Stripped of her armor, Edda felt extremely light. She wondered whether she could jump thrice a man's height, she thought she could. The brown colored breeches and white shirt two sizes too large for her made her feel as she did the night she snuck into Binoria with Ingah. She'd worn the same colored attire then.

  Daduts had built a fire on top of a sandy hill several leagues from her coral stone abode. Edda had refused to follow the two sexual partners when she'd realized the direction she was walking to was towards the sea, if she squinted towards the North, she could see the white outcrop of abodes that marked the outskirts of the City beside the sea. The sea. Edda could hear it, hear the waves lapping against the shore, she could smell it. It called to her, offering a promise on every crest of a wave. It terrified her.

  Daduts had assured Edda that they weren't going to the sea, they only needed to be where they could see it for the ritual to have full effect. Edda did not know what the ritual entailed but everyone in Remu knew of Salt Seers. As there were Flame Seers and Entrail Seers, so too were there Salt Seers but only amongst the Remu. The techniques of the Seers varied but their purpose was the same, to peer past the fabric of time to glimpse meaning from beyond.

  Edda watched from where she sat as the flames licked at the tinder and spread, growing and staining the night with an orange glow. The sea was a dark blotch within the horizon whose visibility was aided only by a crescent moon and a night full of stars.

  Master Kissit stood several paces away from Edda, hands clenched behind his back as he used to do when waiting for the Acolytes to settle down so the lesson could begin. He quite clearly avoided Edda's gaze, choosing instead to rest his eyes on the flames with an occasional glance in Daduts' direction where the old woman bent over a leather bag filled with what Edda presumed to be salt and an assortment of odd things she couldn't quite define and didn't seek to inquire on.

  "Aaaah." Daduts started as she rose with a hand full of salt and a knife in the other hand. "It's a beautiful night, don't you agree Kissy?" An answering grunt was Master Kissit's only reply. "What does the night remind you of?" Daduts pressed further.

  "Frogs." Kissit answered and Daduts's shoulders slumped. Some salt slipped from her grasp and trickled to the ground.

  "Frogs?"

  "Yes. Frogs."

  "The ugly little green things?"

  "Some of them aren't green. But ugly, yes."

  "So the night doesn't remind you of anything else besides frogs?"

  "Should the night remind me of anything else beside frogs?" And Master Kissit cocked a brow with the question.

  Daduts stared at her lover for a span of moments before eventually turning to Edda. The sneer her lips held gave way to a bright smile that also relinquished control to a thin press of the lips. "Edda, as you can see the sea is far off. So do not worry about us clobbering you in the head and taking you there."

  "I doubt you'll succeed even if you tried." Edda said. And for once she believed herself. In terms of combat, she was adept in some of the Forms but not lethally so. She had been bested after all by the Queen of Binoria when she'd been a Princess. A Spy's means of overcoming adversity stemmed from the mind, not the limbs. That being said, she never thought she could best Kissit at combat. He did teach the craft after all, but here, now, with what she felt coursing through her, like a returning tide threatening to submerge her, she knew she could face him and win. Master Kissit, however, did not share the same view.

  "You're overconfident, girl." Master Kissit said. "I am a match for a Vigon and—"

  "Frogs, seriously?" Daduts interrupted while turning to Kissit. "Frogs of all things?"

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  Master Kissit raised a palm to his face and rubbed at his brow. "Is there something specific I am suppose to remember?"

  Daduts turned back to Edda, with quick strides she brought herself before the Knight. "I need some blood." Daduts said while brandishing her knife before Edda.

  Edda hesitated for a moment before offering up her palm to Daduts. The Salt Seer quickly dug the blade's edge into the palm so as to pierce skin but pulled back puzzled, staring at her blade. Edda observed her palm, there wasn't a scratch.

  "It's a blunt blade." Master Kissit said while walking over and taking the knife from Daduts. He deftly cut his palm and blood flowed at the first touch. "Huh." He wondered. Master Kissit moved to Edda who stretched out her hand, he cut as he'd did himself but the blade did not break skin. "The moisture from the sea must have coated your skin, rendering it impervious to cuts."

  "You're fucking stupid." Daduts said. "Like a frog, you even look like a frog! Gods! I should have chosen Figit!"

  "Figit's penis is indeed the size of a frog's." Kissit retorted.

  Edda, weary of their arguing, lifted her palm to her lips, bared her teeth and bit into it. She felt as her canines punctured skin and tasted the iron tinge of blood upon her tongue. She held out her hand to Daduts and the Salt Seer touched the salt in her palm to the blood.

