The Vissio estate welcomed Ruyo and handled her horse. With Quintus busy, Ruyo was on her own again to try making herself useful. One of the brothers met her at a glass table facing the fragrant orange grove, where white blossoms moved in the breeze and heavy fruit hung nearly ready for harvest.

"Any word of your brother? Virid, right?"

"None. I want a ransom demand, damn it! We could at least swallow our pride and pay, or ambush them. But you're going to help with the ambush part, aren't you?"

Ruyo nodded. "Here's what I've learned to do." She clasped her hands and with a flourish and a glow, created a rough glass bottle from nothing.

Vissio's eyebrows rose. "I don't think that's normally possible."

"Quintus said the same. I can also do iron, wood and bread in small amounts, for now. Water in much larger amounts, though I'm told that's nothing special." She demonstrated by filling the bottle, pouring a swirl of water from one palm. "Whoever took your younger brother might be interested in people with unusual magic, right?"

"I should hire you, not that we have a shortage of glass here. For now, I need you to show off and make yourself a target."

"I can do that. Also, there's another asset here. Don't be alarmed. Nusina?"

She'd been there all along, silent and invisible. She flared into reality for long enough to appear on the table and say, "Greetings on behalf of my lady Ruyo!"

Vissio stuck his hand into the swirl of water, and pulled it away to look at his wet fingers.

"That tickles!" said Nusina. "I need to fade out but I'm still here."

Ruyo explained, "She's a spirit who can appear briefly, or with a little less effort speak to people. Has to stay near me though."

Vissio waved his hand again through the space where Nusina was, this time meeting no resistance. "That's more advanced than what Virid was doing with stones."

Ruyo was glancing around, and to her annoyance the household servants had missed the demonstration. "How do you want to do this? I'm thinking either perform at the marketplace, or pretend to get drunk this evening and show off."

"That's about what we were thinking. Do both. We'll have men in place. And wear this." He fished another Church tower pendant out of a belt pouch.

Ruyo peered at it. "It seems enchanted but not like this one." She showed off the one she'd bought.

"It's meant to be something a wizard can locate. Here; trade for now."

Ruyo swapped pendants but felt distasteful about putting one on. She kept it in her pocket instead. "The first thing I'd do as a kidnapper is tear off any magically glowing devices, for fear of just this."

"It's meant to be subtle. But then, you noticed right away that it's enchanted."

"Part of the nature of my powers."

Vissio leaned closer. "And what is that nature, that you can do a new type of magic?"

She'd been thinking about how to explain, but had been hoping to save the sales pitch for later. "My powers are based on people being willing to encourage me. I'd be happy to explain more theory later, but that's less important than your brother."

He looked at her skeptically but nodded. "True. You have my encouragement for what that's worth, and several blades ready to help you."

#

Ruyo rethought her approach to magic and tonight's planned action. She'd have to be flashy and impressive, and might have to fight.

Which was an excuse to show off in the Vissio courtyard, for practice. Ruyo created several gallons of water and whipped them around like a weapon.

Nusina said, "I don't think that will be very effective in combat, if it comes to that."

"I am a mystical bender of water!"

"Yes, but hitting someone with a gallon of water isn't all that powerful."

Ruyo laughed and let the water she wielded, flow into a blob around each of her hands. "I'm better off using it as a surprise or distraction, huh?"

"If you keep at it, you can learn to fling water with greater force. Tulia mentioned that the cityfolk have learned to pump water through a siphon to attack fires; you could do a similar 'fire-hose' strike eventually. And having a ton of water dropped on your head isn't much more fun than if it's a ton of bricks."

"We have higher priorities than better ways to hurt people though."

"True. Just don't neglect self-defense completely."

"Who are you talking to?" asked a man in a cook's apron, who'd just entered the garden with what was obviously his son.

"My friend Nusina. Say hello!"

The spirit popped into existence and swirled. The cook drew back in fear and shielded the boy with one arm, but the young one looked delighted. "Hello!" Nusina said, floating lower.

