Monday, April 13, 2015

Page 1014

He supposed Garovel had a point, but Hector really didn’t want to believe that could be true. The idea that some of the Rainlords might sabotage their own peace did not sit well with him. In the brief time he’d spent with these people, he’d seen nothing but reasons to respect them. Even their aberration--somehow, they’d made a monster seem honorable. The kind of people who could pull off a feat like that deserved the benefit of the doubt, didn’t they?

Maybe they didn’t. That was the question at hand, after all. When it came down to it, maybe Ibai really was nothing more than a monster.

Hector touched his forehead as he realized that he was just going around in circles and confusing himself.

There’s another option we haven’t thought of,’ said Garovel, still privately. ‘Perhaps this whole thing is a fake out.

What do you mean?

The victim’s wounds are obviously excessive. Unless, that is, they are meant to prevent us from identifying the body. In which case, this “victim” could actually be a servant, and the reason their soul isn’t here is because their reaper took it and regenerated them somewhere else.

Oh... you mean like we had Colt do.

Basically, yeah.

Asad and Qorvass seemed to have finished their conversation with Carlos and ventured over to inspect the corpse.

Garovel posed the most pressing question. ‘Can either of you tell us who this is?

The Lord Najir merely frowned, but Qorvass hovered closer to the victim’s feet.

The old skeletal Sandlord let out a heavy sigh. ‘This is Fuad,’ he said.

Hector saw Asad stiffen.

“How do you know?” Asad asked.

The shoes,’ said Qorvass. ‘They’re a little torn up, but you recognize them, don’t you?

Asad just shrugged.

No one else around here wears that brand or color. It’s Fuad. I’m sure a DNA test will confirm it.

Does Fuad have a reaper?’ asked Garovel.

No. He was just a normal kid. He was living here as part of an apprenticeship.

Garovel spared one last word in private. ‘Shit.

It was a good theory,’ said Hector. And then he saw something on Asad’s face that bothered him. Not sadness or anger, but worry. And a sudden question occurred to Hector. “What was Fuad’s last name?”

Asad returned a hard stare. “Saqqaf.”

17 comments:

  1. And he (blank) something on Asad's face that bothered him.

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  2. "Shit" is just about the perfect word to describe this problem now...

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  3. Núicolas Sagrillo de AraújoApril 13, 2015 at 7:13 AM

    Well, shit nigga.
    But in all seriousness now, best cliffhanger ever.

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  4. Wait who are the Saqqafs again? I'm too lazy and sleepy to find out on my own.

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  5. Nícolas Sagrillo de AraújoApril 13, 2015 at 9:09 AM

    The Saqqaf Hahl is pretty much the royal family of the Sandlords.
    Which to the "Oh Shit"- moment previously experienced.

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  6. Ah. Somebody wanting a Rain-Sand coalition to fall apart couldn't do better, eh? :|

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  7. Nicolas Sagrillo de AraujoApril 13, 2015 at 11:30 AM

    Which *leads.

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  8. Now the theory of mine this plays into is the one about how Abolish is trying to get the Golden Fort spread out so they can defeat it in detail.

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  9. We if this is Parson's doing, it could play into my theory that he wants to only destroy the Rainlords of Sair, and wants to make them look somewhere between misguided and outright treasonous.

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  10. This gets better and better... laugh. I think Ibai is really innocent and someone is a saboteur.

    Poor Fuad. I guess he will be avenged... ? Hopefully they will think before the avenging part.

    Interesting is that Hector might be the only NEUTRAL party around.

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  11. I think everyone thinking abolish is looking the wrong way. Plans within plans and more flexible solutions than may ever be required. This was done for effect, whether that be to guide the big picture or to unsettle people I don't know. It's possible that his family decided to give him a reaper or the vanguard split is going to slowly drive a wedge in somewhere by stirring things between the family's.

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  12. I hope that Frost wouldn't be mean enough to create so sympathetic a character as Ibai just to have the good guys kill him because they made a mistake. Also, I don't think Hector really is all that neutral. He tries to be open-minded about everything at Garovel's urging, but on the other hand he probably has more beef with aberrations in a general sense than even most Vanguardians, since I doubt many of them have lost their friends to aberrations when they had only just gotten friends for the first time in their lives.

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  13. Nícolas Sagrillo de AraújoApril 15, 2015 at 7:27 AM

    You're troping again!

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  14. It's a curse. Either Cursed With Awsome or Blessed With Suck. Can never decide which. ;P

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  15. HALP! I CANT'T STOP!!!

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  16. WTF?! He's an imposter!

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