Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Seven: 'O, avid seer, witness prime conviction...'

Pauline could hardly believe her eyes. The Lord Goffe's aura had shifted again. And this time, it was expanding outward at a rate she had never personally seen before. Granted, she was still fairly inexperienced with these sorts of things, but she couldn't help staring in awe, nonetheless.

That metal of his was appearing and swirling all around him in a fury. What was he doing? Did he even know? She suspected not.

The aura that seemed to pervade the entire forest was being melted through by the Lord Goffe's, carving out a much larger area for the two of them.

This had two immediate effects that were of great use for Pauline.

First, it further lessened the oppressive disorientation that she had to constantly fight against. While the Beast's innate hostility towards them was present in its aura, Lord Goffe's welcomed her as an ally. And as it grew in size, the aura's nucleus also grew more potent.

The feeling of protection washing over her now reminded her of her own father. When Lord Goffe had said earlier that he would do his best to keep her safe, those had not been empty words. She had known that even then, but never was it more evident than now. The strength of his intent, his will, permeated his aura, draping her in a metaphysical sense of safety was difficult to articulate, even to herself.

Secondly, she could sense farther into the forest than ever. The friendly aura pushing back the oppressive one was like a psychic amplifier for her abilities. While she still couldn't sense as far away as if there had been no hostile aura at all, this was certainly a dramatic difference.

It even extended underground, though with diminished results. The ground was a naturally more difficult medium for auras to penetrate, but there were many cracks in the earth here that led into the collapsed cave beneath their feet.

Perhaps it also helped that this area was a minor point of geographic resonance. Where before it had resonated with the Beast's aura and allowed her to extract that vision of its psychic history, now it was beginning to resonate with Lord Goffe's aura instead.

She was tempted to try to extract a psychic history from him, too, but this was hardly the time for it, and she wasn't at all sure that it even would work. Not to mention, she doubted he would be pleased by such prodding into his past.

She didn't get much longer to deliberate on it, either, because Lord Goffe scooped her up in a metal cradle and raised the both of them high up into the air. Before she could even ask what he was doing, one of the metal chunks that had been swirling around him shot back toward the ground and impacted with explosive force.

Plumes of dirt, shattered rock, and splintered wood shot up into the air, high enough even to pelt the metal barricade that had been made for her. An entire section of the forest shifted visibly around the explosion as well, bending outward from the force, then back inward with the distortion of the ground.

Wide-eyed, Pauline wondered if Lord Goffe cared that he had just obliterated a location of geographic resonance.

Probably not, she decided. Perhaps he didn't know how rare they were. Or perhaps he did know and was simply more concerned about his people. She couldn't exactly fault him for that, but wow, if her father were here, he would not be happy, right now.

With so much debris in the air, she couldn't even see what had become of the site, but that didn't last long, either. A gigantic metal wall appeared in midair and swept almost all of it away before disappearing again.

A not-so-small crater was visible where the two of them had only recently been standing, and at the center of it, she could see a hole leading down into what was presumably the wrecked facility from the psychic history she had extracted.

"How about now?" said Lord Goffe. "Can you sense anyone down there?"

Pauline, however, could still only stare at him, dumbstruck.

Lord Goffe had to press her. "Pauline."

She snapped back to herself. 'Ah. Give me one minute.' She reached out with her mind and surveyed the hole.

Her ability to monitor areas that she couldn't physically see was limited insofar as it required, at the very least, life to be present in said area. Technically, she could sense "souls" as they were often called, but only through process of elimination, because souls, minds, and auras all overlapped in various ways.

As far as she was aware, every mind had a soul attached to it, and every soul emanated a very weak aura. So while she couldn't exactly sense souls themselves, she didn't need to. Plants had their own distinct little auras, though it often required a bit of concentration to actually notice them.

But that hole down there, it seemed quite deep and quite devoid of life. So she kept going. Farther and farther.

The Beast's aura wasn't growing any weaker, which was a clue. If it were aboveground, then its aura would've surely diminished the deeper she went.

