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The Sparkspeakers, pulled form the grounds and sequestered for inspection and attendance, almost glare. Their expressions, even in dying, is all opposition and fiery wrath. Dedicated sorts, each and all. That, and there's proper disposal procedures to account for. Theurges have a frightful habit of needing a little extra killing, more Other than they are human, really. Convincing them to finally give up and cease is knifework and political enterprise both.
The lone survivor, captive, guarded and warded, spits more invectives. One of Sacerdottesa's retinue dutifully takes notes.
But in this little impromptu labratory, Chemicae Ostomo, with shaking hands and the nervous surprise of speaking to higher officers, has also arrange a cross sample of the various Sparksworn fought today. He nods his head, gather his wits, tries to start three times, but ends up accidentally using the phrase "neuromorphological pharmacological intervention" and has to start over.
He tries again. One last sally from the beseiged fortress of his academic inclinations.
Watch. Watch the prisoners, now, stripped off gear and banners and hostile intent. They've been watered, treated, patched and cared for, as the Accords state. Notice anything strange about them? No higher officer, these, just poor unfortunate souls who had the bad luck to be in our way.
They're a wounded, thin looking sort, hard-scrabble to the bone, lean muscles and stoic postures. But unlike the dead Sparkspeakers they're not . . . defiant.
Sacerdotessa snaps fingers and eats a little stray spark of intent the Sparkspeaker threw at the gathered throng. Quiet, you. The strike is feeble. Their captive has burnt through all his available soul and he's depleted. It'll be months before he has the spark available to light a candle. But still, he tries.
Ostomo nods. Yes. That's the very thing! Do you see it? Why is he so different from these Sparksworn fanatics?? Look at them!
Do they look like soldiers to you?? These people! They *barely* have sword callouses! They're musculature is all wrong for spearkwork, they haven't the traditional slight slouch of anyone who wears armor for a living, Flamebrights, *look at them*
They're not soldiers.
They're barely more than farmers, smallholders and artisans!
What possible threat could they pose to a proper field formation? They took the 2nd Cohort by surprise and a cavalry flank, and yes, by reports, the Sunlancers are deadly in the extreme, and the Dawnlighters were semi-trained legion-copies with less armor, but half of the people who breathed their last on this field today might never have held a weapon in their hands up until the Sparkspeakers convinced them to pick one up.
And another thing.
Those dead Sparkspeakers?
They're not *Theurges*, proper. Look. Yeah, I mean, you can talk about the physiology and the Ackbiner-Ibnishi Limit on post-vitality Iconography influence, but you can also just look. All their vital organs are in the right place.