'My soul,' He recognized it. It had still been a seven-year-old child since he found soul energy. Now, the mantle hovered beside it, merging slowly with the child.
Pain seared through Baines as the merge began. It wasn't physical, but a deep, existential agony, as if his essence were being rewritten. Yet he didn't wince. As painful as it might be, it wasn't as painful as snapping off his streams. He watched, understanding dawning.
Each god's authority stemmed from their soul, and when granting to another, it was wielded through divine power. Meaning, the potency of the authority used by a god and a contractor was different in a way.
But in this situation, Baines was receiving the authority into his soul, just like every god, at the same time, would be able to wield it with ashenfall, just like every contractor.
