Randell tilted his head to the ground.
The fire casted a glow on his face.
A shadow on his eyes.
Silence.
Night insects creaked.
"I don't know where they are... " he said to himself.
Voice low.
A whisper.
"You think that all is well for me just cause I am speaking Infront of you—"
His voice broke.
He lifted his head.
Crying.
He was crying.
"I miss them.... I really miss them!"
Tears flew down like a calm stream.
Fell to the ground and absorbed by the soil.
He wiped with his arm.
It was no longer another freak talking.
But another genuine child crying.
"Okay, that's enough" Marilin said
She grabbed his arm, dragged him inside an embrace.
"Maybe this got too far than I thought" Lyriel said.
Vice low.
"Whom would guess he could cry his eyes out like a child" Ryker added.
"He is a child moron" Lyriel intercepted.
"Yes. But it was kind of hard to imagine him crying , and now that I know what that picture looks like, I am going to have nightmares" Ryker spoke his voice calm.
"Sigh, what a pain. I really hate speeches" Lyriel said.
She walked past Ryker and Marilyn whom embraced Randell.
Lyriel stands before the fire, her face lit from below, casting shadows like scars. The crowd's eyes are raw, red-rimmed, their skin smeared with ash and grief. The air reeked of smoke and char.
"We lost everything," she says
voice cutting through the night like a knife.
"Homes, families, friends... it's all gone."
A woman in the crowd wails, a sound like a wounded animal. Lyriel's gaze doesn't flinch.
"But we still have each other. And we still have rage."
A murmur ripples through the crowd, a mix of anger and desperation.
A man shouts, "What good's rage gonna do? We can't fight... that thing!"
Lyriel's smile is a thin, hard line.
"We don't need to fight it. We need to hunt it."
The crowd's noise dies, like a held breath.
"Hunt it?" a woman repeats, her voice barely audible.
Lyriel's eyes burn, two embers in the night. "We'll track it. We'll find its lair. And we'll make it pay for what it's done."
The crowd's silence stretches, a palpable thing.
Then, a low rumble, a growl of agreement.
A young man steps forward, his face twisted in a snarl. "Aye, we'll make it pay. For my sister. For my ma."
A chorus of voices joins, a chant starting, "Pay... pay... pay..."
Lyriel's arms spread.
Silence followed.
"Yes. We'll make it pay for every life it took. For every dream it crushed. For every memory it burned."
The fire spats, a flare of sparks, as if echoing the crowd's rage. The night vibrates with tension, a living, breathing thing.
Lyriel's voice cuts through the night, a gentle rain ment to sooth the flames of anger, she provoked.
Randell ciezed his falter.
Upon hearing about revenge.😂
"Come on lad let's get you out of here" Ryker spoke as he tied his arm across randell's shoulders.
Walking away with him.
Marilyn signaled Ryan to follow.
He looked to the ground with a terrifying horror level expression.
Lost to thought. He didn't notice, until the second signal.
When Marilyn lifted a pebble and threw near his hard leather boots, filthy with dust and char.
He looked up.
She turned her head, slightly pointing towards Randell's and Ryker whom walked away towards the tents at third decision.
He stood and followed.
Footsteps slowly following behind Ryker and Ryan.
"I can believe you cried Infront of hundreds, haha– haha"Ryker's voice said in a distant hum. Almost a whisper.
Lyriel continued.
"But for now we rebuild. in truth We can't bring back what's lost. We can't undo the pain. But we can choose how we move forward."
The crowd's noise falters, uncertainty creeping in.
A woman steps forward, her eyes red-rimmed. "What choice do we have? Our homes are gone. Our children..."
Lyriel's gaze locks onto hers. "Our children are alive. And they need us to be strong. To rebuild, to remember, and to make sure they have a future."
A murmur ripples through the crowd, a mix of agreement and doubt.
A man spits on the ground. "Rebuild? You think we can just rebuild?"
Lyriel's voice remains steady. "We can. We will. We'll build new homes, new lives. For our children. For ourselves."
A young girl, her face smeared with dirt, tugs on a woman's hand. "Mama, I hungry."
The woman scoops her up, her eyes welling up. "We'll find food, baby. We'll make a new life."
The crowd's mood shifts, a sense of purpose creeping in.
But a gruff voice growls, "Rebuild? What about the revenge you mentioned?"
Lyriel's eyes flash, a spark of anger. "Revenge won't bring back our dead. But it can give us strength. It can fuel us to build something better."
The crowd's noise grows, a mix of agreement and dissent.
Lyriel raises her voice, a promise. "We'll remember. We'll rebuild. And then we'll make sure it pays for what it has done."
She lifted her hand and the crowd roared.
Ryker returned after a a short while.
With a sack in his hand.
He walked and then stood next to Marilyn.
"Are the boys okay" she asked, her attention never left the crowd, faced forward.
