 knees.  One by one at first, but then in a massive wave, until the only one left standing was Tarrin himself.  Even Triana and Jula had the wherewithal to kneel in the presence of a god.  Even the Vendari, who didnt follow the Wikuni gods, knelt in her presence, to show her the honor which they believed she was due.
	And Vendari knelt to no one.
	Kikkallis furious gaze swept across the throne room.  You have all failed me, she grated at them hotly.  I went through a great deal of trouble to put Keritanima on that throne, and now you all conspire to undo what I have ordained to be!  Did my warnings not teach you that you were sailing into a whirlpool?  Have you become so blinded by your arrogance and lust for power that you ignored my warnings?  Did you stop for even one moment to think when I sent the priests of all the gods to warn you that you were acting against my wishes?  Are you all that dense? she raged, which made every Wikuni in the room, even Keritanima, cringe as a sudden overpowering sense of rage, indignance, bitter disappointment, and seething anger washed over them, palpable sensations of the goddess displeasure.
	If this is what it takes, then so be it, my bull-headed children! she shouted.  Keritanima sits on that throne at my behest, and anyone who conspires to take her off of it again will face MY WRATH!
	Every Wikuni noble all but collapsed, putting their heads on the floor.  All of them except for Jenawalani, who looked decidedly terrified, but not to the degree of the others.
	You will stop acting like spoiled children! she shouted at them, a shout so powerful it shook dust from the ceiling.  You will stop resisting Keritanimas changes, you will stop trying to disrupt her, and you--will--stop--trying--to--dethrone--her, she said in a clear, powerful cadence, emphasizing every single word.  It stops now, do you hear me?  I will put an end to it!
	Every priest of every Wikuni god will be watching you, she warned in an ugly, ominous tone.  The other gods will be watching, and I will also be watching.  The instant any of you even puts a toe on the line, your life will be forfeit!  Is that understood?
	There was nothing but deafening silence.
	I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND!? she thundered.
	There was a sudden, terrified jumble of affirmative replies, all delivered in trembling voices.
	Tarrin had to suppress a chuckle.  Kikkalli had style.
	Good.  Im so glad that youre all willing to listen to reason, she said in a scathing voice.  You are the reason it had to come to this.  I did not want to interfere, but now that Ive been forced to put a hand in, youre all going to pay for it.  The games are over, children!
	And one more thing, she added in a seething voice, casting her withering glare across the throne room.  Miranda is MINE.  Any acts against her are acts against ME.  Dont any of you EVER lay an unfriendly hand on her ever again, or I will personally pay you a visit and show my displeasure.  And as to what was done to her earlier this week, dont think that thats going to be forgotten.  The nobles responsible for that will be making penance VERY shortly.
	Several nobles moaned, and two fainted dead away, collapsing on the floor.
	The imposing apparition  swept a ruthless gaze across the room, as if to ensure that her message had been suitably delivered.   She turned partially to look at Keritanima, who had slid off her throne to kneel before it, staring up at the image with shocked eyes.  Keritanima had had exposure to gods, so she was not overwhelmed like the others were, but this was not Mother.  Know that I am pleased with you, Keritanima, the glowing image of Kikkalli said in a slightly prideful tone, then she turned to look at Jenawalani, who couldnt bring herself to look away from the terribly beautiful apparition.  Know also that I am well pleased with you, Jenawalani.  The seed of light I planted into your heart has indeed taken root and blossomed into a lovely flower.  But it is unseemly that sisters who have put aside their past differences remain apart.  Perhaps you and your sister should spend time together and discover the ties of blood that bind you.  She looked between them.  The faces you present in the name of politics are no longer necessary.
	She swept her gaze across the room once again.  Too long have we allowed you to play your games of intrigue and politics, she told them.  But the games are over.  The world is changing, and the future demands that we change with it.  The old ways are no longer profitable, and we must set our sails to catch the shifting winds.
	Oh yes, she was a Wikuni alright.
	Heed well my warnings, my treacherous children, and accept harsh reality, because we will be watching.  And the first object lesson will be the only object lesson, she warned in a rather ugly tone.  That choiceis yours.
