Ruth held Sheba’s hand tightly as they walked through the streets of Primus. Clodius led the way to the senate building. He spoke of much as they navigated the streets. Clodius had started learning Benelim Sign, yet Sheba still had to translate most of it. Ruth had a hard time paying attention, for she was too stuck in awe of this new world.

  Never had she seen a human city so big! It was so profoundly different from anything she had seen before. Unlike the Benelim cities, the buildings in Primus had been erected wherever they wanted. They didn’t conform to the environment, there were no trees, the only plants were the array of gardens, mostly barren for the winter now. Only on the outskirts did she see more plants and wildlife.

  “The ingenuity of humans is quite something, isn't it?” signed Sheba, “It’s remarkably Adamite.”

  Everywhere Ruth looked, she saw ancient stone. Stone pillars, stone buildings, statues dedicated not to the Gods but to the heroes of Primus. At least there was color, reds and blues. The terracotta rooftops were sunbleached crimson and orange. The temples were lined in gold and green. Linen clothes were hung out of windows to dry, gracing the streets with vibrance and life.

  On the one hand, it saddened Ruth to see the environment altered so. Mother always warned her about the fundamental disrespect humans had for the environment and for the world around them. The labyrinth of buildings were quite cramped and unwieldy too, to say nothing of the filth. Many districts looked worse than others of course, but it was still clearly an issue!

  And yet she saw humans living their lives happily. Children were playing in the streets, mothers and fathers talked with friends. There was a sense of community, of closeness. They didn’t have to walk too far to the markets or wells.

  Not to mention humanity proved to be quite adept to their self-imposed world. Large, long arches as wide as a row of buildings snaked their way between the urban abodes. Clodius called them aqueducts, they brought water from the nearby streams and rivers, directly to the people. Many of the buildings had arches, which brought useful structural integrity to the places that had them. Some of these constructs had been there for a thousand years, their durability was as strong as any golden wooded tree.

  At the end of the day, none of the issues Ruth noticed couldn’t also be found in the Golden Wood. To Ruth, that showed potential, the common ground both her peoples had. Ruth couldn’t help but agree with Sheba.

  After an hour of walking, they approached the senate building, a solid white edifice that sat atop a mountain of stairs. It was certainly one of the most clean parts of the entire city. The people were older and more wizened, and Ruth was able to gleam much.

  She could see the politicians driven by integrity, not unlike Clodius. Earnesty in their eyes and a noble vibe in their soulfire. They bowed and treated the plebeians around them with respect and decency.

  There were the ones who were pragmatic. It irked Ruth that so many of them had this mindset, but she could work with it. Their eyes belied feelings of guilt and joy alike. They weren’t really good or evil, but perhaps in the middle. Their demeanor was stoic and reserved. Not a micro expression or action was done for anything but for the needs of the moment. These people could at least be reasoned with.

  They were still better than the third type she saw; the ones who were truly rotten. Ruth understood what Clodius meant now. Clodius had been well meaning but ignorant. Some of these people were truly malicious, beacons of blackness. Every flick of their eyes, the movement of their hands, the way their backs were straightened reminded her more like a predator. No, a scavenger, a creature of opportunity that preys on those they deemed lesser. Always looking for more, never satisfied. One of these stood out to her, he had balding black hair that looked so greasy it could catch fire if she signed a spell over it.

  The darkness reminded her of The Butcher. One didn’t need to be a bloodthirsty warlord to be evil, Ruth decided.

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  At Clodius’ gesture, the three of them entered the building. The other senators followed behind them. Just outside the chamber, Clodius motioned them to wait. “I will let you know when it is time to enter,” he signed, the gestures were slightly off but Ruth could figure it out. She nodded.

  Soon enough, the only people left outside the room were Ruth and Sheba. The wait was agonizing. Ruth laid her forehead against the cold stone, struggling to control her trembling. She repeated her speech in her head, replaying the signs over and over. No mistakes, no screw ups. She strained to concentrate, for even she could faintly hear noise coming from the senate chamber, who knows how many people were in there.

