Chapter 10


Sorrow


She stayed rooted to where he had pushed her. Her body had completely shut down, except for her mind. Her mind played the scene over and over again, each time being more painful to watch than the last. What was the most sickening part of the scene was the crack of bones when the ice crushed him underneath it as he sacrificed himself to save her.

As her mind began to take control again she slowly struggled to stand up. She didn't want to find his body. She wanted to find nothing under the ice but more ice. She wanted him to have escaped. But the crack of his bones made that hope very unlikely.

She numbly rose and half slipped, half ran to the ice that had only just a few minutes ago been upright and secure. She steadied herself by holding on to the death trap that was the ice pillar. The ice had broken up a little from the crash, but it was still intact and too heavy to get off of him.

"War…" She was surprised at how clear and steady her voice was, but it was dull and it sounded like she was coming from far away, "Can you melt this ice off of him?"

War and Jawwie had been standing side by side with their mouths hanging wide open, frozen from shock. War nodded faintly and began to walk toward the ice almost zombielike. Jawwie stayed where she was, breathing harshly as she began to take in the full damage.

War came up beside Aklase and lifted his hand, and began to form a flame in his palm and he shut his eyes as it got bigger. Aklase noticed that his lip was quivering violently and she came to a conclusion that he was holding back a river of tears.

He opened his eyes, they were suddenly filled with cold anger and he released the giant flame onto the ice. Aklase jumped back from its power and watched as the ice melted rapidly. It took everything she had to stay watching as the ice turned to water and she began to make out the faintest outline of…him.

She took a sharp intake of breath as the tip of his face began to form under the melting ice. Finally, the ice was gone and it left behind Npm. Aklase stayed rooted to her spot and looked him over. He looked exactly the same, not even a single drop of blood. His eyes were closed and Aklase thanked the stars for that. She didn't think she could handle looking into his brown eyes, all the light gone from them, and having to close them for the last time.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned to see that Jawwie had come up to stand beside her. Her eyes were sparkling with tears that were creeping their way out. She looked at Aklase, clearly not knowing what to say to comfort her.

Aklase shrugged off her hand and turned back to Npm. War had dropped to his knees and was violently punching the ice. Aklase could make out quiet sobs coming from him.

As if the sounds of someone's sobs had gotten her out of a trance, she suddenly rushed to Npm's side and dropped down beside him. She sobbed loudly, not giving a damn who heard. Tears flowed freely from her usually sparkling eyes. She bowed her head and took Npm's now cold hand. It didn't hold one trace of warmth that told her he was alive only a few moment's ago.

Her chest heaved from her heavy crying and she was struggling to breath. But she didn't care. Her boyfriend was DEAD!

Images flashed through her mind. First of another guy lying under a rock pile, only his broken and bleeding arm visible. He had saved her life too. Maybe Morph and Npm were talking to each other about her right now.

Another image flashed in her mind of a woman under a pile of rubble. She had a hard time recognizing her and figured that this was one of Alaska's memories. Perhaps she was remembering the death of Alaska's mother, the legend Dragon?

Her mind flew back to the present as a soft voice whispered in her ear, "Aklase…"

"It's all my fault Jawwie." Aklase whispered through violent sobs, her tears hit the ground and she let her black cavalier cover her eyes. "It's all my freaking fault!" Her voice rose louder this time.

"It's not your fault." Jawwie tried to comfort her, but the tone in her voice was unconvincing.

"No." War suddenly spoke for the first time. His voice was surprisingly free of any sobs, but it was flat. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have been messing around with the fire. But I didn't know…" His voice broke and he stopped.

"It's no one's fault." Jawwie said firmly. "These things happen. Everything will be ok though."

"Of course you would say that!" Aklase suddenly turned on her. Her face was red and tear stained. "You've always hated him. You only put up with him because I was with him. So why the hell would you care?"

Jawwie just gaped back at her before finally raising her voice in indignation, "That's not true! How could you talk to me like that? I'm only trying to help-"She was cut off when War suddenly pulled her by the arm, away from Aklase.

"This isn't helping." War's face was tear stained, red, and angry like Aklase's was. "She's hurting. We all are. Just calm down!"

Jawwie's voice suddenly broke all together and she snapped back at him through a sob, "It's not easy for me to show my emotions and you damn well know that! My best friend's boyfriend and my friend is DEAD. How the hell do you expect me to act?"

"Would you both just SHUT UP?" Aklase suddenly stood up and faced them with a shriek of pure sorrow. "None of you are helping! Is this really how we want to say goodbye to Npm, with more screaming and yelling and fighting? I don't know about you two but I am SICK of it." She breathed heavily as she finished her rant.

War and Jawwie looked at her with blank expressions. Finally, after a long moment of silence, War hung his head. "He was like a bro to me…" He muttered.

Aklase hung her head, letting her black cavalier cover her face again. "I loved him…" She whispered a sob.

Aklase suddenly noticed that tears had surfaced across Jawwie's face and Jawwie traced a hand over them to brush them away. She looked at her hand in surprise at seeing the water and she drew her hood farther over her face and turned away. Aklase remembered her emotions comment.