But that was also curious. If the Beast truly was underground, then the earth should've still been serving as a dampener against its aura, just in the opposite manner. So why was it still so strong up here, then? Was it just so powerful that the dampening didn't matter?

A worrying thought.

But the Beast must've also had some other route up to the surface. Given all the reports about its murderous activities, it wasn't sealed harmlessly away underground. Perhaps that other route was large enough that its aura could pour out over the rest of the forest, undiminished.

At length, she sensed it. A crowd of minds. Full of hostility. Clashing violently.

'I sense many beings down there,' she said.

"Okay," was all the Lord Goffe said.

But she could sense his aura flaring up again.

Clearly, the Lord Goffe was not bothered by the nighttime darkness that should've made the hole difficult to see for any normal human's eyes, because he launched them both downward on a metal rail.

If not for that reassuring aura of his, she might've thought he was trying to kill her.

Then it became truly dark. Even her eyes couldn't see anything, and she had to rely entirely on her mind for guidance. She might've expected him to ask her for directions again, but at the rate they were moving, that was apparently not necessary. The musty underground air rushed past her feathers at a speed that felt similar to flying through the open sky, and more than once, she flinched at an approaching rock wall that she barely sensed before being instantly veered away from.

It was a literal roller coaster ride.

Which was particularly strange for her, because she'd never actually experienced such a thing. Amusement parks didn't make seats big enough for her. If this was what it was like, she could suddenly understand why so many people screamed their heads off while riding them.

They shot into a cavern that was so huge, she nearly thought they'd somehow returned to surface and were outside again. Light had returned as well, but it was different. It was a ghostly blue and gray color, and it came entirely from the field of gigantic mushrooms below them--the same ones from the psychic history.

There was precious little time to admire them, though. She could already see the battle taking place in the distance, and the Lord Goffe was veering them toward it.

Pauline tried to prepare her heart. She'd never gotten involved in full combat before, but she'd experienced it in training with her father and in psychic constructs many times.

This would not be like any of that, she felt.

First and foremost, she needed to maintain her invisibility. That was any Sparrow's most valuable tool, and while it was obviously possible that this Beast of Lorent could sense her presence regardless, she didn't yet have confirmation on that one way or the other. It had spoken to Lord Goffe, not her.

She would have to be cautious.

As they drew closer to the fighting, she had to say something. 'Let me fly on my own, Lord Goffe.'

He didn't respond, but he did as she requested and dematerialized the metal that he'd been using to carry her.

The freedom was both welcome and terrifying. She allowed him to shoot ahead of her and join in the battle first.

She maintained her altitude as she observed the underground field. She recognized the Lorentians easily enough, but she still didn't know who any of Lord Goffe's companions were other than Roman Fullister, who she noticed was also zipping around the air--and at quite high speeds, too.

They were obviously servants, though. At least one of them besides Lord Goffe seemed to be materializing another metal, and the largest human there seemed to be a transfiguration user, bulldozing dozens of little monsters at once with metallic arms.

But they were struggling. The monsters weren't staying down, regardless of if they were crushed or slice or skewered or even hit with explosions. The multi-legged little creatures just kept scurrying back into the fight.

They were a horrible sight, Pauline thought. Scores of them, maybe even hundreds. They were all vaguely spider-like, but the more she examined them, the more she realized that they had shapeshifting abilities like their progenitor.

Along with other powers.

But they weren't all the same. Some were spitting fire. Some were clearly electrified. Some were spewing acid. And it didn't end there, either. The chaos made it difficult to differentiate between what was caused by the monsters and what was caused by the servants, but Pauline was certain that there was more she wasn't seeing.

And then, of course, there was the Beast itself. That one, at least, was much easier to tell apart from all the others--and not just because of its size.

It wasn't engaging in the fight. It was letting its offspring do all the work--for now, at least.

Pauline was the most mindful of that creature. If it looked in her direction, she wanted to know immediately. She needed confirmation regarding whether or not it could even see her.

