady, I dragged you out from inside my felling soul-vitality mixture after a Skill Evolution I don’t understand, using magic I barely know how to use. You could be anything. I think you’re Rose Van Erren just from all the shit that you remember and what the Educator said, but by this point, I’ve run into so much weird shit I’m not sure about anything.”

The harshness in her gaze lingered for a while longer, and then she shook her head and looked away. “I don’t know either. I don’t… I remember almost everything. But there are pieces of my memories that are gone. From my early childhood. My time in the abyss resembles a kaleidoscopic maze of madness. But my butchering and death are clear and constant. So. Thanks for that and go fuck yourself, system.”

Rose’s casual willingness to curse was making Adam poke his head into the room. He was staring daggers at Shiv.

“What?” Shiv said mentally.

“What did you say to her?”

“You’re right outside, asshole. You heard everything I told her. I’m not the reason she’s talking like a teenage chef who just learned his first slur.” Adam’s stare turned to one of confusion. “I’m comparing her to me at fifteen. It’s a miracle that I don’t use fuck, cunt, shit, piss, felling, or any number of other words that Georges loves so much.”

“Why did Roland keep you alive?” Rose suddenly asked.

Her question caught Shiv like a kick to the gut, and he shuffled uncomfortably. “The actual reason or the lie he likes to tell himself?”

“Both?” Rose replied.

“Well, in actuality, he’s a traumatized chickenshit who couldn’t make up his mind because killing me was too uncomfortable of a thought—”

“Shiv!” Adam snarled.

Shiv continued. He wasn’t sorry. “Personally, he’s probably doing the whole ‘the Omenborn’s too dangerous to be let go. I must keep him contained here’ shit. Why? Were you hoping he finished me off for good? Is that it? Would that make this easier?”

The Deathless’s casual willingness to push into rough territory made Rose clench her teeth and look down.

A flood of anger poured from Adam. “Shiv. What the felling shit are you doing?”

But his rage slammed into Shiv’s, and the Deathless turned to glare at him. “Talking. If she didn’t want us to go there, then she shouldn’t bring it up.”

“My mother is—”

“Yeah. Traumatized. Hurt. Hates me for being the offspring of the people that killed her and sacrificed her unborn daughter. We can turn away from it, or we can deal with it right here. You want to argue with me over this? Fine. But I’m not going around this shit now she’s brought us to this point.”

Adam stepped in the room then, his teeth bared in a snarl. “You are absolutely incapable of being a bastard sometimes, aren’t you?” He wasn’t even using mental communication anymore.

Shiv just sneered. “How else do you think this was going to go? What kind of peace do you think I can offer? She asked to talk to me. Well. This is the talk.” He turned and stared at Rose. “What do you want from me? An apology? A declaration of self-hate? To spit your misery at me? Fine. Let’s do it. Let’s do this shit because there are other things I have to deal with. I don’t hate myself. I’m glad I was born. Yes, I feel like shit that you and your daughter got butchered by my parents. Fuck them for that. But also fuck Roland Arrow and most of Blackedge for what followed. They could have gotten rid of me. Send me off in exile or something. Hid my identity and had me monitored. Something other than just using me as some kind of hate puppet.”

By the end, Shiv was growling out his words. The bitterness was back in him. But this time, he noticed—his Psychology Skill activated. Talking about this—thinking about this made him feel like shit. But just because he felt like shit didn’t mean he had to react to it. It’s like pain. But this isn’t arithmetic. It’s like calculus. I don’t know how to do calculus. Shit.”

Shiv drew a deep breath through his nostrils and threw up his hands. Nothing for it. Confront the problem head-on. Take the hurt and beat it down, just like with any enemy. “I don’t know what you want to hear from me, Rose. I don’t know what I can give you for your pain or loss. I’ll tell you what I told Adam before: If I could have done something to spare you or your daughter the pain, I would do it. But not at the expense of my own existence. I’m responsible for you, for Adam. Hells, even for Roland and Blackedge. But I’m not sorry. And if that’s not enough, then I don’t have enough regret to give you. Because it doesn’t exist.”

Silver Tongue 24 > 25

Psychology 8 > 10

Both Rose and Adam were silent. The Gate Lord was shaking slightly, but he seemed less pissed than a moment before. Rose’s lip was curled and she was holding herself. Alright. That’s the ugliest part. Maybe… maybe a bit less brute force now? Could that help? I’ll just tell them how I actually feel and I what I think we should do, I guess.

