Ruyo had paled. She had tampered with a letter recently that was asking about possible ruins. Someone in the westlands was interested, and now one of the more important landowners out that way was paying attention. "I just have too much on my mind. Charts! Let's talk about charts. Would you happen to have a map anywhere in town?"

"Of ruins? I just said --"

"No, general geography. I've been doing some amateur treasure hunting myself and it'd be nice to see a good overview."

That was for Nusina. Ruyo's knowledge of the world was mostly a vague outline held together by the trade routes she'd traveled. The spirit had expressed interest in seeing modern geography and where all the cities were.

The young monk said, "Yes, there are a few. Not that we've done a detailed survey of the whole land. Let me grab an overview." He ran off with enthusiasm; he'd been bored by the gossip.

Ruyo shrugged. "What else... I have some small amounts of iron and low-quality cloth and paper, if those would help anybody."

They talked trade for a little while, until the runner got back with a scroll. They fussed with finding a clean place to unroll it, showing the layout of the known world.

Humanity had been in the world for only a few centuries, and had focused mainly on building a civilization rather than on seeing it all. A few expeditions had gone to other places, represented on the map by stylized coastlines and imagined mountains. The known lands were a single major continent in the southern hemisphere of a round planet, with some islands fringing it. Ruyo's homeland was the best part of it, on the chilly but temperate east coast. Khyber and its rivals were in the hotter, often barren northlands, and the southern lands were often dim and foggy. Some of the warmer, wetter zones were marked as lands of the gator-folk, to be avoided for now and cleared out when possible.

Ruyo's gaze drifted back to Starshore, her fair home. Her fingers traced the line east from here to Averell and then southeast through hills and around gator lands to the coast, nearly two hundred miles. Off to the picturesque ring of peninsulas and islands that marked the city's excellent harbor.

"Do you see anything useful?" she asked Nusina.

The spirit floated beside her, unnoticed by most. "What is that? East of here, by Starshore? Is that a decoration?"

"The harbor."

"That... that shouldn't exist. It's a crater."

Ruyo looked at her, confusing the monks. "There's no way. I've heard of a mountain of exploding fire, but nothing like that near here."

"There was a city, once."

She pictured a version of Starshore in the center of the harbor, and what it would look like if that area was land and then exploded. Sinking and burning, scattering fragments everywhere in a ring. The harbor was round and bowl-shaped, and there were strange fragments and ruins found now and again... She told Nusina so.

Nusina quivered. "I shouldn't be surprised. I remember towers a hundred levels tall, scraping the sky. But you don't have those. What does it matter whether it burned or sank or blew away?"

The farmer said, "Are you all right, ma'am?"

Ruyo shook herself, wanting to comfort Nusina but having more earthly concerns right now. "Yes. I'm thinking about ruins and old legends. Something terrible must have happened back then, before we came."

A shrug. "The Lost World didn't have faith or morals. Of course it fell."

Nusina hissed silently.

Trying to address everyone at the table, Ruyo said, "We can't change that. We at least have the chance to learn from their mistakes and build something new." She addressed the farmers. "What exactly do the monks do for you? Magic? And I know they handle some of the trading."

"Somewhat. They're not the only magic users in town. They do most of the brewing" -- he hefted his mug -- "and patrol the land. Besides that they do a little of the tilling and harvesting, so they earn their keep. They are behind in digging that new well." He elbowed the robed man beside him, who snorted.

The brotherhood and the laymen seemed to get along, not as rulers and ruled. From her own past trips here she knew it wasn't quite true. The place had its own ongoing disputes more serious than when to dig a well, including who set and collected the taxes. But for the most part this place was its own society where nobody was a slave and distinct groups benefited each other.

She left the meal feeling challenged to imitate their success, back at home and in the wider world.

#

Ruyo reported once more to the three monks she'd met at first. She said, "I like your village. I've talked it over with Nusina, and we're prepared to tell you what little we know."

Nusina appeared with some difficulty and floated above the meeting table. "With the understanding that this means we're your allies, not witches and ghosts to slay."

Ruyo nodded. "And I have a request afterwards that you'll understand, once I explain what happened to me. Can we trust all three of you fully?"

Brother Ecumas was the one who'd been chased off earlier for upsetting Nusina. With him was Matthias the Keeper who officially ruled the monastery, and a portly scholar named Arneson who knew the most facts and figures about magic. Matthias said, "I swear by my loyalty to the great cause of our order, that we will not harm you unless you richly earn it with wicked deeds, of which we've seen none so far."

The other two said, "I swear it."

It was the best Ruyo could reasonably ask for. She took a seat on a stool, and explained. "I was riding east from your town toward Sor's Hill recently, when I noticed signs of a storm..."

