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~~((The 7th Anniversary Special -- page 23 of 24?!))~~
"Hmm," hummed Hector. "Then does that mean you'll stop liking this place after it gets renovated?"

"Heh, perhaps," said Melchor. "I guess we'll find out."

Would we? Even if the renovation continued to proceed as smoothly as it had been over the least few weeks, Hector figured that it would probably still be a while before they reached the Star Tower. Considering how much more work it needed done and how low of a priority it was when compared to some of the others, the Star Tower might very well be the last one to get worked on.

Would Melchor still be staying at Warrenhold by then? Would any of the Rainlords?

Those questions bothered him, but Hector didn't want to dwell on them too much. With Ericoros here, he felt like he couldn't just ask whatever he pleased. He had to choose his words carefully.

"Ericoros," said Hector. "Have you spoken to Leo at all yet?"

Still, the reaper said nothing.

'Hey, now,' said Orric, sounding genuinely perturbed. 'The Lord Goffe asked you a question. Don't be rude.'

Hector held up a hand. "It's fine." He already knew that Leo had been trying to speak to Ericoros and that it hadn't been going anywhere. Hector would've liked to get a bit more information from the reaper's side of things, but this silent treatment was going to continue for a while longer yet, it seemed.

Certainly, Hector could understand why the reaper was reluctant to say anything to him. Hector was an unknown quantity in Ericoros' eyes. If Melchor really had managed to converse with him--and Hector wasn't entirely sure of that, either--then that was probably because Ericoros had at least heard of Darktide before.

Hector was beginning to feel like Ericoros was doing more than just silently judging him this whole time. Perhaps the reaper was waiting for him to try something. To try to torture or coerce him in some way--or maybe to use that weird ability that could compel people to talk. Obviously, Hector couldn't do the latter, but even if he could, he felt like that would seal Ericoros' opinion of him for good.