Castor nods, as if remembering the rhyme that he might have heard when he and his twin Pollux were children in the past.
Getting back into reality, he agrees "I agree on checking out the Eternal Lantern first. If Chou is looking for us, he will eventually find us anyway."
"We can also check on your husband and inform him that you are safe here." he adds to ease the worry of Ha. And his husband.
Sakura pauses and moves in front of Sneakerz. "Hello Sneakerz. We will take a detour at this person's home on our way to the Eternal Lantern. If that is acceptable to you."
She pauses. "He was born of the earth, he should return to the earth."
Sneakerz always made her uncomfortable. He was a man of contradiction. Deadset on ensuring everyone gets to live, and yet he couldn't. Always ready to grant people their final rest and yet he continues on. The Core granted her life, but does she have freedom? Does Sneakerz have freedom?
For this moment she understands he has made a choice, and she would like to honor that.
Sneakerz leans down closer to the tiny winged Sakura, pauses, then nods in the affirmative before straightening back upright. He waits patiently for the information he needs from Ha before heading in that direction.
"Oh, um...I think Ren lives just a few houses to the south of the Nine-Ear Shrine," Ha answers, giving Sneakerz a rather disconcerted look. "And Tatsuki's home is on the north side of the river, not too far from the Hand of Spring."
Before you move on, Ha takes a moment to climb up into the tower and back down again. She holds out a feather, its shaft dipped in gold and bearing a single rune, and a crossbow bolt. "Here, you're more likely to need these than I will. This is a ladder feather token and the bolt is a shining bolt. It's not much but if you're willing to try and check on my family then it's the least I can do. Please take care out there, okay?"
With that, Ha ascends the tower once more and takes up position with her crossbow, leaving you to press on through the fog and into town...
______________
"It would not show respect to the honored dead among us to leave their remains to the elements. I shall help you Sneakers," Puc-Lee bends down to pick up the remaining corpse here. "We shall honor our fallen by returning them to their homes."
Once he has secured the body over his shoulders here he waves for the skeleton to lead the way here.
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Sneakerz nods at Puc-Lee, readjusts the corpse over his own shoulder, then starts walking towards Ren's home, his eyes and ears trying to pierce the fog
Once they've moved down the way a bit he speaks to the group "Thank you. The spirits of the dead do not like to be forgotten. They can be angry if you do." His voice still a bit raspy from disuse, but its improving in its speed and fluidity. He walks at a slow pace, either from the heavy body or the dense fog.
Sakura continues her investigation of anything unnatural.
"Yes, thank you," Amila echoes the others' words as she tucks the feather token into her robe. "I know Ren's home. It's in a cluster of farm houses near to mine."
"Perhaps it would be a good idea to stop at my place for a moment on the way to Ren's. I know, I know, we're already making enough other stops. But it's really just on the way anyway. I have food...," She smiles in embarrassment as her tummy rumbles, reiminding everyone that they'd not eaten today. "... and there's something important that I'd like to pick up. Healer's tools and a couple healing potions." She shudders at the thought of the giant talking centipedes and a coordinated assault of gremlins and snakes. "I hope they're not needed, but the way things are going today...."
Either way, she continues to ping for magical signatures as they move on.
Castor silently nods at Ha's directions. He takes the bolt, noticing that Amila tucks the token into her person. He readies his atlatl before joining the others to venture back into the fog and proceed to their next destination.
Sneakerz nods in acknowledgement to Amila but doesn't have anything to add.
Puc-Lee, well used to the feelings of hunger in his body, simply nods in agreement with Amila and proceeds to lead the way, eyes and ears stretching to their limits to pierce the unnatural fog.
"Well, I do have fruit you can eat. I'll see if I have something starchy..." Petal Sakura reaches into her chest flower and pulls out a purple potato. "Uh, it's kind of raw, though..."
Sneakerz jaw moves reflexively at the mention of food. Its been a long time since he needed to eat and the thought of chewing and swallowing something danced in the thick cobwebs of his mind. "Po. Tay. Toe?" He says questioningly at the purple colored spud before continuing the trek through the fog. His jaw still slowly grinding back and forth as he walks.
