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It wasn’t like Cocora’s Candle. That thing had a real sentience to it. It could talk to him--or try to, at least. This didn’t. This was different.

Heh. Wow. He remembered how strange and overwhelming all of his encounters with the Candle had felt. But oddly enough, this experience here--with this quiet Gate--made those previous ones with the Candle feel somehow more sensible to him. Like it was adding a new context through which he could view a problem that used to befuddle him.

And it also reinforced how truly special the Candle was, by comparison. How much more sophisticated it was. If the Candle was like an animal, then this was like a single-celled organism.

Interesting.

Ah, but still. Careful, he told himself.

Abbas said this thing was dormant, and while Hector did believe the man was correct, he still didn’t wish to test that statement too much. If the Gate was waiting for a ‘direction,’ then that seemed like a somewhat dangerous thing to be providing without due consideration, given the fact that he already knew it was a teleporter.

Hmm.

But there was a lot more here than just that, too. The aura was so receptive to him. So welcoming. And it had such depth to it. The ‘direction’ that it desired from him wasn’t just physical. It would accept a different kind, too.

But what did that mean, exactly?

Agh.

This “aura reading” thing was hard. Messy. Maybe there was some special trick to it that he didn’t understand yet. Right now, it was like trying to grab water with his hands. Technically possible, sure, but one wrong move, and it would slip right through his fingers.

He refocused.

What did it want? What was the true nature of this non-sentient thing’s desire?

...To see? No. To show.

It wanted to show him something. Anything, really. Anything he asked it to. Anything within its ability to.

Anything within the ability of its aura.

Whoa.

He knew quite well by now that auras could retain memories. And they could reveal memories in others, too. As auras linked together. Worked in tandem. Or were manipulated by a greater aura. Such as that of a Sparrow.

He sensed a change in the Gate. Because it was sensing him now, too. More specifically, it was sensing an opportunity to provide him with something. To show him. In accordance with its desire.

Did he wish to view a memory? And if so, which one?

Aha. He needed only to provide it with a direction.

Page 3724

‘Looks like we’ve got their permission,’ said Hector.

‘Yup,’ said Garovel, though it did come with a sigh.

‘You sound disappointed,’ said Hector.

‘I’m not. At least, not really. If anything, I’m only disappointed with myself for how excited I feel.’

‘What? You’re a walking contradiction, Garovel. Er. A floating one.’

‘Well, when you can acknowledge your flaws and try to change them, only to revert back to your degenerate ways, it can come with some complicated feelings.’

‘Y’know, I remember you calling me a drama king, once. Turns out, I was in good company.’

‘Alright, smartass. Let’s just get on with this, shall we? And if anything goes horribly wrong, this was never our plan. It was purely Abbas and Worwal’s. Agreed?’

‘One hundred percent.’

And so it was that they approached Rathmore’s Gate as the sun hung low in the sky, blanketing the natural scenery in a deeply red-orange glow. The monument was cool to the touch, and Hector kept the rest of his armor on, save only the gauntlets for his bare hands. He took a long, slow breath as he cleared his mind and found his concentration.

First, he felt for the Gate with his soul. Easy enough. It was clear as day to him now. Aura, too. Like a great pillar of light shining in his mind’s eye. Then, he felt for the Core in his hand.

And that was when the world around him came alive in an entirely new way.

What an incredible sensation. Like he was suddenly in a car--or motorcycle, perhaps--speeding down a highway when he’d been standing perfectly still only a moment prior.

He felt the world rushing past him. In fact, he might have mistaken it for actual wind, if not for the Scarf telling him the air currents around had not changed a bit. Still the same calm breeze he’d felt before.

Then he felt the circling, too. The spinning. The world, revolving.

Huh.

What was it doing?

He sensed more there now. Yeah. The aura. He sensed intent. Desire.

Whoa.

Distinct. Different. As all auras were, of course. But this one was very different. Despite how powerful it was, it felt much less... sentient. Maybe not at all, even. Unaware of itself? But still waiting. Patiently.

For him?

Yes.

For him to provide it with something. A command? No. A direction? Ah. Maybe so.

Desire, but not awareness. Not intelligence. How weird.

Page 3723

“That is important information,” said Abbas, “and all the more reason why we should have a working Kag of our own as soon as possible. At the moment, the Gate is a one-way road. If, gods forbid, an invasion were to be launched through it, we would have no ability to mount a counterattack until a new Kag was made. I suppose I should make it a top priority project, after all, just to be safe.”

Holy fuck. That was a scenario that Hector hadn’t even considered before. He held back a sigh as he rubbed his forehead. “It was bad enough when I only had to worry about a war arriving through Lorent...”

Abbas regarded him with a hint of amusement in his expression. “As you grow older, you will no doubt come to understand that, if you are acting as a true lord over your lands, then ‘worrying’ is your entire profession.”

Hector merely frowned, not exactly loving what he was hearing.

Abbas looked toward Worwal, who then chimed in again. ‘As a great statesman once said, “In every Age, the state of the world will drive you mad, if you allow it. And unfortunately, allow it we must, in the hope that our subjects might be spared from some portion of its unending cruelty.’

Hector’s frown didn’t get any better, but he did feel compelled to say something. “Worwal, holy crap. You’re as bad as Garovel.”

‘I beg your pardon, young man? What is that supposed to mean?’

“It means you’re a real downer!” said Hector.

Abbas snorted, then laughed outright.

Worwal did not, instead merely cocking a skeletal eyebrow at his servant.

‘For the record, I resent that,’ said Garovel. ‘I can be optimistic.’

“Yeah, you can be,” said Hector. “But you’re not.”

The conversation continued on that track for a bit longer, with Worwal expressing his displeasure at both Hector and Abbas; and Hector offered a small amount of appreciation for the reaper’s words of old wisdom, but for the most part, he held his ground. Because for some reason, he felt as though he had to, or else these ancient, jaded-as-hell reapers would overwhelm him and Abbas both.

The Sunsmith, for his part, merely seemed entertained.

Eventually, however, the subject moved back to the Gate, and Hector and Garovel had to consult with each other privately as they came to a decision about it.