Their back to their town within the time it took for the sun to rise completely. They walk through the village, each of them shaking their heads slightly. Their village feels empty, abandoned, as if no one has been here in weeks.
They were gone for a little over a week, having been in the dungeon for four days and then taking another four to get back. In that short amount of time, their town has been reduced almost completely to ash. Houses are burned to the ground and the ones that are left standing are broken. Roofs have caves in, belongings have been torn through, and everything is a mess.
Almost no people are still here. It's obvious that the Ankathians have killed most of their people or are keeping them elsewhere, but there are still some in the town. They go their four separate ways to their own houses.
Valkyrie's house is still standing. A fire had been lit in one of the rooms, but miraculously, it didn't spread through the rest of the house. Everything is in shambles. Books are thrown across the room while their shelves lay splintered on the floor, their wooden table has been smashes, and any and all pictures have been shattered or burnt. A horrible smell reaches her nose as she climbs the stairs. It worsens as she nears her father's room and she gags as soon as she walks in. Flies buzz around and it's all she can do not to turn and flee the house.
Her father is lying on his bed.
Tears fill her eyes and she covers her mouth and nose with her hand. She gets closer to him and her eyes blur with more tears, but she refuses to let them fall. Her father would want her to be strong.
His skin is grey and cold, his face looking as though he aged hundreds of years since he's been gone. The pigment in his once-blue eyes has faded to make them a milky grey and she sobs as she gently closes his eyes. He's still in the clothes that he died in. They're bloody and ripped and as she pulls back the covers of the bed, the smell worsens.
With a cry she runs from the room, tears running down her face. She makes it outside to the middle of the street before she falls to her knees. She pushes away any loose hair before bracing herself on her arms. She retches violently, her crying only making it worse. Her throat burns and her lungs seem to be refusing to take in air. Even when there's nothing left in her stomach, she can't stop vomiting. All she can see is her father, her poor father, who should have been buried already.
She lifts her head slightly as the thought strikes her. They left him there for her to find. It's the ultimate action of disrespect, but all that does is make her furious.
She can't get the image of him out of her head. She's dry heaving now and she coughs as her throat and lungs burn. Her body is shaking and she can feel sweat cooling on her skin. She stands up only to fall down again. She crawls back to her yard and lays there with her eyes shut.
It's becoming too much for her to bear. The soldier from a couple days ago, watching her father die before that and now seeing him like this.... It's more than she knows how to deal with.
Her stomach churns again and she scrambles upright and back across the road. She doesn't hear her name being called until she feels the hands on her back, pulling her hair out of her face as her body heaves. She can hear the person talking but she doesn't register who it is or what they're saying until she's able to calm down.
When she finally stops, she tries to stand once again, but her legs shake beneath her. As she's about to collapse, strong arms pick her up and carry her back towards her house. "No!" Her protest is weak and hoarse and it hurts her throat. Tears blur her vision for the second time this morning and she clings desperately to their shoulders.
The person is still talking softly to her, but she still cannot make out their words. She's set down on a porch and she curls into a ball as the person walks inside. A moment later, a thin blanket is wrapped around her and someone's body is next to hers.
Her shoulders are shaken, but she still can't get out of it. She feels like she's underwater, like she's drowning, and there's no one there to save her. She wants so badly to be strong, but this took the strength right out of her. No one should have to see this at seventeen years old, or ever in their life, for that matter.
Cold water is being flicked onto her face. It feels good and it helps her to calm down, but as the person's voice raises, she still cannot understand it. Finally, a short while later, two more voices sound and dimly she realizes that it must be her team. More hands shake her, but she still can't make her eyes focus. It seems like all of her senses have dulled and she's fairly certain that she couldn't save her own life right now if she had to. She wouldn't even be able to move.
Finally, someone picks her up and carries her inside, where they lay her down on a soft bed. Covers are pulled up to her chin as she's tucked in like a sick child and before she knows it, she's out like a light.
* * *
When she wakes up, the place is completely silent. She opens her eyes a crack and the sunlight immediately gives her a pounding headache. Her head spins as she sits up and holds a hand to her throbbing head. When she sees no one in the room, she calls out, "Hello?" Her voice cracks weakly and the sound is so quiet that she's sure you couldn't hear it from across the room.
She stands up and notices that she's now in a plain t-shirt and loose shorts. They're soft and comfortable, but not the warmest, so she grabs the thin blanket from the bed and makes her way out of the room.
She walks down the stairs on shaky legs, holding tightly to the railing so she doesn't fall. She sees Eira and Kaj in one room and hears someone else in another room. She figures it must be Phoenix and decides to go in there first.
Phoenix turns around when he hears someone walk into the kitchen and is surprised to see her there. He's across the room in an instant and has his arms wrapped around her. "How are you feeling?" He leans down so his gaze is level with hers, worry filling his dark eyes.
"O-okay," she says softly. Her voice is still weak and she clears her throat painfully. He turns around and quickly gets her a cup of water.
She takes it from him with shaky hands and takes a drink. "Slowly," he murmurs. "You don't want to make yourself sick again. You haven't had anything in your stomach for three days, so don't rush."
She almost drops the cup. "Th-three days?"
He nods pitifully. "You've been very sick. You slept for three days straight." She sets the cup on the counter in shock and he can already see where her mind is going. "Stop it. This is not your fault. You've had a lot to deal with and you pushed yourself too hard. This was your body's way of making you take a couple days to relax and recover. Now, c'mere." He pulls her into his arms again. She leans against his chest, too surprised to hug him back. He pulls away a moment later. "I'm so sorry about your father. I can't imagine how that must have felt."
Tears fill her eyes again and he hugs her again. "Shh," he cooes softly to her, smoothing her hair from her face as she fights not to cry. "We gave him a proper burial," he whispers. "We wanted to wait for you, but you weren't waking up and we weren't sure how long it would take. We thought it would be best to do it a little quicker." A sob escapes her lips as Eira and Kaj come into the room. "Are you mad at us?"
She shakes her head quickly and offers them all a small smile. "No. Thank you all very much." She leans back into Phoenix's arms and he kisses the top of her head affectionately.
"Do you want to see where we buried him?" Eira asks hesitantly.
She nods slowly and follows Eira out of the house. They walk to the outskirts of town where there's a small meadow before the grassland gives way to the forest. She sees a headstone a short distance away and instinctively knows it's his. They reach it and the only thing keeping her up on her feet anymore are Phoenix's strong arms. She doesn't even realize that she's crying again until she sees Eira in front of her and feels her gentle hands wiping away her tears. It looks like Eira is trying to stop her own tears from falling as well, but Valkyrie is too focused on the headstone. It has his name, his lifespan, and a quote about being a loving father, husband and role model, but she doesn't see that. She sees that it's a beautiful headstone made of a smooth, silvery rock and carved with curving letters. On one side there's a design for fire and the other, there's ice, and in the middle, a father laughing with a little girl.
She nearly whimpers at the scene and her grip on Phoenix tightens. "We made it," Kaj says. "If you don't like it though-"
"It's beautiful," she says, her voice thick with tears. "I love it. Thank you so much."
Eira hugs her, Kaj squeezes her hands, and Phoenix's arms tighten as he kisses the side of her head. "Anything for you."