  Sheba laid a hand on Ruth’s shoulder. Ruth turned to see Sheba’s warm smile. A comforting face that made Ruth’s problems fade away. “Just focus on your signs,” signed Sheba. “I’ll handle the rest.”

  It took another agonizing half hour before Sheba motioned that Clodius was calling them in. It made sense, the room had gotten quieter. Ruth took a deep breath, and then with Sheba at her side, they entered the chamber.

  It was exactly as Clodius said. The room was spacious and open. There were three main groups of senators seated in their respective areas. Row upon row of wizened leaders and other politicians scattered about. Ruth straightened up and put on a bold face. The senators turned to face her as she took the floor. She could see how in awe of her they were. She realized they’d never seen a Godshard dressed like her before and she played into it. She raised her arms theatrically, emphasizing her golden dress and grey cloak. She plastered a serene grin, walking slowly in an attempt to convey confidence and power.

  The two of them reached the center of the room. They bowed politely in unison. Ruth saw Clodius among the group, and he nodded approvingly.

  Ruth turned back to the crowd of senators. It was remarkable to her how they were all unified with intrigue by her. Their faces were genuinely curious. The more malicious among them betrayed their fear in their micro expressions. They knew that they were in trouble and could only watch as the defeat moved to speak. The more earnest and pragmatic of them were nearly enthralled and it was amusing to see such stoic facades broken for the moment.

  Ruth had them right where she wanted them. She had to make it count.

  With a curt glance to Sheba, Ruth began her speech. She raised her arms, her signs had to be confident, sharp and grandiose. She lamented how much slower her signing was after her battle, but it could have been so much worse. “Greetings, Senators. I am Ruth, leader of the Godshards of the Island City. I have come to ask that this whole business over our island be dissolved. The island is ours and it must remain outside your authority. If you truly wish to honor Adam’s legacy, our independence must be recognized!”

  Ruth could see one of the senators moving his lips, spouting some kind of counterpoint, no doubt. Ruth’s eyes narrowed, his soul was one of the darkest in the room. Josephus was his name. If bigotry and ignorance had a physical form, it was him. Ruth gestured to Sheba, and she knew what to do. She walked closer to the man. Despite his maliciousness, even he was in awe and trembled under her gaze.

  Ruth pointed at him before resuming her signs. “I’ve heard of you and the bile you spit. You think I’m stupid? You judge me for my deafness? You think that I’m some little girl that can’t handle herself? That I can’t protect my people?” Ruth pulled back the sleeves of her dress, and let her muscled and scarred arms do the talking for a moment. “We are capable of holding our own, as the scars upon my arms can show. I killed The Butcher single handedly. I’m a Godshard of great power and a competent shepherd to my flock.” Josephus backed away from her gaze. His humbled demeanor made Ruth’s day.

  Ruth turned to the other senators. “I am flattered and honored by your willingness to help us build a settlement on our island. However, we will not sacrifice who we are for that. If that means you won’t help us, that is fine. We will make it like we have for a century already.” Ruth could see how their hearts and minds were moved, not just by Ruth, but by Sheba. She was dutiful in her translation and passionate in her body language. Together, they really were a team! Ruth herself was nearly distracted before she steeled her mind back to the task at hand.

  “The nature of our bond with the mortal realms is one of mutual friendship. A bond greater than the sum of its parts. Adam and Elias believed in this, and I carry on their legacy. Much like how we would never impose our will on your people, we don’t want your will imposed on us. We hereby endorse Clodius in dismissing this issue, and humbly request any senator who truly respected Adam to side with him. Thank you for your time, and may the Gods be with you.”

  Ruth bowed, and the senators applauded. The clapping was so loud, even she could faintly hear it. It was a weird and uncomfortable sensation, and she barely maintained her polite facade and smile as she exited the room. She spared a final glance at Clodius that told her everything. They wouldn’t have to worry about this issue anymore. He’d take it from here.