	And with that, the spectral image surrounding Miranda wavered, and then it faded and contracted, flowing back into Mirandas body like smoke pushed before a breeze.  Wind billowed around her, swirling her hair, gently lowering her feet down to the ground.  It seemed to support her for just a moment, and then pulled away from her.  Miranda staggered woozily, putting a hand to her head, her eyes dazed and distant.
	Then they rolled back into her head, and she fainted dead away.
 
Chapter 12

	By general assent amongst the three Were-cats, they decided that it might be best to stay over until the next day.  After all, it wasnt every day that a god manifested itself in the throne room of a kingdoms ruler and proclaimed in no uncertain terms that this was the way things were going to be.  There were sure to be some unforeseen repercussions, and it would be better if Tarrin, Triana, and Jula were at hand to possibly help put out any small fires that might erupt over this earth-shaking revelation.  They, combined with Keritanima, had enough raw magical firepower to handle just about any emergency.
	There was most certainly a radical change that came over the Wikuni who were privileged--or cursed, as the case may be--to be present at that most wondrous event.  After the requisite moments of disbelief, then the denial, then the terror-induced realization, came the inevitable sullen acceptance, tinged with mind-numbing fear of what would happen if they disobeyed.  Kikkalli hadnt mentioned any certain punishments, but the threat of dire and messily irrevocable punishment had been more than blatant during her blistering tirade.  They were like a bunch of children who had just had their favorite toys taken away by their parents, parents who had indulged them, and then endured them once they got spoiled, but now had put down a firm hand and backed it with enough threat to make the ultimatum stick.  Those who were still conscious stumbled out of Keritanimas throne room after quite a long time, shocked and demoralized and not a little frightened, for they now were fully cognizant of the simple fact that nothing and no one was going to unseat Keritanima and unhinge the reforms she was pushing upon her people.  Those reforms came with the explicit blessing of the leader of the Wikuni pantheon of gods, and that made them the unchallenged laws of the land.
	Several had to be carted out on stretchers.  Those were the ones who had had a direct hand in Mirandas abduction, and Kikkallis angry promise to exact vengeance against them for daring to put her Avatar in harms way still hung over them like the executioners axe.  They didnt know that Miranda was an Avatar, of course, but then again, they didnt need to know why Kikkalli was so attached to Miranda to fear her punishment for doing her harm.  The fact that she was, she was angry, and she was looking for some payback was all the information their dangerous little minds needed to make them pass out in terror.  One did not dismiss the wrath of an angry god.
	There was also something of a row over Tarrin.  During Kikkallis visitation, Tarrin had been the only person in the throne room who had not knelt.  The nobles who had noticed that were dreadfully insulted and offended, feeling that Tarrin had blasphemed Kikkalli by not showing her the respect due to her divinity.But the simple fact was, Tarrin had never knelt because he had not felt all that particularly overwhelmed by Kikkallis presence.  Gods had that effect on mortals.  Their very presence inspired awe and amazement, at least when they meant it.  Kikkalli had certainly had her divine aura wrapped around herself for that blistering rant in the throne room, but it really hadnt had any effect on him.  He figured that it was because he was so close to Niami that the awe-inspiring presence of a god simply didnt do much for him in the awe inspiration department.  He knew the truth about the gods, that they werent all quite as divine as they wanted the mortals to believe, but that was a secret he had the sense not to divulge.  All he really saw was one seriously ticked off goddess, not a terrifying figure of immeasurable might and wonder.
	The nobles were highly insulted and offended by Tarrin, but two facts kept roiling around in their minds as they considered how to go about punishing him for his transgression.  First, that Tarrin was probably the single-most powerful magic-user in the entire world, with an extremely dark reputation.  They feared that any attempt that failed would lead to the wanton destruction of half of the city of Wikuna, Keritanimas intervention or no Keritanimas intervention.  The second irrefutable fact was the simple fact that Kikkalli had looked directly at Tarrin when she had appeared in the throne room, and had done nothing to make him kneel before her.  That meant that he was favored in the eyes of Kikkalli, and they had already seen how protective Kikkalli was over the mortals she favored.  Keritanima and Miranda were beyond off-limits in the dark games of noble intrigue now, and since Tarrin seemed to have similar favor in her eyes, that made him a dangerous target to pursue.  Not only because he could destroy an entire noble house in retaliation, but because it would be a race between Tarrin and Kikkalli to see who would get to the offending noble house first.
