Page 3733

“I see,” said her guide, though he left it at that.

Which was a bit surprising, she felt, but she wasn’t complaining, either. Thus far, the psychics here were truly a different breed. She had to wonder how much contact with the outside world they actually experienced, because unlike the ones she’d met before, these people were completely unafraid to tell you that they were trying to read your thoughts.

In a weird way, despite how utterly rude it was, she kind of respected it. At least they were being straightforward. Not trying to subtly manipulate her.

As she’d been taught, the main trick to defending against psychics was to create a smokescreen over one’s thoughts. There were various methods of accomplishing that, of course, but the easiest one was to use emotion. More complex thoughts could also be used for that smokescreen, but that was obviously going to be harder, since it essentially involved maintaining two different lines of thought at once. She wasn’t quite capable of that yet, but she hoped to be, one day.

It had been plenty difficult learning how to summon, harness, and wield her own emotions defensively. Her teachers had been rather ruthless about it, too, save one. But that was just another reason why Captain General Fen Frederick was her favorite. Technically speaking, Captain General Parson Miles might’ve been the better instructor--and the entire reason why she’d been able to even meet Dr. Frederick in the first place--but in her estimation, the Surgeon Saint truly did live up to his moniker.

That man had some kind of otherworldly charisma to him. And a heart of gold to go along with it.

So when she saw her chance to join one of his divisions, she took it. And now, here she was, traveling around the world on some of the most secretive missions that the Vanguard had to offer.

Her career had only just gotten moving, and yet she already had a fair few stories under her belt. Whether she would actually be able to tell them to anyone was another matter. If her littlest sister ever found out about her work, then the questions would no doubt become incessant.

Assuming she ever returned home, that was.

Gema Elroy genuinely did not know if such a time would arrive. Her reaper kept telling her not to think that way, that there was no telling what the future held, but at the moment, Gema just couldn’t see it happening.

Page 3732 -- CCCVI.

This time, however, the illusion didn’t stay long. It shifted quickly into another, similar scene, where Raheem was a bit older again--only this time, he wasn’t alone. Another, smaller child was right in front of him, tucked in a small cot and sleeping away while Raheem watched.

Then again, the scene changed, even more rapidly than before--so fast, even, that Hector had trouble making sense of everything. And it just kept going. More scenes, more children, more locations and situations. All in glimpses. The only clear throughline was Raheem himself, growing steadily older as siblings sprouted up all around him, pestering him, making him laugh, making him worry, making him angry, even making him cry.

It was remarkable, Hector thought. Overwhelming and remarkable. Too much to take in all at once like this, certainly, and he couldn’t stop trying, either.

The others were saying things now. Abbas and Garovel and Worwal. And he fully intended to listen to whatever they were saying and respond to it.

But for a few moments longer, Hector Goffe simply kept observing in awed silence.


Chapter Three Hundred Six: ‘O, long-departed ingenue...’
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“You have a troubled soul, child.”

“Oh, really? Thanks.” She knew this wasn’t going to be fun. Even with all the training she’d been put through in recent years specifically for this purpose, it would’ve been foolish to think that this mission was going to be some sort of cakewalk.

Dealing with psychics was always going to spell trouble.

And this was a whole town full of them. A whole society.

Well. Mostly whole.

There was, of course, a non-psychic group at the heart of it all. They were also rather important to this place, to say the least.

“That was not meant as a compliment,” said her tall guide as they walked down a long, green-lit corridor together.

She knew that, of course. That was just how she dealt with rude people. By pretending she didn’t understand. In her line of work, it often made things easier. So she made no response here, instead choosing to let her eyes wander at the verdant surroundings, as if she were barely even paying attention to the conversation.

This guide was a persistent one, though. “Your thoughts seem to be of somewhere else. A homesickness, perhaps?“

Ah, she could respond that. “Yeah. Family issues, y’know? But I miss them. As surely as the sun shines.”

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Page 3731

As their conversation continued on, Hector remained largely stuck in his own head. Mulling over everything Abbas had just told him. He felt so odd. Like he was having an epiphany. And also not. As if something he’d always known was suddenly being made clear to him. And yet he couldn’t even articulate what it actually was.

It was some kind of cerebral stalemate. A knot, struggling to untie itself.

Agh. He wished he wasn’t so stupid. Maybe then, he wouldn’t have to think so hard to figure this weird knot out. Or maybe it wouldn’t have gotten all knotted up in the first place.

Even as he kept listening to the others’ conversation, his mind was looking for answers. For clues, even. Anything to help him solve the puzzle that was his own confusion.

Abbas had caused this. It followed, therefore, that Abbas would hold more answers. The only problem was that Hector didn’t even know the questions to ask. And they were still talking, besides.

Interrupt? With what? He didn’t know.

Instead, he found himself reaching out. For what? For more memories. Of what?

Abbas’ children?

Would that be wrong? Hector didn’t know that, either. Truthfully, he still didn’t rightly know how any of this was working. Auras, the Gate, connecting with his mind, manifesting illusions from the past. He wasn’t sure how much there was to find. Did Abbas have to offer the memory up willingly? Consciously? Probably. And if not, then maybe that wouldn’t be--

He found something. Before he could learn anything more about it, the new memory was already manifesting, recasting an illusion over the world around them.

