The two would-be thieves ran as quickly as their bare feet could take them, pushing through crowds as they descended through the hive-sprawl. Their hearts beat with a furious pace and their lungs burned from exertion, but their fear kept them moving. They were constantly looking over their shoulders to ensure the terrifying strangers weren't following them, simply trying to get as far away from them as they could. Once they felt their legs aching from running for so long, they stopped in the middle of a side street to catch their breath.
"I think… we lost them…" The russet-haired teen said to his friend.
"Make way, vagrants!" A stern female voice called out from behind them.
The two turned to see a fully armored Sororitas standing before them, looking down at them with cold and disapproving grey eyes. Her hair was a deep black and cut short, and she had a pale complexion with a small black fleur-de-lis imprinted on her cheek just below her right eye.
"S-sorry miss!" They said, scurrying off into some alleyway.
A man in long white robes emerged from the armored black transport behind the Sororitas and walked up behind the battle sister followed by a group of crusader bodyguards, his aquiline staff rapping against the ground with each step. The woman turned to him.
"Apologies Cardinal, some urchins were loitering in the street. I would not want them to cause you any trouble." She said, bowing her head slightly out of courtesy.
"No need to be so serious, Sister Ophelia. They were just children." The Cardinal said, with a subtle laugh.
Cardinal Bogomil was an unassuming man beneath his officious robes and gold silk garments, with a thin, lanky frame and a disarming demeanor. His face was slightly gaunt, his eyes squinted, and he bore a warm smile. He was roughly middle-aged, with small wrinkles across his face and a head of hair that had begun to recede into a widow's peak.
"I always treat your safety with the utmost seriousness, Cardinal." Ophelia said.
The Cardinal and battle-sister turned to see another group of Sororitas returning from the parade, this time it was the Canoness with her escort of Celestine bodyguards.
"Ah, if it isn't the Canoness!" Bogomil said. "What did you think of the parade? I thought it went rather well."
"I would like to speak with Sister Ophelia for a moment. Alone." The Canoness said, with an unwavering and disciplined voice, her black-and-white mask betraying no emotion.
"Of course, official Adepta Sororitas business. We can meet up back at the church, Sister Ophelia." Bogomil said, placing a hand on her shoulder pauldron before returning to his transport with his security detail.
"Wh-" Ophelia said.
"Come with me, sister." The Canoness said. "I wish to talk."
The two walked down an empty street together, away from the others. Ophelia seemed tense, her eyes wandering to avoid meeting the gaze of her superior.
"Canoness, what is-" Ophelia said.
"Just call me sister, Ophelia." The Canoness said, removing her helmet. "I do not wish for my pupils to call me by a title."
The Canoness had dark, coarse hair, woven into tight braids against her head to make wearing her sabbat-pattern helm easier. She had smooth, ebony skin, marred by slight wrinkles that gave her a dignified and mature visage. A large scar ran from her lip to her left eye alongside a handful of faded scratches and pockmarks, relics of her long and storied career as a warrior of the faith.
"Sister Bellatrix… what is the matter? Why have you pulled me away from my duties as the Cardinal's guardian?" Ophelia said.
"You are one of my most faithful and capable students, sister Ophelia." Bellatrix said. "That is why I entrusted you with this role. I wanted someone I could trust at the Cardinal's side."
"You… you don't trust him, do you?" Ophelia said. "Why? The Cardinal is a good man, whose adherence to the Imperial Creed is unquestionable. He has shepherded the people of this world through the darkest of times, acting as the Emperor's voice amidst a sea of turmoil and chaos-"
"He is a street preacher that has managed to climb to the top of this planet's ministerial hierarchy as a result of popularity and a crisis of leadership. He has little to no formal education from the Schola Progenium and has not had the opportunity to be vetted or examined by proper Ecclesiarchical authorities." Bellatrix said.
"I will not have the good Cardinal's name be impugned like this!" Ophelia said, stepping out in front of the Canoness. "Cardinal Bogomil's faith in the Emperor is unwavering!"
"Be that as it may, he has been sending my Sororitas on increasingly frivolous and obtuse missions in the name of that faith. Chasing leads on heretical cults that inevitably end in empty alleyways, hunting down imaginary heretics whose names belong to no one, tracking down supposed relics which turn out to be nothing but useless baubles... I grow weary of his endless lists of futile agendas. Sometimes I feel like we are chasing ghosts rather than daemons!" Bellatrix said, her voice rising as her patience wore thin. "Every wasted effort by the Ecclesiarchy's forces is a victory for the forces of Chaos!"
