The Players: Staring Contest

[Kaden]

Go to some mythical castle-town and slay the dragon laying siege to it. Seemed simple enough. While, as Belle pointed out, it was true that Kaden wasn’t exactly versed in how to most efficiently kill a dragon, his confidence did not waver. It wasn’t self confidence, not really. He was surrounded by some of the most able-bodied and quick-witted people he had ever met, and the fact that they could all fly around and shoot death rays out of their eyes meant that whatever they came across was in for a very bad day.

Aside from being endlessly entertaining, the series of events that the courier had been thrown into showed him something that he would only have guessed at before. When he talked, the people around him listened. Not all of them seemed to care for the things he said, but they listened nonetheless. He had felt it presumptuous to think of himself as a “leader” of any kind until Victoria began joking about it.

Sure, it had been a joke, and Kaden contextualized that it had more to do with the outfit he had almost been wearing aboard the ship from a couple events ago, but it got him thinking. He wanted to help the people around him escape Gamer. He wanted to watch them succeed against anything he threw at them. He wanted to show them, and himself, what happened when he stopped being detached.

Fortunately, the “Orgrimar” that was being attacked was not far off. Kaden was thankful for that. Their surroundings were nothing more than a barren wasteland, stretching on far into the horizon. Mountains rose up in the distance and every now and then the group would stroll past a fissure or crag that opened into a series of tunnels and caves that snaked their way underground. The latter Kaden only knew because his curiosity had prompted him to release a few Pulses of energy.

Moving from the landscape, Kaden’s mind turned to consider the garb that each person had been thrown into. Interestingly, the game seemed to have had no problem clothing them, unlike a couple events ago. What that could possibly mean remained a mystery, but a glance over his shoulder to the distorted series of ones and zeros off in the distance made Kaden think it wasn’t really a good thing.

Victoria had been the first to take note of their attire, her white and red-trimmed robe taking her interest almost immediately. Belle was wearing a sturdy breastplate and trousers that, remarkably, matched his fiery hair quite well. Walking beside Kaden, Ashe was wearing brown leather pants and vest along with a green shirt and bandana. Orion’s outfit, in Kaden’s eyes, was easily the most interesting; orange and red clothes made up an elaborate ensemble, complete with a long flowing cape. To the courier’s dismay, the saiyan ripped the red wide-brimmed hat from his head and tossed it to the side; the white feather that adorned the hat looked quite stylish. Kaden’s outfit, unfortunately, wasn’t much to look at: a large blue robe and a pointy yellow hat with a wide brim.

“Why didn’t you get a new outfit?” Kaden said aloud as he considered Lance. He didn’t realize he had spoken aloud until the boy answered.

“No clue. Glad I’m not in a dress, though,” he replied, smirking at Kaden.

The truth was hard to argue with, so Kaden simply shrugged. Any response he made would have been cut short, regardless. As the party crested a rise in the wasteland, Orgrimar came into view. Things were not going well. A massive wall stood as the first sight of the city, though it seemed to have done little stop the rampaging Bahamut.

Strewn across the ground, both within and without the city, were countless bodies… or parts of bodies. Green and blue skin mixed with the crimson of blood and the brown of the desolate earth as though painting some horrific picture. Standing in front of it all, casting his glance about the ruined city as though to admire his own handiwork, was the dragon himself.

Standing at least fifteen feet tall, four massive wings adorned the dragon’s back, each glittered as the rays of the setting sun danced off the steel-like surface of his scales. Two massive arms were crossed against his chest, his head turned in the direction of the incoming party, as though he had been expecting their arrival. Against the backdrop of carnage, it took a great deal of willpower for Kaden to keep his stride. Virtual or not, it was a horrendous scene.

“That thing’s huge…” Ashe was the first to comment.

“And it doesn’t look like he had any problem tearin’ through that city,” Lance followed up.

“Doesn’t matter how big he is,” Victoria said, a grin spreading across her face. “We have a job to do.”

“If he stands in our way, he’ll just have to be cut down,” Orion stepped towards the monster as he spoke.

“Besides,” Belle spoke, stepping forward as Orion had. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

There was the source of Kaden’s confidence. It wasn’t even really his own, but around him were people that could be counted on. They wouldn’t back down, they wouldn’t waver, and they would never give Gamer the satisfaction of winning. Regardless of what they had to go through, they would come out the other side that much stronger for it. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Belle, you should make the first charge,” Kaden started. “Victoria and Orion can follow up while Ashe and Lance stay back with me. If you three can weaken it up, I’ll support you while getting ready for the big finale.”

“Are you giving us orders?” Belle turned to Kaden, an eyebrow cocked.

It was all Kaden could do to keep from smiling wider. It was a serious situation and he didn’t want anyone to think he was taking as anything but that: serious. “Yes,” he replied. “I guess I am.”

There was a moment of silence as the team members considered one another. Kaden would have been shocked if Orion even cared whether or not a human was trying to take charge. Victoria, he was hoping would be fine as long as she got to unload on the big beastie. Ashe and Lance didn’t seem like they were in much of a position to be throwing themselves into combat.

Turning his attention to Belle, Kaden could only hope the hybrid saw the glimmer of… emotion in the courier’s eyes. Belle had been the one to point out that Kaden had been detached from his plans, removed from the very things he had suggested in the past. He didn’t want to be that person, and he hoped Belle could see that. Whatever the hybrid saw, it was enough to ease any doubts he might have had.

“Alright,” Hibiki shrugged.

“I hope you’re watching, Gamer.” Kaden whispered to himself as Belle, Victoria, and Orion shot forward. “Because you’re next.”