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@kylie-wingfeather

He is Risen indeed!

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An enormous man and his equally large dog (someone please correct me if I’m wrong about Fang’s size) stepped into the room.

Rupert tensed as his eyes fell on the man’s towering form, and stepped to the side quickly.

He was enormous.

Bigger than anyone Rupe had ever seen, though Gilgamesh (along with a couple of other transmortals) was a close second.

Rupert wasn’t scared of the transmortals. They were powerful, true, but they were also bound by the treaties of the Order — that is, they had been — and risked Burial if they attacked Order members outright a minimum of three times, or broke their treaties.

Not that that had ever really stopped Gilgamesh.

Rupert could still remember that day when the huge transmortal had (SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE NOT YET PAST PAGES 163 – 172 OF BOOK 2) nearly murdered Cyrus and Antigone.

Gilgamesh had blown up the Water Cube where the two Journeymen had been swimming, and had chased them into the Polygon after they’d survived. Nolan had held him off long enough for Rupert to arrive. Rupe had shot Gil in the head through his ear.

The bullet had only stunned him. (SPOILERS OVER)

 

Rupert let his left hand drift discreetly toward one of his revolvers.

Ahsoka shot him a look, clearly noticing, then strode up to the huge man. “Hello Hagrid,” she said to him. “Find anything useful?”

“Well, I ‘ave found some things, but I’m not real sure how useful you’ll find ’em,” said the big man — no, said Hagrid. He reached inside his coat, and produced a small collection of antique toys as Rupe tried to identify his thick accent. “I found ’em in some sort o’ old nursery, just sittin’ around gatherin’ dust, lookin’ all sad an’ lonely, so I thought I’d jus’ bring a few back here, see if any o’ you could find any fun in them.” He passed them out to the kids, who accepted them readily.

Leeli leaned on her crutch as she took one of the cloth dolls in her hands. “They’re so pretty!” she exclaimed, then, smiling wide, threw her arms around Hagrid’s leg as she whispered, “Thank you.”

“Aw, no need t’ thank me, they’s just some ol’ toys,” Hagrid said to the girl, looking a bit sheepish.

Rupert remained silent, watching the two.

He took his hand away from his revolver, and crossed his arms.

At least Hagrid, whoever he was, wasn’t hurting the kids.

But Rupert still didn’t trust him.

Not yet.

He couldn’t.

To risk it simply wasn’t an option.

But then again, there were two transmortals that Rupe trusted. Arachne and Nikales. Snake boy and spider girl.

And Hagrid might not even be a transmortal.

Rupert caught Hagrid’s eyes, and made sure that the big man saw the strength therein, the blood of ancient heroes that ran through his veins.

For the kids’ sake, Rupert would give Hagrid a chance.

He would wait, and he would keep an open mind, and he would see what there was to be seen.