Funeral

"The prophecy is proving itself wrong." Quabin answered, muttering over everything that happened these past 300 years. "Nobody put more effort in this than we did, yet we walked into another frozen continent."

Trying to avoid the fact that the prophecy he found and encouraged was being proven wrong, Zabal stood up and faced the small lava pool he just created. "We should start the funerals now."

Although hard to say, master Quabin still tipped it. "Why don't we just throw them in the ditch? Let's face it, we could all die here if we don't take the right steps."

Showing his level of grand understanding, Zabal followed up. "We have to find a better place to sleep for the night, I'm aware what you want to say but let's honour these people ha? It's the least we can do for them, they shared this journey with us for 300 years."

...

"Have you dug the graves yet?" Quabin questioned as he gazed upon two tribeswomen and a man too.

With rocks on their hands, one of them answered. "Almost, it took us a while to dig the snow out."

And this point was absolutely believable, the master proved that once granting a glance at the graves.

Small hills of snow surrounded where the graves were being dug and once one lady stood up, only her head was visible from any other point of view.

Which screamed volumes because she was a stunning 10 foot tall woman, from that point Quabin encouraged a prime thought, leaving the home continent was a bad idea, at least there the snow was only 2 feet deep.

While here, not only it deepens 10 feet deep near the shoreline, but the snow was also frozen enough that anyone could walk over it without sinking.

Understanding that it was a bad idea to waste time, Quabin dipped in the same hole where the third grave was being dug and lended a hand, using a rock to carve through the earth.

...

With the aid of about 10 tribesmen and women, the 3 bodies were laid in the graves.

Although tradition a tad more followed now, the graves were just dug 2 feet deep instead of the usual 4. The entire tribe was in a rush and it's best to use the daylight to their advantage.

They were on a continent of which they have no map of, it was the best idea to get these funerals over with quickly and seek a warmer and safer place to spend the night. The next step can be planned from that point onwards.

"Alright, they're ready." Quabin informed which was an indirect request for the main person to arrive in the scene tad more properly.

As the tribespeople climbed away from the graves, Zabal took a peek at the graves and with a heavy foot he gently slipped down.

Giving a few seconds of respect to these unfortunate souls, a tear almost forced out of the grand master's eye while his throat felt heavier by the passing breath.

Bending down, his knees meeting the ground for once in this continent, Zabal stretched his arms for the two graves he squatted in the middle of.

Lava bursted out of his palms, appearing almost like out of thin air just a couple of inches away from his own skin, gently pouring over the graves but fast enough to fill them under a few short seconds.

The bodies submerged underneath the lava, 2 feet was deep enough to swallow these corpses but before the heat of which this pure orange lava provided could sizzle through skin too deep, the last step had to be taken.

With a bit of force, Zabal slapped the dirt near the lava pools he had just created in these graves.

And so the flesh burning substance in them, started drying towards what portrayed a solid figure.

Stone, yes... that's what the lava turned into just by a simple hand mark slapped near the graves.

A lava blaster's abilities were truly perplexing but hey, at least Zabal knew what he was doing.

Since the third grave was too far away, he left that one for last. This tribeswoman carried the most wounds, it's hard to look at and describing further detail would leave one with a bubbling stomach.

Zabal knew this woman, hell when being 300 meters underground with a handful of people, there was no choice but to know everyone.

She was courageous, ruthless and that most likely led her to such brutal death... the ice spike through her stomach hasn't even been removed yet, who would have the heart to do that?

He blew lava over her grave and instantly slapped the ground with the other hand, trying to not mourn over the fact that a close friend had left this world.

Sluggish and lost in thoughts, Zabal climbed his way out of the hole and requested from a few other tribespeople who had warmed up already. "It's better if you go cover the graves with a bit of snow."

Not liking the idea of wasting time, Quabin contradicted. "Why do that? We need to eat a bit and get out of here!"

And leaving this man speechless once more, Zabal snapped out of his thoughts and explained. "There's probably more of these weird humans, we can't let them know that their kind managed to kill ours. That way, they will be scared of the massacre down there but it will give us the ability to travel a bit more freely."

"You're right." Quabin agreed and made his way towards the graves to shovel snow down with his hands.

Quabin is a man who often questioned decisions but thankfully, reason always stood as a best friend by his side, the last thing they would need under such conditions is a stubborn man.

As he took a better look at the tribe, it became certain that lady Kashama had done a good job with plucking, cleaning and cooking the blue eagle under such a short time.

Lunch smells good and it felt heavenly to have any bite of food after 4 long weeks of not eating anything!

Apart from that, these eagles taste heavenly! Far better than the ratbugs they have been eating through the 300 years of underground travel.

The food itself made this place feel more like a haven, but everything else here can't be ignored, a lot of this new continent can contribute into this tribe of 17 meeting their end.

Taking a bite of the blue eagle meat, chewing it a couple of times before swiftly swallowing, Zabal encouraged. "Eat as much as you can, we can't risk carrying heavy weight and nonetheless smelly meat."

Fair to say, there was enough meat to go around. This weird screaming bird had to weigh somewhere around 100 kilos. Bones, lava and feathers aside, more than half of this animal could be usable, so these people can walk around with a stomach big enough to not be hungry for a week.

An idea arousing his sense for defence but considering it a risk time-wise, Zabal took it under process a few more times before he pitched. "We will carry a few bones each, pick the long ones and I will smelt the tips into sharp points."

Before Quabin could contradict this, the grand master continued with his idea. "We can't risk staying here so I will sharp them for you as we travel."

Enjoying the rising aura of his now well fed people, Zabal muttered. "Now we will be able to throw spikes too."