Path of the Deathless

269 (II) “The Choice of Virtue” [I]

269 (II)“The Choice of Virtue” [I]

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"Say it again, motherfucker! Say that my mother is addicted to sucking dog cocks and cat quims again! Say it, you little shit!"

“I will say it again! I will! Pull your ear holes open and listen! I will say it again! I—let me go! Let me go! I'm not done here! LET ME GO! I'm not done here with that Van Selin FUCK!”

Shiv took in the scene, pretending to be shocked. He assumed the guise of Marcus once more and attended his first Scouting Class. True to the orc's words, many of the students there were on the verge of violence. They were gathered in two small mobs, facing each other right outside the classroom. Snarls and curses were exchanged, and blades were drawn free from canes. A few spells were even shaped.

And things were made even worse by the arrival of the instructor.

As revealed by Adam, Scout-Master Athena was a retainer of House Stormhalt. This made her an accessory of said House, even though she was meant to be an impartial party. Currently feuding with House Stormhalt were the Lesser Houses Grant and Toradega, along with the Van Selins, a Major House long-allied with the Van Errens.

Disappointingly but not surprisingly, Scoutmaster Athena decided to side with the Stormhalts. Rather than toning down the crisis, this incensed the other side, and things nearly devolved into violence right then and there.

Somehow, Shiv, Adam, and the Culturist shared a sigh in concert as they took in Scoutmaster Athena. She resembled your stereotypical Bearer of the Path of the Shadow to the extreme. Her skin was dark and covered in scars, lines traced along her neck showing her close encounters with death. Her clothes were a shroud of leather that dampened noise and emitted an expanding darkness, and over that was a cape that caused her to be partially invisible. When stared at from behind, she seemed utterly transparent where the cape flowed. Rather than specializing in daggers or other implements meant for engagements of proximity, she preferred twin crossbows capable of being loaded with various kinds of ammunition, with the weapons strapped to her hips on each side.

But despite possessing such an enticing aesthetic, she was ultimately no more in control of her own emotions compared to the students she was meant to govern. The moment she realized someone had wrenched open a few caskets and stolen a few items from the Stormhalt family crypt, everything became a matter of honor and offense, and soon she was among the many incensed, snarling at the children she was supposed to train.

the Culturist tutted with second-hand embarrassment.

The Legendary orc's question was pointed. He gave no hints, but Shiv already had an idea. That idea wasn't to de-escalate. No, everyone was already far too angry for that. There were well over sixty students clogging up the hallways leading to the lecture hall. And right then, if any of them raised a weapon or released a spell, it would be like a match striking a powder keg. And so Shiv made sure that he added more flame. Too much flame. Far too much for the gathered mob to bear.

The rage and anguish the Culturist engendered inside Shiv churned and spewed free from his eyes. He timed his blast carefully, using Scoutmaster Athena's shadowy shroud and the invisibility of her cape to mask his social attack.

The first person he struck with his rageful fires was the Scoutmaster herself. She went from being furious and frustrated to coming apart at the seams. The fire within her emotional core reached a point where she was breaking before the pressure. So much added anger was flung into her from Shiv's very eyes that she clutched her chest as if on the verge of a heart attack. As she folded over, a brief lull of surprise entered the conflict. The Stormhalts reached out, trying to figure out what was wrong with their Scoutmaster. Meanwhile, the other side thought the momentum had shifted to them, that they could take advantage of this. They never got the chance. Shiv repositioned himself during the chaos and channeled his Enkindled Flames into the Van Selins from behind.

The students fell in a wave, their rampage cut short before it could begin. Meanwhile, the Stormhalts were too distracted by Scoutmaster Athena's condition to truly see what had happened with their opposition. And they failed to discover Shiv shifting himself behind them as well. With a final burst of hateful fire, the Stormhalts fell, joining the Master-Scout on the ground as they all cursed and writhed, unable to control their own anger. Most of them were weeping, crying, hysterical with frustration, pushed beyond the brink, and utterly hopeless as the campus militia came to deal with the shrieking mob after a series of anonymous complaints were issued.

Class, unsurprisingly, was cancelled thereafter, and the students from the feuding Houses were separated, at least for now. But this wasn't over, especially with the family heirlooms swapped and ancestral caskets looted. Shiv was going to need Solzimort to put what he'd stolen back in their original places. And after that, he would probably need to come up with a plan to see each of the noble Houses assuaged. If he gave a shit, that was. Frankly, Shiv didn't want to see any fighting on campus. If the nobility wanted to slaughter and butcher each other elsewhere, well, he didn't really care himself.

The Creeping Void 142 > 145

Sage of the Enkindled Heart 127 > 129

Ultimately, the only reason why he might intervene on behalf of the noble Houses was if Adam wanted him to. But right now, the Gate Lord was still silent, simply observing. Or at least, Shiv hoped he was observing. Adam had fallen into a contemplative sullenness. Shiv didn't know what to make of it. He obviously didn't like the fact that the orc had decided to inflict such a thing on Adam. But there was a bipolar state to the orc. Now that he had dealt with his urge to dominate, he was itching to take on a mentorship role. He even seemed genuine. But that was the thing about orcs. They could be genuine one moment, and their psychopathy would overtake them the next.

Sage of the Enkindled Heart:

Taken from NovelFire, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The Culturist decided to offer his comments after Shiv had resolved the problem.

Shiv asked semi-derisively.

Adam said, his scorn barely withheld.

Adam said.

The Culturist chuckled gently, seeming more grandfatherly than monstrous.

Adam said with a huff.

the orc replied.

Adam asked.

Shiv suspected he knew the answer—and that Adam wasn’t going to like it.

" the Culturist said,

Adam sounded skeptical.

Whisper commented.

For the first time, the Culturist offered the other orc a genuine scoff, and Shiv tasted a slight measure of anger there. A lingering hatred the Culturist had for his kindred. A reduced flavor of what he reserved for the Challenger.

The Legendary orc sniffled.

Shiv said, dumbfounded. He knew the orc had a history with the Headmaster, but regarding him higher than Valor? Shiv didn't see it.

Adam asked.

The Culturist huffed.

Adam said.

Shiv thought hard as well, but Adam managed to figure it out in less than a second.

The Culturist laughed mirthfully.

A grunt of disbelief escaped Shiv.

The Culturist hummed thoughtfully.

Shiv blinked as he took all that in.