Wedding of the Dead

Chapter 12: New Arrival

If it wasn't already packed with books, Celeste thought that the town hall was packed with members of the land of the dead. All of the citizens who lived in this mismatched city had, somehow, managed to squeeze themselves into the massive building - lingering among the piled high books and leaning over the balconies from above. Celeste, Lucas, Flora, and Belvedere had managed to snag front row seats from the balcony closest to Elder Hilderich's podium.

The elder in question had a thick tome laid in front of him, his thin skeletal hands pressed to the pages as his soft voice echoed in the room, reciting what sounded like a spell as a a shape surrounded by thick fumes in shades of white, gray, and black swirled before him.

"...líbera hanc ánimam a gládio, dírige eos ad thronos veritátis et iustítiæ..." Elder Hilderich murmured as the movement of the smoke swirled harder.

"What is he doing?" Celeste whispered to Lucas.

"This is both a summoning and a judgment," Lucas explained, "When someone passes, their spirit is brought into a sort of an oblivion before Elder Hilderich can sense their presence lingering in the afterlife. As the spirit is being transferred to this place, he is able to also see every single thing they have done in their lives - every good and every bad. The whites, grays, and blacks on the form indicate every piece of their life for us to see as a whole - it's a way for us to know about them, in a sense."

"And what allows Elder Hilderich to decide if the soul can stay or if they're not welcomed?"

"The fumes that surround the soul give off the final decision," Lucas answered, "The more white or gray a soul has indicates they did their best - perhaps tempted or had evil thoughts, but never acted on them. The more black we see indicates they've done more harm than good - if that is the case, the spirit will be forced into that oblivion again, never to be free and trapped until the very end of time."

A whooshing sound echoed in the room as the smoke turned bright white as a light appeared. Celeste shielded her eyes as the light erupted in the chamber before vanishing completely.

A woman in her mid-forties appeared, her graying dark hair pulled back into a tight bun sat on the crown of her head. Her dress was plain, nearly a rich sapphire, with teal stripes running vertically from the high collar around her neck to the hem of her skirts. Her skin was gray with touches of pale blue on her lips, cheeks, and around her eyes - making a set of pale blues sunken in. She looked around herself, seemingly confused by her situation before her eyes locked with Celeste's.

"My lady?" her voice rang through the chamber as Celeste gasped in surprise at seeing a younger version of Nanny Diele standing below her.

"Nanny!"

"Silence in the chamber please!" a voice called out.

Lucas gripped Celeste's hand in comfort, knowing she was incredibly confused about how her caretaker had come here.

Elder Hilderich's voice pulled everyone's attention back to the matter at hand, "Miss Sarah Diele, I welcome you with open arms to our little world. I know, however, that this world may be very different from the one you once lived in - but know that you have proven yourself to be a kind and gentle soul without a doubt. You are free to do as you wish."

Clapping erupted, filling the hall, while whistling and cheers came. Celeste pulled on Lucas' hand, dragging him away from Flora and Belvedere.

"Celeste?"

"Lucas, I want you to meet Nanny Diele," his bride smiled up at him, "She took care of me and my sister since we were children, but is also a mother figure to me. I think you'll like her."