My vision goes bright with wrath.
For a moment I see the world in shades of magenta, but it isn’t hazy; it’s clarifying.
“That’s how you justify it, isn’t it?” I stalk toward him, and he watches me narrowly. “That no one can reach their true potential as a sage without the guiding hand of the Order.
“But it’s a lie. A sage is a sage from birth. No priests ever throttled my power, and I am so much more powerful than Eraya that you can’t even comprehend the distance between us, Mujin.”
“Learned.”
I smile viciously. “No, you’re clearly not.”
«Focus, Yora.»
Damn it. Ireallywant to lay into him. Learned Mujin is a problem.
But Zan is right.
Mujin isn’t actuallytoday’sproblem.
He’s not a victim; he’s a perpetrator. And I’m not here to save him.
Priorities.
Bullies are not worth my time, except to stop.
“And not being throttled caused you to limit an entire island of people for generations,” Eraya says, stepping toward me in turn, as though that will halt my advance. Gold brightens, though not enough in the face of the growing magenta aura around me. “By joining with the Order we makeeveryonefreer.”
“Do we? And did I?” I glance over my shoulder. “Hey Nomi. How free do you feel, having had priests break into your home?”
“That wasfor you—”
“No,” Nomi interrupts her calmly. “I listened to you without interruption. Now it is your turn to listen. That’s the first step in compassion, in my book. Is it not in yours?”
Eraya stills.
A direct hit from Nomi.
Zan agrees in my head, «She understood the assignment.»
In this form, he can communicate mind-to-mind with humans as he chooses. Apparently, despite Eraya’s role in this, Nomi is on board with this part of the plan.
Guardian of sages indeed.
I feel like Ioughtto be able to communicate with him mind-to-mind back, given our bond, but maybe I just don’t know how yet. Or maybe that’s only for dragons.
So instead I look at Zan, glance at Teren, and look back.
«He’s on it. Check his hands.»
I have no idea what Teren’s hands are doing. That doesn’t look like any kata I’ve seen, but it’s familiar somehow—
Oh.
It looks likeknitting.
A form of movement he’s comfortable with, to flow his power through...
Except for Mujin’s hold on him.
