The townsfolk immediately had an earth-shaping mage rebuild Ruyo's altar, healing the cracked stone. It took hours of renewed consecration, done by the water expert who'd helped her willingly. When Ruyo touched it and said, "I accept this... again," she felt the rumble of its power as an echo of the former tower. At the moment the altar stood absurdly amid tons of stone rubble.

"The echo is interesting," Nusina commented. "It's not providing more power than any other basic altar, but I sense something of the pattern. It's slightly more solid to me than empty space is."

"Really? That might be another clue for the Witch Hunters."

"I'll tell them. They already confiscated the hammer and chisel that got used to crack the altar, for study. Do you want to give them an honest report about how it hurt you?"

Ruyo frowned, but nodded. "If they decide to betray me someday, I probably will have earned it. Otherwise it'll be hard for them to do more than make me angry."

"Have more guards, next time you boil off all of your mana."

"Oh, definitely."

Tamur and Virid found Ruyo after the little re-dedication ceremony. The big wanderer knelt before her and said, "I'm sorry, Lady. I wasn't there when you needed me."

Virid, too, looked ashamed.

"Get up, Tamur. We weren't expecting a fight. And Virid, I don't want you in combat anyway." Ruyo sighed. "Anyway, we managed."

"You did. Even the girl! Is it true you took an arrow and kept fighting?"

Elly blushed. "It hurt a lot though."

He stood and said, "They do that. May I take this shadow magic of yours too?"

"Of course. My new shrine is ready."

Tamur kicked at a bit of broken stone. "Ruyo, Elly. It might be time to take my leave. The fighting is done and you seem not to need me."

Ruyo was taken aback. The scarred fighter had been traveling with her off and on since she'd gone exploring in the hospital ruins. "You're not bored, are you?"

Tamur laughed loudly. "I've been many things, but rarely bored. Never expected to be a wizard. But there are other things to see in this world, whole undiscovered lands."

Elly said, "I'm sure you could still learn and explore with us. There's a trip we want to make somewhere in the north, if we can just find out where."

"In fact," said Ruyo, "Virid pointed out that you've probably fought everything that has bones to break, and then some. What if you traveled to Starshore and taught what you know to the scholars there? Just to have them write down your knowledge would be useful to others."

Virid nodded. "If even half of what you've talked about is true, people ought to hear it. It's, um, a legend for you."

Tamur rubbed his chin with one meaty hand. "I do like the sound of that, if not playing lecturer to a bunch of weakling wizards."

Ruyo had suggested it partly to keep the Inheritors' cult on their toes. While she was at it she told Tamur about the idea of a roving disaster-fighting corps.

The man grunted. "Maybe, maybe. Will you take me along for this northern expedition you're planning?"

"Certainly. It's going to be dangerous."

"Good."

#

Ruyo and Elly were somewhat glad for the Witch Hunters' presence. One of them had been badly hurt in the attack and had only now recovered well enough to travel. At this point the last few of her hangers-on from the westlands said they wanted to go home. Ruyo thanked them all for helping in the war, made sure they were as magic-empowered as she and Elly could make them, and promised to load them down with gifts. Nusina pointed out that it'd be easier to let them get all the way west to Brotherhood and have their free food and iron waiting for them there.

"Odd way of thinking about deliveries and trade," Ruyo told her. "With the postal network expanding, we could set up a more elaborate system of credit. Authorize payment here, and reserve goods elsewhere."

"I like it. Gives people more reason to interact with the shrines."

The southbound group this time was Ruyo and Nusina, Elly, the guards, and Tamur, with the westlanders coming along as far south as Follyport.

The captain approached her along the way. "After what you did in the northern harbor, could you create a more powerful current to speed us along?" It was common to have minor spells for that purpose, but those were most suited to rowboats and other small craft.

"I can try." Ruyo took a stance at the stern, looking down into the waves, then tried the bow instead. She raised her arms. She felt a tremendous slice of the sea surge from below and behind, driving forward like a vast wheel that pushed the ship and sank away to wheel back somewhere in the depths. The spell was taxing, and it was hard to speak while keeping the countless tons of matter rolling beneath them. "Feels different. Not pushing it away."

The captain and crew braced themselves against the railing. The captain said, "I estimate we're at double the usual speed. Doesn't seem dangerous." Even so, he ordered some men below to watch for hull damage.

Ruyo and the others were riding a huge wave just beneath the surface, feeling the surge of its power driving them on. She said, "I'm not aiming this thing. You'll need to tell me if we're off course."

He nodded and made sure people kept especially close watch. She could tell he was doing calculations on his fingers meanwhile, for how a ship like his might gain from having such a speed boost.

She could only keep her spell going for half an hour at a time, though. She released the magic like a heavy weight and stretched out. "Sorry to disappoint you. I'll probably get better at this."

He rubbed his bearded chin. "So maybe a few hours saved over a voyage like ours. The Harbor Lord can do almost the same."

Oh, of course, thought Ruyo. Magus might also have enough raw power to use the spell, though not enough skill in this element specifically. "Glad I'm not the only one who can speed a good ship."

"It can save a crew days when the wind doesn't cooperate, to get in or out of harbor. It's also useful if you stray too close to a hazard. Your spell is different from Zol's; he pushes backward like most casters do. Can you go against the wind? We have time to experiment."

She did, and her technique worked, but the captain was probably overestimating how useful it was for Ruyo to have this power. After all, it was at the peak of her personal abilities, and not a level she could grant anybody else yet. Ruyo expressed this to Nusina.

The spirit answered, "This powerful current control is roughly sixth level. So no, you can't give a hundred people this much power yet."

"Or ever? You mentioned that the fourth level is probably beyond what Loruna ever handed out routinely. Would focusing on the spell-granting be something that stunts my other abilities?"

"It might. Do you want to be the Goddess of Magic specifically? You sort of were by default, but Elly is starting the same deal."

Ruyo gradually slowed her mighty current and returned the ship to the control of its proper crew and their sails. "I'm not sure yet. Let's hold off and see what else I can do."