Legacy of Herobrine ✓

Chapter 40

The next day was cold and cloudy. A steady sprinkle of rain flowed across the plain, as if reflecting on the battle much later. Gale humorously chose this time to hold the small funeral for the ones lost in the battle with Bridget. To Faolan's surprise, there was actually a small graveyard at the very back of the village. Not usually for their bodies, but sometimes they buried a chest under the tombstone that held the person's items.

At the brink of sunset, when the clouded horizon took on a pale gold hue, Faolan and Sapphire walked together in silence as they made their way to the graveyard. "Where is Storm?" he asked.

Sapphire smiled. "She led a stealth patrol to your original village with a few others."

"Why?"

"An assassination." That was all that was needed to convey the message.

They continued walking; past the restaurant, the training arena, Onix's blacksmith forge. Finally, they arrived at the graveyard--a large chunk of land surrounded by birchwood fences. There were numerous tombstones of different sizes and shapes and quality; some were simple blocks of cobblestone, while others pieces of mossy cobblestone walls. Flowers were strewn everywhere, planted in the ground and surrounding the stones. There was a clump of people in the corner. The two of them approached the group.

It was about a dozen people; a few more than who had come to the battle, relatives or friends. They looked tired and downcast. Sapphire went over to stand by Gale, so Faolan followed.

"How are you?" Sapphire murmured.

"Fine, I suppose," Gale replied. "I haven't much to grieve for as some."

The identities of the mourners came into sharper clarity. Faolan saw a few people kneeling near gravestones, or planting flowers on patches of grass. Some simply stayed with their loves ones. To Faolan's dismay, he saw JP sitting next to one of the markers; a piece of stone crisscrossed with strands of moss. He was writing something absently on a sign.

Faolan walked over and sat down beside him on the rain-dampened grass. JP didn't look up.

"Who's it for?" He asked.

JP didn't reply. He finished writing and hung it on the stone before standing up. Faolan read it. 'Ellie. Sister of JP. Killed by America, soldier & Descendant of Notch.'

Faolan bit his lip and creased his brow. How did he not know this? "Dude... I can't even... I'm..." It's still my fault, he remembered. It's all my fault.

JP shook his head. "You've got to stop sending yourself on guilt trips. It was America. Not you." He told Faolan, gently. Faolan stood up and went back to Sapphire.

He was just getting comfortable next to Gale when someone shouted, "Wait!" Karen burst into the group, holding an orange tulip in her hands. Her blue hair was slicked down from the rain. "Don't start the hymn yet!"

Before Gale could reply, she hastened over to another grave and silently planted the tulip in front of it. Faolan stepped forward to see the name. 'Hunter. No known relatives. Killed in an explosion from Dark Star. Night vision.' Then in hastier, scratchier writing, 'Best friend of Karen.'

Faolan suppressed a groan as Karen stood up. Her pale face was dripping with water; from the rain or tears, he didn't know. Probably both. Karen looked around, frowned sadly, and joined the crowd.

There was a moment of eerie silence, with only the dripping of the rain. Then, one by one, each Descendant joined in on a quiet song.

"Day is done, day is done, day is done

"Gone the sun, gone the sun, gone the sun

"From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky

"All is well, all is well, all is well

"Safely rest, safely rest, safely rest

"Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight."

After that, they all started to hum the notes of the same verse. Faolan joined in, tears threatening to prick his eyes. He remembered this song, barely. When they he and Celeste and their parents had to attend the funeral of one of his friend, Kat's, uncle, they had sung this song.

"Thank you," Gale said once they finished, and they began to disperse. Faolan stared at an empty stone at the edge of the yard and felt Sapphire nudge a sign in his hands. As if in a dream, he went over and knelt down to hang the sign on it.

'Celeste. Sister of Faolan. Killed by the government.'

Then, letting the floodgates of his grief open, Faolan wept.