Lambs and hoggets, the lot of them. And the worst part, thought Adidas, leaning against the wall, the absolute worst part is that they don't even realize it. Watching his new companions drink and converse, the mercenary felt knots of regret tighten in his chest. Not even Ciel, who hired Nike and Adidas for the expedition, seemed to grasp the danger of Ayleid ruins. He was a kid who fancied himself a mercenary; a lamb who fancied himself a ram. And he, like the rest, would end up as mutton.
Nobody was paying Nike or Adidas to go into ruins and bring back mutton.
He wanted to cancel the contract, to shear himself of all responsibility to his employer, but he knew Nike would never allow such dishonor. The pair had been hired in good faith, whatever that meant, and good faith bought unshakable loyalty. Even if he pointed out the likelihood of their companions' imminent deaths, Nike would not abandon them. She would only feel further compelled to stay and protect other lives. So Adidas would stay too, and play his role in the flock, although whether that role was of shepherd, sheepdog, or bellwether, he had no idea.
So, to pass the time, he tried to guess which companion would die first. The half-breed healer and his blushing sister? Not likely. They were inexperienced, but not stupid. The drug-addled archer was a better candidate for early expiration, probably by accidentally following the pink rhinoceros into a trap, and the drunk dwarf wouldn't fare much better. Death by skeleton horde, no doubt.
There was a thunk from Ciel's table, and Adidas grinned. Ah, yes. The boy thief. He was a dead man walking. Adidas had watched him toy with his new blade all the way from the market to the hotel, the boy proving only that he had absolutely no clue how to use a weapon. Now, by brandishing his blade at Ciel, he'd shown not only incompetence, but idiocy as well. The thief had ignored the most basic rule of swordsmanship: any weapon you don't know how to use belongs to your opponent. As Avitus walked away from Ciel, Adidas grabbed him.
"Idiots earn their weapons," he said, pulling the dagger from Avitus' belt. He pushed the thief aside, and approached Ciel. "Debrief them. I have other business." Then, shooting a glance at Nike, Adidas stalked out the door.