Thus far, it seemed like her invisibility was holding up, but she was wary of growing too comfortable.

As for the Beast, its form was currently that of an enormous horse. Mostly. Instead, it had two heads and eight legs, and all four of its eyes smoldered with red fire. Its hulking, muscular body was also wreathed in black-and-orange flames.

Pauline noticed, however, that those flames were not emitting any light upon their environment, which suggested that at least part of the creature was an illusion. Not exactly surprising, but that did speak a little to how it was conducting its "shapeshifting."

She tried to penetrate the illusion with her mind, to see its true form, but that wasn't as easy as perhaps it should've been. Maybe it was the Beast's aura protecting it, or maybe the creature just had some kind of natural psychic defense. She could've pressed harder, but a more forceful or invasive approach ran the risk of exposing her own presence.

She wanted to bide her time. The humans were having difficulty bringing down the little monsters, but they were at least holding their ground and protecting the Lorentians. And with the Beast itself hanging back, Pauline had a feeling that the true fight had not yet begun.

The tide of battle soon started to change when metal boxes began clapping around all the little monsters.

At first, they were breaking out almost immediately, but then the offspring struggled more and more, until they seemed to be truly captured. And the metal boxes flew over to Lord Goffe and started orbiting around him.

The chaos of the battle slowed as the enemy's numbers steadily dwindled, and at length, the Beast stepped forward--but not to attack, seemingly.

It let out a low, grumbling roar, and in unison, its remaining children pulled back and huddled around it. There were still dozens of them.

"Aura warrior," came the Beast's human-sounding voice. "You wish to speak with me, no?"

There arrived a long silence as Pauline continued circling the battlefield from above. Lord Goffe was at the front of the party, eyeing everyone at his back, no doubt making sure that they were okay.

A few had sustained injuries, Pauline noticed, but they were healing. One of the Lorentians had fallen and twisted his ankle, and another had a gash on his arm, but someone was already bandaging it up.

More worryingly, the four reapers were all wounded. To her eyes, they were small, phantasmal skeletons gripping short spears. Their eye sockets glowed softly with a dark gray light, and they had long, ethereal chains wrapped around their necks.

She hadn't seen very many of them over the course of her life, but she knew that they weren't supposed to emitting that black-and-white smoke from the cuts on their "bodies."

Everyone was frightened. Pauline could sense their fear, both psychically and just relying on her eyes. Several of the Lorentians were trembling and uttering hushed reassurances to one another.

Pauline didn't fault them.

The Lord Hector Goffe stepped closer to the Beast. "How did you know I wanted to talk?" he asked.

"Your kind always wishes to talk," the Beast said. "I rarely wish to listen."

"You've encountered many humans before," said Lord Goffe.

"Yes," said the monster.

"And you killed them all?"

"Yes."

"...Why?"

"They would have killed me and my spawn."

"...But you just said that they wished to talk."

"They wished to lie. Or to convince me to spare their worthless lives."

"I see."

More silence drew out as neither side said anything, perhaps considering their next words. Or perhaps considering if they should simply start attacking again.

One might have thought that the cessation of battle had at least partially defused the situation, but Pauline could tell from the two auras that this was not the case. They were both growing, not diminishing.

The Lord Goffe and the Beast of Lorent.

Pauline could hardly imagine two more opposing auras. One was gentle and warm, reassuring and sturdy. The other was furious and cold, clawing and wild.

And the way they clashed with one another. It was like an ocean crashing against a cliff. Equal, yet unrelenting.

Even the humans could probably sense the clash, to some extent. No doubt, that was playing a role in their apparent deference to the Lord of Warrenhold's handling of the conversation, right now--including that big human, who had a bit of his own aura boiling around him.

"...In that case, why is this time different?" said Lord Goffe. "Why are you interested in what I have to say?"

"You are holding my spawn hostage," said the Beast.

Lord Goffe relinquished a nod at that, perhaps admiring the monster's honesty.

"And I saw you," said the Beast. "You looked at me. At my life. You've seen me. Perhaps you understand me."

