Ruyo had taken the edge off her thirst now that she had trustworthy water to drink. She began playing with a stream of it poured from her canteen. The droplets drifted in midair until she suddenly lost her magical grip. They streamed down onto her fingers in slow motion, clinging. She imagined swimming through the sky this way, pushing clouds. But there were much more practical uses.

She said, "If I had more watery powers? Water mages do things like building aqueducts, draining swamps, and suppling dry towns. Ha, and ice-making is popular anywhere that the beer is warm."

"Think bigger."

Ruyo shifted uncomfortably on the stone floor. "If I were a bigshot wizard I might do those things by myself. I'm a merchant by trade, though."

"Bigger. I meant magic power in general. What if you could go beyond just flinging around the best element? You could train people, get them to cooperate, and find some other kinds of magic to go with this one. What would you hope to do then?"

Ruyo ate and drank, thinking. "I'd plan for bigger things. I might build a city of my own and attract people to it with good farmland. If I could learn healing magic I'd..."

"What?"

"I want to say I'd go around healing the sick, but wouldn't that take up all of my time? I know of healers whose work has taken over their lives. They feel like any hour they're not working, they're failing to save someone."

The spirit floated quietly, then said, "You could delegate. With more power, you could share your magic with others and get a lot more done. Still, are you willing to put in a lot of effort? Your life's going to be different now, almost no matter what."

Ruyo said, "I don't much mind that. I work pretty hard as a trader, even if it's not the kind of backbreaking labor a farmer does. I just wouldn't want to feel horrible all the time because what I do is never enough."

Nusina said, "Taking care of yourself is part of any job, so that you can keep going. So you shouldn't feel bad about taking a break, especially if you can set things up to start running themselves."

Ruyo nodded, but paused in mid-bite. "What job are we talking about, though? You asked me to get this shrine running again, and the magic zapped me. But isn't that done?"

Nusina said, "Do you want to rest here? You seemed pretty upset."

"I do. Not mad at you, though. Just cranky I suppose."

"Um... that could be partly my fault. My power is a bit of a drain on yours right now, although the shrine equipment has made it less taxing. There might still be a way to undo the powers, if they really bother you, now that the place is active again. Sleep on it, maybe?"

Ruyo looked around the cave skeptically. "I have a few blankets in the wagon. I don't know if you sleep; do you think you could wake me if that guy comes back?"

"I'm afraid I have almost no energy right now, milady. I'll have to sleep when you do. Wait, what guy?"

Ruyo frowned. "Called himself one of the rangers who watch the roads. I've seen his kind occasionally and they're a mixed bag." She looked again at the glowing circle. "And this looks dimmer. Is that bad?"

"No; there was sort of an initial flare when you activated the equipment."

"He said there was a little earthquake and some weird fog for a minute."

"My guess is that there's a slow power leak. Not good, but the fact that I'm still here tells me it's not critical."

"For a place that's at least five centuries old I'm amazed it works at all."

"It's been that long?"

Dust had settled here long ago, and now it drifted in the faint blue light.

Ruyo said, "It's been about that long since man first got flung into this world from some other one, according to the historians. Except we then found out there was a Lost World of some civilization that was here before us. So you and your goddess are part of a giant ancient mystery that treasure hunters go searching for."

Nusina rippled thoughtfully. "Everything we built is just ruins and myths?"

"Sorry to say, but yes. People find bits and pieces and they speculate, but I haven't heard of anyone finding an ancient spirit to talk with."

The spirit went quiet. Ruyo excused herself and slipped out. At the wagon she fetched blankets and another pack-load of valuables. She set up a crude alarm at the cave mouth by scattering some coins in places where they'd get knocked noisily around by an intruder. Then she yawned and settled down as well as she could on the cold floor.

"It's all gone," Nusina said.

"Doesn't have to stay that way. You've got your place up and running and maybe your goddess can start waking up and rebuilding."

"Yeah, I hope so."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

While falling asleep, Ruyo said, "Nusina? Did you get lonely, being trapped in this cave?"

"It was pretty bad at first, but then I faded almost to nothing. Which was terrible too, because it probably meant my mistress and her followers were gone -- and I couldn't even be sure. At least I didn't have to live through however many years it's been, before someone came back here and woke me."

"How does that work, anyway? There are no believers in the goddess, so the candle goes out completely?"

Nusina sounded puzzled. "Oh. I was never one for fire metaphors. I think so, except that you brought me back by seeing the old inscriptions here, and thinking about them. That was just one drop of power. And it seems like enough was dormant here to give you a taste of magic." Nusina drifted close and sort of bowed, falling over herself like a tiny waterfall. "Thank you for your help and your company, whatever happens next."

"Good night, Nusina."

Ruyo was spiritually drained but felt better about her uncertain situation.

Nusina said one other thing before Ruyo fell asleep. "If you see that man again, try to be extra nice to him, all right?"

"Yeah, fine," Ruyo mumbled.

#

Ruyo twitched at a sound in her dreams. She was imagining... Guiding a school of fish through empty water, unable to remember why. The fish suddenly turned as something clinked and rattled in the distance, but Ruyo was too exhausted to pay it much heed.

The sea grew brighter and she grumbled and turned over on the uncomfortable bed of rocks and blankets. So she was caught off guard when the intruder coughed for attention, several times.

