Knightegel: Born of Conflict

Chapter 8: A Bloom in the Ashes

The leaders of the Kasumi defense returned tothe city to direct and assist in the cleanup of what remained from the battle.Sorez had already begun. It was a grueling process that none should have had toendure. It brought immeasurable pain to any who picked up the pieces of thosethey either once knew, or may have known. Friends and family members wereunrecognizable, as few could tell the difference in the emaciated flesh andexposed sinew. While the streets were managed, the Peace Order brought in food,fresh water, blankets, furs, and medicine for the grieving people, tending to thewounded to ensure that those who could survive, did survive. Many were rushedto the nearest shelter to get them out of the cold, especially those with openwounds that could easily be infected if left alone. Soldiers salvagedammunition and collected the left-over artillery from the piles of deceasedManistrad – anything they could find that was still intact. Kasumi guard andpeace members picked up debris and brought it out to a pile beyond the gate,where the slaughtered Manistrad lay.

While Sorez was busy, crying and whimpering stormed his ears – a chorus of pain – begging him to stop working for a moment and observe. With weary eyes, he took it all in. He dropped the bricks and wood planks in his hand, and again approached Diari Hasegawa. "My lord," he said, lowering his head, then raising it, "What has happened here today, to your people, is unfair, to say the least. Beyond that, I don't know what to call it. All I know is that none of you deserved it. And this, being left to clean it up, to weep in their own families' blood, in the cold...this should not be. With respect, I cannot bring back the dead, but I can do you some kindness, if you will permit me."

With no words to accompany him, Katsurou's staremade clear that he understood something. There was a knowing about the way helooked at Sorez: without surprise, but instead, tears from the eyes, and agratefulness as though for a miracle long desired. And then said he, "Do whatyou will."

With the Diari's blessing, Sorez walked to themidst of the destruction, standing still to breathe. He then looked in onedirection, lifting all the debris around him into the air, and with a dominoeffect, restored every house, every structure, to the way it was, leaving onlythe gate. In that restoration, the streets were swept clean and those who wereinjured were completely healed. Katsurou looked on with glazed eyes of joy, asthe temple was reformed, just as it was. Afterward, Sorez looked to the gate.Every brick and plank belonging to it, every stone, turned to dust, and dustinto clay, and with that clay, he refashioned the gate, scoring into its face amemorial depicting the battle, with figures resembling the art of theirculture, and inscriptions on each side, written in their native language. Theimagery appeared on both the outside and inside of the gate. Sorez stepped backto look at it when he finished, remembering the walls which told the story ofSimerta's people, and now, a new chapter was added. All that was missing fromthe memorial, was Sorez himself.

Katsurou walked up to the walls followed byYolsiff, and touched the inscriptions, admiring their authenticity. He soonsmiled and said to Yolsiff, "These are their names...all those who died. Theseare their names – magnificent."

Back in Hilithany's capital, the physician whoexamined the Prime Minister's body, stood before a large crowd of peoplegathered in front of Vershum's house, with over twenty Manistrad guards aroundhim.

"Prime Minister Hans Vershum is dead," said thephysician, "He suffered a stroke in the night. His passing was painless...Aceremony is to be held tomorrow morning at ten O'clock sharp, at the grandManibest temple, to honor his life and mourn the loss of a truly great man ofHilithany."

In the house of Parliament, Dein Bragitesh andthe Maniverst took their seats as the new council of Hilithany. The originalfourteen entered first, followed by thirty new additions to the fold. The onewho remained standing was the Dein's forty-year-old son, who had a much calmerlikeness to that of his father. The council praised him, saying, "Hail, DeinBragitesh the second!"