The temple grounds lay at the heart of Pearl City, built around a natural spring that had supposedly existed since the first fox spirits entered this realm.
Grim arrived at sunset with Ruxi, noting that hundreds of fox spirits had already gathered in the courtyard. All wore white robes provided for the ceremony, and their usual social distinctions seemed temporarily set aside as they prepared for the evening's ritual.
"The Moonlight Reverence occurs every new moon," Ruxi explained as they joined the crowd. "It's our way of honoring the ancestors who established our realm and maintaining our connection to the spiritual forces that sustain our civilization."
"What's my role in this?" Grim asked, adjusting the unfamiliar white robes.
"Observe, participate where appropriate, and show respect for our traditions," she replied. "The ceremony isn't complicated, but it requires genuine reverence rather than simply going through the motions."
