The Doctor finally had to stop or he wouldn't have the energy to do what he had to do next. He gently laid Seska on the ground and began gathering what wood he could find. It wasn't the funeral pyre that a son of a royal household should have; but at least he would have one.
His own death would be less dignified, but he deserved no less.
To lose one child was unfortunate and to lose two was a tragedy. To lose three was a sad coincidence, but to lose four could be seen as criminal…no a curse.
That was it, he was cursed.
He knew there was only one way to lift a curse; it was to remove the person who had placed the curse…and that was him; he was the curser and the cursed, and there was only one way to do that. It hadn't changed over time, nor in any culture, if you looked beneath the surface, and as brutal and as cruel as it was to any civilised person; fire was the purifier of all things.
If he'd been thinking right, he would have seen the insanity of it, but he wasn't right-thinking. He was overwhelmed with grief and guilt; where his soul had once sat was nothing but a black hollow.
As he gathered the wood, he talked to Seska.
"When you get to the gates, your brothers and sister will be waiting for you. Ashena will no doubt try to boss you around, don't let her. You'll meet Tejhan, I wonder what he looks like now, and then there's Iskar, my first born."
He placed the wood around Seska, it was not enough and he wandered away, searching for more, but he continued talking.
"I wish we'd had more time, you were becoming a fine young Time Lord. I would have loomed you a fine mate…a match for your talent and quick mind. Your children….."
He stopped then as grief welled up anew. Then he stated talking again, but it was incoherent rambling. He returned to the pyre and knelt down, and straightened Seska's clothing, hands skirting over the dark patch on his chest.
He reached into his pocket and took out his everlasting match and struck it, and watched the flame. He let out a shuddering breath and began the funeral rite.
"I surrender the mortal body of my son. May the flames cleanse his path to the gate and let my own self carry his sins to the dark place. May the winds of eternity carry his spirit straight and true, and the demons of the dark be deaf to his footsteps. "
He was about to put the flame to the wood, when night suddenly became day as a bright light flooded the clearing. He snapped his head up…no, the humans had found them.
With a snarl at the interruption, he set light to the wood, just as two ropes appeared from the light….he was out of time.
He watched for a few seconds as the wood caught alight, then he was distracted by the sound of whirring gears; they were coming. He may not be able to die here, but he would still die.
He snatched the match from the now burning pyre, and with a silent sorry to his son he snuffed it out and ran.
Jack and the Master were running, following the smell of smoke, well they were until the helicopter flew overhead; its searchlight like a beacon in the dark.
Jack could hear the faint shouts of people behind them; a man-hunt was on.
Then they saw the flames up ahead and the Master sprinted ahead, before sliding to a halt. Jack was only just behind, fearing they were too late. He swallowed back bile at the smell of burning flesh, and he didn't want to see the Doctor's immolated body.
The Master was staring at the pyre, but Jack forced himself to look into the flames…there was one body, not two….he hadn't.
He looked up, the helicopter must have disturbed him…which meant this wasn't over.
He moved to stand next to the Master.
"We can't stay, he's still out there. If we don't find him, he'll do this….or, they will kill him," he said and pointed at the distant helicopter.
The Master blinked away what Jack was certain were tears and nodded.
"But which way did he go?" Jack said.
"Give me a minute," the Master said, closing his eyes.
A pained expression crossed his face, then he said in a whisper.
"So much grief…."
He opened his eyes and said, "He went this way."
They set off together, and Jack had to wonder as to how the Master could use the Doctor's grief as a trail; it must be hell for him, and just a little of his hate seeped away.
After about a mile the Master stopped and said, "I think we should split up, he might be able to avoid us if we're together, but he can't slip past us both."
Jack didn't like the idea and was about to say so, but the Master was already moving and soon disappeared into the dark.
"Right then, looks like I'm going left," he said.
He was about to move when he felt something cold against the nape of his neck and a voice he didn't expect say.
You're losing your edge."
The Master needed to get away from Harkness, so the little lie he told him about staying together didn't bother him. He didn't want any human, immortal or otherwise to interfere.
If he was going to stop the Doctor, it was going to be done his way, and they only way would be brutal. If he had to break the Doctor, then he would; it was easier to re-programme than try to fix something that was so badly damaged.
He knew the Doctor was up ahead, the grief was so strong it was almost flooding his mind to the point of overflowing. He could hear the helicopter overhead and hear the shouts of the humans…they were getting closer.
He stopped when he sensed more than the Doctor's grief.
"I know you're out there."
The answer when it came was nearer that he thought.
"You should go."
"That would be a no. I am not going to let you immolate yourself."
"That's not your decision."
"It's not yours either, you know this is wrong."
"Wrong or right, it's what I'm doing."
"Eresh'ala….you can't."
There was no reply and in the silence he could hear the humans; they were getting closer
The Doctor spoke again, "Even if I change my mind, it's too late."
Something metallic flashed in the dark and landed at the Master's feet; the vortex manipulator.
"Use it, it automatically fixes onto the fleet. Make sure the twins know who I am."
"Don't do this, come with me."
"I can't…please, go now, before our babies become orphans."
There was silence again, then he heard the sound of running, and the shouts of the humans became louder. It could only mean one thing, the Doctor was trying to draw them away.
He flinched when he heard gunfire.
"Si'arila," he whispered, and with heavy hearts he activated the manipulator. He emerged on the flight deck of their cruiser and into chaos. Before he could bark an order, he was swept away and onto an assault craft.
As it sped towards Earth's moon, he saw the reason why….the fleet was on fire.
Then they were behind the moon and onto a smaller cruiser. He saw the twins, who were wailing their distress, then the cruiser turned away.
He watched as the rift was formed and as it slipped into the swirling maw, he vowed to return with his own army; he would find Jakaar and James, he would find and spread Seska's ashes…and he would find the body of the Doctor and then the Earth would burn.