Hector had never been on a plane before, much less an international one--or royal one. He didn't think that the Lumenbel family's private jet was providing him with a very typical first experience. Something about the giant seats and minibar tipped him off.
Their entourage was extremely small. It really was just him, Garovel, Meriwether, Lynn, and a pair of pilots on board. He supposed any extra bodyguards for the Prince would have just meant more people for Hector and Lynn to protect, but he had at least been expecting a couple more ambassadors to come along.
Hector had a corner booth all to himself. He could see Prince Meriwether sleeping in the center of the plane. The man must have been tired, because it was barely past midday. They'd set out almost as soon as Hector agreed to go with them.
'Hey, when's your birthday?'
Hector blinked at the sudden inquiry. 'Uh... why?'
'Just curious,' said Garovel. 'It's gotta be soon, right? Or did I already miss it?'
'No, ah... it's next month, actually.'
'Aha. What day?'
'The twenty-fifth.'
'You'll turn seventeen, right?'
'Y-yeah...?'
'I guess it's a good time to bring up the topic of aging.'
'What do you mean?'
'I mean, do you want me to stop your body from aging physically?'
His eyes widened. 'Uh...'
'I can keep you eternally youthful, is what I'm saying.'
'I... uh... hell, I don't know.'
'Personally, I think you should at least wait until your late twenties before having me press the pause button, but I figured I should ask in case you really like being a teenager.'
A beat passed, and Hector eyed Garovel. 'Why the FUCK would I like being a teenager?'
The reaper snorted a laugh. 'Well. I don't know. You'd get to feel young. And. Spritely?'
'Ugh. Screw that. Now that I think about it, uh... I think I'd rather age normally until I'm, like, fifty or something.'
'Really? Well, we'll see how you feel in a few years.'
'Hmm.'
'That's actually a pretty common sentiment, though. You'd think more servants would want to be eternally young, but as it turns out, most sixty-year-olds don't want strangers treating them like they're twenty-year-olds.'
'Choosing to be eternally young seems kind of... douchey.'
Garovel laughed again. 'Maybe it is.'
'How the hell do you prevent aging, anyway?'
'Magical reaper juice.'
'...Ew.'
'Nah, it's just a kind of smaller-scale extension of the ability to regenerate your body. I actually don't know the exact reason why it works, because no one knows what causes aging in the first place. There are lots of interesting theories about it, though!'
'Please, no--'
'There's one theory that aging is caused by reproductive hormones that promote growth early in life but end up driving the body into decline later on, because they're still trying to maintain reproduction despite it no longer being possible. There's another theory that it's selected genetically, like a literal "biological clock" embedded into your DNA. Then there's the one regarding the progressive shortening of telomeres--'
'Alright, alright, I get it. Shit is complicated.'
'It is. By the way, Lynn is staring at you.'
Hector had been trying not to look at her since takeoff. He glanced at Lynn from across the cabin, and sure enough, her one eye was indeed locked on him.
'Maybe you should go talk to her.'
'Maybe I shouldn't.'
'Oh, look, she's coming over to talk to you instead.'
'Fuck!'
She sat down across the table from him, resting her sheathed blade by her side. "So how have things been going in Gray Rock? I never asked."
"Er... uh..."
'Relax. Tell her things are going fine.'
"Th-they're going fine."
"What's your new castle like? I didn't really get to see much of it."
"Oh, uh... m-most of it is underground."
She cocked an eyebrow at that. "Underground? Oh, I guess that's why they call it Warrenhold, huh?"
"Yeah. It's a lot bigger than I, um... er, there's a lot more space than I was expecting."
"Sounds cool. Hope I get to see it later."
"Uh... hah..." He scratched his chin as his eyes searched for something to latch onto. 'Garovel, what do I say?'
'Tell her you think she has a rockin' body.'
'Garovel!'
'Sorry. Ask her how things are in the capital.'
"H-how are things in Sescoria?"
"Non-violent, at least. The Queen's been busy navigating a political minefield, instead."
"It must have been hard on her. Losing, uh... I mean, the way she lost so many of her brothers at once." Hector eyed the unconscious prince again.
