She figured Elly was going to be busy for a while. So she sailed to the west and got dropped off at a stretch of rocky, misty coast. No need for a harbor here; she walked the last half-mile to shore.

Nusina said, "I'm surprised you're not taking guards."

Ruyo breathed deeply of the hot, humid air and squinted in the sun, then made a watery floating canopy for herself. "After seeing Elly under constant supervision I'm glad to get away. Be a little watchful though; this is new territory even to me."

They journeyed together without need for food or water, just walking the shore and listening to the waves. Instead of god-slaying they talked about Nusina's water park idea and where to build one. Ruyo said, "It would need permanent enchantments, so it would draw heavily on a temple."

"It could be a temple. Having people come to enjoy the water is its own form of worship, if it's hooked up to a prayer collecting system."

"So we don't need an altar?"

"You would, or a big crystal. You just wouldn't need people to use it directly."

That made the plan more feasible. "The simplest parts would be slides and a pool with waves. Water pumps, purifying spell... It could be expensive. Doesn't have to be on the coast though. We could even put it right here."

They'd come within sight of a fishing village. Ruyo spotted a pair of farmers and waved to them.

When she got close one of them said, "A lady traveling alone, out here with -- what is that?"

Nusina had been floating invisibly until now. She said, "Hello! This is Ruyo, the Lady of Waters."

"And she's Nusina, the Sage of Ancient Seas."

"Since when?" thought Nusina.

"Elly and I were talking about nicknames."

The farmers had a staff and scythe in hand for harvesting; an ox grazed nearby. "Heard of you. Some magician that has all the rich folks starry-eyed. You here for a show?"

"If you like," Ruyo said. "Could we buy some food and a place to rest, and get directions to Vaporway?"

Instead of showering them with gifts, she just paid generously with iron and glass and cloth and her mediocre leather. That gave her the excuse to show off her powers to a few dozen mildly interested folk who weren't sure if this was all a trick.

The village had no real tavern, but there was a barn where people sometimes gathered. Smoky lamps competed with the red light of a single spell from one of the village's two casters. Nusina flitted around and introduced herself, to varied confusion and delight.

"What's with your arms, miss?" asked a boy.

Ruyo explained, "I'm learning how to change myself and heal people. This is a test."

"Can you grow fish scales?" A decorative string of them hung on the barn's wall.

"I haven't tried yet, but it seems worth doing." She concentrated on her right arm and thought about the fish she'd been eating, especially its armored silver scales. Nothing immediately happened, but her skin tingled. "How is this town? Did anyone here go to war?"

She mostly listened, asking polite questions as her hosts talked about the fishing life. Three of their neighbors had joined the military and two were expected to come home soon. The group fell quiet for a moment.

Ruyo told them, "It was worth the fighting. The northerners were trying to take powers like mine away from our people, and give them to a general who just wanted to be mighty."

Nusina said, "Ruyo killed him. And some of the troops who'd been attacking innocent villagers."

That news quieted the group down further. A scarred old man said, "At least we're on the winning side. The northern barbarians were trying to take your powers?"

Ruyo shook her head. "No, there were other problems going on. It worked out well though. Now there's a Night God too. A girl from Brotherhood, when it could have been a Khyberian general with dreams of conquest."

"Strange times," said the old man.

Nusina mentally poked her. "See the man with the scar?"

The old fisher had terrible ragged marks along one arm. She went over to him and said, "I've been learning about healing. If you want, I could take a look at that."

"Look all you want," he said, and grunted. "Can't afford a healer good enough to fix this up."

"I'd try for free, if you tell me the story behind it."

Another man said, "That shark gets bigger every time he tells it."

He had an excuse, then, and he made his fishing encounter sound as terrifying as Ruyo's actual fight with a magma shark. She tried to sound impressed. "I guess they do get big out there."

"You have to be careful at sea, ma'am. So. Hate to lose the scar, now, when it gets women interested in me."

She laughed. "You'll always have the story."

The healing went well, leaving behind what was still an impressive subtle mark without the rough ridged skin and discoloration. He grunted as he looked himself over. "Not bad, ma'am!"

"Anyone else?" asked Ruyo.

A girl and a young man began to stand.

Another man interrupted. "Ma'am, what do you want from us?" He wore the same plain salt-streaked clothing as the rest but had a necklace of smooth glass that gave off a sense of enchantment, when she thought to look.

"A shrine and prayers," she said. "I don't demand anything of you. I trade, instead."

"I've heard from Starshore travelers," he said. "Some of them think the people there have gone mad." Others around him murmured in agreement.

Ruyo bowed slightly. "Strange times, as your neighbor said. If any of you want to make the trip south and see the new temples for yourselves, you're welcome."

#

"You made a good impression," Nusina said, as they trekked west on foot. Further inland, a little uphill, through quiet country. It was a nice morning.

"Couldn't offer them magic yet, but I figure they'll build a shrine before long." Her other healing patients had been patched up seemingly perfectly of their minor scars.

"A fishing village can appreciate a sea god's blessing."

"Can't directly promise them bountiful fish though." She tapped her chin. "Long-term, what we could do to encourage building little shrines is to set them up like the Starshore one, able to grant magic but with a time limit."

"I don't think that'd work, unless they're the second-tier buildings."

"Ah, well."

The sun shined and wind stirred Ruyo's hair. She took to gliding on waves, moving rapidly along the ground for half a mile at a time, practicing the technique. "How urgently do you think we're needed on the Light God problem?"

"The monster's still a threat, but I think we're nailing it down tighter and tighter as we go. It helps that you're continuing to spread your influence to new places."

Ruyo looked into the sunlight. "This side trip isn't mainly about getting more shrines. Don't know about you, but I needed a break."

"Well, take a break from the break; there're wagons ahead."

Two of them were rolling eastward, toward her and the village she'd left. The horses stopped in their tracks and she landed with only a slight stumble. She called out, "Hello! Just passing by."

"A wizard?" said a rider traveling ahead of the group. He had a spear slung along his saddle and squinted from under a broad-brimmed hat.

Ruyo approached on foot. "A little more than that."

"Do I need to announce you properly?"

"Oh, fine." Ruyo sighed. "I'm Ruyo, Lady of Waters, patron goddess of the southlands. Is the town of Vaporway along this road?" She'd been there before, but not from this direction.

"What road?" said the lead wagoneer. There were only wagon ruts in the grass.

The outrider said, "The magic lady who's been making a stir, huh? Don't know what to make of that. The town's a few miles behind us. But it's also gator territory. No place for you to go unarmed and alone."

Ruyo grinned, flicked a wave of water from her hand, and froze it into a knife. Nusina flashed into full view beside her. Ruyo said, "Not a problem."

The man's horse shimmied to one side. The rider reached down to calm it. "Well. Safe travels to you. Any news?"

She said, "There's a Night Goddess now, too. She's starting to offer her magic in Starshore but likely coming back toward Averell soon."

"More of you! We might end up spending half our time doling out prayers to people claiming godhood."

"If there's any god out there who demands more than me, I'm probably going to end up fighting him."