"Is that what you want?" said Lord Goffe. "To be understood?"

"In part. Yes. That is why my spawn is numerous. They are my children, as you might say, no?"

"Hmm." Lord Goffe folded his armored arms. "What else do you want, then?"

"To flourish," said the monster. "To prosper. And to share the fruits of my labor with all."

"With all? Does that include us humans?"

"Of course."

"...What exactly are the 'fruits of your labor' that you wish to share with us?"

"In short? The primacy of being."

"...And what do you mean by that?"

"Most creatures do not understand the value of their own existence. I think that is a terrible shame. To live without the realization of the miracle that is yourself."

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Lord Goffe made no response, perhaps because he didn't know what to say.

If so, Pauline wouldn't blame him. What the hell was that thing even saying? She had no idea. It sounded oddly optimistic, but she also still remembered what the Beast considered to be sharing its "joy."

"You do not understand after all, do you?" The Beast's enormous body shifted somewhat, bubbling beneath its skin in grotesque fashion. Was it preparing to transform again?

"...Where are you from?" said Lord Goffe. "Originally, I mean. Before you were brought here."

"A truly silly question," said the Beast. "I come from the same place as everyone and everything."

"Which is?"

"You know it."

"...Pretend I don't."

"You fear to utter it? I find that quite pathetic, aura warrior."

"You're the one who's avoiding the question."

"Hmph. Chaos. I am of Chaos. As are we all."

What the hell? It wasn't talking about that Chaos, was it? The imaginary 'nothingness' from which all thought supposedly emerges? According to certain religions, anyway. This thing wasn't religious, was it?

She was so confused that it was almost difficult to continue listening.

"...Okay," said Lord Goffe. "But how did you get here? In Lorent? Where were you born? And who brought you here?"

"Trivialities. Details that only humans obsess over."

"Be that as it may," said Lord Goffe, "I'd appreciate it if you answered my questions."

The Beast took its time responding. Perhaps it was considering whether or not that had been a threat just now. The Lord Goffe hadn't exactly phrased it like one, but there was also an undeniable firmness in his otherwise soft speaking voice. "...I was summoned into this world by one of your kind," it said. "A man called Lozaro."

Pauline recognized that name, though only vaguely. It belonged to a famous scientist of some kind, she was fairly sure. Agh, but she should've been able to recall more than that. Her father would've known.

"...What do you mean by 'summoned into this world,' exactly?" said Lord Goffe.

"How else would you like me to explain it? I was pulled forcibly into existence."

"Okay, but how?"

"If I knew that, I would not have to create so many of my own spawn. I only know that the Carlan Point was somehow involved. Perhaps in time, I will return there and attempt to learn more, but I currently do not think it is worth the risk."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. The Carlan Point was a famous location, though only among Sparrows. It was a place of major geographic resonance, one of only a handful in the entire world.

And this thing came from there? Like from another dimension or something? Pauline had never heard of such an occurrence. Who the hell was this Lozaro person, to be able to pull off something like that?

"What risk would that be?" said Lord Goffe.

"The risk of being returned to Chaos, of course," said the Beast. "That is why so many of you do not appreciate what you have. You fail to grasp the hellish nature of nonexistence--of the Infinite Current."

"...The what?"

"You do not know of it?" said the Beast. "Well, of course you don't. I thought because you are an aura warrior, you might be less ignorant than the rest of your kind, but I see now that I was mistaken."

"Y'know, for someone with so many children, you're surprisingly childish yourself," said Lord Goffe.

Pauline's beady eyes widened a little at that comment.

"...In what way am I childish?" said the Beast.

"Mocking people who are earnestly trying to learn--that's a hallmark of immaturity," said Lord Goffe.

The monster didn't say anything.

Pauline honestly thought it might just start attacking again, but the Lord of Warrenhold didn't seem too concerned. Was he just that confident?

Well, it wasn't like he had no reason to be, but still... she might've liked it if he took a more delicate approach here. But then again, it wasn't like she knew how someone was supposed to converse with a violent interdimensional hellbeast.

