Gliby didn't know how she became a boss. The others were obvious choices. Kor, Natak, and even Bit had their special abilities and traits. Gliby didn't have any of that.

What she did have was a knack for being unseen and forgotten. It was her method of defense and how she survived so long.

When Hogo was battling the eclectic group of monsters defending the humans, she was unseen. Melded into a nearby wall like a chameleon. Her Whisper Aura made people forget, so even those who noticed gave up the chase soon.

Gliby could have helped Hogo at any time. But why? He would just go back to belittling her and the others. Forcing her to do his menial tasks and brew his drinks. She hated the Buggbeast more than anything in the world. Then again, he was her chief. If he died, then she would be without a leader. That was unthinkable.

What stayed her hand was more than the hate, however. He intrigued her. The goblin who dared to stand against Hogo. He did it with a smile. Daggat. She witnessed his transformation into a creature of awe. Heard how he casually directed the humans, somewhat too casually, with his angelic voice. She couldn't help but giggle when he belittled Spoggles for all to hear.

When Hogo tore off his arm, she couldn't help but feel a profound loss. One she couldn't quite place.

Then he recovered. Healed by some miracle, he descended on Hogo like a dragon. His strength was immense, such that a single blow blew Hogo up from the inside out.

[Party Leader slain. You have inherited all party perks.]

She had little time to ponder why she ended up with the perks, because then Daggat looked directly at her.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he said, "SCATTER!"

Daggat had shown her mercy. A kindness she had never earned from Hogo. With one glance back, she followed his instruction.

How far she ran, she couldn't say. It took hours to track down her party of misfits. Those who didn't fit in with the others.

"This is bad, bad, bad, very bad." Grumbled Olly, her closest friend, "What do we do? What do we do?"

"Rika gonna kill us!" Howled Bebe.

Snot dribbled down Lulu's chin, "They're all dead…"

The triplets, Igi, Nox, and Sox, cowered together.

Gliby had the impression she was supposed to do something, "Calm, calm. Gliby will think of a way out."

Bebe said, "Oh, we're doomed!"

Other goblins milled about, naturally forming into a group. Gliby searched for any other bosses. None.

Was she all that was left? The last boss of clan Brittleblade? That was a sobering thought.

"Is this the last of us?" Gliby asked no one in particular.

A few goblins shrugged. They all looked to her.

"Uh… Gliby thinks if we go back, we get eaten." She managed to squeak loud enough to be heard.

Goblins muttered their agreement.

"So what do we do?" Shouted a bugbear.

Gliby felt herself begin to panic. This was it. Her worst nightmare. She had to make a decision. Not just for her, but for EVERYONE.

What should she do? What could she do? She had no one to look to for advice. What would Hogo do? Probably eat him.

What would Daggat do?

Suddenly, she had a clarifying thought. Daggat!

"Hogo was weak!" She said, "Gliby thinks we should follow someone strong."

"Who?" Asked Lulu.

"Gliby saw him, yes. He is strong. He is protected! He commands explosions!"

"Where?" Igi, Nox, and Sox said in unison.

"He is at the village still."

"Who is He? Does he still fight the horrors? The exploding thingy and the shadow?"

"He? He? He is Daggat! He leads the horrors!" Gliby shrieked.

Goblins reacted like a swarm of bees, yelling, mumbling, and generally buzzing about.

"Gliby knows your fears. But Gliby thinks he is good leader."

"They killed so many of us!"

"The giants commands fire. Why would they want us?"

"Gliby looked into his eyes! They are the eyes of the dead, yet they hold… mercy."

"Mercy?" Bebe whispered the word like a curse.

"They could have killed us. But, instead, he told us to flee! To scatter. Mercy."

"Mercy is weakness." A bugbear growled.

Gliby felt as though she had been slapped in the face.

"You dare call him weak! After witnessing what he did? Death eludes him. Weapons act upon his will," Gliby was wide-eyed, excitement pushing her on, "he slew Hogo, Kor, and many others! The giant comes to his aid, the shadow does his bidding, and the spider slaughters his foes!"

The crowd was hopping with energy; she could see the idea was sticking.

"The armored phantom protects him!" The triplets yelled.

Bebe's expression lit up, "Even the beast does not thrash and destroy him!"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Gliby thinks they will be new chief!"

The crowd roared its agreement.

Lulu slapped her on the back, "So, now Gliby will take us to him!"

Gliby blinked, "Uh, hold on."

"Yeah, how are you going to do it?" Olly asked.

"Without him sicking the abomination on us," Bebe added.

For a moment, everyone looked at Gliby, expectantly.

"Gliby… doesn't know."

Thrymja, Wisdom of the Evergreen Maw, towered over the other orcs. His great bulk was supported by his staff, the core of a great tree felled by lightning. A dozen totems and charms dangled from the staff. His height was not a strength. It was a burden he carried. Unexplainable size, not reflected in his statistics, that did not bring strength.

"This is cowardly," he grumbled to the shorter, yet stronger orc. Thrymja looked at him despite his blindness. In place of eyes, two orbs of condensed energy crackled. They gave him storm sight. To him, his companion was a collection of racing electrical signals.

"Cowardly? This is simply cause and effect." Replied Koarok. He was the Strength. Another leader of their tribe.

They spoke while they fled. The Evergreen Maw had hardly even begun their attack before they ran, so they had the stamina.

Thrymja kicked aside a log, rather than stepping over it, "Betrayal, then. We had an agreement to fight."

"An agreement they broke, many times. We were promised gold. We have seen none. We were promised experience, yet the goblins hoard it all."

"We have gold. The goblins know nothing of the treasures we have taken from the humans."

"Those were spoils, not payment. I refuse to be used by goblinoids."

"So, we betray them? Walk away… leaving them to die."

