Juran shook his head. “She is no Pentadrian. From the reports I’ve had, she has been living alone in an old lighthouse, selling cures to the locals. The village head took exception to this and called on a priest to drive her out, but she fled before he arrived. The priest would have left it at that, but the stories about the woman worried him. The villagers claim she has been there for over a hundred years. He is worried she might be a Wild.”

“An old woman? Could she be The Hag?” Rian asked.

Juran shrugged. “People can live longer than a century, and the tales of the past may be exaggerated with each generation. We are obliged to check all reports of Wilds, however, so I have given the priest the task of finding her.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Auraya asked. “If she is a Wild she would be more powerful than he.”

Juran nodded. “That is a risk the priest has chosen to take. We certainly don’t have the time to hunt for her.” He shook his head. “If he confirms that she is, we will…”

His voice faded to silence and they all looked around in surprise as the five sides of the Altar began to unfold. Slowly they rose to their feet.

“What does this mean?” Auraya asked.

“The gods are here,” Rian breathed, his eyes bright with religious fervor. Footsteps suddenly echoed in the vast Dome.

Dyara rolled her eyes. “If they are, they’ve taken a humble form today. No, we are about to be interrupted, and it must be important.” She nodded and looked pointedly past Rian’s shoulder. As one they turned to see a high priest hurrying toward them.

“Forgive the intrusion,” he gasped as he reached the dais. “Two ambassadors have just arrived.”

“What land are they from?” Juran asked.

“From…from Si.”

The Siyee! Auraya drew in a quick breath and heard Dyara make a small noise of surprise. Juran glanced at her, one eyebrow raised, then stepped away from his chair.

“Then we had best meet them,” he said.

They left the Altar and hurried toward the edge of the Dome. Hundreds of priests and priestesses had gathered outside to stare upward. Following their gaze, Auraya felt her heart leap as she saw the tiny winged shapes circling the Tower.

“They probably don’t know we’re down here,” Dyara said. “Should we greet them at the top of the Tower?”

Auraya smiled. “I could save you the trouble.”

Dyara looked at Auraya, her expression unreadable. Juran chuckled.

“Every moment the gods’ intent becomes clearer,” he murmured. “Go, Auraya. Greet them on their own ground, so to speak.”