Funerals

Welcome to the Anhult Wildlands! Clara, featured in this article, lives in the Ecathen Kingdom at the far Southern end of the Anhult Wildlands. Last year I wrote a Gothic Romance story about Clara and submitted it to an Anthology. The world threw everything it had at her. As loss and desperation piled on she rose up.

You can check out that short story in the anthology Written by Candlelight at DriveThruFiction.

In this article we learn a little about religious strife and funerals in the kingdom. This story is a warm up for my submission to the 2025 Written by Candlelight anthology. Let me know what you think below!

The church bell's toll shattered Clara's heart. Each clang an otherworldly reminder of violence dealt to her family by the cardinal. The droning sound continued. She had to drag herself to the church. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law were dead. The earsplitting sound marked the call to service for their funeral.

She took her daughter's hand and pushed through the throng of people outside the church. Signs pumped up and down above the heads of the gathered crowd. "Where's the body?" one sign questioned. "Who saw the cardinal last?" another demanded. Many of them wore red tunics and a dark leather belts- acolytes who once served under the cardinal, now banned from the church.

Clara kept her head down. They made it halfway through the gathering when guards spotted them trying to reach the church and moved to clear the crowd. Clara dodged a sign that swung for her head. She wasn't as lucky to avoid the phelm of the acolyte in front of her as he spit his curse at her. She left it drip off her check, summoning strength from her daughter's hand.

Three other family members made their way through the crowd. They were relatives of Clara's husband and did not acknowledge her or her daughter as they entered the church.

Andaya asked, "Mom, wasn't the cardinal a bad man?"

The man in front of them turned around. It was her husband's cousin. He wore his armor to the service. A longsword swished at his side as he turned. His long green cloak wiped in the air like the cardinal's robes would do. Clara felt her stomach turn. Her hands got sweaty. The man loomed in their way.

He spoke down to her daughter. "Child, do not speak of those of holy authority in such a way or you will need to be punished."

Clara's clammy hands kept her daughter's attention. "Ew, mom." Andaya released her mom's hand.

Before her daugther looked up at the man Clara grabbed her shoulders and guided her around the danger. "Excuse us."

They began the journey up the center aisle of the nave. Heads turned as they walked past each row of pews. Whispers danced around those waiting for the service to begin. "Witch," echoed in the alcoves. "Too many deaths," flared on the right. "She was around them all." slithered on the left.

Andaya whisper to her mom, "They are talking about you. Do something mom."

Clara kept her daughter walking. She focused on the empty alter at the front of the church. All remenants of the cult behind the Cardinal had been removed. Clara wished people's minds could be cleared of such filth as easily.

In the front pew they joined Chandler. Andaya hurried to get a seat beside her dad. The old seat cushions released an odor that made Clara tense. The cardinal had that smell about him whereever he went. Everything remained soaked in the corruption he had spread through the kingdom.

Chandler watched Clara's unease as he spoke to Andaya, "How are Fassad and Lupa? Did you have a good time?"

"Oh, yeah. Lupa let me practice with a sword. Fassad is teaching Travis how to play chess. He was sad he couldn't come along." Andaya missed her brother, Travis, too. They had rarely been apart that last couple years.

Clara during a happier time by Khovik

"This isn't the right place for him until he is older." Chandler replied. He put a calming hand on Andaya's shoulder as he rose to speak to the assembled congregation.

Clara and Chandler locked eyes until he started speaking. He did well, every line they had practiced. He extoled the virtues of the King and Queen. Recited the good things they had done and spoke of what they were unable to accomplish but he would strive to exceed in their stead. The pleasant applause stopped as Clara stood. The new king introduced his queen regent and held her hand.

Clara spoke, "Our family and country were decieved about many things. We welcome you all as we rebuild our community and trust."

The scrape of metal overpowered the meager applause. Chandler's cousin walked out of the church.

Andaya caught the nearly imperceptible nod of her mom's head. She looked back at the church door. A man in a dark black and purple cloak nodded back. He followed the cousin out of the church, the sun reflected on the metal of his blade.

Andaya turned back to the front of the church. Under her breath she whispered, "Go mom."