23. Funeral services

Gareth's eyes loomed over his wife. She was hugging the rugs tightly to herself. She has been in much better shape since they received the Heat Stone.

Not a single day passed by, when the couple didn't thank Lord Arzan for giving them the Heat stone. Although finding food has been difficult, having heat in the blizzarding weather made it easier for them to survive.

Now, they stood in the middle of a line that led to an almsgiving.

Similarly to Gareth and Cecilia, half of the town stood waiting patiently for their turn.

The estate of Lord Arzan was giving out free bowls of food, made with different herbs. When the news had spread yesterday, not a lot of people had believed it.

Gareth had heard the conversation that it was a rumour, and despite the Heat stones selling well, the estate was still in debt. Moreover, giving food to the whole town, even if it was just a simple bowl of soup, would cost a ton and no lord would empty their coffers like this.

Despite the chatter, everyone had made their way to the town square early in the morning where guards and maids had arrived with bowls of what looked like hot, sizzling soup filled with herbs.

"I have never seen such a soup before. What do you think it is made of?" he asked his wife, whose eyes loomed over a person's bowl who was gulping it down on the side.

It was an amber liquid, filled with leaves and giving off a sizzling aroma.

"I don't know, but it smells so good," Cecilia frowned, but an instant smile appeared. "We're getting closer."

She said as only a few people were remaining in front of them.

Gareth nodded.

He looked over to see the guard handing the bowl to the person in the front. The person grabbed it with both hands and quickly started standing beside it to eat it while it was hot.

"We're next," Cecilia mumbled in excitement. Smoke came out of her lips for how long she had been standing there in the queue.

Waiting for two more minutes, Gareth and Cecilia stepped forward and looked at the guard.

"Here you go," the guard said and handed them the bowl of soup. "Enjoy your soup. It's called a Necra Soup, it helps to warm your body and is essential to survive the weather. We are working to get it ready for you all for a day," he said the last line aloud so the rest of the line could hear it.

Cecilia muttered a quick 'thank you' and stepped aside.

"Let's soon drink it before it gets cold," she started sipping on the soup.

The flavours danced on their tongue as the steaming soup poured down. Cecilia glanced at Gareth. A puzzled expression creased her brow. "I wonder where they got the ingredients to make the soup from. It's very unique, but leaves a nice aftertaste."

She said questioningly as she realised she had forgotten to ask the guard.

"We shouldn't bother with the questions, Cecilia. Drink it." Gareth shrugged as he looked at Cecilia.

His voice came out hushed yet firm.

***

Even though Cecilia let it be, curiosity gnawed at her. She continued to sip from the bowl, but her mind wandered trying to piece it together. Her eyes went back and forth between the carriage and the helpers who had come to serve.

There were a few guards, but several women with maid uniforms. One of them was someone she had seen with Lord Arzan once in one of his weekly visits to the streets to distribute Heat stones.

"I wonder if Lord Arzan is going to continue the soup distribution like the Heat stones too. If he does, most of our problems will be solved," Cecilia said and looked at her husband.

Gareth nodded. "He's really doing so much for us suddenly. If only the bandits run away from the mines, I will get my work back." He emptied the bowl and burped while looking around.

It was still morning and it didn't look like the line was going to end anytime soon. If they hadn't been warned one person getting only one bowl of soup, would have made his way to the back again.

His focus was distracted by the distant sound of solemn bells tolling in the distance.

"The funeral is starting," They heard a distant voice call out.

The realisation dawned upon them simultaneously. Without exchanging a word, Cecilia finished her bowl and handed it over to Gareth, who walked back behind the carriage where they were collecting bowls.

"Let's go," Gareth walked back and told Cecilia.

She nodded and both of them followed where droves of people were going.

They were all headed towards a big ground in the city, where a large number of people who had finished their bowls had already gathered. Among the crowd, guards were standing in the front, keeping the public in check and making sure that all of them maintained peace.

Everyone looked at the centre of the ground.

Bodies lay beside rough-hewn graves. Their forms were hidden beneath simple clothes. Guards stood in front of them, all their faces etched with weariness. Beside the guards stood Lord Arzan.

The guards were dripping sweat. They must've dug the holes and laid the corpses. But even after the hefty work, they stood there seamlessly.

Lord Arzan was talking to a few clerics from the Church of Lumaris, the Goddess of Light and Life. Their golden robes and symbolic accessories made them look distinct from the others and it seemed like they had already prepared for the funeral.

They also saw Knight Killian and Administrator Francis standing in the back. While the knight was ordering the guards, Francis stood, watching over the processions.

"This is sad," Cecilia said in a muffle. Her hand covered her mouth as she stared at the crying families.

They were all on the opposite side of the crowd. Their arms tangled with one another as they sobbed. They were the sons, daughters, and wives of the fallen guards.

Once they had returned from the expedition the tales had spread everywhere because skeletons and a necromancer were involved. All the still functioning pubs and bars in the city were full of chatter about it.