	That was a race whose finish line the nobles would rather not have either participant reach.
	The firestorm of rumor was not contained to the palace, of that the gods made certain.  They had spread omens, visitations, manifestations, and other amazing phenomenon across the city of Wikuna to put the city into an uproar, and only when the stunning news of what had transpired in the throne room did the sages and wiser citizens of the city piece things together.  The Wikuni gods very rarely took direct action as they had, because they liked to see how far their children could go without their help.  But for some reason, the gods felt that what Keritanima was doing with Wikuna was of vital importance, so much so that they were willing to actually directly intervene to keep the nobles from trying to unseat the queen and restore the old ways.  That made Tarrin understand the tremendous impact of Kikkallis appearance, because it was such an incredibly rare thing.  The Wikuni never forgot about their gods, and enjoyed the gift of their magic to the Priests, but they almost never saw them take direct action.  They always remained aloof and neutral, always supporting but never judgingat least until now.  The Wikuni society had been judged, and it had been found lacking.
	But such drastic impacts to the theological cornerstones of the sages meant very little to the people directly involved with it.  Keritanima spent every moment at the side of the bed to which Miranda had been brought, holding her hand and being there for her until she regained cosciousness, but there was a haunted fear in her eyes.  That blabbering High Priest of Kikkalli obviously had quite a bit more training and understanding of the workings of gods than most, and realized that what had happened with Miranda happened because she was an Avatar.  That jittery fool had spread that information through the Palace almost immediately, screaming it hysterically to almost anyone whom he could grab hold of long enough to tell.  That had reached Keritanima, and she had dismissed the idea of it almost immediately, but there was a hint of worry behind her eyes.
	Tarrin wasnt sure why shed think any differently of Miranda than before, but then again, Wikuni were odd people who had funny ideas.  But then again, Tarrin had known Mirandas secret for so long that it was hard to remember what he thought of her before he knew.  To him, she was just Miranda.  The fact that she was an Avatar went hand in hand with her very identity, even if that fact really made no difference.  She wasnt the mortal hand servant and creation of a god, she was a clever, dangerous young woman with a sharp mind, an appealing and thoroughly enjoyable personality, and a wicked sense of humor.
	Perhaps that was the problem.  Tarrin had pondered on it for a while on the top balcony of the Palace, looking down towards the sea as the sun set over the land behind them.  Keritanima was worried that Miranda wasnt the person she thought she was.  No matter how people remembered Miranda, now theyd forget it all and only see the part of her that had never really mattered in the first place.  The part of her that even she didnt know was there.
	He thought about it for quite a while, until Triana wandered up and shared some space with him beside the balconys rail.  The rail didnt even come up to their hips, a poignant reminder that they were giants living in a world of little people.  Had they been afraid of heights, perhaps standing there would have been a tad unnerving.  Trianas breath misted up in the cold late fall air, and the dusty smell of snow was heavy on the rising wind.
	You seem a little pensive, cub, she said after a moment.  Thinking about Miranda?
	Yes and no, he answered, looking out over the dark water on the far side of the city.  He wasnt surprised that Triana knew exactly what he was thinking.  Just thinking about how peoples opinions can change.
	Its the fickle nature of the smaller races, cub, she answered.  Both human and Wikuni.
	That fickle nature isnt just theirs, Tarrin told her.  Fae-daNar is just as judgemental.  For them, one act can mean execution.
	That has nothing to do with our natures, cub.  That has to do with law.
	Does it?  Rahnee does one thing, and Jesmind hates her for a century.  One human does one thing against Mist, and it turns her feral and makes her hate all of them.  One act did the same to me.  Are we really any different than they are, mother?
	Wheat and barley, cub, she told him.  Its not the same standard.  Youre talking about instinct.  They do it because of society.  Its a flaw in character, not mentality.
	He crossed his arms and looked down into the Palaces courtyard, with its lovely fountain.  Sometimes it makes me wonder about me, he told her.  Mother was right about how people might react to Miranda.  I wonder how theyd react to me.
	React to what?
	He looked at her.  I dont really know what I am anymore, mother, he told her.  Its gone beyond being a Were-cat.  When Mother restored me after I destroyed Val, she told me that I was something that even the gods werent sure about.  A mortal with a gods soul, thats what she told me.  Some of them call me a demi-god.  I wonder, if people knew that, would it change what they think about me?
