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Hector found himself falling and scrambled to catch himself. The flight in his armor had faltered. Reorienting it took precious seconds that he didn't have.

Everything was off. His aim. His senses. His concentration.

His Focus.

And the raptors were closing in again. He'd only staggered for a moment, but that was more than they'd needed.

He tried to lash out, to throw anything he could their way, to buy himself time.

But the world shuddered again. Black. For what felt like even longer this time.

And then he was just tumbling downward. Plummeting. Had he taken another hit? Couldn't even tell. Two raptors were right there in his face.

He saw one of their massive jaws open up and stretch wide enough to swallow him whole. Rows of dagger-sized teeth lined its mouth, and a whirlwind was already sucking him in as Banda inhaled.

And Hector realized that it was too late. The fight was over.

He didn't accept it. He didn't give in. A million thoughts, emotions, and memories flashed through his mind, none of which he could hold onto, in part because he wanted to reject them. Right now, in this terrible instant, he wanted to reject everything.

Because he knew he'd lost.


Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Two: 'The onlooking Blaze...'
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These days, there were a lot of things that didn't make sense to Roman Fullister. Particularly about Hector. In fact, he'd almost given up hope of ever feeling like he would have a true grasp of what was going on with that kid, anymore. The sudden leaps in power and influence? The changes in Hector's general disposition and apparent knowledge base? And the leadership he'd been exhibiting with all these Rainlords?

It was all an ever-expanding enigma.

But what exactly was happening here and now, Roman wondered? He'd done as Hector had told them and returned to the Entry Tower, but with every second that passed, Roman questioned himself and his situation more and more.

He did trust in Hector's judgment, but still... as he thought back to that moment when the young Lord Darksteel had told them what to do, Roman realized that he hadn't questioned Hector's words or decisions at all. Even Voreese wasn't putting up a stink while they waited in here, which was more than a little odd, to say the least.

As he looked over their small group another time, he came to the conclusion that this wasn't right. Even if Hector himself was right, this wasn't. Even if this was the smartest play right now--to wait for Abbas Saqqaf to show up--Roman couldn't just keep sitting in here while Hector was out there fighting, alone.