"So what is this Infinite Current you mentioned?" said Lord Goffe. He sounded as though he were asking about something as typical as the weather.

The Beast took its time responding. "...I do not know how to explain it to one who has never experienced it."

"Ah. Wait a minute. Is that why you feel the need to kill people? So that they can experience this Infinite Current for themselves?"

"Yes. Perhaps you do understand."

"How do you know the they'll end up in the Infinite Current when they die?"

"It is what all of existence is reduced to in the end."

"Alright, but how do you know that?"

"Because it is where I come from."

A beat passed as Lord Goffe mulled that over. "But according to you, we all come from this Chaos, right? So why don't I have this knowledge, too?"

The Beast fell quiet again. Lord Goffe waited a while, but it didn't say anything.

Pauline was beginning to get the impression that this manifestation of Chaos might not be a very rational being. She could only imagine what was going through Lord Goffe's head, right now.

The Beast's aura was not diminishing, however. The Lord of Warrenhold may have struck a blow in the name of reason, but it had not deescalated the situation, as far as Pauline could tell.

At length, Lord Goffe decided to change the subject. "...How were you able to summon these reapers here?"

And again, the monster was quiet. It took so long to respond that, for a while, Pauline thought it was simply fed up with the conversation. "They were already here," it said.

Lord Goffe apparently needed a moment to process that statement. "No, they weren't. They were in an entirely different country."

"You are mistaken."

Mm, Pauline wasn't so sure he was. And her reverence for this creature's knowledge was severely lacking.

Lord Goffe kept pushing, though. "What do you mean? How could they have already been here?"

"You disappoint me again, aura warrior."

"You're not scoring many points, yourself. Tell me what you meant by them already being here."

Pauline was starting to wonder why he was even bothering. It seemed fairly evident now that this Beast of Lorent was quite the confused creature.

"You see two distinct beings," said the Beast. "And yet, surely, you must realize that they are as one, yes? Is your aura so pathetic that you cannot even see that which you already know to be true? How can you allow the obvious to escape your notice?"

More chastising. Pauline was growing weary of this.

Lord Goffe, however, tilted his head and unfolded his arms. "I should... be able to 'see that which I already know,' huh? Because of my aura?"

"A true aura warrior would be able to see such things even without first knowing them," said the Beast.

"Oh yeah?" said Lord Goffe. "Interesting. But even if you can 'see' the connection between reaper and servant, that doesn't change the fact that the reapers aren't actually there. But you still managed to pull them here from very far away."

"Hmph. You are not a true aura warrior, are you?"

"Well, maybe not. Maybe I'm still learning." Somehow, Lord Goffe managed a small laugh in this situation. "Have you met many 'aura warriors' before?"

"Met? No. Seen? Yes."

"How did come to know so much about them, then?"

"Through the Great Echo, of course," said the Beast.

Agh, another term that Pauline didn't recognize. She was tempted to believe that this was something significant, but she also had to acknowledge the very real possibility that the Beast of Lorent was completely mad and just speaking utter nonsense. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more likely that seemed.

"And what is the Great Echo?" said Lord Goffe.

"The immense division between realms," said the monster. "It is where whispers of the past propagate beyond themselves, perhaps for eternity. A true aura warrior would know of it. Your predecessors would surely be ashamed."

Oh? Wait a minute. Was it talking about geographic resonance, Pauline wondered?

"What can you tell me about these aura warriors of the past?" said Lord Goffe.

"Hmph. Have I not told you more than enough already? Return my spawn to me."

"If I do that, will you attack us again?"

"Yes."

Lord Goffe laughed outright at that. "You might be a little too honest for your own good, y'know that?"

"I despise liars."

"I've noticed."

"Return my spawn."

"Give me your word you won't attack."

"No."

"Why not?" said Lord Goffe. "Why do you refuse something as simple as not attacking us?"

"Because you wish to destroy me," said the monster. "If I promise not to attack you, then I would be giving you free reign to attack me without reprisal."

