=IV=

The long farewell

Clare reached for Raki's body for the first time. He was grey and cold to the touch, and stiff. She gently freed him of the spear, taking him in her arms as he lost its support. Then, she extracted the sword, letting it drop to the floor in a dull thud. The noise made her shiver, but she dutifully continued with the right arm, removing the crossbow darts and the dagger.

When she was done, she took him in her hands and carried him outside. The air was tepid and calm, and was turning darker, but there was enough light and she knew the way.

She reached the river mechanically, incapable to think of anything. Every few steps she was securing her grip on Raki, to make sure not to make him fall. She got on the flat stone and knelt. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the last sunset on the river, and it hit her like a maul. That brief glimpse of pink, orange and red brought her back to reality and to the awareness she was trying to fight in the subconscious.

She saw Raki with different eyes. He wasn't smiling, he would never smile again. She saw the terrible wounds. She cradled him and could hear no heartbeat. She started to hum, as if grief was finding its way within her. Around her, a circle of purple and red youki started to whirl, faster and faster. The circle became a column, her hum a cry, the whirl a vortex.

She screamed his name, looking at the sky. The youki exploded without constraints, consuming everything for meters, pulverizing rocks, turning trees to ashes and flash boiling water. The vortex roared up in the sky, spinning masses of clouds. Clare released all her spirit, then everything returned quiet and the darkness of a moonless night settled in.

The children were sitting in a half-circle, their attention on Galatea. It was like that every time she was telling them a story, which is how they always ended the day. She had a lot of stories to tell, each splendid.

That night it was the turn of the story of the defeat of the one-horned demon, a terrible monster invading the dreams of the good kids to turn them evil. It was one of their favorite stories, at the end of which a group of kids allied to fight the demon guided by an angel of light and banished it from the world. She was getting to the point where the angel and the kids were reaching the demon's lair, when she stopped telling.

From time to time, she was indeed stopping, allowing them to roam with their imagination, but this time she did not seem as she was going to resume anytime soon, she was like distracted by something.

A girl sitting close to her shyly pulled her gown: "Sister Latea? Sister…"

Galatea had felt a surge of energy like she hadn't felt in ages, and was trying to understand where was it from.

The girl pulled again: "Sister Latea, are you alright?"

She kept pulling, growing more anxious: "Sister Latea, please, is there something wrong?"

The other children were all waiting in silence.

The claymore caressed the girl: "Sorry Thea… Sorry all, I am just… very tired."

The girl and the others appeared still worried.

"But so were the angel and the kids, as they were entering the demon's lair. Yet, they did not falter."

She smiled and went on finishing the story and put all to bed. When she was done, she ran to the nuns' quarters and entered her room. She felt she was not alone.

"Galatea, what was that?"

"You have become as good a sensitive as I am Tabitha, you know…"

"I believe I know, but it can't be … How could it be?"

"I don't know how, or why, but I would recognize that youki among thousands. Go tell Cynthia and Galk, we must go now."

"Helen?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you feel it?"

"What?"

"I don't know…"

"I like the way you are always so precise."

Deneve sighed: "Yeah, and I just love the way you are always so annoying. Must have been nothing, anyway."

They were sitting around a campfire, on snowy ground. Deneve turned as if willing to sleep. Helen raised up and started to collect her things, packing. Her friend looked at her with an inquisitive look.

"We should go."

"Where, what?"

"I felt it too, your 'don't know what'."

Deneve raised up too.

"Should we quit what we are doing for a hint of something?"

"Should we quit cheap bounty-hunting for something that tickled us both here in the middle of nowhere, you mean?"

"Well, I don't regret my life… Too much…"

"No, better than locking ourselves in a monastery, but I don't want to miss the chance of a diversion."

"And where do you want to go, Helen?"

"To pay a visit to Galatea, of course. Whatever we felt, she felt it better."

Jean's head was still aching. It had been more than a day, but she got hit hard. She still had some of the metallic aftertaste of blood. Galk too was in bad shape, she could tell that he had been hit as well, still with his face with crusted blood.

She was scared, but so angry she could not feel it. She was feeling ropes cutting through her skin so tightly they were tied. She had been unconscious for a while, then she remembered a fast galloping but she could not recognize the places. The horses were puffing loudly, they were being pushed hard.

When they finally stopped for a break, she could overhear the voices of the men that murdered her father.

"Damn, who the hell was this guy?"