The other three took notice of the change, too. Of course they did. The illusion melted into a completely different scene. The location was blurrier, but the people were not. In it, Abbas was grinning ear-to-ear and holding up a slightly older Raheem, whose little face was already recognizable to Hector as the fully grown man he would one day become.

The baby boy was saying something, Hector realized. Too bad it was in Valgan, so he couldn’t--

“Abbi! Abbi!”

No, wait. Now that he thought about it, he did know what that meant, didn’t he?

Heh.

He wasn’t sure when he’d learned it, but he supposed the dots also weren’t terribly difficult to connect, given the context here. Raheem’s mother looked just as pleased as her husband did.

Page 3730

Wow. Somehow, Hector felt like he’d just received a lot more information than he’d expected. And he’d expected a fair bit.

And it wasn’t just in regard to Abbas’ personal history, either. That certainly interested Hector, too, but there was something else. Something in the underlying philosophy that the man had just espoused. The way Abbas described the world.

A neverending struggle against human extinction.

One of Hector’s background thought processes had held on to those words. Brought them close. And now he couldn’t stop examining them.

Why?

Why did they feel so relevant to him on an intimate level? They were summoning two contradictory feelings at once. They made him feel as if he’d never thought that way before. But also as if he’d always thought that way.

How did that make any sense?

It was enough to make all of his thought processes converge together, and he couldn’t help remaining silent for a while, even after the Lord Saqqaf seemed to finish his story.

Thankfully, Garovel was there to keep up the conversation in his stead. ‘Heh,’ the reaper laughed. ‘Thank you for sharing all of that with us. Especially that last part. Think I felt my cold, dead heart warm up just a little. And truthfully, I’m also incredibly relieved by what I’ve learned of you here today, Lord Abbas.’

Abbas tilted his head. ‘Relieved? In what manner?’

Worwal snickered, but didn’t say anything, drawing the Sunsmith’s glance.

‘There is a certain amount of... shall we say, “historical justification” for worrying about powerful integrators. Inventors, in particular. Strange and brilliant minds. Far too often, with people like you, your work consumes you. Until you lose all connections to the world. And of late, you have been exhibiting some... troubling behavior in that regard, specifically.’

Abbas opened his mouth, then closed it again without retort.

‘But I see now that your family does indeed mean everything to you,’ said Garovel. ‘Until now, I feared that, perhaps, all of these children and grandchildren you have might’ve merely been the result of some societal obligation that you felt. And that you were still at great risk of becoming lost to us all through your work. So yes, I am relieved and happy to get a glimpse of your deeply held emotional ties.’

Worwal decided to chime in again. ‘To be clear, he IS still at risk of that. I worry about it constantly.’

Garovel chortled. ‘Of course. I didn’t mean to imply that there was no risk at all. Just that there was less than I feared. Which is a comforting thought.’

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Page 3729

‘Over time,’ Abbas went on, ‘my large family gradually diminished. Wars took their toll on us. In more ways than one. And I... ignored it all, for the most part. I grieved, sure. Endured the misery. As we all do. But I never changed my thinking. I focused only on my work. On myself. Whenever I thought of the future, it was in terms of technological development and nothing else.

‘It is to my shame that I did not truly begin to change until there were only four of us left. Four brothers. And finally, I started to view Abolish for what they truly are.’

Hector didn’t follow. ‘What do you mean by that?’

The Sunsmith met his gaze. ‘They are an ideologically-possessed opponent. Exceptions within their ranks can certainly be found, but at their core, they are a cult of death. An enemy of all human life, seeking its destruction wherever and however they can. When I was younger, I viewed them as nothing more than... a physical threat. An enemy to be fought solely on the battlefield. With power. With technology. But then I began to see that fighting them--truly fighting them--can involve more than killing their warriors and protecting innocent life. It can also involve creating new life.’

Hector’s eyes shifted to the illusory floor as he absorbed those words. Huh...

‘When I viewed the world in that context,’ said Abbas, ‘I rather abruptly began to feel that having children was not merely a duty to my own family and bloodline. It was also a moral imperative in this neverending battle against human extinction.’

Damn. Hector had no idea how to respond to that.

‘And so, from there, I became highly motivated to find a wife and have as many children as I possibly could. But in the pursuit of our dreams, life often provides us with more difficulty than we anticipate. While I did manage to meet a lovely woman and get married, we struggled terribly trying to have children. She had four miscarriages within the span of two years. Then she vanished, and I have not seen her since. I have no idea what became of her, though I... I suspect...’ He closed his eyes and shook his head before continuing. ‘I don’t know.’

Hector was at even more of a loss than before.

‘And so we have the scene before you now,’ said Abbas. ‘Raheem’s mother was my second wife. And when he was born, I was indeed... beside myself with relief and joy. In fact, it might well stand as the happiest moment in my life. Embarrassing though it may be, I am also... pleased that I can relive it again like this.’

