Chapter 121: Burned and Not

Mid-morning came quickly with sounds of death and mourning. Adolph’s men gathered the bodies of the fallen to be burned and packaged their personal effects to return to their families. The death toll for the werewolf kingdom wasn’t as large as it had been. The vampires who had not been slain surrendered easily, staring at Eden’s dead body as it was hauled onto the pyre.
Adolph had never seen a corpse like Eden’s. He looked regal and just sleeping though he was not breathing. If he had a pulse, it was imperceptible, yet something was unnerving about the sight of Eden. He may have died a half-breed vampire, but he had drunk from the vampire queen, his mother. Much like the Raymond family had a tie to the moon goddess, he considered the idea that perhaps the vampire’s royal family also had a connection to the moon goddess that would account for any surprise powers they had.
Adolph watched them stack brambles and sticks around the pyre before pouring oil over the pile. He would feel better when the pyre had gone up in flames.
He looked over to where Laurel was sitting, still holding the necklace in her hands and staring at it as if she were lost in thought. His wolf wanted her to throw it into the fire, but he didn’t voice the desire, deciding it was best to simply focus on getting the dead taken care of.
As they set the fire, Adolph called for a blanket to wrap Laurel and sat beside her to watch the pyre burn. All around them, people were seated, taking a moment’s rest from the night’s battle. Other soldiers hustled around the camp taking stock of the camp and organizing food.
“Will you keep it?” Adolph couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“He said I should give it to the Wiccan envoy when they come,” Laurel replied.
Adolph clenched his jaw, “A last trick to be sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wiccans have not been seen in the werewolf Kingdom in over a century. There's no guarantee that they even exist. Sure, there might be stray witches and wizards floating around the human populace, but it is highly unlikely that there's a full organized population to send an envoy.”
Eden had been an anomaly to his knowledge. Wiccan power had declined over the years. It was part of the reason why he was eager to have Eden neutralized finally. The second he could scoop up the man’s ashes, the faster he would feel at ease.
Werewolves and vampires were powerful, but people who could call lightning from the sky or change the paths of the earth with a wave of their hand were beyond the strength of any person’s strength.
“... if that's true, then how did Eden learn magic?”
Adolph frowned and looked at her, “What do you mean?”
Eden had been clear saying that he grew up with humans, but the magic that protected Annwn seemed like something of his own doing, not a remnant from times long ago. She would have to ask someone who knew him well to be sure, but she hadn't encountered anyone in Annwn who also had magic.
She shook her head, “Never mind.”
Maybe Adolph was right, but something in her told her that she should keep the necklace for now. Maybe the goddess was whispering in her ear.
“I think you should get rid of it. Who knows what kind of enchantments or something is on it?”
“No.”
She looked down at it, drawing a finger over the intricately carved knots and precisely set jewels. They sparkled with light from within as well as the light of the sun. Rather than crafted for beauty, it seemed functional as the clasp resembled the clasp of armor or a cloak rather than a simple necklace.
“I think it's best if I keep it, just in case.”
Adolph clenched his jaw, “ Laurel–”
“Even if Eden went about it the wrong way, he had good intentions towards the people of Annwn, vampires, humans, and werewolves alike. I think if we are to have some measure of real peace and not drum up more resentment in the population that was under Morrigan’s rule, it's important that I not forget that.” She closed her fist over the necklace. “Everything I've learned while in Annwn is important and will help me make a plan forward.”
“What could you have possibly learned inside the vampire queen’s castle?” Adolph asked, shaking his head. “That woman was likely only moments away from torturing you.”
“Adolph…” She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “ I was never in the vampire queen’s castle. I've never set foot in it.”
He frowned, “Then where were you? Isn't Annwn the name of the castle?”
“No,” she chuckled. “Could a place so dreary have such a name?”
He wanted to remark that a man like Eden shouldn't have been named after paradise, but he kept it to himself.
“Annwn is a hidden place. I don't know if the castle will remain hidden now that Eden is dead, but it was very similar to the Imperial City except there were a different variety of people: humans, vampires, werewolves… all of them living and working together seemingly at peace.”
“Seemingly?”
“Well, I wasn't there long,” she chuckled. “But no one looked afraid. The people I met there were saved by Eden in one way or the other. The survivors of the Gray Ash pack were there.”
He flinched at the mention of the pack and turned to look back at the fire.
“We'll have to talk about it, but later.”
“Later,” she agreed and leaned against him with a little sigh.
They watched the fire blaze for hours. The flames were dying down near midday when Adolph grew stiff.
“What's wrong?”
Adolph said nothing, but his eyes narrowed as the ashes of the bodies shifted and crumbled. The pyre broke under the weight. A strong wind blew away most of the ashes, but there in the center of the burned remains was Eden’s body seemingly unmarred by fire though it was smudged with ash.
“Impossible,” he whispered. “That fire was hot enough to forge swords.”
“What's wrong?” Laurel asked, turning to look at the pyre. She gasped when she saw Eden’s body.
Even Eden's clothes seem unharmed. His armor hadn't been removed, as was customary. Adolph wondered for a moment if that was a part of it, but his armor seemed no different than any of the other vampires that they threw into the bonfire. He looked over to the vampires who had been detained. They looked sullen and defeated, languishing under the burning sun. Someone nudged one of them and they turned their eyes to the pyre, likely seeing what Adolph was seeing.
They were yet another thing to deal with eventually. Before meeting Laurel he would have killed him without remorse or second thought, but it was different now. What about the people of Annwn? Were there children? Should he kill them too? Were they all just refugees of various places, victims of poor leadership, including his?
He groaned. He didn't have enough sleep to think about this and he wondered if Laurel, simply by being as wonderful as she was, was making him soft.
It pained him to admit, but she was right. War had brought them to this point and the bit of peace that Adolph had won for the kingdom had been short-lived. If he wanted a truly peaceful future in which he could be sure that the curse of a blood aura wouldn't one day overtake him, he needed to change his tactics.
Maybe he should go to the temple and pray about this.
“Pitch a tent over them and keep them under watch,” Adolph said, nodding to the detained group. They looked up in alarm and confusion. “ Bring them water and food if it can be spared. I need them to be willing to answer questions.”
Aside from them, there were Laurel’s questions of Eden. Had Laura been murdered? If she was, the culprit was probably still at large in the werewolf kingdom, meaning his best bet to figure it out lay in the people from Eden’s camp.
“What to do with them?” Adolph asked, nodding at the group. Laurel smiled.
“I’m sure they’d answer your questions.”
Adolph glowered at her, eyeing the necklace, “Are we certain–”
“Your Majesty!”
He turned his head, leaping to his feet and drawing his sword in one swift movement, but no enemies were coming, but allies from the capital. All of the guards had their swords drawn and they looked ready for a fight.
“Reinforcements?” Laurel asked as he sheathed his sword and approached them.
“Your Majesty, His Highness sent us to… support your efforts against the invading force…”
Adolph chuckled, “Well, that’s over, but thank you for your service.”
He looked back at Laurel with a quirked eyebrow, impressed that Basil had the wherewithal to send reinforcements even if they were late.
Maybe there was some hope after all.