"I… the Cardinal can be a bit… impassioned when it comes to matters of the faith, but that is merely a result of his passion for enacting the Emperor's will!" Ophelia said, her voice wavering in the face of her superior's chastising.
Bellatrix sighed, closing her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows into a look of sympathy.
"Sister Ophelia, I do not question your unfaltering faith in the God-Emperor, nor do I accuse the Cardinal of any misdeeds or trespass against the Imperial Creed. I merely ask that you ensure that you will always put your duty to the Imperium before your personal loyalty to the Cardinal." Bellatrix said, placing her hand on Ophelia's shoulder.
Ophelia lowered her head with a conflicted look.
"I… I understand, Sister Bellatrix." Ophelia said.
"Good." Bellatrix said, placing her helmet back on. "I only want what is best for you, and for this planet. May the Emperor's Will guide you at all times, Sister."
"And you, Sister." Ophelia said, fondling the skull-shaped icon of faith upon her breastplate.
The next day, Admu and Fen, disguised amongst the scurrying inhabitants of the upper layer of the Hyperia hive-sprawl, made their way down the snaking side-streets that led away from the main thoroughfare and towards the market district. The sun of Vigilus had just risen over the horizon, casting much of the open streets in the shadows of the towering skyscrapers and hab-blocks above while the rest was bathed in the orange-red glow of the morning star which gave the golden spires and arches of Hyperia a reddish-bronze sheen. Admu took a deep breath of cold, morning air, which bore a strange and distinct metallic tinge that she didn't recognize. A long-term resident would have advised against breathing in the faintly polluted ozone, but luckily Admu's warp-blessed lungs were immune from such toxins. She felt refreshed after being able to sleep in a real bed for the first time in a long while, though a small part of her still missed her own bed back at her home in Nurgle's village. As her mind wandered, she remembered snippets of the long lecture Leman had delivered before she left with the wolf. She recalled only some of the endless list of rules he had given her, most of which she had forgotten by the time he had finished speaking. Among those she still remembered was to avoid speaking with strangers for extended periods of time, avoid being in a room with less than 3 people present, avoid dark alleyways, and if she saw any Astartes whatsoever, to avoid them completely - that last one he emphasized expressly.
I have no idea why Leman is so worried. She thought. My time here so far has been wonderful!
She looked over at her canine chaperone, the mysterious wolf-god that had recently emerged from Leman's gauntlet. She did not resent his presence, however, as she had wanted to spend more time with her new friend after they had first become acquainted. It was not every day that someone met a talking wolf, after all. His disguise was similar to his regular appearance, though significantly smaller like hers. His original form was coated in various shades of grey fur, and his face and body were covered in scars. In this form, his coat was black and tan, and he resembled a domesticated dog more than a wild wolf. However, in spite of his changed appearance, a handful of large scars remained across his face and back.
"How come those scars didn't go away?" Admu asked.
Fen's demeanor changed imperceptibly, shifting from one indiscernible emotion to another.
I got them from a battle against a great foe. It is one of the few battles I have ever lost. The wolf said.
Admu could sense that this was an uncomfortable subject and decided to move past it.
"Well, um, where are you from?" She asked.
I am from Terra originally, the same as Leman's father.
"Oh, what is it like?" she said.
The way I remember it, it was cold and covered in dense forests… though I doubt it bears much resemblance to that now. After I left Terra, I took up residence on Leman's future homeworld of Fenris. It reminded me of home, though I did miss Terra's old forests…
"I grew up in a forest too!" Admu said proudly.
I remember. It was a nice forest. Fen said, causing Admu to smile.
The pair continued on their way to the market district, passing by a towering ivory cathedral tipped with golden arches and spires. It was one of dozens in Hyperia, standing out even amongst the ornate facades of the hive-sprawl's glittering surface. Crowds of morose parishioners shuffled inside through the immense doorway, dressed in their best clothing to attend the morning's services. Clouds of heavy incense wafted out of the doorway and open windows, while slow and monotonous chants billowed from loudspeakers in the tall spires. A heavy bell thundered from the top of the cathedral's steeple, ringing out across the morning cityscape. Admu was fascinated by the opulent display but kept her distance out of a feeling of estrangement. She was an outsider here, and despite her curiosity she did not want to intrude too much. Then, her expression changed slightly as something caught her attention.
