Hi lovely author,
I was wondering in book three when yama spoke to Micah in the mausoleum, Agni tells mich that he heard the conversation already because not only does he control fire as an element but he’s fire personified and this reveal intrigued me since it’s the first time that I’ve given it much thought even though it’s not my first read. Shouldn’t this mean that Agni would be aware of what happened during the noir users and yamas summoning of dhumavati since there was a fire lighted there. Or might this be a case of Agni being attuned to Ezra so he pays attention to fires lighted around Ezra but every other fire is just like a background noise for him. Or is there something else to it. Also I’m not quite sure but when savitr and chitragupta break the news of Agnis manipulation to Micah, I think there was a fire lighted in the room, so shouldn’t Agni have already heard everything that happened before Micah’s confrontation.
Hope you’re having a good day, can’t wait to hear more news on book four❤
Hello, Rossekilher!
Very good observations and questions.
The best way I can describe the nuances of Agni’s eavesdropping abilities is by comparing them to tuning in to the radio. There is a torrent of noise that can easily overwhelm him. The source of noise ranges from seeing/listening through the fire to having his name spoken with deliberate prayer.
When it comes to the latter, he’s learned to turn that dial near-mute. There are exceptions. As Skanda mentions in the Sneak Peek #1, major deities are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of worshippers. Deities can isolate the prayers at any time by focusing on specific individuals. Agni focuses on Ezra, though others can draw his attention depending on the intensity of those prayers.
The fire works in (mostly) the same way. The only difference is that Agni is not always attuned to Ezra through this method as he is with prayer. He has to actively reach for the fire in Ezra’s vicinity. So, it’s hit-or-miss whether he’s listening in at the time or not. When it comes to the scene between Savitr, Chitragupta, and Ezra, I don’t believe a fire was lit at the beginning of that conversation. But even if there had been, they’d be wise to avoid it by going into a different room (even if Agni was not focused on Ezra at the time). He was certainly listening in on Yama-Ember and Ezra, and he had also listened in on Ezra when he ‘proposed’ to Brooke.
Also, Agni may not pay attention to all the fires that are lit, but if his element is used for something that evokes strong emotions, tragedy, or destruction, he is likely to take notice.
So yes, you are correct about background noise. His presence may be everywhere there is fire, but his consciousness is selective about where to focus. You’ll learn that Indra has stopped lighting fires in the palace to avoid the possibility of that attention focusing on his abode 😉
As for Book Four, good progress is being made. So far, the May/June ‘self-imposed’ deadline is on track. More updates to come!
Thanks for the Ask 🤍
Avery Hendrex 