As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

8- ❂❂❂ -VII

So on the Hunter goes, continuing

through flooded, broken streets toward the church,

past shatter'd lives and emptiness behind

the eyes of those surrender'd where they sit

among the ruin drifting down the line.

He comes upon the flooded-o'er canal—

the culprit of the drainage t'ward the slums—

and crosses carefully its cover'd bridge

before he turns and follows up its length

for quite a time before he splits away                10

upon the route he always takes to make

his way toward the wall'd acropolis.

The streets ascend so gradu'lly beneath

his stride he dothn't notice—never does—

until the floods are left behind, replac'd

by cobblestone that's stain'd and slick with mud

so thick his footing slides with ev'ry step.

But still it's better here than in the slums

as damages are easier to fix;

and fix'd already are they more than them,                20

within this richer district higher up,

and more and more repairs are prevalent

as higher he ascends toward the square

til to the grand cathedral he arrives,

which looks pristine already, save the stains

upon the stone foundation by the mud.

The Hunter climbs the steps and slips inside;

he pushes through the foyer and ignores

the friar at the door who urges him

to wipe away the mud that's on his boots.                30

Beyond this entryway doth he emerge

within the chapel, fill'd from pew to pew

with furious, depressed, distraught, and mad,

despondent, anxious, and indignant folk,

who stand or sit or shout or listen to

the Chaplain on his dais at the front,

so bent and beaten down that now the cane

he leans upon is not the act it was.

The Hunter takes a pity on the man,

for though he's suffer'd under th'Way of Flesh,                40

he notes the Chaplain must've been the first

to see the demon that our Preacher is

for him t'employ Assassin t'end the man.

The Chaplain holds a palm toward the crowd,

and though there's many take no heed of this,

majority go silent at the sign