Page 3728

‘Wow,’ said Garovel. ‘I know this is an emotional moment in every father’s life, but, uh... you really, um... just... wow.’

The older Abbas scratched his cheek. ‘Ah... perhaps I should have picked a different memory...’

Garovel chortled. ‘First one that came to mind, huh?’

‘Indeed...’

‘He cried more than Raheem did that day,’ said Worwal. ‘Far more. It was very heartwarming, I thought. And perhaps a little pathetic, too.’

Abbas shot the reaper a look.

‘But there was also more going on in our lives than is made clear by this scene here,’ added Worwal. ‘It had been... a difficult few years.’

That piqued Hector’s curiosity--as well as his hesitation. ‘W-what do you mean?’

The vision paused, along with the younger Abbas’ wailing. Hector hadn’t intended to do that, but now that it was done, it seemed better to keep it that way.

Rather than answering the question, however, Worwal deferred to his servant.

Abbas looked over his captive audience, and for a very strange moment, Hector felt like he could see exactly how old Abbas truly was. That expression on the man’s face didn’t change much at all, and yet there was still something in his eyes--a tiredness, perhaps--that spoke of many feelings all at once.

Hector had never witnessed the like before. And it made Hector hang on to every word that Abbas was about to say.

‘There were many reasons why I... fell apart like this. When I was young--even younger than here, I mean--I never thought much of having children. Of carrying on my family line. I partook in many different hobbies, you see. Many personal interests. And social interaction was... decidedly NOT one such area, to say the least.’

Hector was suddenly trying hard not to relate too much. And failing.

‘My reclusive nature caused friction between me and... well, my parents, of course. But also my entire family. Worwal here, included.’

The reaper gave an acknowledging nod.

‘I was neglecting my responsibility, they said. And they were right. As a man of Hahl Saqqaf, I had a duty to carry on my bloodline. But I also had eight brothers. All of whom were much more sociable than I. All of whom seemed to be doing just fine in carrying on our family’s legacy. And I think my parents probably thought the same, deep down. We all had our quirks. This was just one of mine. They could let it slide. And so this continued on for many years.’

Oh, man. Hector had a dreadful feeling that he knew where this was going.

Page 3727

A moment later, the man’s palm arrived exactly there, and just as Hector suspected, Abbas Saqqaf’s aura became clearer in his mind’s eye. Along with his soul, too. Both shone together brilliantly, almost indistinguishably from one another, as he peered harder into them. Searching. Thinking of the memory as Abbas had described it.

It should have been obvious. Abbas was probably thinking about it right now, himself. Unless he was being a jerk and purposely trying to make things harder.

Yes. The first thing of substance was there. That seemed right. Felt right. He embraced it with his own aura, let the Core have a bit of leeway. Freedom to help. It wanted to. He could sense its desire.

He felt a change all around him, but in his mind’s eye, he saw not much difference.

So he tried opening his eyes.

A pristine white hallway. A continuous bar of golden paint on each wall. Valgan words on each sign. A floor of polished tile. More white and gold, but with outlines of black, too.

It didn’t quite look like a hospital, Hector thought. In fact, it looked a bit like the Golden Fort, which he and Garovel had visited in Kuros. Not identical, though. Perhaps this was a different area of it? Or it had been remodeled since then? Raheem was probably quite old, so that might make sense.

Then he noticed Abbas. A second one, that was. Visibly younger, though not terribly so. But perhaps that was due, at least in part, to how utterly haggard the younger Abbas looked. Frazzled hair. Deep bags under his eyes. Pacing back and forth across the floor. And smoking a cigarette, too. That was a surprise.

Meanwhile, the older Abbas was right there next to him, looking on with complete awe, stepping closer, then to the side, as if not wanting to get in the way of his younger self.

A baby’s cry arrived, muffled behind a closed door. The younger Abbas instantly turned and bolted through it.

Hector and the other three observers followed.

Young Abbas was bent over the bed, hugging his wife and new child.

And sobbing uncontrollably.

The staff were smiling and presumably congratulating the couple in Valgan, but they were also giving some strange looks to the loud, weeping man in front of them, even as they mopped the floor and wiped down the room. One of them was attempting to apply a stethoscope to the child and not succeeding, because Abbas was in the way and apparently too far gone to even notice.

Page 3726

He understood a little better now. It probably couldn’t transport him anywhere, just like Lord Abbas said, but perhaps it could show him something from the past.

Just him, though? What about everyone else?

He pulled himself back a bit, wanting to sense everyone around him again.

Garovel. Worwal. Abbas.

And there they were. Right alongside him. But he maintained his connection to the Gate, too. It was surprisingly easy.

Because of the Core. Ah. It was behaving. Good.

‘Whoa,’ came Garovel’s silent voice. ‘This is different. What am I even sensing, right now?’

‘Oh, you can sense a change,’ thought Hector. ‘I’m trying to include you guys.’

‘Was that Hector?!’ came another voice, one Hector didn’t recognize at first.

Hector might’ve blinked if his eyes weren’t already closed. ‘Was that Abbas?’

‘We can hear each other’s thoughts!’ said the Lord Saqqaf, sounding quite amazed and pleased. ‘Aha! How are you doing this?!’

