Soothsayer
/x/
Leaving the Gigul was almost just as unsettling as entering it. As the light show faded from my vision, I felt weighted down by the sheer presence of my body like it was some heavy burden to bear instead of what you're literally born with. Taylor's hands held onto me as she gently guided me to sit on the floor in a crossed leg position. A wave of nausea caused me to dry heave, while Taylor's hands held me steady in my seated position and prevented me from tipping over.
"Easy, Sarah, easy."
Taylor spoke in a soft tone, the earlier edge she displayed in the Gigul gone. Her hands rubbed my stomach and back while I jerked forward, before I felt a warmth wash over me. The tension I felt melted away and my heartbeat slowed as I settled down thanks to Taylor's ministrations. My breathing returned to normal while I wiped away the sheen of sweat that covered my face. it took me a while, but I was able to finally speak without the nerves slurring my words or me gasping for air.
"So, you did some more voodoo shit to calm me down when I was freaking out earlier, weren't you?"
"No," Taylor said with a hint of surprise. "I'm not versed in Voodoo or their variant disciplines. Though if you wish, I know Acolytes in the PRT who are."
Note to self. Magic is real here so be very careful when making quips about it to avoid making an ass of yourself. I fought to dispel any hint of awkwardness in my smile as I stood up, the smell of muddy ash still lingered on my nose. Taylor's face was now pristine, clear of the gunk she had applied before we went mind diving into a magical internet. I checked out the mirror in the changing room, and noticed a barely visible grey streak on my cheek. I measured my pulse to check it was beating steadily, before I let my powers work.
Ash mud solution acts as agent anchoring users of Gil#$ # Network to the $#% realm. S#uls get lost in the En##ess Circle if not anchored down. Body of user is non-corporeal when exploring the Gi#$%$, the Gilg # Network is made #$ %# #!
I pushed the walls up to cut the flow, as I leaned against the dresser below the mirror. Fortunately, my migraine isn't that bad this time round, and my power has started to be able to piece things together directly related to this magic of this world. I noticed Taylor looking at me out of the corner of my eye, thankfully she didn't judge me frail enough that she had to help me up again. I directed as vigorous a grin I was able to muster, which caused her posture to relax as she reverted to straightening her shirt and jacket. I quickly changed out of the bathrobe into my clothes of a sweater, t-shirt and jeans and was pleasantly surprised to find them washed, dried and scented with lemon.
"How hospitable," I remarked to myself as I finished dressing. Taylor gave a small laugh but didn't say more as we walked past the wooden doors painted a bright shade of red into the corridors of Epione's clinic. That the corridor itself was far larger than it had any right to be, considering the shopfront we entered from was mind boggling. No doubt, some kind of space warping...what do they call it again...ah yes! Khoramancy. Polished, dark wooden floors stretched as far as my eyes can see to the door when we entered this place after Epione was done diagnosing us. The walls surrounding the path were far apart, when my hands reached out to touch them they rushed towards me and I felt their smooth surface. Pillars, thick as a Roman column carved out of jet black stone lined up along the corridor, each exactly seven and half feet apart. Yet despite the sense of scale and distance, we crossed the seemingly endless distance between the bath and the main office of the clinic in only a few steps.
When we reached the entrance to the clinic proper, a woman in a white and silver striped nun's habit entered from the other side with a rosary in one hand and a crystal ball in the other. The rising flame design on her chest. sewn with platinum threads unsettled me as strings of Whispered Speech intruded my mind as I stared at it before I wisely averted my eyes. Something about this woman unsettled me, her red hair, slight case of freckles on her cheeks and the easy smile she had only increased my unease although there was nothing in her body language that warranted my nervousness.
"Taylor!" The nun said cheerfully while Taylor gave an awkward smile in return. Her green eyes twinkled as the nun sized me up with a mother's judging eye, before her smile grew wider which washed away my jangled nerves until my hard-worn paranoia from living on the streets reasserted itself.
"You must be Sarah, Taylor's new guest."
"Hi." I waved in return while keeping my posture straight and chest sticking out to avoid showing weakness. Something in her triggered my fight or flight instinct, despite her not showing any hostility. Some kind of magical Marked bullshit again or where have I...
