“Get to the point,” said Gohvis.
“Oof. Did you betray Ivan?”
“Do your reports say that I did?”
“Well, no--”
“Then you have your answer.”
“Mm. I see. Good. Then you won’t mind coming with me to free him.”
“I’m busy.”
“That is a shame, but I do think this takes precedence. And I’m sure the others would agree with me. You and I are the closest to Kuros right now, therefore it falls to us to take care of this as quickly as possible. Come.”
“No.”
Emiliana felt the atmosphere shift. The ensuing period of silence was abruptly heavier.
“I’m sure it won’t take long,” said Vanderberk. “Between the two of us--”
“No.”
Vanderberk smacked his lips and scratched his forehead. “See, when you say things like that, it makes you look suspicious. Either that, or it makes me think that you don’t respect me as your equal.”
“I don’t.”
Vanderberk’s face scrunched up. “Bold words, considering it’s just you and the old man now. The two of you are running low on reliable friends. Doesn’t make much sense for you to be treating me this way.”
Gohvis finally deigned to stand all the way up and look at the man. Even in this relatively high sunlight, the Monster’s giant shadow reached almost all the way to Vanderberk. “Have I hurt your feelings? Perhaps obliterating another orphanage will dry your tears.”
“Hoh! Maybe it would! But hey, don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it, my friend. Solving future problems today--that’s my motto. And every soul counts, isn’t that right?”
“If you are so interested in avoiding future problems, then I suggest you leave me alone. Now.”
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every day at noon PST by ~400 words.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Page 1171
It was another man, Emiliana saw. He dropped out of the sky in a flurry of wind, stopping in mid-air, just above the ground. A gusty wave passed over Emiliana, rustling her hair and clothes and stealing the breath from her mouth for a few moments.
“Kind of you to wait up for me,” the man said in two voices.
Gohvis hadn’t bothered to turn around and look at him. He remained crouched in front of Emiliana as he said, “Why are you following me, Vanderberk?”
“You don’t already know? I figured that was why you stopped. To clear the air.”
“Clear it of what?”
Vanderberk paused to look at Gohvis’ guests, and Emiliana observed him in return. He seemed normal enough. Perhaps too normal. His flip-flops, tie-dyed shirt, and knee-length shorts didn’t exactly make him look like a typical member of Abolish. Assuming he was one, of course--but Emiliana was reasonably certain about that, considering the way he and Gohvis were talking to each other.
“You must know how this looks,” said Vanderberk. “Ivan having just been captured, you coming from the direction of Sair--where, apparently, you attacked some of Ivan’s men. Until you stopped to talk to me, I was worried that you might be fleeing the scene of some foul treason you’d committed.”
Gohvis still didn’t turn around. “And?”
“Hmph. And... I’m just wondering what you’re doing out here. Where you’re headed. And why.”
“It doesn’t concern you.”
“No? I’m not sure about that. See, the report is that Ivan was captured by one Abbas Saqqaf. One of the Sandlords. Curious thing about that, though, is that according to our intelligence--the Salesman’s own teams--Abbas Saqqaf should not be capable of such a thing. Supposedly, he was using some type of suit of armor, but even still. It’s quite the unexpected development, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Kind of you to wait up for me,” the man said in two voices.
Gohvis hadn’t bothered to turn around and look at him. He remained crouched in front of Emiliana as he said, “Why are you following me, Vanderberk?”
“You don’t already know? I figured that was why you stopped. To clear the air.”
“Clear it of what?”
Vanderberk paused to look at Gohvis’ guests, and Emiliana observed him in return. He seemed normal enough. Perhaps too normal. His flip-flops, tie-dyed shirt, and knee-length shorts didn’t exactly make him look like a typical member of Abolish. Assuming he was one, of course--but Emiliana was reasonably certain about that, considering the way he and Gohvis were talking to each other.
“You must know how this looks,” said Vanderberk. “Ivan having just been captured, you coming from the direction of Sair--where, apparently, you attacked some of Ivan’s men. Until you stopped to talk to me, I was worried that you might be fleeing the scene of some foul treason you’d committed.”
Gohvis still didn’t turn around. “And?”
“Hmph. And... I’m just wondering what you’re doing out here. Where you’re headed. And why.”
“It doesn’t concern you.”
“No? I’m not sure about that. See, the report is that Ivan was captured by one Abbas Saqqaf. One of the Sandlords. Curious thing about that, though, is that according to our intelligence--the Salesman’s own teams--Abbas Saqqaf should not be capable of such a thing. Supposedly, he was using some type of suit of armor, but even still. It’s quite the unexpected development, wouldn’t you agree?”
Page 1170
Ibai did as she asked, but he didn’t look disappointed, as she might have expected. Perhaps he’d just been trying to revive the conversation.
Emiliana decided to try a different approach. “Why are you with Abolish?”
The Monster tilted his head at her.
She understood his reaction. The question probably wasn’t contextually appropriate. But this calmness was playing on her, it seemed. She wanted to get a better idea of what she was dealing with here, of who she was dealing with. If rumors were to be believed, this thing standing before her was without humanity or mercy, more like a force of nature than a human being.
Though, to be fair, as she looked at him, she could certainly see where those rumors had come from.
“You do not seem so terrible,” Emiliana went on, wondering if she was pushing her luck here. She felt like she had a bit of leverage to work with, though she couldn’t tell how much.
“What do you know of Abolish?” Gohvis asked her.
Emiliana wasn’t sure how to answer that. It sounded like a loaded question.
The Monster answered for her. “You know only what the Vanguard wants you to know. You know half-truths and propaganda.”
“Enlighten me, then.”
“I will,” said Gohvis. “In time.”
The way he said that made Emiliana feel almost as if it were impossible to question him. If not for this stillness in her mind, she might have succumbed. “Why not now?” she asked.
Again, Gohvis took his time. “This is not the place for it.”
That made Emiliana look around. Rocky wilderness was all she saw--excepting, perhaps, the narrow valley in front of them. It did seem like a strange place for Gohvis to have stopped, and she was about to ask why when an interruption arrived.
Emiliana decided to try a different approach. “Why are you with Abolish?”
The Monster tilted his head at her.
She understood his reaction. The question probably wasn’t contextually appropriate. But this calmness was playing on her, it seemed. She wanted to get a better idea of what she was dealing with here, of who she was dealing with. If rumors were to be believed, this thing standing before her was without humanity or mercy, more like a force of nature than a human being.
Though, to be fair, as she looked at him, she could certainly see where those rumors had come from.
“You do not seem so terrible,” Emiliana went on, wondering if she was pushing her luck here. She felt like she had a bit of leverage to work with, though she couldn’t tell how much.
“What do you know of Abolish?” Gohvis asked her.
Emiliana wasn’t sure how to answer that. It sounded like a loaded question.
The Monster answered for her. “You know only what the Vanguard wants you to know. You know half-truths and propaganda.”
“Enlighten me, then.”
“I will,” said Gohvis. “In time.”
The way he said that made Emiliana feel almost as if it were impossible to question him. If not for this stillness in her mind, she might have succumbed. “Why not now?” she asked.
Again, Gohvis took his time. “This is not the place for it.”
That made Emiliana look around. Rocky wilderness was all she saw--excepting, perhaps, the narrow valley in front of them. It did seem like a strange place for Gohvis to have stopped, and she was about to ask why when an interruption arrived.
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