After some quick discussion you decide on a course of action, with the first part of that being a stop at Amila's home to pick up some food and other supplies that might come in handy. You move along the road, passing the town's outermost fields and small homes, but all remains eerily quiet and there's no sign of anyone else out in the fog, friend or otherwise. After a short walk you reach a path that Amila knows quite well and that the rest of you are at least familiar with, which leads to the eastern section of the old Silvermist Lodges as well as Amila's home. You continue down this path, the only sounds being the crunching of your footsteps as you move.
You pass a few more small homes, noting that most of them look to have been left in a hurry - doors standing partially open, belongings hastily gathered, before you finally enter into a small clearing in the forest where a large wooden building of elven design stands. Though the original elves who founded the Silvermost Lodges have long since moved on, they left behind offspring and descendants who still call the lodges home to this day and make their living as hunters and trackers. Yet even this place seems empty and deserted.
Nearby, in the same clearing, is another, smaller building that serves as Amila's home. From the outside, everything looks to be just as she left it the previous evening...
______________
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Initially relieved to be getting close to her place, Amila slowly begins to get a bit uneasy. Something is wrong. Why are her neighbors’ doors ajar? And where is everyone? It’s the morning after the festival, so some people should be up and about at least.
Entering the Lodge grounds, she’s still anxious about what she’ll find at her home. Her place is larger than one would expect for a single woman. Like the rest of the Silvermist Lodge, her home is organically constructed and fits in seamlessly with the forest. An outhouse sits at the edge of the woods, and there’s a small pile of firewood just around the side of the home. She looks back to Sneakerz and smiles in thanks as she sees it.
Seeing that everything looks normal, she lets out her breath and goes to open the door. But then her instincts kick in, and she pauses.
Amila looks carefully around her place, trying to notice if anything is amiss. She casts a quick spell to see if there’s anything magical that shouldn’t be there, and then looks back to her new friends.
”This is my home, yes,” she says sheepishly. ”But would someone else mind opening the door? Just in case there’s more surprises.”
Inside the front door, Amila has a nice little room for eating and greeting guests. There are a few pieces of art on the walls that are not of Tien design, and looking closely they are all clearly of a style completely different from each other. A small box of hand tools and wire sits on the table where she’d left it in the middle of her latest creation.
”I’m sorry I don’t have enough seats for everyone, but I won’t be long,” she says as she heads into the room at the back of the house. In her little bedroom, she carefully lifts up the altar to the Cosmic Caravan and sets it reverently onto her bed. She pauses to offer a silent prayer before picking up the old traveling pack that the altar had been resting on for oh so many years. She checks it to make sure her last two healing potions are there; one for “normal” people, and the other for those cursed with undeath like her. Oh, and Sneakerz, too, she realizes as she looks at the small vial with the black cross on the stopper.
When she emerges from her bedroom, she sets the pack down and steps into the tiny kitchen. ”It won’t be as good as Chung-ho’s breakfast would have been, but it’s better than the nothing we’ve had so far,” she says with a laugh that is obviously also a release of the tension that she’d been carrying. Amila then busies herself setting out what she has, nearly emptying her larder for her new allies in thanks for helping her get through the morning.
”Biscuits and fish sausages, dragonfruit, and jackfruit,” she says as she lays out what she has on hand. ”I’ve got some leftover congee, too, but it’s cold. Hang on, let me find the peanuts and soy sauce for the congee. I could chop some green onions, too, if someone wants.” While it’s clear she’s doing her best to provide for her guests, it’s also obvious that she’s getting a little manic in an effort to relieve some of the anxiety of the whole morning.
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"Oh. I just need water." Petal Sakura tries to unburden Amila. Eating is more of a social activity for her. "Sunlight and water is all I need."
"I thought of living near the lodges. It's quiet out here, and very close to the forest." She finds a cushion to sit on. "But it would be difficult to integrate with the people of Willowshore." And I wouldn't fulfill my duty... Sakura's mind auto completes the sentence.
"Later we can check out The Leshy's Saloon. That's where my stuff is." She kicks her feet a bit.
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Puc-Lee is silent as his eyes and ears scan the surrounding area ever alert here despite the ungainly burden he carries along.
It is fortunate our journey is a short one here...the bodies has not had time to decay yet...