Oh yeah, the redhead Other that tried to eat me before Schwarz saved me. That Emma person must have been a real charmer before she got munched on by the ghouls, going by the family resemblance. I tested my theory as I allowed my power to run free as I observed Taylor and the nun- okay, scratch that. Taylor's demeanour here towards Emma's sister shows she owes that Emma a hell of a debt. And Chr...okay. Better not take the Lord's name in vain considering I've got some magical clergy in front of me.
Fuck! Too many taboos, too many pitfalls, not enough info on their po-magic!- to come to a proper conclusion.
"Sister Anne," Taylor said in a nervous voice which I hadn't expected from her, going by how hardened she usually is. Yeah, serious guilt issues Ms Exorcist here has with that family. "Here to maintain the Khora wards on the clinic's corridor again?"
"Taylor," Well, damn. Anne's sad smile is heartbreaking. I'm seriously considering if she's some kind of Master here. "you know why I've called you. Are you coming? For Emma's-"
"Sending, I know." Taylor's left hand developed a slight twitch as she looked away from Anne. The way Taylor fretted under the nun's gaze was unsettling, so I decided to pull my weight as I stepped in to-hopefully-defuse the bomb.
"Sister Anne?" Wow, the way her eyes turned their gaze on me with just a slight hint of reproach had me feeling like I was six again being scolded by my parents. Fortunately for me, I kinda have a very complicated bone to pick with my family.
"Orpheus here has some pressing issues she must address," I said as Taylor's relief became evident on her face. "I'm sure she will come to a decision regarding Emma's final rites on her soon before the end of next week when the sending is due."
"Of course, how forgetful of me to not notice you were here, Sarah," Sister Anne spoke with just a bit of acid dripping of her tongue. I played up my grin, knowing full well it irritated the hell out of her.
"Indeed, Sister Anne. Soothsayer here," Taylor said, "is correct that I do have pressing things to deal with." A flash of irritation, before it vanished from her eyes as that same matronly smile appeared on her face again. Yet, she's barely three years older than us. Curious and curiouser...oh. Damn. I can see why Taylor feels this way about the Barnes now. Anne Barnes, I can see now why you've got that kind of mother's stare. Sorry it doesn't work very well on me.
"I really hope to see you there at Emma's sending, Taylor," Sister Anne said as the crucifix shot into the sky above and she patted Taylor's shoulder with her now free hand. I watched as she turned around, her crystal ball levitated and formed into a glowing, watery globe. Cross and globe swirled around the nun as she strode gently down the corridor , the walls and pillars twisted and reformed when a swirling whirlpool formed as her Relics approached them. I remembered the times when my parents splurged on authentic Italian food as I smelled the olive oil that flowed out of the globe and burnt as it reached the cross. The whirlpool will then cease, and the ritual will be repeated again as Sister Anne continued her gentle stroll down that twisted space.
"C'mon," Taylor said while she crossed the door into the clinic proper. "Time to go home."
/x/
We left the bustle and colour of the Afterdark the same way we went, and I was a tad surprised to notice the crowd that accompanied us as we cleared the entrance of the Nameless Hotel to reach downtown Brockton Bay again. We arrived just in time to see the rays of the sun peaking out of the horizon, casting the sky a cheery orange while the PRT troopers and Sister Missy stretched and fanned herself after she removed her habit. The young nun spotted us and a smile appeared on her tired face when she skipped forward to greet us.
"Orpheus! Soothsayer, you guys brought anything for me?" I couldn't help but crack a smile at her cutesy antics, even as I spotted the antsy spirit that screamed danger that was buried deep beneath Missy's facade. Danny appeared, looking far less solid and more like a fading vision than he usually was while he handed a package the size of a lunch tray wrapped in parchment to Missy. The younger girl squeaked in delight, before she clamped on her mouth and silently grabbed the package.
"Thanks," she muttered before she tore open the package eagerly. Another squeal of delight, as the polished silverware board shone in the morning sun. Sister Missy took a sniff of the silver board, before she bent over in a coughing fit which caused her body to convulse. I watched as Taylor watched with a small smile at the nun's antics, unsure of her detached reaction before Missy recovered and stared at the board with barely concealed greed in her eyes.
"Silver-forged Oujia boards tempered in moonlight! And the smell of Lamia's venom as coating! Oh Charon," Missy's eyes watered as she looked at Danny with gratitude, "you shouldn't have."