"Do you hear that?" She said.
What? The wolf said.
"It's a voice… but it sounds different than the others, somehow." She said.
Indeed, the voice sounded like a hushed whisper, yet she could hear it loud and clear over the droning chants and loud murmuring of the laity coming and going from the cathedral.
I do not hear anything. Fen said.
Admu walked slowly, following the sound of the voice. She passed the entrance of the church, wading through the crowds as she traced the outside wall of the cathedral. She turned a corner and descended a set of stairs into the network of alleyways behind the churchfront's facade. They passed underneath the arches of the towering, multi-layered buttresses, the brick floor beneath them growing cold and damp as they circled the sprawling church complex.
Admu spotted a peculiar sight, a figure kneeling against the stone wall of the cathedral. He was wearing well-worn, dirty clothing, little more than tattered rags stitched together. His hands were clasped together tightly and resting against his lips as he whispered words he thought were inaudible to anyone but himself. Admu could hear his words resounding inside of her, an endless string of desperate pleas for help and salvation. She was overcome by a strange feeling, one she had never experienced before, one which touched her heart like nothing else. She felt an overwhelming sense of compassion and empathy, filling her with an intense desire to help this person, whatever it is they needed. She placed a hand on his shoulder, having approached the boy without him noticing her presence. He immediately reacted, spinning around to face her. To Admu's surprise, it was none other than the russet-haired teenage boy who had tried to steal from her yesterday. An intense panic shot across his face as he recognized the terrifying giant he had encountered the day before.
"Y-you!" He blurted out, struggling to clamber to his feet as quickly as he could.
"Wait! I'm not-" Admu shouted.
He stumbled a few steps before coming face-first with an over-sized dog, its blazing yellow eyes staring directly into his. He stopped dead in his tracks, frozen with fear. He backed up against the wall of the cathedral, his eyes darting between Admu and Fen and his arms raised in an attempt to protect himself.
"I-I-I'm sorry lady, I won't steal from anyone ever again! P-p-please just don't feed me to any sea-beasts or anything!" The boy whimpered, collapsing to the ground with his knees folded up.
Admu huffed, remembering Leman's over-dramatic attempt at intimidation.
"I'm not going to feed you to any sea-beasts." She said, giving him a reassuring look. "I promise."
The boy looked at her with frightened eyes, like that of a deer. Gradually his breathing began to calm down, and he slightly relaxed his defensive posture.
"My name is Tia." Admu said, using her alias. "And this is Fen." She said, gesturing towards the disguised wolf-god with a warm smile. "He's not that scary, you can pet him if you like."
Fen shot Admu a surprised glance, who shot back with a goading gesture. The boy looked at them both with a cautious expression, and the wolf sighed. He slowly strode towards the boy and sat next to him. The frightened adolescent tentatively reached out his hand, gently touching the top of Fen's head. His fur was coarse but soft, reminding him of a luxurious quilt. The boy began to timidly stroke the wolf's coat, his worried expression relaxing as he was comforted by the feeling of Fen's warm fur. His hand drifted to the side of Fen's head, and before the wolf could object the boy was scratching just behind his ear. His head tilted to the side instinctively, his eyes closing as he began to make a quiet groaning sound. His back foot began to make a faint tapping noise as it thumped gently against the ground before he abruptly shook himself into an upright position. Admu giggled uncontrollably at the amusing sight, and the boy cracked a smile as well.
"So, what's your name?" Admu said.
"My name is…" the boy said, hesitating for a moment. "...Joshua."
"What were you doing back here, Joshua?" She asked.
"I was… praying." He said sheepishly.
"Praying?" Admu said, her head tilted to the side.
She had remembered hearing the word on a few occasions, especially amongst the guardsmen upon Leprus, but in truth she had never known what it meant.
"What is that?" She asked.
Joshua looked at her with a confused look.
"What is… praying? Well, it's when you… you know, ask for help from the Emperor." He said.
"What did you need him to help you with?" Admu asked.
The boy looked down with apprehension, still unsure whether he should trust this woman. He took a deep breath and released his tension.
