Four long months had passed since the Battle of Koinelia.

They had driven the Nikan army back into Khongira. They had killed the Bane Knight occupiers of the capital.

The city had been in ruins and was still being built back up. But the important thing was that people were rebuilding.

With the Emperor dead, the Empress missing and his children not yet of age, Legate Iustinianus ascended to the throne with a unanimous vote by the remaining senators for his work in the Koini-Nikan War and took the name Justinian.

They had made Ruhak a legate. They gave Peng a position among the Empire’s most elite engineers.

They awarded all the Shedim Masters with golden laurels of honor for their service in the war, along with the men of the 51st Legion.

But while Koinelia felt victory, Taya Sergeyev’s Shedim Masters felt nothing but defeat.

Shahla fitted a violet, translucent hijab around herself. She stepped back and observed herself in the large mirror in her room in the palace had.

This was the nicest she’d dressed in almost a year. It would work well enough.

Today was the day of the Emperor’s procession, so there was going to be a massive parade in the city to celebrate the life of their ruler.

But Shahla had no intentions of attending that. She was going to go somewhere deep in the woods and have a drink. Despite it being against her religion.

She exited her room into the illustrious marble halls of the Koini palace, to be met by Najeem, who wired dutifully outside for her, dressed in a navy silken robe and a white turban. His scimitar was noticeably absent from his hip.

“You know, you don’t still have to wait for me.” Shahla muttered as they started descending the palace’s many, many stairs, “I can handle myself now.”

That wasn’t to mention that she had also officially released Najeem from service to the Ahmedi Qahtanad Caliphate a while back.

“Old habits die hard, my lady.”

“Ok, stop that.” She said with a chuckle.

“Fine, fine. As you wish.”

They left the palace and hitched a ride with an imperial carriage to their very specific location.

“So…” Shaha muttered, “How’s Bjorn doing? It’s been four months. He has to be doing a little better, right?”

“Well, he’s eating regularly again, so there’s that.” Najeem said, “But...he still locks himself in his room for the rest of the day. He said he’s been carving Taya’s coffin by hand.”

“Well then, we’ll see if that’s true.” Shahla said.

“Oh. Ruhak said he wanted to discuss future plans today as well.” Najeem said, “You got the approval for our proposal from Florentius, right?”

Shahla nodded.

“Good. It’ll be nice to go home again.” Najeem sighed.

“Yes. Though….” Shahla muttered.

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“I can tell what you’re thinking about.” Najeem muttered. “We’ll deal with all the complex stuff as it comes, alright?”

“Ok.” Shahla nodded, “Today’s a celebration after all.”

Najeem tilted his head. “Eh. Not quite the word I’d use. But sure.”

The carriage came to a stop after a few minutes. The two of them stepped out into a small clearing in the middle of the woods, surrounding the largest tree for miles.

It appeared they were the last ones there.

Bjorn, Ruhak, Seang and all the rest were seated around a table that held an intricately carved and polished wooden coffin on it. As Shahla got a closer look, she could see that Taya’s image had been carved into the top, the wooden hands over her chest grasping her claymore.

Shahla glanced at Bjorn and frowned at the dark bags under his eyes. He hadn’t really been himself since the Battle. It was understandable, given their relationship, but it was painful to see.

Shahla and Najeem took seats on wooden benches next to Orhan and Sila, who stopped feuding for just a few days so they could mourn.

An old man with pale skin and draped in a dark green cloak stepped into the clearing and started chanting in a language Shahla couldn’t understand.

“Bjorn got a druid Taya knew from Sklava to come down here.” Orhan whispered. Sila silently shushed him by pressing her finger to her lips.

When the druid was finished chanting, he turned to the Shedim Masters.

“Today, we honor a great warrior, a great leader, and a great friend. She who brought back the age of Shedim. She who defeated the Dragon of the East in single combat.” the druid said, “In life, I never knew her to believe in gods. But she was the strongest among us. So I trust that wherever she may be, she is content. Bjorn?”

