The last severed head was finally lowered from the gates.
Silence blanketed the ruined settlement.
No one spoke.
No one had the strength to.
The warriors carefully wrapped every head in clean white cloth before placing them beside the bodies that had already been recovered.
No one rushed.
No one complained.
Every movement was slow...
Respectful...
Almost sacred.
Because these were not merely corpses.
They were fathers.
Mothers.
Brothers.
Sisters.
Friends.
People who had once laughed within these streets.
People who had proudly called Vera their home.
Lord Cris slowly stepped through the broken gates.
The warriors silently followed.
Every corner of the settlement carried memories.
The training grounds.
Reduced to cracked earth.
The marketplace.
Nothing but blackened foundations.
Children's toys lay half-buried beneath ash.
A wooden cart rested upside down beside a burned well.
The wind gently carried ashes through the empty streets.
Several warriors quietly wiped tears from their eyes.
Many of them had visited Vera countless times.
Some had hunted beside Varinder.
Others had celebrated festivals here.
Now...
Only silence answered them.
The recovery continued until dusk.
Every collapsed building was searched.
Every burned home carefully examined.
One by one...
The fallen were found.
Some still held weapons.
Others had died protecting their families.
An old hunter was discovered with three arrows lodged in his chest.
Even in death...
His bow remained tightly gripped in his hands.
A mother was found embracing two children beneath the remains of her home.
She had shielded them until the very end.
No one spoke as they gently carried them away.
Words no longer held meaning.
Only respect remained.
Vicky walked through the ruined streets alone.
Every few steps...
Another memory surfaced.
"There used to be a bakery here..."
He whispered.
"The old woman always forced Varinder to buy more bread than we needed."
A small smile appeared.
Then disappeared.
A little farther ahead...
He stopped again.
"This is where Rajiv learned to walk."
His voice trembled.
"Varinder spent an entire afternoon chasing him through the square."
The silence answered him.
Vicky lowered his head.
"It feels like yesterday..."
Not far away...
Ananya quietly followed.
She had never realized how many memories existed within these streets.
Every ruined building reminded Vicky of another story.
Every broken wall carried another memory of her parents.
Only now...
Standing amidst the ashes...
Did she truly understand.
Vera hadn't merely been a tribe.
It had been a family.
Rajiv continued walking silently beside Lord Cris.
The white egg remained carefully held against his chest.
His expression never changed.
He stopped only once.
Before a burned wooden swing.
The rope had snapped.
One side rested upon the ground.
Rajiv stared at it for several moments.
"...Father made this."
His voice remained completely calm.
Lord Cris slowly looked toward the swing.
His heart tightened.
"I know."
Rajiv nodded once.
Then quietly continued walking.
Nothing else.
No sadness.
No tears.
Only silence.
That silence frightened Lord Cris more than any scream could have.
As darkness slowly approached...
The final body was recovered.
One of the warriors stepped forward.
"My Lord."
Lord Cris turned.
"We've found everyone."
The old chief slowly closed his eyes.
Everyone.
Such a simple word.
Yet it carried the weight of an entire tribe.
He looked across the rows of white-covered bodies.
Dozens of them.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Every single life Varinder had spent twenty years protecting.
Gone.
Lord Cris removed a small piece of blackened wood from the ground.
It had once belonged to Vera's gate.
He quietly knelt.
Then placed it beside Varinder's wrapped remains.
"A chief should never leave his home empty-handed."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"This..."
"...is all that remains of the dream you built."
Inder quietly stepped beside him.
"We'll rebuild it."
Lord Cris remained silent.
After several moments...
He slowly shook his head.
"No."
Inder looked surprised.
The old chief gazed toward the ruined settlement.
"Some places..."
"...should remain exactly as they are."
His eyes slowly swept across the ashes.
"Let those who come after us remember."
"Remember what hatred created."
"Remember the price paid by good people."
"No one should ever forget Vera."
The surrounding warriors lowered their heads.
No one argued.
No one believed the ruins should disappear.
They had become something else.
Not merely a destroyed tribe.
A memorial.
Lord Cris slowly stood.
The evening wind gently moved through the valley.
Smoke still lingered above the burned homes.
He looked toward the western horizon where the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains.
Then...
He gave his final order.
"Prepare the funeral."
His voice echoed across the ruined settlement.
"We will give every one of them the farewell they deserve."
The warriors struck their fists against their chests.
"As you command, Lord Cris."
Immediately...
Funeral preparations began.
Wood was gathered.
The fallen were carefully arranged.
White cloths were replaced.
Torches were prepared.
Everything was done with the utmost respect.
No one hurried.
Because this farewell...
Could only happen once.
Night slowly descended upon Vera.
The valley became illuminated by countless torches.
Their warm light pushed back the darkness...
But not the grief.
Rajiv quietly looked toward the stars.
The white egg rested peacefully in his arms.
For a long time...
He simply watched the night sky.
Then, almost absentmindedly, he spoke.
"...It's beautiful."
Ananya looked at him.
Fresh tears welled in her eyes.
She wished he would cry.
She wished he would scream.
She wished he would become angry.
Anything...
Anything would have been better than this empty calm.
But Rajiv only continued looking at the stars.
His face remained expressionless.
Inside his soul...
The golden chains remained tightly locked around every emotion.
Waiting.
Silent.
Unmoving.
Far above...
The stars continued shining.
Unaware...
That beneath them...
The first chapter of one legend had ended.
And another...
Was about to begin.