CHAPTER 2: ZUURI VEZYNE- PART 2

CHAPTER 2: ZUURI VEZYNE- PART 2

[11:14]

The Holy Guardians Headquarters (THG HQ)

"Beep,beep,beep... hhaaahh, why doesn't Magalt respond? And Zuuri's gone somewhere too... why can't they-"

Kalisradha's muttered to herself but she stopped as a skinny figure appeared infront of her. Leaning into a wall covered in the shadows, he looked at Kalisradha and spoke. "What do you want?"

Continuing towards the figure, Kalisradha said in her formal voice. "Thank you for coming Renuaq. I wanted to show you the new Inflyer prototype. It's almost complete. Follow me."

Without stopping at the shadowvy wall, Kalisradha countinued forward. Prompting Renu to stand back up straight and follow her. "Didn't i tell you to call me ONLY when it's over!! And if they followed my blueprints and models to the dot, it WILL work...You'll have to pay me extra for wasting my time!!!"

But Renu couldn't lay bare all his complaints as Kalisradha suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. Which made Renu almost crash into her. But he didn't. As he was going to ask why, Kalisradha spoke, but not to him.

"What is it?" She asked from the secretary at the other end of the line, who works at the entrance of the THG HQ. "Miss Commander, please come down to the entrance, it's an emergency!!" 

Her voice seemed surprised rather than panicked, indicating it wasn't an emergency. But Kalisradha went anyway. There was an uneasy feeling inside Renu. Because the location signal of Magalt's V-shaped ring disappeared a few hours ago. Hoping it wasn't anything, Renu tagged along to see the surprise at the entrance. 

As they got off the elevator, they walked out the entrance only to be met with a crowd piled and staring at the sky. There was something in the sky. As it got more closer, more features were visible. A mix of blue and red. It was someone rather than something. It was Vezyne. 

It was a very natural and common sight. However that's not what gathered the crowd, it was what was being carried. But that too was overshadowed by the most eye-catching visual which came with Vezyne. Or rather dragged by Vezyne.

The AllCathedral was being tightened to a rope and dangled from it. In the vast blue sky. And the more they get closer, the more details start to appear. And the more the blood started to drop from hos face.

Vezyne landed with a thud near the entrance and started walking forward. The AllCathedral hit the ground and fell yet Vezyne didn't stop. She just walked until the AllCathedral began walking too but only after being dragged through the ground a few steps. 

The crowd dispersed into two lines allowing the middle to be empty. Yet they didn't know what to do. They didn't know what to say. However they recognized who came and who was brought.

Even bloodied the high Saintess uniform was recognized by everyone present. That wasn't because of any special properties of the suit itself, but because wearer of the suit was special. She talked to them. Laughed with them. Ate with them. Smiled with them. Cried with them. Healed them in exchange for her own blood.

Yet the scenery unfolding before thier eyes made them freeze. Shiver in a cold sweat. The hero, Vezyne was carrying a person with both hands. As a prince would carry a princess. But the princess didn't have a head and the prince's head had stopped working. The legs walked because they remembered walking. The body flew because it remembered flying.

A body covered in blood. A white piece of cloth layed over where used to be the head. And now slightly red with drenched blood. And on top of her body a severed and charred hand. 

And just a few steps behind, AllCathedral walked behind Vezyne. He had minor injuries from probably been dragged and the face a total mess. However there were some major injuries too. If you can even call them injuries, that is.  

The lips stitched together with what seemed like a metal wire. The blood still dripping indicating a messy job and red eyes most likely due to some vessel exploding in the eyes. The AllCathedral couldn't even scream no more. 

However, the spring like wire didn't stop at the stitched lips. From the corner of the lips, it went inwards and came outside from the furthermost cheek. Almost scratching the throat and everything inside. As the metal wire bended down, the blood followed down it until it reached the hands. 

The red hands too were stitched together. The sloppy stitches looked as if the hands had handcuffs. But they were far worse. Skewered from one side to the other, but there were space in between. Which made the hand slip a little. Causing extravagant pain as the blood, tissues, bones, cells and everything rub into the metal wire. 

Kalisradha came running towards Vezyne but Vezyne didn't stop. Yet Vezyne stopped with the other step. It was because she saw someone emerge from behind Kalisradha. 

With little white horns popping out of the Azure blue bush, Renu stepped outside of Kalisradha's shadow and looked at Vezyne. But the person being carried was recognized by Renu in an instance. He too, couldn't even formulate a single sentence.

While looking towards Vezyne, completely frozen, Renu heard a voice. The same mechanical voice he heard every time. It was Vezyne's voice. But at the same time, it wasn't. Because there was no emotion inside it. No fear or anger. No nothing. There wasn't Vezyne in that word. 

"help"

Kalisradha grabbed Vezyne by the shoulder and look directly into her mask. She called her name yet she received no response. After a few seconds, Kalisradha took Saeli's body and indicated Vezyne to follow. Vezyne didn't voluntarily follow her, her body just went along with what was happening around it.

The soldiers, who deal with monsters towering skyscrapera and the aftermath of them on a daily basis, were left speechless. 

Nobody dared to say a word when the most influential individual on the entire continent and possibly the whole world, was being dragged like an animal.

Or when the world's most important

healer's corpse was been carried to the base. 

Was it fear. Was it shock or was it something else entirely? Nothing was certain. The only thing certain was the haunting silence and dread Vezyne brought with her.

