“So, this is the Queen’s Road. It stretches from the north gate to the palace, and then from the palace to the south gate.”

Eric took another long look at the wide cobbled street they were walking along. Given that it was the first named road he’d heard of since arriving in Ahya, it came as no surprise that it was so well made and maintained. The cobbles almost glistened under the direct sunlight, the white rock shining so brightly that he almost had to squint.

“It’s an impressive road,” he offered, without much commitment. He’d seen wide freeways in Alaska, and stacked overpasses in Tokyo. Compared to those, this street was nothing special. At most, he felt a grudging respect for the workers who had to lay each stone by hand, without the aid of a machine. That must have taken at least a year’s solid effort.

“It is the only road that accesses all the districts of the city,” Emma explained further. “With the exception of the Mage’s College, and the Royal Palace, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Have you given any thought as to what you’re going to do in Milagre during your visit?”

“Not really,” Eric said with a shrug. “I’m sure something will appeal to me. In the meantime, I’ll find work where I can to survive.”

“Sounds smart. And if you were able to rescue Mari, I’m sure you’re more capable than you look.”

Eric looked at her, assuming a hurt expression. “More capable than I look? Does that mean I look weak?”

“Weak?” She stopped in her tracks and looked him up and down for a long moment. “I was going to go with inexperienced.”

Eric let out a snort of laughter. “How can you judge experience by eye?”

“It’s in the way you carry yourself. You’re less confident, and you’re not as balanced and proud in your bearing.”

“Balance equals experience then?” He asked acerbically, then added under his breath. “Guess the clumsy are newbs forever in Ahya, then.”

She raised an eyebrow at his muttering but made no further comment on the subject. Gesturing down the road towards the center of the city, she continued in her explanation. “As you doubtless know from your adventures last night, the Market district lies along the King’s road. But to the north, past the palace, lies the Divine District.”

“Divine District?” It was Eric’s turn to look questioning. “Don’t tell me that’s where gods live.”

“No,” she replied with a chuckle. “It’s where the temples are located. It’s a huge section, with temples of every god that is worshipped and acknowledged in Milagre. Some are bigger, to denote those that are local or more important, but they’re all there. At least the good ones are.”

“Which god do you worship?” Eric asked her. He wondered if she followed some healer god, or perhaps a god of commerce, to help her business.

“Well, I suppose I mainly worship Bora Bora,” she said slowly. “But that’s only to be expected with my family. Though I do offer other gods my patronage, based on what I need.”

“What does Bora Bora do?” Eric asked, then immediately wished he hadn’t. Judging by her reaction, the answer should have been obvious. It seemed that Bora Bora, whoever they were, was a well-known god, perhaps even internationally worshipped.

“You are a strange one,” Emma said, squinting at him suspiciously. “Bora Bora is the God of Dragons, Family Bonds, Earthly Pleasures, Chaotic Magic, and Death.”

“You worship the God of Death?” Eric spluttered, taking half a step back from her. “But you’re a healer!”

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Emma didn’t seem to take offense to his incredulity, but let out a tinkling laugh. “He’s not an evil god. Death isn’t evil, either. It’s a natural part of life; it’s a balancing force. Bora Bora just watches over the domain, making sure that nobody can perverse the process.”

The name Bora Bora had an oddly familiar ring to it, Eric thought. Was the name used somewhere on Earth? Maybe something about an island country, his memory hinted. He pushed the thought aside and focused on what Emma had said. She seemed genuine from what he knew about her, so he was inclined to think of her as a good person. A good person wouldn’t follow an evil god unless she was being tricked.

“But why would you worship a God of Death?” He asked again. “You’re a healer. Wouldn’t you be more interested in the preservation of life?”

“I am interested in the preservation of life,” Emma said shortly. “But Bora Bora is my ancestor, and I don’t adhere to the domain of Death. I can choose what parts to follow, you know.”

“Oh,” Eric couldn’t think of an adequate reply. “You’re the descendant of a god? That’s kind of cool, actually.”

“Many people in Tyrman are his descendants,” Emma explained, starting to walk again. “As he lived six hundred years ago, and was rather profligate.”

“Profligate? What does that mean?”

Emma let out a sigh. “It means he quite enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh. As often as possible, and with as many people as possible. He had six children in his first lifetime, and many more in the lives he’s lived since.”

“So you are a descendant of the first six children?”

Emma shook her head. “No. Those descendants are the Royal Family. We share the name Ciayol, but I’m in one of the lesser families. Not the absolute bottom, mind you, but definitely not royalty.”

“The Ciayol family sounds like a powerful mafia,” Eric commented. “Have they been in power long?”

“Ever since Bora Bora’s first-born daughter, Pina, amassed enough wealth to take the country over,” Emma said over her shoulder. “She ascended to divinity as well, but left no children behind, so her younger brother Atlas took over the throne.”

“Is he a god too, then?”

“Yes. He is the God of Thieves and Beggars, Lord of the Lesser.”

“And Pina is….?”

“God of Duality. She absorbed the God of the Seas.”

It all sounded so normal and unremarkable, the way Emma described it, but Eric couldn’t wrap his head around such an idea. The fact that one family could remain in power for so long wasn’t a surprise to him. If he’d learned anything in History classes it was that families kept a tight hold on power as long as they could, and several of the more influential families in history led long dynasties.

No, the truly mind-blowing part was that in just six hundred years, one man could create an empire that spanned a continent as massive as Tyrman. Eric hoped that he never met Bora Bora in person. If he did, he hoped that the god wouldn’t wipe him from the world without a second’s thought. In fact, he thought to himself, let’s just make a promise never to mingle with gods. Samuel had been bad enough, and he was just a Champion.

“Well, I don’t think I’ll have much to do with the Gods,” Eric said after a while. “I’m not a religious man. I’m just here to start life anew, and wait for a golden opportunity.”

Emma shrugged, as if to say that his answer wasn’t surprising, nor odd. That was a relief. She continued to lead him down the Queen’s Road, pointing out the different parts of the city without entering them properly. They did enter the Market District, where Eric bought an apple to snack on, and Emma purchased a small bottle of rice wine.

“It’s my tribute,” she said when she noticed Eric watching her curiously. “I pay a tribute to Bora Bora every month. He’s pretty fond of rice wine.”

“He told you that?”

“Of course.”

Emma also stopped by a stall that sold herbs and plants of all kinds, and had a short discussion with the owner. They seemed to be discussing some kind of trade, and they were both very friendly with each other. After only a minute or two, they shook hands, and Emma led Eric away. The herb merchant, a tall man with shaggy brown hair and pointed ears, smiled widely at Eric and waved as they moved away.

“I thought you gathered your own herbs?” Eric asked. “You were doing that when we met.”

“I do,” She agreed. “But other merchants are either too busy or unable to make it out to get some of the more rare plants, like my friend Elrain. I gather them for him, and in return, he gives me his own specially bred herb. It’s a powerful ingredient in healing potions, and you can’t find it anywhere else.”

That’s a lot of initiative over one tiny piece of business, Eric thought. But perhaps that was just the kind of woman that Emma was. She seemed driven under all that mischief and dry wit. From what he’d gleaned watching and listening to her, she helped her father run his healing business. Maybe she played a greater role in the business than was immediately obvious.