Path of the Deathless

145 (I) Ethics

Article X: On the Sanctity of Captive Minds and Bodies-Article X, Treaty of Leopore

145 (I)

Ethics

Adam and Shiv stared on wordlessly as the orcs tossed the last few surviving inquisitors upon the still-alive pile. Beside the still-alive pile was another mound of recovered equipment. Armor, weapons, accessories, and more were piled high and contained within a force bubble to ensure nothing fell loose during the transportation process. Those two piles occupied one side of the surface gateway.

The other side was characterized by three piles.

The first pile was unofficially titled "still usable corpses." These were the bodies that were still intact and therefore quite suitable for Necromancy. It spared the orcs the additional effort of reattaching limbs or adding new parts to make up for missing bits. Beside the still intact corpses were in fact a few hundred different limbs. This pile was set up at the special request of several Heroic-Tier orcs under the auspices of monetary trade. Shiv didn't know if the orcs were pulling his legs or not when they claimed that their main form of currency was the severed limbs of their enemies. He'd seen them trade mithril before, so he guessed that they were probably bullshitting him.

But on some twisted level, he found it funny too, mainly because it kept making Adam do those constipated facial expressions.

The third pile was the smallest pile of all. There were only ten items on that pile. If one could consider a misshapen infant born from a male's body an item. Right in front of the gate, Shiv and Adam continued glaring at the orcs. A violently ill Uva heaved behind them, still struggling with her surface sickness.

"Does something displease you, Insul?" Bonk asked with the sweetest voice he could muster. That just made Shiv clench his teeth tighter. He reached out with his hand as he brushed Uva's back, and she shuddered violently and continued spewing sour strands all over the ground. Nearby, Valor told her this was normal, that there was an acclimation process for an Abyssal leaving the depths. Can Hu stared distastefully at the writhing inquisitors as well. Something about the automaton's body language very much resembled Adam's.

"So," Shiv began, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. "I mean, what the , guys?" He gestured at the horrific dead baby pile. "You told me that you got rid of Male Pregnancy!"

Some 20,000 orcs briefly eyed the dead babies. A few of them shuffled; most of them just shrugged.

"How do we know he did it?" Mortar asked. He rubbed at his chin slowly, as if there was a genuine mystery to solve here. "In fact, how do we know that these infants came from the bodies of men?"

"Because I found them inside male Inquisitors," Shiv snapped. These orcs were trying to piss him off. And it was working. "In fact, the only people who gave birth during this battle were male Inquisitors."

"What a terrible coincidence!" Mortar mournfully sighed. He barely held back a snort.

Another orc smacked him on the back of the head. "Keep your face straight, asshole. We need to keep the gag going.”

Mortar turned away before he could break completely, and Shiv just scowled at the horrible gray-skinned monsters. "Listen, I know you have itches to scratch. I know that you're a bunch of felling cruel bastards. But godsdamn it, we have one standard here. Just one."

And Adam couldn't take it anymore. "We have a lot more than standard," the Gate Lord hissed. "I can't even look at this!" He pointed at the dead baby mound. "I can't look at that either!" He gestured at both the mutilated corpses and the severed limbs. "What in the hells is wrong with all of you?"

A few of the orcs looked at each other. Bonk picked his nose. "We're enthusiastic. Besides, I don't understand why you're getting so worked up. Everything turned out pretty well. You caught your Master-Inquisitor. We have about..." Bonk looked behind himself and stared at the living pile. "...I don't know, a hundred inquisitors and then some left. That's pretty good."

And from the living pile came a loud and piercing shriek. "I want to die. I want to die. Somebody slit my throat. Let there be an end…"

“Just tell the orcs to finish these poor fools off,” Uva groaned, wiping spittle from her face. “This is pointless torture.”

"What? You—what?" The Gate Lord took a few moments to compose his words as his eyelid twitched. "Listen to me. I... I..." He failed. He turned to Shiv and gritted his teeth. "You talk to them. They've been standing before my Righteous Dawn, losing their bloody skill levels, for the past ten minutes, and I still see those damn smirks on their faces. Do they think this is funny? Do they find this amusing?”

Shiv winced. “Adam.” he leaned over. “I don't think that's the right thing to say. Getting frustrated will just get the orcs amused.”

And it most definitely was, as several of the orcs finally broke, all bursting out into laughter.

"No," an orc called from the back. "But we think you are. You are funny."

"We like your expressions," another orc said.

Tequila nodded in agreement. "They're pretty funny. You look like a human who hasn't taken a shit in three months." Check latest chapters at Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

Adam went still and quiet, but his face contorted more and more with every passing second. Behind him, his azure sun grew brighter as well, and more than a few of the orcs were entirely bathed in its baleful radiance, their bodies simmering as if judged by the flames of perdition. None of this was funny to Adam, not even a little, and Shiv could see his last thread of patience was fraying.

He cast a telepathic message at Adam.

The Gatelord glared at Shiv from the corner of his eye.

As he finished that sentence, a woman from the still-living pile began to shriek bloody murder, howling for her mother. Adam's teeth started grinding. Shiv held his expression in place. The orcs were watching them intently.

Adam hissed mentally.

Shiv said. The Deathless met Adam's stare as he tried to convey his own seriousness.

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A flood of absolute discomfort spilled over from Adam's mind.

Shiv interrupted him.

Adam said quietly. The very thought was rancid to the Gate Lord, but what soured his stomach even worse was the prospect of just letting the orcs indulge in brutality and torture.

Shiv said quietly,

Adam asked, challenging Shiv with a cold gaze.

And despite Adam's Awareness, he only just then realized Shiv's true worry. He turned his eyes away from Shiv, and he noticed just how many orcs were staring at him, studying him. They weren't just watching him because they enjoyed his miserable expressions. No. This was a dominance play on their part, a test of their ability to inflict discomfort on the Gate Lord.

Shiv continued.

Adam looked down, and he regarded the still-living pile of Inquisitors one last time.

Shiv noted.

"Are you two talking about us, Insul?" Whisper asked. His voice was a barely veiled taunt, but Shiv gave him no satisfaction.

"Yeah," the Deathless said honestly. "I'll be with you in a second." Shiv frowned as he considered Adam's suggestion.

Adam snapped. His posture was tense with frustration.

Shiv considered that for a moment.

Adam regarded him incredulously.

Shiv said simply. But something about Adam’s higher standards stuck with him. Somewhere along the line of being a Pathbearer, all the blood and carnage became routine for Shiv. Now that he thought about it, compared to a few weeks ago, his morals were getting looser…

Before Adam could reply, Shiv continued,

Adam blinked.

Adam looked like he had a lot to say, but he let Shiv talk.

Adam took in Shiv's words as one would drink down a bucket of piss and shit. Misery and disgust played across his face, but ultimately, he still let out a breath.

Shiv asked.

Shiv said.

Adam asked, doubtful.

Shiv snorted a humorless laugh.

Adam nodded in appreciation.

Shiv looked off to the side where an unmoving time dragon lay.

Adam said, confused for a moment. Then he followed Shiv's gaze and saw that he was staring at the dragon. Adam repeated.

Shiv laughed.

Adam's jaw fell open.

Shiv said, without any sense of irony whatsoever.

The Gate Lord inhaled a long and deep breath through his nostrils.

Adam began, his voice tense,

Shiv asked.

Shiv thought about that for a beat.

The Deathless regarded Adam for a moment.

The Gate Lord froze.

Adam flinched.