Baris looked grim as he inspected the wreck. "I don't recognize clear signs of what did this, and that worries me. The wagon didn't just blunder into a pit, I think; it landed backwards, like the hole opened under it. I'm actually reassured by the blood trail."

"What? Why?"

"Whatever was here, eats. Which also probably means it bleeds if you stab it."

#

Over the next day, Ruyo trained with Nusina. At first she had to focus her magic in exactly the right spot of the shrine, just to get a pathetic water-orb that could be defeated in battle by a thirsty dog. Ruyo slowly learned how to let go of her magical grip after creating it, providing a sliver of power that let it act on a simple command like "patrol" or "attack".

Baris was the only follower around at the moment. He had a good time cleaving the things in half while Ruyo tried to move them around by mental command. But he turned to roughly where Nusina was and said, "I feel a little guilty with you watching."

"These ones are mindless, and you can't kill me with your mortal blade. So nyah."

Ruyo snorted. Baris grew more serious. "Ruyo, though?"

Ruyo took a wary step back. "I'm told it's possible... why?"

Nusina put in, "Her power will not go to someone that kills her."

Baris said, "I ask because it sounds like if you keep growing, you'll eventually stop being stabbable. I don't want to hurt you; don't worry about that. I'm just thinking there's a point of no return."

Ruyo said, "My powers come from other people's support. So if I do get that powerful, it'll be because I won people over."

"Or you scared enough of them into obedience."

Nusina said, "Baris, Ruyo won't do such a thing!"

The ranger shrugged. "I'll pray that she doesn't. Literally."

#

Ruyo conjured a hovering mass of icicles that could sense and skewer an intruder with regenerating icy blades. It was only the size of her head but could lurk on the ceiling and drop into battle against anyone not known as a Ruyo worshiper or guided by one. Having two of those installed and ready to defend the shrine was as much magical defense as Ruyo could manage for now. It was an improvement, but she could only make the things in the shrine room. Outside of the cave, she could still only manage to make a puny water-ball as an independent servant.

Ruyo busied herself trying to set the odd magical traps up on the ceiling. "It's very much not a spell to detect evil, or bad intent."

Tulia said, "Oh mighty wizard, may I suggest a locked door?"

"I thought of that, yes." Ruyo rummaged through her pack and pulled out a simple iron lock, hinges, and a set of woodworking tools. "If I can figure out how to make a door from conjured wood, I can at least have that basic defense before anyone runs into the... what are we calling them?"

Nusina had won the naming rights to the elementals in a card game, with the cards handled for her by Tulia. "Glittering Foebound Quills."

Finally Baris and his fiancee left for the day. Baris had been eager to fight the icicle-launching Quills, but after one round of that, Cydi banned him. Tulia had Ruyo's attention to herself. She said, "Quintus will be wanting me back."

"I think he's slowly going mad without you."

"But I don't want to belong to him! Nor even you. What if I simply ran off?"

Ruyo said, "I couldn't really blame you. But being the respected slave of somebody important gives you wealth and influence you wouldn't have as a vagabond."

Tulia nodded and paced the cave. "Nusina has no choice about working for her mistress. In a way that's easier than having the power to try rebelling."

Nusina said, "I have power too, by guiding Ruyo. And she's harder to steer than your master."

Tulia paused in her circling path. "A goddess ought to have some sort of righteous cause, shouldn't she? Something more than handing out free breakfast and scrap metal."

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"I suppose...?"

"Well, I don't want to simply run away from my job. I want to end slavery in Averell."

Ruyo said, "That's a tall order, Tulia!"

"But I'm going back there, and I'll be able to serve as a priestess who will consecrate the first modern shrine of Ruyo. Which means I have the backing of a goddess for this good cause." Her smile was like a shark's. "Don't I?"

"Why this in particular?" Ruyo said. "I can start teaching people magic; I can learn to heal the sick; I could repair ships."

"Those things are good, and I hope that you do them in time. And I don't expect you to stomp into the city, lay down a commandment, and slay all who oppose it. But if someone asks your opinion on selling men and women at market, I'd hope you'd start pushing the idea that it's evil. One step at a time."

"Mythos," Ruyo muttered. "Excuse me. I need to speak with Nusina privately."

"No, I want to hear your opinion, not some carefully prepared response."

Ruyo's eyes narrowed. "You can ask, but you can't tell me how to answer. Excuse me." She flicked one hand to open the hidden door at the cave's rear wall, marched through, and sealed it again.