"...Wow."

"What? Are you confused again?"

"No. It's just... I think most people would not consider it to be breaking your promise if you attacked us in self-defense only."

"I do not care what most people would think. A promise broken is a promise broken."

"Sure, but context is important, no?"

"No."

That left a flat silence in its wake. Pauline could only wonder how Lord Goffe intended to responded to something like that. The more she learned about this creature, the less she felt she understood it. It made more sense to her when she thought it was just a mindless beast driven only by violent instinct.

"You really do hate lying, don't you?" said Lord Goffe.

"Yes."

"Why is that, exactly? I mean, sure, it's perfectly natural not to like dishonesty, but, uh... you seem to take it to take the extreme. Is there some reason for that?"

"Yes."

"...Please tell me that reason, then."

"Why?"

"Because I'm trying to understand you."

"Why?"

"Because you interest me."

"Why?"

"Okay, stop saying that. It's really annoying."

For a moment, Pauline expected it to ask why again, but it didn't.

Instead, the Beast took a moment, and then said, "Lying is evil. Is that not obvious to you?"

Hector took a moment of his own, now. "...But what if your lie protects someone?"

"A lie upon a lie."

"You don't think it's possible for a lie to protect someone?"

"No. Lies only lead to destruction. Of the self. And of the world."

Lord Goffe made no response.

"Again, I should not have to tell you this, aura warrior. Did you learn nothing from the foul deeds of the Deceiver?"

"The Deceiver?" said Lord Goffe. "Who is that?"

"You do not even know of the Deceiver? Your ignorance truly knows no bounds."

"So enlighten me, then."

"Skapa the Deceiver. The First Traitor. The man who should have served as a lesson to your kind for all eternity, but I see now that is not the case."

"How long ago are you talking about here?"

"He betrayed you all for power and sought to subjugate the world."

"That wasn't what I asked, but okay..."

"How could you not know of him? But if you truly believe that lies are not evil, then I suppose your ignorance in this matter only makes sense. How saddening for you."

"I'm getting the impression that this guy lived a really long time ago..."

"Truly, your predecessors must be looking upon you and weeping. I would pity them, if they did not wish me dead as well."

"You're not even listening to me anymore, are you?"

"You sadden me, aura warrior. When I saw you, I thought you a formidable and familiar foe in this dreary, stagnant realm. But I see now that you are just as lost as the rest of these soul riders. Perhaps it is even doing you too much honor to call you aura warrior, though I can hardly believe I am saying such a thing. How lamentable and backward must this world have become for me to feel remorse at the loss of my enemy?"

Pauline could hardly even follow what it was saying, anymore. So this creature was from the distant past? Or believed it was, at least? But then how...?

She didn't even know where to begin asking questions.

Lord Goffe managed to come up with a couple, though. "Oh, are you done now? Can we get back to having an actual discussion?"

"What else needs to be said? At this point, I feel as though I could learn more from a rock."

Lord Goffe ignored the insult. "Do you have a name?"

"A name...?"

"That's what I said, yes."

"I have been called many things."

"But is there something that you call yourself? Something you would like others to call you?"

And the Beast of Lorent fell quiet for a time. "Chortomolengoth."

"...Sorry, would you mind saying that one more time?"

"Chortomolengoth."

The Lord of Warrenhold nodded. "That seems a little difficult to remember. Can I just call you Chort?"

"It makes no difference to me."

"Alright, Chort. You can call me Hector."

"I fear your attempt at familiarity is wasted, Hector. I do no foresee this conversation going on for much longer."

Pauline could sense movement among the Beast's offspring. They seemed to be getting antsy, inching closer to the group of humans. Still, none of them appeared to have noticed her presence, though, which was good.

"Well, stranger things have happened," said Lord Goffe. "And I have a lot more questions for you."

"But I have none for you. Return my spawn and let us end this charade."

"How much do you know about blessings?"

Chort made no response.

"How about Primordials?" said Lord Goffe. "Do you know about them?"