"It's… It's my father, he's very ill. He's been bedridden for several weeks now and can't work. My sister has been taking care of him while my mother works to try and support us… I was trying to make some extra thrones on the side, so they didn't have to work so hard. I'm sorry for trying to steal from you, honest. I was praying to the Emperor that he could heal my father. I would have gone inside the church, but… I don't have any nice clothes anymore since my mum's been too busy working to make us new ones." Joshua said.
Tears welled up in Admu's eyes and her lip quivered as she heard the boy recount his troubles. She grabbed both of his shoulders, lifting him up into the air with a teary-eyed yet determined expression. Joshua looked shocked, both by her sudden reaction and the sheer strength of the tall woman.
"I'm going to help you." She said resolutely.
She let Joshua back down, the boy rubbing his arms where she had grabbed them.
"You… you're going to help me? How?" Joshua said.
Admu looked around, then leaned in closely.
"I'm a… what's the word… a saint! I can heal people." She said, keeping her voice low. "Don't tell anyone though, it's a secret."
Joshua's eyes widened, and he stared at her with an incredulous look.
"R-really? You can do that?" Joshua stuttered.
Admu nodded her head with a beaming smile.
Joshua led Admu and Fen down into the hive-sprawl, descending through the upper layers into the depths below. The further they descended, the less and less their surroundings resembled the golden chapels and boulevards of the surface, the gilded facade slowly peeling away to reveal the cold, damp metal innards of the gargantuan hive-city. Each layer they passed through was more cramped and run-down than the last, with grand towering spires and skyscrapers becoming drab hab-blocks and utilitarian offices, then cramped apartments and manufactories, before finally dissolving into a labyrinth of ramshackle buildings and shanties. In the first few layers some natural light managed to shine through the network of highways, piping, and metallic superstructure, but down here the only source of illumination was buzzing, artificial street lamps crowded with insects. The place was a literal and metaphorical gutter, with much of the upper hive's waste and refuse finding its way down there to be filtered and picked clean for whatever remotely useful or valuable items may have remained. It was likely that the majority of the hive-sprawls residents lived here or in places like it, invisible to those above yet responsible for the vast majority of the vast continent-sized megastructure's maintenance and operation.
Are you sure about this? Fen said, his voice only heard by Admu.
"Where is the harm in helping someone?" Admu whispered. "I'm sure Leman won't mind if we take a small detour to the market. Why, are you having second thoughts?"
On the contrary, I'm interested to see where this is going. Fen said.
Joshua led them to a small shack out of dozens nestled beneath an immense, slanted water pipe, giving it a lopsided appearance. The meager shanty was decorated by small, discarded lights and painted scrap metal strung on wires, an attempt to add some homely charm to the otherwise dreary surroundings. There was even a small pot with fake flowers and foliage, made obvious by the paint wearing thin to reveal the grey plastic beneath, not to mention the lack of natural light making plant growth impossible. The boy opened the door to the house, its rusted hinges creaking and groaning. The interior of the home was decorated much like the exterior, but with more attention to detail. Despite its rudimentary and ramshackle construction, it was clean and tidy with a welcoming atmosphere. The artificial light from outside filtered in through recycled glass windows, creating an almost kaleidoscopic effect that reminded Admu of the stained glass in the cathedrals far above her. The shelves and cupboards were stocked with scavenged items and baubles, cleaned and restored so they could be reused. The empty space that wasn't taken up by recycled furniture and other housewares was occupied by all manner of religious icons, either purchased secondhand or homemade. Imperial Aquilas and stylized winged skulls hung upon the wall, alongside portraits of various saints and figures of importance in the Imperial Cult. Family photographs showing a husband, wife, son, and daughter were littered amongst them, the values of familial and religious piety seeming to be heavily intertwined in these lower parts of the hive-sprawl. Above all the portraits hung a slightly larger frame, holding a somewhat stylized depiction of a stern-looking man with tan skin and long, dark hair. A halo of light surrounded his head and a laurel of golden leaves hung over his brow, his dark eyes staring unblinking with a look of resolute seriousness. Beneath the portrait the words "Blessed God-Emperor of Mankind, Forever May He Reign" were printed in bold lettering.
So that's Leman's father. I can sort of see the resemblance… especially the super-serious expression. Admu thought, smiling to herself.
"You have a lovely home!" Admu said, with a voice of pure sincerity.
"Oh… thank you…?" Joshua said, caught off-guard by the unexpected compliment.
