An unlit funeral pyre sat at the temple’s entrance. Mira could not look at the coffin that rested upon it. Priests and priestesses brought bags of remains to rest on the pyre as well. Irae placed a hand on Mira’s shoulder as she stared into the distance.
“If you need a moment, then take a moment,” She whispered.
“Tella needs me here,” Mira watched as she placed flowers around the body, “I will be here. Please be on standby in case… I cannot control myself.”
“I plan to.”
“Yellow flowers were his favorite,” She pointed to the sunny colors Tella placed along the bags on the pyre, “It reminded him of the summers he spent with his parents.”
“I didn’t know that,” Irae nodded, “It may be something nice to bring up during your speech.”
“Speech?” Mira raised an eyebrow.
“After the body has been blessed, generally those that knew the deceased will tell stories or speak of them. I plan to share a story. I know Sunodagh and Nara plan to say something as well.”
“I did not know,” She narrowed her eyebrows and thought of what she could say, “Where would I even begin?’
“You don’t need to speak at all,” The woman patted her back, “But, I’m sure you can think of something if you want. I plan to talk about him helping us build the classroom.”
Tella adjusted the black veil in her hair and walked back to them. Tears streamed down her face as she sniffled. The young girl threw her arms around Mira’s waist and cried into her white robes. Mira patted Tella’s back to comfort her.
“Can we bring him to mommy and daddy?” The girl barely whispered the request.
“Yes. I can make sure he is buried with them,” She squatted to be on eye level with Tella, “What about the others? Where should they rest?”
She shifted uncomfortably on her own feet, “I don’t know. The village?”
Mira didn’t have the heart to tell the girl that the village was nothing but jagged stone and ash. The memories caused a sharp pain in her chest. As she clutched Encante’s stone, Irae’s hand placed a cool, calming spell on her back. Their eyes met and the rosy, pink healer nodded slowly.
“Then I will make sure it is done,” Mira reassured Tella, “What else would you have me do?”
The girl just tightened her grip on her protector. She didn’t know how to respond. Mira held the girl close as more people filtered into the small area set aside in the courtyard for the funeral. Some brought bouquets of flowers and sat them against the pallets of wood. Sunodagh carried a sword in his hand as he approached. Mira watched him cautiously. Nara exited the building in robes almost identical to the ones Mira wore, only decorated in black gemstones instead of the usual emerald that matched her eyes. One priestess came out with black sashes and handed them out to the others in white dresses and robes.
“What is this?” Mira looked to the High Priestess.
“When the temple loses a dear friend, we accent ourselves in black as the grieving would,” Nara looked to her, “Most wear black robes, but I did not have anything appropriate.”
She nodded and grabbed the black silk sash offered to her. She tied it around her waist as the other priestesses did and waited. Mira had never been to a funeral before and did not know the proper decorum. She knew that no others would be in the proceedings so it would be safe to grieve openly, but she did not know what that meant. After some time, Nara looked around and stepped forward into the group that faced the unlit pyre. She turned to face the small crowd.
“Afternoon, everyone. I will speak plainly, as we are all friends here. Pallik, though not old enough to be, was one of us at heart,” She clasped her hands together, “We watched him, and his sisters, grow the past few years. There isn’t a single person here that hasn’t been affected by the loss of such a great young man. He is survived by his sisters, Tella and Mira, as well as us.”
Mira looked at her in confusion at the words. Before she could ask questions, Irae stepped forward.
“His last rites were performed this morning. He is ready to join our goddess in the next cycle or be raised to stay in her arms in reverie,” Irae dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her long sleeve.
Nara nodded, “I implore everyone to step forward with a story of our Pallik to share in the grief we feel. We should remember the kindness of his heart, the joy in his laugh, and the man he wanted to be.”
“Pallik had the drive and protection of any tribesman I ever had. He was strong, determined, and thoughtful. A true warrior,” Sunodagh moved some flowers from Pallik’s coffin and placed the sword there instead, “I made this to gift him on his sixteenth birthday in a few months. I learned it is important to the humans. I intended to travel with a few of you to visit the village as a surprise. Now that he has left us, it should be buried with him.”
The large, sunny yellow orc patted the sword twice before he turned and stood next to Irae. Another priestess stepped forward to share a story, but Mira’s thoughts fixated elsewhere. The empty, white eyes of Pallik in her dreams haunted her. If she hadn’t invaded his life and embedded herself so deeply in this temple, none of this would have happened. Pallik wouldn’t have lost his life, Tella would be safe, the entire crossroads village would still be standing, and Mira wouldn’t have been at fault. She regretted tempting her freedom. If she had just followed her master’s orders, then they would be safe.
