Deadly Mission

Victory, Loss and Grief

Nadia

After a few days of celebration in honor to saved queen, it was time for burials of the fallen warriors. Stellan had carried Izumi's corpse in the air with his powers as they escaped the castle. The journey back was bitter and quiet. They completed their mission with succes but Nadia felt like a failure. She couldn't protect the one person she loved most. The person who had always been by her side, her sister. Izumi forgave Beeja but Nadia didn't. Nadia blamed Beeja for her sister's death and it took all of her discipline not to murder Beeja on the way back. She had come back to fight with them but the deed was already done. There was a special graveyard made in Kintsugi, the capital of Rakuyou, for the soldiers who died during battle. It was named 'The Land of The Warriors.' Nadia believed that Izumi deserved a special place for herself alone but the queen wouldn't make exceptions. Prince Joyo was exiled. If he were to step on Rakuyou soil, he were to be arrested and hanged. Nadia wanted Beeja to hang. There was an immense hatred in Nadia towards Beeja. Every single move Beeja made, made Nadia want to choke her on the spot. It was hard not to give into her wants. They were at Izumi's funeral and Nadia thought Beeja didn't deserve to be there. Stellan was the one to calm her down before she did anything irrational. General Karaman and Corporal Werner were also there. Nadia wanted to lash out at them for not being able to protect their soldiers. Nadia turned her anger into tears because she couldn't contaminate it anymore.

"You will live on in me. I love you sister." Nadia whispered to herself when she threw the first piece of earth in her grave. She sat beside her grave until Stellan forced her to leave because it was getting dark. She hadn't eaten anything properly because it didn't matter. Nothing mattered without Izumi. It was as if life stopped when she left the world. Stellan had lifted Nadia up and carried her to the hotel they were staying at. She was sharing a room with Stellan. There was a queen-sized bed, a wardrobe and a small wooden table with a chair. Stellan brought steak for Nadia and put it on the table. Nadia looked at it with disgust from the chair she was sitting on.

"You have to eat, Nadia." Stellan spoke softly as if any harsh sound would break Nadia's spirit. It broke the moment she lost Izumi. Words could not hurt her anymore. Nothing could. She took a few bites and swallowed them difficultly. After that she faced Stellan who was seated on the edge of the bed.

"I never wanted to join the army. I only joined because Izumi was determined to join. If we didn't she would've lived."

"I don't know how to respond to that but know that I'm here for you, always." There was desperation in Stellan's eyes.

"I don't know if I can move forward." Nadia's voice creaked.

Stellan stood up and approached Nadia slowly. He held out his hand. "You can and I will be there along the way, if you let me." He wiped away a tear from Nadia's cheek. "I love you, Nadia." They slept together and when it was time to get back to their routine lives, Nadia quit the army. She wrote a letter of resignation in the hotel room. She was going to live with Stellan's family in the capital city. Nadia saw Efren, the nymph of Midori No Hikari, in her dream on the last night of her lodging at the hotel. He had paid his respects and said his condolences. Nadia was told that she was always welcome in his forest and that he wouldn't allow the world to forget Izumi's name. For that Nadia was grateful. Nobody should forget Izumi. Before she left the hotel with Stellan, Beeja and Felipe visited them. Nadia couldn't stand the sight of Beeja but she was happy to see Felipe. She hugged them tightly and kissed their cheek.

"You're always welcome at my family home." Stellan told both of them although Nadia didn't like the idea of Beeja visiting.

Beeja approached Nadia who was sitting in the chair. Nadia glowered at her. "Nadia... I cannot begin to describe my guilt."

"Don't." Nadia scowled. "You should've thought about that before you killed my sister. If it wasn't for Stellan and Felipe, I would've ended you with my bare hands." Nadia's tone was threatening. Beeja gulped with an expression of consternation. After their final goodbye's Nadia and Stellan left. Stellan lived in a victorian mansion with his parents and no siblings since he was an only child. Nadia established a charity organization in Izumi's name. Stellan kept to his responsibilities as a witch from the Zetsumyona coven. Nadia was going to marry him in the summer. They weekly got letters from Felipe and responded to him consistently. Beeja would send letters too but Nadia never opened them, Stellan did. She wrote them that she joined the army. Nadia was furious about it but she moved on from it in time. She would visit Izumi's grave everyday, sometimes Stellan accompanied her. Nadia told her about everything that was happening, she shared her inner thoughts and she sometimes even read books to her. She lived on with her grief for Izumi. She promised Izumi that she would always carry her in her heart. On her wedding day Nadia felt Izumi's absence the most. Marriage always felt too far away for them because they were soldiers and never put much thought into it. When Nadia became a bride, all she wished for was that Izumi could have witnessed it. To console herself, she clung onto the belief that Izumi was watching over her. Nadia and Stellan kept living in Stellan's family house because Nadia wasn't comfortable with the idea of another change in her life. She eventually learned how to forgive Beeja for betraying her and killing her sister. Nadia bore a life without Izumi but never dared to forget her.