Chapter 50: Honor, Memory, and A New Team

Sakura, Landar

Sakura

We couldn’t have a proper funeral. My friend's bodies had some kind of lingering corruption on them, and had been burned as a precaution. Their purified and sanctified ash’s had been returned to their family, and clan.

But the kingdom, the duchy, the school, and myself were determined to honor them regardless. Them and the hundreds of other warriors, cultivators, and knights who had died fighting to protect my people. My family.

It was the least we could do.

The lantern in my hand was a simple paper thing. The lightly enchanted magic candle at its heart flickered defiantly despite the howling winter wind, and growing gloom of darkness around us. The sun had set some time ago, and the stars and moon were slowly making their way into the tapestry of the sky overhead.

My fathers speech on top of Kame’s highest peak was one about sacrifice, and love of one's family and country above oneself. He mentioned the triplets by name, and while he didn’t mention Regi specifically, he did say “And the machinations of traitors, heretics, and enemies of all kinds, does not dampen their sacrifice. Let us remember our lost, and honor them.”

After that, my mother led the lantern ceremony. It was short and sweet, unlike my fathers speech. And soon the entire sky, on the first clear day in weeks, was filled with little floating pinpricks of flickering light.

As if those fires, representing the souls of our lost, went to join the stars overhead.

After the ceremony was done, the moon was high in the sky, my mother and father met with me. It was short, but comforting. We discussed my future, what options I had available to me now that my entire team was either dead, or had turned traitor. My father wanted me to come home.

But my mother had a different perspective. Sitting in front of a small hearth in the Family Palace drinking tea and talking, my mother gave me some good advice. “Darling, you’ve been through a lot in a very short period of time. You’ve lost those you had grown to trust, and you’ve had your first real defeat.”

My heart sank. It was true. I was a failure.

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“But if you stop now, you will lose your momentum. Take your time to properly grieve. Give yourself space to feel what you need to feel, and do what you need to do. But after that is done? Wipe your tears, dust off your robes, and get back into the fight. That is the only way for one who walks one of the paths of the Dao.”

And so as I left, as I was watching the lanterns float even higher and higher into the sky as I stood at the railing of the balloon ship heading back to the western city, I made a decision.

I would do just as she had described.

I’d already wept for my friends.

I’d already dusted myself off, and healed my body.

Now? Now it was time for me to get back into the frey. And school, conveniently, started again in the morning.

***

Landar

The next morning, school had started as normal. Classes were back in full swing, and as I wrapped up my efforts and returned to my quarters in the afternoon, I found a notice from Edna sitting on my letter desk.

“Oh crap,” I said to myself as I sat down, and read it again. The letter had a list of students and retinue who had died, were lost in action, or who had withdrawn from the class.

Only two students had died. Regi was, officially, listed as missing in action. Edna wasn’t apparently fully convinced that he wasn’t somehow being manipulated or controlled by the elves through hsi unstable core and whatever shadow magic his clan had gifted him with. But among the listed missing and dead, were some seven other names. Retinue members from the other students.

Some were clearly family to the student listed beside their name signifying who they were retinue to. Others were paid hands, friends, or colleagues. The list didn’t just contain the first year class however.

Under our names were the second, third, and fourth year lists. Seven students in total from all the classes had died in various ambushes or when the fighting grew unexpectedly intense. Or in some cases, just a random stray attack from the real monsters that had been on the field as they dueled each other. While some eighteen retinue in total had been slain.

Edna was instituting a new rule. Every student needed to have a full retinue of at least four. Meaning teams of five at a minimum including the student. Plus, every excursion outside the tower would be directly accompanied by her, or another teacher at the academy.

Those students unable, or unwilling to comply with the rules would be forced to withdraw. They wouldn’t suffer any damage to their GPA, but they also wouldn’t be able to attend the class in the future without special permission from Edna herself.

I knew there was someone who was going to struggle with this. Someone that had helped me, despite myself, many times.

It didn’t take me long to walk out my door, down the stairs, out the dormroom front double doors, across the courtyard, and up to the quarters I was looking for. I stood there, holding onto the letter. I could hear people inside speaking quietly. Discussing options given the contents of the letter.

I raised my hand, and knocked.

A few moments later, Sakura appeared looking confused and slightly annoyed. Victor and her brother Rayce stood behind her trying to see who I was.

“Hey Sakura. I see you got yours too then?” she nodded. “Good. I have an idea . . .”