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‘I feel like this is a conversation we should be having in private,’ said Garovel.

‘I’m pretty sure this little guy isn’t gonna tell anyone.’

‘Oh, he’s a trustworthy little guy now, is he? A minute ago, you called him an asshole.’

‘Well, he was being one.’

Another pulse.

‘Yes, you were. Anyway, Garovel, continue. If not in the “literal sense,” then in what sense do you want to conquer the world?’

The reaper sighed. ‘Technically, I suppose... in the sense of wanting to uncover all the world’s lost and hidden knowledge... then yes, one might consider that a form of conquest. I suppose. If you squint.’

There arrived still another pulse.

‘It says you’re leaving something out.’

‘Ugh. FINE. Not just the lost and hidden knowledge. The lost and hidden powers, too. One could argue that I am... a bit... perhaps... slightly... power hungry. Okay? Geez. Why do you gotta make me feel so bad about it, huh? Everyone likes power, don’t they?’

‘Hmm. What do you want to do with all that power?’

‘I--egh--I don’t know! I just--! I want to see it! Experience it. Understand it. Maybe find new ways to put it to good use, if we can. Or... I don’t know. It’s just a... an instinctual thing, I suppose. I’ve never really been forced to articulate the entirety of my feelings on the matter like this, so... genuinely, I’m not sure what I would do. Perhaps it would depend on the exact nature of said powers.’

Hector wanted to scratch his chin. ‘So you’re telling me you’re not interested in oppressing the masses?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Of course you’re not telling me that? Or of course you’re not interested?’

‘Hector. Don’t even joke about that shit. I’ve seen far too many oppressors throughout history to want to become one myself. I don’t even find the idea funny.’

‘Really? Not even a little bit? God-King Garovel?’

‘Shut the hell up. I’d sooner let myself get eaten by a feldeath.’

‘Wow.’

The Mini-Candle pulsed again.

‘It doesn’t believe you,’ said Hector. ‘And to be honest, I’m not sure I do, either.’

‘Well, it’s a good thing that I don’t have to prove shit to either of you, then. I know I’m speaking the truth, and that’s all that matters.’

There came a sudden period of silence as apparently no one knew what to say next.

Eventually, Hector came up with something. ‘Okay, but if you DID want to conquer the world literally, you probably wouldn’t think of it as oppressing anyone. It’d be, like, “for the greater good” or some shit, right?’

‘I hate this conversation.’

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‘Uh. Are you talking to it?’

Hector’s anger abated, and he might’ve blinked if he could feel his eyes. ‘Garovel! You’re here.’

‘I am. Though I have no idea what in the world is going on.’

‘Oh. Um. Well, this... Mini-Candle or whatever you wanna call it... uh, it’s alive, just like we thought. And it’s being an asshole, right now.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘It’s got an attitude problem. It wants me to abandon Abbas and take its power for myself.’

‘Wow. Talk about ungrateful.’

‘Exactly!’

‘But, um. How are you able to communicate with it, precisely?’

Hmm. That was a good question. ‘I don’t know. I guess I’m just... reading its aura?’

‘Ah. So it’s a new, unprecedented thing you can do. Cool.’

‘Garovel...’

‘No, I’m happy for you. That’s super neat. I’m sure it’ll come in handy.’

‘The sarcasm in your voice is painful.’

‘Is it? Ah, my bad. I frequently find myself wanting to give you a hard time for no reason.’

‘Well, at least you’re acknowledging it.’

The Mini-Candle pulsed in his hand another time. It was protesting again, Hector realized. It wanted him to remove Garovel from this headspace and talk only to it.

‘What’s it saying?’ asked the reaper.

Rather than getting angry, however, Hector couldn’t help being amused. ‘It doesn’t like you, Garovel. It wants me to abandon you, too.’

‘Wait, what? The fuck did I do?’

‘Dunno. Hey, Mini-Candle, what’s your problem with Garovel?’

It pulsed again. Hector listened. For a while, actually. It just kept going on.

‘...Well?’ said Garovel.

‘Uh. Okay, first off: you’re a reaper. It doesn’t like reapers.’

‘Oh, so it’s racist, too. Excellent. Wait, how does it even know what reapers are? It was just born, wasn’t it?’

‘Beats me. Maybe it absorbed knowledge from the Candle.’

‘Okay, well, what else? I assume there was more.’

‘Er. To make a long story short... it said that it can sense your desire to conquer the world.’

‘What the hell?’

‘Well, Garovel? What do you have to say for yourself? Have you secretly wanted to conquer the world this whole time?’

‘N-no...’

‘Oh yeah? Why’d you stutter there?’

‘Agh, bec-because! It’s such an out-of-nowhere question! I was taken aback!’

‘Hmm...’

‘Hector, please. You’re killin’ me here.’

‘I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s told me that reapers are secretive and ambitious...’

‘Buddy. I don’t want to conquer the world.’ The reaper paused. ‘At least, not in the literal sense.’

The small orb pulsed yet again.

‘It wants to know what you mean by that,’ said Hector.

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This was dangerous.

Supremely so, Hector felt.

No. Actually, he didn’t feel that. In fact, that was the whole problem. He felt the power there in his hand. Felt the desire to hold it closer, to use it, to wield it wildly and experimentally. To begin limit-testing right away.

But he knew this feeling. He’d felt it once before. During his meditations.

When he’d gone so deep into his own mind that he felt like he’d touched the so-called Void.

This was like that. Almost exactly like it, actually.

Which was more than enough to give him pause.

Wow.

If he hadn’t had that experience already, then he might not have realized the danger here. His emotions, his feelings--they were telling him to push on. To grasp this power and do as he pleased.

It was only his rational mind that was keeping him in check.

His focus lingered on the ball of molten energy in the palm of his hand. Such a curious thing. Like it wanted him to use it. Like it was daring him to, even.

It made Hector wonder something. Had Abbas made contact with this, too? And had he, perhaps, been seduced by its energizing allure?

This had happened many times before. Countless times, in fact, across history. Brilliant minds creating or discovering something incredible, only for it to destroy them.

The memories from the Candle told him so.

Dammit. Perhaps he should’ve warned Abbas. Agh, but how could he have? It hadn’t seemed like his place to warn such an old and experienced servant about anything. Had Abbas truly never encountered this sort of thing before?

Impossible to tell now.

Worse still, Hector was realizing that Abbas’ current condition might actually be much worse than a mere week-long coma. If the man had not only touched this but actually embraced it fully and tried to wield it immediately like it was tempting Hector to do, then...

There was a chance that Abbas and Worwal would never wake up at all.

That realization made Hector bristle with irritation. His focus shifted again, bringing everything to bear upon the power in his hand.

Damn light. This was not going to happen. Hector was not going to allow it.

‘We are not going to let Abbas stay that way,’ thought Hector. ‘You understand me, you little ball of fury?’

He felt it shudder in his grasp. It was saying something. Protesting? Telling him to seize its power for himself. To forget Abbas.

That pissed Hector off immensely. ‘Out of the question,’ he thought, his voice booming with reverberation. ‘He created you, goddammit.’