‘That’s a good question, uh... I think it’s mainly our proximity to the Gate. Its aura is... kinda huge, actually. Covers this whole area. And I... think I’ve kinda... tapped into it a little. Thanks to your Living Core.’

‘Incredible...!’

‘While it is amazing, I also find it mildly unsettling,’ said Worwal.

‘Me, too, actually,’ said Garovel. ‘Servants shouldn’t be able to communicate with each other like we do. That’s supposed be our thing and no one else’s. What’re you gonna steal from us next, huh?’

Hector snickered. ‘Garovel... shut up.’

‘What else can the Core allow you to do?’ said Abbas.

‘Not sure yet,’ said Hector. ‘But I think the Gate can let us view memories of the past. That’s why I wanted to include you all. With any luck, we can all witness something together.’

‘Memories, you say?’ said Worwal. ‘What sort of memories?’

‘That’s also a good question,’ said Hector with a bob his head. ‘Uh... I think... just about anything? Or rather... anything within proximity of the Gate. Within the aura.’

‘Hmm,’ hummed Abbas. ‘Does that include us?’

‘...I guess so?’

‘A test, then,’ said Abbas. ‘Show me the birth of my son, Raheem.’

Holy shit, uh. Okay. The man was ready to go, apparently.

Hector concentrated, thinking about that request more. How to accomplish it? Hmm. Auras, auras. Uh. They were kinda muddy, still. Hard to read, let alone connect to. Maybe if he... hmm...

‘Er... can you put your hand on my shoulder?’ asked Hector.

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Page 3725

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 idea. 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.

Page 3722

At length, Abbas decided to speak up. “While we are here, I would like for you to try interfacing with Rathmore’s Gate, using the Living Core.”

Hector’s eyes widened, and he blinked.

The previous moment of tension had been rather unceremoniously obliterated. Had Abbas not even noticed it in the first place? Or simply not cared, perhaps?

Abbas’ expression remained unchanged as he elaborated. “That is, if you are comfortable doing so. I understand that it may seem a bit risky, but Worwal and I will be here to pull you out, should anything go wrong. Just as you did for us.”

Worwal jumped in before Hector could respond. ‘That is a weak safety net, I feel. We were unable to pull Hector out of his coma when he first interfaced with the Candle. Why should he and Garovel believe now that we would be able to retrieve them from a dive into the Gate?’

“Because now we have the Core,” defended Abbas.

‘But the Core hates us, apparently.’

“I am aware. And that is why Hector should be the one to dive instead of me. He has already demonstrated ample skill in controlling it. You and I will be there to assist and guide him, if necessary.”

‘Or,’ said Worwal, ‘we could simply have neither of you do this, instead. And avoid a needless risk.’

“The risk is minimal,” said Abbas, looking from Worwal to Hector and Garovel. “If you are worried about accidentally triggering the Gate’s power, don’t be. Without a Kag, it is dormant.”

‘You sure about that?’ said Garovel. ‘Hector and I have both experienced its power once before, when it teleported us here from the Undercrust. Along with several other people.’

“Excuse me?” said Abbas, eyeing the monument another time. “Ah, of course. I believe I have already heard much of that tale. So this was how you returned, then? Interesting.”

‘Yeah, so it’s definitely not dormant. Not completely, anyway.’

Abbas shook his head. “No, it is. I’m certain of it. But that means someone else is already in possession of a working Kag for this Gate. Whoever it was that activated it for you. There were multiple strange figures involved, yes? What were their names again?”

‘Malast and Royo Raju,’ said Worwal. ‘Correct?’

‘That’s right,’ said Garovel.

Hector didn’t recall ever telling them that, but he supposed it was only natural that word would have gotten around, especially to the reapers, who were always talking to one another.

Page 3721

‘And did you discover anything else after those examinations?’ said Worwal.

‘Not particularly,’ said Garovel with a hint of exasperation. ‘They’re unbreakable, immovable, and typically reach far deeper into the earth than one might expect.’

“Immovable?” said Abbas. “What do you mean by that, precisely?”

‘Oh, did you not know that about them? They can’t be removed from whatever location they are found in. Even if you dig out all the dirt and rock around them, carve an entire canyon where they stand, they’ll actually stay exactly where they are. They’ll float in midair, even.’

That was news to Hector. He could see the surprise on Abbas and Worwal’s faces, too.

‘Truly?’ said Worwal. ‘You are not making that up, are you?’

Garovel seemed amused. ‘Not only that, but the land around them will slowly regenerate into its previous state, too. So even if you did go through all the trouble of carving out a whole canyon, your work would be undone in a matter of... hmm, days? Weeks, maybe?’

“Remarkable,” said Abbas. “How have I never learned of this?”

‘Heh. Don’t feel bad. Instead, feel impressed. By me. And how incredibly knowledgeable I am.’

‘I am still not entirely convinced that you are being serious,’ said Worwal.

‘Oh, I am. Like I said, I’ve been studying these things for a very long time. I’m familiar with many of the quieter efforts made throughout history to learn more about the Tools--and let me tell you: more than a few of those efforts have ended up largely forgotten by the academic community.’