Especially about the funeral Lord Arzan was hosting for the fallen.

"I heard they fought bravely against the necromancer," a voice whispered close to them in the crowd.

"Yes, they are heroes."

"Their family didn't deserve it, but they saved the city fighting with the lord."

Gareth and Cecilia heard the voices of two people whispering behind them. The tone was tinged with both sorrow and reverence.

Gareth looked at Cecilia. They passed unspoken words while shifting their attention back to the burial ground.

***

Kai turned towards the sombre crowd, his gaze sweeping over the faces gathered before him. The guards, the people who had come to watch, and even the families who were crying uncontrollably.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"People of our city," he began, his tone grave yet steady, "I stand before you today with a heavy heart, for we gather here to honour the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to us all."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, acknowledging the weight of his words. Kai made eye contact with a few people.

"In our recent expedition," Kai continued, his voice unwavering, "we confronted a great evil— a necromancer who threatened our very existence. Through courage and determination, we were able to vanquish this threat. But in doing so, we lost brave souls who fought by our side, who gave their lives so that others may live."

A solemn silence fell over the gathering as Kai's words sank in. Originally, he had thought to do a small funeral with the families involved, but he felt like the guards needed honour to their names and the legacy their families could be proud of.

So, he decided to make the funeral a public event.

Turning towards the families of the fallen, Kai's expression softened with empathy. "To the families of the fallen," he said, his voice gentler now, "know that your loved ones will not be forgotten by me or my retainers. In recognition of their bravery and sacrifice, I announce that each family shall receive twenty-five gold coins as a token of our gratitude and respect."

A soft murmur of appreciation rose from the crowd, mingling with the whispers. Some looked grateful, and some were still hovering from the shock of the amount.

"And to any member of the fallen's family," Kai continued his voice carrying with conviction, "know that the gates of the guard are open to you. Any who wish to serve our city in honour of your fallen kin shall be welcomed with open arms."

With those words, Kai fell silent, allowing the weight of his announcement to settle over the gathering. Around him, the people nodded in agreement.

The whispers of gratitude slowly turned to a chorus of cheers and applause.

The sound echoed through the square.

Kai wasn't big on speeches ever since he was a Mage. This time, something stung him personally. He knew the families deserved respect for those who died. Therefore, he tried his best to give something when he spoke.

In hindsight, it was also a good event to show his face more to the common people, even through an occasion like this.

In the middle of the cheering, a cleric stepped forward.

He bowed his head. In a low voice, he murmured the last rites, praying for the dead and hoping for Lumaris to show them a path to the afterlife.

The crowd's cheer died down immediately, and the silence hung over them once more.

Kai's eyes wandered around to meet with the people of the city and onto the ground. The guards made sure that the burial was as respectful as it could be.

As he observed the ritual, he realised the change in traditions here compared to his time. He had never heard of anyone burying the dead before because of incidents of necromancers raising the dead from graveyards.

The tradition had become one of burning and letting the ashes fly into the air or collecting them to keep in a memorial.

A part of him wanted to change it because he had just dealt with the necromancer, but he couldn't be hasty.

He had to make sure to not change things around, especially things that had personal values attached to them.

As the cleric was done with the rites, the guards walked to the burial ground and let the families have their moment.

Kai took a few steps behind, absorbing the situation. People passed by him in crowds, to respect the fallen and meet the family members.

"Lord Arzan did a great job with the burials," he heard a woman say from the crowd.

"The soup we received today… I heard it's his doing too. Finally, we received a ruler who cares about the people," the other voice came in a whisper.

Similar whispers passed his ears as people bowed to him as he passed. Once they had given their respect to the fallen and talked to the families, the line dispersed.

Killian ordered the guards to cover the burial grounds with soil. The guards nodded and started to work.

Kai stood in the middle of the aftermath of the funeral, his gaze fixated on the graves that were being closed.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Francis walking towards him. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stood next to Kai.

"Lord Arzan…" He offered a small nod of acknowledgement. "This is all… A great job that you did. Thank you," he said.

Kai managed a faint smile. "Yeah. It isn't about me, I believe the guards deserved it. It's not easy for their family to lose them. So, it had to be done."

"That's true, my lord." Francis shifted slightly, his tone grew serious. "About what we talked about before, I did some digging, like you said, about that necromancer. Turns out he was a criminal. Wanted in a duchy on the other side of the kingdom."

Kai's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Is that so?"

Francis leaned in, his voice lowered. "What do you think we should do, Lord Arzan?"

Kai looked at Francis. "I say we send them a letter, informing them that we took care of their problem. Maybe even ask for some compensation. We could use it to help the families of the fallen guards and the people affected by all of this."

Francis nodded in agreement. "That sounds like quite the plan."

"Yes. Draft that letter immediately."

Before they could delve further into their discussion, Francis hesitated for a moment before continuing, his eyes showed a sense of urgency.

"Oh, and one more thing," Francis said, his voice still in a whisper. "The girl, the one who was injured during the expedition... She woke up."