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⊹ Book 1 of the Aldergrove Duology ⊹
After being told he has only six months left to live, Clementine decides to track down his sister's murderers, leading him to Aldergrove Academy, a place...
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Ripperton was a sight to behold. Tall, beige-brick buildings lined the bustling streets; monuments and shimmering metal statues stood at the end of every road, and the smell of cooking pastries, gunpowder, and multiple colognes and perfumes filled the cold morning air. A bell tolled loudly in the distance, seagulls screeched as they circled over the nearby fish market, and small groups of children laughed and screamed as they raced through the ankle-deep snow, chasing one another. It was very different to Ulrora Slope, and Clementine felt as though he might just like it here more already.
"Guys, look!" Mavis called.
They all looked to where she was pointing. Over by the golden statues of a horse, unicorn, and pegasus, a man had a camera set up and was taking pictures of people in front of the statues.
"Let's get our picture taken!" she cheered, clapping her hands.
Mathew nodded. "That sounds fun—it will be a great memory to have of our visit here."
Elliot looked over at Sebastien and Clementine, who glanced at one another and nodded.
"Yay!" Mavis squealed.
The five of them headed over to the statues. When they reached the man, Mathew told him they'd like five photos—one for each of them. The man nodded, took Mathew's money, and instructed them all to stand in front of the statue.
They did as he said, standing side by side. Sebastien moved his arm around Clementine's shoulders, Mavis side-hugged Mathew, and Elliot held up his thumb.
As the camera clicked and flashed five times, they remained as still as possible. Then, the man handed them each a photo, everyone said their thankyous, and followed Elliot, tucking their photos into their bags.
"My aunt's place is a short walk from here," Elliot said, leading them away from the station and over to a small fountain which stood outside a church. "We can get a carriage to take us if you don't want to walk around in the snow, though."
Everyone glanced at one another for a few moments.
"Walking sounds fine," Clementine said.
They all nodded in agreement.
"Okay, it's this way," Elliot said, starting to lead the way up the busy street.
Clementine walked at Sebastien's side, glancing around at the statues of lions and horses, and the towering white buildings. His eyes widened a little in awe when they passed the world bank; a huge mural of dragons battling each other had been carved into the building's front, and atop it, several shimmering gold dragon statues overlooked the snowy, cobblestone streets.
