It’s a sharp twinge in his chest, recognising too much of himself in this man. No wonder they get along. No wonder Stephen likes him.
It’s wild, the whiplash he’s gone through in this conversation. Mobius has pulled the rug out from under him, because first Stephen found himself thinking the addiction was acceptable enough, then utterly untenable, and now: a necessary evil. Because who else is Mobius harming, except himself? Only himself, by throwing himself on that sword.
This is what I was chosen to do.
“I don’t think I ever told you about my teacher,” he says, suddenly, the topic banking sideways. “The Ancient One, I only knew her by that name. She was the one who— she didn’t try to talk me out of sorcery, in fact, the very opposite. She encouraged me, said that the world would have use of my talents and I would be able to do so much more good where I was, if I didn’t do the selfish thing. Taught me to see the bigger picture, the forest over the trees. So the selfish thing, the safer thing, would be to tell you to go through the withdrawal and spare your sanity.
“But unlike people who caught a shard, you had a choice in coming to Riftwatch. And you didn’t come to Riftwatch to be safe. This is a sacrifice. And unfortunately you’re right: this is a war and you can do more good here, with those powers, against these mages. So. I want to tell you to do the thing that’s better for you, but instead I’m going to echo my teacher’s words and say that you have the choice to serve something greater than yourself. And, ultimately, who am I to take that choice from you.”
no subject
It’s wild, the whiplash he’s gone through in this conversation. Mobius has pulled the rug out from under him, because first Stephen found himself thinking the addiction was acceptable enough, then utterly untenable, and now: a necessary evil. Because who else is Mobius harming, except himself? Only himself, by throwing himself on that sword.
This is what I was chosen to do.
“I don’t think I ever told you about my teacher,” he says, suddenly, the topic banking sideways. “The Ancient One, I only knew her by that name. She was the one who— she didn’t try to talk me out of sorcery, in fact, the very opposite. She encouraged me, said that the world would have use of my talents and I would be able to do so much more good where I was, if I didn’t do the selfish thing. Taught me to see the bigger picture, the forest over the trees. So the selfish thing, the safer thing, would be to tell you to go through the withdrawal and spare your sanity.
“But unlike people who caught a shard, you had a choice in coming to Riftwatch. And you didn’t come to Riftwatch to be safe. This is a sacrifice. And unfortunately you’re right: this is a war and you can do more good here, with those powers, against these mages. So. I want to tell you to do the thing that’s better for you, but instead I’m going to echo my teacher’s words and say that you have the choice to serve something greater than yourself. And, ultimately, who am I to take that choice from you.”