Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-One: 'A heroic welcome...'

The trip to the Lorentian capital of Riverton, P.J. had thankfully gone without further incident. All the way up to their arrival in the city, everyone seemed a bit on edge--and understandably so, Hector thought. After such a chaotic battle, there was a lingering feeling that the Beast of Lorent might not be entirely dead, somehow.

But to the best of their ability, they had made sure that it was.

After Chort's apparent death, all of its spawn had been rendered inert. There was discussion among the reapers about taking some of them captive for study, and Hector could see the logic in doing that. Chort was still a very mysterious entity. Performing an autopsy on it and its spawn was a tempting idea. The things that they might be able to learn from such creatures... Hector couldn't really blame Ernivoc for advocating that course of action.

But he couldn't in good conscience allow it. After having witnessed Chort's history firsthand thanks to Pauline, having seen the horrific experiments that Chort had been subjected to and the terrible consequences that had followed, there was no way in hell that Hector was going to let that same thing happen again. Even if he did trust the Rainlords to not do such fucked up and idiotic experiments, he just didn't think it was worth the risk of bringing something so chaotic and dangerous back to Atreya.

So Chort and its spawn had all been destroyed. With Salvador's assistance, Hector had melted their flesh down into puddles of goo. And then that, too, was gathered up and cooked again, even hotter until it was finally nothing more than ash and vapors.

It had taken quite a while. And the stench. The Lorentians hadn't complained, but Hector was quite certain that they had not enjoyed that long period of miserable waiting.

They did, however, seem relieved once it was all over; and they made sure to thank the young lord from Atreya another time.

From there, it was just a matter of finding a cellphone signal. The vastness of the Imara Forest made that a rather tedious endeavor as well, but Pauline again proved to be a very helpful guide, and soon enough, a military escort arrived from the capital to take them the rest of the way.

As for the reinforcements that the Rainlords back in Warrenhold were sending, Hector was thankfully able to get Garovel to calm them down. With the situation now under control, there was no need for anyone else to show up and make a scene in front of the Lorentians.

With the reinforcements already en route, however, they decided not to simply turn around but to instead go all the way to Riverton, P.J. and link up with everyone in secret.

With the way Secretary Karr and Ambassador Stoutamire were talking, it seemed fairly obvious that Hector would soon be meeting with the Lorentian President and probably several other important political figures.

Mevox expressed concern about the Rainlords being present for this meeting.

'Especially if it's gonna be televised,' the reaper had said.

'What, are you camera shy?' said Voreese.

'Oh, yes. I'm the most withering little wallflower you ever did see. It doesn't have anything to do with the fact that my gigantic, highly-visible buddy over here is also one of the most recognizable Rainlords in the world. I'm not at all worried that the Vanguard might see him standing next to the Atreyan hero over here and think something is fishy.'

'In that case, why the hell did you even come along in the first place? Did you not think that the Lorentians might want to hold some type of award ceremony for this gigantic favor that we were doing for them? Because that just seems like a profound lack of forethought on your part. Or as I like to call it: a severe case of dumbassery.'

'As it so happens, I did think about that possibility. And I also thought about the possibility of something terrible befalling our good friend--y'know, the one who is graciously hosting us in his home despite how incredibly fucking dangerous it is?'

'Yeah, yeah,' said Voreese. 'Always with the noble excuses, eh? You sure you weren't just spoiling for a fight?'

Mevox snorted. 'I guess I shouldn't expect you to understand such difficult concepts as "having your friend's back" or "acting honorably." That would require you to know what camaraderie and integrity actually feel like, wouldn't it?'

'Do they feel anything like having to listen to some loudmouthed douche yammer on self-righteously for ages? Because if so, then I think I'd rather not know.'

'Tell me, Voreese. Are you an insufferable bitch to everyone you meet, or am I just special?'

'Well, you're definitely not special, so it must be the first one.'

'I can believe that. But y'know, when you tell me I'm not special, it kinda makes me think that I am.'

'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah. As in, perhaps the lady doth protest too much, hmm?'

'Hah! And he's a narcissist, too! Talk about putting a shit-flavored cherry on top of a turd sandwich.'

'I'll have you know that I am extremely humble.'

'Oh, my apologies, then. If you say you're humble, then I guess it must be true.'

'No, no, I said EXTREMELY humble. Important difference.'

'If by "important," you mean the exact opposite of that, then yes.'

'Well, if you were paying attention, then the exaggeration would've made it clear to you that I was joking.'

'Yeah, but were you? Just because you joke about your own massive flaws doesn't mean they stop existing.'

