“Really?” Nomi is skeptical. “The priests would lose the sage’s power, though.”
“They wouldn’t. A sage understands their power more intimately and intuitively than anyone else and will always be more powerful using it for themselves. As long as we were under the Order’s aegis, they gainedmorepower by our managing ourselves.”
“Still controlling,” Nomi points out.
“I promise you I amexceedinglyaware of that.”
She huffs. “Fair enough. Can you suppress Teren’s power, then?”
Teren tenses but doesn’t object outright.
Gods, he must be terrified.
Of the Order, but also ofhimself.
I meet his gaze. “I could, but I’m not going to. It’s a thing you only do to someone who is incapable of controlling themselves.”
“I can’t,” Teren says softly.
“You don’t knowhow,” I correct vehemently. “That’s not the same at all. You’re an adult and clearly sound of mind. You deserve to have the tools to manage your own life without needing to answer to anyone. This is what I can teach you, if you are willing.”
Teren is caught on the edge of hope and doubt. “You don’t know that it will work, though. I already told you meditation doesn’t help—”
“You said you were sitting still,” I interrupt. “Of course that doesn’t work. You need to move, physically, in order to move the excess of emotion from your body, or else it simply builds inside you and compounds. Sitting still is literally thelastthing you should be doing. If you haveeverhad success at flushing your emotions without moving then you are far and away more advanced than most sages beginning training.”
Teren blinks. Blinks again. “Really?”
I am going to burn the Order to the ground,I think darkly.
The thought brings me up sharply. I thought I’d be happy never seeing a priest again.
I guesstechnicallymurdering every priest would also result in never seeing them again, but is leaning into that side of my nature not playing into their hands after all? Or is it simply who I am?
My anger at their newfound shittiness, at least, is clear enough.
“Really,” I say, trying to keep the growl out of my voice. Looking at Zan I ask, “Surely you know what a damn kata looks like.”
Okay, maybe it’s not exactly a question, and there’s the growl after all.
For the first time, Zan actually cringes, which draws me up short.
“I didn’t pay enough attention to the specific movements and what they meant.” His voice is rough. “Sages who came to the Quiet used to leave notes about their katas, but by the time I realized later sages would no longer be able to understand them, it was too late.” He looks away and adds bitterly, “I never pay attention to what matters at the right time.”
Well that’s a spellfield I just walked into, yikes.
“Stop that,” Nomi snaps at him. “You have done more to help sages than anyone else living or dead. It isn’t your sole responsibility to change an entire system.”
I look up at her sharply.
No, indeed.
That’s the kind of thing sage power is for.
It’s arguably why sages evenexist.
But that’s a much bigger thing to consider, and right now, there is a problem before me that I actuallycansolve, without murdering anyone.
“May Teren and I have some privacy, please?” I ask her. “He doesn’t need an audience while learning.”