	You?  I doubt it, she told him.  Most people think youre all but a god anyway.  To someone who has no experience with the kind of power suikun wield, any of you would look like a god to the average nonmagical human.  Its all a matter of perspective, cub.
	But does knowing that change what you think of me? he asked her pointedly.
	Not a bit, she snorted.  Whatever they say you are or whatever you happen to be, as far as Im concerned, youll never need to be anything other than my son.  As long as you stay that, what else you happen to be means absolutely nothing.
	There wasnt much he could say to that.  Tarrin put his arm on her shoulder, she put her paw on his back, and they watched the sky turn dark together.
	He wasnt there when Miranda woke up, but he talked to Keritanima not long afterward, and she seemed to be fine.  She was sleeping naturally now, so Tarrin decided to let her sleep.  He had little doubt that what Kikkalli did had drained her, and she needed a great deal of good solid rest.  He didnt feel sleepy, so he decided to wander the streets of Wikuni hidden under an Illusion to hear what the citizens had to say about what happened earlier.  It was all they could talk about, of course, and after about half a night of eavesdropping, he concluded that the people of Wikuni not only liked what had happened, they were looking forward to what would happen next.  Keritanima was detested by the nobles, but she was wildly popular among the commoners because they saw her to be a champion of their causes.  Most of her reforms had lowered their taxes, reduced the burdens placed upon them, given them real political power, and addressed many of the long-standing grudges that they had had against the ruling class.  The common folk were prospering like they had never prospered before, and they placed all the responsibility for that prosperity firmly on their young queen.
	Tarrin realized that the nobles had lost the instant the common people threw their support behind Keritanima.  No matter what they did, even if they had managed to have Kalina assassinate the sashka, the common folk would have risen up and rebelled.  It would have been a revolution, and it was a revolution that the nobles would have lost, because the Vendari would take no sides in such a matter.  Once their business with Keritanima was completed, they would have voided the treaty binding Wikuna and Vendaka together and returned to their homeland.  That would leave the nobles open and vulnerable to an angry mob of thousands upon thousands of Wikuni commoners.
	Kalina.  Whatever happened with her?  Tarrin wasnt there when the sashka finally got to the throne room, and he had little doubt that Keritanima had sent Jervis to recover Kalina from her captors.  Hed only met Kalina once, and thought her to be a crude, foul-mouthed wench with little taste.  In other words, a typical harlot.  He had not been overly impressed with her, but on the other hand, she had shown no fear at all towards him, and that raised his opinion of her by a few notches.
	He was sure that she was alright.  Keritanima didnt forget her friends.
	Tarrin returned to the Palace just after dawn, satisfied that everything was going to be just fine in Wikuna, and it was alright for the Were-cats to return home.  He wanted to see Miranda before he left, but as soon as that was done, hed be returning home to resume his training.
	He didnt make it past the beautiful fountain that decorated the courtyard in front of the grand structure.  A Wikuni stepped out of the shadow of the fountain, and Tarrin immediately identified her as none other than Kikkalli, in the pseudo-flesh of her animated icon.  He knew from her image that she was a fox Wikuni, like Keritanima, but she didnt look anything like her.  Kikkalli was a silver fox, with glittering silver fur that shimmered in the morning sunlight.  What was most remarkable about this form, her chosen appearance for her icon, was that it was so unremarkable.  She was a handsome woman, but not breathtakingly beautiful.  She was sleek and appealing in form, but not voluptuous or enchanting.  She was tall and imposing, but was no taller than a Wikuni was meant to be.  Her icon carried no unnatural traits that would give it away, like the Goddess glowing white eyes and seven-colored hair.  Kikkalli was quite modest in her chosen form.  She wore a white sailors shirt with long flared sleeves and a pair of sleek black trousers with flared legs, and a tattered blue sash around her waist that swayed and billowed as if blown by the wind, though the air was calm.  Her gaze was icy, penetrating, but it carried a vast wisdom behind her gray eyes that belied the unassuming appearance of her icon.  Tarrin realized that this icon was one that allowed her to go anywhere and observe anything without giving her true identity away.  Not that that was much of an issue, since gods could simply create a projection of themselves that was as solid as flesh, a solid illusion of sorts that many would call an Avatar, but which was only a trick of magic.
