Even Podd seemed excited, the whole City knew that the dark angels were gaining new sisters and gaining them that very night.
"More of them bossing us about." Said Ash.
Podd patted his apprentice on the head.
"We do alright lad." He said. "Better the devil you know."
Podd had declared a sort of holiday; no more collections that day, any bodies could decompose in the streets for a day. New dark angels were a huge event and it was rare. The last rebirth had been during the last human occupation of the City and that was many millennia ago.
"Will we see them, the new angels ?" Asked Ash.
Podd had been worried about his much loved collection of body parts from the human era. Aeony had visited him and promised that she'd protect him from any excess puritan zeal in the City.
"Some of my new sisters might try to erase anything of human origin." She'd told him. "But I won't allow them to bother you."
It had settled the worries in his mind and she'd told him a few details about the coming rebirth.
"Aeony told me they'll fly around the towers after the ritual." He told Ash. "Think of it lad, a cloud of them, swooping down over the City."
The boy didn't look impressed, but he never seemed really excited about anything. He'd often thought about asking Ash if he was happy or if he needed anything. Dangerous though, those kinds of questions can put ideas in youngster's heads. The last thing he needed was an apprentice with a list of demands.
"It'll be dark then." Said Ash.
"You'll see them against the sky boy and that's close enough."
Podd prodded Ash in the stomach, making the boy jump back.
"These will be new born dark angels, hungry for their first feed." Said Podd. "They'd cut you to bits with their talons and then eat you."
Podd enjoyed the look of fear on the boy's face; the occasional tease was good for him. He chuckled and put a few pieces of wood on the fire that powered the fat boiler. They might be having a rare day off, but the boiler always had to be kept hot. Ash was still looking horrified.
"Will they eat the people ?" He asked.
"No boy, Aeony will lead them north, to feed on the wild mountain people. They won't bother us, we can stand and watch them circle the towers."
Podd had deliberately kept a purse on him, one they'd found on a body near the river. It was full of City coins, the coins that were only accepted by the City traders. They didn't look much and had little silver in them, but a few would buy them a feast.
"Here boy, take a good handful and buy whatever fresh food you can find." Said Podd.
Ash sorted through the purse ignoring the coppers and picking a handful of larger silver coins.
"Sniff everything." Added Podd. "We don't want to be ill tomorrow."
"I will boss, I will."
Ash was almost at the bone yard gates, when Podd called him back and gave him a Quron gold piece, a fortune in the slums.
"Ale boy and not the crap Barus sells. Go to Muzzie's and get some decent light ale and a couple of bottles of something stronger. For me of course, you're too young."
Ash was back to being an excited kid, all thought of hungry dark angels, gone from his mind. They had a small cart, kept for transporting anything that wasn't a body part. It was rarely used, but Ash was pulling it out of the shed where it was kept.
"And buy a few things you like." Bellowed Podd. "No women though, you're too young."
Ash laughed and pushed the cart through the gates.
"Thanks boss."