Bjorn stood up and took the druid’s place.

“Look, I’m sure Taya wouldn’t want us wailing and weeping over her grave for hours. So I want to keep this short.” Bjorn said, his voice hoarse and tired, “We can honor her memory, give her proper burial, carve her coffin, do anything really. But the most important thing for us to do in the wake of her death is to never, never forget the wonderful lessons she’s taught each of us. She taught us to stand up for ourselves. To fight the winds of fate. To love ourselves and each other. Never forget that.

“But there’s one last thing she told me that day when she was killed. One last message for you and I.” Bjorn sighed, “She told me...told us she had found the Infinite Journey. She wants us to join her some day. All of us. Myself included. I...I don’t know what it means. But it was probably something like our values. And that was her dying wish. So...in honor of that wish, I’d like to make a promise to her.”

Bjorn drew a knife from his belt and cut his palm. He pressed the bloodied hand into a hand-shaped indentation in the coffin's wood, leaving a stain there. The indentations ran all around the coffin, having one for each of the other Shedim Masters.

“I want to promise her I’ll find the Infinite Journey. No matter what it takes. Anyone else who wants to swear this pact with me, please take the knife. If you think it’s kind of meaningless or you simply don’t want to, no big deal. I, uh...I just...n-needed…” Bjorn sniffled. He tried to speak several times, but his own sobs got in the way, “Fuck.”

Shahla stood and walked over to embrace him. She took the knife from him.

“It’s alright.” She said, “It’s okay. I want to swear this too.”

Bjorn sniffed again and nodded, his eyes red and teary. He took his seat once again and Ruhak offered his shoulder to cry on.

Shahla cut her palm, wincing at the sharp pain, but placed her hand on the coffin.

“I swear to find the Infinite Journey. No matter what it takes.”

Eventually, everyone swore the oath. Even the druid.

Once all their bloodstains were on the coffin, the men moved the coffin in a hole that had been dug before the ceremony. Ruhak and Gustave filled the hole with dirt and patted the grave flat.

All the while, Bjorn wiped his eyes, trying to keep himself from breaking down.

The druid poured each of them a small clay cup of wine. “Let us drink. For remembrance of the lost.”

Shahla looked hesitantly at the alcohol. She’d never even tasted it before, and it was strictly outlawed down south. But she downed the cup. For Taya’s sake.

She and Najeem both had the same smoulder at the bitter bite of the drink. How could anyone enjoy this stuff?

When they finished drinking, Ruhak had the benches arranged in a circle.

“So. I think Taya would want us all to look towards the future after burying her. We have to always keep moving. What’s our next step?” Ruhak asked.

Shahla raised her hand.

“Yes?” Ruhak asked.

“A little while ago, Najeem and I approached Senator Florentius. Since we’ve decimated the Nikan army, there’s little to no chance of any kind of real Nikan aggression happening for at least a few years. I got approval for three legions and a Legate to be sent with us if we decide to unite Qahtanad rule under one caliph.”

Ruhak nodded, “Good, good. That’s a good idea.”

Gustave cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Ruhak, but I think it would be more beneficial to consolidate the advantages we have now. I believe we should attempt to organize a Coalition of nations between Koinelia, Sklava, Sarfait, Aotearoa and Jambudvipa before we make any attempts at intervention.”

Ruhak grumbled, “Hm...I like that one.”

“Why not both?” Seang asked.

“Both?” Ruhak raised an eyebrow.

Seang nodded, “Since the Twelve have also handily been defeated, we won’t need as many Shedim Masters for each mission. I say half of us go to Qahtan and half of us help with the coalition. Sound good?”

The Shedim Masters nodded in general agreement.

Except for one.

Bjorn raised his hand, “I...I can’t really do either.”

“What?” Ruhak asked, “Why?”

“I can’t stay here.” Bjorn said, “I’m going back to Ascomarch. I’m going to liberate my homeland.”