2327 Survivor's Guilt (Part 1)

Lith wanted to conjure the images of the gala at Distar's, when he and Phloria had danced on the ceiling with Gravity magic.

Yet all those good memories gave him joy at first, then the pain of the loss, and lastly everything turned into guilt. No matter what everyone said or how cunning Thrud's plan had been, Lith had killed Phloria and nothing could change that fact.

Every time he tried to speak, guilt tightened his throat and tears veiled his eyes. Even breathing was hard, knowing that he was about to tell Phloria goodbye and that once the casket was closed, he would never see her again.

Solus and Kamila stood by either side but said nothing.

Solus was lost in her own pain and guilt, regretting not being there with Lith during the final confrontation and wondering if there was something that she could have done.

Kamila, instead, had no such burden. She considered Phloria Lith's good friend and the beloved daughter of Jirni, but due to the past relationship with Lith the two women had never been close.

Yet the reason she remained silent wasn't that Phloria's death didn't touch her, but because she understood and respected Jirni's and Lith's pain. There was no point in spouting clichés about time healing all wounds or death being a part of life.

It was their grief and there was no way for Kamila to ease their burden. The only thing she could do was to be there for them and help them to stand up when they found the strength to move on.

The moment they sought her comfort and company, Kamila would do everything she could but until then, she would give them the time and space they needed to mourn.

Once everyone was done with the eulogies, the casket was closed and brought to the Ernas mausoleum, where Phloria was buried with Juria Ernas and the rest of her ancestors.

The enchanted metal gate closed, and with it died every hope Lith had that some merciful god would descend from the sky and bring Phloria back to life. She was now gone and buried, just like the chunk of his heart she had taken with her.

"We are really sorry for your loss." King Meron was wearing his high uniform and the fur-lined heavy cloak of Valeron. "I would love to tell you that you can take all the time you want, but sadly the Kingdom needs you.

"As soon as Thrud reappears, we are going to need our head strategist and the General of the Army."

"I'll do what I can, but I make no promises about my efficiency." Jirni gave the Royals a deep bow. "I'll resume my duty the moment you command me to, but I can't guarantee on my mental faculties.

"A part of me died, Your Majesty, and I'm still fighting to find my balance. Scratch that, I'm struggling to find a reason to keep fighting."

The Royals turned a little pale but nodded. Pressuring a grieving parent would only backfire. The Crown would look insensitive and ungrateful, making its most loyal subjects walk away from the war.

"I'm ashamed of myself for saying this, but I fare no better." Orion cleared his throat a few times to keep the pain from coming out. "I gave my best as a general, a father, and a Forgemaster, yet I failed.

"My loyalty still lies with the Kingdom, but my soul is broken. If you need me, I'll come but I don't know if my presence will do you any good."

"Don't count on us." Fyrwal said after giving the Ernas a quick hug each. "We are done with the War of the Griffons. We are going back to our self-imposed exile."

"What? Why?" Friya asked in outrage.

Her parents were shocked as well, but they just nodded at the Elder Hydra. They inwardly envied her for her freedom to wash her hands of the war.

"Thrud is still alive! She has killed my sister! How can you bail out like this? Is this what the loyalty among the four founding pillars of the Kingdom amounts to?"

The Royals turned pale and just nodded at Friya's words, supporting her position.

"I know that, child." Fyrwal said with the saddest voice. "But there's nothing I can do about that. Thanks to the Golden Griffon, Thrud is a truly immortal white core and even if we were to find a way to kill her, Phloria would stay dead."

"Is this it, then?" Quylla clenched her hands but acted as politely as she could, remembering how badly the Titania reacted to rudeness. "Are you just giving up and letting Thrud win?"

"I understand your pain, child. I really do." Tessa replied. "Once you live as long as us, however, you'll realize that Thrud has already built the foundations of her ruin and misery.

"She's going to win the War, but then what? She'll become the ruler of the Griffon Kingdom for 70 years tops before Valeron the Second succeeds her. Thrud has already lost her husband and at that point, she'll also lose her Kingdom.

"I'll let her suffer for a few months before taking away her son as well."

"How do you plan on killing a white-cored Divine Beast now armed with the Saefel Set Thrud will obtain after killing the Royals?" Friya asked with a sneer.

"I won't, silly child." Tessa shook her head. "I'm simply going to visit Valeron the Second and show him the atrocities that his mother perpetrated in his name."

The Titania pointed at the mausoleum.

"At that point, Valeron will ask Thrud the questions she will have spent her reign fearing. Whether she lies or is honest, her son will discover the truth. The truth about how his father died because of her mother's stubbornness and all the lives lost in her cruel schemes.

"Valeron will reject her and Thrud's life will become more empty and painful than you can possibly imagine. Valeron the First couldn't live 100 years after Arthan's execution, I bet that Thrud will commit suicide even sooner.

"Without her son's love, without her legacy, she's nothing."

"Sounds good, but how many people are going to die in the War of the Griffons and during the 70 years of Thrud's rule? Are you really going to forfeit your duty?" Quylla asked amid tears.

"People die every day, child." Fyrwal said. "Even if we won the War of the Griffons, people would still die for it and in the 70 years following our victory. As for our duty, we have none.

"The Kingdom betrayed us first and we walked away. We came back only to honor our promise to Juria and Oghrom. We failed and we are sorry for that, but there's nothing more we can do.

"My advice is to go away. Without the academies, there's no way to stop the Golden Griffon. You've seen it in action. The lost academy is too big and powerful. We tried our best spells yet they amounted to nothing.

"To not fight a cause you believe in is for cowards, but to fight a battle where there can be no victory is for idiots. Goodbye." The two elder women Warped away, leaving the Ernas sisters gaping and crying.