Funeral lights

Night had fallen over Themyscira, the streets lit with oil lamps and its people cradling lit candles in their hands as they paraded down the cobblestone path to the city square, towards the temple of Artemis. At the heart of the procession, four amazons held up the body of Phin Thracy, his hands folded over his chest surrounded by tokens and tributes offered by the Themysciran people: bouquets of flowers, scabbarded blades from the Queen’s royal guards, scrolls, poems, all of them gestures of both gratitude and sorrow. Over his eyes were two golden coins, both to keep them closed, and as payment for crossing the river styx when Charon ferries him to the lands of the dead.

A funeral pyre had been built at the steps of the temple where the Queen and her closest warriors stood, wearing elegant ceremonial robes and holding candles in hand. When Phin Thracy was laid to rest over the brush and lumber of the pyre, Hippolyta stepped down the steps to meet her people face to face, her daughter standing to her right while Greg and Harper stood to her left, guided gently by Alexa who rested a gentle hand over the man and his son’s shoulders.

Staring forward, Hippolyta breathed in sharply, deeply, looking out to her people who only days ago had been wracked with a curse that made them all appear rotten, disfigured, and hideous. A test, a punishment, and rewards all at once, the amazons who stood before her were now all stunningly beautiful again. Some even more so before the wish was granted. She could make out Episteme in the crowd, her personal stablemaster so radiantly beautiful, she swore her features were luminescent in the light of the candle cradled in her delicate hands, her hair flowing like fine silk down her shoulders to frame her angelic face. Nubia in her ceremonial garb looked just as magnificent, her curled hair alive and vibrant like a lion’s mane. Her ochre locks a contrast to the golden mane of the lion’s pelt she wore over her shoulder and back.

Exhaling slowly, the queen began her speech.

“We are gathered here to give our blessings and farewells to a man who in his brief time with us, showed a wonderful and painful truth about our people. We had forgotten how to be kind. We were at peace, we had our duties, we had our comforts, but we had forgotten how to be kind.” Resting a hand on the man’s shoulder, Hippolyta continued her sermon. “Phin Thracy, we send you into the arms of your lost loved ones, and the arms of our goddess, may she reward you for your sacrifices.” Leaning down to kiss the man on the forehead one last time, she placed her candle at the front of the pyre where the wick would catch the shaved kindling to ignite the flames.

Stepping away from the pyre, Phillipus left her own candle at the base of the step next to Hippolyta’s candle, followed by Diana, then Nubia, and the rest. By the first five minutes, the pyre had finally been lit and engulphed the body in flames. Standing back, Diana watched as the fires grew higher, turning to look to Gary and Harper who stood sullen, looking down. It warmed her heart to see Alexa between them, comforting them in their loss.

Seeing her mother and consort join her, the two women looked onto the fires with heavy contemplation written on their faces.

“There is a cruel sense of irony at play. Our plight began with an execution, and it ends with a funeral.”

“I am proud of you mother.” Smiled Diana back to her queen. “You have opened your heart to a stranger and in turn they you.”

“And it cost him his life…” Looking down and folding her hands in front of her, Hippolyta gave a silent prayer to her goddess, then turned a sad eye to Phin’s surviving family. A soft smile formed seeing Alexa tend to the two of them. “She cares for them.”

Looking back, Diana gave the same wistful smile at the sight. “She has become attached to both of them after the oracles saved his life, they told her to stay with them, she has been attached ever since.”

“I have never been the one to question the wisdom of the oracles. They even lead us to where to find the stolen sails to our ships.” The queen then raised an eyebrow as she continued. “Strange that they were found neatly folded and rolled in a pile just outside the east entrance of the city, almost like a gift.”

“Indeed.” Answered Diana, knowing more than she let on. “I’ve spoke with the shipwrights. They explained they have repaired the hull of their fishing ship. They can sail back to…”

“No.”

Phillipus and Diana turned their attention back to their queen’s statement with confusion.

“WE shall sail them back to their home personally. Their father was given a royal funeral, we shall give them a royal welcome back to their homelands. By this morning, we shall do just that.”

Nodding back to her mother, Diana approached the Thracy family, resting a hand over Gary’s shoulder with a gentle smile as he looked up with a sullen look, faking a smile of his own as she looked back at him.

“Be well Gary Thracy, find rest.” Kneeling, she smiled softly to Harper, the boy not fully understanding the funeral, but knowing that his grandfather wasn’t coming back. “How are you holding up young one?”

“I miss grandad…”

Embracing the child softly, Diana closed her eyes and sighed. Looking up to see Alexa eyeing them both. “Be brave Harper Thracy, and know you are watched over.”

Stepping away from the two, Diana left the funeral, turning to look over her shoulder to find several Amazons offer their condolences. The act enhancing their appearance ever slightly by the gesture of kindness to the grieving father and son.