we are not truly immortal

[dark_light]

After Glass's party is over with, Amariah and Kas go home.

Amariah fetches down their alethiometers.

"It's about time I took care of Alethia's afterlife, whatever it may be," she says quietly. "What can the alethiometer tell you about what I'll find?"

Comments

[sicaria]

"Yes."

[arenaria]

Shell Bell puts her head on Sherlock's shoulder and closes her eyes and falls asleep, smew on her chest.

[sicaria]

Sherlock sits down and holds them in her lap and snuggles them. Her gyrfalcon continues to preen Shell Bell's hair.

[lifes_sake]

Meanwhile Cam and Amariah are still looking for the accompanying Jokers and each other. Cam, midflight, asks the alethiometer: "Can harpies attack more than one person at a time?"

[truthwright]

"A flight of harpies will often harry a much larger group of ghosts," says the alethiometer, "although they do not prefer to."

[lifes_sake]

"What about live people, can a single harpy attack more than one of us?"

[truthwright]

"It is possible," says the alethiometer.

[lifes_sake]

"But it's harder for them."

[truthwright]

Apparently this doesn't count as a question.

[lifes_sake]

"Right?"

[truthwright]

"They do not prefer it."

[lifes_sake]

Cam bounces these results to the link and starts grilling the alethiometer for directions to find the others.

[truthwright]

It's able to direct him, although not with perfect efficiency.

Kas, still trailed by an entourage of hopeful ghosts, is the first one to find him. He's having much better luck consulting his alethiometer.

[lifes_sake]

"Hi," says Cam. He doesn't land; he doesn't want to be among the chilly ghosts. "You're better with these things than I am, where to to meet up with Amariah and Aianon?"

[truthwright]

"On it," he says. "This way."

He keeps walking.

[lifes_sake]

"Why aren't you flying?" Cam asks.

[truthwright]

"...I don't wanna leave 'em," he says, gesturing around him. His arm passes through a dozen ghosts. "They're so sad."

[lifes_sake]

"You don't have to fly fast, but if they're just following you because the harpy decided not to scream at you they don't need to be that close, you must be freezing."

[truthwright]

He shrugs, and indeed shivers a little.

"It's not so bad."

[lifes_sake]

"Okay." Cam continues flying, following after Kas.

He has his aura out, and the shades notice.

"Are you here to help?" one of them asks him.

"Yes," Cam says.

[endragoned]

Is that a winged figure in the distance?

It is!

[lifes_sake]

Hello, distant winged figure!

Now to find Amariah.

"The harpies probably can't get me or her as bad as Shell Bell, but I don't want to find out experimentally."

[truthwright]

"No shit," says Kas, waving to Aianon.

[lifes_sake]

While Kas gets directions on where the party of three should go, Cam asks his for directions to relay to Amariah.

[truthwright]

It references landmarks to direct her course.