Once the party has arrived at the elf dhampier's home Puc-Lee slowly and reverently lays the corpse of the young man who gave his life previously in the defense of his home Willowshore. Muttering a short prayer here (which actually sounded more like an apology here) he nods in thanks to Amila's offer. "You do me great honor yet all I require is a fish sausage or two." Before he accepts the food he bends down to pick up a couple of small round pebbles and, after washing the dirt off of them, swallows each one! He then pulls up a couple of young bamboo shoots from outside and chews them quickly before swallowing them down. Only then does he gratefully accept the offered food. "For aiding my digestion," he replies to the curious looks from the others.
As the others begin to partake of the breakfast Puc-Lee glances around him, "This is not right. Even now there should be others who are performing their duties. We must find where they have fled to."
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Sneakerz also lays the corpse down next to the other, nodding to himself that he's doing the right thing. He checks out the house for Amila, just in case its haunted, or harboring evil. He nods slowly as she notices the wood pile, he stoops to restack a piece that's toppled off. Delivering wood was not just about helping the town, but he took his time to leave the stack neatly, or sometimes in a fetching design when the mood struck.
As she starts to offer food he waves off the offer "No thank you, not hungry." He pats his gaunt stomach, something he's seen others do when food comes up. His jaws reflex audibly with a few clicks out of habit. Mostly he just stares blankly at the different art pieces and pictures throughout her home. You think he enjoys them but its hard to tell.
Once and a while he looks around as the smell of food wafts about, almost like he's trying to sort out memories from the foggy air.
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Castor settles into a seat nestled in a cozy corner of Amila's home. Quietly, he accepts whatever food Amila graciously offers and begins to eat. His gaze wanders around the room as Amila bustles about, attending to her guests with a warm hospitality. Yet, despite the lively atmosphere, a familiar pang of loneliness creeps over Castor. He can't help but wonder if Amila, who seems to thrive in the company of others, also experiences the solitude of living alone.
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As everyone finishes eating (or not eating as is their need and wont), Amila begins cleaning up. As she puts the fruit away, she starts to say something then changes her mind.
No, I don’t think I’ll get the snakefruit out after all, she decides given their fight earlier.
”So where to next? Returning the guards’ remains to their families is important, I know. And checking on what’s going on in town with all the people, too.”
Though the strangeness of everything that's happened still weighs on your minds, each of you is able to find a small bit of respite in either the meal that Amila provides, the company of your fellow abductees, or both. Even Shadow Fang allows herself to relax a little bit, quietly partaking of a bowl of congee as she keeps one eye on the nearby forest. As you finish your meal and begin thinking of your next move, she finally speaks.
"From what Hai-er said, Ren's home isn't too far from here. We should stop there next."
With one eye still on the forest she continues, more quietly, "Carrying two bodies slows us down. And it's a danger if we're caught by something out there."
"Yup. Let's put Ren off to rest." Petal Sakura kicks off of the pillow.
"Oh! Thank you for your hospitality, Amila." She bows.
Sneakerz stops mindlessly gyrating his jaw while he looks around Amila's home once Petal speaks up. "Ok." He rasps, heading outside to pick up the corpse once known at Ren. He tries to place the face, but between his cobwebbed brain (literally.. there are a few spiders living in there) and Ren's distorted, poisoned face, he can't place him.
After finishing his meager breakfast Puc-Lee nods in agreement. "The path lays before us and the first step must be taken to achieve understanding." With that bit of cryptic advice, he once again hoists the second corpse and prepares to head back on the path.
While some of you may be reluctant to depart Amila's home and the peaceful setting of the lodge - or as peaceful as can be expected under the circumstances - there is still work to be done and only so many hours of daylight to do it. You set back off towards the main road, bolstered by the nourishment you've received, and set off toward Ren's home.
Once more, you're struck by how eerily quiet and empty the town seems to be. There's no sign of anyone, yet as you make your way further into town you begin seeing evidence that some manner of battle took place here - overturned carts and stalls, slaughtered pack animals, burnt and scorched buildings, jumbled footprints, and splatters of old, dried blood.
