AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Finally, I hear the words I’ve been waiting hours for, “Sem of Alliance Force has paid Ash’s debt. May the goddesses welcome him into the light of the Afterlife.”
The shrine’s door opens, and the doctor comes to my side while the others pay their respects to Ash’s body in the corner and acknowledge the sacrifice I made for Ash by the blood on the floor and the cuts on my body. When everyone has witnessed the physical marks of my pain, the doctor begins healing me with a handheld palmer. We don’t speak. Neither of us are men who like small talk, especially under these circumstances.
When the doctor has finished, he rises and says, “You’ve done well here. Walk with the goddesses, Sem.” Then, I watch as the doctor joins the line to pay his last respects to Ash.
I am the last in line. I lean over Ash’s face and kiss his cold lips. It’s symbolic that I take his last breath in this life so he can proceed to the Afterlife. “Then I say his name, Ash of the Alliance Force, walk with the goddesses into the light. I’m setting you free from the living.”
Afterward, I lead the small procession around the statue of the goddess of home with the body on a special funeral bed seven times. Each time, we say a prayer that Ash will reach the Afterlife. Then we walk slowly to the dining hall. I’m still first in the procession behind him because I was his best friend. Everyone else follows in rank: the slaves behind me, the officers, and finally, the end of the middling class. Once we reach the dining hall, Ash’s body is extended on an invisible pedestal, and the rest of us sit in our assigned seats. Slaves pour wine, and I make a toast to my friend.
“Ash and I were like brothers since we first met at military school. I always thought we’d have had at least a hundred more years or more together. That we’d marry human women and raise our children side-by-side here.” I pause to keep my composure. “And our children and their children would always be together, but the goddesses had different plans. Let’s raise our cups to the amazing life that Ash lived, his passion and his bravery. I stand here today because of his courageousness. May his soul never touch the darkness.”
Everyone around me raises their black cups of wine and replies, “May he always be in the light.”
I make eye contact with everyone around me after I’ve taken a sip.
After seven seconds of silence for the goddesses, the slaves begin setting out food for Ash’s last meal with us. A plate of food is set for Ash at his place at the table. I look over at his motionless body on display in his finest uniform. This feels like a nightmare.
I push my food around, barely eating. I drink wine. When the meal finishes, we proceed to the medical center because we have no proper funeral room. There, I lift my friend’s body into a medical pod and say my final goodbye. I put my hand on the glass above his closed eyes and say, “I’ll never forget you, Ash. Behave yourself in the Afterlife.”
Then I nod to the doctor and say the set phrase, “Release him back to the goddesses so he may reside with them.”
The doctor then incinerates his body. It’s an ancient practice, but one the military still uses for men who have died while serving. In an instant, the medical pod fills with a sudden burst of flames, and then my friend is engulfed in smoke. The tears stream down my face, and I don’t even wipe them away. Goodbye, my friend.
Sixteen
Ivy
I wonder if Sem is dead and no one knows to call me. For the millionth time, I get on social media and click on what I have always assumed is his mother’s account. It’s set to private, so I can’t see anything except she’s in Europe. I hover over the message button. Will she think I’m stalking him?
I let my finger hover over the message button. At the last second, I move it away and turn off my phone. Sem is not my father. He’ll either return or he won’t.
I look at the bracelet he gave me. I wear it every day. He said he’d be back. I run my fingers over the blue stones and ask myself out loud, “Where are you, Sem? Injured or dead? It’s been weeks since you said you’d be back.”
Then, as if fate heard me. My phone rings, and it’s Sem. I reach so fast for my phone when I see his name; I knock my phone off the bed. But instead of picking it up to answer, I answer it from the floor while hanging off the side of my bed. I’m out of breath, halfway on the floor, with my heart pounding. It must make for a strange camera angle, but I don’t care.
“Sem, I was so worried,” I don’t even feign coolness at any of this. “You were gone for six weeks. Where are you now? Have you just returned?”
“Things took longer than expected. I’m sorry,” he says. He looks exhausted; there are dark circles under his eyes. “I wanted to contact you but couldn’t. I hope you’re still wearing the bracelet?”
I show him my arm. “I didn’t take it off. I was so worried. I thought you might have been hurt, and no one told me.”
I see indecision cross his face. “I was hurt. I also lost my best friend…”
He stops talking, and anguish crosses his face. “I’m so sorry. That’s devasting news. What can I do? Have you had the funeral?”
He nods his head. “Yes, that’s why I couldn’t contact you for seven days following. I was in mourning.”
“Oh,” I say. I don’t want to ask about his pagan practices now. I’m just going to listen. “I hope it went as well as it could being a funeral.” I’m struggling to find the words. I don’t know if he believes in Valhalla, and I don’t want to be insulting.
He hesitates for a minute, and I wonder if I’ve said something insulting, but then he replies, “Yes, it was as good as it could be.”
“Was it in Sweden?”
Before he can answer me, someone comes in from behind him, a man I can’t see, and they speak a language I don’t know. It must be Swedish. I don’t even know what Swedish sounds like. Then he looks back at me. “I have to go now, I’m sorry. We are understaffed with the death of Ash. You asked what you can do for me, and I’d really appreciate it if you could meet me for a week’s holiday. I’d really like to see you. Please send me the Santorini information so I can make the arrangements. Ash’s death has reminded me that if we don’t pursue the goddesses’ paths, our lives might be taken away.”
I look at him blankly. Did he really just say that, or did I imagine it? “Sorry. What?”
He looks away and then back at the screen. “We can discuss that later. Please send me all your details, and believe me when I say I can afford it.”