"You're welcome." Well, Danny's voice at least is still strong and audible at least. Taylor waved goodbye at the gathered PRT before she started walking towards our home and I trailed behind her. Around us, more people started streaming out of the entrance of the Nameless Hotel, several of them gathered in groups, comparing their spoils like the triumphant crowds after Black Friday. Looking at this scene, it almost seemed like I was back on a relatively normal world like Bet, where we didn't have things that went bump in the dark wanting to eat you.
We just have shit like the Endbringers, slowly driving us to extinction and freaks like the Slaughterhouse Nine. And don't forget the cape gangs making life miserable!
"Daytime's when the Others are mostly resting on the other side of the Veil," Taylor said as we boarded a bus. The driver pointedly looked straight ahead as he saw the exorcist outfit she was wearing, while most other passengers gave her a wide berth as she walked to the middle of the bus. How polite this people are! We settled into a seat near the exit, where Taylor took out her phone and tapped the Gilgul icon. The screen turned bright red, the light reflected off Taylor's pale skin as she flipped the screen from one empty screen to another. A trickle of Whispered entered my mind as I watched her phone, before Taylor elbowed me in the arm.
"Don't wanna clean up your puke again, Sarah." I smirked at the chastisement even as I rubbed my arm. Taylor's fingers rapidly cleared one screen after another, before she sighed and put it back into her coat.
"We've got school in three hours time, so get some rest here and later at home. You're free to skip if you want, but I suggest you do attend so that at least you can get some formal introduction to the more mundane side of our world."
"I'll pass," I said quickly. "My power makes the experience of spending time in a place like high school...queasy."
Taylor raised an eyebrow.
"I seriously suggest you reconsider your decision."
/x/
In the end, the choice of spending time in an empty house in a world full of ghosts and goblins or facing down the gauntlet of high school drama had me chose the gauntlet. There was Chimera, aka Carlos Valencia and the rest of the PRT troopers who had turned the Hebert property into a field command centre for the upcoming sweep of the Hyakki Yagyo. But despite how friendly they were, Chimera had handed me the three sets of uniforms from the high school Taylor was attending. The tattoos Chimera wore proudly, rather than keep hidden like Taylor did hers, also triggered a deluge of Whispered Speech every time I looked at them too closely. He'll have to wait until I learn more than the fact he is indeed a conduit for powers greater than his own.
I pulled at the white collar of my blouse with the puffy sleeves and dusted the sides of my camo green blazer with the pleated skirt to calm myself as our bus ride approached the school. The school crest was proudly emblazoned on the left side of my blazer, a shield with two red bars forming an x over a white bar resting on a bed of laurels with two knights faced away from the shield with their swords drawn. The Latin motto beneath the crest was gibberish, which translates-roughly- to one who guards the outhouse. Taylor's impression of the school when I asked her on the journey here didn't leave me filled with confidence in the school, so I hope that it was sheer teenage prejudice against any kind of formal education that has me deeply worried the pseudo-Latin was indeed an accurate translation.
Well, accuracy regarding the general state of the school, rather than any kind of actual spelling, grammatical or linguistically accuracy in terms of the Latin employed. That motto was still garbage.
The bus shuddered as it came to a halt outside our destination. Contrary to my expectations, the school building itself wasn't too bad. The paint was fresh, the windows are unbroken and the fencing around the school compound was unbroken with the barbed wire covered in a pleasant layer of lush, green ivy. Taylor looked a lot younger when she's dressed in her uniform, rather than how mature and adult she felt when she was in her usual suit and pants combo. Despite being in uniform, it wasn't difficult for me to breakdown the student body into their cliques, and they weren't shy about declaring which group they belonged to. Folded collars to resemble an Oni's horns, Asian kanji for the Hundred Ghosts in removable tattoos on the neck or other visible body parts and an Asian ethnicity for the boys. The girls wore lipstick and eye-shadow of conflicting shades of black and white, with some of the more brazen ones wearing necklaces and rings sporting the symbol of the Hyakki. Other groups showed their colours, either with rune tattoos, closely cropped hairstyle or winged skull accessories.
The endless stream of students filed into the school's main entrance, the same crest on our uniforms hung above the entrance. The paint was partially peeled off, which exposed the worn bricks beneath. The words Chevalier's Rock High School below the crest had seen better days, for the bright yellow paint had now turned muddy.