Still, it said nothing.

"Do you know about a being named Malast? Or the Hun'Sho, maybe?"

Chort's children were beginning to settle back down again, Pauline noticed, though she didn't understand why.

Primordials? Pauline was familiar with the term, though only vaguely. Cocora was sometimes regarded as a Primordial, wasn't she? What did that have to do with anything? What was Lord Goffe thinking?

"These words you are using," said Chort, "I am not familiar with them. And yet... I sense that you are referring to something... significant. Your aura tells me so."

What the hell?

"That's one word for it," said Lord Goffe.

Chort's equine form bristled, and its eight legs shifted positions--nervously, perhaps? Pauline couldn't say she understood the mysterious creature's body language.

"You are... an archiver?" said Chort.

Lord Goffe deigned not to answer this time.

"Yes," said Chort. "That is why you demand knowledge from me, no? I did not think an archiver would have such an aura, but... yes, it must be so."

Lord Goffe was still remaining quiet. Thinking about his response? Or consulting his reaper?

The other humans were all still watching with rapt attention, the Lorentians in particular. The way they were ever so slightly leaning forward, the way their eyes moved back and forth between Lord Goffe and the Beast--Pauline wondered if they even realized what they were doing.

That older woman there was the Lorentian Secretary of State, wasn't she? Politicians sometimes had unusually strong auras of their own, especially the charismatic ones, but hers was almost imperceptible now, swept up as it was in Lord Goffe's aura.

But that man next to her. Ambassador Stoutamire. His aura was not quite so completely smothered. It still flickered faintly, though the man's body language was no different from those around him.

In fact, now that she was focusing, the only other auras that she could clearly sense belonged to him and that mysterious giant man among Lord Goffe's companions.

She would have to keep an eye on them in the future.

"You're right," Lord Goffe finally said. "I am an archiver. How were you able to tell that just from my aura?"

"I... do not know how to explain. It may not have been your aura. It may have simply been... intuition."

And Pauline was surprised. It was slight, but Chort's aura was diminishing.

Was it... afraid? Of what?

Perhaps Lord Goffe could tell that something had changed in the Beast as well, because he asked, "Are you okay? You seem different all of a sudden."

"I am... fine," said Chort.

But that was all.

Lord Goffe tried again. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." The monster's body began to shift. Slowly. It no longer looked like a horse, but Pauline couldn't yet tell what it was transforming into--if anything. "What is it that you want from me, archiver? Beyond mere questions. You came here to hunt me, no? To destroy me and my spawn?"

"...I want you to stop killing people," he said bluntly.

"That makes little sense to me. Why would an archiver care about such things? That is the work of aura warriors."

"...I think you may be talking about how things were in the distant past. You have a false perception of who I am and what I should want."

"The distant past?" said Chort. "No. The passage of time should make little difference. Archivers are archivers, and aura warriors are aura warriors. You are all too stubborn to change."

"...Sounds like projection, if I've ever heard it."

"An insult. How dare you."

"You've insulted me a dozen times."

"I have only ever spoken the truth."

Pauline had to wonder if Lord Goffe really did have a handle on this conversation. From his composure, he seemed as calm and collected as could be, but some of these things being said still managed to worry her. She could only imagine how the other listeners must've been feeling. If not for Lord Goffe's protective aura, some of them probably would have been trembling from anxiety alone.

"Alright, look," said Lord Goffe. "Is there any way that I can convince you to stop attacking humans?"

"No," said Chort plainly.

"...Yeah, I figured you would say that. But I have to ask: why not? Tell me your exact reasons for attacking us, because I still don't understand."

"That does not surprise me," said Chort. "My spawn must continue to grow. Both in number and individually. You ask me to stop attacking your kind, but how then am I to feed them? How then am I to make more? These things would become impossible."

"...Wait a minute," said Lord Goffe. "Chort. That's a very different answer from what you gave earlier. You said you wanted to 'spread knowledge of the Infinite Current,' didn't you?"

