The crowd pulsed like a heart. People talked, laughed and argued. They ate snacks, drank alcohol or juice. In the thrum, I could feel the countless stares I got. Tugging my hood lower, I kept my eyes down. Rule number one: No eye contact with anyone other than my friends. Rule number two: Don't get noticed. Rule number three: GET THIS NIGHT OVER WITH ALREADY!!!
I walked through the crowd at the same speed as everyone else, making sure I didn't attract any attention. My friends followed suit, carving their way through the tables and Spirits. Eventually, we reached the edge and sought refuge against the wall. Plum sat on a chair, right beside mine. Her thick black braid glinted under the candlelight. She smiled at me, her eyes wrinkling in the corners and sparkling joyfully. Issa-san eyed the chairs before deciding that sitting down would probably rip his cloak.
"That was so cool, Craft!" Jo commented excitedly, having already held the comment in far too long.
"Yeah," I smiled tiredly. My spirit energy flowed through my body, filling it with rejuvinating power, but I could sense how much lower it was now. I would have to work on recuperating it when I fight. Practice, practice, practice!
"Are you okay?" Plum asked anxiously, her eyebrows knit tightly in worry, "Did you open your Seal, from all that energy?" I shook my head.
"No. Thankfully!" How long had that fight lasted? Four minutes? Ten? I have no idea, but losing a week of life per minute isn't exactly something you do for fun!
"So, I take it there was something you wanted to ask me?" Issa-san questioned us. I nodded solemnly.
"We're here to find a Spirit that appears on the last day of every month. She has kidnapped a student at our school." I told the Gryffin. My boss flicked his poisonous tail thoughtfully.
"Well, I do know of her." He grinned unexpectedly, "I guess that explains why you are here with your two friends instead of with T'Ko! Speaking of which, where is he?"
I let my senses expand from my body. I was standing on the school rooftop, looking around at the scenery. Dark trees shuffled under the whisper of wind, the grounds were empty other than a few ghosts. I turned around catching a glimpse of the moon through my transparent mask. I snapped my senses only to my body.
"He's on the rooftop, as a lookout for us. In case anything crazy happens outside." I answered. Plum passed her fingers through my hair, under my hood. They hesitated at the beaded elastic holding them into a pony tail. I turned my head slightly and held her other hand. She grinned softly. Issa-san coughed slightly:
"Okay lovebirds, can we go onto business now?" We turned around, giving him our attention. Toby and Jo looked a bit put out. "We should be searching for that Spirit. I know her name, unlike you guys, but names hold power so I'll just tell you a nickname. Pruffles."
"She must hate you for calling her Pruffles, Issa-san." He nodded wistfully.
"She certainly doesn't hold me in her heart, that's for sure! AH!" His eyes had lifted from my face and spotted someone behind me. "It's her! She's here!" He whispered loudly.
"Nice going, Mister Subtle," I muttered as we all turned around. All I saw was a crowd of masked and cloaked people. Annoyed, I added, "Mind giving some details on what she looks like, Issa-san?"
"She's the one wearing the yellow velvet cloak and a gold mask!" Issa-san replied under his breath. It took me a second to spot her.
She was less than a table away.
YOU ARE READING
Fable (on hiatsu)
ФэнтезиA boy who can see Spirits and who works for one, but is far more than he lets on. His co-worker, a mysterious masked Spirit. Their boss; a very, very lazy blue Gryffon. The boy’s girlfriend, a naiad, the personification of his school’s plumbing syst...