Whatever he had expected a saint to act like, this certainly wasn't it. He led them through the small house towards a small bedroom in the back, slowly opening the door to reveal his sickly, bed-ridden father. He was a middle-aged man with dark brown hair that had begun to grey slightly with time, slick with sweat like the rest of his body. His sweat-covered skin was pallid to the point of almost appearing green, and his eyes were surrounded by dark circles. He looked slightly gaunt, clearly having lost weight from whatever was ailing him. His eyes were yellowed and bloodshot, and his breathing was ragged and labored. He seemed barely conscious, not even able to register the three as they entered the room.
"Oh my goodness…" Admu whispered.
She walked over to his side, placing a hand on the man's forehead. It felt scaldingly hot to the touch, and she noticed that the man seemed to be having small spasms all across his body. His eyes were rolling around seemingly at random, his pupils heavily dilated.
"Can… can you help him? Joshua asked.
"I'll do everything I can." Admu said. "In the meantime, I need you to bring me something he can eat once I'm done, preferably cold and soft."
"I think there is a canister of recycled starch in the pantry, I could make some cold porridge." Joshua said.
"That would be perfect." Admu said, giving him a reassuring smile.
While Admu wasn't a trained doctor or healer, she had learned quite a lot from her father even before her healing powers had awoken. She wasn't sure what was ailing this man, but whatever it was, he was losing a great deal of fluids and energy. Even if she could heal him, he would need sustenance to keep his body stable while she dealt with the illness. She turned back to the sickly man and placed her hands on his chest, closing her eyes and reaching out with her healing aura. Joshua returned with a bowl of hastily stirred porridge to see Admu and his father surrounded by an ethereal teal-green veil of shimmering radiance, sparkling with points of light that swirled around them. He was completely entranced by the sight.
Admu reached out with her powers, probing the man and quickly finding the source of his illness. It was not a spiritual disease like the one she had encountered upon Leprus, meaning that healing the man would not be as simple as banishing the daemonic presence within him. Yet, as the tendrils of empyrean energy came into contact with the malignant infection, it somehow reacted all at once as if aware of her presence. She felt a strange, painful buzzing sensation inside of her skull, as if something were interfering with her warp powers. Regardless, she continued to attack the infection with her powers, focusing all of her attention on countering the malady that seemed to be adapting and changing as she fought it.
She spent nearly an hour fighting the disease, with both Admu and Joshua so focused on what was happening in the room that neither of them seemed to notice the sound of the door opening or the approaching footsteps. A girl slightly older than Joshua entered the home carrying a small bag of groceries.
"Joshua, is that y-" she said, freezing when she beheld the tall woman looming over her father while Joshua looked on.
She dropped the groceries and shouted in fear, her terror quickly turning to anger and towards her little brother.
"A… a witch! Joshua, what did you do!" She shouted.
"C-cassandra!" Joshua shouted in surprise.
The girl grabbed Joshua by the collar of his shirt.
"Pickpocketing was bad enough, now you're consorting with heretics? I'm telling mother!" She said.
"Ow! She- she's not a witch, she's a saint! She's healing father!" Joshua said.
Cassandra let go of her brother and picked up a nearby broom, raising it like a deadly weapon as she cautiously approached the towering woman from behind. Fen, sitting in the corner of the room, didn't bother to react to the clearly non-threatening, broom-wielding intruder. Admu, none the wiser, at last finished combatting the disease after a long and difficult struggle. The glowing aura around her dissipated, then she opened her eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Get away from my father, witch! Begone in the name of the Emperor!" Cassandra shouted, swinging the broom as hard as she could. The wooden broom shattered into splinters, leaving the girl holding nothing but a small wooden handle.
"Hey! What was that for?" Admu said.
"Stop that!" Joshua said, wrestling the broken broom from his sister.
"She was casting a curse on him!" Cassandra said.
"Stop… fighting… you… unruly… brats…" a pained voice said.
"Father?" Joshua said.
The man writhed in the bed, struggling to lift himself up. Joshua and Cassandra both ran to his side, jumping onto the bed and piling on top of him. The man winced and fell back onto the bed with a pained expression, but a small smile shone through as he embraced his children.
"Please, be careful!" Admu said. "I've cured his illness, but it will take some time for him to recover fully. Quickly, he needs something to eat!"
"Oh, right." Joshua said, retrieving the bowl of cold starch porridge.
He gave the bowl to his father, who looked at the bland mixture with apprehension.
