"It looks different from this angle."

"Not obscured by the foliage?"

"And I have a different mental focus."

"That must help."

Hum.

"This really is a beautiful area."

"The General always picks the best for herself."

"And that's why she picked you?"

"It is."

"I can see the allure."

"I'm told it's fairly obvious."

"You are prone to glowing, reportedly."

She twists her hands, beckoning glitters of light from the surface of the lake into a nimbus around her.

Wow.

Svetka laughs.

"It's just a party trick, really. But people think it's more impressive than a lot of other things."

"It's pretty." Grin. "And party tricks can be plenty useful."

"I guess."

"What really impressive things can you do?"

"Have you heard of the Cut?"

"No, or not by that name."

"See that tree over there? Watch closely."

She gathers up light in her hands, shaping it into a shining crescent- which she hurls at a low-hanging branch. It passes cleanly through without resistance, and a moment later, the branch drops to the ground, sliced neatly off.

"That's the Cut."

"...Really impressive."

Well she now has a story to tell about why kidnapping the Sun Summoner failed.

"Only two people in the world can do it."