‘I’m thinking,’ said Garovel. ‘Hmm. Well, if this was going to be some kind of horrible accident, then the aura definitely would NOT have just vanished like that. An exploding gas main can’t just stop itself from killing someone. But a person can. The only thing that makes sense here is that the would-be murderer suddenly changed their mind.’
‘Or... someone else saved them, somehow?’ offered Hector. ‘We aren’t the only reaper and servant around here, y’know.’
‘Mm. That’s possible, too. Alright then, let’s just leave for now and check up on them later.’
Hector bolted across the yard and bounded over the wall. He hit the ground with a heavier thud this time, leaving a more noticeable indention in the grass, thanks to all his armor.
‘Actually, wait,’ said Garovel, as Hector was about to start running again. ‘This is really strange. So let’s just... stick around for a little bit.’
‘Okay...’ The new yard they’d found themselves in looked a lot like the previous one. Hector hoped the owner wouldn’t be too upset about some armored weirdo messing up their grass. Mostly, though, he hoped they didn’t come outside and stare at him.
‘Ah!’ said Garovel. ‘The aura’s back! They’re in danger again!’
And again, Hector flung himself over the wall. When he rushed back toward the house, however, Garovel stopped him.
‘And now it’s gone,’ the reaper said. ‘What the fuck is going on here?’
Hector caught a glimpse of the family through the window this time, but he didn’t linger for a better look. He ducked behind their patio again. The last thing he wanted to do was scare them for no reason. ‘Garovel... this isn’t some kind of terrible prank that you’re playing on me, right?’
‘Of course not. C’mon. If I were pranking you, it’d be way funnier than this shit.’
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every day at noon PST by ~400 words.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Page 1026
Garovel laughed. ‘Not just yet, but give it a--’ And that sentence’s abrupt ending brought them both to a halt, though Hector was the only one left skidding across the sidewalk. Garovel tapped his shoulder, and Hector felt the familiar surge of vigor course through him. ‘This way,’ the reaper said, phasing through the stone wall next to them. ‘And hurry.’
Hector bounded up and over and hit the ground rolling. It was a large yard, he discovered, leading up to a three-story house among a crowd of trees, but this didn’t seem to be their final destination. Hector cut across the manicured lawn in pursuit of Garovel and leapt over the next wall at the other end. Another yard now, and another full sprint across it until they reached the next property over, where Garovel finally slowed.
‘Armor,’ the reaper told him, hovering up close to envelope himself around Hector’s torso. ‘Not sure what we’re running into here.’
He crouched next to the small staircase that lead up to the house’s rear patio. He reached for full iron plate with his mind, and it started clapping around his body in segments.
‘It seems to be a family,’ said Garovel. ‘They’re just sitting together, presumably at a table having breakfast. But they all have the aura. I don’t sense any--’
‘...Garovel?’
‘What the--? It’s gone now.’
‘What’s gone? What do you mean?’
‘The aura. It went away. None of their souls are in danger anymore.’
‘Why? What changed?’
‘I... I don’t know. I’m scanning the house... but I don’t sense anyone else inside.’
Hector looked around the backyard another time. A bunch of trees, a swing set, an inflatable pool. It all seemed normal enough. ‘What do you want to do?’
Hector bounded up and over and hit the ground rolling. It was a large yard, he discovered, leading up to a three-story house among a crowd of trees, but this didn’t seem to be their final destination. Hector cut across the manicured lawn in pursuit of Garovel and leapt over the next wall at the other end. Another yard now, and another full sprint across it until they reached the next property over, where Garovel finally slowed.
‘Armor,’ the reaper told him, hovering up close to envelope himself around Hector’s torso. ‘Not sure what we’re running into here.’
He crouched next to the small staircase that lead up to the house’s rear patio. He reached for full iron plate with his mind, and it started clapping around his body in segments.
‘It seems to be a family,’ said Garovel. ‘They’re just sitting together, presumably at a table having breakfast. But they all have the aura. I don’t sense any--’
‘...Garovel?’
‘What the--? It’s gone now.’
‘What’s gone? What do you mean?’
‘The aura. It went away. None of their souls are in danger anymore.’
‘Why? What changed?’
‘I... I don’t know. I’m scanning the house... but I don’t sense anyone else inside.’
Hector looked around the backyard another time. A bunch of trees, a swing set, an inflatable pool. It all seemed normal enough. ‘What do you want to do?’
Page 1025
‘So do you have an actual destination in mind?’ Hector asked. ‘Or are we just going to wander around and hope for the best?’
‘What’s wrong with wandering around and hoping for the best? Maybe the universe will do us a solid for being such nice people all the time.’
‘So you believe in karma now?’
‘Not even a little bit. If the universe rewarded people for being nice, there wouldn’t be so many rich assholes in the world. Also, nature itself would be fundamentally different, and evolution as we know it would be dramatically altered. “Survival of the fittest” would be “survival of the friendliest.” Which sounds pretty awesome, actually. If I ever visit an alternate reality, I hope it’s one where that’s somehow a rule.’
‘...So we’re really just wandering around right now, is what you’re telling me?’
‘No, I’m scanning the area for souls that are carrying the aura of death around them.’
‘Oh yeah,’ said Hector. ‘I keep forgetting you can do that.’
‘Well, it’s not the most useful power when I’m just watching servants tear each other limb from limb. Which is something you seem pretty keen on taking part in.’
‘Hey, you can’t blame me for that shit. That first time when we went to meet the Queen--that was YOUR stupid plan.’
‘Well, maybe you shouldn’t be such an unthinking follower, then. Maybe you should come up with some amazingly clever plan of your own instead of relying on me all the time.’
‘Maybe I will,’ said Hector.
‘Alright, then.’
‘Good.’
‘I’ll be waiting with bated breath to hear what ingenious plan you formulate for us.’
‘Of course. But, uh. In the meantime, are you sensing anything?’
‘What’s wrong with wandering around and hoping for the best? Maybe the universe will do us a solid for being such nice people all the time.’
‘So you believe in karma now?’
‘Not even a little bit. If the universe rewarded people for being nice, there wouldn’t be so many rich assholes in the world. Also, nature itself would be fundamentally different, and evolution as we know it would be dramatically altered. “Survival of the fittest” would be “survival of the friendliest.” Which sounds pretty awesome, actually. If I ever visit an alternate reality, I hope it’s one where that’s somehow a rule.’
‘...So we’re really just wandering around right now, is what you’re telling me?’
‘No, I’m scanning the area for souls that are carrying the aura of death around them.’
‘Oh yeah,’ said Hector. ‘I keep forgetting you can do that.’
‘Well, it’s not the most useful power when I’m just watching servants tear each other limb from limb. Which is something you seem pretty keen on taking part in.’
‘Hey, you can’t blame me for that shit. That first time when we went to meet the Queen--that was YOUR stupid plan.’
‘Well, maybe you shouldn’t be such an unthinking follower, then. Maybe you should come up with some amazingly clever plan of your own instead of relying on me all the time.’
‘Maybe I will,’ said Hector.
‘Alright, then.’
‘Good.’
‘I’ll be waiting with bated breath to hear what ingenious plan you formulate for us.’
‘Of course. But, uh. In the meantime, are you sensing anything?’
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