‘Ah. A sadly all too common tale.’

‘Indeed,’ said Garovel with a nod. ‘And it doesn’t help that the Tools themselves have also been forgotten by many. But yeah. I’m sure you’ve seen similar problems in your own research, no? Fierce competition. Information being purposely buried. That sort of thing.’

‘Of course,’ said Worwal, an abrupt heaviness in tone. ‘Along with... much worse things, as well. But I’m sure I do not need to tell that to a Prime Archiver.’

Garovel seemed to match his energy. ‘Yes. I’ve witnessed more collateral damage done to the world for this infuriating reason than I even care to remember. If only it were possible to forget.’

A silence arrived as the two reapers fell quiet.

Hector exchanged looks with Abbas, not knowing if one of them should try to revive the conversation.

Next page on the 16th

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Page 3720

He took in a deep breath and steadied himself, seeing that Worwal was still looking at him. ‘You’re right,’ he told Garovel, and he put the Core back inside his armor. ‘At the very least, we should consult Abbas before pulling another stunt like that.’

‘Mmhmm. And can you imagine how much shit he and Worwal would give us if we just jumped in there, right now? In the middle of the examination, too? We’d look like huge assholes.’

‘Yeah...’

‘But I like your thinking, kid. You’ve got moxie. Don’t lose it, just ‘cuz I’m fightin’ ya on this one.’

Hector frowned inside his helmet. ‘Kid? You’ve never called me kid before.’

‘Yeah, I’m tryin’ it out. Whaddya think?’

‘...I hate it, honestly. From other people, sure. But from you, egh. No.’

The reaper laughed. ‘Alright, fine.’

They decided to wait patiently for Abbas to finish his examination. Hector thought about sitting down and meditating, but it didn’t take much longer for the man to let go of the monument and walk over to them.

‘So what’s the verdict?’ said Garovel publicly.

“It is a magnificent structure,” said Abbas. “The etchings on the surface are almost invisible to the naked eye, but the flow of ardor through them is still pristine. As if they’d been crafted yesterday. That is how you know they are the work of a master integrator. Eliminating all leakage is a thing that even I still struggle with. Fortunately, my work rarely calls for such precision. Machinery will always be in need of repair or refinement, regardless of how much time is spent perfecting the finished product.”

‘...Alright. I’m not too proud to admit that most of that went over my head,’ said Garovel. ‘Was any of that relevant to the issue of creating a new Kag?’

“Yes,” said Abbas. “The flawlessness of the etchings will need to be replicated in the Kag itself, which will make the project a bit more time-consuming for me. But that is all. I could still manage it in a day. Perhaps a week if I take breaks to work on other projects. You said this was not an urgent matter to you, yes?”

‘We did. Anything else you can tell us about the Gate?’

Abbas’ brow twitched as he eyed Garovel. “You also said this was a long-held project for you. Have you never had anyone else examine this monument?”

Garovel shook his skull. ‘Not this one specifically, no. But others, sure. Many, many years ago.’

Page 3719

‘Hector, I’m serious,’ said Garovel. ‘Increasingly, I’m beginning to see the danger we pose to each other. We’re even more alike than I first realized. We both have a very high tolerance for risk. More than that, I think we both find enjoyment in it, too. Like it’s slowly becoming our hobby to risk our lives while flirting with the unknown.’

The reaper’s heavier tone dampened Hector’s spirits a bit, but perhaps that was a good thing. Rationally, he still knew that Garovel was right. And he was being reminded of his meditations again. Of his possible encounter with the Void.

This wasn’t the same as that. The danger didn’t feel nearly so immediate or threatening.

But it wasn’t entirely dissimilar, either.

A background thought process took up the question. Where had these urges come from? Was it from a place of confidence? That seemed wrong, since confidence had always felt like such a foreign concept to him, but... maybe...

He did have a sense that he could control the Living Core. Or at least, keep it in check. And he didn’t feel threatened by Rathomre’s Gate, either. They hardly seemed comparable to the danger posed by something like the Void itself.

Perhaps, then... yes. He did have confidence in himself. That he could handle whatever crazy shit they might stumble into here.

Wow. That really was it, wasn’t it?

Because he didn’t feel like he was actually putting Garovel in danger here.

But he was, wasn’t he? He was playing with things beyond his comprehension.

And not just that, either. Abbas and Worwal were both here, too. Messing with the Gate in their presence could potentially put them at risk also. Strong as they were, they still deserved consideration for their safety, didn’t they?

Not to mention Warrenhold.

He couldn’t afford to let himself get put into another coma. Warrenhold couldn’t afford it. Not until the Rainlords got back, at the very least.

He was supposed to be a lord. He was supposed to have a sense of responsibility. Not just indulge in whatever sounded fun.

Agh. He could already feel various counterarguments rising to his defense. It wasn’t just about fun, surely. These were calculated risks. Necessary ones, even. They needed to obtain more power. To protect Warrenhold. To protect Atreya. From the likes of Abolish. And more, perhaps.

The path forward was not a gentle one. Not a safe or easy one.