On increasingly higher alert, you turn off the main road once more and continue down a smaller street, past the Nine Ear Shrine towards Ren's home. As you approach the small, modest house adorned with paper lanterns, you all feel a strange chill that compels you to pause for a moment. Yet from behind you, back the way you came, every one of you distinctly hear the crunching of footsteps and quickly turn to look.
But there's no one there.
Castor readies his loaded atlatl. He and Pollux look at each other, and Castor silently nods. Pollux himself moves forward in the direction of the sound while Castor connects with him to see what Pollux is seeing .
As the party travels slowly down the pathway to Ren's house, Puc-Lee slows his steady stride as he feels the chill seeping into his bones, finally stopping as his keen senses pick up the rustling sound behind him...yet as he smoothly turns to face it, he sees nothing there. Taking a precious few seconds to take a calming breath he then slowly and reverently lowers the body he is carrying to the ground.
"Rest easy my comrade. Your journey is nearly complete, just a while longer...
Once he has divested himself here of the extra weight he hefts his walking stick in a seemingly casual manner, yet standing on the balls of his feet, ready for anything.
”How could all of this have happened? There’s no bodies in the streets, so they didn’t just kill everyone, whoever did all this. But still…, where is everyone?” Amila whispers in the still, chill air, her voice wavering slightly as fear begins to take hold.
Then she hears something. She spins around with all the others, and like them sees nothing. She notes how Castor and Pollux work together and how Puc-Lee uses his martial arts training to remain calm and cool. She reminds herself that she’s lived longer than the rest of them combined (except maybe Sneakerz) and has thus seen and faced things from the Mwangi to here that none of them have heard of. So she focuses on her magic, the magic granted by her tainted blood, and “pings” the surroundings for anything strange.
Sakura raises her kinetic aura. Weeds bend her way, the flowers send some pollen and small roots surge through the ground.
Sneakerz pauses after he hears the footsteps, turning around to look around. He hisses with annoyance, a sound that may have been different when he was alive. He sets down the body onto the edge of the path and takes out his glaive, moving towards the sounds of footsteps.
Though none of you can pinpoint a source for the sounds, you ready yourselves for possible trouble just the same. Puc-Lee and Sneakerz carefully set the bodies they're carrying down on the ground and adopt readied stances while Sakura gathers power around herself. Castor sends Pollux out into the fog, back up the road; their shared connection allows him to see through the eidolon's eyes...but try as he might, Pollux doesn't see anything.
Meanwhile, Amila focuses her magic and 'pings' out into the immediate vicinity to see if she can discern anything. For a moment, she senses nothing. And then, as the footsteps continue to grow closer, she feels her magic 'ping' off of something that's coming towards the group...
Based on the circumstances as well as the feeling you get when your mind 'pings' off of the approaching force, you suspect that you're dealing with a haunt with the ability to frighten those it targets. Someone trained in religious ritual might be able to ward it away or the spirit can likely be set to rest using knowledge of the occult.
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”A spirit approaches. One that seeks to frighten us,” Amila whispers to the others.
”But I may be able to put it to rest,” I hope, she adds to herself.
She waits for it to get closer, not exactly patient but also not in fear of its approach. She takes a deep breath, and when she feels that it’s close enough she recites a mantra for quelling fear and strengthening resolve hoping that this will be enough to dispel the spirit.
”Fear is the mind killer, and I vow to live.”
Amila senses that the footsteps belong not to the living, but to a restless spirit that seeks to frighten. But she isn’t afraid. She bids the rest of you to hold as the footsteps draw closer…and closer…and closer…then, just as the footsteps draw within a few feet of the group, she recites a mantra to instill courage and drive the spirit away.
The footsteps suddenly stop. In the silence, a whisper.
"Live for us. Thank you…"
And then, the presence fades away.
___________
Yesterday was a day much like any other in the forest you call home, spending your time hunting and trapping for meat and furs to trade in the nearby Willowshore market. Your efforts were fruitful and you bedded down for the night with the plan to head into town in the morning to trade your harvest for the things you need. While you were vaguely aware that some manner of festival was supposed to occur that day, you don’t really know the particulars and were quite happy to avoid the noise and the crowds such things tend to bring.