Ruyo sat up, uncoordinated and sore, and yelped at the sight of a shadowy figure with a lantern.

But he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, palms up in front of him. He said, "Peace, woman. It's me again. I just want to know what's going on here. And I brought food if you want it."

Ruyo's stomach rumbled. "Anything besides bread?"

He smiled, and slowly pushed a wrapped piece of cheese toward her. "Want to tell me anything?"

Ruyo stood up and approached with caution. The man made no sudden moves and let her take the food. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," she said. "I had a really strange day. How did you find me?"

"Several sets of your damp boot-prints," said the ranger.

"Right; of course. If you just want the story, then... huh. The floor stopped glowing. And where's Nusina?"

Ruyo called out for the spirit but nothing happened. "She said she barely had any power. She might be in trouble!"

"Who?" asked the man.

"A water spirit. And she said... You, whoever you are. There are some old carvings here in this shrine. Can you look at them, maybe try to wake up the guardian?"

"This place is a shrine? I could look around but I'd have to stand up for a good view."

"Yes, do it," Ruyo said, worried now for the spirit. She coaxed the man up and showed him the faded carvings and mosaic fragments showing wave and fish designs. Lantern-light played across each drawing in turn, showing glimpses of ancient ships and people in strange dress. She tried to relay some of what Nusina had told her about the goddess.

The man listened. "How did you learn all this from such a ruined old place?"

The spirit rippled into existence beside Ruyo. "Hello, milady. Did you... oh!"

Relieved, Ruyo said, "She told me," and pointed.

"Where?"

"Right here! Nusina, say hello."

"Sorry, milady, but I don't think I can manifest."

"You mani-whatevered for me!"

"That was just about all I could do. And you got exhausted; that wasn't all from your own work. It was from powering me, too. I'm awake now; did you befriend this man yet?"

"I'm trying to, but..." Ruyo turned toward him. "You probably think I'm crazy now."

"A little. But something strange happened today and I'm trying to find out what."

Ruyo smacked her hands together. "Magic! I can show you that, I hope. Have you got a canteen?"

"I left it outside."

"Go get it. Mine's empty."

He backed away and left the cave, stumbling on a pebble.

When he was away, Ruyo said, "The professionals can make water from nothing. Can I learn that?"

"Of course, and soon. Sorry that I can't easily show myself to him."

"Should we show him the hidden area below?"

"I wouldn't. Who knows what he'd do with it?"

"Hey, wait a minute. If it's some sort of power source, then why aren't you, you know, powerful yet?"

Nusina sounded hesitant. "It's a sort of prayer collector, and in bad shape. So there's hope for using the thing. But what power it has is only the last drops that were in it. I wish I knew the full theory."

"Would it help if I offered a prayer to your goddess instead of just looking at the mosaics or mooching off what's left of her magic? I don't want to drain you any worse."

"Um... I don't think your prayers would help at this point. But if you could get him to pray, it'd be a start."

Ruyo wondered, A start toward what? But their guest had returned, shaking a canteen. "You were going to show me a trick?"

"Yes, here. Open it." He did, and Ruyo used her powers. It took an unfamiliar sort of mental effort to imagine gripping the water without touching the slippery stuff.

She put on a show, finding she enjoyed using her new magic when she wasn't in immediate danger. She made water swirl up from the canteen, freeze and crash in glittering shards to the floor, then wobble up and melt again. Impressed, the ranger reached out to poke one floating drop and then drank it as though eating a berry.

Ruyo took a bow. "It's all thanks to the power of the goddess that was here once. I didn't have any talent for it before."

"I thought you had to born with the knack."

"So did I."

"Do you think I could learn that trick too?"

Ruyo glanced toward Nusina, who bobbed enthusiastically if invisibly. Ruyo said, "I think so, but we're low on energy. Magic power, I mean. Nusina tells me that if someone offers a prayer to the goddess, that will strike some sparks. Or... fill the well, I guess." Nusina seemed to approve of the shift in metaphor.

He looked uneasy at being asked to pray to an unfamiliar god, but nodded. "If half of what you tell me is true, then she was a good god. And it sounds like there's something in it for me, too. But what should I say? In fact, what was her name?"

Ruyo shrugged. "She doesn't remember. The shrine's in terrible shape, and that probably ruined everything. But at least we know who she was, and something of her is still left. Hey, what's your name?"

The man said, "Baris. I'm not much for words but I can try." He approached a wall of the cave where the most intact designs were; in fact it was where Ruyo had been looking when Nusina first appeared. He knelt, bowed his head, and spoke. "Ancient goddess, if you really did exist and give gifts of magic and wonder, thank you for doing that."

Ruyo hurried to join him. She owed her patron more than this man did, even if the mystical account-books wouldn't benefit from her attention for whatever reason. She bowed her head and kept respectful silence while Baris spoke.

He went on: "If you're still out there somewhere, may you go on helping people and being the useful kind of god. The world could use that kind of thing. And I'm sure the past people who died way back when would've liked to thank you for everything you tried to do, but some of them didn't get the chance. So, thanks on their behalf. Um... I don't know enough to say more, but good luck, wherever you are."

Ruyo nodded and said, "Yeah. Thank you." She got dizzy, feeling a surge of warmth.