The Cycles of Revelation Series
Artifact of the Dawn: Funeral (A Queer Sci-Fi Adventure)
Episode 38: They hold funeral rites for all those who died during the battle, along with the Athla’naa who died in their failed cryostasis pods.
When Jevan woke on the morning after the attack, he found Ardyn sitting at the foot of the bed, staring listlessly. “Hey, how long have you been sitting there?”
All Ardyn did was shake his head and shrug.
Jevan scooted down to sit behind him, wrapping his friend in an embrace. “Yesterday was awful, but it’s behind us now.”
Ardyn turned and buried his head in Jevan’s shoulder. “I know. I just wish I didn’t feel so damned helpless.”
“Takyra said everyone would work on preparations for the funeral rites. Why don’t we go up and see what we can do to help?” Jevan suggested.
After taking a deep breath, Ardyn straightened and gave Jevan a nod. “That’s a good idea.”
They dressed and ate a quick meal before heading up to the observation tower. As they made their way outside, they found Takyra and Aelrynd coordinating the efforts near where some people had begun preparing the bodies of the fallen. He stopped in his tracks when he realized there were more bodies than there had been the day before. Ardyn tensed beside him when he noticed the same.
“What happened?” Jevan asked as they approached. “Did more die last night? Was there another attack?”
“Oh, no! Nothing like that,” Takyra reassured them. “I decided we should include those who died in their cryopods in the funeral rites.”
“Thank goodness,” Ardyn said with obvious relief. “I don’t think I could take any more bad news right now.”
“How can we help?” Jevan asked.
“Ardyn, you’re familiar with preparing the dead,” Aelrynd said. “Why don’t you help them?”
Those who were already working on preparing the bodies were wrapping them carefully in shrouds of cloth. Ardyn nodded. “Yes, I can do that.”
Jevan was about to volunteer to help as well when Takyra suggested another task. “Taeglyn is working with Druyndar’s followers to gather the wood needed for the pyre. There are so many dead, so we are building one large pyre. They could use someone tall and strong, such as yourself.”
Spotting Taeglyn in the distance, Jevan gave Takyra a small nod. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do. Ardyn, will you be alright without me?”
“Go and help Taeglyn,” Ardyn insisted. “I’ll be fine.”
They spent the rest of the day busy with their tasks. Athla’naa from the ship would occasionally bring them water and food so they could keep working. It still took until nightfall before the pyre was complete and all the dead were laid upon it.
They built it within the forcefield, so it was safe from animal attacks, but they still posted a security detail around the pyre overnight. The funeral rites were planned for the following day, giving everyone time to get some rest.
That night, Jevan groaned as he climbed into bed. Spending an entire day chopping trees and carrying logs for the pyre had left his entire body aching. It’s when Ardyn didn’t tease him for sounding like an old man that Jevan realized his friend was being quieter than usual.
“How are you doing?” Jevan asked, turning to Ardyn, who lay there with his back toward him.
Ardyn gave him a non-committal shrug.
“Today was difficult,” Jevan surmised, remembering the grim task Ardyn had done that day.
Turning over onto his back, Jevan saw Ardyn’s face was wet with tears. “I… I’ve seen death before, but it’s never affected me this deeply.”
“Those you’ve seen die before. What manner of deaths were they?” Jevan asked, hoping that talking about it would help ease Ardyn’s mind.
Sitting up, the Athla’naa wiped his face on his sleeve. “Mostly old age or illness. One from an accident falling from a worn ladder. A few who died from sar’ora attacks.”
“These deaths were different,” Jevan pointed out. “A result of senseless violence. It’s not something your people are familiar with, are they?”
Shaking his head, Ardyn leaned against Jevan. “Not since our truce with your people, which was so long ago, there is no one alive who remembers what living through that was like.”
Jevan wrapped an arm around Ardyn. “Do you remember that story I told you, of the young man who forced himself upon a pair-bonded woman, causing her death?”
Ardyn nodded.
“It doesn’t happen often, but unfortunately, sometimes Medellans will commit murder, or worse.”
“Like what those men threatened to do to me if I continued my lessons with Soren,” Ardyn recalled, a shudder running through his body. “Why would anyone ever do that to another?”
“I don’t know. I never understood it, either,” Jevan admitted. “How can anyone ever be angry enough to want to bring harm to someone or end their life?”
Jevan leaned back against the pillows, pulling Ardyn with him. “Let’s try to get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day.”
The next day, Jevan and Ardyn helped Takyra and the elders coordinate the funeral rites. Takyra and Aerys worked to set up a system from within the Rahn’naa that would broadcast the rites to everyone on board, as there were too many of them to gather outside. Especially with so many from Maala’naa still camped around the observation tower.
Mathias had kept Tomas and Aron out of the way, spending most of his time bringing the two up-to-speed on his people’s history since they arrived on Vestos. Jevan checked in with Mathias a few times during the day and also relayed an invitation from Takyra to observe their funeral rites.
“I’ll be there,” Mathias agreed. “I may not have known Druyndar well, but I wish to pay my respects.”
Tomas and Aron had looked at each other and a look had crossed Aron’s face that Jevan didn’t understand. In the end, they declined the invitation. “We’ve only just arrived, and we don’t want to interfere,” Tomas said. “Please, send our regards. I think you said we could observe it from here?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Jevan said, moving toward the display monitor in the sitting area. “You can activate the display by touching the screen. Takyra said she will broadcast it to everyone, so that’s all you need to do.”
“I’ve also shown them how the food replicators work,” Mathias said. “So, they’ll be fine. You said the rites will begin at sundown?”
“Yes,” Jevan confirmed, turning to leave. “I’ll see you there.”
Near sundown, Jevan and Ardyn met Mathias in the elevator on the way to the observation tower, and they walked together toward the gathering crowd. Ardyn went to take his requested place next to Taeglyn, while Mathias and Jevan hung back a respectful distance.
Aelrynd and Takyra led the funeral rites together. All in attendance around the pyre held hands and sang an ancient dirge as Aelrynd and Takyra took torches and lit the pyre from either end. Then together they recited an invocation for the lost.
“We gather here to remember those we have lost. They were our family and our friends. We shall grieve and mourn their loss in the days to come. May they never be forgotten.”
The rites continued as they sang more chants of mourning and remembrance. Afterward, those who knew the deceased recalled their favorite memories of them. Aelrynd and Taeglyn spoke for Druyndar, recalling some stories of him from their youth.
Despite the circumstances, it made Jevan’s heart glad to see how everyone had come together at this moment. He hoped that would help ease Ardyn’s troubled mind in the days to come, especially with so much uncertainty about what might lie ahead for them.
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