Summary

Chapter 21 opens with a section from the Philosophy of War that the faithless see duty as an inconvenience and a single zealot will do more than thousands who do not believe.

Okoa is awoken by Chaiya as Serapio has not returned in two days. Chaiya says they must talk in private. They fly on their corvid companions over the camp where Serapio turned into crows and ran. Benundah refused to take Okoa out of Tova while Esa thinks Serapio always planned to bring fanatics to their door. Meanwhile, Maaka gives daily sermons about the reckoning and building an armed militia. Okoa worries peace will be impossible without Serapio.

Chaiya takes him to a training ground and demands that Benundah leave. Okoa reluctantly sends her away and practices firing arrows with Chaiya. However, Okoa's mood is ruined when Chaiya mentions Okoa's father. Okoa says...