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--1st Anniversary Special (day 1/7, page 3/4)--
‘Really?’ said Garovel. ‘You’re not going to tell me what that was?’

‘...Where’s my bike?’ said Hector.

The reaper was gracious enough to point him in the right direction. ‘C’mon, Hector. You know you can tell me anything.’

‘I... I know I can. But that doesn’t mean I want to.’

‘Oh, it’s like THAT, is it? Well, damn. What’d she do? Touch your arm unexpectedly? Accidentally breathe within three meters of your face?’

‘Hey, Garovel, I’ve got an idea. How about you go fuck yourself?’

‘So hostile. You know you’re just making me more curious now, right?’

‘Ugh...’

He found his way to the parking garage and decided to wait there for his mother to catch up. It took a while, but when she arrived, she had a small escort of two with her. There was an elderly woman in a faded rainbow dress and a rather tall black man in a white-and-blue guardsman’s uniform.

His mother stopped in front of him and stared. “I’m not even going to ask what that was about back there. Lynnette is upset with you, though. She asked me to tell you that.”

“Ah... oh...” He figured it best to just take his mother at her word and move on. “W-who are these two?”

The old woman stepped forward to introduce herself first. “Amelia Carthrace,” she said, offering Hector a wrinkly handshake, which he eventually took. “At the Queen’s behest, I am here to help you manage your affairs from now on. Pleased to make your acquaintance, young man.”

The guardsman took his turn next. “I am Jamal Easton. A call went out looking for people to work for the Darksteel Soldier. Seems I was the only one who answered.”

Hector looked between the two of them. “Um... I don’t, ah...”

“Hector, just go with it,” his mother said. “I’m sure we could use the help right now. From the sounds of it, the Queen has gifted you quite the white elephant.”

He glanced at Garovel, who just shrugged. “O-okay. Do you guys know the way to this Warrenhold place?”