'Hmm, I guess you would know all about that, wouldn't you?'

'And what the fuck is that supposed to mean, huh?'

'Oh, just that you're full of horrible characteristics that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.'

'Ah, and I bet you've got plenty of enemies to choose from, now don't you?'

'Heh, well, we can't all be as warm and cuddly as you are, my dear.'

'That's actually true,' said Voreese. 'I'm able to get along with just about anyone, if they give me a fair shake.'

'I'm sure,' said Mevox. 'From what I've seen, you absolutely crush every social interaction you encounter.'

'Hmm, I'm getting the impression that you might not be entirely sincere when you say that.'

'Not at all. It's your best quality. Your ability to obliterate a conversation is matched only by the quaintness of your intellect.'

'Wow. Y'know what, Mevox? Maybe you're right. You're clearly way too smart for me. In fact, the power of your mind is so impressive that I think you might even have the ability to lower people's IQ just by talking to them. I definitely feel stupider every time I hear you say something.'

That one had earned laugh from Mevox.

Their back-and-forth continued throughout the trip, pausing only when one of the non-servants who couldn't hear them said something to Hector or Roman.

The topic of Salvador's recognizablility got brought up again, and the other reapers chimed in with their opinions as well, ultimately coming to the conclusion that Salvador, Carlos, and Fidel should all withdraw from Hector's side once they reached the capital and join up with the reinforcements.

The Rainlords were still wearing the iron masks that Hector made for them, but apparently, Mevox thought that it would still be an unnecessary risk if they ended up on television.

'Masks have a way of drawing attention, too,' the reaper said. 'And with Salvador's build, someone in the Vanguard might see the broadcast and put two and two together.'

And considering that Roman also preferred to stay out of the public eye as well, Hector had a feeling that he would be attending this award ceremony--or whatever it was--by himself.

Aside from Matteo Delaguna, he supposed.

Hector wondered if Matteo was ever going to say something to him. What a weird problem. He'd spent so much time with the guy now, and yet he still barely knew anything about him.

Maybe Hector would have to be the one to initiate a conversation.

Agh.

Or maybe not. Even without words, he felt like there was a silent understanding between them. Sort of.

As for Pauline, Hector wasn't too sure what she was going to do now. After that fight, he wanted her to get checked out by a doctor, but how exactly did Sparrows handle that, he wondered?

Plus, while he was stuck in a car, he couldn't sense where she was, anymore. He figured she was probably just following their little convoy toward P.J., but he couldn't be sure. He had a fairly strong feeling that she would want to observe his meeting with the Lorentian president, though. He may not have known her for very long, but it was quite clear that she was the nosy type.

When they arrived at the capital, Hector found himself gawking. Just as expected, it was built right in the middle of the forest, but he still hadn't expected it to be this thoroughly integrated with it. The density of the trees wasn't even that different from the rest of the forest. Hector could see many buildings that had trees growing out of them.

From an architectural standpoint, that seemed like a huge pain in the ass. He supposed the trees could also double as structural support, but that only went so far. The way that they shifted and moved as they grew would also mean that the structural stability of the building would become compromised if it relied on them too greatly. And the holes needed for the trees would definitely make it more complicated to regulate the temperature inside.

It seemed to be quite the common feature here, though. Even many of the skyscrapers had branches protruding out of the sides of them. Some were themselves vaguely tree-shaped. Instead of going straight upward, whole sections of the buildings jutted out like stubby branches.

It was certainly beautiful, but Hector couldn't imagine that maintaining all this stuff was very easy. Clearly, the people of this country valued their trees, but at some point, trees needed to be trimmed down for reasons of safety, didn't they? If drivers couldn't see around the corner of an intersection because the trees there were overgrown, then that seemed like a pretty big problem. Or if a security camera's view was blocked by branches. Not to mention, when all those leaves started falling, how much could that interfere with...?

Hmm. Maybe he was becoming a little too security conscious.

'Oh, hey,' came Garovel's private words. 'I can sense you now.'

Hector blinked. 'Wait, what? You came to Lorent, too?'

'Yep. What, did you think I would let you talk to all those Lorentian politicians without me?'

'I, uh... hmm...'

'Wow. You could try sounding a LITTLE excited that I'm here. I mean, I'm not saying you're being a bad friend or anything, but y'know, it was kind of a long trip, and I think a GOOD friend would be excited to see me, so...'

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'Garovel,' laughed Hector. 'Why didn't you just tell me you were coming?'

