We are taught that opposites are separate entities that are distinct from each other but there is no such thing in this universe. All things are part of another. Opposites define each other but only to a certain degree. It is often the case that an extreme followed for a length of time will lead to its own opposite. The Taoists understood this concept and portrayed it through the symbol of the yin and yang.
Fire and water are apparent opposites. They help to define each other and can react against each other but not everyone has seen them as distinct. In the ancient religion of Zorastrianism, fire and water were both equally important elements of purification. Temples of worship are sometimes called fire temples and the ash of sacred fires combined with clean water are essential parts of their rituals. Fire burns away the unnecessary while water cleanses.
Shuk, the sudden and initially unwilling leader of the Kethix revolution has decided to employ both fire and water in his efforts to maintain peace at the temple. He is holding out for negotiations and a mad riot, he believes, will only work against his aims. He is sure that holding the local ceorans will be a bargaining chip with the Grand Council in Yakrutich but they are stalling and things are heating up in the northern islands. When a riot breaks out, he uses a raging fire to get the crowd's attention so that he can calm them down before violence can begin.
