14. Sorin: The Siren

Summary

• In the fourteenth chapter, Sorin spends considerable time in prayer before the altars of all five gods, praying especially for Magnes's safety.
• Sorin heads for weapons practice, a regular activity for her.
• Magnes, however, is missing as he has been called to the Nalore Monastery in the north.
• Sorin finishes her prayers and leaves the altar. She goes to eat at a table in a great dining hall and warily avoids interacting with anyone.
• The narrative indicates that Sorin has made efforts to become forgotten within the Citadel, and she successfully goes unnoticed through her routine performance of duties in various areas.
• As Sorin is finishing up her meal, Magnes shows up and briefly acknowledges her before moving on.
• Sorin retreats to her quarters in the Citadel and ends up waiting for Magnes to call for her.
• When Magnes finally summons her, he explains that he had to deal with a tear in the veil to another realm.
• Following Magnes's briefing, Sorin expresses her willingness to help him confront these monsters threatening the world, though he declines her offer.
• Magnes then brings up some rumored sightings of a god which concern him.
• The chapter ends with Sorin and Magnes investigating one of these rumours by interrogating a siren from Dragon's Heart named Mirel Denevin, who describes the person they encountered with striking detail.

• Mirel has used too much of their magical power trying to channel Magnes's spell and is now falling victim to a starveling condition. This situation transforms them into a wild creature that is barely held back by Magnes from attacking Sorin.
• Magnes manages to calm Mirel by making them drink a potion from a vial and gives them instructions to forget everything that has just happened, their encounter with a red-haired stranger, and not to use magic for the next three months.
• Mirel falls unconscious after agreeing to all of Magnes's commands, and Sorin is asked to take them back to the Dragon's Heart in secret while someone will keep an eye on Mirel.
• Sorin is shocked to learn of Magnes's knowledge of the forbidden magic of the indigo god, and worries if she has been made to forget something as well before.
• Magnes admits what he's done and justifies it as necessary to do some good, while Sorin learns that Magnes had been the one to push Mirel to their starveling condition and not have their seal replaced with marble, as the law prescribed.
• Magnes asks for Sorin's trust, sharing that times are tough and that the being they saw, which was merely pretending to be a god, was actually Chaos created from a spirit that broke through the Veil during Spirit Moon posing a threat to the world, and that they have to send it back and prevent the Veil from destabilizing more.
• With her faith reassured by Magnes, Sorin pledges herself to their cause to save their world and prevent Chaos from taking over.