'It's been a while since I was able to hit you with a surprise. Honestly, this feels a little overdue.'

Hector exhaled another muted laugh through his nose. But then a thought hit him. 'Garovel...'

'Yeah, buddy?'

'You got here kinda fast...'

'Did I?'

'We just arrived in the capital, and you're already here.'

'Oh, hmm. How weird.'

'Yeah...'

'Guess you guys were driving pretty slow, huh?'

'Don't think that's the reason, Garovel.'

'Why not?' said Garovel. 'It's a perfectly good reason.'

'No, it isn't,' said Hector. 'How did you get here so fast?'

'Okay, well... I may have already been with the reinforcements when they initially left to go help you.'

Hector rubbed his right temple. 'You mean right after I told you that everyone had mysteriously gone missing? When the situation was still super fucking dangerous?'

'I mean, what qualifies as "super fucking dangerous," really? That was just your own interpretation of events, y'know?'

'Yes, the events that I was there for and that you weren't. I'm pretty sure that makes my interpretation more valid than yours, Garovel.'

'Well, now you're just being closed-minded.'

'What the hell were you thinking? There was no reason to take a risk like that. You should've stayed at Warrenhold.'

'Look, I would've kept my distance and provided observational support from afar. I know you think that your new Scarf buddy is better than me, but I can still be helpful in a fight, okay? Can your Scarf provide you with thousands of years of experience and wisdom? I don't think so.'

'Garovel, I don't think the Scarf is better than you.'

'Your brain may say that, but your heart is saying otherwise.'

'Oh, you can read my heart now?'

'Yes. That's also an ability I have.'

'One that you've kept secret from me all this time for no apparent reason.'

'Okay, stop poking holes in my lies. It's really obnoxious.'

'You're right. I'm sorry.'

In the end, Hector supposed it didn't matter all that much, since the situation had been resolved before Garovel could even show up, so he decided to let the issue drop. For now, at least.

According to Garovel, the reinforcements consisted of Dimas Sebolt and Zeff Elroy, along with several lesser known members of Houses Sebolt, Delaguna, and Blackburn.

It was a little weird to imagine, but the forces in Warrenhold must've been getting a bit thin by now. Hector had confidence that as long as Ms. Rogers was there, things would continue to run smoothly, but he was still somewhat uncomfortable with how scattered their fighters were, at the moment.

Which was an absurd notion to even occupy his mind, he realized. The Rainlords were guests. Obviously, they had no obligation to protect Warrenhold specifically. They could go wherever they pleased.

The scenery outside began to change when they passed through a checkpoint, and Hector realized that they had entered a massive estate. There were still trees everywhere, of course, but they were slightly fewer in number now, and he could actually see between them.

Gardeners were tending to said trees, as well as several very long rows of flowering bushes. A large statue of the sun lay straight ahead, marking the apparent entrance of the building behind it.

The vehicle eased to a stop, and Secretary Karr stepped out of the car first with her black-and-white suited bodyguards. She beckoned Hector to follow. "Welcome to Riverton Hall, Lord Goffe."

He'd never heard of this place before, but seeing it now, he felt like maybe he should have. It wasn't a castle, but it was still a gorgeous structure, to be sure. It, too, had trees growing out of it, and they were clearly well-maintained.

The tall, triangular windows were a distinguishing feature, Hector thought, as was the black coat of paint. Very uncommon for a political building, assuming that was what this place was. Hell, even just in general, black was rarely used because of how much sunlight it absorbed, making it more difficult to keep a building cool in the summer. Maybe that wasn't an issue for them, though, thanks to the shade from all these trees.

It was almost like a biosphere. The trees behind the main building were large enough that their collective canopy created a dome of leaves, allowing the late morning sun to shine through only in sparkling fragments.

The party entered through a pair of enormous double doors, and large group of sharply dressed attendants were already there waiting for them.

Secretary Karr was moving a bit sluggishly, which was certainly understandable after all they had been through. Her clothes were scuffed and dirtied all over, and most of the feathers that had adorned her red coat were now missing.

She said her farewells and then ventured off with her bodyguards and a couple of newly attached attendants. The other Lorentians were also escorted away, presumably to a place where they could finally get some rest.

Ambassador Stoutamire, however, remained with Hector's group. And he did not stop talking as they all walked together.