Nusina, immaterial, spoke silently to Ruyo. "It's a dangerous thing she's asking for, milady. There are a dozen causes I could suggest standing for, and I barely know anything about the modern world yet. If slavery is a powerful institution, taking a stand against it will befriend some people but anger others."

Ruyo sat on the ledge overlooking the ancient well, next to some small boxes of valuables from her abandoned cart. "Most everything I own is here, and my life depends on protecting this place and building other shrines for backup. If you find a magic sword you might feel obligated to use it for something heroic, but that does not obligate you to let anyone else decide what that is!"

Nusina floated in the open space in front of Ruyo. "Is Tulia's cause a good one?"

"Opposing slavery? I suppose. It's not right to sell people. But there are ways of earning your freedom, and some people get enslaved as a punishment or because they were conquered in war. I'm trying to imagine a society without that and it seems like there might be a lot more killing." Ruyo looked down into the deep metal well that was a relic of a bygone age. "Did the ancient era figure out a solution?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. I think there were slaves of some kind. Remember that the language I once used is long gone, so the words I use now might not mean the same thing." The spirit paused. "I vaguely recall people signing up for it."

Ruyo raised one eyebrow. "Why? No, you wouldn't know. But I can guess it was about debts and responsibilities. Give and take."

Nusina said, "What debts are you willing to take on, for what gain?"

Ruyo bumped the back of her head gently against the metal wall. "What I'm getting is the help of Tulia, who I didn't expect to start making big demands. But as she says, I'm also suggesting she should be my priestess in Averell. It's tough to ask that of her without offering more than some improvised payment in trade goods."

"Don't let her push you around, though. If you're giving her any power or authority you have the right to set boundaries on it."

Ruyo thought. "You may be on to something. I'm not in any position to change laws, even if I were confident enough to try. But a good merchant knows something about selling ideas." She tried running one by Nusina.

When they were done talking, Ruyo opened the door upstairs and got Tulia's attention. Ruyo stamped the floor and conjured a ball of water around one fist. She said unto Tulia: "No gift of Ruyo shall be used to keep people chained, save as just punishment. Spread the word, phrased exactly so, and people will start to think my help depends on finding alternatives to slavery. That even ties in with what I've done so far."

Tulia looked intimidated. "Can you withdraw your 'gifts'?"

"No, I can't yank a piece of iron out of a shackle-maker's hands or make someone forget a spell I gave her. Unless I get a lot more specialized skill, according to Nusina. So some of this is theatrics. But I can have people quote that motto about what I want, and see what influence that starts to have."

"I... I would have to explain," Tulia said.

"Uh-huh. And if you agree to be a priestess that'll be your job. You can say I think slavery's wrong and we ought to find ways to stop doing it. But if I start hearing 'official' statements that I back a particular law or support criminals raiding the slave-pens, or otherwise going against the city government, that's going to be a problem. Got it? Don't make me risk my life when I barely know what I'm doing yet and have no divine right to take over."

The slave had gone pale, nodding mutely.

"Still want the job?"

"Um. Yes."

Ruyo tossed her spell aside and relaxed her stern pose. "Just so we understand. We still friends?"

Tulia hesitated but said, "I hope so."

"Me too."

#

Tulia had ridden off to Averell, with Baris for escort part of the way. The ranger's soon-to-be wife dropped off some venison and took a dozen iron nails Ruyo had been cranking out. "Interesting that they don't show the marks of a smith's hammer."

Ruyo examined one. "I hadn't thought about that. I sort of picture an ideal nail but don't know much about alloys. A baker mentioned my magic biscuits aren't up to his standards -- why are you laughing?"

"Magic biscuits. What a basis for a religion."

Ruyo snorted, then joined in. "I had to start somewhere!"

"So what's next? Make them by the dozen? Or focus on water itself?"

"Nusina's keeping a to-do list. Get the new shrine running. Help Baris investigate the beast skulking around here. Get enough skill and power to start granting others access to magic. More shrines. Get a deed to this land without drawing unwanted attention. Try to win support from the Steadfast Church and the Averell nobles once they realize what I am. Figure out how to build an actual door and a bed. And..." Ruyo blushed.

"Hmm?"

The goddess tapped her fingers together and looked aside. "I've been meaning to ask you, Nusina, but things kept coming up. Do you think you could teach me, well, how to swim?"

The guardian spirit manifested as a hovering wave that swirled in astonishment. "WHAT?!"

~ Arc 1: Wavebound Sanctum, End ~