Khushboo rested on the heated bed as Rehamal sat closely, stroking her fickle, dry hair, that had started to deteriorate from the sickness. Mareeb sat close by but watched from afar, like the stars on the night sky, he was just passing by his galaxy.
Balencia and Jamshar entered the house of the healer and their joyous hearts melted into deep sadness when they laid their eyes on Khushboo. Her time is near, Balencia told herself as she watched the doe-eyed maiden turn her head and force out a smile through her never-ending pain.
Balencia came next to Khushboo, grabbing her hand tightly. She fought as hard as she could to keep the tears at bay, but seeing the once beautiful soul, now be a scrunched up vessel made it impossible.
(Sniff, sob) "Khushboo..." Balencia breathed as the room was filled with silence. It was quiet, quiet as a heart that beats no more. Rehamal stepped away so she could sob in the background without anyone noticing. Mareeb had his mouth covered in his hands to not choke up but his eyes were flooded with tears.
"I want you to come with us! It's time we put Qasin to elimination!" Balencia bellowed watching Khushboo's pale face light up by the thought of her biggest wish being one she would be able to witness. Khushboo nodded her head in agreement and the sadness in the home couldn't have been louder. It was as if they were all preparing for Khushboo's last wish, before... Before her vessel no longer walked this earth.
"Rehamal... Come with me, let's pack warm clothes for her" Balencia commanded and she gave a nod to Jamshar and he, nodded back.
Rehamal's room was filled with a little more hope, as Imani and Omid laid fast asleep in her bed. Imani had been recovering very well, and it was all thanks to the blacksmith's daughter.
"You're truly amazing. The way you've taken care of Imani, Omid and Khushboo." Balencia praised watching Rehamal force a smile. Like the shadows in the forest, Rehamal's laughter and happiness was dimmed and tucked away, as her trees branched far beyond the sky, covering the once canopy.
"Oh Balencia, watching the ones you love die seems to be all I do" Rehamal replied with a hopeless look and she started taking sweaters out of her draw.
"I know... I know..." Balencia said with heavy guilt for perhaps she had been putting too much on the daughter of Yazzir. Rehamal pulled a thick velvet sweater and out of it, fell a picture. Balencia's eyes attached itself to the picture immediately, for she saw the great Yazzir with his arms wrapped around little Rehamal and another girl, one Balencia recognised.
"Who's that?!" Balencia said eagerly as she picked the photo up in disbelief. Her eyes welled up immediately and began to descend from her eyes like shooting stars.
"What's wrong Balencia! You're scaring me!" Rehamal panicked as she came around to look at the photo herself.
(Sniff, sniff) "Who is she?" Balencia cried, her voice unable to stay stable. This was probably the most distraught Rehamal had ever seen her, and just from a picture?
"That's my sister" Rehamal replied, Balencia's reaction had caused Rehamal to tear up as well. The stars in the galaxy never aligned themselves for Rehamal, instead they bore pain and loss. The blacksmith's daughter was just, constantly, consumed in a black hole.
"Melaniee..." Balencia whispered.
"Ho-how do you know MY SISTER?!" Rehamal stressed as she drew her arms around herself trying to gaze into Balencia's eyes that avoided hers at all costs. But then, Balencia slowly handed the photo back to Rehamal as her gaze slowly rose like the moon appearing in the night sky after tenfolds of darkness.
"Melaniee was my friend... Companion... But... Oh Rehamal I won't be able to tell you her story" Balencia cried as she turned her back away from the daughter of Yazzir. But Rehamal followed her around grabbing her from both shoulders she whispered,
"No no no... You have to tell me! You don't understand I've been searching for Melaniee but I thought she was dead is she... A-alive?" Rehamal's sad voice filled itself with a tiniest gleam of hope, making Balencia's heart break into two as she sadly shook her head. Rehamal's face turned back into sorrow for she knew it was stupid to hope for a miracle.
"Balencia... I- I've had a pain in my heart for years. Please put my exhausted heart to rest" Rehamal pleaded, as she grabbed Balencia's hands and held them up to her forehead.
"Okay I'll tell you..." Balencia decided as she took Rehamal to the bed and sat down with her like a mother about to tell her child bad news. And then, the tales of Melaniee began.
"I met Melaniee at one of our masters. He was gruff and gritty but she would always encourage me to stay strong. She was my shield but I knew her life had been filled with sadness. She was incredibly resilient, just like you. Her mahogany hair would sway in the winds as her piercing shamrock green eyes would tell me tales of pain and sorrow. She was my blessing in a time of complete darkness. She's the reason I escaped from my last master before Laham! The reason I met Jamshar! The reason I'm here today!" Balencia bellowed with great passion.
"She was always like that! So strong and fearless! She always had the ability to survive no matter what! But... You said she didn't survive?" Rehamal asked despairingly.
"No Rehamal, her death was the strangest thing I've ever seen. A human... Beating vessel... Just thrown away like an animal with no value or honour. I found her, I was determined to find her that night. But when I did, I wish I hadn't. I won't go into detail but she... Was mutilated" Balencia whispered as if it would make the truth less painful or deminish the reality.
"But Rehamal! I buried her in the forest. I dug the grave with my own hands for hours on end. Then, I washed her body and wrapped her in a white cloth. It was amazing... She had a beautiful musk scent, which made me think she was in a good place. Then, I placed her in the grave and covered her. Alas, I placed the finest flowers around her and asked my lord to grace her with flowing streams... And I think my lord did so" Balencia explained with a huge smile on her face as tears contuined to stream from her eyes. Rehamal smiled back,
"She was at peace at the end! Even though she suffered so much! Even though she ended up as an unknown! She never forgot her name! She never gave up! And she was at peace!" The sister of Melaniee replied with a weight that had been lifted off her heavy heart that bore flames of fire harboured over all the years.
"YES! REMI YES!" Balencia replied enthusiasticly as she was reminded by the beautiful funeral she had given her once companion.
"And... AND (sniff, sniff) That's why I met you! My lord knew I needed closure! So I met you to know my sister's story and be apart of what she started!" Rehamal enjoined as she wiped her face from tears and fell into the embrace of Balencia. They both sat together, hugging each other as they grieved and appreciated the once wonderful Melaniee Yazzir.
Amidst a sea of blossoming white flowers, the dangling tendrils of leaves hover as suspended in mid air, creating an ethereal spectacle beneath the vibrant canopy of blooms. Yazzir was like those leaves and his white flowers were the children that left trails of revolution wherever they went.