Headed by a Snake

Chapter 343 “Orcus”

?"There are no good ends for people like us, Brother-Bannok."

Tycondrius placed his hand on the armored human's shoulderguard. He had said the same thing to Archbishop Natalya Crucis, "But we shall continue, whether it's forging the path for the next generation or keeping ourselves alive for one more sun."

Weaponmaster Bannok's eyes grew wide... before he burst out into unrestrained laughter, snorting and holding his stomach, "Hahaha. You're shite at being inspirational, guy."

...That was not the reaction he was hoping for.

"Brother-Tycon... naturally has a sarcastic voice," Zenon explained, "But he tries. Really!"

Tycon frowned. That did not make him feel better.

Bannok took off his gloves, wiping at the corners of his eyes, "Ah.... I needed that. Alright, fella's. As much as I'd love to keep running my suck, you's should meet up with the kid and the rest of the Stormbrands."

The 'kid' likely referred to Athena, the youngest member of her adventuring company. It seemed to be a term of endearment, as well. Everyone that Tycon had met thus far had a good opinion of the young lady.

It gave him even more reason to eventually remove Lord Greer and Lady whatever-her-name-was.

Tycon and Zenon politely excused themselves. The next step was to meet Athena's and Tanamar's adventuring company, the Stormbrands. He was looking forward to it.

...

As the two approached the Stormbrand camp, Centurion Zenon began to exhibit signs of panic and hyperventilation.

"That-- that's the guy, Optio!" He whispered breathily.

Tycon pursed his lips, trying to understand his robed friend's excitement, "You're referring to the... gentleman conversing with Athena?"

A young, beardless, white-silver-haired human was speaking with Athena Vanzano. At first glance, it seemed like they were getting along splendidly. Upon further observation, Tycon noticed a subtle dance, even from the distance. The male would speak proudly and energetically, stepping slightly towards the young lady. Athena would smile, respond respectfully, and... take a slight step backward. The process continued.

He looked... familiar. However, Tycon's System did not mark him as an individual known to him. The male's hair was long, tied into a high ponytail-bun that would otherwise spill down past his cheeks... and of a similar color to Tanamar's-- real name Athanasius Mors. Besides that, the fellow's age and facial structure were also very similar to the footman's.

"It's... it's Orcus!!" Zenon squealed. "God of battle!!"

Ah. It was the gladiator with the stage name-- Athanasius' twin brother. Gladiators were often adventurers on the side and vice versa. Sol Invictus was of that exact archetype.

Besides the fact that the presence of... 'Orcus' turned Zenon's voice from deep and melodious to shrill and unpleasant, Tycon did not have a good opinion of the fellow. Tanamar remained a loyal footman of House Vanzano. His brother, on the other hand, had chosen to leave.

It was rational. It was human. At the time (and still, currently), the Vanzano name was more-or-less worthless. While participating in the arenas could restore fame and fortune to the noble house, it was far more lucrative to work for wealthier patrons.

Tycon would have likely done similar.

The price... was trust.

'Orcus' had shown that he sought fame and financial reward. He could be trusted that much. Most mercenaries could only be trusted as far as their pay could afford.

The Stormbrand adventuring company would be paid as long as two stipulations were met. The quest had to succeed and they had to survive. Unfortunately, there was little incentive to perform above average-- just enough to do their part and allow their allies to make up for their deficiencies.

It was a weakness of the Brazen Guards' business model. Allying with various smaller companies allowed their numbers to swell. However, besides the original two guilds that had completely merged, the smaller teams retained their own identities and would be prone to acting selfishly, keeping their own members comfortable rather than seeking for the collective's success as a whole.

Of course, there would be exceptions to this rule, companies that built excellent reputations and thrived on building trust. He liked to think that Sol Invictus belonged to that category.

Most of the companies that sought reputation, though, would have already relinquished their team identity to join the Brazen Guards properly. Thankfully, from what Tycon had observed in the war camp, the number of main guild members outnumbered the numbers of those they allied with.

"Brother-Zenon..." Tycon hesitated, trying to form his words to not offend his elevated friend, "May I ask again... what exactly is so impressive about that fellow?"

Athena's lack of foresight was about to entrap her. The approaching 'Orcus' was positioned so that the young lady would back into a line of seated Stormbrands, making her unable to back further.

Tycon quickened his pace. When he and Zenon were in view, Athena would have a socially acceptable excuse to withdraw from the conversation with the overbearing male.

Zenon hurried after-- and by that, he began taking full steps instead of half, "I just think he's cool. Look, you can see he's wearing his gladiator armor!"

'Orcus' wore dark armor underneath a long, white coat... but he also wore gaudy crimson gloves and dark blue boots. The fellow could have been colorblind. It could have been a trick to lull his opponents into thinking his poor stylistic choices correlated to his skill. More likely, the mismatching gear was lightly enchanted.

? 'Orcus', Iron-Rank Human Reaver. ?

A large, two-handed axe was strapped to his back, looking far too unwieldy for the human to properly control. Realizing this, Tycon's opinion of the fellow fell even more.

The two of them were finally noticed by Athena, who bowed politely and excused herself from her conversation with 'Orcus.'

...Tycon realized something else. He did not like that name. But why? It was an aesthetically pleasing name, sounding guttural... raw... and powerful. He spent a few moments rifling through the fragments of his previous life's memories...

He knew an Orcus once-- most of the details lost to him. It was possible they were even friends. That an unworthy human shared his name was an unfortunate coincidence.