Chapter 65: To Deadmarch, The Invisible Giant

Boh had been there at the departure.

He had bid them farewell, and stood there with the others... He rarely talked much lately, and the others didn't seem to mind. He was very lonely, and felt like he was assimilating without even trying.

He felt that nothing made him an individual right now. That he was just lost among the small crowds. You'd think that being large would make you stand out.

Not so much.

He still missed No-Face. He would miss No-Face every day for the rest of his existence. No question...

He felt like he had somehow disappeared from the face of purgatory... The face of existence.

He might as well have faded with No-Face.

He walked away. He started walking away from everything he knew... They wouldn't notice.

No one had offered him comfort in his time of loss... He was just invisible it seemed. No-Face was that friend who would provide comfort, and he was gone.

Would the others notice when he was gone? He wasn't sure... Best not to think about it now.

He was on his way... And no one would stop him.

...He thought.

"Aren't you a little old to be running away?" Said a familiar voice.

He sighed. "Hey mom... I'd think of it more as moving out, actually."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"I was always blinded by my greed. Now I guess I'm wandering... Well, at least I'm not stuck up there with those idiots!" She cackled.

He shook his head and smiled.

"You really never change, do you?"

"No, I do not." She said. "But you certainly have... I could even say it was far more than I had hoped for. It's clear that I didn't raise you."

He laughed. "Nonsense! I learned how to haggle, that's something!"

He looked down. "You know, if you were still alive? Maybe I would have talked to you more..."

She sighed. "Don't fret over that... Two thousand years is quite enough time. You have your decisions to make, and I've made mine. You'll make the right choice... But it's your choice. Either you stay or go... That doesn't matter as much. What you do with your time? That matters. What would you do if you left?"

Boh sighed. "I don't know... I'd figure something out."

"If you are leaving, head north." She said.

"You may find that there are interesting one's up ahead in that direction."

"Interesting one's? Who the hell are they?" He asked.

No answer.

"Okay then... Bye. I guess..."

He heard her cackling as she left.

He shook his head. "She really hasn't changed a bit."

...

Hiro and Eiji were headed toward Deadmarch with that strange girl.

She smiled at them.

"Thanks for this, by the way... That club. Damn, are ya one of them hammer's or a caster?"

Hiro sighed. "What's a hammer? Could you explain that?"

She slapped her palm to her face.

"It's somebody who's guardin' someone else. Pretty tough, those ones..."

Hiro smiled. "Well, I guess both then. I have blood magic, but I need training for it, or else I'll go dark. Eiji's a different kind... He doesn't need the training, but he's helping me out."

She shrugged. "A caster's a caster to me..."

She grinned. "You two hitched or somethin'?"

Eiji sighed. "Are you implying that we're together? Yes, we are."

She smiled. "I love all that romantic stuff! I need to get me a nice girl too... Damn, I'm always free."

So she liked women? Well, at least Hiro wouldn't have to be worried about her hitting on Eiji.

She looked at Hiro, and smiled.

"Yer really a catch! It's a shame you're hitched..."

She held out her hand.

"The name's Emi by the way, but most just call me Em."

Hiro shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you Em..."

She laughed. "Yer bein' to formal, honest! I just-"

She saw what was behind her, and jumped.

"Holy HELL ON'A PIKE! WHAT'RE THOSE!?"

Hiro looked at them, and laughed.

"Do you guys want to come?"

The Leviathan's nodded eagerly.

"YES!" They screamed.

"Master and A Mistress wouldn't leave us... Would they...?"

They burst into tears.

"You NEVER COME TO VISIT!" Talin wailed.

"It has been a dark and boresome time in the palace of thorns..."

His face became serious.

"We heard about max... Sorry for your loss."

Hiro looked away.

"It's fine..." She said tearfully.

"So you're coming with us?"

Talin nodded. "Until the blood roads."

Em's eyes widened.

"You mean THE Max? Max the Leviathan!? I thought that was a phony name for them sneaky authors no one finds... He's dead? Damn... He wrote some damn good stories. My sis read'em to me, those books of hers... That was the last one before she got all sick."

Hiro smiled sadly. "So he published it then?"

Talin nodded. "A best seller..." He sniffed.

"Even the EARTHLINGS LIKED IT!"

They burst into tears again.

Emi smiled. "I liked the warrior chick, but all of'em girls were so caught on that 'steamy river spirit'... Or so they're all sayin'."

Eiji blushed. "Really...? That's my dad... He's married... And he's my dad."

Emi paused for a moment, then burst out into laughter.

"Ha! I'll tell'em I met the river spirit! Him though? Really!? Damn... That's some good writing, to make him steamy! Wait..."

She looked at Eiji and Hiro.

"Yer the Lost Royal's!? The ruler of Leviathan's!? Kick ass!"

She beamed. "That was THE Palace of Thorns I saw there. Damn, this is just the coolest!"

"HAPPY FANGIRL!" Winston screamed.

"FANGIRL!" They screamed.

They all lifted her in the air and cheered.

Fred laughed with joy.

"FINALLY! The Fangirl... She HAS ARRIVED!"

They cheered.

She laughed as they put her down.

"These guys're great! Can we keep'em?"

Eiji laughed. "Well, they are following us..."

She sighed. "Yer lucky I'm gonna go with ya to Deadmarch... Ya kids would get in the wrong place, and somebody'd cheat ya blind."

Hiro rolled her eyes. "This club, remember?"

Emi looked at her seriously.

"Ya kids've never dealt with the watch, have'ya? Ya think they don't have hammer's 'n caster's? Well, her wrong. Them plush lovers're brutal... They'll mess ya up is what they'll do. Keep yer nose down, and stick with me when we get to Deadmarch... I'll even getch'ya out."

Eiji sighed. "Well, I think Em's got a point. We've never been to Deadmarch, so we should take direction from someone who has."

Hiro nodded. "Okay then... But if someone pisses me off, I'm going to punch them."

Emi looked at her blatantly.

"You'll keep yer head down. Damn, don't go pickin' bone's unless ya hafta..."

Eiji put a hand on her shoulder.

"Like I said, we have no idea what this place is like..."

She sighed. "I know... We'll just follow Em I guess."

She nodded. "Good. Ya might wanna tell yer friends to stay back on the border... This place has Lot's a 'Burn the Witch' types."

Eiji nodded. "Alright then, you heard her. Stay on the border..."

"YES MASTER!" They yelled.

Eiji was surprised by this... Wasn't that more of an earth problem in the middle ages?

He gulped as they neared the border.

This could get ugly.