It was the first time Hector had ever gotten a good look at the Queen. Even on television, he’d only caught the odd glimpse of her. But perhaps now wasn’t the most accurate depiction, either. She didn’t look like she was having the best day, what with her blue-gray pantsuit in tatters and her makeup smeared with blood.
‘Introductions later,’ Garovel said preemptively. ‘We should leave.’
‘Your servant can’t defeat Desmond?’ said Mehlsanz.
‘I don’t know, but I doubt he can kill the reaper before Desmond brings down the building.’
Hector nodded. “Okay, we’ll meet you at the bike.”
‘No,’ said Garovel. ‘There could be other enemy servants. We stick together.’
“Who is he talking to?” said Lynnette.
Desmond broke himself free of the wall.
‘Go now!’ said Garovel.
The Queen ushered Lynnette out of the room, and Hector brought up the rear, seeing Desmond starting toward them.
‘What did you say his ability was?’ Hector asked as they ran.
‘Transfiguration. He can make his body parts explode. I’ll explain if we make it outta this alive.’
A swarm of guardsmen were waiting in the foyer.
‘Tell them to get back!’ said Mehlsanz.
“Do not engage!” Helen yelled as they pushed through. “I order you all to move away from here!”
Hector looked back again and saw Desmond’s entire severed arm flying toward them.
‘That’ll kill everyone here!’ Garovel yelled. ‘Hector!’
He understood and jumped. He caught it by the wrist and pulled it tight against his chest. The darkened flesh crackled, burning. Hector rushed to cover his torso with metal.
The explosion ripped his arms and legs off. His metal shredded like paper. He flew over the crowd of guardsmen and smashed into a chandelier. Glass shattered and rained down on marble tile as he hit the floor and rolled up against a limestone pillar.
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
And suddenly the family that witnessed Hector coating himself with metal at the fueling station was the least of his worries.
ReplyDeleteAh well. Such is unlife, I suppose.
DeleteUshered lynette out *of* the room. Gory! I like it!
ReplyDeleteFixed, thank you. And haha.
DeleteThis would be where advancement method two kicks in...
ReplyDeleteTime for wild prediction time!
ReplyDeletePrediction 1: Helen will die, her husband will claim the throne, and Lynnette will be Mehl's new servant! Bewm! I have no reason to believe this, I just think Lynnette would be a better combatant (seeing as how she managed not getting stomped by an experienced servant)
Prediction 2: We find out that Garovel's previous servant was actually very powerful! Reason being Mehl asked, kinda surprised, if Hector couldn't defeat Desmond. I think she expected any servant of Garovel to be insta-powerful.
Guards: did that civilian just do our job for us?
ReplyDeleteCivilian: naw, still alive
I know you said this like a year ago but there's a big flag in it. The servantncan't die if the reaper doesn't die, remember?
ReplyDeleteSo you think Hector is Garovel's first servant, do you?
ReplyDeleteJust like Eric said. Reapers can go through more than one servants in their..."lifetime". I go into the specifics of my prediction in another page, but I had meant that Helen gives up her life so Lynn can live.
ReplyDeleteHe's the second but i don't really remember how the first one died if i have even read it
ReplyDeleteDude, Garovel's three thousand years old. He's had and eventually released dozens of servants.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, a servant can "die" without the reaper. Just depends on the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteHow? They are supposed to be invincible when they are with their reapers.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you read that? (o_O)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I won't go into specifics because I'm not sure what information you're read already, but yes, a servant can die while the reaper lives. The simple fact you understand that Garovel had a previous servant proves this.
They can't be killed by force of arms, but one can impose situations where the reaper has no choice but to release the servant. Or the servant themselves can ask to be released, and if they're adamant about the decision the reaper would be very stupid to refuse.
ReplyDelete