Chapter 12: The Last Resting Place

"Is it them or us? Which holocaust shall be chosen? We die, and the world will be poorer for it…" – Prince Nuada - Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

It had been a gruelling trek to the north glens where they had spent many a blissful moment in courtship together and now he was having to lay her to rest here. Just being in a place with so many poignant and heartfelt memories was enough to make more tears come to the surface of his eyes as he carried her through the woodland, where she used to spend many joyful hours singing and bringing life to the world. It would now forever be the place where the only daughter of Aeralia lay, the love of the prince of the Earth and coming here would invoke memories that he would always hold close to his heart. He sought to stand strong, pushing the tears away. He needed to be stronger than ever. For the sake of his people, his family and for her. His father had tried to console him with all the kindness in his heart, but he could tell it was half-hearted comfort and not meaningful. The only close person to him not to know personally was his sister but she would have felt his grief and sensed his pain through their bond, so she was sure catch up to him soon. This war had permanently scarred the land, ripped a rift through the heart of the Earth that was almost unhealable and even the great elven court in all their wisdom where lost for a cause of action. Something drastic needed to be done, even if the creation of an ultimate weapon was the right course and someday it may prove to be. An army so powerful and forged from the Earth that it would tear the human ranks to pieces and leave no stone unturned.

As he carried her through the lush woodland of the north lands, the coolness of the breeze rustling the leaves in the trees, knotted roots and entangled vines and plants, all green, alive and vibrant weaved in and out around him he knew what he had to do. Before she went back to the Earth he would honour her by laying her to rest in the one place where she was happy. To carry his love through the glen where they used to walk was heart rendering but he kept a reign of his emotions as he reached the heart of the luscious emerald glade and knelt in the long green grass, lowering her body to the ground, making sure her head was rested with all the comfort the Earth could provide on a rich pillow of green. Just seeing her lying there, so sweet and innocent, a life ripped from this world, a life that had been the closest to him was enough to send the tears the surface as he pressed his hands into the ground, hunched over, the woodland echoing his sadness between the trees and everything in bloom. His voice was choked by his sobs, but he got the words out, hoping wherever her soul was it would hear him and take all this pain away, pity him and give him kindness, like she would do if she was alive.

"My Bamba…my sweet Bamba…Why did you leave me? You were the milk of Earth's kindness…The light in my soul…The hope when everything seemed dark…Why did they have to take you away from me? Bamba my Bamba please come back…" the prince let his tears fall freely, wanting all the Earth to know how he was suffering, how his heart was breaking as he cupped one of her lily-white hands and lifted it to his cheek, if only to feel her touch one last time. "My sweet, sweet Bamba you were the only soul on this world that understood me, that made me whole and now you've gone…Please for the love I bear you please come back…" he prayed for her return, for any life to revitalize her pure form but she was with the gods now and with a heavy heart weighed down by sadness he knew there was nothing he could do. As he continued to mourn her, lips pressed to her forehead his sister moved sombrely through the glen to greet him, adorned in a green and silver gown with a wide black belt. She had managed to track him with their link and it didn't take her long to realise what had happened. Immediately it struck close to her heart as the princess stared in shock at the young woman lying on the ground and her brother keeled over her, sensing her presence as he continued to cry, not caring if she saw him in this way. She knew how much he loved her, so it was perfectly natural. She felt a deep sadness too. Bamba had been her closest friend and a deep rift appeared in her heart now she was gone but she had saved their lives and her sacrifice needed to be honoured for that.

"My brother I'm so sorry…" Nuala soothed with all the kindness she could muster as she laid a soft hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscle beneath her hand but it was tired, worn out, his body and mind strained from the physical and mental effects of war. Now the death of his sweetheart would only cause him to have scar, a permanent wound that would never heal. "My dear friend, sweet Bamba…Why did this happen to you?" Nuala snivelled as she felt tears of her own springing up from her golden eyes, kneeling by her brother's side and tried to hope for a sign of life but by the mortal stab markings through her stomach and the loss of blood she had been dead for the best part of a day. "Bamba…May the gods give you strength. I am honoured to have shared this world with you and may the light shine on the next road you tread…" she sent a blessing to the gods for her friend as she shared tears with her brother for the best part of an hour before she stood and laid her comforting hand again on his shoulder. "Brother I'm so sorry…I know how much she meant to you…She was everything to you…I will be here for you always…You, me and our father. We will all get through this…Together" Nuala tried to smile, to try and get her brother to talk to her, instead he stayed on the floor, sheading more tears, heart weighed down by sadness as she tried again but this time she got his attention and his rage was flung at her with cruel abandon.