But those were just excuses, weren’t they? Even if there might’ve been some truth to them, it didn’t change the fact that he’d been getting carried away.

Page 3718

Smiling to himself, Hector finally did as Garovel initially requested and materialized the dark suit. He stepped a bit closer to Abbas, who had his eyes closed and seemed to be off in his own world.

It wasn’t so long ago that Hector would’ve had no idea what the man was doing, right now. But thanks to the Candle’s memories--and from his own personal experiences, of course--he knew that Abbas was examining the structure of its soul power and/or ardor. And that required intense concentration.

So intense, in fact, that Hector didn’t even want to say anything aloud, in the off chance that it might distract the Lord Saqqaf. It probably wouldn’t, given how well-practiced the man no doubt was at this type of thing, but it still would’ve been impolite.

It was tempting, though. Worwal was floating right there next to the man, observing silently. Hector might’ve liked to ask the reaper for his opinion on the Gate, but he supposed that could be saved for later.

As he kept moving slowly closer, however, a different idea entered into his mind.

He pulled the Living Core out of his armor and eyed it for a moment. Then Rathmore’s Gate. Then the Core again.

Worwal was staring at him now, Hector noticed. The reaper didn’t say anything, though.

Hmm.

‘Hector,’ came Garovel’s private voice again, embedded with a familiarly apprehensive tone. ‘You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, are you?’

‘Depends. What do you think I’m thinking?’

‘I think you’re thinking that using the Living Core to interface with Rathmore’s Gate wouldn’t be an incredibly stupid thing to do.’

‘Hah. Well, you’re wrong, because I definitely know that it would be.’

‘Ah. And you’re thinking about doing it, anyway.’

‘Maybe.’

‘Hector. Haven’t we fulfilled our stupid quota for the day? Trying to interface with the Candle when we had so little information was bad enough, no?’

‘I mean... yeah. You’re right. Obviously.’

A beat passed.

‘But what if we just--?’

‘Hector, stop. Don’t say any more.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I’ll say yes! And I don’t want to do that, right now!’

Hector breathed a laugh, trying to keep it quiet.

‘Remember that whole speech that you just gave to Abbas about taking a step back and realizing that you’re actually a big dumbass? I think you should take your own advice. And so should I, frankly.’

‘Aw, c’mon...’

Page 3717

‘Garovel, I just feel like it’s not that important. The armor’s not hard to materialize, so if I don’t think a name fits, then I’ll just go without it.’

‘Yeah, that’s fine for you, but what about me? I wanna call it something cool.’

‘Wow,’ said Hector. ‘Which one of us was three thousand years old again?’

‘I’ll thank you to take your ageism and leave it out of this conversation.’

‘Ageism, huh? You’ve called me young and stupid before. Like a lot.’

‘I said THIS conversation. We can both go back to being ageist in the next one.’

That made Hector chuckle.

A brief silence arrived as they both just continued to watch Abbas from this short distance away.

‘But c’mon. Name. While we’ve got time. Let’s figure this out.’

‘You’re really not gonna let this go, huh?’

‘Maybe if you can distract me with something sufficiently interesting. Can you?’

‘Nothing’s coming to mind.’

‘Name, then. I threw a bunch at you. It’s your turn to suggest one.’

‘Well, uh... hmm. I guess... I kinda feel like a good name would pay homage to the shield that it used to be. So maybe Amir?’

‘Amir, huh? Just Amir?’

‘Yeah, why not? Short and simple.’

‘You know Amir is an actual Valgan name, right? For a person? And a fairly common one, too. It’d be like naming your armor Fred.’

Admittedly, Hector hadn’t thought of it that way. He bobbed his head again and rubbed his chin as he gave it more serious consideration.

‘You are NOT naming your armor Fred, right now.’

‘I mean... I could...’

‘Hector.’

‘What?’

‘That’s dumb.’

‘Why? I can name it what I want, can’t I? No one else will ever even hear it, except us. Probably.’

‘What if you become good friends with a guy named Fred at some point, huh? Or Amir, for that matter? It’ll be needlessly confusing.’

‘Hmm. That’s a good point. So I should just always be rude to any Freds or Amirs, then...’

It was the reaper’s turn to laugh. ‘If you want the name to have some sort of sentimental meaning, then perhaps you should ask Abbas or Haqq about why they named it Amir. Just in case there’s some context we’re missing.’

‘Good idea. Plus, that’ll let me put off making this decision for a little longer, too.’

‘You’re really obnoxious sometimes, you know that?’

‘Whoa. That’s pretty mean, Garovel.’

‘If you don’t decide soon, I’m just gonna start calling it the Darksteel Armor on my own, because fuck you.’

Page 3716

How many times did he have to do something incredibly stupid before he finally started remembering that he should leave his phone behind? He felt especially dumb here, knowing that they were already planning to return to the Forge, where he could have safely left it.

He could already picture the judgmental look on Ms. Rogers’ face when he told her that he needed another replacement.

Ah well. Problems for later.

As Hector moved toward the Gate, Garovel decided to speak up privately from inside Hector’s armor.

‘Hey, make the Darksteel Armor before you get any closer. I find it much cozier to hide in.’