"They've all been working hard," said Lynn. "While we're going to Sair, Prince David is headed to Intar."
"By himself?"
"Intar isn't as dangerous as Sair is right now, but he does have some normal bodyguards with him." She paused. "All of this is a state secret, by the way, even the nature of our visit to Sair now. I'm not sure if I made that clear earlier. So don't go telling people about it when we get back."
Hector managed a weak laugh. "The last thing you need to worry about is me talking to people..."
That seemed to amuse her. "I noticed you had some reporters nosing around."
"Er, yeah... Did I mention how good your timing was?"
"Heh, maybe not that good. They bothered us on the way in. Why were they there, anyway?"
"I... I think they wanted an interview."
"Ah. You've sure gotten popular."
"Egh..."
"Better than them being afraid of you, I guess. Progress."
"That's what Garovel said."
She leaned back in her seat. "Maybe their fear is starting to shift over to me."
Hector looked up at her for a change. "Why would they be afraid of you?"
She motioned with her left hand. "Apparently, this thing makes people uneasy."
"Oh... but, uh... I'm pretty sure people consider you a hero. Er, h-heroine...? I mean, the White Sword doesn't really sound like a name that they'd give to a villain..."
"Ha. That's a good point, I guess. It's just that I've started noticing a lot of people acting uncomfortably around me lately. Though, you're the only one who's actually run away from me."
"But, er--that wasn't because I was scared of you."
'Not in that sense, at least,' said Garovel.
Lynnette just smirked and nodded.
Through the window, Hector could see barren lands stretching below him. Far into the western horizon was a sprawling mountain range, much larger than any he'd seen in Atreya.
From the air, the city of Kuros seemed to sparkle and burn under the strength of the sun. Almost every building was pure white, and the only place Hector saw any greenery was directly adjacent a shimmering oasis at the heart of town. The buildings grew taller there as well, often needle-like in design, making the area look like an enormous bed of spikes.
Soon enough, the plane touched down, and Lynn took point, exiting the aircraft first while Hector followed after Meriwether.
The heat was overwhelming, at first. Perhaps he was just accustomed to Atreya's temperate climate, but this place felt like an oven to him. It was a strange sensation, breathing air that was already warmer than his lungs.
A group of four were there to greet them on the tarmac, all garbed so heavily in white and gold that Hector couldn't even guess their genders. Three of them carried large parasols, seemingly for the benefit of the one in the middle.
Hector immediately noticed a reaper floating behind one of the parasol-wielders. And they certainly noticed him and Garovel, too--as well as Lynn after another moment.
Meriwether approached them and spoke first. "Hello, Nasira."
"Welcome, my dear husband," said the apparent woman in the center. She kept her face bowed and her hands hidden in her robe's huge sleeves, but with how much taller she was than Meriwether, she was nearly meeting his gaze anyway.
Hector didn't think they looked terrifically pleased to see one another.
Their two parties became one as Nasira brought everyone to a silver limousine.
"How have you been?" Meriwether asked his wife.
"Very well, thank you," she said. Her Valgan accent was faint enough that Hector hadn't noticed it at first. He only recognized it from its prevalence in television and movies. "How is your sister?"
"She has been quite busy proving herself more capable than my brothers and I ever dared imagine."
"I am sorry I could not stay longer in Atreya. My father was very insistent that I return home."
"You told me before. There is no need to explain again. How are the children?"
"They have missed you. Rashad, especially."
"I see."
It hadn't even occurred to Hector that Meriwether's wife had brought their children to Sair as well.
After that, the ride in the limousine became distinctly uncomfortable. The married couple exchanged no further words, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. Hector's eyes drifted to the sight of increasingly taller buildings through the window. Many of the streets were covered with huge tarps, offering plenty of shade to the legions of palely-dressed pedestrians afoot.
Since no one else in the car was speaking, Garovel apparently took that as his cue to speak with the other reaper present. 'It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Garovel, and this is Hector. Might you tell us your names?'
The other reaper seemed hesitant but said, 'Emerix. And this is Badat of Hahl Saqqaf.' He motioned to the person on Nasira's left.
'Ah, I see.'