	Kikkalli wasnt an Elder God like Mother, however.  She was a Younger God, and Tarrin remembered vaguely that they had different rules.  Maybe Kikkalli needed an unremarkable image for her icon for some reason.
	Then again, the entire matter was a moot point, since Kikkalli could change the appearance of an icon whenever she wished.  Kikkalli could make her icons appearance as grand or as mundane as she wanted.  It would take a little doing, but it could be done.  Changing the appearance of an icon wasnt as easy as shifting the appearance of an Illusion.
	She said nothing.  She simply stood there for a moment, looking him up and down with a critical eye.  That Illusion looks silly on you, she finally announced.
	Tarrin chuckled ruefully and banished it.  I know, but at least I dont attract as much attention as I do this way, Mistress, he answered her, remembering his manners in dealing with other gods.  What did you need of me?
	You must speak to Miranda, she told him without preamble or pleasantries.  She is very distressed.  The truth of her existence has caused her to question her very being.  She needs comforting and guidance, and only you can provide it.
	Id do it even without your command, Mistress, he told her immediately.
	Your devotion to Miranda pleases me, she told him in an approving tone.  I believe the others are wrong about you.
	Tarrin glanced at her.  What others, Mistress?
	The gods, she answered.  They all watch you.  They keep track of you, and not a moment goes by that debate over you does not rage among us.  All of us watch you, even gods of peoples you have never seen before.  Never before has a single mortal captured our attention as you have.
	What do you think theyre wrong about, Mistress?
	She said nothing, only staring at him with those penetrating eyes.  Then she smiled ever so slightly.
	Typical, he told her with a sly smile.
	Never that, Tarrin Kael, she told him in a nearly playful manner.  The fox is anything but typical.
	Tarrin chuckled, then nodded to her, and then he walked away, knowing that she had said everything she wanted to say.  Besides, she had told him to do something, and it was something that he most certainly wanted to do.
	He found Miranda in a small antechamber on the top floor of the Palace, which was little more than a closet within the attic.  It hadnt been easy to track her down, since nobody had really seen her, even Keritanima, since she had woke up.  Hed been forced to use Sorcery to find her.  The little room had the look of a bechamber, for it had a single tiny bed, little more than a cot, and a small night table, and nothing else.  It did have a tiny barred window on the wall facing the door, which looked down over a tiled roof towards the sea.  The window had no glass pane, and it made the little room quite chilly, for there was nothing holding the sharply cold air outside into the room.  The place had the look of a prison cell with its starkness, but there was no lock on the door.  Miranda was wearing the same dress she had worn to the throne room the day before, but it was wrinkled and disheveled, and the fur covering her sharp-muzzled face was streaked with mats that ran down from her eyes.  She had been crying, and quite prodigiously.
	Her body was at a profile to him, as she sat at the foot of the bed and looked out the little window, but her glance towards the door showed him the evidence of her weeping before she looked back out the window.  Go away, Tarrin, she said in a hoarse voice.
	No, he said bluntly, ducking so he could get into the room.
	Are you deaf?  I said go away! she  said angrily, turning and glaring at him.
	Make me, he declared, closing the door behind him.  Since I dont think you can do it, youre stuck with me.
	Are you so sure about that? she said in a scathing manner, which he realized immediately was self-accusing.  I might burn you to ashes where you stand!
	You couldnt burn me with all the fire in the world, he replied calmly, sitting down beside her.  And I could never be afraid of you.
	That one statement seemed to release a flood of emotion from her.  She lunged into his chest and clung to his vest tightly as she started weeping all over again.  Tarrin put his arms around her and comforted her without words, simply letting her get over her surge of emotion.  It took a while, but eventually her sobs eased, and she simply clung to him like a frightened child.
	Now, he said gently.  Whats wrong?
	How can you ask that? she said in a strangled voice, pushing away and looking up at him without letting go of his vest, her breath misting around her muzzle.  Have you heard what theyve been saying?  Do you have any idea what it means?
	They dont understand much of anything, Miranda, he told her bluntly.  And I know what you are.
