Maker of Fire

Imstay, Aybhas, Planting Season, 5th rot., 9th day

After Lisaykos's granddaughter took Emily to change into something more practical than a gown — Emily's words, not mine — I mindcasted for Patrikos, one of the new pages Garki trained for me. I had Patrikos bring Aylem's maternity coat, my coat, and the box with the plain linen diadems. If I were going to walk the city with Aylem, as Emily suggested, we would wear the emblem of our authority as rulers.

After I had mindcasted my page, I found myself holding my head in my hands while leaning my elbows on the dining room table. I was surprised to catch myself doing this. Kings could not afford to display nervous or unconfident behavior in front of others. I practiced outward behavior designed to hide emotions not fitting of a ruler, no matter how I felt inside. It was a lesson I learned as a youth. It helped me win my battles against my two brothers to keep my throne. My actions inspired my troops and staff, which won wars for me.

What Emily suggested made sense. I used a similar set of behaviors when I mingled with my soldiers; however, using such a tactic in the wake of a riot was a new concept for me. Regardless, I could see that it had value.

That frightened little Coyn from a year and a half ago would never have suggested this. Emily had changed. She never lost her fear, but she had grown to conquer it. I felt for her, maybe for the first time, because I knew those struggles myself. I knew the haup Foskos family trick to suppress my fear from showing in my aura, but she didn't. She had no magic, so she could never learn how. Every mage who could read auras could see the green of fear in her. Yet she could ignore it to act with a calm and reasonable facade most of the time. Her strength of will was inhuman.

Emily's performance at the trial in Truvos left those in attendance in awe of her. Aura readers saw the surges of green fear from Emily every time she clashed with Fassex — Fassex had been such an asshat that day — but she never let that fear stop her. That tiny, frightened Coyn delivered a legal analysis like a senior priestess justiciar lecturing a class of trainees at the Fated Shrine of Galt. It was an unbelievable performance that inspired admiration.

Emily did it again today. We could all see her fright towards Aylem's abilities of compulsion. Despite visibly trembling moments before, Emily calmly lectured us about walking among the populace after a catastrophic event.

I thought she had been an artificer in her life before. Where did this wisdom on leadership come from? Was our prophet so observant about people that she deduced this sage advice out of nothing but her head?

And what was up with her aura? Her aura flashed to silver when Emily was in Lisaykos' embrace and Aylem touched her. Ten godmarks wrapped a shining yellow-white halo of lights around her head, and the godmark in her Galt-given eyes glowed. I believe the prophet had no idea what was happening to her. She thought she had to persuade us to go out into the city, but it was apparent the touch of the gods was on her just then. She could have told us all to fling ourselves out the window to our deaths, and we would have obeyed.

I knew those in the dining room with me were seeing things on my face that I never showed in public, but I couldn't stop myself now. I was that unnerved. I sighed and looked up at Lisaykos. "I have a growing apprehension that something huge is about to happen. I think Emily's strange silver aura is a sign of that." I straightened up and composed myself. "Snow Bear."

In his wraith uniform, Snow Bear appeared out of the air by the door. He dropped to his knees, "May the blessings of the eleven gods be upon you, Sacred Ones."

"Also also upon you," Aylem replied. "Why did you summon your deputy spymaster, Imstay?" she asked.

"Protecting you, our unborn children, and the prophet, love. Snow Bear, what guards do you have for the Blessed Emily and the Queen?"

"The Queen has her usual detail of one. The prophet will have a detail of three when she is outside the shrine."

"Only one for my wife and just three for that injury-prone Coyn?"

"I am ashamed to admit that I only have six wraiths capable of circular light, including myself. I have wraiths-in-training doing sentry duty now at the three entrances to the south corridor on this floor. We did not anticipate the return of the prophet for many months. Most of the wraiths are assigned elsewhere," Snow Bear said as he put his hands together against his forehead and bowed his head to the floor.

"You train wraiths here in Aybhas?" asked Lisaykos, titular governor of the city, "without my knowledge?"

Snow Bear lifted his head, "No, Great One. I flew in twenty senior trainees last night. It is a temporary duty while the prophet is here."

"Imstay, it will do," Aylem said. "We'll be with Emily. Nothing will hurt her if any of us are with her."

I know I grimaced. We had no more time to arrange something better. While Snow Bear was excellent at his job, I knew I would feel better if Usruldes was here instead. I hoped nothing would happen that we couldn't handle.

"The prophet is coming," Snow Bear said. Then he vanished.

Emily walked in two breaths later wearing pants, boots, and layered shin-length tunics. She carried a sheepskin coat and hat. "Are you folks ready yet? Let's go. The day isn't getting any longer."

"Are you going to insist on walking?" Lisaykos gave Emily a look full of worn-out patience.

"That was my intent," Emily shot a look full of stubbornness back.

"Please allow me to carry you off the shrine grounds before you start walking about," Lisaykos cajoled. "At the rate you walk, it will be the fifth bell before you reach any of the doors out of the shrine. Please, dear heart?"

"Oh, alright," Emily conceded with a sour face. She looked thoughtful as she put on her coat. "Maybe we should break up and go in different directions. Many soldiers and workers from surrounding holdings are cleaning up in the north market. Imstay and Aylem could start there with the work crews. Moxsef could go to the camp across the river, since most of her spoot workers will be there. Lisaykos and I can go to the chapel shrine in the northeast quarter. Then we could meet up at the camp across the river where most of the displaced people are."

"Then that's what we will do, Great One," I told Emily.

She gave me a sharp look, then sighed. "Okay. Let's go."

(Continued in installment 2.69)