"They client told us to pay attention, we should've gone by night."

"Yeah but this, we lost so many…"

"How were we supposed to take him alive?"

Then a voice raised above the others, bossy.

"They said we could kill him, just not the kids. The pay is good and now we have less people to divide for."

This seemed to cheer them up.

"Right, boss!"

Jean tried to wake his brother up, poking him in the back with her head.

"Galk… Galk!"

He groaned: "Mmh…"

"They killed… father. They killed him…"

She felt anger grow even more, as she twisted her hands to try and break free from the ropes.

"They killed him…"

She started to growl. He looked at her, with an eye almost closed by a swelling around the orbit.

"You must calm down sis…"

She pulled the ropes even more, until she felt her muscles aching up to her shoulders even beyond the pain of the wrists.

"I will not calm down, I will…"

"Shhh, please Jean. You must…"

"Don't treat me like one of your pets! We must break free and… kill them."

He started to tremble, then struggled to keep control.

"Sis, please, I can't…"

Galk remembered his mother and straightened up. "I must look after her…" - he told himself, and forced himself in control

"Jean, look at me. We are together. We will stay together, you understand? I will protect you."

"Are you joking? I will, you are good for nothing…"

"You don't understand…"

He felt frustrated, but he had to stay focused.

"Jean, do it for me, please. Calm down. Look at me."

She looked at him, his expression was inexplicably serene and soothing.

"How can you be so… We should break free…"

"We can't do it now, sis. Calm down, we must… recover our strength."

She started to cry, her fury had been overwhelmed by sadness.

"But… Father…"

"They will pay, Jean. They will…"

She had never seen so much determination in Galk. She was surprised, but something told her he was sincere and she finally calmed down.

Galk had insisted to go with Galatea, Cynthia and Tabitha. They warned him but he told them that he was old enough to choose which risks to pick and it was his nephews too they were talking about mentioning the "event" that took place South. They left in the middle of the night and travelled fast. He kept the pace as an experienced raider, he did not want to slow them down.

They reached the farm in the early morning. Galatea and Tabitha heightened their senses, but they could not feel anything particular. When they took the wide turn in the pathway and could see toward the river, they realized that they did not need any special capabilities to understand that something terrible had happened. Galk and Tabitha entered in the house, while Cynthia and Galatea moved towards the kneeling figure on the stone.

The stone was not as they were remembering it, it was surrounded by water. When they went closer, they could see that it was standing in the middle of a crater at least fifty feet wide and ten feet deep. The river had slightly changed its course and the water had filled the space.

Clare was kneeling and holding Raki's body in the middle of the stone. They jumped on the stone and Cynthia immediately touched Clare, to understand how she was. She felt her completely drained and absent.

"How's she?"

"I don't know Galatea… She is alive, but… I feel… emptiness…"

"Can you heal her?"

"I don't know… I help channeling the energy, aligning it… harmonizing it. There is no energy, she's barely breathing."

Be ready, then. I will try and wake her up first."

Clare was wandering in fields of lilies. She could feel the flowers waiving her hands, and everything was permeated with a nice scent. She could see the horizon, and the sky, but no matter where she was heading the scenario wasn't changing. It was magnificent and she was at peace.

Suddenly, she spotted someone in the fields and rushed to meet him, or her.

It was Raki, with his usual smile.

"There you are, Clare. I've been expecting you."

"I've been away a few days, but I will never leave again."

"This place is all just for the two of us, forever."

She was happy and hugged him.

"Forever…"

Then, she noticed a distortion in the air and a figure taking shape from the distortion. It was a very tall blonde woman, with the eyes closed. She reminded her of someone, but couldn't tell precisely. All she knew is that she felt threatened. Raki seemed worried, and she promptly stepped in front to protect him.

"Go away, whoever you are, or else…"

The figure was now wearing a silver armor and was getting closer with a clanging sound as the metal was bouncing on every step.

"Go away, I say. There is nothing for you here."

"Clare, come with me."

"I am not going anywhere."

"You must. We can help you Clare, don't give up."

"Give up? What are you talking about?"

"Your conscience is giving up, it is hiding… barricading here… You must… fight."

"I quit fighting years ago, I am just well with my man. I don't need to fight anymore."

"Clare… He is… dead."

"Are you blind? He is here, with me…"

"He is not Clare, trust me, I beg you."

"I don't even know you, and this is nonsense."

