Page 3523

‘You should do something nice for him,’ said Garovel. ‘Get him a present for being such a bro all the time.’

‘What kind of present can I get for one of the richest dudes in the country?’

‘Beats me. Put some thought into it. That’s the part they say counts, right?’

‘Real helpful, Garovel.’

In the end, he decided to trust the reaper’s judgment about being able to handle more intense flying maneuvers.

So he stepped it up, pushing for speed. He told Garovel not to render him numb, because he thought that pain might actually be the best way to gauge how much his own body was able to handle.

That nearly turned out to be a mistake. Rather than pain, he found instead that he was struggling not to pass out.

He was stubborn, though. In addition to no numbing, he also went without the undead vigor and regeneration, knowing that they would just leave him exhausted afterwards.

He didn’t quite recall how much of that fight he’d done without those enhancements, but he did know that he’d endured the last part of it that way. Specifically, he remembered how much of a relief it was when Garovel invoked the regeneration once it was all over.

So he knew that he could do this. These movements were nowhere near as intense.

But why did it feel so much harder, then? Because the stakes were so much lower? Because he was less focused?

Agh.

Mind over matter, huh?

He hadn’t expected the difference to be this dramatic, though. It made him wonder if he was remembering things wrong. He supposed training simply didn’t compare to the real thing.

The flying practice wasn’t meant to be fun, but as they sailed over the capital city of Sescoria, catching glimpses of famous buildings and landmarks, Hector couldn’t help wanting to take in the view a little more.

He made sure to gain plenty of altitude, though. No sense in spooking people on the ground by flying too low.

When he saw Bosliat Palace, he knew they were making good time and decided to slow down a bit to admire it. The place looked completely different from above. Being able to see the entire breadth of the compound made him wonder how Warrenhold might look from this perspective, if it weren’t underground.

Briefly, he considered popping in to say hi to the Queen, but she was probably busy. And besides, he felt like she might surprise him with some kind of new task or request.

So he pressed on, pushing for even more speed this time. It was about staying focused, Hector felt. Concentrating. Maintaining the flying armor wasn’t enough. He had to press harder. Remind himself what he’d been able to do before. The urgency.

Sescoria quickly fell away into the horizon behind him, and soon enough, the vast forest of the Reserve came into view.