“There should have been an ellipsis after ‘Welcome to Pompeii’,” Clara said.
They were headed deeper into the city after some of the locals celebrated her return. These citizens were decidedly not hunters.
“How so?” Julia asked.
“Just a vibe really,” Clara said. “They see me as an aberration, and it’s not the wings.”
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Clara took a bow and unfurled her wings. This further energised the crowd. Even the entertainers were joining in on the excitement.
“She’s come back from the dead!”
“You can’t escape Death!”
A voice cut through the chatter and silenced them all. It was the singer, every syllable played out like a musical note being played out by the hand of a skilled musician.
“Welcome to Pompeii, Clara Grey.”
Clara smiled, her mind struggling to accept that they knew of her at all.
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Which changed as more detail registered in their minds.
“Are those wings?”
“She’s not wearing a shirt!”
“Scandalous!”
“Those grey eyes…”
Much more came out in the chaos, but Clara could not filter out the cacophony entirely.
“That’s her?”
“The one who died?”
“It can’t be.”
Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.
Upon hearing Julia speak, the maiden looked up and took in a sharp breath. The interruption was brief, but enough to pique the curiosity of those within the audience.
They collectively turned their heads, with their eyes going right past Julia. The fact the werewolf was wearing blue jeans, and a white t-shirt should have caught their gaze, but something more unusual was just at her side.
The group erupted in a cacophony of chaos. Some gasped, while others appeared to be on the cup of hyperventilating. However, what was most telling were the words that slipped out unfiltered.
“A hunter here?”
“The high and mighty have graced us with our presence.”
“Why can’t they leave us alone.”
Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.
“In a world without variation,” Clara whispered. “These two are a breath of fresh air.”
“I wish I could understand them,” Julia said louder than intended.
The maiden was now singing a song from the Hebrew Bible, something about a young couple yearning for one another. While hunters did not expressly acknowledge the existence of this bible, some enjoyed delving into the prose. The religious schools’ equivalent of a nude magazine in class.
Upon hearing Julia speak, the maiden looked up and took in a sharp breath. The interruption was brief, but enough to pique the curiosity of those within the audience.
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This experience was entirely new to Clara. Her home as an acolyte was always well below capacity, but at least four generations were born here since being isolated. The music also made sense, as a way to inject sound into the city.
They soon came upon a red-haired maiden, and a black-haired man equally blessed with youth. In Clara’s mind they were both young enough to be hunters but their clothing differed from the uniforms in significant ways. Given our failure rates these are probably rejects.
A crowd was formed in a half-circle facing the couple. No one had acknowledged their presence, as their eyes were fixed on the performers.
Their clothes looked to be hand-me down. There was little colour variation, but many had taken the time to alter their clothing so they would stick out.
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“For this moment in time,” Clara answered as they neared the city.
“You mean it wasn’t here before or after?” Julia asked.
“That’s my understanding.”
“That’s seriously fucked up.”
“That’s one way to phrase it…”
It was a tactical choice to prevent their enemies from being able to strike directly. The volcano also ensured that no one would dare to lay siege to the Tower. For the sliver of time it exists in this reality.
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“So, this tower of yours is located in Pompeii?” Julia asked.
This was an instance of seeing not always equating to believing. Julia may be faced with all the signs as to where they were, but her mind needed time to digest the impossibility of it. Doesn’t help that the answers are more nuanced.
“For this moment in time,” Clara answered as they neared the city.
They were walking at a brisk pace, in part due to the eeriness of it. There was no warmth to the sun, nor any wind, and total absence of animal life. These elements could leave someone unnerved, especially if they happened to be a predator with their senses heightened accordingly.
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Julia was dipping her bread in the broth before realising that Clara was abstaining.
Ever the shit disturber, Clara decided to follow Julia’s lead. While messy, it was a tasty way to enjoy dry bread without butter.
Clara came to realise that this generation of hunters differed from her own. In the early twentieth century, hunters were trained to be independent thinkers capable of taking action on their own. Whereas this group appeared to reward conformity. You can’t hunt effectively as an army.
There were times when Clara would have loved having an army at her back. Admittedly she imagined herself leading these troops out of here, which cemented her opinion of them.
In the far corner on a distant table, Clara noticed that Agnes and a small group of girls were also bucking the trend. I’m really starting to like her.
Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.
Julia turned to Clara and smiled, as though the werewolf was sharing something deeply personal. Clara returned the gesture, but did not immediately dive into her meal.
Instead, she scanned the dining hall. Almost everyone was eating the same dish in an identical manner. If synchronised eating was an Olympic sport, they would handily win gold.
Julia was dipping her bread in the broth before realising that Clara was abstaining.
“What the fuck?” Julia whispered after realising the eerie pattern.
“My thoughts exactly,” Clara said.
Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.