"Do you have any idea how I'm feeling? Do you have any idea what I am going through?! Of course, you knew how much she meant to me. She was my everything sister and you know that so why seek to remind me. The humans want everything can't you see that!" he shouted at her, Nuala slightly buffeted by his fury, but she held firm, wouldn't crumble beneath his anger. "They are taking our lives away from us, destroying the land we treasure beyond anything and now they've taken my Bamba away from me. Those humans took her away from me and I will do everything in my power to make sure every man is put into the ground. I hate them! They are tyrants and should never have been born on this world! I hate them! I hate them all!" the prince poured his devastated heart onto his sister as she tried to comfort him again, eyes still glistening with tears, but she put strength into her voice.

"Brother, she died for us…You would have died yesterday and me along with you had she not stepped in…" Nuala sighed, telling the truth as he listened, golden eyes wide and brimming with thick tears. "She knew your life was paramount to hers and wanted to save you. You are our leader, you are next in line after our father. She would never have let your life be lost…All our people need you. Without you there would be little hope for the war effort. She sacrificed herself for the greater good of the people. Maybe her sacrifice was to honour you for all the times you have aided her…Perhaps that is why" Nuala said, a philosophical, reflective air to her mother like voice as he felt like turning on her again but could only speak through a haze of sadness, tears still flowing freely over his birthmark and bark like skin. He placed his forehead to hers, her scent of fresh flowers and grasslands beginning to fade away but nevertheless sending the powerful memories to the surface: That evening when they became bound…The happiest moment of his life. After the war he had promised her she would be his bride and perhaps a family to call their own in the future but that had been taken away: All the happiness he ever had, shattered in one moment of cruelty. He dared not blame her. True he had told her to stay safe and away from the fighting but in the end, she had saved his life and the life of his sister but at a terrible cost.

"I told her not to come here! I did everything in my power to keep her from the battlefield! She just refused to listen to me! It should be me lying on his ground…Not her…She had her whole life ahead of her and now…" he paused, trying to look into her eyes but the light in them was almost gone, her skin beginning to turn to dust as she was returning to the Earth: The natural cycle at the death of an elf. "She has done more for me than any other person on this world and she had paid the price for protecting me. I should have been there for her…I should have saved her…I just want her back!" the prince's poor heart so sore from grief at this point as he could do nothing but watch in despair as her body began to become dust returning to the Earth just as she was born of it. He just wanted to capture the beauty of her face one last time before it was gone forever. "She made me who I am, her voice was the only thing in this world that made me whole…She gave me everything." More tears filled his eyes as he looked into the fading light of her eyes one last time. "I will never forget you my Bamba and when the time comes I shall lie here by your side…I promise…" he managed through the latest onset of tears, his voice a faint, saddened whisper as he took one last kiss from her sweet lips before more of her began to fade away.

"Brother there was nothing that you could have done…You are a brave and noble warrior, but you were in danger. She saved your life. She saved our people…Her name will forever be remembered. She was dear friend of mine and I will forever treasure her memory…I'm sure our father will remember her fondly too…" Nuala said kindly as she offered her hand to her brother, but he refused to acknowledge her, just couldn't part with his girl while she was lying here. "Brother please…" she asked again but this time it was mistake. As the tears dried on his face something snapped, jaw tensing in anger as he kissed her hand one last time before it faded away, eyes blazing with fury as he almost felt ready to fight again. His voice was as soft as a gelid breeze but that frightened her, his tone almost ominous as his words made her feel hollow.

"These humans have no place on this world and if it is up to me personally to tell them that then I will…They have taken her away from me. My Bamba was murdered in cold blood and I will do anything to fight for her. I made a vow to protect her, to ensure the safety of our people. Our people will have peace again and it will be by my hand. Those humans, every last one will pay for what they have done, and we shall build a weapon so fierce, constructed from the fires of our anger that the human race will never wish to challenge us on this ground again. We will submerge them into the depths of hell and I will not end this war until I have done so! I'm fight for my Bamba and for my people. I trust you are on my side…" the prince seethed in silent fury as he held out his hand to her, but she didn't take it, just stood there, unsure of what to say or think. She knew of her brother's hatred of man and knew it was justified even more thanks to the murder of his sweetheart, but she refused to believe there was a side to him, a creature of the Earth that could be this vengeful. She stood staring at him, gold eyes glassy with tears as she looked at the spot where Bamba had been, the sadness having turned to rage in her brother and she had to reason with him, had to try. "Sister…" he said again, his tone serial and flat as if the answer should have been obvious to her but she turned her back to him then, hands hanging limp by her sides.