She walked numbly over to her. She held her shoulders firmly and turned her around, embracing her as Jawwie began to silently as possible weep. Jawwie hugged her back and Aklase couldn't help but cry harder.

"At least…he's in Heaven." Aklase whispered through crying.

"Unless he went in the other direction…" War muttered. Despite the situation, his tone was humorous and Aklase couldn't help but smile a little. It was just like War to make a comment like that.

Aklase let go of Jawwie and she looked back at War, who was crouching beside Npm's body.

"I still can't believe he's dead…" Jawwie sniffed loudly. "Life is scary, isn't it? One minute you can be laughing and having fun with the person you care about and the next their gone. Just like that."

"That's why we need to value each other as much as we can." Aklase murmured in agreement. "I wish we did that more with Npm." She added sadly.

"We didn't know." War said to them firmly. "We couldn't have known."

Jawwie let out a long sigh. "We-we shouldn't drag this out more than we have to. We need to organize a proper burial for Aklase's bod-"She cut herself off as she took in what she just said. "I mean Npm's body…"

Aklase suddenly realized this must be harder on her than she let on. She was remembering Aklase's death. Her own death…

War nodded. "Right…I'll call Zammy and if we can carry Npm out of here, he'll get us to Lumbridge. Aklase, do you know where Npm's parents live?"

"A little farm near Draynor Village." Aklase told him. She remembered him telling her about them, very vaguely though. Apparently the last time they talked ended in a war. Aklase couldn't even imagine how bad they were probably going to feel when they find out that their son they always fought with is dead.

Jawwie nodded. "I'll get the preparations ready. Aklase, do you want to tell his parents?" She asked her.

Aklase shook her head. "I want to stay with Npm." She said firmly. "Can't one of you do it?"

"I need to guide Zammy." War told her.

Jawwie sighed. "I'll just have his friends and any other family he has send word to them. I'll go ahead so the burial will be ready." She began to head for the exit of the icy cave.

"You think they'll have one all ready in such short notice?" War called after her. He sounded like he was returning back to his…somewhat normal self a little.

"We have to try." Jawwie called back, walking out of view.

War took out a shiny whistle and blew into it, turning to Aklase. "You ready?" He asked her.

Aklase shook her head sadly. "No…I don't think I'll ever be ready for this."


Word had spread quickly about the passing of Npm. War was right, the burial had taken longer to plan than they had hoped but only by a day.

Aklase stood over the body of Npm with her head bowed. They were in the Lumbridge cemetery. Aklase shivered slightly as she realized they were standing right next to her gravestone that was never taken down. She half wondered if she would dig it up, would she find her own body?

She shut her eyes tight as the shrill wails of Npm's mother split through the air. She was dabbing her face with a cloth as she grieved for her son. Npm's father was doing his best to comfort her, but Aklase could tell he was having a hard time keeping his chin up as well.

Some of Npm's aunts, uncles, and cousins were there as well. Even his annoying friends were there to grieve for him. War and Jawwie stood side by side, for once not completely revolted to be standing touching distance together. Jawwie's green hood was traded in for a black one along with the rest of her outfit.

As the sound of Npm's mothers wailing grew louder, Aklase felt tears begin to roll down her face again. She hated this. She hated funerals. Especially when she knew that person as well as she knew herself.

"It is a sad, sad day when one so young must leave this world." The priest of the Lumbridge church raised his voice above the wailing. "Npm was a very special young man. He volunteered many times to help me and the church. I am very sad to see him leave. It was not yet his time to go. May the gods watch over him." The priest bowed his head.

As Aklase looked back down at Npm in his new grave, her world began to spin violently. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to get out of there!

She whipped around and ran out of the cemetery, heading along the path that traced above the Lumbridge Swamp. She was crying again and her tears blurred her vision so she couldn't see right, but she didn't care. She didn't care if she fell into the river and drowned right now.

She suddenly stopped and looked across the river as the thought crossed her mind. She could be with Npm again. She didn't have to feel the pain that she was feeling right now. All that could be over. Over just like that. All she had to do was just wade in.

She walked to the water's edge and kicked her boots off. She dipped her foot into the cold water and began to wade in slowly, one foot at a time.

Images of Npm and Jawwie saving her from drowning flashed through her mind. Who knew that a few moments later he would die anyway?

As the water began to reach up to her knees, she suddenly felt two hands grab her and drag her out of the water, as much as she tried to struggle.

"Are you crazy?" Jawwie snapped at her. "What were you thinking?"

"You could have gotten yourself killed!" War scolded her like a father. "You know you can't swim."

"Npm is DEAD!" Aklase screeched at them, tears blurring her vision all together. "My boyfriend is DEAD! And I don't care what you say, it IS my fault. It's ALL my FAULT! I deserve to die!"

Aklase let out a gasp as Jawwie suddenly slapped her across the face. "STOP THAT!" She yelled at her. "It's NOT your fault. You DON'T deserve to die." Her voice softened as she added, "He died to save you. How happy do you think he'll be to see you if you throw away what he died to preserve?'