‘...What did you just call it?’

‘The Darksteel Armor. It still needs a name, right? And that one seems pretty much perfect to me.’

Hmm. Well, the reaper did have a point. Hector had been meaning to give it a name for a while now, if only to make it even easier to materialize. Zeff and Asad had both mentioned that naming techniques was good for that purpose, but Hector hadn’t fallen in love with any of the things he’d come up with so far. Plus, it hadn’t exactly been a priority. The dark armor was already pretty easy to materialize, he felt.

‘I don’t know,’ said Hector. ‘Naming it after myself just feels kinda... douchey. Y’know?’

The reaper gave an echoing chortle. ‘But it’s so fitting, though! It’s both dark and steel! Ish!’

‘Ish? Steel-ish? I feel like if you have to add an -ish, then it might not actually be that fitting, Garovel.’

‘Agh, fine. Name it something else, then. Anything. I just want to call it something other than ‘the dark suit.’ That sounds way too generic and vague.’

‘Uh... hmm...’

‘How about the Shadowsteel Armor?’

‘I... actually don’t hate that.’

‘Yeah? It’s settled, then!’

‘Hold on, I didn’t say yes. Just that I kinda liked it.’

‘What do you mean? That’s the same thing, Hector. Those are equivalent statements.’

‘Nuh-uh. Saying that I like it just means that I think you’re... er... heading in the right direction, I guess.’

The reaper sighed. ‘Alright. Not Shadowsteel. Just the Shadow Armor, then?’

Hector bobbed his head a little to both sides, then shook it. ‘Nah, I don’t like that one as much. Sounds kinda... I don’t know...’

‘Then how about the Nightsteel Armor? You like the steel part of the name, right?’

‘I... kinda don’t, actually.’

‘Huh? You don’t? But you just--what? Why not?’

‘I dunno.’

‘Just the Night Armor, then?’

‘...Eh.’

‘Hector. Quit being a picky bitch.’

‘...No.’

‘Oh, my god.’

Page 3715

He wanted to see how his normal iron armor truly compared to the dark suit in this particular scenario. It seemed to him that it wouldn’t make much difference at all, since the aforementioned g-forces that his body was being subjected to would be the same.

But again, he didn’t know much about g-forces to begin with. So maybe it would have made a difference? Or maybe the suit had some other component to its protective capabilities that he did not yet fully understand?

It did give him a strange sort of feeling in that regard. An extra layer of comfort--in his mind, at least. But that very well could have just been his own messed up head playing tricks on him. In fact, that was quite probably the case, Hector thought. Even his iron armor often made him feel more comfortable than normal clothes did.

There was just something so calming about wearing armor. He didn’t know how to explain it. Maybe there simply wasn’t a way to.

Regardless, the iron suit worked about as well he’d expected it to. Which was to say: not very.

It didn’t take them very long to reach the Carthrace Nature Reserve, wherein stood Rathmore’s Gate, but by the end of the trip, Hector felt like his whole body had turned to jelly. It didn’t hurt, thanks to Garovel numbing the pain for him, but he’d experienced this type of wobbly sensation many times before, and it always meant that he had a lot of broken bones. Hell, maybe all of them.

That seemed rather unlikely, though, knowing what he now did about how many bones there were in just the hands and feet.

Eh, he was letting these spare thought processes go off in weird directions. Time to focus, he decided.

After being gently set on the ground by Abbas, Hector immediately did his best impression of an unfolded pile of laundry, crumpling into an iron heap. His foremost thought process was disoriented beyond all recognition, but thanks to the others, he was at least able to observe as Abbas moved toward the Gate on his own.

The man seemed to be taking his time in his approach, walking slowly around it before finally getting close enough to touch it. By the time he actually made physical contact, Hector had regenerated enough to walk again.

He double-checked everything he was carrying. Shard. Scarf. Core. Phone. Oh, that was broken. Of course it was. Dammit.

Page 3714 -- CCCV.

When he was ready, Abbas stomped back outside, grabbed the young Lord Darksteel with one hand, pulled him under his arm, and used his strengthened legs in order to gain distance from the grassy earth before rocketing away at a medium burn. No sense in following Hector’s example and leaving another fire behind for Raheem or someone else to put out.

Once he had sufficient altitude, he cranked up the burn to eighty percent. He was tempted to go for the full hundred, of course, but after the recent tweaks he’d made to the fusion-propulsion system, he expected the jets to be slightly more powerful than before. And as he had yet to actually test them, it would have been rather irresponsible to do so now, when he had a passenger with him.

...But on the other hand, he was quite certain that the new calculations were correct, and even if they weren’t, the built-in fail-safes meant there was zero risk of accidentally instigating antimatter reactions.

Well.

Mathematically zero.

Yeah. He should just go for it. Hector was undead, and time was wasting, after all.


Chapter Three Hundred Five: ‘Thy distant coruscations...’
Click to display entire chapter at once -- (mobile link)

Well, this wasn’t how he’d been expecting the day to unfold. Being carried like a sack of potatoes through the sky was one thing. Doing it while also breaking the sound barrier was quite another.