Koarok turned on him suddenly, "WE WOULD HAVE LOST TOO MANY! Do not question the decision of the Strength. Already, we've lost a dozen warriors because of Hogo's foolish idea of leadership. No heed for caution, no wisdom."

Thrymja tightened his grasp on the staff, his Static Aura flared, sparking electricity around them, "And now you do not listen to YOUR Wisdom. When Rika discovers our treachery, she will have no mercy for us."

Koarok's expression softened, "I know. I may have acted too selfishly. Today will be remembered by the Memory. Still, the village was defended by magic users and adventurers. Not worth the risk."

"I agree. You may have made the right call in the moment. But now, what would we do?"

"We do as we always have done. Travel, hunt, and offer our blades to those who can afford them."

"And of my theory? That Rika does not seek land, but personal power? What would we do when a dragon descends on us?"

Koarok scratched his chin, "I do not know. I will leave that to the Wisdom to ponder. For now, I will guide us in the moment."

The Strength and the Wisdom. He who leads the present and he who leads the future. Two of the three that rule an orc tribe.

The third, the Memory, Tika, approached. "Two have fallen today. Many more wounded. It could have been worse."

That left them with only fifty-three Warriors and twenty-seven Keepers. So many mouths to feed.

"What of the Earthtusks?" He asked. They were the other orc tribe that assisted Hogo.

Tika shook her head, "I don't know. They followed the troll."

"Well, there will be more loss if we do not keep moving," Thrymja said.

"But where to?" Tika asked, "The goblins are stripping this land of its bounty. Soon, there will be nothing left."

"We could settle, as the civil orcs have done," Thrymja suggested.

The Memory grimaced, "We have lived this way for three generations."

"It may not be viable. Perhaps we shouldn't have let the goblins do as they please." Thrymja said.

Orcs had no love for the mortal races, but they did not have loyalty towards other monsters, either. Their dealings with the goblins were purely contractual. The goblins had a wealth of treasure squirreled away in their large camp. It was the initial payment for the orcs, wargs, and other forces of Elderveil.

Rika had split the forest into three groups. One under the pay of the Head Takers, such as themselves, the wargs, harpies, and a few of the stronger monsters. The other was simply those who were forced to defend against Rika's sudden assault. The humans, Silver Wolf Goblins, wise wolves, the civil orcs, and the dwarves who have settled.

The third group was the others. Those who hid, like the Shadeleaf Goblins, or were too few or scattered, such as the ogres.

Now, it seemed the Evergreen Maw had forced itself into the second category. Assuming that Hogo could report on their betrayal. Koarok had told him of the burst of flame from the village. They might have fallen.

Koarok growled, "For now, we head south. Seek whatever fortunes wait for us."

Rika screamed in frustration, "What could have possibly killed that moron?!"

Daz, the shaman, took three good steps back, "The brittleblades were always the most foolish."

"It is not just them… the others face opposition as well. Though none are so foolish as to die."

"Should we send Triboar?" he asked, "Firmly destroy whatever it was that killed him."

Rika took a deep breath, "No, the giant stays where he is. I have plans for the mercenaries. Prepare the camp."

"Um, prepare for what?"

"The return," Rika growled.

She left him without explaining. She slithered and stomped her way through the camp and into her personal home. Then, she went below.

Through the cave, she had hidden from all but her most trusted cohorts. The cave transitioned starkly into brick. Ancient structures that have sunk below the earth. Now her dungeon, it was once part of an empire that stood when the titans were young.

There, she kept her most valuable tools and treasures. Her Party Leader Codex, several piles of gold, and a collection of enchanted equipment she had yet to hand out. She walked past them all, taking the codex with her, and towards the chamber that held the most valuable item in her collection.

It hung in the air like a cloud. A large stone engraved with chains. Black iron held it in place. The stone thrummed with potential. Old magic.

On the wall was a corpse. It was held there with a spear, keeping it pinned.

"Awaken, corpse," Rika growled.

It did so, jaw opening as if to gasp for air. It had no lungs to do so. She received a message at the same time.

Corpse: <Release me from this torture. Remove the spear of immortality.>

It could not speak, so she added the corpse to her party. Then, she disallowed it from messaging anyone else.

"Not yet, not until we are done. Tell me how to use the stone."

Corpse: <What do you wish it to do? The Tablet of Chains is not a toy.>

"And I am not a child. I wish to bind all those within my party tree to me. Soul to soul."

Corpse: <What would this accomplish?>

"You told me yourself. Before the angels dethroned the gods. How did one attain power?"

Corpse: <Feasting on souls.>

"And we still do. Every kill steals a bit of the soul. We call it experience."

Corpse: <You seek to feast?>

"I do not care for the loss of experience per kill. The angels only allow so much. Tell me what must be done to use the stone, and I will end your eternal life when I succeed."

Corpse: <Speak to the stone. Offer it something to bind through. I have explained this before.>

Rika nodded. It was good to double-check. The old magic and the current system were not entirely incompatible. But you had to take risks and make assumptions.

"Tablet of Chains, I call to you. Bind those connected to me to my soul." She presented the codex, "This is the medium. The party system devised by the young angels."

The stone hummed to life with the sound of rattling chains. As though weightless, the codex floated through the air towards it. Its pages flipped and shuttered, as though the tablet was reading it at immense speed.

Corpse: <It requires power. A sufficient soul to be burned.>

"Define sufficient."

"A newborn for each soul bound."

She did some quick math, "I would need a level twenty soul, then." She sighed. Anyone past level 15 was away.

The ritual would have to wait. Instead, she opened a message to her living Chiefs.

Rika: <It is time to return. Slaughter the mercenaries. Come back to the camp. Leave no goblin behind. Last one to return will be punished.>

Now she had to wait.

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