A quintet of people stood in a brick building. The flint structure was about the same size as the typical cabin in Derban, but even with its unwonted domed roof, and eight-sided walls, it was only comprised of one room. A small antechamber led to that room through one of the niches. In seven of the eight niches, lamps burned, illuminating the room. The shadows of the five individuals were set against the curved ceiling, standing around a large, rectangular object at the centre.
Vigdis Maas pulled at each corner of the Free Army banner, making sure to cover every inch of the bottom of the sarcophagus, as well as the person being laid to rest in it. A month had gone by since she identified Kallista Laine’s remains, and as the only former Free Army agent to be certain of her demise, being part of the great warrior’s final rites were nothing short of an honour.
The Laine house had been completely ransacked and gutted, and all that remained of it were burnt logs strewn about the ground. Vigdis had wished to place some of her belongings inside the sarcophagus with her corpse in accordance with the customs of their pre-Invasion northern customs, but fortunately Stefan directed the party to Ruben Holt’s home, which was further away from the epicentre of destruction. Inside, they were able to recover an old rifle and a helmet issued by the Free Army. Stefan silently placed the rifle at the right of his mother’s shrouded corpse, while the helmet was put in the space where her missing body part would've been, had her body remained intact.
“Would anyone like to say anything as we bid her farewell?” the Anbieter asked everyone. Jay and Anwen declined, citing their lack of acquaintance with the deceased, but both held bouquets of flowers in their hands as a sign of respect.
“Your part of the battle has come to an end,” Vigdis said, her head lowered, and eyes shut as she stood at the centre of the sarcophagus to its left. “But we shall continue it. Watch over us, Kal.”
She stepped back, letting the next person to offer their respects. The Anbieter advanced in her place.
“We never met, but I believe we would’ve been invaluable allies in our battle against the common enemy, had things gone differently. Your time on Titan taught you many things, like finding companions in places you would never have thought you would. Rest well, Kallista Laine.”
Stefan was initially silent, but inside he pushed back a wall of fury and anger, reminded that his mother had been a slave. He remembered Gareth and the truth hidden from him. He could only wonder what else was being kept from him, and who had it. But he could not be upset at the Anbieter, a man who risked his status, reputation and life to keep a human boy safe from his own Empire.
The boy managed to shuffle forwards, peering down into the sarcophagus at the outline of his mother’s corpse.
“I don’t know how much different things would be now if you told me everything that happened in the past… but one thing’s for sure. I’ll tear them up. I’ll tear them all up for you, and I’ll find Joakim and Uncle—Mr. Holt along the way,”
He paused for a moment to quell the sadness in his body, before putting a hand on top of his mother’s stomach. It was still supple underneath the fabric of the Free Army banner. Decay had not taken a single bit of her. But the Titanians did. In more ways than one, they had taken part of her away from everything she knew. Her sons, her friends, her home settlement, her continent. The world she sought to protect.
“That’s a promise. I won’t fail you, Mum.”
For a minute or so after he spoke those words, the room was filled with silence. Stefan allowed a few tears to exit his eyes but made no audible sound. Vigdis’ eyes were fixed at the ground at her feet. Jay was in a similar state, and so was the Anbieter. Anwen couldn’t help but gaze at Stefan’s back, trying to decipher what was going on in his head. He was annoying, loud, a handful to deal with but also brave and steadfast. He was kind, too. But she never thought of him to be someone who would allow himself to cry in front of other people, and with his face away from her, that is what she assumed.
How much longer will he stay like this? Until we go to the south? she pondered.
The Anbieter made a motion through the open door of the building, and ten soldiers of the Black Shield calmly entered. Five attended to a side each of the sarcophagus’ lid which lay adjacent to it, the stone construct weighing hundreds of pounds. Vigdis and Stefan joined a side themselves, respectively. They hoisted the lid to about chest-level, then gently lowered it over the top of the sarcophagus. Kallista Laine had finally been laid to rest nearly nine months after that fateful day, when her son bore witness to the tyrannical Angels that had been oppressing their lands for a millennium.
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Perfectly etched font was now visible on top of the sarcophagus lid, displaying the Laine family name, and below it were its bearer’s year of birth and year of death, 981 AFI and 1015 AFI respectively. Flowers were placed on top of the grave, and the occupants filed out of the antechamber.
The snow crunched under the boot-clad feet of the mourners, the Yeupisian winter having begun weeks earlier. A light showering of white fluff fell over their heads. It would be only the start of another harsh winter, but the Black Shield would not have to bear it for long. The next morning, they would depart southwards, joining with the half of their comrades whom they left at the base. No further attacks had occurred since the initial one that had devastated them the previous month, but to leave their centre of operations unattended was foolish.