Several adults stood looking bored but with an undercurrent of nervousness that lurked beneath their lethargic appearance. As the students entered the school, the teachers marked off a name from their list and the open hallway rippled like water as the students walked pass. A youngish looking teacher with curly brown hair approached, a nervous smile plastered on his face when Taylor and I looked at him.
"Orpheus! Welcome back." he then turned to face me, his gaze appraised me while his nervous tic was still evident in the tightness of his shoulders. He gave his hand and when we shook, his handshake was firm and well worn. So a teacher who sought the approval of everyone around him to mask a deep insecurity about his authority and competency then.
I smiled, as I showed only a hint of devlish cunning. The slight tightening of his brow informed me I had achieved the desired effect of unnerving him during the first meeting.
"Good to meet you too, Mr Gladly. Taylor's told me so much about you."
A quick, nervous glance at Taylor from Gladly, who remained stone faced at my fib. Bingo. A first impression that I'm a know-it-all who literally does know it all achieved. Word will spread among the student body soon, giving me potential leverage where needed.
"Call me Mr G, Ms Livsey, if you don't mind," Gladly spoke through his nervousness. "I'll call you Sarah too if we're on a first name basis."
"Yeah, nah," I said while playing up my smug act to the hilt. "Call me Sarah by all means, Mr Gladly. But let's not try to project your high school popular teacher fantasies onto me."
I felt Taylor swat the back of my head and I saw her irritated gaze before she turned to the gaping Gladly.
"Apologies for the rudeness of my friend, Mr Gladly," Taylor said," but you have been briefed by the Circle exorcists who were sent here yesterday of her condition?"
"Oh yes," Gladly quickly recovered as he resumed the persona of the friendly, eager to please teacher. "Sarah's from overseas isn't she? Sister Hannah called the principal and briefed me personally as well."
The evident pride with which he spoke of being addressed by that blind nun hinted of some kind of deep respect and awe that non-powered people have for exorcists and Marked in general. Either that, or it's because Sister Hannah is a senior figure in the local PRT. Not that surprising though, since Sister Anne and the rest of the nuns are apparently responsible for more than just taking out Others like exorcists are.
Goddamned magic, upending my worldview from day one when that redhead somehow knew my birth name and tried to eat me.
Gladly guided us, or rather he guided me while Taylor followed silently as we approached a side entrance on the right side of the school building. The outline of the door was painted white, and the smell informed me that it was a fresh coat that marked the borders. Then I laid my eyes on the iron door itself, a simple one that swung inwards and found all the Whispered Speech that was buzzing in the background of my head cease.
"Cold iron barriers," Taylor said curtly while her body stiffened. "Pride and joy of the Alchemist Order within the Sentinel Circle, and a sign of friendship with the Sisters of the Holy Convent's myriad orders who worked to forge and mass produce this and other similar tools."
Gladly walked pass the gate as it opened, his right hand tapped against the metal when he passed. He stood at the other end of the door, staring expectantly at us before we continued walking. Taylor went first after she drew her dagger, her tattoos hidden beneath her uniform and stockings glowed an ominous black when she passed the threshold. Gladly's posture slackened as Taylor entered without incident and she turned to face me, while I stood right outside the door.
The fact that the Whispered Speech is silenced when I look at it unnerved me, making it another mystery I have to solve before I gathered my courage and was halfway past the door when Taylor yelled out.
"Tap!"
I blinked at her blankly, before Taylor pointed at the door. I did as instructed, the unpleasant sound of of my knuckles against the iron caused me to wince as it broke the silence of the crisp winter morning. I then continued to walk past the door, while Gladly greeted me with a huge smile of relief.
"Thank God you passed the test! I heard you got assaulted by an Other outside a threshold, and I thought you might have been one of them in disguise."
"Or even a cultist who used one of their tamed Others in an attempt to worm their way into an exorcist's home," Taylor quipped before she sheathed her dagger and walked further into the room. A row of PRT troopers with their trademark mirror helmets lowered their shields as it was clear we weren't Others and filed out towards the main entrance. I watched them leave and made sure they were out of earshot before I nudged Taylor.
"Hey Taylor, why didn't you tap on the door?"
Taylor flashed her tattooed, uncovered hands in my face before we continued the walk further into the school.
"If I touched cold iron without using my enchanted gloves, they'd burn. They already had me walk past a cold iron door to ensure I've not crossed the line from Returner to Other."
