Aftermath

Chapter 23: But I Will, Once More

Nestoria, once again. This time for something more important than Prime Songs or an old Master. This time it's to let go of pain instead of chasing it. To shine a light once more.

Author's note: okay the art for this one took me actual weeks because I just kept getting stuck on certain aspects but I can't tell you how much I love the finished piece

I'm not one to tell you what music to listen to when reading, but if you aren't listening to 'Tidesinger' from the SoW OST by AfterInfinity, you are desperately missing out XD

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After the Knights had forged their plan to protect the remaining two Prime Songs from the Voltaris grasp, and Ria and Hubris had argued backwards and forwards about the decision to allow the Deathsinger onto the team, Hubris had spoken up about giving Ingressus the opportunity to lay Achillean to rest – just as he had deserved for so long. To finally give him the peace he had wanted nothing more for his brother. They knew they couldn't go to the main Ardoni burial ground for no-one else knew of the Tidesinger's survival after the Great War, nor the Deathsinger's. They had long presumed him dead and suddenly holding a memorial for him 154 years later would spark more questions and concern than answers among the other clans and they wanted to keep the news of the Deathsinger under wraps – especially since they knew that he was no longer the monster everyone had so long thought him to be. The true monster was under their noses the entire time – Tygren Voltaris.

If the other clans knew of either's survival, it would cause an outcry and now was certainly not the time for trust to begin collapsing among the Ardoni. The amount of effort that it would take a small band of rebels to explain all that they had found out would be better spent showing the clans. They needed to be taken seriously and their story thus far would only make them a laughing stock - something that would play to their disadvantage. Keeping the burial as much a secret as possible was important, for the time being. One day, it could change.

Luckily, Hubris hadn't pissed off Aurelius too much after their last distasteful interaction and he had agreed to meet with the Knights one last time as a favour for his mistakes. Of course, explaining to the Nestoris Master that the Tidesinger never died during the Great War would be difficult, but not as much as trying to hide the fact that the Deathsinger also survived. They had deemed it most appropriate for the burial to take place in Nestoria, lit by the Nestoris Master, in a bid to bring Achillean home for the last time.

Ingressus had followed the Knights to Nestoria, cloaked in his robes again, and he hung back in the shadows of the woodlands with Senn, Onyx and Grek while the rest of them spoke to Aurelius. They had asked to speak with him privately, so as not to stir up any unnecessary attention among the other Nestoris Ardoni as they presented him with Achillean's body. Aurelius identified his markings immediately and was quickly saddened by the reveal of such news, sickened by the mess that their hero was in.

"Years we have spent searching for the remains of both the Tidesinger and the Deathsinger, but only have we found their Songs... How has this happened?" he asked, kneeling before the lifeless Ardoni.

He ran his hand over the bandaged part of his chest, feeling the coldness that struck him – the truth that had, at long last, finally come to light. His soul weakened at the sight of abuse – the scars that littered his body and bruises on every limb. There was one scar that struck him the most – one straight across his neck – yet that was not the attack that killed him. Aurelius knew the purpose for such an attack to the neck and he looked between Achillean and the Knights. He could see that they didn't know, and he wasn't about to be the one that told them. Some things are better left unsaid. Some truths would only shatter what was not there to begin with.