But as you opened your eyes this morning, you were immediately struck by the sense that something was different. The forest was unusually quiet and not long after you gathered your things and set off for town, a surprisingly thick fog settled over the area that has yet to dissipate. On their own, these things would’ve been odd and a bit unsettling, but likely nothing to worry about. However you were very quick to reconsider after arriving in town to find it seemingly deserted and showing signs of recent battle and unrest. Yet you didn’t hear a thing last night, and surely any hordes setting upon the town would’ve made enough noise to wake you.
Unsure of what to do, you’ve been slowly wandering around the outskirts of Willowshore in an effort to find someone, anyone, who might be able to explain what’s going on. Using the skills you’ve honed through hunting and less legal activities, you’ve managed to keep your bearings in the fog and also keep your movements more or less quiet. As you make your way through the forest outskirts near the Nine Ear Shrine, you pick up the sound of voices from the road up ahead...
"Fear is the mind killer, and I vow to live."
"Live for us. Thank you…"
Skaav stays low to the ground, watching….fog. Or mist. Really low clouds? Whatever it is, he can’t see through it very well, and his snout smells…nothing. Which by itself is unusual enough. He’s sure the day after the festival there should still be much activity, cooking smells, animals wandering about. Frowning his eyes, he stands fully erect, unsure of what…just spoke. It didn’t seem particularly inimical. Skaav shrugs.
The iruxi moves forward, harpoon held out as if to ward away evil spirits.
”Hello? Folk of Willowshore! Is there somebody there? It is I, Skaav the trapper.”
Petal relaxes a bit as Amila braves the unknown and pacifies it. These are so odd, why don't they die when they expire? Feed the worms and carrion?
"Oh! Hello Skaav." Sakura turns to the iruxi and bows respectfully. "It is good to see a friend, and not a ravenous centipede. We are... returning these bodies to their homes, and then we need to find out what happened to Willowshore. Can you join us?"
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Sneakerz looks at Amila as she speaks, feeling the power of her words in his own tired bones. He looks around feeling a bit confused at just what happened, but before long feels the refreshingness of a calmed spirit. "Thank you." He whispers.
---
The almost immediate appearance of Skaav gives him pause. "I have seen this one." He nods in agreement with Petal, and again in recognition of Skaav before returning to his first duty: the bodies. He hoists up the corpse and looks down the path, ready to continue.
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Skaav’s nictitating membranes cross across his eyes despite the moisture from the fog, a telltale sign he’s considering the situation. Then he blinks, having decided these apparitions before him are not otherwordly.
”Petal. Woodcutter. It is a relief to see you.”
Peering closer at their burden, Skaav realises for the first time the deeper nature of…wrongness he felt since waking.
Ravenous centipede…?
Swallowing quickly, and shaking his head from side to side in a habitual act of checking his flanks, he speaks firmly.
”Yes. I will join you. Tell me of what you think has happened here in Willowshore…I myself have seen no villagers, nor even birds or pets…”
Amila is initially surprised when another voice speaks from the fog but then is quite relieved to see that it's the iruxi trapper. She's never had the chance to meet him, though she's heard of him. She's doubly glad that Petal and Sneakerz seem to know him.
She gives a bow of greeting to the newcomer and introduces herself. "Hello, I'm Amila. I haven't had the chance to meet you formally before, but I'm very happy to do so now. We really don't know what happened here. We were the Abductees from the Festival, and when we awoke in the forest this morning, we weren't in the usual spot. We waited for Chun-Ho to bring us breakfast, but he never showed up. Which makes sense of course, since we weren't where he would expect us to be, but then we haven't seen anyone else except you. Oh, and Ms. Ha out at the guard post. That's where we collected these...."
Amila waves towards the burdens that Sneakerz and Puc-Lee carry as she realizes she's rambling. She takes a deep calming breath, lets it out, and gives a little self-deprecating smile. "I'm sorry. It's all just so overwhelming."
Skaav’s tongue appears briefly, as he nods in understanding.
”Apologise not Amila. Nothing about this is usual. But, if we stay together and watch each other’s backs…we will survive.””
Puc-Lee is silent here as he feels the echoes of what must be howling winds rushing through his...soul? He was not completely sure but yes it seemed a safe guess to him anyways.
