Rizene

The Keeper of the Evening Fire, they call them. Down where the spray from the great falls mists the lower plazas of Waterfall City, Rizene’s watch begins when others end. While sentinels with spears patrol the high walls, Rizene guards the city’s spirit. They carry a bundle of dry bamboo and a marshmallow stick, their tactical gear worn more from habit than for battle. The children say Rizene possesses a quiet strength, a resilience as deep and unbreakable as Tamago’s fabled shell, though theirs is a shield of patience, not of stone. Every evening, they build a small, perfect fire, and soon, others gather. In the warm glow, fears shrink and friendships grow, protected not by walls, but by the simple act of sharing a story.