“Look. I’m sorry for going into this rough. I don’t really know any other way.” He looked at Adam first. “I don’t want to be a bastard, but it just—-I don’t know what else to say and this thing fucking pisses me off too, alright? You think about losing your mother, losing your sister. I think about being hated, getting beaten half to death with no one caring, and eating rats in an alley. I’m not strong enough to be noble about this. Not yet.”

Adam’s gaze softened and he looked away.

Shiv pressed on. “I’ll cook for both of you later or something if that’ll make it better. It’s the only thing I know how to do beyond killing. It’s basically the only thing I can really offer. I can’t undo anything that you suffered. Either of you. I’m sorry about that. But if this is the topic, we’re all going to get hurt. There’s no way out.”

Adam bit his lip and he let out a quiet breath. He looked at Shiv again, and something about his gaze made the Deathless feel like a complete piece of shit. “Just be gentler. I know—No, I don’t know. We had this talk before, I just turned from it. I ran from it. It’s not all your fault. It’s some of mine. I used to think that justice was seeing you hurt and hollow on the streets of Blackedge, that the system had some kind of sense of honor, perverted and sick though it was. But I was just trying to use my hate to feed my grief. It didn’t work. My father, he—he should have done something else. We should have done something else. But—you don’t know what it’s like, walking from the crack of a door as your father sobs into your mother’s old clothes.”

“I don’t,” Shiv said. He looked back at Rose and realized she was silently crying too. “But maybe Roland will get to see the real deal again instead. That’s the best I can do as an apology.”

Adam looked up at him and gave him a nod. “I’m sorry for calling you a bastard.”

Shiv managed a slight smirk. “I am a bastard sometimes. I should’ve kept my bitterness in check and had my shit together. She didn’t deserve any of that. I think we should give this topic—and her—more time. It’s too much, too fast.”

“Right,” Adam said.

Shiv turned to leave the room, but Rose called out to him. “Wait.” The Deathless paused and looked back at her. “I… Whatever else is between us, know that I, Rose Van Erren, daughter of Errol Van Erren and Alicia the Least, am in your debt as a noblewoman and Pathbearer. You have returned to me my life. And another chance to be with my family. My son. My love. I don’t—what your parents did to me—I need time. But I don’t just hold hate for you. Not after what you have done. You’re a Pathbearer of honor, holding to your word, freeing me without hesitation. And that makes you more than them to me already. Whatever my gratitude is worth.”

Something lifted inside Shiv. A rock formed in his throat as well, so he just nodded. “It’s worth enough. More than enough.” He walked out of the room. “I’m taking the orcs with me and Uva. You should talk with Null Mont about how we can cage them in the meantime. That, and if we agree to the Challenger, we might have a solution to the Lord Scorn problem.”

Adam pulled his gaze away from his mother and frowned. “Solution? What do you mean a solution?”

“The Challenger wants to connect the Vulketh Gateway to his Tutorial. Part of the demands.”

The Gate Lord’s eyes widened. “That sounds like another form of suicide, Shiv, giving the orcs a back door into our gate.”

Shiv paused once more and offered Adam a vicious smirk. “Yeah. For them. Talk to Null Mont about building an orc quarantine site or something–I wasn’t actually going to take her with me. Spend some time with your mom. I’m going to break some vampires in half. Be back with new ingredients. Maybe some of it will be orc.”

“Shiv, please don’t make me get addicted to orc meat,” Adam groaned.

“That’ll depend on if the orcs stay wise or not,” Shiv replied. “Otherwise, we’re going to be sampling new flesh.”

Adam’s eyes lingered on Shiv for a few moments before a sob drew him back into the room. Rose was keeping herself together while Shiv was there, but now she and Adam needed to spend some time together. They needed this.

The Deathless felt a lightness in his chest. Dealing honestly with some of that made me feel pretty good. It was miserable as hell to face, but facing it made me feel stronger. Clearer about myself. A faint epiphany pulsed through him as he approached the open doors leading back outside. It’s not just physical and direct conflict I need to face. I gotta turn and handle the bullshit inside too. My mind might heal, but some of these thoughts are still poison for me. I need to handle them properly. Otherwise, they’ll get in the way of who I can become. And that’ll be a real tragedy.

