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In any case, he tried to keep that in mind as he concentrated here.

Because this was important, he reminded himself. In fact, there might not be anything more important in his entire life, right now. This Forge could be the difference between Warrenhold's survival and its destruction. Between Atreya's survival and destruction. Between Garovel's. Between the Rainlords'. And the Sandlords'. And everyone he'd grown to care about so much.

Everything might be riding on this, he felt.

So if he needed to harness his Supreme Will or whatever the fuck it was in order to make this Forge listen to them, in order to make Rasalased listen to him, then fine. It was certainly worth a shot, at least, no matter how weird or unfitting or embarrassing it might feel to him.

When he reached out again with his soul, he tried to pour all of his focus into it this time. All his concentration. All of his effort. And determination. And certainty. And gravity.

And he issued the command.

"Show yourself," he said.

Those two words resounded through the dark sea around him. He had no idea how. Where had those words even come from? Where was his mouth? How was he hearing anything?

Hmm. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that he was feeling them, rather actually hearing them.

In any case, he also felt something there. Something waiting in the black.

Indeed, just as he thought, it was not empty.

He tried again.

"Show yourself to me, Candle."

The darkness shuddered this time, bending inward. And a sound arrived, though he couldn't make it out. Too distant. Muddled. Could've been words. Could've been music.

He was about to try again when Abbas' voice arrived.

"Hector! What in the world are you doing?!" The Lord Saqqaf's soul was suddenly there next to him, hovering in the darkness. "Why did you go off on your own?! How did you go off on your own?!"

Oh.

Uh.

Those were all pretty good questions, actually.

A pretty good answer came to mind, though--or what felt like one, at least.

"I'm just looking around."