The cold feeling spread across her chest again as the throbbing pain brought tears to her eyes. Grief, Encante called it. Is this the feeling she caused so many others? How many had she killed only to cause that many more to suffer? The tears of desperation and fear from her victims made much more sense, now. She would only wish this feeling on Isaan Naybellos.
Her fists clenched around a bundle of Tella’s clothes as hatred caused her eyes to burn a bright white. The calming cold on her back brought her out of her spiraling thoughts as she heard the laughter of another story. Irae leaned over to whisper to her, but Mira wasn’t paying attention. She had to remain calm and control herself or her anger would spill out in a catastrophic way –as it had the first time she saw boy’s corpse.
“Mira,” Irae cleared her throat, “You’re holding young Tella from making a speech.”
Her eyes shot downward and saw Tella looking up with pleading eyes at how tightly she was gripped. Mira let go and brought her hands up to show she meant no harm. She noticed that hours must have passed as it was near sunset.
“Apologies, Tella,” Mira lowered her head, “I was deep in thought.”
“Will you come with me?” The young girl grabbed her hand.
“If you can keep me calm,” She nodded and allowed the girl to lead her to the front of the small crowd.
“The sister of the departed would like to say a few words,” Nara announced.
Tella opened her mouth to speak but the words seemed to evaporate before they left her. She stuttered for a bit before she turned and grabbed a flower from behind her.
“Pallik was the best big brother I could have. He always made sure I had what I needed and would never say no to playing with me,” She paused before placing the flower behind her ear, “After mommy and daddy died, he said we would probably be separated if we had to get adopted. I was scared because I didn’t want him to leave too. Mira found us a new home together. Mama Reylan and Daddy Delpho treated us very well. I was happy.”
Mira looked away as Tella’s voice cracked with emotion. The sobbed words were nearly impossible to understand, but the emotion washed over her uncomfortably. The sickening sadness threatened to eat her alive if she didn’t do something. She wanted to runaway and fight anything that caused this sensation in her body. It felt like something would burst from her chest any second.
“Mommy and daddy would be proud to see how he took care of me. I know he missed them just as much as me, even if he didn’t say it,” Tella pulled the flower from her ear and placed it back down, “I hope you’ve found them again. I love you, big brother.”
The girl broke into tears at her feet. Mira crouched down to protectively cover her as she cried. Her entire tiny body rattled under the desperate sobs. Mira panicked when her sobs turned into hyperventilating wheezes. Irae walked over and grabbed Tella’s hand. She performed the same calming spell until the girl could breathe normally. The pink healer guided the girl away and left Mira standing in front of the crowd. She stared at the coffin for a long time before words slipped out of her mind.
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“Many of you know I am not one of many words. I have not lost someone that caused this much pain. Pallik was one of the few people I could trust. He was eager, jovial, diligent, and protective,” Her jaw clenched uncomfortably as she thought of what to say, “He died to keep me safe. Had I been a better warrior, he would be alive. They all would be. I will forever blame his loss, and those of his kin, on myself.”
The hair on Mira’s arms raised and she frantically searched the visible courtyard. She knew this feeling well –that someone nearby reeked of magical energy. The tingling led her to the other side of the temple, but she could not stray from the funeral until it was complete. She moved to block Tella from the source as best she could.
The group in front of Mira was eerily silent for a moment before Nara stepped forward. The black makeup trailed down her face where her tears had been.
“It is time we say goodbye, I think,” Nara looked to Mira and Tella, “Would you like to light the pyre?”
Tella grabbed the torch handed to her and stepped towards the coffin. Mira lifted her up to reach it easier. She placed the torch against the flowers that decorated the plain wood. The smell of burning honeysuckle and sage filled the air as it caught fire. She placed the girl back down as the back door to the temple swung open. An older human woman and orc stepped from the temple.
When Mira met the purple eyes of the orc woman, she knew that was where the power came from. The woman at first looked like she had seen a ghost, before her gaze narrowed onto Mira. Her eyes twitched and she casually moved Tella behind her under the guise of being too close to the flames. Their eyes did not separate for an instant. In their odd contest of unspoken dominance, Mira studied the woman.
She stood as tall as Sunodagh, with dark green skin that reminded Mira of moist moss. Her light purple eyes seemingly pierced through Mira’s mind. Her greying, braided hair along with the shaved sides of her head, ratty clothes, and scarred skin told Mira that the woman was a warrior and didn’t care much to appear as anything else. The hatchet on one hilt and short sword on the other made her weapon preferences known.