Psychology 10 > 12

Philosophy 7 > 11

A rush of power flooded his mind and ego. Shiv blinked. Uva nudged him.

“Ah, shit,” Shiv coughed, slightly embarrassed. “Uva. How much of that did you hear?”

“I turned my focus away. But I know the feeling of someone growing psychologically stronger. Congratulations. You will make a magnificent Psychomancer yet.”

“Yeah,” Shiv muttered to himself. “We’ll see. Might be a race between that and Philosophy too. No idea why I’m leveling there as well. I don’t think I've read an actual philosophy book in my life.”

“You probably should. Understanding patterns and schemas of thought will make you write better as well.”

And that was all for Shiv. If it was going to build him up, he was going to do it.

He walked back over to the orcs and found Valor listening to Whisper go on about a certain Theorem of Lost Potential, and interrupted them by clearing his throat. The midnight-robed orc regarded Shiv with a glint of amusement in his yellowish eyes. “Ah. Deathless. You return. As you can see, we have behaved ourselves.”

Shiv regarded the armed Umbrals and Weaveresses all around the orcs. Ikki gave him a nod, but Shiv could feel a shudder of fear vibrating inside her. He also noticed how Band was eyeing the young Umbral, just like Wall did Uva.

Shiv put a stop to that immediately. “Hey. If you don’t wanna find out if your violin can fit horizontally up your ass, point your eyes elsewhere.”

The orc offered a borderline apologetic smile and directed his gaze at the ground.

“You sound rageful, Deathless,” Whisper said. The orc was damned good at faking concern. “Did you have a particularly turbulent conversation?”

Shiv took a few steps until there was just a centimeter between him and the orc. “Stick your fingers in my wounds. Try to dig for details about me. Do it. Play these cruel games, and I’ll start talking to Mortar or Tequila and pretending you don’t exist.” Shiv looked Whisper dead in his eyes, and the cruel amusement there flattened to something of genuine appreciation.

“Ah. My apologies, Insul. I was mistaken about your character. It will not happen again.”

Somehow, that sounded like both a compliment and a threat coming from the orc. “Good. Now, get yourselves together. We’re going out.”

“To hunt vampires, I hope?” Mortar chuckled.

“Something like that,” Shiv muttered. “Null Mont!” The Exalted Weaveress flinched as Shiv called her name. He could feel her naked terror building—terror of the orcs but also him.

“E-Exalted Shiv,” she began. “Though I am deeply honored by your offer to deliver the Composer’s righteous wrath on the Bloodspawn, I think I must regretfully decline. My duties here are pressing and the gate—it needs—there are many needs.”

Shiv gave her a clear nod without mockery. He knew she didn’t have the mettle for this, but he wasn’t going to harm her ego anymore. That seemed to be the key to her. If you made Null Mont feel good about herself after a burst of extreme discomfort, she’d let you get away with a lot. That, and it kept her idiocy in check.

“I understand, Exalted Mother,” Shiv said. “Next time. And I’ll be sure to remember your sacrifice when I’m pulling a vampire in half. In your honor.”

She stood a little straighter. “Of course. My honor.”

Tequila looked between Shiv and Null Mont before barely holding back a snort. “Oh. I see. Hm. Not bad. But I might have tips.”

“Tips? Tips about what?” Null Mont said, turning some of her bravado and ire on the orc. Shiv’s presence made her brave. It didn’t make her any smarter. She had no idea how much danger she was in now.

Gonna need to save her ass before she gives the orc even more psychological insight. The big bastard probably knows how to manipulate her just from watching me.

“He’s talking about killing,” Shiv said, before Tequila could say anything.

“Killing?” Null Mont asked.

“Vampires,” Shiv finished. “Thing is, I don’t know if I need advice. Regardless, it would be great if you could talk to the Gate Lord when he has a moment later, Exalted Mother. I’ll handle this.”

“Of course,” Null Mont said. She cast a final glare at the orcs and walked away with lightning arcing off the metal quills poking out from her limbs.

Tequila glided to take a position beside Shiv. Uva glared at him as she began trailing behind the group. “You care for that one?”

“Not in the way you think,” Shiv said. “You won’t be able to get much out of me if you take her as a hostage or something. No benefits. Just consequences.”