Well, that's one query settled for me. We reached the end of the corridor into a larger one where the rest of the student body were mingling. It feels almost comforting to see so many people around my age being teenagers, even if my power itched to give me more information than I'd like about the likes and dislikes of the students here. Taylor's outright famous here, as most students gave her a wide berth or whispered in closed circles about her. There was plenty of space for the students to shove off from the path of the Returner though, thanks to the wide hallway, white washed walls and bright lights shining from brass lamps that hung high up, beyond the reach of anyone without a ladder.
We reached a row of lockers, painted deep green with hints of rust on the edges and nod no handles on the doors. All of them had small mirrors on the doors, similar to the one at the Nameless Hotel except for the small eye that grew on the glass. Taylor stood in front of one, and the eye glared at her before it shrunk and disappeared. The door swung outward and Taylor began to ruffle through her belongings inside. while I was hit with the smell of blood, garlic, salt and the other reagents I've come to associate my landlady with.
"The locker next to me is unoccupied," Taylor pointed at the one to her left, the eye on the mirror firmly closed. "Use it."
I stood in front of the mirror, as I stared at the golden eyelids before I gingerly held my left hand over them. I unleashed my power and felt a jolt of pain that coursed through my body so quickly I didn't register the pain before the numbness took over. As I recovered, my mind was flooded by a wave of Whispered Speech and I firmly placed my hand over the eye after I had digested the knowledge that I had deciphered. I took a deep breath, before I pressed down and hissed in pain as my fingers were cut as the eye drew blood through little pinpricks that shot out. My hand withdrew and the eye snapped open, which caused me to take a step back before it shrunk to nothing and the door swung open.
I've said it many times, but fuck this world is freaky. I dumped most of school material I didn't need inside, before I closed the locker and gave a wide grin to Taylor.
"What?"
"You're going to skip classes to investigate more on that centipede's hit on you," I said while my grin grew wider. "And I'm going to follow you."
Taylor's hand clamped down on my own, before she started to drag me towards the Principal's office.
"No you're not, Sarah," she said firmly even as I struggled. "You're going to get your education,and stay out of trouble."
/x/
Taylor/Orpheus
I watched with satisfaction and folded arms as Soothsayer was marched to home room from Principal Blackwell's office under the watchful eyes of Sister Missy and Chimera. By a stroke of luck, Missy was here to inspect and reinforce if needed the Khora wards, while Chimera was her partner and escort. Had they sent another pair, things would have been...awkward.
I patted the hilt of my Relic, while I tried not to think of what it was made from and how it was made. Soothsayer's ability no doubt will allow her to figure it out soon enough once her grasp on Whispered grows stronger, a thought that filled me with anticipation and dread in equal measure. Pushing aside those thoughts, I slid the dagger into the sheath hidden beneath my cardigan. I don't have my belt of reagents on me, and the ID charms sewn into the uniform's fabric to sort out doppelgangers and other disguises had the unfortunate side effect of interfering with some of the fu Taoshu charms and the Omnyoji Ofuda I have on me. I mentally sorted out the arsenal I do have on hand-six huozai fu charms, three Fujin ofuda and two vials of explosive alchemical mercury. All in a handy pouch I kept in my jacket.
Add that with my Relic and Dad as my Guardian Spirit, things might get messy if a fight breaks out. If only I had more non-lethal options or defensive ones.
I hummed a tune to calm my nerves and announce my presence as I walked into the East wing of the school, the feeling of a dozen pair of eyes as they glared at me almost made me nervous enough to reach for my charms and my Relic. I gave a slight nod as some of the Asian students glared as I approached a particularly large circle of them, the smell of burnt sandalwood and ash lingered when I got within spitting distance. A tanned boy with cropped hair squatted in the middle of the circle, his lanky frame made the jacket of his uniform hang loosely off him.
"Anuman," I said as I bowed my head slightly and pressed my palms together in greeting. Anuman frowned at my politeness, but stood up and returned the greeting.
"Farang," he said in the soft lilt and the unique way some Asians make an intended insult sound like a term of endearment. "You had approached me in clear view, unarmed and had performed the wai. As a Mau Pii I am obligated to at least hear you out."
"Seta has put out a hit on me," I said as his face went dark. "I want to know where his latest hideout and threshold is."
"You'd have me betray my tono?!" Anuman bristled while the rest of the Hyakki shot up.