[15:00]

Kalisradha organized Saeli and Magalt's funerals the same day. Normally the funerals and their corresponding rituals are to be done in the AllsCathedral but due to the yet unexplained situation she decided to hold them in the THG headquarters.

The funerals carried on. They were both placed in the same kind of caskets. Two big yellow wood caskets. Due to the disturbing condition of their bodies, the caskets were closed and placed in a bigger bed of pure white galanthus flowers.

Above the caskets were a digital screen with their photos. The funeral took place on the roof of THG HQ which had 4 helicopter pads. The roof was filled to the brim with soldiers and others from THG while the civilians and other personnel who couldn't make it to the roof stormed the building and watched through different screens placed in the surroundings. And some directly in the THG HQ building too.

"Today, the thirteen of January twenty ninety-nine we reunite here to........."

Started Kalisradha on the podium beside the caskets. Nothing had changed about her black suit but a white tie could be seen instead of the usual yellow one.

Vezyne was there. She saw everything. She heard everything. Yet she processed nothing. She stood there with blood slowly evaporating from her hero costume. Renu was there wearing a black suit and holding a tablet towards the caskets. 

Renu too couldn't process much. But he was doing a little better than Vezyne, whose brain was completely disconnected. And moved only with the memory of the body. 

The more time passed the more tears rolled down Renu's face. But his face was still. Almost unbothered. But most importantly, it was completely forced. Completely forced as filling a ballon with water where he couldn't turn the tap off. So naturally, the balloon exploded.

And through all of it, a crying sound reverbed from within the tablet in Renu's hand. It didn't stop even for a second. The tablet or rather the person inside it, cried from the beginning until the end and some more. 

Adeu was there in a pure white dress and a white oval shaped flower in her hands. Vezyne saw them, yet she didn't. Her ears heard, but it was only noice. Her mind didn't process.

Placing medals on the caskets, Kalisradha began, "If it weren't for her healing, if it weren't for his avial skills, if it weren't for their courage, determination,....." 

The cries, the laments, and a wife wailing infront of her husband's casket which contained only an arm. All sounded like background noise. Vezyne's brain refused to process anything at all. Everything was silent for her.

After the medal presentings, came the speeches from other important figures. Adeuilin went first. "I've know both of them for years...We worked together, we ate together, we survived together... due to my position many opt to stay at a distance but they didn't... i loved them as my family..."

She started with her silver eyes visibly red. Her position didn't permit tears. Yet only for a second as the speech was ending a single tear rolled down from her left eye. Then another from her right. As she left the podium and turned back, nobody could see her face filled with tears.

Renu didn't get a chance. He didn't want it. In the most attention deprived spot, stood Renu. His face lowered. Tears falling like an open tap. A crying voice echoing from his tablet in hand. 

Following a few more speeches, Commander Kalisradha took the podium again to conclude the funerals. She did the final send offs and ended the funerals.

The caskets were carried to the sounds of calm choir humming. 

☆☆☆

They were transported to the burial site near the headquarters. When living, Saeli and Magalt were always sociable. So they weren't alone anywhere. Even in death, they were still not alone.

The laments and cries of over thousands stormed around their caskets while they were transported. Even underground, they weren't alone. They were buried with the cries of over thousands storming around.

Vezyne came too, yet she didn't know it. She was pushed by the crowd and walked to the site by the same momentum. She was there. She should have heard the cries, the laments, and yet she didn't.

[18:05]

On the burial site near the THG HQ

The funeral was over. The crowd, still reluctant, started dispersing under the orders of Kalisradha. until only Vezyne, Kalisradha and Renuaq was left. 

Adeuilin went ahead despite being against the idea of leaving Vezyne. But her position didn't permit it. As the Queen of Airanril, she had a country to run on the side. And as a joke of fate, it needed attention right in that moment. However before leaving she told Renu and Vez that she'll be back but only one of them responded.

Vezyne stood near the graves and took a V-shaped white piece of ornament with horns from her pocket. It was the Hairclip Saeli was clutching in her hand at the AllsCathedral. 

Vezyne felt to her knees. Clutched the hairclip in her hands. And stared. Stared into the graves. Said nothing. No tears, no cries, no heavy breaths. Nothing.

Kalisradha approached and called her. "Vezyne? Vezyne?? However she didn't receive an answer. Before she could say something more, Renuaq approached from behind Vezyne, glared at Kalisradha and said firmly "NOT NOW!! Later!!" With a tired face he added, "Please...." 

Kalisradha left without adding anything more. Renu approached Vezyne, bent a little and coiled his arms around Vezyne's head. Rested his head on the back of shoulder and called softly, "Zuu...."

Vezyne suddenly twitched. Her open eyes which didn't see anything before, started to see. They became teary. Tears started flowing inside her mask. Her body started to feel heavy. She felt warm around her neck. Vezyne lifted her hand and placed them on top of Renu's hands, which now rested on Vezyne's collarbone.

"It's the two of us again..." Vezyne whispered and started crying. She felt to the ground but Renu bent, caught her and placed her on his shoulder. 

Now both of them were sat on the ground. Vezyne started crying. She cried a lot. After some time her crying stopped. Only then did Renu opened his mouth and gently said, 

"Zuu, I maybe the only one left who knows your identity but we are not alone...we still have Juweri, Adeu and even that annoying women... we still have someone to protect..." 

Withdrawing his hands from Vezyne, Renu stood up and went infront of Vezyne. While extending his hand towards Vezyne, Renu said gently, as a gentle wind breeze blowing away the cruelties of the world, 

"and I'm here too... let's protect them together... Zuuri Vezyne"