"When will this war end brother…Each day is another struggle and we die. We fight, and we die. Our world is dying around us, and I can't bear to see that happen anymore. We have lost so much already, and this path will only cause more destruction…Please we must stop this…What would have Bamba said?" Nuala asked, knowing that was going to start the tears again as her voice for a moment rang clear and true in his head, for a moment he thought she had returned but then saw the empty spot where he'd left her, and it caused him to hurt. "Bamba would not have wanted all this violence. She wants us all just to put down our weapons and walk away peacefully. Don't you see…Brother this conflict is destroying this world and if we do not make peace with the humans then we will all die…Our green fields have been stained with the blood of our own for too long and it is breaking my heart to see this continue. We must stop this. Please my brother…If not for me then for Bamba…She would want you to do the right thing…" Nuala said through a tear strained voice as the elven prince flashed a vicious glower at her making her flinch slightly before he stood to his full height, golden and crimson robes heightening his powerful demeanour, weapon still sheathed behind his back. Sweeping a hand across his cheeks to clear away his tears he was filled with a new purpose, a fire burning within him so devastating and fuelled by the need for revenge as the anger now consumed him from head to toe, the kind words of his Bamba still present in his mind but they only drove him to fight for her all the more. He had a newfound sense of purpose: Not just to fight for his people but for the love he bared his girl, to seek justice for her cause, to allow her soul to sleep in peace. For a moment brother and sister both stood in silence, a mirror image of each other, a silent grief wrestling through them before the prince spoke, strength in his voice pulled from the depths of his heart.

"My Bamba had wisdom beyond her years…Perhaps too much…She desired peace for this land as do we all but don't you see?! The humans will not retreat, they will not stand down until we either submit or hand the Earth over to them and do you really think I'm going to let that happen? You are more naïve than I thought…" the prince shot a venomous stare her way as affronted she stormed up to him until she was inch away, eyes blazing in a fury of their own.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Brother please I beg of you use your sense! War in the end will tear this world apart and even if the humans do not surrender, we should call a truce, make an agreement. Anything to stop this fighting…Bamba was right. This war is going to kill us all no matter the victor. We will all be destroyed. I cannot believe our father is still pressing the attack…If this keeps up the Earth will have no life at all. Please help me my brother…Help me stop this…" Nuala's voice at first getting her rant off her chest, then dying down to a sombre note, just begging for her brother to see some form of reason but he was too blinded by his hatred of mankind, too pent up in fighting for the loss of his girl to sway him from his course of action.

"Man have chosen their fate already sister and if you are not prepared to aid me and stand by my side then I can't trust you. I will get justice for my Bamba, mankind will pay the price for what they have done and there is nothing you can do to change that…" the prince's voice wavered a fraction as he knelt down in the spot where she had laid, head lowered, anger melding to sadness again as more tears fell from his golden eyes. "Now if you would not mind leaving me to my grief sister I would be most grateful. My Bamba needs me and I will do everything in my power to fight for her. I have made my intentions clear and now you should choose yours…Them or us…You make your decision and then give me a truthful answer…" his voice slightly emboldened as she stepped back, eyes narrowing at him, feeling the need to want to cry again but she would mourn her friend, in her own space and time. She felt offended at the fact he was pushing her away, not heeding her warning or accepting her advice as the songs of nature sounded around her and closed her eyes for a moment, knowing why Bamba had been so in love with this wonderful place. Even in the depths of despair and darkness the Earth gave you moments of natural beauty and could spark a flame of happiness inside you if you knew where to look.

"Very well my brother…But do not think I am finished discussing this with you. War will only cause death and destruction…It has to end and we have the power to stop this…I beg you to reconsider" Nuala finished as respecting her brother's wishes to be left alone she swept with a saddened heart from the woodland, feeling a cavern appear in her heart now her beloved friend was gone but she would stand strong and honour her memory always. For a moment the prince knelt in a state of submission and mourning by the place where she had been, vowing to himself never to forget her and how beautiful the world was when she was a part of it. Finding another reserve of strength swell up from the depths of his being he rose gingerly to his feet, muscles and tendons almost screaming in pain, worn down from the months of constant fighting. Even with all the pain in his body, mind and heart he stood. She would have wanted peace for the world, desired nothing else but also wanted him to be strong, to protect his people and to carry himself with honour and respect. No matter how empty his heart felt at her loss he would always stand strong, would forever remember her kindness and treasure her memory closer than ever. A new-found fire blossomed within him, the heat spiralling through his chest as straightening out the folds of his robes he put on a brave face and a brisk step as he began to arduous journey back to the palace. He needed to consort with his father about this. At times the walk would be painful, both mentally and physically but he was a warrior of the Earth, one of nature's strongest soldiers and he would bend before no man or amount of pain. Envisioning her loving eyes before him, her death tearing his world apart but now more than anything giving him a reason to fight he strode his tired yet vigoured frame through the forest but with a sense of purpose in his stride. This war was going to have a purpose…It was going to have an end. An end where the Sons of the Earth would know peace once again. From now on every stroke of his blade, every human that fell in battle was for her. Her would forever remember his loving Bamba and would forever fight for her, would never give up no matter how weary he felt. As he continued his long trek south, the pain in his body was fading away but the pain in his heart would always remain…Would never fade away until every human was destroyed…He promised himself…His people and he promise her…