A Scripta

As he flew, Grim let the rain cover him in a shield, about a couple of centimeters away from his body, like a second skin. He had warmed it up to his body temperature, so it wasn't cold and he could barely feel the drops. His head was full of the water knowledge, how to pull it from the very air and everything around him, how to manipulate it, warm it, change it into steam or ice, how to make it disperse in a violent explosion, how to part a lake or hold back a wave, how to create a tsunami and a localized storm, and how disperse them all. Thao alluded that anything liquid could be manipulated like this.

Including blood, which gave Grim all sorts of ideas.

He also alluded that this was only part of his knowledge, and he would share as time would go by. But he believed he wasn't much longer for this world. Grim, in all his honesty, silently agreed. However, Grim did leave Thao with a rune: the rune of liquid refill, which he thoroughly enjoyed with his Lao Lao - fermented rice wine.

They landed two blocks away from the house. It was dark again, Saturday night at midnight, and both of them were exhausted mentally and physically. They walked slowly to the house, and saw were a few cars parked in front of it, people gathered at the stoop. Grim could see well in the dark, and Lue could sense shadows, so both men stopped at the same time half a block away.

"We have a welcoming committee," Grim said.

Lue peered and Grim watched him close his fist to extend a long spine out of his knuckles. "Let's go see."

The men walked slowly, and the people started moving down from the stoop. Grim counted ten. More came out of cars. He counted six more. Lue kept his hand at his side. "What's wrong, Xang? I defeated you so now you've brought some friends?"

"We know why you can't marry Mee Cha. You're a homo."

Grim's translator changed the French word pedále into homo. Grim guessed there was no Hmong word for homosexual. Grim watched Lue for a reaction. Then someone grabbed Grim's arms from behind and yanked him back, away from Lue. Lue with a roar immediately exploded into spikes, and moved like a whirlwind, stabbing Xang straight through. Grim for his part yelled a spell that cast the entire block into pure inky blackness, with a howling of angry spirits all around them for additional effect. He was released, so he turned, seeing easily in the dark, and cast tentacles to hold three men down.

Meanwhile he heard men screaming as Lue let loose. Grim reached for the ley line - he was going to be doing some healing tonight. It wasn't as pure as the one near Thao's house, but it would have to do.

Grim pulled the darkness up like a curtain, and five men lay bleeding at Lue's feet. Three men were frozen in fright in tentacles. The rest of them were running blindly away. Lue was crouched over the bleeding men, not even winded, his venom dripping on them, but not causing them any further harm than the spikes had. Grim walked into Lue's line of sight. "Let me take care of them, love," he said quietly.

Lue stood up and nodded slowly, the spikes also slowly sinking into his body. Grim bent to Xang first, healing the hole in his chest, then putting him to sleep. He moved from one to the other, his hands glowing blue, healing as he went along, feeling slightly sick to his stomach as he did because of the taint of the ley line. Lue approached Xang and woke him up, then lifted him up by the front of his shirt. Lue pulled his face very close to his own and made sure that was the first thing Xang would see upon waking.

"Cousin," Lue said coldly. Xang opened his eyes and they went wide. "You are very lucky that Grim is a caring man, because I would have let you bleed to death on this street for daring to touch him." Lue let him go, Xang stumbled and fell. Lue looked around to see Grim finishing up healing the last person. Grim stood up after grounding; he looked pale and shaky. Lue went over to him, putting his arm around him to help him stand. "Are you all right, love?"

"Yeah. Magic isn't so organic here."

Xang had gotten to his feet, and was hugging a car, backing away from them. "You have brought dishonor on your father, your family," he yelled at Lue. "You disgust me!" He jumped into a car, and they let him drive off. The others started slowly returning. They stepped aside as Grim and Lue headed up the path to the door and went into the house. Without putting on the light, Lue went right to the bed. Grim followed, and the two of them held and comforted each other even after they heard the last car drive away.