"Allow me to serve as a temporary guide," he said. "I imagine you all must be quite tired after such a grueling night. Oh, or perhaps you aren't? Now that I think about it, that wouldn't surprise me. Myself, I am absolutely destroyed. Barely staying on my feet, truth be told. Ah, here we have the western corridor. These rooms are primarily offices, and in them, you will find many meticulous individuals. The type to go through more papers in a single day than I see in a month, searching for discrepancies and the like. Organizing them, too, I'm sure. And ahead are the guest rooms, which I'm sure you are--"

Honestly, Hector was pretty damn exhausted, too. Even after devoting an entire parallel thought process just to listening to Stoutamire, he was finding it difficult to actually pay attention.

It certainly wasn't the most tired he'd ever felt--or even close to it--but still. Right now, a bed sounded like paradise.

The group arrived at a line of ornate doors, and Stoutamire was saying one thing or another about how wonderful these rooms were. The attendants started trying to guide everyone into different ones. The Lorentians in their party were the first to depart, followed by Roman and Voreese.

The Rainlords, however, did not budge.

Salvador, Carlos, Fidel, and Matteo all remained exactly where they were, looking toward Hector with their iron masks on.

A suddenly awkward tension was in the air as Stoutamire and the guides all seemed uncertain as to what was happening.

Hector had a fair idea, though, and Mevox confirmed it for him.

'We ain't leavin' your side, bucko,' the reaper said. 'Not until there are cameras to worry about or until we're sure it's safe here.'

Hmm. Should he tell them to just relax? He doubted there was any real danger here--and even if there was, he'd be more worried about everyone other than himself. Somehow, though, he didn't think that saying as much would convince these guys to leave him alone. What happened at Dunehall was probably informing their behavior, right now.

As he was mulling his options over, a new voice arrived from behind him.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be Lord Goffe of Warrenhold?" It was a man's voice, somewhat hard and raspy.

Hector turned to see another small group of people.

And an unfamiliar reaper among them.

That sight alone made Hector's posture shift slightly. He might've been tired, but it was time to be fully attentive again.

The same voice spoke up again, and Hector saw that it belonged to the man standing closest to him. "You must be him, no? Or is that armor you're wearing meant to throw us off?"

Indeed, Hector was still wearing his armor. He'd been receiving a few odd looks because of it, but that wasn't terribly abnormal, and he was mainly just concerned about hiding the light wounds that he'd received from Chort's spawn. There wasn't that much blood, but it would probably still be alarming to anyone who saw him if he dematerialized his armor.

Stoutamire interjected before Hector could respond. "Astute as always, Mr. Zaman. This is our esteemed guest from Atreya." He turned to Hector. "And Lord Goffe, this is Ravi Zaman of Palei. He is currently serving as a special advisor to the President, along with one other gentleman named--"

"Let's not spoil this conversation before it even begins by speaking of him," said Mr. Zaman. He had quite the enormous scar down the right side of his face, and his eyes were so darkly colored that they just looked like black marbles. He walked right up to Hector and offered him a handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Goffe."

Hector saw no reason to be rude. "Likewise, Mr. Zaman."

"Ah, please, call me Ravi. I prefer it." He shot Stoutamire a look. "Not you, though. You have to keep calling Mr. Zaman."

Stoutamire merely returned a smile.

Ravi looked over the masked Rainlords next. "This is quite a group you have here. These are all your followers, hmm?"

Hector didn't much care for that question, but he didn't want to ignore it, either. "Something like that."

"Might you tell me their names, as well?" said Ravi.

Okay, that one, he did want to ignore. "What kind of advisor are you, exactly?" he asked instead.

"The foreign affairs kind," said Ravi. "In fact, it was I who advised the President to send ol' Stoutamire to request your help. Quite the persuasive fellow, is he not? I might have gone myself, but alas, my duties keep me here."

Hector made no response. The questions he most wanted to ask were about the man's apparent reaper, but the small crowd of non-servants around them made him hold his tongue. He supposed the reaper could've been partnered to one of the others in Ravi's entourage, but there was something in the way this guy carried himself that made Hector doubt that possibility very much.

Somehow, he just seemed like a servant.

"In the interest of full disclosure, there is something I should tell you." Ravi held up his hands defensively. "I suspect you will find it alarming, but I assure you, my intentions are entirely peaceful. So please do not attack me. I mean you no harm, nor anyone else here. In fact, my objective as advisor to the President is to help Lorent avoid precisely that type of conflict."

Hmm. Hector just waited.

"I am a member of the Freeman Fellowship," said Ravi. "Which, if you are not already aware, is a sect of Abolish. Among other things."

Hector's eyes widened inside his helmet, and he could sense the Rainlords all shifting behind him.