With only the dark eyes to go on, Hector still couldn't tell if Badat was a boy or a girl. Badat sounded like a masculine name to him, but given how unfamiliar he was with this culture, he decided not to assume anything. 'Hall Sock-off?' he asked Garovel.
'"Hahl" is a Valgan word referring to a noble family,' Garovel explained privately. 'Like the word "House" in Mohssian. He's saying that Badat here is a Sandlord from the Saqqaf family.'
Hector had to consciously avoid nodding. Another heavy intermission passed, and Hector thought Garovel might revise his previous introduction to add that Hector was also the new Lord of Warrenhold, but apparently, the reaper didn't find it necessary. And Hector was glad for it, frankly. He didn't want to try to seem more important than he really was.
After a while, Garovel tried again. 'I don't suppose you feel like giving me a brief rundown of what's causing the recent instability in Sair, do you?'
'What difference does it make to you?' said Emerix. 'You are only here to guard your prince, are you not?'
'That, we are. I'm mainly just curious. No need to answer if you don't want to.'
Emerix mulled it over a bit, then said, 'The Vanguard attacked a Rainlord family.'
It was Garovel's turn to hesitate. 'What? Are you serious?'
'I am, indeed.'
And to Hector's surprise, Garovel had nothing else to say. He expected him to inquire further, but the reaper merely remained silent instead.
As they finally drew close to their destination, Hector couldn't help gawking a little through the window.
The Golden Fort. Even Hector had heard of this place. It wasn't difficult to see why it was one of the most famous fortresses in the entire world. He'd heard that it was constructed from pure gold, but seeing it now, that couldn't possibly be true. It seemed obvious that the building's yellow hue came from its gigantic sandstone walls. Swirls of golden paint ran all along them, becoming particularly ornate around the main gateway, and tall white turrets rounded off every corner, hanging golden banners from their topmost windows like fluttering tongues against the constant wind.
In the main courtyard, however, there truly did stand an immense statue of solid gold. It depicted a kind of strange plant--an octet of arching leaves, each one large enough to shield a grown man from the punishing sun.
Hector exited the vehicle last and then followed everyone else inside. From what Prince Meriwether had told him before leaving, their primary goal was to meet with Nasira's father. He now wondered how plausible that would be. The castle was brimming with people, and Hector kept seeing even more reapers among the crowd as they proceeded on.
'How many servants do they have here?' asked Hector.
'Don't know,' Garovel said privately, 'but we've only been here a few minutes, and I've already counted nine.'
'Geez... And they're all crazy strong, I bet...'
'Not necessarily. Most reapers and servants don't go looking for trouble like you and I do, so they don't grow as quickly as you have over these past seven months.'
'Hmm...'
'And even the ones who DO look for it like we do probably still don't find as fucking MUCH of it as we always seem to.'
'Y-you think so?'
'Yeah. Because if they did, they'd probably get fucking killed.'
'...Was that supposed to be comforting?'
'Maybe a little comforting, yeah,' said Garovel. 'But please don't pick a fight with anyone here. There are most definitely servants here who really ARE way more powerful than you.'
'R-right.'
'I'm almost certain that Nasira's father is one of them. And if he is, then he's probably near Harper's level of strength. At least.'
'Aw, fuck... why did we come here, again?'
Meriwether's entourage was shown to a large guest chamber, where Nasira asked the three of them to wait. She, Badat, and Emerix disappeared afterward. The Prince took a seat by the empty fireplace and turned on the adjacent television. He started flipping through the channels, only about half of which seemed to be in Mohssian.
Hector and Lynn both remained standing, which drew Meriwether's curious look. "I appreciate your diligence, but you are both a little too on edge, I think. I understand that you might find Sandlords somewhat intimidating, but they are not going to harm us. I assure you."
"You seem certain, Your Highness."
"I lived in this very castle for several years when I was younger," said Meriwether. "I consider the people here as true and dear to me as my own family."
That sounded like a loaded statement, considering everything Hector knew about Atreyan royalty.
'Hmm. Ask him if he's always known that they had reapers.'
"Uh, Prince Meriwether, sir, ah..."
"Yes?"
