Lore/Prologue Three: Love Never Lets Go
Part of the lore of New Bradford.
Mourning a death in Bradford was always a lengthy process. First, the body was preserved with potions. This enabled a body to get close, but usually not quite exact, to how it looked when the person was alive. The potions helped to maintain the body for a few weeks, giving enough time for everyone to come say goodbye when they felt they were ready. The body was set on display at the person's home. The mourning period in Bradford was always ten days. Melina was preserved with the greatest of care. Frederick's parents, although very old and frail themselves, came to help with all the preparations. Sofia mixed the potions and applied them to Melina's body. She picked a white floral dress that brought out Melina's dark hair and skin perfectly. Sofia spent hours brushing Melina's hair to make it shine as it did while she was alive. The potions and clothing were able to restore some of her beauty, but without the life in her eyes, Melina just didn't look the same.
Melina's parents had passed away long ago. Her siblings were still alive, but they lived too far away to send for them in time. Frederick's oldest children, although all adults now, came with their spouses and families to help set the house in order. Frederick couldn't bear to be around any of them or anyone at all for that matter. He stayed in his room, refusing to get up for anything. His mind was in a delirium. Frederick could not comprehend that Melina was gone. He was convinced that Melina had simply taken Scarlett out for a ride and would be back soon. Frederick's father, Christof, tried to talk with his son, to get him to see the truth, and to come to say his goodbyes before it was too late. But there was no use. Without Melina, Frederick's mind was gone. Everyone in town came to pay their respects and to say their final goodbyes to Melina. They followed the local customs and brought food and small gifts to offer Frederick, Aiden, and Amelia to help them through the rough time. Some of the townspeople came in groups, and some came alone. Everyone had a story to tell of how Melina had touched their lives.
The baker told of recipes Melina had shared with him and how she would go to the bakery and show him different methods of kneading dough to make the fluffiest pastries imaginable. The children in town remembered how she had taught them new games, some involving cups and dice, some involving chasing after balls with sticks. The seamstress told of the different fabrics Melina would share with him that her father had collected from his faraway adventures. Some of the women in town simply told stories about how Melina would hold their hands when they needed someone to comfort them or would share a cup of tea with them when they were lonely.
The ten days passed quickly. The house was filled with the smells of good food and the sound of good company. There was laughter in remembering the comical stories Melina would tell. There were tears when the realization hit someone that they would not get to see her smiling face again. Through it all, Frederick stayed in his room, in the dark, and refused to take part in any of it.
After the ten days of mourning, it was finally time to put Melina to rest. Everyone was afraid of how Frederick would take it, but he had to be there. He needed to see for himself that Melina was gone or he would never be able to get past it and to try to get on with his life.
Christof and Aiden went to Frederick's room and entered without knocking, knowing he would refuse them admittance if they asked. They told him it was time to bury the body. Frederick looked in the direction of his father and his youngest son, but really, he was looking through them. Looking back to a time when life was simple. When he could walk on the beach with Melina and the children, and everything was alright. Deep down inside Frederick knew he had to continue, even though he felt as if he couldn't. He knew he had to do it for his children and the rest of his family.
Just as Frederick was about to give the okay to prepare the burial plot for his wife Quentin burst into the room. After seeing his father deteriorate without his beloved, Quentin had wanted to do something to help. He thought he had remembered seeing something in one of his books of magic. It took him days to pour through all of them. Quentin had a very extensive collection of magic books that he had been studying and referencing since he was little. Most of them he had purchased from Garridan when he came through town on his yearly rotations. Garridan knew how interested his little step-grandson was in magic and always made sure to have something for him when he came through town.
After hours upon hours of searching with little sleep, Quentin had finally found the book he was looking for. It was one that Garridan had given to Quentin many years ago as a gift. When Garridan had handed it to him, he told him it was a remarkable book, and to take extra special care of it. The way Garridan said it to Quentin had concerned him at the time, but the excitement of the new book and the information it held distracted Quentin, and he never thought of that moment again.
The book was old and ratty, as most of them were. Definitely a book that had been around for many generations. It was an ancient tome and on the cover of it was a strange symbol, like a rune. One Quentin had never seen before, even throughout all of his studies.
Reading the book, Quentin had discovered that it was exclusively about the dead. The first section of the book talked about preserving the dead. It started with basic potions such as the ones Sofia had used to preserve the body for the ten days of mourning. But apparently, there were other spells and potions. Spells and potions that could preserve a dead body for prolonged periods of times. These potions were difficult, but not impossible, to make.
The book was a book of necromancy. Necromancers were around many generations ago. They were special magicians trained in the arts of the dead. Old legends told that necromancers could communicate with the dead, summon spirits and other unworldly creatures, and even bring back the dead.
No one in Bradford, or anywhere else around, would have ever even considered something like bringing back the dead. Tales from the past told how necromancy was always considered to be a forbidden art. Anyone who was caught practicing it would be put to death because it was considered evil and unholy. People believed that it was not okay to mess with the order of life.
There were sects of necromancers who were purged years ago. Local governments had rounded up everyone even suspected of necromancy and executed them. The book vaguely mentioned rumors that a few final necromancers had escaped and had run away to hidden places to practice their arts in secret. In the back of the book there was a folded-up map, wrinkled and worn away, but still legible. The map showed a land that was far away and had been considered to be uninhabited.
Quentin was convinced that was where the necromancers were hiding, and if they would go there, maybe they could convince one of them to restore Melina. He knew that he could make the potions to preserve her body for the journey, he just needed supplies and people to go with him to search these magicians out.
The concept that there was a chance for Frederick to get his Melina back finally woke him up from his stupor. He jumped up and started running around the room packing things and mumbling to himself. Quentin had to calm his father down and tell him that preparations must be made. He had already spent a few days acquiring the ingredients and making the potions to preserve Melina's body (which is another story in itself).
First, a ship had to be procured. Frederick still had some rights to Edgar's shipwright's business, being the only husband to Edgar's eldest daughter. Frederick went to the docks and told his old father in law what he needed. Once again, Edgar was more than willing to help out Frederick. He gave him three of his fastest ships, which would have been his after Edgar passed away anyway.
Once the people in town discovered what Frederick wanted to do, opinions were varied. Some people believed in true love and supported anything Frederick might be able to do to get his wife back. Some people believed in the old ways, that necromancy was not a subject to be messed with. These people thought Frederick should realize that things happened the way they were meant to, and he should mourn his wife and live out his last years peacefully. Some people were just bored with the monotony of life in Bradford and were excited about the prospect of an adventure, even if it wasn't their own.
Either way, many people offered to go with Frederick. All of his children, his 6 sons and one daughter, were definitely going to go with them. They had already lost two mothers, they didn't want to lose the only father they had. Some of the townspeople decided to go along as well. A few wanted to help Frederick, others wanted to see if there really were necromancers out there, and some just wanted to start a new life.
Frederick's married sons brought along their wives and children. One of the most important precepts in Bamford had always been that family sticks together no matter what. The entire family, blood and in-laws, packed up all of their possessions, along with the other people who wanted to come, and they loaded the three ships. The vessels were packed with provisions for the trip, along with the things they would need to start a new life, assuming they would not find the hidden necromancers right away.
Everyone said their goodbyes to the people they were leaving behind. The assumption was that they would not be coming back for a long time, if ever. The day was beautiful and the winds were favorable. Frederick felt as if this journey was meant to be. Melina was set up in Frederick's cabin. In her preserved state she looked as if she was simply having a nice dream. Frederick reached down and kissed her hand softly. In his heart he knew he was on his way to being reunited with his love.