As the lizardfolk Skaav announces his presence Puc-Lee offers a small bow of respect in greetings. "It is well to see you Skaav. We are now all on the same path. What you have seen before is what we have seen. And this I know: There is only one way to travel -forward."
Skaav nods in deferential respect.
”Well met, feathered one. I see you.”
Castor eyes the new arrival suspiciously, even as others begin to introduce themselves to the lizardfolk.
"You are the first living person we've seen in this town. I wonder why..." Castor declares, suspicion evident in his voice. "Where did you come from? Are you following us? Are you a spy?" He keeps his guard up.
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Skaav’s tongue slithers out and in again, his eyes open a little wider.
”The one with the brother. I see you.” Skaav nods, but not at Castor, as if he sees Pollux.
”Not following. Not a spy. But living, yes. As you are the first living eyes mine see.”
The thin membrane clears across Skaav’s eyes.
”Wise you are to be suspicious. As would I be, but I am alone, undefended and with few options but to trust. Would that I could trade places, have an ally at my beck and call. But even Skaav’s tribe do not wish for Skaav to be with them. Because Skaav does not listen to old rules and tired ways. Skaav would move…forward.” Skaav finishes with a bow again to Puc-lee.
Castor gazes at the lizardfolk for a moment, carefully considering the words being spoken to him. Eventually, he eases his tension, deciding to trust the rogue's words.
"So far, we're unsure about what's happening to the people. Fortunately, you're safe. We're continuing our investigation," he says, though he doesn't explicitly invite the lizardfolk to join them. That decision is left to others to take the lead on.
Fortunately, Petal has already asked Skaav if he wants to join them.
"I'm Castor," he says, extending his hand for a shake, "And this is my brother, Pollux," his companion responds with a muted wail.
Skaav has seen this ritual before, though never has it been given to him without prior mercantile arrangement. He takes Castor’s proffered hand in his own clawed grip, the human’s soft skin tender within even the softer inside of his own gnarled hand.
”Well met Castor, Pollux. And thank you. It is good…to be safe.”
The thin membrane clears across Skaav’s eyes.
”But even Skaav’s tribe do not wish for Skaav to be with them. Because Skaav does not listen to old rules and tired ways.”
Skaav always intrigued Petal Sakura like that. She is used to iruxi sticking together, and she should be angry that he isn't. And yet... he has a quality she yearns for. That kind of profound freedom, but with respect.
It's such a conundrum.
Eventually she resummons her courage to continue. "Okay. Well, thank you. Let us return these bodies and look for others in town to help out."
Though none of you know Skaav particularly well (and vice-versa), it's reassuring to have safety in numbers. Not wanting to burn anymore daylight, you proceed the last several paces to Ren's home. After taking a moment to try knocking, which garners no response, you carefully slide back the wooden door and step inside. The home is simple but clean, the floors covered with tatami mats and walls adorned with a few small, decorative scrolls.
As with the other homes you've passed, this one is also empty and devoid of life. A simple uneaten breakfast meal, laid out on a low table, is the only evidence indicator that anyone has been at the home in recent hours. You note that there are two place settings at the table, one surely meant for Ren and the other probably belonging to a wife or other family member who prepared the meal.
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Sneakerz steps inside the home and briefly looks around. He seems not surprised, but disappointed no one is there to take the body.
Not remembering exactly what the proper way is to deposit the dead, he does what looks most comfortable. This is how I would have preferred to rest. He finds the bedroom and lays the body out on a bed, however looks most comfortable. He pulls a clean sheet or blanket over the body. Afterwards he looks around for a flower, be it real or a drawing, laying it over the man's chest. If he can't find one he draws one himself: a rose.
"I am done. Next home."
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Sakura is bewildered. It will take his body so long to decompose, but Sneakerz is determined.
She goes outside to generate a flower. "Ah, here you are. It is customary to leave a flower on the body, right?" She holds it up and tries to get Sneakerz's attention.
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Skaav blinks multiple times as he watches the ceremony unfold. He realises this is impromptu, but nevertheless feels a pang for home - remembering rites given for those dead in his tribe - the simple act of kindness for those who can no longer accept it, and the shared feeling of those left behind.