The monks listened intently to her tale. She described Nusina's plea, the claiming of the shrine, the mural, and the hidden chambers beneath it. Nusina had trouble manifesting in the cabin but put in a few words or had Ruyo relay a comment now and then. They talked about the danger of the mural and other equipment being destroyed.

Matthias tapped his chin, frowning. "So the physical structure of the shrine is important for more than glory and decoration. The idea of machines that channel divine energy... well, we know something like it is possible."

"You're thinking about your ward?" Ruyo said. She mentioned her experiment with how the device, whatever it was, seemed to affect ordinary magic more than her special powers.

The scholar's eyes lit up. He said nothing, but Matthias prompted him: "What is it, Brother Arneson?"

"So there is a true difference in the type of energy, just as between windmills and waterwheels. And that vertical shaft may not literally fill with water but it seems like, I don't know, a musical instrument whose notes depend on its exact size and shape."

Ruyo told them about being able to grant magic to people, with two distinct passes of the "initiation" granting additional power.

Arneson scribbled notes. "Levels of spells. And does this work on anyone?"

Ruyo hesitated. "I haven't brought this up yet..."

Nusina prodded her. "You should!"

Ecumas said, "She's trying to get us to worship her."

Ruyo faced him. "I'm telling you what I know." She explained the connection between prayer and the Sorcerous Initiation. Then about the shrines, the power she derived from worship, the need for consecration, and the simple designs of the recent altars built for her in Sor's Hill and at the Vissio estate.

Arneson said, "So you have a large, advanced ruin for a shrine, but you only need an elaborate birdbath?"

Ruyo didn't have a good answer for that, other than that it was a better power storage facility. Nusina provided more detail for her. "Nusina says, besides storing energy, more elaborate shrines give me more abilities. At the cave for instance, my elementals are stronger." And then she had to explain about elementals, which led her into discussion of the captive fire beast and why she'd encountered it. And then about the mad earth spirit possessing people, and young Virid's ability to animate stones.

The monks were stunned. Matthias finally said, "We know a little about some of these things. We've encountered possession before. And what you call elementals, our Witch Hunters have seen twice. Although we're not sure if either of those were intelligent like your friend."

"A few people can see spirits directly, by the way. The healer's apprentice is one."

Arneson nodded. "A natural ability for some, a spell for others. Are you asking for us to build you a shrine and pray to you?"

Ruyo drummed her fingers on the table. "You have your own beliefs, but I think it would help us all. With your faith I'd have more ability to grow and become useful, including against the Unspoken One. I'd also be more likely to survive long enough to learn whatever skills I'll need."

"Is that a condition of your aid?" Matthias asked.

Nusina said, "Say yes."

Ruyo shook her head. "I'll try to help you in any case. It's sort of my job now, and it sounds like I don't want to be on this continent if your captive ever gets out. So no, I don't demand it. But it'd help."

"Ruyo, you need all the prayers you can get!"

Ruyo looked toward Nusina. "I don't want to force this on them." She realized she'd spoken aloud.

Brother Ecumas said, "That brings up a good point. As your power grows, do you intend to push everyone into praising your name and beseeching your aid?"

"No. Why would you think that? If you want me to leave I'll leave. You just won't... well, you'll get some help from me, just not any effort to give you whatever spells and gifts I can hand out."

Matthias held up one hand. "It's a fair question, though it shouldn't be an accusation. From what we've heard, you didn't force worship even from people you had legitimate reason to threaten with death. Would you be willing to commit to a policy of the freedom of conscience?"

"Don't you deny membership in your order to people who don't accept your rules and rituals? And deny information about why you're called Keeper, except to people you trust have the right beliefs?"

"We do. But the uncommitted may live in our town, and the people we've killed were genuinely wicked and dangerous."

"Hmm. What about someone who says your beliefs are idiotic and pointless?"

Matthias started to glare at her, but shook his head. "No. I see your point. I would order death for words, only if they were secrets that threaten lives."

Nusina complained, "There isn't a sharp line between compelling worship, and ignoring people in trouble unless they pray."

Ruyo told her, "Maybe not. And normally I'd be within my rights to demand some worship in trade. I'm just choosing not to, here."

Ruyo talked quietly with her, until the spirit helped hammer out some wording they could live with. Ruyo coughed into her fist. She said unto the monks, "Let it be said, that Just worship of Ruyo is willing. Lack of worship may mean a lack of blessings, but not punishment."

The monks conferred, and then Matthias answered, "That's good enough. I will propose building a shrine to a meeting of our full order. In the meantime, a few of us should visit your cave, and offer our prayers there for your growth and success. In return, will you let them examine the ruin's inner workings and receive your magic blessings?"