((The Mon/Wen/Fri Double -- page 1 of 2))
Roman seemed curious as well, but even though he already knew about the existence of Sparrows, Hector still couldn't explain the circumstances without alerting the Sparrow who was probably listening to their conversation at this very moment.
He would have to be quick. Now that the wind had died down again, he couldn't actually sense the bird anymore. It was almost definitely still there, but Hector was sure that it would fly away as soon as he got close. He would've liked to be more diplomatic in his approach, but he highly doubted that an unknown Sparrow would stick around and talk to him, even if he asked nicely.
So he did it all in an instant. Simultaneous materializations. He domed everyone in with soul-infused iron and also launched himself straight in the direction in which he'd sensed the bird.
And yes, it was definitely still there.
He bolted across the tarmac in the span of a single breath. The Sparrow barely had time flap its wings once before he'd clapped its entire invisible body in iron, save only the beak.
Immediately, he could feel the psychic assault on his mind, the same oppressive sensation as when he'd first met Hanton Gaolanet.
"That won't work on me," said Hector. "Just calm down. This doesn't have to turn into a fight. I only want to know who you are and what you're doing here."
'Then why did you attack me first?!' The telepathic voice was somehow feminine. Hector didn't know how he could tell that. He just could.
"Only to prevent you from fleeing. Here." And he annihilated the Sparrow's iron coating to demonstrate that he was telling the truth.
The Sparrow remained invisible to his eyes but not the Scarf. She flapped her wings with seeming disorientation and kicked up a few new gusts of wind on her own, but she didn't start trying to fly, and after a few more moments, she settled back down.
There was tense silence, but given her body language, Hector was hopeful.
"...Tell me who you are," he tried.
'My name is Pauline Gaolanet.'
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