Page 2962

"Looking arou--? Hector, agh, I don't even know what to say that, to be quite honest. But you need to stay with me. If you make one wrong step, then your soul could become lost in here forever."

"Wait, what? I thought said that this Forge wouldn't do that."

"It won't, so long as I am able to guide you. But if you go wandering off by yourself, then anything could happen."

Anything, huh? Hmm. "...That kinda makes me want to do it even more now."

"Hector, please! This is no laughing matter!"

"Okay, sorry," said Hector. He couldn't help laughing just a bit, though. He felt like he'd been doing just fine a moment ago, but even so, he figured that he should probably listen to his elder on this one. "Lead the way."

The Lord Saqqaf's soul seemed to relax a little, perhaps from a sense of relief. "You had me worried for a minute there. Now allow me to show--"

"Young Hector, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Who in the hell is that?!" said Abbas.

Oh geez. "Uh, that's, er--"

"Ah, Young Abbas. You can hear me, can you? How wonderful."

Abbas' soul was back to its rigid, bristling form. "Who's speaking?! Identify yourself!"

"Ah--, no, that's Ra--"

"Be at ease, Young Abbas. I mean you no harm. Long have I wished to converse with you in this way." And then he said something in Valgan that Hector didn't understand.

Abbas responded--also in Valgan and much more intensely.

Then Rasalased said something else. Then Abbas. Then Rasalased again.

Hector wished he had Garovel here to translate. "Hey, guys, would you mind--"

Abbas shouted something. He was not calming down, it seemed.

"Er, is everything okay?"

"Yes," said Rasalased.

But not Abbas. In fact, Hector waited for him to say something, but the man was dead silent.

"...Abbas? You alright?"

"I have partitioned him off on his own," said Rasalased. "I believe he requires a moment to settle down. Do not worry. I will continue to explain the situation to him in tandem. In the meantime, let us continue our exploration."