Aklase whimpered and hugged Jawwie tightly. War hesitated before hugging them both. If anything, they needed to be there for each other right now. Despite any differences they might have.


Aklase sat on the sandy beach at Mudskippers Point. She looked into the water as her sad reflection stared back at her. It had been two days since the burial for Npm. Aklase hadn't slept a wink since his death. Jawwie was doting over her and Aklase finally told her that she was going out for some peace and fresh air.

There had been no suicide scares since the burial day, but Aklase was still mourning. She looked around at the beautiful sandy beach. She smiled and shut her eyes as happy memories drifted into her mind. This was the exact place that Npm had first told her he loved her. It was her favorite place ever since.

She opened her eyes again as her mind snapped back to a question that Jawwie had asked War quietly last night when she thought Aklase was finally asleep, 'What will happen to the prophecy now?'

"There will be Four"…that was the exact same words that the prophecy began with. Not three, FOUR. So how could destiny let this happen? Npm was the fourth element barer. So why did he DIE? Maybe…he would come back to life like Aklase did?

But even as this crept through her mind, Aklase was shaking her head. What happened to her was a freak thing. Surely the gods wouldn't do the same thing again? They couldn't, could they?

"I am sorry for your loss…" Aklase jumped to her feet and spun around, only to see the wizard that had failed to show up the day that Npm died and War got his element.

"Merlin!" She gasped. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you show up when War got his element? Did something happen-"

Merlin raised his hand to stop her flurry of questions. "So, Npm has really died." He murmured. "Destiny was right after all…"

Aklase cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Npm, he died to save your life. Correct?"

Aklase raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yes…how did you know?"

"It was prophesized." Merlin told her. "It was his destiny."

Aklase took a step back. "Wait…you're saying it was his destiny to DIE?"

Merlin sighed and looked down on the ground. "You make it sound so simple, young one…" He muttered.

"W-what are you talking about? What's going on? Did you know this was going to happen?"

Aklase clenched her fists as he slowly nodded. "I am sorry-"

"You knew he was going to die and you didn't stop it? You didn't even bother to show up…WHAT KIND OF WIZARD ARE YOU-"

"I could not interfere with destiny!" Merlin raised his voice. "If I had interfered…" He trailed off.

"…What would have happened?" Aklase demanded.

"You would have died." Merlin blurted out.

Aklase blinked multiple times. "But…but I would have just got brought back to life again. The gods, they would have-"

"No." Merlin stopped her. "They could only do it once. If you would have died, Runescape would not have The Four and it would be destroyed."

"It still doesn't have The Four! In case you haven't noticed, the fourth is dead." Aklase narrowed her eyes as Merlin looked away. "Why do you look so suspicious?"

Merlin let out a deep sigh. "It appears I have some explaining to do…"

Aklase felt herself begin to shake as he continued, "After you were resurrected, I told you that Npm was the fourth in the prophecy. But that is not the entire truth. He played a part in your prophecy, but he was never the fourth."

Aklase began to shake harder with rage. "So you LIED to him? Why would you do that?"

"Because if I hadn't he wouldn't have gone with you to find your elements. And you would have been crushed by that ice pillar, just because he wasn't there to take the blow for you. Do you understand? It was his destiny to save you, nothing else."

Aklase shook her head to try to clear it. "So you lied to him, so he would kill himself? Just so I could live? Did you even think about the scars that would leave behind?"

"It was not my decision. This was destiny, I only played a small part to help it along."

"So do you always just follow destiny blindly, even though you know there would be a cost at someone else's expense?" Aklase accused him.

Merlin shook his head sadly."I must if it means saving millions of lives in Runescape. You MUST understand."

"So I have no say in this? I'm supposed to just follow every order and be ok with whatever happens? Gee, because that seems fair." She muttered sarcastically.

"No one said that destiny was fair." Merlin retorted. "What's done is done, you will have time to grieve over it but after that you must finish your destiny."

"And what if I don't?" Aklase challenged him.

"Then you will be responsible for millions of people's deaths." Merlin said bluntly. "You and the other three will be captured and tortured for years until the darkness finally has mercy on you and kills you. And you will look back and realize you could have done something, but didn't. And you will regret it the rest of your pain filled life."

Aklase blinked at him as she let it sink in before she bowed her head in silent acceptance.

"I believe we're done here." Merlin nodded at her. "Again, I am sorry."

"Wait!" Aklase stopped him. "Who is it? Who really is the Fourth?"

Merlin shook his head. "You will have to find that out yourselves. Just know this, don't go looking for it. When the time comes it will come to you."

"How do we know if it really is the Fourth then?" Aklase asked him in impatience.

"They will know who you are." Merlin smiled. "Trust me; destiny is not the cold hearted monster that you picture it to be." At this, he faded away.

"Great…" Aklase muttered out loud. "If Jawwie was stressing over not knowing when the next element was coming, she's really not going to like this."


~To be continued~


I apologize if this may seem sloppily written but that's what happens when I get about 3,000 words done in one day along with homework. Also, sorry for all the drama. I hope this doesn't discourage you from continuing to read the story but let me ask you this, is there any possible way to turn someone dying into a comedy? No, no there is not.

Review!