Fate and Freedom XXIII:The Fiery Rebel

Slowly, Gale picked herself up off of the floor, still crying. Gigas again handed his Agnablaster to Roux, picking Tamari up off off the floor. Slowly, everybody walked back out the way they came in. Gale stopped, carefully picking up her father's corpse after removing the various knives embedded within and carrying it carefully outside.

Everybody gathered around as Gale used a rusty old pitchfork she had found by the bug tree to dig up the dirt that lay between her and her mother's bones, carefully placing her father inside. She got Gigas to use his firey powers to heat up the end of one of the prongs. Gale then broke it off (it was that rusty) and began to re-etch the inscription on the headstone. It now read:

Here Lie

Eleina and Matthew Kaze

Beloved husband, wife, parents and grandparents

Content with her opportune handiwork, she stood up silently, having finally stopped crying. Mizu stepped up behind her silently, kissed her on the cheek and wrapper his arms around her, swaying her from side to side the way she had done with Rakurai before they came here. Gigas then proceded to dig another grave next to Gale's parents', this time for Helyna, before giving the body to Rakurai, who slowly kissed his dead girlfriend's lips one final time, before placing her at rest and replacing the dirt over her still corpse. There was no headstone to be placed, unfortunately. But they would all remember. Nina was at the water's edge, placing Tamari's dead, bloodied body into the water, to be taken where the current willed, as was the way of those born in Kyuuryuu. As the queen, she shared a mental link with the Lake of Eternity. The Lake was communed with (for lack of a better phrase) by a royal seeress. Therefore, Kyuuryuu would know of her death even if it happened outside of thier walls.

As the group came together once again, a melifluous, male, slightly aged voice interrupted the sombre silence.

"Ah. I was hoping I'd find you all here."

Everybody turned thier bodies to face the direction of the broken beehive. A man with smartly cropped red hair and Phantasmic purple eyes was sat upon what remained of the bench that the beehive once sat upon. He peeled his body up away from it and walked closer to the hunters.

"Who are you?" Roux asked.

"Oh, you must excuse me. My name is Enshi. I arranged to meet with you here some hours ago, though I fear my message may not have reached you. Am I correct?" Enshi said politely.

"Not exactly," Mizu said contrarily. "...We did get your message, buuuut it sent us the Necropolis Boneyard, where we had a nice chat with Shinkaiyami, who took back his "Heart", for whatever it is that he's planning."

"So, you've met the Dark One. I see. If he has the Heart...well, that is very bad news for us humans."

"Why, exactly?" Altair enquired.

"Well...I think it is best that you come with me," Enshi said quietly. He snapped his fingers and a fiery red gateway appeared. Everydoy let out a shprt, startled gasp as it appeared.

"You can open gateways...like Nina?" Makoto said, confused.

"Alas, the extent of my space-manipulating abilities reaches no further than these simple gateways. I, much like Gigas here, am I fire Descendant. Gigas, as to how I know your name: you probably don't remember me, but I used to be an historian at the Scholariship in Kasai. I am an expert on al things Wyrm-ecology, history, biochemistry...and legacy."

Enshi then turned his back on the group and swalked until he reached the edge of the portal, turning his head back to them a little.

"If you wish to discover the truth behind everything...you will follow me," he said quietly, soberly.

And with that, he stepped through the fiery portal and faded away in its flames.

After a short pause of consideration. The hunters and Descendants all walked sheepishly into the portal, eager to learn the truth behind Shinkaiyami's mysterious motives...and the truth behind what happened to their land.

To Be Continued in: Fate and Freedom XXIV: Plans for Revolt