  Daduts walked back to the pouch on the ground and pulled free of it a Kolotian finger. Ishar suddenly came to Edda's mind, the young Kolotian who had all ten of his fingers, the chosen one of the God of Chaos. A man whose mere existence was a blight to Binoria's name and whose victory over the late King Vayin Vigon spelt the end of an era.

  "No." Edda said. Both Daduts and Kissit turned to her.

  "No what?" Master Kissit inquired.

  "I'm not participating in a ritual with Kolotian fingers."

  "But Edda," Daduts started. "Kolotian fingers are a key element in Salt Seer rituals, as it is with Flame Seers."

  "Why don't the Talisi Entrail Seers use it then?" Edda asked. "I have a friend who does not stand for the rituals where Kolotian fingers are used. If the price of gleaming the will of divinity comes at the cost of another's suffering, then the price is too high."

  Daduts and Kissit stared at her for what Edda felt to be a very long time. Kissit looked as if he'd discovered a puzzle he couldn't quite solve while Daduts looked as if she wanted to adopt Edda on the spot and raise her as her own.

  "Oh Kissit." Daduts said. "Do you still doubt that she's the one?"

  Master Kissit's intent gaze shifted to Daduts. "You're easily moved by a strong sense of morality. Did you know Master Juvial visits the sick at the City beside the sea? Bringing them medicine and food? Why isn't he flinging horses and shit?"

  "And what do you do, Kissy? What do you do that's worth divine recognition?"

  "I kill people, and I teach others how to kill people."

  "That doesn't seem like it would catch a deity's favor."

  "But it would get their recognition, won't it?"

  Daduts abruptly shoved Kissit back but he deftly switched the momentum of the shove into a quick stride in Edda's direction as he talked. "Edda, the Kolotian whose finger was severed, does not need it anymore. What do the Knights say about fulfilling a mission? The mission is the purpose for life. If a sense of morality hinders one's ability to fulfill a mission, then they are not worthy to bear the title of Knight."

  There he went again, hanging it over her head like a halo, the same thing most at court believed but couldn't voice. That she was not worthy of being a Knight, that she lacked what was needed to pass as one.

  "Fine." She said. "Do as you will. But this is the last time I shall partake in this."

  "Fine by me." Master Kissit said and turned to Daduts. "On with it then woman."

  "Don't talk to me like I'm one of your frogs!" Daduts answered.

  "Listen." Master Kissit said while pointing at Daduts. "I remember our first night beneath a crescent moon by the shore. I remember what it felt like to be one with you, to feel you and to attune to a shared sensation. I also remember another night beneath a crescent moon, submerged in a swamp with my nose sticking out of the muck with Binorian Legions roaming around. And the sound of the frogs that night told me of where the Legionnaires were hunting, and the sight of the crescent moon brings back the sound of the frogs. It's not my fault the crescent moon brings back memories of looming death compared to that of sex. Not everything is about sex, Daduts."

  Daduts turned away from Kissit and dipped the Kolotian finger into the palm holding the salt and Edda's blood. She clenched her hand into a fist, ensuring the finger, salt and blood compacted within. Then she walked over to the flame. "As you well know, Edda." Daduts said. "The Kolotian finger and the flame are linked to the Goddess Meena, as proof of her will to see the Kolotian race extinct. But, put salt to it and the will of Order acquires a touch of Depth, and Meena is usurped of her purpose. But, with your blood, the attention of the one we seek may be drawn."

  Daduts walked over to the flames and threw the finger, salt and blood into the flames. Edda expected the flames to change hue, as was known of Flame Seers when the ritual was done. She expected Daduts to peer into the flames and Prophesy, instead Daduts turned to Kissit. "You know, not everything is about sex, but sometimes a sexual act carries more than just the physical aspect of it. And there are some aspects that are more memorable than the threat of death."

  "Wait." Edda interrupted. "That's it? That's the ritual?"

  Daduts turned to Edda. "Oh yes, dear, that's it. Now, I understand that Salt Seers prophecy but Alietsi isn't one for prophesy, this is a summoning, by your blood your intent is known and if the Goddess is awake, she will come."

  Edda begun to stand. "Well then, this has been a waste of time." She stretched. "I'll be heading back now, and come first light I'm going back to the Remu Court to report on what a waste of time all this has—" She noticed that both Kissit and Daduts had their faces turned in her direction but none of them were looking at her. Instead they peered at a spot to her right, just below her thigh. Edda turned to observe what had the two lovers' attention and froze as her eyes met the steady green eyes of a young girl holding a transparent canteen.

  Alietsi broke into a smile.

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