Ramira yawned and then prodded him with another question. “So how did you become a lord in your country if you weren’t born into it?”
“Ah, uh... it’s a recent thing. And kind of a long story.”
Her big gray eyes seemed to be telling him that she was ready for a long story.
He hesitated, of course, but he gave it a go, beginning with how he met the Queen and giving the highlights from there. And before long, he could see the little girl slowly drifting off to sleep. He didn’t really blame her, though. He wasn’t so great at this storytelling thing, and in spite of all her energy, Ramira had looked pretty tired even since before leaving Luzo. And it actually made the story easier to tell, he found. There was less pressure to get it right when it felt like she was hardly even listening.
At length, Ramira was out cold. And the mask made it hard to tell, but judging from Emiliana’s breathing and the fact that she hadn’t moved her head at all in the last few minutes, she seemed to be out, too. Marcos, as well, had fallen asleep on Dimas’ shoulder.
‘We might as well get some rest, too,’ said Garovel. He attached himself to Hector’s shoulder, and Hector fell quickly into unconsciousness.
The warm darkness washed over him. Familiar and welcome and gone too soon.
He awoke to the realization that the limousine was no longer moving. Garovel was awake, too, but the Elroy children were still asleep.
And Ramira was leaning against his shoulder.
He tensed up, having to resist the impulse to jump out of his seat. If not for a very potent concern that he would accidentally hurt the poor girl, Hector was pretty sure that he would have ended up ripping one of the doors off the vehicle while trying to escape.
Garovel floated in front of him. ‘You okay there, buddy?’
Hector just glared at the reaper with a clenched jaw.
‘Just relax,’ Garovel said privately, unable to hide his laughter completely. ‘She’s not going to hurt you.’
‘Garovel...’
‘Think of this as practice. Y’know, for when you have to touch someone who is actually conscious.’
‘You did this on purpose...’
‘Hey, I didn’t make her fall asleep on you. She did that on her own.’
‘You woke me up.’
‘Oh, did I? My hand must have slipped.’
‘Garovel!’
‘I do have hands, don’t I?’
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
If not for a very potent concern that *it* would accidentally hurt the poor girl, Hector was pretty sure that he would have ended up ripping one of the doors off the vehicle while trying to escape.
ReplyDeleteThink this needs an it or some other rewording in order to read a bit better.
In other news.... Awww Hector you big awkward softie.
Wow I was just bout to say there were no mistakes...
ReplyDeleteI can't get enough of Hector being uncomfortable lol
ReplyDeleteHector just glared at the reaper a clenched jaw.
ReplyDeleteGot it, thank you.
ReplyDeleteUnknowingly to you while you're reading your mind was fixing the error to make your reading comfortable.
ReplyDelete...I know that. I was expressing my dismay that I failed despite knowing it.
ReplyDeleteWas supposed to be a "he" there. Fixed now, thank you.
ReplyDeleteLol I really failed on this page
ReplyDeleteNeither can Garovel.
ReplyDeleteGot it, thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh no... Garovel or Frost is losing their touch. Missed a clear chance to mention Hector's ability to make people fall asleep with an epic tale of... Um... Daring? Parental slaying? Making blobs of iron? Being socially awkward? ... I'm out. Maybe Frost hasn't lost his touch and just didn't want to burn/defrost himself too bad. ;)
ReplyDeleteI wonder, if Hector said no, would Garovel go through some kind of midlife/existential crisis? Or would that be a mid-death crisis... Mid-afterlife crisis?
Side-note: Frost, we need a picture of them talking. We shall call it Socially Awkward Hector. It shall be he new Socially Awkward Penguin. Or maybe Bad Luck Hector... ... ... Nyan Hector? The point is: we need some kind of picture to commemorate Hector's hilarious social awkwardness and your stories continued epicness.
Shrivel must have hands. I can see him steepling his fingers from over here... ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd caught up.... started reading yesterday. Well damn. Let's try again after a year or two
ReplyDeleteWhat does Emiliana's mask look like, I can't find the passage.
ReplyDeletePage 752, posted July 2014.
ReplyDeleteThank you
ReplyDeleteDo you know any good artists? :P
ReplyDeleteHey, anybody want to start a betting pool on how long he can actually stay away? I'm putting 15 troas on him being back within the week.
ReplyDeleteTen on him returning within three days.
ReplyDeleteI'm betting with Steve
ReplyDeleteI've managed it for a month so I'll go with 30 days.
ReplyDeleteI think many reapers choose their servant as much for entertainment value as good intentions or value in combat. On the other hand, after his last servant Garovel might have just gone for an opportunity to observe his potential servant long enough to really get a sense of them, to avoid another betrayal or disappointment. Most people who die don't give months of advance warning to consider recruiting them like Hector did.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the ad for TZK that went something like " a story about" something something " and crippling social anxiety"?
ReplyDeleteThe other one I know is "Death is coming ... and he wants to help."
"A dark serial novel about blood, valor, superpowers, and... crippling social anxiety?"
ReplyDeleteI forgot where Frost officially has that, but I got the quote from the TvTropes page. http://thezombieknight.blogspot.com/2013/04/about-this-blog.html?m=1
I completely agree. I'd actually been thinking of it for a while now. We haven't been given indication, but I'm sure of it in the case of Hector/Garovel (and Roman/Reese, maybe)
ReplyDeleteSee my reply to Sheridan. I'm betting 3 days too
ReplyDeleteSee my reply to Sheridan. I'm with Gabe :)
ReplyDeleteHow bout we bet upvotes? If you lose, you have to find 10 comments of Gabe's and upvote them.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, I'm betting with Gabe :)
Thanks. I tend to avoid TV Tropes unless I am caught up or finished whatever I am reading/watching/playing so I forget it exists.
ReplyDeleteRoman and Voreese definitely, although now that I think of it I wonder if maybe Garovel simply felt bad about the idea of someone dying so pointlessly without ever having really lived.
ReplyDeleteI tend to avoid it when I have stuff to do, because its sort of like the earth power from Skulduggery Pleasant. For some period of time I will be completely out of commission, and I can't really control how long.
ReplyDeleteHmm... Could be wrong about this, but:
ReplyDeleteAnd the mask made it hard to tell, but judging from Emiliana breathing
should be "Emiliana's"
Now I can imagine him putting a finger in Hector's nose to wake hi up
ReplyDeleteYep. Fixed, thank you.
ReplyDeletePlus, someone mentioned a while ago (from experience, I believe) that there's no one more driven than a formerly suicidal person who's found something to live for. Certainly can't argue with the results in Hector's case.
ReplyDeleteOdd. I missed this comment. I believe it was I that said that. I might not have been the only one, though.
ReplyDelete