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Before informing Axiolis, however, Zeff had something else he wanted to say. “I’ve never heard of this happening before. I thought each servant could only see reapers one way for as long as they live.”

‘Usually, that is the case, but in rare instances, it can change. Very rare. I’ve never had it happen to a servant of my own.’

“Do you know why this happened?”

Axiolis seemed hesitant. ‘Mm... well, it sounded sensible enough to me in the past, but now I’m not sure I want to believe it.’

“Explain.”

‘Supposedly... a change in the way you view reapers is reflective of a change that has already occurred in yourself. It indicates a kind of mental paradigm shift.’

“Ah. Then I suppose it does not bode very well for my mental state that I am now seeing you as an ice-breathing hellbeast of Lhutwë.”

The reaper floated back a little. ‘Of Lhutwë? You mean I’m--?’

“A lhugleoth, yes. It’s quite hideous.”

‘...Huh. A full-size one?’

“Full-size?”

‘Yes. They could grow to be twenty meters in length, you know.’

“They were also mythical, Ax.”

‘You don’t know that.’

“You’re, what, four thousand years old now?”

‘Thereabouts.’

“Have you ever seen a lhugleoth?”

‘Well, no, but maybe I just never looked hard enough.’

“I’m sure that’s it. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

‘I’m not entirely in love with your tone right now.’

“You do recall our people putting a stop to all of that water god nonsense back when my grandfather was a child, don’t you?”

‘Yes, well, just because the rest of you are dirty heathens doesn’t mean I have to be.’

Zeff merely gave a resigning nod.

‘I still love you, though.’

“Thank you.”

A beat passed. ‘...So am I full-size or not?’

“No,” said Zeff, able to release an amused breath but not quite able to manage a laugh. “You’re about the size of a horse.”

‘Mm. That’s a little disappointing.’

Zeff sighed and rubbed his face. He stood up and realized that he was half-dressed. He’d only managed to get that far before Axiolis had told him to sit down and listen. He resumed the task now, appreciative of the armored vest that someone had left for him by the fireplace.

‘By the way, you shouldn’t tell other people that you see reapers differently now.’