“Oh, I know that,” Tequila said smoothly, blowing out a puff of smoke. “The one you’re most concerned about is her.” He cocked his head at Uva. “That’s why you killed Wall and mutilated his soul, after all. Because he threatened her and provoked your defensive mating response.”

“I kill him as a warning to the rest of you. And that might be more of a mercy than anything. You guys need to die to start back over in the Tutorial, right?”

Tequila eyed the others. “Indeed.”

“Then, if you’re feeling brave, by all means, go for Sister Uva. I just won’t mercy kill you after. How long can a Master-Tier orc Pathbearer live naturally? Without food or water?” The hidden grin on Tequila’s face dimmed until it was replaced by a look of consideration. “Yeah, you keep thinking about that. Whisper.”

Silver Tongue 25 > 26

Psychology 12 > 13

“Yes, Insul?” the robed orc replied.

“You’re taking point. Lead us into First Blood territory. Uva will feed you all details. I’ll stay connected to the rest of you through her. You want to have fun? Well, here it is. But you’ll be having the bulk of the fun. If I’m going to use you, I want to know what you can do.”

“Of course. Main objectives?”

“Reconnaissance,” Uva said. “We need to know the state of the First Blood’s forces in the neighboring region to better prepare for what is to come. Furthermore, it would be best if we can capture some of the First Blood for interrogation and…” She looked at Shiv. “Experimentation.”

“Yeah, let’s call it that,” Shiv grunted.

A sudden hum of a violin made Shiv look at Band. As the orc played, the winds around them twisted and turned until the light began to curve. Meanwhile, Mortar wandered behind Shiv and threw a heavy arm around the Deathless’s shoulders as he barked with laughter. “Experimentation. Love it.”

Shiv glared at the orc’s arm, but he betrayed no discomfort otherwise. So, the psychological games are beginning already. Damn orcs just can’t help themselves. They have to prod. And that might be my biggest advantage—I know their addiction. I just need it focused on me instead of Uva.

As Band pulled his bow at blurring speeds, the air twisted faster and faster until the light began to curve around the group.

“He’s shaping a field of invisibility for us,” Uva said with surprise.

“Is he now?” Shiv said, looking at Band. But the orc played out without every meeting Shiv’s gaze. This entire time, Band didn’t say anything. He just played. And that made him the single most dangerous orc in Shiv’s opinion. “Guess he’s their dedicated caster. But maybe more than that.”

“Definitely more,” Uva said. “I’ll try to pull what I can from their minds once we sync. I’ll be subtle to avoid provoking them from turning their Magical Resistances on me.”

“Don’t do it if the risk’s too high. We got other ways of learning about them.”

He felt a rush of apprehension from Uva. “The risk there is that they gain more knowledge of us as well. Our behaviors, our habits, our weaknesses. They are all watching. Always.”

“Yep. That’s a godsdamned orc for you.”

“How’s Adam and his mother?”

“Not great. But I’ll tell you later. When we’re far and away from these guys. I think Mortar’s trying to play up the big, dumb lug so he can read my facial expressions. It’s either that or he thinks I’m handsome. He’s looking at my jaw too much.”

“Hm. It is one of the better parts of your body. But it is already taken.”

Shiv’s lip curved slightly. Mortar noticed it immediately. And Shiv noticed the orc yawning—and using the opportunity to glance at Uva as well.

“Yeah. They’re going to make us paranoid wrecks before this is over. Listen. When you reach into their minds, be prepared for the itch.”

“The itch?”

“It’s… not something easy to explain, but if being an orc is anything like having an Orcish Skill, you’re probably going to feel a violent urge running under your skin.”

He felt Uva fortify part of her mind. “I see. Thank you for the warning.” She fixated the orcs with a stare, then. “Team! Prepare for synchronization.”

“Ready!” The orcs all shouted at once. Even Band. 

Uva and Shiv both blinked.

Whisper grinned. “Before we begin, is this your first proper campaign, Insul? Because it isn’t ours. Do not worry. We do not need to be guided like hounds. We have the objective already. Soon, we will prove our worth. And then you’ll be agonizing about how you will be able to handle an army of us.”

“Yeah?” Shiv said. “We’ll see if that confidence is warranted soon enough.”

All the orcs looked at each other. A beat followed. They shared a booming laugh.

Mortar ruffled Shiv’s hair. “Warranted. You’re adorable, Insul. Bloody adorable.”