The Funeral

The Funeral
The entangled branches weaved into the coffin that carried the vessel of what once carried the life of The Old Man.  Six figures carried the hand-made casket. Each wearing black robes with thick hoods that covered the sorrowed face in shadows. Green lace covered the robes in embroidered patterns that seemed to glow faintly against the contrasting red light that fell through the breaks in the forest branches. Alex escorted the company through the path that had be made just for the occasion.  He wore his rough leather outfit that he had made after his trail. Placed on his head as a helmet made from the skull of the beast he had killed. Tears fell short of pouring like ice melting from the peaks of the mountains into the natural springs below in a valley.  Yet he stood strong marching down the path guiding the casket barring men between the trees and the villagers that attended. The Elders stood waiting in at the edge of the forest. The safety of the environment from the outer world faded more and more as Alex approached. The air became thicker with heat and moistures. Alex could feel his lungs starting to feel incapable of breathing in and failing to separate the water from the oxygen. Even so, he continued to march forward until he stood in front of the four Elders. The edge of the forest was the unbearable place where life withered and was right before the end of the shield that Mother Nature blessed them with. Standing took effort, how could these old men be stronger than him? How did they stand the ability to breath in this unforgiving air? He felt weaker and weaker by the moment. Legs shaking he knew he probably wouldn’t last much longer without passing out. “I must stay strong. That is why the Old Man trusted me to do this. This is why he believed in me when the rest of the Elders doubted.” This is all he could tell himself to continue standing under the strain of the outside strange old. He forgot that the people behind him were there even. Their robes, by some miracle seemed to protect them from the harsh conditions. The green lace was now glowing a magnificent light.

The Elders without saying a word could see the weakness in him. He knew it. Alex looked into the eyes of one before him. It was like looking into a long forgotten pass. Without words being exchanged the Elders moved from before Alex to relieve the men carrying the Old Mans coffin. The ones livly branches that formed together with leafs and flexibily now looked dead and lifeless.
This was the last trial, but still unknown to Alex was that it was. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the time was now. He stepped forward breaking the barrier into pure red sky. He barley made ten paces forward before turning around to see the casket break the same barrier with the Elders.

Suddenly, it was as if his soul was on fire. He started screaming in unforgiving agony. He knew immediately that he would only survive by magic, or die in the next moments. Each second seemed forever as his skull felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside. His body was starting to die. He could no longer scream, for there was no oxygen left for him to. How could this happen? What had he done to deserve this painful death? Why did the Old Man want this for him? Worst of all, he could see the casket be put down to the ground and catch ablaze.  The Elders stood though. How was that? Unless, magic was involved. He fell to his knees, before face planting the dry rock bed below him. He couldn’t cry for the heat immediate dried them. He felt his life fading as his body was fading and this mind started to fade further into darkness.