"I'd relieve you of a burden by have him brought in by the Circle, the Convent Orders or the PRT," I snapped as I removed my phone and activated the Gigul." Or would you prefer to continue living under the heel of someone who'd do this to one of your own."
Anuman hesitated as he saw the telltale glow of a Gigul network connection being established, before he took out his phone and tapped it against mine. The way he ground his teeth as he seethed at Seta's message to me confirmed that Schwarz's information on the girl was correct.
"The actress, she's someone you know?" I asked casually when Anuman smashed his phone against the wall. His brown eyes burned with fury, and I smelled the stench of burnt lemongrass as he let loose with a torrent of expletives in Thai. Another burst of rapid-fire Thai and what I suspected was Khmer, before he shuffled closer and shoved a torn page from a notebook into my hands. I cast a quick glance at it, before I shook my heads and sighed.
"Your information is outdated, Anuman. Gui's threshold in that area of the Docks had already been removed when I beat him and handed him to the PRT."
"Gui's little more than an errand boy, Orpheus," Anuman hissed as he ripped the note back from me. "And I know nothing more. Go!"
I scowled as Anuman turned his back to me with his arms folded, a clear enough signal that he doesn't wish to speak further. I contemplated being a tad more forceful, but decided that discretion and not having the school admin fall on me was the better part of valour. I walked two steps away from him when my nerves felt a jolt at the presence of an Other approaching the guiding light on my left shoulder. I spun around, all three lights on my shoulders and forehead to face whatever thing had snuck through the rather impressive fields and threshold of Chevalier's Rock High. I felt relieved as I saw a deformed humanoid shape, swallow skin, sunken cheeks and a slit in the middle of the scalp huddled before my shadow, the bulging eyes fearful as it stared up at me. The toyol stuck its left hand into the throat, before it pulled out a slimy piece of parchment and spread it on the floor with a splat.
I pinched my nose as I knelt down to watch the map up close, and though the words were written in Thai, I recognised the Docks well enough to recognise where Seta might have his next nest in. I performed the wai at the toyol, who squealed in delight before it extended its deformed hands.
"I have no sweets on me," I said apologetically before the Other began stomping it's damp feet on the ground and emitted a high pitch wail that gradually got louder. I turned my vision to Anuman who was still pointedly looking away, before I sighed and fixed my glare at the pint-sized Other.
"Don't get used to it," I growled as I slashed a finger on my right hand. The toyol eagerly opened its mouth so wide that the lower jaw disconnected, but I suppressed my gag reflex as I squeezed a drop of blood onto the gaping maw of the Other. As the toyol eagerly lapped up the drop of my blood, Charon swept out of my Relic in a cloud of smoke and enveloped it before it can react and scream. Anuman turned around with an arched eyebrow as he watched my father turned Guardian Spirit digest the Other, even cracking a smirk as he heard the sound of bone crunching and chewing.
"You play rough with my kuman thong, Farang."
"Name's Orpheus, Anuman," I said while I bit down the retort that he's the farang here in the States. "I'm sure you learned the name of some of the Americans or other Westerner who lorded it over your hometown in Thailand."
"I was from the South, Farang!" Anuman spat out. "Do not compare me to those wastrels in Bangkok who never worked a day! If they had not sacrificed my home during that Bloodmoon to save themselves-"
The bell rang, and we both parted ways in a hurry as the hallway was flooded by students. A number of the Asians stared at both Anuman and myself before he barked an order in Thai to catch their attention. I hummed a tune as I walked towards my own class where Sarah was undoubtedly having the time of her life having all those knowledge of the world being crammed into her head, only this time I hum as I am genuinely satisfied at the result of my little chat with the Mau Pii. I took out my notebook and ticked off the list of possible locations where Seta was preparing his ritual site, determined to hit him before he is readier for me.
Taylor.
Dad's voice, and he's more worried than usual.
I know what you're gonna say Dad. I'm still joining the hunt for the Hyakki and Seta.
I could feel Dad's frown, even though he's not materialised.
Emma and my-
Are the fault of Seta and the Hyakki as much as it is of that bloodsucking leech wearing Mom's face, Dad!
It was weird, the thought of shouting in your head, but there you have it.
It's only three months before the next Bloodmoon, Dad. Brockton Bay should be so honored that the Bloodmoon might befall us.
Dad fell silent, while I continued my walk to my classes. Indeed,no other city still part of this side of the Veil had the Tear appear twice.