"I am Galatea, Clare. Please…"

Clare turned to look at Raki, he was standing still, with the same posture and his usual smile.

"This place is all just for the two of us, forever."

She liked those words, they were sweet. But something seemed off. She remembered one night with Raki, on a round stone by the river. Fragments of memories.

"Yes, Clare, focus on those" - Galatea told her.

"What…"

"Focus Clare, you told me of that night."

Clare felt uneasy, she remembered Raki, his words: "… will be a wonderful mother… Did you say 'they'?"

"He is dead Clare. It is hard, I know, but you must fight."

"Dead… But he is… here…"

"You know he is not…"

"I fought for the dead once. She was special to me… But then, I followed by path. I don't want to fight for the dead anymore, it just adds… pain."

"You must fight for the living. They are alive, Clare. They need you."

"The… living?"

"Nanny Latea she called me… You were scared, you thought you were not fit as a mother. You asked me to play that role for long months. But then, you were ready."

"Nanny… Latea?"

Clare remembered Jean's voice, but could not tell who was it coming from.

"She called you… Nanny Latea… Who is she? I…"

"Your daughter. Your wonderful daughter. You named her after…"

"Jean… Why do I remember this name? My daughter? And… They… I said they… My… son…"

"Galk, the sweetest boy I've ever met. Fight for the living, Clare. They need you."

Cynthia felt Clare's heartbeat quicken and started to sense energy flowing. It was chaotic, but she knew what to do. She let is evenly flow in the body, reviving it. It was hard but she would not fail her sisters.

Clare opened her eyes and saw that she was still cradling Raki. Then she saw them all, Galatea, Cynthia, Tabitha and Galk. She was very shaken, but Galatea tried to calm her.

"It is terrible, but you must stay in control. You almost consumed your body releasing your energy, then locked your mind somewhere else."

"They killed him… They took them, I must find them…"

She raised up but vertigos took her down, Cynthia grabbed her as she was falling.

"You are still weak, you need some rest."

"How long…? No, there is no time to rest, I must find them…"

Galk took one step forward. He looked very worried too.

"Clare, Tabitha said they were all human. I already sent for our best tracker, now tell us what you know…"

"Your best tracker? They have more than one day of margin, there is no time to wait for some human hunter. My children…"

Galatea dismissed her objection: "When there were no longer youmas anywhere, she started to track down humans, thieves, assassins, outlaws in general. She never fails…"

"Who?" - asked Clare.

It was Galk to answer: "By now I think Dietrich should be on their tail already. Now, what's going on? I can tell there is more about it."

Clare managed to recover her composure. They were all good friends, they would do their best for her, she needed to trust them. It wasn't easy to go again through the event of the last few days, but she had to do it.

"I will tell you everything I know, but now I must bid him farewell."

Everybody helped Clare piling up a funeral pyre, but it was for her alone to carry Raki on its top.

Holding a torch in her hand, she contemplated in silence. It was an intimate moment, she didn't need to speak and the others respected her. She could think of some of the moments together, though, both of joy and sorrow. She remembered when he told her that he didn't care that she could not age. "All I want is to spend my whole life with you. And what a luck to have a woman that will still be looking young and pretty when I will be weak in bed!"

They did not make it there together, but they had gone a long way. She wondered what his last thoughts were. He had fought like a tiger to protect their children, while she had let herself to be caught in a trap. She could not undo it, but she would look for them and she would find them, no matter what.

And there were new enemies, and dangerous ones. Her friends needed to know it.

She realized that she had been cradling Raki's body for long. She wasn't ready to let him go. Somehow she was hard on herself, because she wasn't sure that she savored every moment with him and the children enough. Over the years, she started to take happiness as granted. Now that he was gone, she felt absolute love again. Now that the children were missing, she indeed was seeing them as a miracle and was feeling utter emptiness.

She tossed the torch on the pyre, watching fire catching on the wood and spreading. The flames were hypnotic and captured her for a while. Then she knew it was time. "Farewell…" - she whispered, and turned to the others, her mind entirely on the children, Dietrich, Miria and the whole that was going on.

"I received Miria's black card…"

Galatea and the others frowned.

"Or so I thought. This is how it all started…"

Hello everybody and apologies for the long wait, unfortunately a number of things stretched the chapter plan a lot. Will try and get back on track now, I hope you are still enjoying the reading. Ciao.