Tag: project sos

‘Does it hurt?’

‘Does what hurt Samiel?’

‘Seeing all the people dead while you’re still here.’

The child kneeled respectfully next to her in front of the shrine, looking around to see all the new graves. There was no harm meant in his words. The curiosity of the young.

‘I didn’t know any of them Samiel.’ She lied.  Samiel’s eyes studied her, cutting through the uncaring air she had wrapped around herself. Visions of the dead ran through her mind. Letters sent, friends lost. It never stopped, hurting like this when someone was gone.

Samiel’s gaze turned away and he pushed himself up to look at the new graves. ‘Sorry. I just thought- doesn’t it hurt to be so old? Like this guy here-’  His hand reached out to touch the grave with all the respect a child had. ‘You kept sending him letters, right?’ The words stung. Windsong knew he asked out of curiosity but the words stung nontheless.

‘You can send enough letters to fuel all the campfires of the world and it doesn’t change what the cold and heartless grip of time and death will take from you.’ She drawled out in a dry tone. ‘But no. I’ve over a thousand years old and it’s never easy. Never ever does death hurt any less. It hurts even worse when you can see the possible roads they could have taken.’

Less than twenty, less than eighteen but more than ten children. The images stung at her heart. But what always hurt the most was seeing so much and wondering if one word could have made a difference. If more power spent had been the way to go, to find that right path. Her fingers dug into her leg until the pain forced her thoughts to go elsewhere.

‘You see, Samiel, the best thing we’ll ever have is choice. We’re not mindless. We choose. The people that died during this…celebration, especially in the last few days, died for something they believed was important. Worth more than what they were. You might not understand it now, it might takes a while, but someday you’ll grow to love something enough that what that thing is worth is beyond meaning. It’s worth any sacrifice you can make for it. The biggest sacrifice is always this’

She gestures to the newly dug graves.’Your life. Because you aren’t just valuable to yourself. What you do affects so many people. You have so much more value and are loved more than you’ll ever truly know. So when you sacrifice yourself that loss is keenly felt. Because there’s no coming back from that. No more memories you can make and those that you leave behind will feel your loss as sharply as if it had been cut out of their own heart.’

‘You didn’t know any of them.’ Samiel stated. He didn’t believe she didn’t know any of them. Briefly the image of Vyntael came to mind- how many times had she tried to scry his future to help the man?

He wasn’t even three centuries old. She was over a thousand herself. It never hurt any less to see the young pass away. When they had so much power, potential, when they were friends.

‘No Samiel. I didn’t know any of them.’ The last memory of Vyntael came to mind. His incorporeal form fading as she threw the Blood Star he had posthumously received towards him. ‘They wouldn’t even let me have the last spiteful gesture’

‘What?’

‘Nothing. Did you want to head off to the inn for lunch?’

‘Yeah!’

‘Alright, start going then.’

As Samiel turned and left Windsong began to hum softly. When she was younger she knew of a cult that worshiped a spider. Her parents had followed it and though she had not she kept some of those teachings. One dagger was pulled free from its hilt as she reached into her pocket. ‘Short was your life’ The familiar words came to mind, briefly easing the pricking at the back of her eyes.

‘Yet you lived it with strength, truth, and fought with honor. Reaching from the ground until your fingers touched the sun. Strength holding brightness. Power, burning, glory unsullied.’

Did the Spider Goddess watch even now? She felt eyes on her from somewhere a judgmental gaze. 

‘You chose to make the the ultimate sacrifice rather than to turn back. But you do not go alone. You would not let your King journey into that next world alone. As you should- every king needs an honor guard’

A bloodred and black cloak was set on the grave. ‘Your marching orders given. When he you are cold take this cloak.’ A mana potion set atop the cloak. ‘When you hunger, let this sate you.’  A small book was set onto the cloak. ‘When you need entertainment, let his entertain.’ It was a simple book but she had always loved the happy ending.

‘And to give you some of my strength as you follow your king, I give you some of my own self. The final journey is the hardest to make. But you who have sacrificed so much and can finally rest at its end.’ The dagger flashed, pain shot up her arm, burning and sharp as blood welled up from the cut in her arm to freely drop onto the cloak. 

‘Time goes one. But you will be remembered. Sink into the darkness and follow the path to the next world. Follow your king knowing those you left behind will miss you.’

The real ceremony was formal but she couldn’t recall it now as she watched her blood drip onto the cloak. ‘I tried- i really tried to help. But- we made our choices and we stuck with them. Until we meet again Vyntael Springbreeze. May Belore keep you warm.’ When the blood slowed and Samiel’s impatient yells sounded down the road she rolled her sleeve up. 

‘There’s naught else to say but- I’ll miss you. You were fun to talk to. Maybe we could have been closer friends with time. But- all I can do now is wish you a good journey with your allies and King to your final rest.’

She rolled her sleeved down and put her dagger away. ‘See you soon.’ A sarcastic salute and she was on her way. 

It wouldn’t be until much later she went home with Thallus again for the night and cleaned to soothe her feelings. To ease the pain in her soul. It was soothing beyond measure not to be alone, to clean, to have someone else there. Soothing to sleep with the knowledge someone else was there, arms around you to keep themselves safe.

After she’d had some drinks in silence. Just enough to ease the pain.