Chapter 248Bonding Burial

In silence we walked the streets until we arrived at our destination, the park. We hoped it was the best resting place for those we had slain, a place where they would find peace and never be disturbed again.

The park was the peaceful place...

Of course, it just couldn't have come at a weirder time for the Gypsies to be here. I hadn't seen them in months, but now they were here. Did they somehow know of the battle or was it just a coincidence.

Khuna tensed with me when we noticed them. We weren't here for them at the moment, but we couldn't exactly ignore them either. First, we wanted to bury those that we brought with us. It didn't feel good to wait with that any longer than we had to.

We walked directly to the tree I often climbed in. In a way, burying them beneath it was giving them some happiness of my past. I've often felt peaceful and happy while sitting between the noble branches of this entity. I also knew how I was going to do it. The grass would be torn the same way I did when I buried myself under here, and I would push the ground aside to allow for the urn to lay there.

As I knelt on the ground, creating a rip in the grass and Kai was retrieving it from his backpack, we were interrupted by one of the gypsies.

It wasn't the leader, but I did remember him from the dance. "Please, wait with that. Mum wishes to see you." His English was only a little bit broken, but it was more than good enough for this.

I looked up at Khuna, who nodded. "Alright, we will come."

All four of us followed him to the wagon. The door was opened for us and we were all led inside, where, to my surprise it was quite light.

While the previous time the light had been nothing more but a candle that accentuated the shadows instead of removing them, this time the wagon's inside was pleasantly lit with an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling. Another candle on the desk made it even easier for her to write into a book. She looked up with a smile as we entered.

Her voice was warm. "Hello Amy, Valerie, Khuna and Dikaios."

Kai smiled. "Kai will do, madam."

The woman smiled at Kai before she looked back at me. "So, I hear you've fought an important battle today, Amy?"

How did she know?

She continued. "My daughter told me, of sorts, though not entirally voluntarily. Did you win?"

I nodded. "Yes, and we made sure they would never rise again."

She nodded with a hint of sadness. "I'm glad they're gone, but I'm really sad you were the one who had to do it."

I nodded as well, answering her sadness. "Yes, but it was for a greater good. And... I didn't have to do it alone."

She smiled. "And you wish to bury them here in the park?"

Again I nodded. "Yes, beneath a tree that has been kind to me."

She nodded in aproval. "Then, please take this and bury it with them."

All four of us looked at what she gave us. It was a very simple crystal that glittered in the light. It was shaped like a icosahedron, twenty equal sides. In my hands it felt cool and quiet, almost like a fresh shower of rain.

"Why?"

She smiled. "It's something that brings luck and peace, something that they could use in any next life. They need forgiveness more than anything and so far you've done very well I thought you could use a little gift."

"Thank you." I leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cheek. It made her almost blush as much as it did me.

We stepped out of the wagon again and walked back to the tree, unhindered by any of the gypsies. They looked too preoccupied to even pay attention to us. We weren't visitors or harmful. We were just there. I gave the crystal to Khuna, so she could hold and feel it as well. She smiled and soon gave it to Valerie who gave it to Kai before it returned back to me.

We were ready to bury them now.

Kai produced the urn from his backpack and I put the crystal in it, taking care not to let it drop too harshly and make the ashes flare up. It would stay at their center until they were ready to move on.

I dug a quick hole, my clothes were already dirty from the fight anyway, moving aside for Khuna to place the urn inside. Kai and Valerie both had a hand on her shoulder while she placed the urn quite a bit underneath the tree. Our way of goodbye. Even though they were our enemies, we were sorry to see them gone so burtally and mourned their passing.

I closed the hole gently, making sure almost no evidence remained of my little excavation and rose up.

None of us wanted to say a word. In the distance the Gypsies started playing music, sad at first, slow beats that moved you around. But then faster and cheerful and causing most of them to encircle the fire.

Valerie finally looked up and smiled at us. "Who wants to dance?"

Khuna and Kai looked up and nodded, if a bit vaguely. But I didn't.

I wanted to go somewhere else.