	Im not real! she cried hysterically, holding her hands out in front of him.  Its all a lie, Tarrin!  Im not a person!  Im, Im, Im a creation!  Dont you know what that means?  It means that everything Ive ever been and everything I thought I was doesnt matter!  Im just a shadow of someone else!
	Listen to yourself, he told her.  I, I, I.  If you were nothing but a shadow of Kikkalli, would you be saying I? he asked her with quiet intensity, staring right into her eyes.  Youd be saying we or she, not I.
	Thats what makes it a lie! she screamed at him.  All this time I thought I was just like everyone else!  I thought I had parents, I thought I had a life!  But its all nothing but a big lie, Tarrin!  Im not a person, Im an Avatar!  Im just an extension of a god, and when she doesnt have any more use for me, Ill disappear like I never was!  Like I never mattered! she ended with a disjointed scream, then buried her face in her hands and started weeping all over again.  Its all a lie! she said from between her hands, her voice muffled by her hands and her sobs.  Everything is a lie!
	Tarrin grabbed her hands and pulled them apart.  Miranda didnt have the strength to resist him, so she found herself staring into his hard, almost cold eyes.  Listen to me, he told her in a very quiet, very intense voice.  You are wrong.  You have no idea what any of it means, so youre just jumping to conclusions.
	I am not! she snapped at him.  The High Priest told Keritanima that Id disappear!  He said Im not a real person!
	Hes a fool, he said with narrowing eyes.  He thinks youre what he was trained to believe you are.  He doesnt understand.  And youre being foolish to believe his words over your own heart.  Think, Miranda! he said sharply.  If you were nothing but the Avatar he believes you to be, why have you nearly been killed several times?  Why do you bleed?
	She looked blankly at him.  Tarrin shifted his grip and extended the claw on his index finger, and sank it into her forearm.  Ow! she yelped, pulling her arm away and putting her other hand over it after Tarrin let her go.  Tarrin grabbed her hand and pulled it away, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm out to display it to her, to show her the red stain blooming in the white fur on her arm.
	Thats because youre flesh and blood, he told her.  The kinds of Avatar that that Priest thinks you are is nothing but magic, but youre not!  Youre flesh and blood, Miranda!  You have a body, and you have a mind, and you have a soul!  Youre as real a person as Kerri is, as I am, as anyone is!  You bleed, and you feel pain, and you have emotions.  That makes you as real as I am!
	How can you know that! she accused.  Youre not a god, Tarrin!  All this time I thought I was like everyone else, and now I know all this time, it hasnt been me!  Im not a real person, just--
	Tarrin put a paw over her muzzle to silence her.  I know, he told her intently.  I know a lot more than you think I do, more than anyone could ever guess.  Ive never lied to you, Miranda, and Im not lying to you now.  You are not what youre screaming that you believe you are.
	But--
	There is no but, he cut her off by pushing his paw against her face gently.  Im telling you right now that youre not just a temporary creation.  Youre a Wikuni.  You were born, you grew up, and now youre an adult.  The fact that youre an Avatar never meant anything until yesterday.  Until that moment, you were just as normal as any other Wikuni.
	How can you know that!? she accused.
	Because I was told, he admitted.  Niami, my goddess, has known about you the whole time, and she told me two years ago.
	You knew? she gasped.  And you never told me?!
	Yes, Ive known, and I didnt tell you because I was told not to, he told her.  I think Mother was worried that you might react to that news in just the way that youre reacting now.
	She glared at him suspiciously.
	Let me explain it, Miranda, he told her, urging her to sit down beside him.  Just the way it was explained to me.  She sat down and watched him with shimmering eyes.  From the way I understand it, Miranda, you were destined to be born all along.  No matter what would have happened, you would have been born and probably lived the life youve pretty much lived.  But Kikkalli, whos the goddess who made you an Avatar, must have known what was going to happen in the future.  Im not entirely sure how she figured that out, because usually the gods cant see into the future, since the future really doesnt exist.
	That doesnt make any sense, she said in a less hostile manner.
	I know, but I dont think Mother has ever managed to explain that idea in a way I can understand, he said self-deprecatingly.  Im not smart enough.  Anyway, what makes you an Avatar is the fact that Kikkalli decided that Keritanima was going to need help, so she touched you with her p