Oliver sat on a stool, in the emptiest room in his house, on the very highest floor, intending to harness a quiet deep enough for introspection. He had tried once before, but the same result had come about then. Where the quiet was strongest, Ingolsol's voice was the loudest, and Oliver was having trouble quieting him.
"I will not be rid of Claudia," Oliver said emphatically. "You will talk me into no direction, Ingolsol."
"Why?" Ingolsol said. "You know the legacy that I have left. The Gods have cast a curtain on all of humanity for fear of me. They gave me the title of a Dark God for that very same fear – but you see past it. You have caught the first glimmer of the truth, Vessel. You wish to be powerful, do you not? You wish for a path away from the path of the other Generals, do you not? Let me grant you that power."
