AXIS

Chapter 5

Axis stood back behind the rest of the crew, watching quietly as Leah used a mallet to pound a wooden cross into the ground. There was no time or way to bring back Braddock's body, but Leah insisted that there be some form of memorial for him. So once they had reached the small port of Canlon, she'd disappeared into the small town, along with Fletcher, to buy materials to make the memorial.

It wasn't much, but Axis knew Braddock, and he wouldn't want something too fancy, if he wanted anything at all.

Axis sighed and leaned against a tree. They were in the woods well outside of town, where they wouldn't get in too much trouble for putting up a memorial without permission, but who would tear down something like that? Axis could smell the salty breeze coming off the ocean, and could hear the distant lapping of waves against the shore. The air was eerily silent, even for a makeshift funeral service. Axis never thought that the crew could even manage to be this silent.

Axis let his eyes travel back to the wooden cross, now firmly nailed into the forest floor. Made out of pine, not decorated, not even engraved with Braddock's name... not that they'd need it to know who's memorial it was, of course. Braddock had left his family at the age of 15, and the crew had never had any interaction with them, so... there was no way to contact them to tell them that their son was dead.

Axis shook his head. It was still hard to accept, even though he'd seen Braddock's body. It was still hard to believe, that after eight years of knowing Braddock, he was gone. And he never got to say goodbye.

Axis blinked. He was really... gone. Like that. Axis would never see him again.

Axis swallowed. It hadn't fully sunk in yet before then. It was just something that had happened, it seemed. Braddock was dead. Braddock...

Axis felt a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. Aniha watched him carefully, her dark hand firmly holding Axis's shoulder.

He stared back for a moment. Then, sounding as if he'd been holding his breath, he murmured, "I'm never going to see him again, am I?"

This seemed to upset Aniha more than he thought it would. She bit her lip, and let her hand drop from Axis' shoulder. "No." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

Axis watched her for one more moment, before nodding slowly and raising his hand to brush it across his mouth, as if contemplating something. He tore his gaze away from Aniha and nodded again, this time more curtly, and letting his hand fall. "Okay."

Aniha brushed her warm fingers against Axis'. Axis didn't move away, knowing it would be foolish of him not to accept the act of kindness at this moment. He'd known James Braddock since Axis was eight years old, and they'd become good friends. If Axis didn't need a little quiet comfort at this time, he didn't know when he would.

"Axis. We're going back to town now." Aniha whispered, breaking Axis away from his once again drifting thoughts.

Axis nodded and straightened up. The rest of the crew was silent as they began to trudge back through the dark woods. Leah stood alone at the wooden cross, her hand touching the top of the post, which was slightly cracked from the mallet.

Axis exchanged a quick glance with Aniha, and the girl nodded, before she turned around and headed after the crew.

Axis came up behind Leah and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to face him, her chapped lips tilted down at the corners, her gray-brown eyes red and swollen from crying. Her dirty blonde hair was in tangles, and her slumped posture made her look as though she'd aged ten years within two days.

Axis offered her a small smile. "I'm sure he's relieved that you came out unscathed." He muttered.

Leah looked back at the memorial. "But he didn't..." She choked out.