Situated all across the village were tents belonging to the Black Shield, stationed there for the better half of a month to rebuild Derban. Of course, none of its original occupants would return to it, but a handful of families were selected by the Mayor of Marius to populate it after the Anbieter had divulged his plan to him. The official took no chances and immediately did his best to spread out as much of the populace of his town as he could, since there was little chance that the fallout from the Black Shield mission to the south would be contained there. The plot of land where the Laine family house stood was the exception, remaining as it did since the attack that took the life of its hero all those months prior. Stefan refused to see another house built on top of it. For most of his waking hours, he would train in the art of Casting in its ruins, vowing to become stronger and more powerful each day. There was no exemption to this. Anwen told him that all the help he needed would be in the book Gareth found in that abandoned village, and he set off to work immediately.
However, this time around, he was not the one standing in its ashes. A figure in a white coat was seen in its vicinity, looking down at the blackened wood around his feet. He did not wear the Black Shield uniform and was not known to anyone. However, he didn’t carry any weapons, so none were drawn on him. But that was no reason for people to keep their eyes from him.
“Who the hell is that at my house?” Stefan wondered. He tried to approach the man, but the Anbieter stopped that with a hand to his shoulder.
“Vigdis,” the Anbieter said, knowing that his gesture was enough to keep Stefan from acting further. “Might that be… your guest?”
“He’s about a month late… but I’d recognise that old codger anywhere.” she decreed with a frown.
“Kal took such good care of this house,” the white-clad man sighed, softly kicking around pieces of charcoaled wood near him. “Why’d they have to topple it down?”
Vigdis stomped her way up to the house and through its remains, slamming a palm onto the grey-haired man’s broad shoulder. He slowly turned around and raised an eyebrow, but upon seeing the woman’s disappointed face, he smiled.
“My goodness, is that you, Vigdis? Wow, look at you now! Last time I saw you, you were about this—
Before he could raise his hand to demonstrate a younger Vigdis’s height, the back of her hand collided with his face. He stumbled backwards, almost falling but managed to keep his balance.
“You’re an asshole, Aulis. I contacted you a month ago, and it’s taken you this long to find me? You are so, so lucky I even shared our location to you even after we thought you were a no-show.”
“That’s no way to greet your old comrade, Vig,” the man rubbed his cheek, speaking through alcohol-scented lips. “You’re reminding me of Kal… an older but just as impatient Kal. And what do you take me for, one of your machines? How am I supposed to rally up 500 men and women so quickly? And 500 seasoned, war-hardened veterans who have their own lives, might I add.”
“Where are they?” Vigdis asked.
“I sent instructions for them to go to your base… we should rendezvous with them in about a week or so when we head down there.”
“I see…” she said, processing his information. “Well, that’s a Free Army soldier, acting right away.”
“What are we still doing here? Show me to your new boss.” Aulis groaned.
The two trudged out of the ruined Laine house, where the Anbieter and Jay awaited them.
“Guys, this is Aulis Bakken, a sub-commander of the Free Army. Or, what was the Free Army, anyway. He’s the highest-ranking Free Army soldier I could locate alive.”
“A Titanian? And a goddamn southerner?” the 48-year-old veteran muttered. “What have you gotten yourself into, Vig? Well, I guess after Kal came back, anything’s possible now—
An elbow to his ribs brought him out of his prejudiced tirade. He quickly straightened his spine and straightened his frown as much as he could.
“The Anbieter? That’s what you call yourself, fella? That’s not a name.”
“Anyone with a speck of intelligence can see that it’s a moniker, and I’m glad you do,” the Anbieter said, extending his hand out, a grin on his uncovered face. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Bakken.”
“Just Aulis is fine.” he returned, hesitantly shaking the Titanian’s hand. He wiped his palm on his jacket the moment he left eyeshot.
“Say Vig,” Aulis soon after said. “You weren’t lying when you said Kal was dead, were you?”
“What does that tell you?” Vigdis pointed at the mausoleum which was on what had been a barn.
“Well…” he said, trailing off for more than a few seconds to collect his thoughts. “Do you think… I could see her? A final time?”
“We already buried her,” Vigdis said. “And not all of her is there to see. But you can pay your respects.”
“It’s awful… to know that such a strong young lady would leave us like that… I came here ‘cause I thought I’d be able to fight with her again… but now, it’ll be for her legacy.”