"Starch porridge… well, I guess it's better than nothing." the man said, taking a small spoonful and eating it slowly.
"It's a miracle!" Joshua said.
"Did… did you heal him? Are you really a saint?" Cassandra said.
"Yes, but shhhh…" Admu said, putting a finger to her lips. "It's a secret!"
The young woman simply marveled at her with an awestruck expression.
"Saints and witches… what's all this about?" the father said with a tired voice.
"Father, this is Tia. She's a…" Joshua said, lowering his voice. "...a saint!"
The man looked at his son with a look of confusion, then up at the woman standing beside his bed which he hadn't had the time to notice. He looked up at the towering figure with bewilderment, processing everything that had transpired while he was unconscious.
"You… healed me?" he said.
"Yes!" Admu said, her face beaming with happiness. "You were in pretty rough shape, mister. I'm glad I got here when I did, I fear what would have happened if I hadn't intervened."
The man's eyes shifted towards the large dog sitting in the room, and he reacted with a startled expression.
"Oh, that's just my friend Fen. He's harmless." Admu said.
Fen cocked his eyebrow.
"A genuine saint… this is a lot to take in." the man said. "I… I don't know how to thank you. We don't have much I could repay you wi-"
"Oh, there's no need for that." Admu said.
"No, really I-" the father said, his voice quickly growing hoarse, and he erupted into a small coughing fit. "Cass, c-could you get me some water?"
"I used the last of the water on the porridge…" Joshua said.
"I'll go get some more from the pumping station!" Cassandra said, rushing out of the room with a large canister.
"Heh, I haven't seen her this happy since we went up to the top of Hyperia for Sanguinala and got honey-cakes." the father said. He turned to Admu and gave her a heartfelt look. "Thank you, truly. I was so sick I didn't know what to do with myself. I don't know what was worse, the pain I felt or the thought of leaving my wife and children alone if… well, no need for such worries anymore."
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking…" Admu said.
"Please, call me David." The father said.
"David… do you know how you contracted this disease? Something about it deeply unsettles me… I want to find the source and see if I can prevent anyone else from getting infected by it. If it were to spread, I fear what would happen to the people of this city." Admu said.
David looked down, his brow furrowing as he recalled hazy memories through the fog of his illness.
"Right before I got sick… I was going down to the scrap yard to forage, trying to make a little extra thrones on the side… it's right down the street from here, about 4 blocks past the piping station. While I was rummaging through the piles of scrap, I… I heard or saw something… I can't quite remember. Whatever it was, it moved so quickly that before I knew it, I was knocked unconscious. I woke up a few hours later covered in scratches and limped home, and after that I started to get extremely sick. I couldn't afford to go to an apothecary, so I just kept working until I couldn't stand anymore…"
Admu placed her hand on his and gave him a gentle smile. The man, healthy but exhausted, leaned back into his bed and closed his eyes, a contented smile across his face. Admu rose from the bedside with a determined look.
"Where are you going?" Joshua said.
"I'm going to go find the source of this disease and purify it. Something tells me that if I don't, there will be grave consequences. Come on Fen, we've got work to do!" Admu said.
They heard the front door opening, and Cassandra entered with a full casket of water. She had a nervous look and appeared to be slightly out of breath.
"I, uh, got the water!" The teenage girl said.
"Ah, thank you Cass." David said.
Joshua looked at his sister with a suspicious expression.
"Why d'you look all panicky?" He said.
"What? Nothing, I'm just… out of breath… because I ran all the way home!" Cassandra said.
"Well, I'll be on my way, let's go Fen!" Admu said, chipperly walking towards the front entrance.
"Wait!" Cassandra said.
Admu opened the door and was immediately faced by a crowd of 40 or 50 people, all bunched up in front of the small shanty. Many of them were sickly or disabled, having hastily gathered at the family home by whatever means necessary. A small girl with a bandage covering her eyes carrying a long stick that she pointed out in front of her stepped forward, still holding onto the hem of her mother's skirt.
"Is this where the saint is? The one that heals people?" the girl said.
Joshua grabbed his sister by the sleeve.
"It was supposed to be a secret!" he said.
"I didn't… mean to… honest!" she admitted, her face blushing red.
Admu stared at the crowd with wide eyes, then let out a defeated sigh.
"Fen… I think this is going to take longer than I thought." she said.