Hector didn’t know much about g-forces, but after feeling like he’d been hit by a truck and passing out--or perhaps dying, actually--and then later waking back up again, he resolved to add that to his list of things that he needed to learn more about.

In fact, he’d been meaning to do that ever since his flight with Dimas Sebolt back during the battle at the Lorent-Callum border, when they’d flown to Hahl Saqqaf’s aid. That had been quite the experience, too--and not entirely dissimilar to this current one. It just hadn’t been nearly as intense, though the fight had that followed it more than made up for that discrepancy.

Admittedly, he could have prepared himself a bit better, but Hector wanted to test something of his own during this trip. He figured that they would have to do this twice--to the Gate and then back again--so for the first one, he made the rather haphazard decision to not materialize his newer, more powerful armor.

Next page at noon

Just want a little more time. Thanks, everybody.

EDIT: Okay, I might need another hour or two, but I will post it soon. Promise. I'M NOT MISSING A DAY. I SWEAR. Well, not today, anyway.

Page 3713

Hector was sighing again. Exasperated, no doubt.

Understandable. A part of Abbas sympathized. Related, even. A shadow of a memory tickled the back of his mind. Time spent with his mentors. They’d often behaved unreasonably in his presence. Been too caught up in their work to pay much attention to anything else. Dolf, in particular.

So perhaps that shadow of memory should have given him pause. Made him reevaluate his current actions. Made him hesitant.

But it didn’t. He gave it almost no consideration at all.

Instead, perhaps there was something ever so slightly invigorating about it. A whisper of nostalgia.

A fondness for those eccentric masters of old.

He could feel, in some small way, a kinship with them. Many times over the course of his life, he had struggled hard in his studies and his work just for the mere opportunity to feel that way. To feel a modicum of worthiness when comparing himself against their incredible legacies.

They’d simply been too great. Too brilliant.

But here and now, despite barely even being able to acknowledge it, he did feel it. Perhaps more strongly than ever, in fact.

The feeling that he was ready. Finally. To match them. To make them proud.

By the time he made it to the tree, he was raring to go. He had a preliminary overview of the suit’s working condition already in his head, in accordance with his last memory of its operation. True, that had been a few days ago, but it was still quite clear to him. As long as nothing had changed with it while he’d been unconscious, everything should have been fine.

Overgrown branches were indeed all over the place, but Abbas just pushed through them without hesitation. Was Worwal enhancing his strength? He wasn’t even sure. Didn’t matter. He reached the armor quickly and set about entering it.

In the past, that had been a point of great difficulty. Laborious and time-consuming. But efficiency had become a priority of late, and in just the past few weeks, he had managed to improve his speed putting it on by over fifty percent.

Hector offered to help him with it, but Abbas refused. It would have been a needless distraction and probably made things go slower.

The donning of the helmet was done last. Allowing it to drill through his skull and into his brain was a sometimes-risky endeavor, rendering him briefly unconscious if he messed it up. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened in a while.

Page 3712

“Uh--h-hold on a second there--” tried Hector.

Abbas was already pushing past the flaps into the cool air of the Imara Forest. It smelled rather nice out here, but he paid it no mind at all, instead focusing on where his armor was in relation to their current position. It would have been in the tree with him when--ah.

A worrisome thought. But it should’ve survived whatever mayhem the Core instigated. He turned to his right. The southern horizon. Where the Imara Forest gave way to the grassy landscape of the great tree. Not too far away. He started walking.

New voices arrived in his ear. Familiar ones. His many children and cousins. His beloved Hahl.

He didn’t stop walking.

“I am fine,” he said in Valgan for them. “I will return shortly. Alert me if an attack arrives.”

More voices. Many more. Some raised. But none angry. Just concerned. And none talking to him of imminent danger.

He needed not pay more attention than that. All was well. Or well enough, at least. For now.

He could concentrate on the work to be done. That was good. There was much to do.

Someone was following him. Several people, actually. Worwal was running interference for him, though. Assuaging their worries, no doubt. Helpful.

His mind was on the suit. On its current specs. He’d been tweaking it little by little. The Core had been intended as a bigger step in that effort, but it seemed to have been a failure in that regard. Disappointing, but not outside expectations. The next attempt would be better. After this trip to the Gate. In fact, depending on what he found, things might speed along even faster.

Shouldn’t get his hopes up, though. Too soon to know.

Ah, one of the followers was being persistent. Hector? Of course it was him. He was saying something, too.

Important?

Expressing reservations.

No, then.

Ah, but Abbas realized that he still needed to ask the boy something.

“What are the coordinates of Rathmore’s Gate?” said Abbas.

“Oh, I--uh--coordinates? Er, I don’t--er--”

“Quickly now, Hector. Time is short.”

The boy exhaled. “Agh, I don’t know coordinates. Do I look like a map? Garovel?”

‘Just bring us with you,’ said the reaper. ‘Hector can’t fly as fast as your suit can, so that’ll be fastest.’

“Garovel, please, for the love of--”

“Very well,” said Abbas.

Next page on the 4th

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you had a good Halloween. Or failing that, a good day. Or failing, a good couple hours.