Page 1804

((Triple Monday -- Page 1 of 3))
He heard Selena clear her throat.

“...Um,” she said, “I just wanted to thank you for saving me the way you did. And, um. To apologize for my behavior. And for my... ah... for... er...”

Maybe if he just sat here on the edge of the bed and didn’t move, she would forget he’d said anything and think the room was empty.

“...Well, um. Sorry. Again.” Her voice was fading a little, as if she were moving away from the door. “And thank you. Again. Uh... hmm...”

Hector waited. Hector listened.

After a while of persistent silence, he was fairly sure that she was gone. He decided to grab the Scarf and check.

Yeah. She was gone.

Phew.

He relaxed.

Then he realized how fucking pathetic that just was.

Aw, dammit. He definitely should’ve talked to her. That was super rude.

He sighed and laid down. He’d have to find her and try to talk to her tomorrow. Probably not to apologize, though. He felt like that would just make things even weirder, considering she only came here to thank him. But he could at least check in on her. He seemed to recall some weirdness with her reaper. It was all kind of a blur, though. Garovel would probably remember.

So many things to worry about. So many people to worry about. Somehow, he was feeling even more overwhelmed now than he had during any of the battles he’d been in recently.

That probably wasn’t normal, he figured.

Soon enough, he let his fatigue take over and fell asleep. Deep and dreamless.

It was not Garovel who awoke him, however.

“Get up, Hector.”

He opened his eyes to see the not wholly welcomed face of Zeff Elroy there at the foot of his bed.

“It’s time to train,” the Lord Elroy said.

What time was it? Ugh, actually, he didn’t even care. Garovel was the one in charge of his schedule, not Zeff, so Hector just rolled over and snuggled into his sheets. “No, it isn’t. Go away...”

“Hmph. I’ll give you this one warning. You can get up. Or I can douse you in ice water. Your choice.”

Hector groaned and sat up. “Are you training me to hate you? Because, if so, then...”

“Get dressed.”

“Fine...”

Hector dragged himself out of bed, threw on some light clothes that he didn’t mind getting destroyed, and followed Zeff downstairs. “Shouldn’t you be with your family, right now?”

“They’re resting.”

“You should be, too.”

“I am not tired.”

“Bullshit.”

Zeff paused in the middle of the stairs to throw him a look of disapproval.

Hector merely returned the man’s gaze flatly.

They continued on, all the way down into the main courtyard.

A few people lingered about, all familiar Rainlord faces, though Hector couldn’t have put names to pretty much any of them. Zeff led him to the edge of the courtyard--and then over the cliff and out onto the lake.