318) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 82 — Funeral

The river was mostly calm, winding through the heart of the mountain range in a narrow but easily navigable tunnel. The few parts where the water was faster were rigged up with pulley systems that Dominic figured out quickly, allowing them to ease the boats through the rough patches. Clearly, the Zhaalmohhrians had put some work into this secret exit over the years.

They hadn’t said much since leaving Graxia’s. Getting out of the underground cavern was easy, as it turned out. Once they went back to the alcove where they’d entered, and then tried countless times to say “Graaaaaassslch,” a white doorway opened, leading them right back to the bedroom, from which they quickly high-tailed it out of there.

Melkorn had taken a day and a half to fully shake off the Demon’s poison. It was a miracle of the Light, Gorb claimed, when Melkorn’s fever started to come down and it was clear he was going to beat it. Once he was back on his feet, grinning as usual, he shrugged it off when they’d asked him the secret. “Snakes. Lotta snakes in the fields around Annuvin, you know. Poison don’t hurt me no more.”

Reilly, sitting on his lap, beamed up at her friend. Melkorn could do anything, she knew. He was stronger than anybody. She, along with Lenny, had never left his side while he sweated through the fever, giving him water, putting cool cloths on his forehead, and keeping him company. Lenny and Melkorn were Reilly’s first Real Family.

The Inheritance, they had discovered, was the guidance of the Demon, a near-immortal creature who had fed information and secrets to the Zhaalmohhrians for millennia, ensuring they stayed at the top of the wealth and power hierarchy of the world.

But the Inheritance contained some heirlooms as well, passed down from Heir to Heir:  a stunning platinum amulet in the half-crescent shape of the Zhaal symbol, a dark purple gemstone with swirling smoke inside, and a scroll, on ancient-but-perfectly-preserved parchment, tied with a purple ribbon.

After some debate, they had decided to give the amulet to Kohra, for her heroism in nearly sacrificing her life in their battle with Graxia. She’d accepted it reluctantly, thanking them all so many times that Lenny finally punched her and threatened to take it back.

The gem, they’d decided was Melkorn’s, for being their pillar of strength. And the scroll, they gave to Gorb, for being their leader and inspiring them faithfully (indeed, obsessively) to follow the Light.

Now, that was all behind them, and they were crammed together in a small rowboat, drifting through the dark tunnel under the mountain.

After about two hours, they reached a wide part where the river wound around a corner and the otherwise-unbroken walls opened to a passageway that led upward through a narrow crack in the rock. A short dock stood by the opening, with two other boats already moored.

“That looks like the one the Commander took,” Lenny remarked.

Dominic nodded, docking carefully while everybody peered around for a possible ambush. But the previous boaters were long gone. He tied the boat, and everyone disembarked. The cave was silent, save for the constant gurgle of the river. It smelled earthy and dank, and felt like a tomb.

The passageway wound upward, stair-like grooves carved into the rock. After a short climb, the tunnel emerged into a crevice, and bright light shone from the sliver of sky far above. It was the first they’d seen of the sky since attacking Graxia’s valley. Kohra felt surprisingly moved by it. The absence of light effects the mind like the absence of food or water affects the body. Just seeing the sky again lifted her spirits.

An hour’s hike later, they emerged from the crevice, and stood on top of a rocky ridge that slanted across part of the mountain range. It was beautiful, way up there. Kohra marvelled that she could look around in all directions, and quickly, all sense of scale or perspective was lost. She could see entire weather systems developing in different parts of the sky, could see mountain peaks that must be leagues and leagues away. And the sky seemed to go forever. It was breath-taking.

The ridge marked the outer boundary of the mountain range; behind, snow-capped peaks stood as far as they could see, but in front of them stretched a green, forested land of foothills.

Dominic looked at the sky carefully. “East,” he declared. “This is East! We’ve crossed the range entirely! We’re in the EastLands!”

Kohra sighed inwardly. They were getting even further away from home. Now there was a whole mountain range separating them.

“Before we hike down, I think this is the place,” Gorb said somberly, stopping and taking off his pack.