"Have you always known that, um... that the Sandlords have reapers on their side?"
"Not as such, no. I have always known that the people here possess special powers, of course, but I never imagined that... deathly phantoms might be the source of said powers."
Lynn looked at Hector. "Have you already seen them around?"
He nodded. "G-Garovel has already counted nine. Er--not including himself. And, uh--we're pretty sure there are more than that."
Lynn did not seem pleased by that news.
Meriwether, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly fazed by it. "Relax yourselves," he said. "You do not need to follow me everywhere around the castle. This place is quite safe. As long as you do not leave the grounds without me, we will be fine. You have your own business to attend to, do you not?"
"I do, but--"
Meriwether stood up again and pulled a bulky ring off of his left index finger. It featured a silvery bell with a sapphire at its heart. He offered it to Lynn. "If anyone questions why you are here, show them this."
Lynn's eye widened. "I can't take this, Your Highness! It's worth more than everything I own!"
"Well, be sure to return it to me later, then."
Lynn was incredulous.
Meriwether pressed onward. "Lord Haqq said he would meet you in this castle, yes?"
She managed a nod.
"Knowing him, he will probably be in the basement studying one thing or another."
"He told me where he would be."
"Ah. Good, then." The Prince turned to Hector next, making the young man tense up. "If you can, please have your reaper speak to the others around here and find out as much about the current circumstances in Sair as you can. Then report back to me. I may have need of such information."
"Ah--" Hector glanced at Garovel, and when the reaper nodded, he said, "Y-yes, Your Highness."
"Thank you," said Meriwether. "I will remain here while I wait for Lord Abbas to see me. I suspect it will be a while. I will call Ms. Edith here if anything urgent should arise."
The Prince all but pushed them out of the room after that. Hector and Lynn exchanged looks before rejoining the crowd of people in the curved hallway. They made for the basement first, which wasn't the easiest thing to find, but Garovel was able to petition a couple of passing reapers for directions.
Hector wanted to ask Lynn more about this Haqq person, but with all the people around, he couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he settled for another private conversation with Garovel while they walked.
'Who owns this fortress?' Hector asked. 'Do you know?'
'It belongs to the Saqqaf family. My understanding is that they are the most influential of the Sandlords.'
'But Haqq Najir isn't one of them.'
'No, he would of course belong to the Najir family.'
'Okay...'
'It would be nice if we could make allies with these people.'
'Even though they're fighting the Vanguard?'
'That's not what Emerix said. He said the Rainlords are fighting the Vanguard. He didn't say the Sandlords had joined them.'
'Oh...'
'But yes, it does give me pause. I don't think the Vanguard would attack anyone without good reason. At least, I hope they wouldn't.'
'What'll happen if the Sandlords do join in?'
'Hard to say. I don't think the Rainlords can stand up to the Vanguard on their own.'
'Hmm.'
'Either way, it's not really our concern,' said Garovel. 'We're here to protect the Prince and gather information, not get involved in someone else's war.'
Hector threw another glance around the hallway. 'But I thought it was our job to stick our noses where they don't belong.'
'Ha. Well, in this case, we don't even know which side to help. Just because we happened to meet the Sandlords or the Rainlords first doesn't mean they're more deserving of assistance than the Vanguard is.'
'...I guess things were a lot simpler when everyone was fighting Abolish.'
'Indeed.'
Beneath the fortress, the halls became narrower, perhaps because they didn't need to hold so many people. Hector saw guards in front of every door. Only a few of them had reapers by their side, but he noticed cameras around every corner instead.
Lynnette stopped in front of the door marked Research & Development 4. "I think this is the place," she said.
One of the men standing guard held up a hand to bar their path. He said something in Valgan, and even though Hector didn't know the words, he was pretty sure the man was telling them that they weren't allowed in.
"We've come to meet with Lord Haqq Najir," said Lynn. "Could you please inform him that Lynnette Edith is here to see him? He should be expecting me."
The guards waited so long to respond that Hector wasn't sure they'd understood her, but at length, the one on the right nodded and entered on his own. After a minute, he returned with a man in a lab coat.
"Are you Lord Haqq?" Lynn queried.
"I am."