The mussel-shell-like bit that Hadama had grabbed with his callused fingers looked like its edges were indeed sharp - though no other part of the animal was as it came loose and began to be sliced apart. The small pile of offal beside the canal grew, attracting the attention of a pair of hels who began to circle lower and lower overhead, calling loudly in greed.
Hadama ignored them, working with swift economy of motion until a large chunk of thick white flesh remained, roughly the size of his palm. "Mm. She can be distant. Hard to reach at times, much like her stars. But she is kind. She has helped us protect and improve Torchline since her return," he said slowly, considering each word with care and obvious respect. "She has given me gifts, to defend myself and my home. And she is beautiful." Such a simple, unworthy word to encompass all that the goddess showed to mortals, but it was the only one he had. "She rewards loyalty. And rewards it well," he finished at last.
He rinsed the knife in the canal and then used it to cut two small pieces of conch meat free, offering one to Sol. He popped the other into his mouth, chewing the soft, rubbery meat with quiet satisfaction. The meat was salty but mild in flavor, somewhere between salmon and crab but lacking the former's overt fishiness.
Hadama ignored them, working with swift economy of motion until a large chunk of thick white flesh remained, roughly the size of his palm. "Mm. She can be distant. Hard to reach at times, much like her stars. But she is kind. She has helped us protect and improve Torchline since her return," he said slowly, considering each word with care and obvious respect. "She has given me gifts, to defend myself and my home. And she is beautiful." Such a simple, unworthy word to encompass all that the goddess showed to mortals, but it was the only one he had. "She rewards loyalty. And rewards it well," he finished at last.
He rinsed the knife in the canal and then used it to cut two small pieces of conch meat free, offering one to Sol. He popped the other into his mouth, chewing the soft, rubbery meat with quiet satisfaction. The meat was salty but mild in flavor, somewhere between salmon and crab but lacking the former's overt fishiness.
