A Serpent's Tale
Chapter 146: Mourning

Chapter 146: Mourning

Around a week had passed since we arrived here and the funeral ceremony was almost ready. The reason it hadn’t started yet, was because people wanted to bury things that belonged to the individuals being buried. I was no different.

Along with some of the other members of the Velphine family, mainly her parents and grandparents. They placed their items inside of a box that was placed next to her body. Some pieces of jewellery were placed on her body, such as the rings I gave her as well as the necklace.

There was also ’Nature’s Gift’ which was still on her hand even now. I started crying in front of everyone as I collapsed and grabbed her cold hand. Lycerous and Kharinna came up behind me and placed their hands on my shoulders.

I looked up at them with beady eyes and told them, ’I want to do something for her.’

"Well... That depends on what you want to do." Lycerous informed me.

I looked back at what remained of her face, and at Nature’s Gift. And I decided what I wanted to do.

I explained my idea to the two and they said that they would have to check with Tobroes, but it would more than likely be accepted.

A few minutes later, he came over with a couple of the other patriarchs with the seed that carried Efyos’ spirit, or soul, or whatever was left of him. They handed it to me, and I then took of Nature’s Gift from her hand. I then placed the ring on her frigid palm with the seed placed in the middle of the ring and closed her hand, giving her one last kiss on her hand as I place it back down and let go.

Tears welling up in my eyes for the umpteenth time as I moved away, as I don’t think I would be able to leave if I stayed any longer.

Shortly after I went to my place in the crowd, the ceremony began.

"Citizens of Athenelos." Tobreos was the one who addressed everyone once we were all ready. "On this day, we say our final goodbyes to our loved ones, who were unfortunately killed on that eventful day."

Everyone put their heads down once he said that, a solemn atmosphere descending upon everyone as we all remembered what happened, and what we lost.

"But that does not mean that we should let this drag us down!" Tobreos continued. "We must always remember this in our memories, and into our hearts, for we do not live on for revenge, nor vanity, we live on, for them." He started off with valence, but ended with a forlorn tone.

"We will make sure that they are never truly gone, by making sure that we never forget, we must make sure to strive to create a new home, one that they would be proud of, and more than happy to stay in if they were here with us." Like before, he started grandiose, but soon his tone shifted and became mournful once more.

"And although they are no longer with us, I’m sure that they will be watching us from above, smiling down and gracing us with good tidings."

I winced slightly when he said that, as there was likely not much of a chance of that happening, since they were burned by Hell fire and Wrath fire, both burn the soul away, which is needed to go into the afterlife or reincarnate. It might be possible to release them through some means but I wouldn’t know.

But just in case, I gave a prayer to my father.

’Father, I don’t know if you’ll hear this, but if there is a way to return these souls, please do it for me.’

And that was it, a rather simple prayer, but I was praying to my father, so I didn’t need to act all pious and shit. I hope he could do this for me, even if he isn’t able to release many souls. It would make me feel better.

"And so, with this, we say goodbye to our loved ones, one last time." He finished off his grand speech, turning around and bowed to the pit where everyone was placed. "Goodbye, we will miss each and every one of you, for you made our lives special, and gave them more meaning than you could ever know. Goodbye."

And then, a chorus of everyone saying the sole word, "Goodbye." Sounded out, as the earth beneath started to rise up like an empty fountain being filled with water, until the ground was level with the rest.

And as soon as everyone was buried, people started to cry uncontrollably at the fact that they would never see any of them again. I was not spared either as I threw my face into my hands, hunching over myself as I sat on my own tail.

It was a sad moment for all of us. We now had to live on without them. I don’t know if I can do that. I have no one else left here. I have nothing.

The Velphine’s may try and include me, but without her, I don’t belong here, there’s no connection between us without her, she was the reason I stayed. And now... That reason is gone...

Even Dorrak, who was supposed to support me in whatever I did, is gone. I truly don’t have a reason to stay here anymore. I don’t even have a reason to stay alive.

Should I just go out into the forest, somewhere where no one will find me and just end it? I don’t have any reason to remain alive, do I?

Everyone I know and care about is gone, and the people that I have a connection to only care about me because one of their own cared about me...

I have nothing...

I have no one... No one who truly cares about me for me... They only care about me for someone else... Just so that their minds don’t feel guilt for not doing what the person they actually cared about would want them to do...

No one here cares for me...

...

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There was a small feast after the funeral ceremony to celebrate this new Chapter, but I didn’t eat much as I planned to end it all soon.

"Mistress, you need to eat."

Oh, right... Ayuri’s still here... I feel bad for her that she has to serve me still. I’m not sure why she’s still doing that, she has no reason to.

I was holding a small plate in my hands which had a few strips of meat and a potato. And it was still rather full compared to when I got my food. I’d only eaten one potato and a single strip of meat, and that was half an hour ago, so the food had gone cold right now.

I didn’t feel like eating so I just put the plate down and went back to my tent. It wasn’t a very large tent, just large enough to keep my tail inside if I wrapped it up, which I did.

Ayuri peeked into the tent and asked, "Do you want me to stay with you tonight, mistress?"

I shook my head and she quietly left me to go to her own tent. Outside I could hear the voices of those trying to make the best of the situation by drinking their sorrows away while other tried to distract themselves in other ways.

I then waited, and waited, and waited, until there was no sound coming from outside. And when I poked my head out to take a look, I could see that it was well past midnight and everyone was asleep.

I slipped out of my tent as quietly as possible to not alert anyone into waking up. I then slinked my way to the edges of the camp where I had to wait for an opening or else the night watch would catch me, and I didn’t want anyone knowing that I was leaving.

They soon went to rotate their watchmen and I took that chance to slip past them and head into the forest without looking back.

I kept going deeper and deeper until I felt like I was far enough away that I wouldn’t be found and would be mauled and eaten by the wild beasts in the area way before they would ever reach this location.

I took one last look up at the stars in the sky through the leaves above me, their radiance shining down alongside the twin moons.

I gave one last look back at my life before I ended it all.

...

I had a really horrible life, didn’t I.

"Heh." I sneered at all the misfortunes that I had to experience in my life for no reason at all.

I looked down at my hands and looked at the ring on it. It was the Ring of Lust that my father gave to me when I was younger. It was the only ring I had left as I had the rest buried with her. Leaving me with the necklace left by my mother, and the ring from my father.

’I’m sorry father, but I can’t fulfil your wishes, it’s just too painful to go on.’

I had though of how I wanted to go while I was waiting, so I opened my palm and ignited my [Lust Flame], intending to burn myself with it.

"Stop. Right. There."

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