"I have shown them their tent, they should catch some z's anytime soon. After all they are probably exhausted" he replied.
"I doubt that—" she added.
Lyriel finished.
The crowd's roar is a mix of anger and determination, a defiant scream into the night.
A figure in the shadows watches, a low chuckle echoing through the darkness. "Interesting, to think they can just move on after what she did to them. You guys surely have it easy don't you."
The voice was clearly female.
But strong.
"I should probably check on the lost cub"
She walked in the deep underbrush and vanished.
The fire spits, a flare of sparks, as if echoing Lyriel's promise. The night is far from over.
The night seemed to press in, the darkness closing around them like a shroud. But Lyriels words hung in the air, a beacon of hope in the darkness, a reminder that even in the bleakest of times, there was always a way forward.
When the cheers died down, Lyriel turned his gaze at Ryker, as if it were a signal, Ryker responded by a nod, as he walked closer with the sack in hand then dropped it to the ground.
It fell and dropped next to his feet.
Dust raised.
He opened the sack and placed his hands inside, pulling out a Lily flower with white petals, the delicate scent of the flower wafting through the air, a poignant reminder of the beauty that still existed in this broken world.
"For Alara, my friend, comrade and chief," she spoke, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear him, as their gazes turned towards him.
Ryker imbued a small amount of his aura energy, and the petals started to glow, a soft, ethereal light that seemed to emanate from within. The light cast a warm glow on his face, illuminating the deep lines of sorrow etched on his forehead.
Lyriel followed his example and picked out a single flower, her fingers brushing against the soft petals as he held it up.
The sound of crickets and the gentle rustling of leaves in the night wind filled the air, a mournful serenade to their fallen loved ones.
"To Alara... My friend, sister and beloved comrade," she spoke, a smile on her lips, as her lily started glowing as well. The light of the flower seemed to dance in her eyes, a reflection of the hope and determination that burned within her.
Marilyn, walked closer to Lyriel and Ryker, her eyes shining with tears.
Ryker gave her a lily, and she held it up, her voice barely above a whisper. "To Aris... My daughter and Cyan my son," she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion, as her lily started glowing with a simple, beautiful smile on her lips.
The light of the flower seemed to illuminate her face, casting a warm glow on her features. Everyone else, even those who'd lost their limbs, followed the example, as they took out a Lily and spoke the names of their passed away family and comrades.
When everyone had a Lily in arms, in honor of their loved ones, Lyriel, Ryker, and Marilyn walked away from the campfire, with everyone following behind them. They walked on the soft grass, the night winds palpable, the darkness illuminated by the soft light of the glowing lilies.
The procession moved in silence, the only sound the soft rustling of the grass beneath their feet, and the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. they reached the river, they placed the lilies in the water, watching as the current washed them away, carrying the hopes and prayers of the survivors with them.
Everyone placed their hands together in a prayer-like gesture, as Ryker gave a prayer. His voice was low and soothing, a gentle breeze on a summer's day, as he spoke to the Mother of light and wind, the guardian of fire and water, and the Mother of life and death.
"Ninrir, Mother of light and wind, guardian of fire and water, Mother of life and death, I humbly beseech you: guide these fallen souls to eternal peace, grant them safe passage to the afterlife, and illuminate their journey."
"Lannen!" Everyone spoke in unison, as they ended the prayer. (Lannen) a word that means "Peace to the fallen"
The lilies moved in the water, glowing with a magnificent light, as if they carried the very souls of the fallen, a beautiful sight to behold.
Randell and Ryan sat on a huge tree as they looked down on the others, eyes lingered on the lilies, their heart heavy with grief, but also with hope. theirs eyes sparkled with the distant light of the glowing lilies.
"Aren't you going to go down and place a flower" Randell spoke as he looked down, he didn't even turn to face Ryan.
"I don't believe in nonsense" Ryan replied and paused "I am sure where ever grandma is, she finally found the peace she needed"
"I see, well then be my guest" Randell spoke.
"on that note..... What abou—" Ryan spoke and got interrupted.
"No thanks, they are fine"
Silence.
Ryan looked at Randell's expression.
He never turned
"Cyan, dear brother and comrade, and Arise, dear sister and mentor, may you remain safe, wherever your journeys have taken you," Randell whispered a silent prayer.
His gaze falling upon the lilies placed in honor of their memory. Memories flooded his mind – laughter, tears, shared moments – and with them, a vow he'd made to himself: to rebuild what was lost, to revive the Ronan pride Cyan had cherished.
"Cyan, though I can't fathom the pain you felt seeing our village burn, I swear to restore what was taken.
He paused.
"When you return, I promise the Ranon pride you loved will be reborn, stronger than before."
He watched the lilies disappear into the darkness, carrying the hopes and dreams of the survivors with them.
END OF CHAPTER 23