“How do you know she is here?” Emiliana asked.
“Well, I don’t, but the cells on this floor are super old and were designed specifically to hold reapers. Normal cells won’t work even with soul-empowerment, because normal cells have to allow air in, and reapers can squeeze through even the smallest of physical gaps. Unless you’re using a soul net, I suppose. But those require added maintenance since they need electricity and other science-y stuff. Which didn’t even exist way back then, anyway. Or hadn’t been discovered yet, I guess. Whatever.”
“You... seem to know a lot about it.”
“Do I? That’s cool. Studying is boring, but knowing stuff is fun. Hey, what’s your reaper’s name?”
Emiliana seemed reluctant, still, but said, “Chergoa.”
“Lovely. HEY, CHERGOA! CAN YOU HEAR US?!”
After a beat, Emiliana blinked. “She can.”
“You lead the way, then,” said Ibai.
Emiliana proceeded down the length of the hall, shouting out to Chergoa intermittently, and soon, Ibai could hear the reaper’s responses.
‘You sound really close now.’
Emiliana stopped in front of a cell on their right. “I think she’s in here.”
“Okay,” said Ibai. “Be right back.” And he teleported inside on his own.
It was pitch dark inside, but he did not need light to see her. To his eyes, reapers were very small, human-shaped toys. Tiny action figures, in truth.
As soon as Chergoa saw him, she began bobbing frantically up and down. ‘Holy shit, an aberration! How did you--?!’
With nowhere for her to run, Ibai just scooped her up with his shadow. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”
‘What--?!’
They jumped out again, and he held the reaper up for Emiliana to see. “Here she is! Safe and sound!”
“Thank you!” Emiliana moved to take Chergoa from him.
Ibai recoiled from her touch, keeping the reaper well in hand. “Ah. That’s okay. I’ll keep her safe for you.”
The relief on Emiliana’s face disappeared. “No, please, I would much rather she be--”
“Sorry,” said Ibai. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that I don’t trust her. No offense, Chergoa.”
Chergoa made no response.
“I know how most reapers see me.” He frowned. “If I let her go, I’m sure she’ll just run away. And then she’ll make you run away. And then we won’t be able to go on an adventure together! So I’ll hold onto her for now.”
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
anddddddd it begins
ReplyDeleteHaha, it sure does begin a lot, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteYou know what? He actually has a point, in his own twisted way. He's reacting against a bias towards aberrations by manipulating the situation to keep him in power. It's quite sad, really. He's not monstrous enough (yet) to be despicable, but yet he isn't redeemable - he still has the same alien, childlike motives. He just couches them in adventures instead of murder sprees.
ReplyDeletedaww! Ibai just wants to have friends. Even if he has to emotionally torture them in order to force them to stick around.
ReplyDeleteFrost. I know what you're doing. Please don't do it. You don't want to do what you are doing, we don't want you to do what you are doing, why don't we all agree for you to NOT do what you're planning to do with the convoluted plot device.
ReplyDeleteHector needs to meet Emiliana. We do NOT need a long arc on Hector and Garovel chasing after them. We have been waiting patiently for you to add some much needed romance. DO NOT make us wait longer. I can picture all kinds of scenarios happening from this type of kidnapping that will give you an excuse not to give us romance. WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT.
Side-note: It's nearly Christmas. *wink wink, nudge nudge*
No bring on the chase! I wish to see mayhem when Ibai tele-voids entire towns and leaves small cracks in the void and resurrects dead reapers who takes advantage of the cracks in reality and return to the world for revenge!
ReplyDeletePeople-shaped toys...that's a perception that doesn't bode well.
ReplyDeleteI like Ibai! I hope he makes friends, he's probably never had any.
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeleteRomance is not needed
ReplyDeleteWhat are you talking about? Hector and Lynn are clearly the adorable couple.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess somehow his power doesn't automatically consume souls like a normal one does. I could have sworn that it said all aberrations have only a single power, and that that power revolves around stealing souls. Yet his power clearly didn't eat a vulnerable reaper, even though I'm pretty sure it said that they can be taken. Guess we'll find out later.
ReplyDeleteId say his powers got a lethal and non-lethal component like say teleporting an arm(or whole body) into a reaper or ordinary person and taking them that way, where as if he just held them and teleported they'd be fine.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Aren't kids the worst?
ReplyDeleteWhat really scares me is that the other aberration we've seen sees reapers about like he sees anyone else. So if this one sees them as toys...
ReplyDeleteI think most aberrations have a point. From their own, unique and highly... unusual... perspectives. ;P
ReplyDeleteIbai just has more of a point than most (not that it makes him any saner by most metrics :P).
Exactly. Mind you... considering how others act... How is this news? :P
ReplyDeleteIt's also looking like aberration powers are based on psychologically based. Geoffrey was raised by a powerful crime lord, and was used to people obeying him instantly. He got Domination, which centers around controlling people. Meanwhile, Ibai grew up confined in his home, wanting to have adventures. He got Teleportation, which centers around travel and ignores confinement.
ReplyDeleteOr... he just doesn't choose to consume because he's been taught all his life how rude it is. And, very unfriendly.
ReplyDeleteYou want friends, right?
While a chase scene does seem boring, I don't understand where you get an idea of Romance between Hector and Emiliana. Hector has already stated he likes Lynn, and Chergoa is Garovel's sister, which would make things kind of weird if Hector and Emiliana got together.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks. I actually didn't make that connection until just now. So 'Domination'= primary desire control; 'Incineration'= primary desire murder and 'Create Singularities'= ??? primary desire destruction? Maybe just insane in the membrane?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I didn't see the connection you made. This deserves way more likes
ReplyDelete