Ravi seemed to notice their discomfort as well and waited a moment before continuing. "I understand that your country, like many others at the moment, has quite a strained relationship with Abolish. I am not going to try to convince you that you are wrong. I will certainly acknowledge that Abolish has many, many problems."

What the hell? Hector eyed the onlooking Lorentians as he considered how to respond. None of them seemed terribly surprised by this revelation. Did they not know what Abolish was? "...You just admitted to being affiliated with an organization that commits genocide," said Hector.

Ravi frowned and nodded. "I am very aware. And just so it is clear, we fully condemn such actions, as well as any other that is considered a crime against humanity."

Needless to say, Hector was far from convinced.

Ravi scratched his nose and bobbed his head. "Our sect's relationship with much of Abolish is... complicated, to say the least."

Hector was incredulous. "If your intentions really are peaceful like you say, then why don't you just disassociate yourselves from Abolish entirely?"

"There are a number of reasons," said Ravi. "For one, our primary objective is to change Abolish from within. Now, I am sure that seems impossible from the outside looking in, so I will just say this: Abolish has existed for over three thousand years. And the Vanguard has been at war with it all that time. At this point, I think an ideological solution may just be the better option."

Damn. When he put it like that, Hector found it hard to disagree.

Mevox sure didn't, though. 'Hah! That's been tried before, kiddo. Many times.'

Rather than defending himself, Ravi's reaper spoke up for him. 'We are aware of that. But past failure is no reason to give up. And if you know your history, then you will also know that some of those revolutions came quite close to succeeding.'

Mevox laughed. 'Y'know, they say that every revolution needs a bunch of naive fools at its heart, else it will never even get off the ground. Looks like you've got that part covered, at least.'

'We shall take that as a compliment,' said the unnamed reaper.

'Yeah, why wouldn't you? It was meant as one.'

Ravi picked the conversation back up. "I feel that I must also admit, however, that there are other, less noble-sounding reasons why we maintain our ties to Abolish."

"Like?" said Hector.

"The recognition and influence," said Ravi. "Stained though it may be, the name Abolish still allows certain doors to be opened that might otherwise remain closed to us. At times, it is much easier to befriend someone who fears you, than it is to befriend someone who has no idea who you are. I doubt I would have acquired my position as advisor to the President, otherwise."

Was that really true? Hector wasn't so sure, but maybe that was just because he didn't want it to be. He was still quite new to politics, after all, especially the international kind.

Silence drew out as Hector considered everything he'd just heard. He certainly had more questions about this so-called Freeman Fellowship, but this didn't seem like the appropriate place to ask them. That, and he wasn't even sure where to begin. He would've liked Garovel's input right about now.

Ravi took the opportunity to move on from the subject entirely. "In any case, allow me to thank you for your wonderful service to this great country. It seemed like this Beast was becoming more and more of a problem with each passing day. It is a relief to know that it has finally been taken care of, and I am sure the citizens of Lorent will be able to sleep easier now." And he gave a short bow.

This guy sure talked a good game. It made sense that he would be involved in politics, Hector thought.

"I am sure you will be wanting to return to Atreya soon," said Ravi, "but I hope not too soon. You must allow Lorent the time to show you her appreciation in full. Physical rewards are all well and good, but hospitality is important, too. I am sure the President will be asking you to extend your stay here for as long as you like. And if he doesn't, then I shall be recommending that he do so." Ravi's smile had a mischievous charm to it, perhaps accented by his scar.

Hector still didn't quite know how to respond, though. Was simple politeness appropriate here? It probably was, right?

Mevox interjected again. 'Are there any other servants we should know about while we're here?'

Ravi's reaper hovered around to the man's other shoulder. 'You're quite a straightforward one, aren't you?'

'It's one of my better features, I think. Thanks for noticing. Now are you going to answer my question? Or are you just working your way up to telling me to go fuck myself?'

The other reaper's skeletal face did not seem amused by that remark.

Ravi began ushering the other Lorentians away, telling them that he would tend to the guests himself for the time being. His small group of followers, however, remained by his side. None of them appeared to have reapers accompanying, but that was far from conclusive evidence that they weren't servants, Hector knew.

'As it so happens,' the unnamed reaper said, 'there is another. He is the advisor that Stoutamire was about to mention before Ravi interrupted him. You could say that we do not get along.'

'Ah. A case of competing advisors, is it?'

'Something like that, yes. You would do well to be wary of him and his reaper, though I suspect you will not be.'

Hector doubted that part immensely.

'What makes you say that?' said Mevox.

'Because he is of the Vanguard.'