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Now more than ever, the potential that lay dormant in the Shards was constantly on Asad's mind. If he could just unlock their power, he could ascend to a level of strength that the Sandlords had not wielded in centuries.

That would change things, of course. Abbas Saqqaf would no longer be the undisputed powerhouse among them, but Asad was confident that they would be able to work through any political challenges that might arise. The safety that the Shards would be able to provide would far outweigh any drama between the Hahls, he felt.

But there was a reason why the last seven Lions had all failed to accomplish this feat.

No one knew how to do it, anymore.

Qorvass believed that it was simply a matter of growing old enough, of allowing their soul synchronization to reach a certain threshold; but the reaper had also admitted to him privately that he didn't actually know what that threshold was or when they would pass it. Despite him being even older than the Shards themselves, the reaper could provide no definitive historical evidence that this theory was actually true.

Certainly, it was comforting to imagine that all Asad had to do was survive, to live long enough to obtain some godlike power that would solve all their problems. It was no wonder why Qorvass wanted to believe that.

It was much better than the alternative explanation, where it is simply impossible for Asad to unlock the Shards' potential in the first place.

Better to keep hope alive, right?

Soon. Just a little longer. Someday. Eventually.

Those all sounded nicer in one's mind than simply "never," didn't they?

Frankly, Asad didn't know what he believed, anymore. On the one hand, he'd gotten confirmation that Rasalased really did still exist within the Shards; but on the other, the Dry God had apparently mentioned something that seriously challenged Qorvass' theory of eventuality.

Worthiness.