Mira’s mind swarmed with thoughts: Protect Tella. Protect the priestess. Protect the temple. Kill those that harm them. Protect Tella. Kill anyone that causes her pain.
Mira knew this woman was baiting her by leaking her power into the air so casually. She did the same as the wraith. Only instead of power, the wraith exuded fear to those around it. Mira would not be prey. She would not let anyone here be prey ever again.
The woman did not know who or what she was, so she would have an advantage. She knew the layout of the temple, how to counteract any fighting style, and deflect magic attacks. Mira did not know what this mage’s talents were, but that they were powerful enough to reach through the temple to her that their battle would cause much collateral damage to the already injured town.
“Healer Gimma!” Tella ran to the older woman with the unknown orc.
Mira’s eyes left the woman to watch Tella as they approached. The older human woman held her bushy, unkempt white hair into a hastily made bun. Gimma was the temple’s Master Healer, with Irae coming in as a close second that would slowly take the duties from the aging woman. Gimma was a spunky woman for her age, and still commanded anywhere she went with the authority she deserved. As Tella ran to her mentor, the woman’s face turned to a confused look.
“What’s –”
“It’s Pallik,” Tella cried.
Then, Gimma understood. She gasped and looked over Tella for any sign of damage. She looked to Mira with a fearful gaze but quickly cleared her throat and stood tall.
“How are you dealing with this?”
“Isaan attacked the village while I was weak and slaughtered them,” She stated plainly and looked back to the orc woman, “I am adjusting.”
The orc smirked and whispered in her native orc language, “This one is interesting.”
Mira fluently replied, “This one is angry.”
The orc blinked in surprise and looked to Gimma, “You did not tell me she spoke orcan.”
“We did not have much time to discuss things,” She looked to the pyre, “Is that—”
“Yes,” Mira continued to stare uncomfortably at the woman, “We just concluded stories and lit the pyre.”
“Goddess. If we had left earlier, I would have made it,” Gimma rubbed her head, “I’m too old to travel as I did. Amethyst, let me show you to my room. We can introduce you both tomorrow formally.”
“Amethyst?” Mira cocked an eyebrow.
“I would say the same as you, Mira,” She bowed lightly, “I look forward to our formal introduction.”
“As do I,” She said through clenched teeth.
“Healer Gimma,” Tella looked back to the pyre, “Will you come join us?”
The older woman looked between the intense staring contest and sighed, “Will you two play nice while I pay my respects?”
“I have done nothing disrespectful,” The orc smirked, “To my knowledge, at least.”
The four walked back toward the funeral together. Mira kept Tella as far from Amethyst as possible. The pair’s unspoken battle continued until the cinder of the pyre faded into the night.
Gimma caught up with Nara and Irae in hushed tones as the others brought out food for dinner. The temple’s normal meal bell hadn’t rung to disrupt the funeral. Most priestesses sat about the garden under the lantern light of the setting sun and chatted as food was dispersed.
As Tella grabbed a sandwich from the large basket being passed around, Mira stopped her from biting it and took it from her. She lifted the top slice of bread and sniffed before handing it back to the girl.
“Please, eat Tella,” Mira nodded.
“Ah. So, if I poison the girl, I’ll have to make sure it’s not by one that smells,” Amethyst smirked as she spoke the words in orcan, “Good to know.”
Mira abruptly stood to tower over the woman. She tilted her head unnaturally to the side and moved Tella behind the skirt of her dress. A dagger instinctively appeared in Mira’s hand. She pointed it at the woman without a second thought. The priestesses around them gasped at Mira’s sudden change in demeanor.
“You will make no such threats,” She hissed back in the guttural orcan language, “The next time one leaves your lips, your head will be separated from your shoulders.”
Amethyst dabbed a napkin calmly at the corners of her mouth and smiled.
“What is happening here?” Nara yelled as she ran towards them.
“She threatened to poison Tella,” Mira looked to Nara, “I will handle her at your word.”
“My joke was taken badly. I did not read the atmosphere correctly,” Amethyst shrugged, “A simple misunderstanding, My sincerest apologies, High Priestess.”
Nara looked between them before she sighed, “Please put the knife away and finish your meal. Tella has been through enough today.”
Mira turned to see the tearful girl looking up at her. She looked back to Amethyst with a sneer and dispersed the dagger in her hand.
“I suggest you make yourself comfortable,” She looked towards a stunned Gimma, “Elsewhere.”