The boy waved.

"She won't hurt you," Ruyo assured them both.

"Can I pet you?"

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Nusina allowed it. The kid giggled and said, "All wet!"

"Bye for now!" she said, and vanished.

"I see you hiding."

Ruyo blinked. Nusina said, "Wait, you can see me?" She floated higher and to one side.

"Did you hear that?" Ruyo asked.

"Hear what?" the boy said. He was looking right at the "invisible" spirit's new spot. She darted around like a hummingbird and he kept watching.

The father said, "Is this something dangerous, mage?"

"No, sir. But normally only I can see her unless she turns, ah, real. Maybe your son has some talent for magic?"

He looked rattled and maybe pleased, no longer shielding the boy from the mysterious mage. "I never knew!"

Ruyo asked the boy, "Did you see her before she said hello?"

"Nuh-uh. But now I do."

"What does this mean, Nusina?"

"I'm not sure, but yes, he might have some talent. Seeing spirits isn't a trick a normal mage seems to know, though."

"Well, move magic instruction up on the agenda." She turned back to the others. "Either of you want a biscuit or a block of iron or something? I'm practicing conjuration powers too."

"You can make food?" the cook said.

"Probably not up to your standards." She conjured a simple roll. She felt strained by the feat, more than by making ten times its weight in water.

He took it and chewed. "Tolerable, but yeah, I'm not going out of business."

"Can I have a thing too?" said the kid.

Ruyo obliged. He took a bite, looked thoughtful, and said, "Dad's is better."

Ruyo just grinned.

When they were gone, Nusina said, "We're friends now?"

"I hope so."

#

Once Ruyo had rested a little, she went to the Council Oak marketplace. She found an open spot along a wall, bowed to no one, and began casually performing. She summoned water, made it flow between her hands, and juggled. A few people looked on casually, fortunately missing her first clumsy mistakes.

Ruyo enjoyed being able to show off, pushing the limits of her newfound power. It took more than being blessed by spirits to develop control, a sense for how her hands could push and pull her element or let it flow freely. She dropped a few gallons on the ground, then pretended to strain as she lifted it all off the pavement again. "Really ought to learn that purification spell," she said.

Nusina feigned a sigh. "I'll add it to the list!" She suggested another trick.

Ruyo tried it: flinging a glob of water over an onlooker's head like a ball, to splash against a nearby tree.

The startled man clapped. "You should have a hat or a bowl."

"Indeed I should!" She waved her empty hands around, held them palms-out, then brought them together and forged a simple wooden bowl from raw mana. It gleamed for a moment as she tossed it around, filled it with water, then made the water flee, then used a cushion of floating water to lower the bowl to the floor.

Now she was starting to draw a crowd. Ruyo didn't repeat her "impossible" trick for a while, and was amused when someone tossed a coin into the bowl. A little later she floated the bowl around and collected a few more, though that pushed the limit of her lifting strength.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Nusina said. No one else could hear. "Don't wear yourself out though."

"I like doing this," Ruyo murmured. "Anything unusual?"

"A Vissio man in plain clothes is lurking nearby. I've been flitting around, but nobody seems to see me like that boy did. Shall I join in?"

"Please."

Even without materializing, Nusina could pretend to be a simple elemental by grabbing water. Ruyo kept up simple tricks, then suddenly got splashed from above. She startled and looked up at Nusina. People were laughing at her. Ruyo suppressed a smile and shook her fist at the hidden spirit, then went back to performing. When a kid called out "Behind you!" she spun, in time to catch a bucketful that was sneaking away from her. Ruyo hammed it up to grab the water, dodge it, and battle Nusina only to have the spirit steal the glob back a little at a time whenever Ruyo looked away to address the crowd.

With merchants and other townsfolk watching the show, Ruyo said, "Reveal yourself, spirit!"