"Yes, that is also true. Teaching humans of their own ignorance is similarly important."

"So it's just like a two birds, one stone situation for you, then?"

"It sounds as though you understand. Finally."

"No, Chort, I don't. You could just hunt regular animals and feed those to your children. Like we do. You don't have to kill people for that. Plus, it would be safer for you, too. Normal animals won't send hunters like me after you."

"Hmph. Incredibly, there is a modicum of sense in what you say. It would indeed be safer to feed on less volatile creatures. But you ask the impossible. My spawn require more than mere flesh. They need the sustenance of souls in order to transform, grow, and flourish."

"...Excuse me?"

"It is impossible to create even a single new spawn from the lesser souls that inhabit other, lower creatures. One human, however, can sometimes equal two of my spawn."

Pauline could sense the monster's aura growing again as it spoke, regaining rigidity. Certainty. Conviction.

But she could also sense a change in Lord Goffe's. His was twisting in places, not unlike swirls of steam. Growing heated. Angry.

"Why do you have to kill people for their souls, though?" said Lord Goffe. "There are plenty of humans dying of natural causes every single day."

"Ah. You would have me be like your reapers?" said Chort. Its form seemed to finally be coalescing into that of a giant toad. It, too, had far more legs than was normal, but instead of two heads like the horse, the toad had a half-dozen eyes and multiple tongues.

"Not exactly," said Lord Goffe. "I'm just... trying to understand."

"How could I possibly teach humans of their ignorance if I am not the one taking their lives?"

"...Is that it?" said Lord Goffe. "That's your only justification?"

Pauline could feel his aura grow still hotter.

"You speak as if I need more," said Chort.

"You do." And the Lord of Warrenhold's voice as he spoke those words was abruptly more grave than anything he had yet said. They seemed to resonate with his aura, carrying more heavily through the air and even making Pauline's avian bones tingle slightly.

Surely, the Beast of Lorent must have felt that as well, no? Unless its own aura was shielding it too much.

Whatever the case, the monster took another moment to respond. At the very least, it must've been able to sense the fluctuation in the opposing aura, even if it couldn't personally feel the effects.

"...In truth, yes, there is more," said Chort. "A soul that has already been rent from its accompanying flesh cannot serve as a yolk for my spawn. As the shell of an egg, the body is also necessary." And when Lord Goffe made no immediate response, the Beast continued, "I cannot see why such details should matter to you, but that is also characteristic of an archiver. The end result is the same, either way. Humans dying. You would be upset with me regardless, would you not?"

"...So let me get this straight," said Lord Goffe. "Are you telling me... that you consume souls and then give birth to your children later? Or... are you telling me... that you transform people into your 'spawn' while they are still alive?"

"Again, the end result is the same, no?" said the Beast. "Why must you pursue such inconsequential details, archiver?"

"Answer me, Chort."

"Hmph. There is no 'birthing,' as you put it. It is closer to the second method you described. Humans become vessels for my spawn to hatch out of. In some sense, you may consider them 'reborn' as such. More powerful and less ignorant than before. It is a happy thing, though I am sure you will not see it as such."

That was already more detail than Pauline wanted, quite frankly. Just imagining deceased human bodies "hatching" was enough to make her feel sick.

And she wasn't even human. What must Lord Goffe have been feeling, right now?

"...I guess you're right," said Lord Goffe. "The end result is the same. The details don't make that much difference, either way."

His aura was telling a different story, though. It was twisting and heating to such a degree that it almost seemed to be boiling now.

Chort must've noticed it as well. "You clearly do not speak truly to your feelings, archiver. I do not consider that a lie, but it is reprehensible, regardless."

Abruptly, the metal boxes swirling around Lord Goffe sped up. Pauline couldn't say that she understood how his power worked, but that metal was moving fast enough that the children of the Beast sealed therein would no doubt have begun feeling pressure from the immense G-forces.

"Maybe we should just get on with this, then."

"Stop. You are hurting them. Return my spawn to me."

"...Okay."