Virion awoke early the next day. He had not slept well. He sat up and looked out at the clear blue sky visible through the window. A slight ocean breeze picked up, rattling the blinds. He buried his face in his hands and took deep shaky breaths. His heart felt heavier than it had the previous day, almost as if the true meaning of his mother's passing had just dawned on him. His legs felt like lead as he tried to stand. Virion recalled his life in the elf capital Vailoth before the warlock invasion.
His mother was queen. She would let out a tremendous aura as she walked, almost as if the elements themselves were bowing in reverence. Her long flowing green hair would glint in the sunlight filtering through the large canopy of trees that covered the grand elf capital. She would carry herself with confidence as she made her daily rounds of the city, instilling hope in the citizens. Virion remembered how she would deal with the matters of the state, passing ruling with her powerful voice that reflected her unbending will as she cracked down on the greedy ministers of state or the wrongdoers proven guilty in the eyes of the judicial system. Yet, she could seem incredibly gentle and compassionate while dealing with those in need.
'Or with me', Virion thought as he straightened up, removing his face from his hands. He fell back on the mattress and stared emptily at the ceiling. He felt as if he was sinking into the floor as a surge of grief enveloped him, dragging him into the depths of despair. For the second time since his mother's death, tears welled up in his eyes. Virion reached out into nothingness as the guilt became unbearable.
'I'm sorry, mother...', he croaked. 'I'm sorry father...' He clenched his fist as the tears began to slide down his face. He imagined what a pathetic sight he must be, the last hope of the perabels lying on his bed and crying over his dead parents. But he could not hold in his despair and guilt any longer.
'If I had been stronger...', He thought back to his mother's final battle with the warlock general. A fierce magic battle that had razed most of the forest surrounding the city. A battle during which Virion could do nothing but watch.
'If only I was stronger...' He thought back to the moment he had seen his father die. The warlock that had caught them off guard and had taken Virion's father from him before he could even move. Virion sat up then stood as his guilt and grief melted away replaced by pure, boiling rage. The air surrounding him shook as he inadvertently activated his magic channels. A fierce green light began to shine around him as his anger reached its apex. The wood around him began to chip and the floor beneath him began to shake. If it hadn’t been for the warlocks his mother would be with him now. If it hadn’t been for the warlocks, he could laugh with his father again.
'If it hadn't been for the warlocks...'
The green light surrounding Virion separated from his body and began to form into a shape before him. Virion unclenched his fist and stared in wonder, his anger melting away as the green energy took the form of his mother. She floated before him wrapped in green mist. Her hair flowed behind her against the wind, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Her sharp facial features were now bathed in a green glow. The wounds from which she passed away were nowhere to be seen. In fact, from the waist down, her body completely faded into the green mist. Her eyes, instead of their piercing blue color, were also green and formed from mist. The daylight entering through the open window illuminated her green form, making her glow. She reached out with her hand and placed it on Virion's cheek. Her hand felt like a cool breeze against his face, and he was filled with some kind of energy, revitalizing his spirit and washing away the sadness he had felt just a moment earlier. Virion lifted his hand towards his cheek in a daze and tried to touch her hand. As it came close enough to make contact, she began to fade. Virion's eyes widened in panic as he stepped towards her.
'M-Mother!', he gasped out as she began to fade faster and faster. She smiled sadly at Virion as her eyes slowly began to revert to their original piercing blue color. Her skin turned from green to the deathly pale it had been while she was on her deathbed. He watched as his mother disappeared before his eyes, smiling gently but sadly, an expression he had never seen from her before. He stared in confusion at the air in front of him, his hand still at his cheek. Suddenly, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. Virion darted out of the room, past a confused elder Symonticus and towards the room where his mother's corpse should be. He whipped the door open, his heart racing, and frantically scanned the room with his eyes. The cot with his mother's body was missing. Virion’s expression contorted into one of absolute terror and his mind began to race as he stood staring in shock at the bare floor where the cot should have been. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked forward, turning to see elder Symonticus.
'Your mother's body was taken and buried, young Virion...', he said, a concerned expression on his face. Virion stared at him blankly for a moment then exhaled as realization dawned on him.
'Before we meet for today’s assembly, the members of senate will be gathering at her burial point in reverence. I am sure you would wish to join us, Virion', said the elder.
'Of course... Thank you... Elder', Virion said shakily, his heartbeat slowing as the panic faded. The elder gestured to Virion to follow him as he headed out to the dining area.
'Come. Let us eat our breakfast and leave.'
Virion followed him silently. His intense emotions from the morning had vanished, replaced only by a strange feeling of emptiness.
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