Nusina stayed ghostly, but while levitating a ball of water she was practically visible. (The difference between the spirit's watery "body" and just any water held in her magic grip seemed obvious to Ruyo. The pearly dots of her eyes, for one difference.) Nusina burbled, "Ooooo..."

The crowd watched the spirit float to right in front of Ruyo's face, staying in place to hide her. Ruyo brushed her aside and, when the moment was right, conjured a large glass pitcher from nothing and stuffed the offending water into it, blocking it with one hand. "Someone give me a cork!"

Nusina escaped from the trapped water and swirled around Ruyo, giggling along with the crowd. "It's been ages since I did this sort of thing. Anyway, take a break!"

Ruyo was beginning to tire even from the relatively easy water-shaping. She nodded and took a bow. "Thank you! I'll be around again later." Applause and the clink of coins rewarded her.

"How'd you do that?" asked a rough-looking man in a leather apron, smelling of cinders.

"Special powers!" she said, wiggling her fingers.

That wasn't enough for him. "Seriously, just sleight of hand or what?"

"Hold on." Ruyo winked. She thanked the rest of her audience and tried to use a water-ball to float the bowl of money up to her. The added weight was much harder than lifting the water itself; she had to snatch the bowl with her hands. She hefted a pleasant handful of copper and even a little silver, and put it away.

When the crowd dispersed but for the forge-smelling man and a mother with two kids, Ruyo told him, "I've learned some unusual powers. Are you a magic-user yourself?"

"I mostly work with my own two hands, but yes. I know some tricks for keeping tools sharp and fire hot. I teach a class called the Ardent Curriculum of Blazing Hammer Blows."

"A man of culture!" said Nusina.

Ruyo said, "Then here; maybe you'll appreciate this." She conjured an iron ingot to give him, though the effort left her weary.

He tapped it with one dirty fingernail and listened to it ring. "That trick will change the industry. Potentially a big discovery."

Ruyo hummed two notes to Nusina, a signal of Keep an eye out. Aloud she said, "Keep it. Yes, I've been exploring what's possible. None of what I just did was pure trickery like those shows of pulling a coin from behind your ear."

For every real sorcerer, there were three performing false tricks for fraud or innocent entertainment. Ruyo admired the skill of the buskers who combined fakery with a few real spells to keep people guessing. She now wanted to learn how to do that.

"I've been trying to figure out your secret." The man noticed the other woman waiting. "Oh, excuse me."

The mother and children thanked Ruyo and got her to do another trick for them before departing. Ruyo waved goodbye and turned back to the teacher-smith. "Have you heard of anyone else with uncommon kinds of magic?"

"There are people who've tried taming some of the more magical beasts, or who've claimed to communicate with the gators, and I hear wild claims about Lost World artifacts. But ninety percent of that is nonsense. Assuming you're really not putting me on, would you mind coming to my workshop at the college?"

"I plan to be in and out of Averell doing some studies of my own, but sure. I'll try to find you later."

They talked a bit, exchanging names. Finally he stepped away and waved the iron block at her. "Whatever you're doing, I want to know how!"

When he'd gone, Ruyo murmured, "Thoughts?"

Nusina said, "That seemed like honest curiosity. No harm in letting him study you once we've resolved the task at hand -- and better secured the shrine. I doubt you'll be a good student of his fire techniques, though!"

"I feel like we're keeping too many secrets."

"You've told the whole truth to as many people as it's safe to, for now."

Ruyo watched the market's foot traffic, spoke with a few sellers who'd been interested in the show, and did easy tricks for them. In a free moment she told Nusina, "I should look into who owns the patch of land where..." She lowered her voice. "You know, that place. Having a deed would help."

"I wouldn't know. I'm not exactly up to speed on current politics."

"Probably not too different from what you remember. Human nature doesn't change, for better or worse."

Ruyo had been "talking to herself" in the market, and got self-conscious about it. She casually made sure Vissio's men were shadowing her, and headed for one of the taverns along the city wall.