Devona nodded. “These mountains were her home.”

Everyone looked over at Melkorn; he was carrying the bundle that was Grok’s body.

Dominic looked ashen, but managed a smile. “Yeah, I think she'd like that.”
“And we can always come back for her if we decide there's someplace better,” Lenny commented.

Everybody gaped.

“What? I'm just saying. Maybe we'll find some sweet place and think, hey Grok would probably rather be here, and we can come and…get her?” She looked bewildered by their expressions. “What?”

* * * * *

The ritual itself was beautiful, simple, heartfelt. They each spoke about what they knew of Grok, how much she had helped them, and what she had taught them — friendship,  philosophy, kindness, magic, heroism, bravery, and of course, sacrifice. They knew, for sure, that they wouldn't have survived without her.

“She was my Friend! She gave everything for us,” Reilly cried at one point, and that really summed it up. She was a Friend, who gave everything for them.

Gorb led them in prayer, and then a somber Klliik song. They didn't understand any of the words, but the sad, lilting tune made its sentiment as clearly as any eulogy or poem.

They left her body in a grave they dug into the snow, mostly using Gorb’s shield as a shovel. They covered her first with a thick layer of rocks, the biggest ones they could carry, and then shovelled the snow back into the hole, forming a mound on top, a mere blip in the vastness of the mountains. Kohra looked back at the little grave as they walked away. She was going to miss her.

* * * * *

That night, on the edge of the treeline, they activated the Wand of Secret Camping one more time. Even though it wasn't strictly necessary, they all agreed it was a good idea. They were exhausted. They needed sleep.

But later, as the sky glowed a deep pink and the land slept under its gentle embrace, Kohra lay wide awake, looking up at the Flows.

“Kohra?” It was Devona's whisper.

“Yeah?” She looked over.
“You awake?”

Kohra smiled in the dark. “Yeah. Lots of things to think about, you know.”

Devona nodded. “You want to check out that scroll? I mean, we're not sleeping anyway.”

Kohra sat up in a flash. “Yes!” She tried to keep her voice to a low whisper. “Think you can read it?”

Devona nodded and they rose quietly, moving over to where Gorb was sleeping. But as they drew near, he lifted one hand, already holding the scroll. “Figurrred ye’d come lookin’ ferrr it.”

“Me too,” commented Lenny from the dark.

“Hey, you guys awake too?” Melkorn’s voice came from somewhere near Lenny.

Devona unrolled the scroll, while behind her, Lenny produced a small flame from her fingertip, like a candle. Kohra sat beside her, staring in fascination at the beautifully calligraphic writing, although the symbols were completely unintelligible. She looked back up at her friend.

Dev’s eyes had once again turned black; she looked like she was in a trance. Kohra felt concerned, scared, although she knew now wasn’t the time to say anything. But she didn’t understand these abilities Dev suddenly possessed. Where had she learned all this stuff? Why hadn’t she said anything about it?

She was starting to understand that their paths were diverging, at least in terms of the Flux. Shaping was not Devona’s path, and although Kohra didn’t understand what she was doing, she just…. Part of Kohra knew she was jealous; she felt hurt that Dev had learned all these things somehow without sharing them with her. And part of her was simply concerned.

* * * * *

Silently, controlling his breathing so as to make barely any mist in the cold air, the invisible man stood about twenty paces off to the side. He had followed them faithfully, ever since Lila had given him this assignment back in the cavern, right after the Sword had been stolen. He knew she was safe. As always, he could feel her presence in his mind. And as always, she’d been right. This odd group of mostly-children were the Key. Meditating, silent as an old oak, he watched and listened.

* * * * *

After a few minutes of intense concentration, Devona gasped, pulling back from the scroll like it was too much to take in all at once.

“This is…. Oh my, this is, this is important.” Her still-black eyes looked at Kohra, then at each of the others. “I have a feeling that…yeah, I don’t know, but this will change everything.”

She focused back on the scroll. “Okay, get ready. This is organized in three parts.”