This is exactly what I didn’t want!
I’m standing up for myself with mywordsfor the first time,notletting them make me into nothing more than a tool, a weapon—
But somehow I’m still losing.
“You don’t want to do this,” Eraya says urgently. “You can’t stand against us. I know you don’t want to—you wouldn’t have let the priests before go, otherwise. And there’s no need to! We’re all on the same side. We all want people to be safe. Whatever differences we have pale in the face of that.”
Some differences, I think, matter more than others.
Like, if she wants to eat bread rather than ice cream, I think she’s wrong, but that’s her prerogative. That’s not a difference that hurts me or anyone else.
If she wants to eliminate my ability to make choices for myself, believes that I deserve to have fewer of them than other people, that is actually, meaningfully,superdifferent.
Thatis violence, for all that it’s not physical.
“Iam not the one making this into a fight, here,” I say. “Iwas minding my own business eating blackberries.”
Eraya shakes her head. “Sages are too dangerous to be on our own. You’re no exception.”
Certainly not, but not in the way she means.
Then her head whips around, and dread fills me as I realize why.
Her aura of compassion isn’t influencing me, but it was filling my senses enough that I didn’t detect sooner what I otherwise would have.
I feel Zan’s power approaching, which makes no sense since he’s right next to me—
Unless it’s his scales.
And I feel another power that after yesterday’s lessons I recognize well.
This is spinning out of control fast.
What are Teren and Nomi doing here?!
“Anothersage,” Eraya breathes, then looks at me accusingly. “You were hiding him? You may know how to suppress your power, but you shouldn’t force someone else into that!”
“I don’t make anyone else’s choices for them,” I snap, “and neither should you.”
“Acolytes, form up,” Learned Mujin orders.
Oh no you don’t.
I tried, didn’t I?
Itriedto reach their pet sage.
I tried not to start a fight. Tried not to give them any reason to target me.
I tried not to bring my wrath to bear against them; to allow them space.
But if they’re going to threaten Teren, who can’t defend himself...
What am I going to do, stay home and just eat blackberries? Obviously not.
And absolutely fuck this Mujin for thinking I’d allow him to take a slave.
He doesn’t, probably—I’m sure he’s just looking for an excuse to come at me directly, orchestrating events so that if I won’t join him, I act against him and thus justify his response.