“Quite paranoid,” She grinned, “I will do so.”
“I am sorry for upsetting you, Tella,” Mira sat back down next to the girl, “I do not take threats to you lightly.”
“You promised you wouldn’t kill someone unless you had to,” The girls crystal blue eyes smiled at her, “I know you’ll protect me.”
“Above all else, I will keep you safe.”
Tella took a hearty bite of her sandwich, and they ate dinner in silence. When the girl yawned and stretched, Mira knew it was time for her to sleep.
“Do you want anything else before bed?” She asked.
“I’m just tired,” Tella rubbed her eyes, “Are you coming to bed too?”
“I will need to speak to my… other friends,” She paused at the words, “Then I will come to bed later. I will try to sleep through the night. Let me walk you to our room.”
Mira grabbed the girl’s hand first for a change and directed her into the temple. As they made their way to Nara’s office, she knelt to get Tella’s attention.
“I am proud of you. You did well today,” She nodded, “They would all be proud of how strong you are.”
The young girl knew her friend had difficulty with expressing what she wanted to. She knew this was Mira’s way to console her.
“Thank you for sharing too,” Tella wrapped her arms in a tight hug around Mira’s neck, “I know it’s hard for you.”
“Come, let’s get you to bed.”
Mira opened the trap door to their hidden room and tucked Tella into their bed. She didn’t know if she would sleep tonight but wanted the girl to be comfortable in case she had to sleep in for a few hours of rest. Their nightly ritual consisted of Tella telling a story until she could hardly speak as Mira brushed her hair slowly. When the girl’s eyes couldn’t stay open any longer, she snuck out of the room and back upstairs.
Amethyst was a new threat she had to manage quickly. Gimma evidently invited this strange woman to the temple. Mira couldn’t fight her in the open, but the woman irked her greatly. Is it because the last powerful mage she knew was her master? No, Irae was a talented healer. Perhaps Mira trusted Irae so her power felt minimal after a while or that Irae wasn’t a warrior and could not harm them.
“Breathe,” Encante’s voice echoed in her thoughts, “We will find her. Track the feeling. Hunt her. Make her scared of you.”
“How do I do that without releasing my own power?” She frowned, “It scares too many people.”
“Release a fraction and see what happens,” He chuckled wryly, “I’m amused as to how she would react.”
Mira smirked at the thought. Perhaps the dragon was right. She followed the strength out to the courtyard where priestesses slowly got back to their duties before retiring for the night. She allowed herself to be swallowed by the shadows and stalked the orc woman around the temple. If anyone directly looked at her, they would notice her. But any passing glance wouldn’t have her noticed at all. She stood in the background against raised flowerbeds and watched the woman from a distance. Amethyst did not speak often. She moved to another flowerbed and crossed her legs in front of her. She rested hands on her knees and took a deep breath. Mira snuck closer to the woman to get a better look. Amethyst muttered a phrase under her breath.
“In with power, out with weakness.”
This perplexed Mira. She had never seen an orc meditate before. Most practiced their magic or bladesmanship to calm themselves. The old woman looked like a garden statue as she held her breath.
Soon Mira was standing directly behind the woman and determining how to swiftly deal with the threat.
“Are you going to watch me or join me?” Amethyst grinned, “Either is welcomed.”
Her brow twitched, “How could you tell I was here with your eyes closed?”
“The same way you could tell I entered the courtyard,” Amethyst opened her eyes, “Only, your aura is the faintest I’ve ever encountered. It is hardly recognizable at all. If I didn’t have a specialty around it, I doubt I would know you were even a mage.”
“And what exactly are your talents?” Mira crossed her arms.
“Perhaps it would be better to wait for Gimma to explain tomorrow,” She closed her eyes, “Now, do you want to meditate with me? It may help ease your anger.”
“I am not angry.”
“The dagger and threat to my throat earlier gave me the wrong idea, then?” She chuckled, “Another joke. Please, feel free to watch or join. I am interested to see which you do.”
“I have meditated before. It does nothing for me,” Mira glanced around, “What exactly does it do for you?”
“It centers my emotions and magic. It is easier to use my talents if I am centered,” Amethyst smirked, “I suspect I will use most of my energy tomorrow when we fight. It will be fun.”
“When we fight?” She cocked an eyebrow, “What do you mean by that?”
“Gimma will explain. That, and if you accept. I assume you already know a bit about me,” She opened an eye to view her reaction, “Or has he forgotten me?”
“He?”
“The voice I know you hear,” She winked, “The stone that rests on your chest is hard to miss if you know what to look for.”