Strange the Dreamer

Minya punishes Sarai for her decision not to support her sibling’s path of vengeance. Sarai doesn’t regret her decision, yet she can’t help feeling that she has betrayed her family. She remembers the horror with which her father looked at her when he saw her for the first time and feels ashamed. However, Sarai ultimately realizes that because of her gift, she is the only one who understands the suffering of both humans and godspawn, and because of her unique perspective, her choices matter and carry weight in the context of the larger, ongoing conflict between the two races.

Sarai sends her moths down to Azareen and Eril-Fane, who are both sunk deep into grief. She reflects that if she could give the two humans names to identify their suffering, Azareen would be “Grief” and Eril-Fane would be “Shame.” Sarai wonders why they don’t comfort each other in their mutual suffering. Sarai understands that her father suffers because he saved his people by sacrificing his own well-being; he killed the gods to set his people free, but in so doing, he mutilated his own soul and doomed himself to lifelong shame and self-loathing.