Freeday, 29th of Juno, 470th Year of the Fifth Era

"~Lobi timbona dope sian bintang do manondangi panondang di ho… (Higher than even the stars in the sky shining above within His holy light...)" The church was filled with the voices of the congregants singing one of the funerary hymns. Everyone there wore clothes with muted colours and everyone donned the light-blue and grayish 'sibolang' ulos.

The late king's body had been laid inside of an ornate white-painted coffin in front of the church's altar. Josias and his wife sat alongside his larger family near the coffin. Josias' eyes were puffed and reddened as he sang the solemn hymn.

Seeing the priests hammer the final nails into the coffin's lid had really done a number on Josias. All the emotions he had not yet shown flowed out when the realisation set in that he will no longer see his grandfather's countenance ever again. Even his jovial father failed to restrain his emotion.

The new king of Goria was sobbing on the ground as the hymn was sung and the coffin was closed. Josias felt for his father. His father had tried for the past week to appear strong but eventually the floodgates broke.

"Sabam disi ma roham jala sonang! Arsak ni roha ndang dais be tuho… Arsak ni roha ndang dais be tu ho…! (There you'll find peace and joy everlasting! Sorrows and grief shall pain you no more… Sorrows and grief shall pain you no more!" Not a single person in the late king's immediate family was spared from the sorrow. Not a single one except Josias' uncle who made the decision to not attend the final church rites before the burial.

It was something his uncle had informed the larger family of only a day before. Josias' father had wanted to argue against his uncle for a bit more and another fight almost happened. However, the Archbishop Ludwig managed to restrain the new king from fighting with his younger brother. He reminded King Parulian that Lord Partogi had the free will to make his own conscious decisions.

Even Aunt Pauli couldn't defend her older brother Partogi anymore. In fact, she herself had lambasted Lord Partogi on his refusal to attend the final rites.

Josias frowned at the thought that the relationships he thought his uncle had been mending during the wedding celebrations were now broken worse than ever before. It seemed like he was taking every opportunity to oppose the christian traditions of Goria and to spit on his family's attempts to mend their bonds. He was burning every bridge to charcoal.

Josias was reminded of the conversation between his father and the king of Saorma. His father was reluctant at first to continue his uncle's exile and disownment. But as things continued to progress as they were, it was beginning to look like the only possible solution. Keeping someone as subversive as his uncle around in the clan would only do further to create a widening internal rift within the realm.

The only thing that was of concern was the fate of his younger cousins. His older cousins were already outside of their parents' reach. Abang Timotheus was content in his position as a priest within the church and Maria was now considered a member of the Sinatua clan. They were fine. But what of Tiur and Tigor?

For the past few months the two little children had been living with Josias and his family. He had always considered them his little siblings as per Halak custom but truly did care for their well-being. If they were to be given back to their parents, there was little hope that the two innocent children would be allowed to continue growing up as christians. Just thinking of the possibility that they won't be given a christian education soured Josias' mood.

The only reason Tiur and Tigor were even allowed to attend the last burial and funeral rites was because King Parulian had damn-near forced his brother to relent. He had basically threatened Partogi that if he didn't allow the children to attend, he would take them by force anyways. The little children themselves were victims in the middle of this accursed family feud. On the one hand they were of course more partial to their parents, but even children as little as them could sense when the undercurrents weren't right.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place. To leave them with their parents and guarantee that they would grow up hating the rest of the clan? Or to keep them with the clan and have the opposite effect of making them despise their parents like their elder siblings. It was a damned mess of a problem.

Josias had thought to bring up the topic of discussion to his parents regarding them once more but funnily enough his wife Serena had brought up the concern to him first. She was also worried for the little children's wellbeing and suggested that the two stay with them in their new home that was going to be built.

Serena was a truly sweet woman to care about the little ones like that. Just being reminded of her unwavering support to both him and his family lightened his mood greatly. Josias instinctively placed his arm around his wife before gently kissing the side of her head. She smelt as nice as flowers, and not the jasmine flowers they used for the funeral.

His wife looked at him with a confused expression but slightly reprimanded him, reminding him that they were at church. Josias gave a slight chuckle before refocusing himself onto the funerary rites.

The Archbishop was delivering his final eulogy for the late king. He had detailed the king's life and the example he had given for everyone to follow. Besides the eulogy by the archbishop, many other important figures had also given their statements.

The allied christian kings of Hutangali and Rumaparau had given their official statement of condolences. Besides them, even the catholic kings of the south gave their eulogies including the late king's cousin, King Benedictus Sinaria of Tanjung Naria.

After all the eulogies were delivered and the liturgies within the church had been concluded, the final step of the ceremony had arrived. The coffin was to be brought to the great tugu (a.n: a sort of cenotaph but for the dead of a clan) monument of the Sigumogo clan to be buried.

Six pallbearers were chosen to carry the coffin to its final resting place. Josias, his father, his elder cousin Timotheus, Hesekiel, Lord Hasudungan, and Johannes. Johannes was standing in for his father-in-law who had refused to take part in the ceremony.

Josias could only lament his uncle's bullheadedness. His uncle should've been there to give his father his last respects. But he chose his own pride over his family.

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Josias ran his fingers upon the white coffin of his grandfather. This was to be his last time being in such close proximity to the man. The coffin itself was of a simple design, being mostly plain and unadorned save for plain cross painted atop the lid with golden-coloured paint. This was not because his grandfather's death was so sudden but because it was his own request.

Morbidly, his grandfather had already prepared his coffin for years ever since his grandmother died. His father had sought to store the coffin away as far as possible so as to not 'invite death' but it was apparent that God had other plans. Its use had come sooner rather than later.

When Josias and the rest of the pallbearers had gotten into position, they had lifted up the coffin and placed it upon their shoulders. The coffin – even with his grandfather's body inside – weighted like nothing when being carried by six aura warriors. But the physical weight was indeed nothing compared to the emotional weight they carried. Especially for Josias' father.

The coffin was to be carried near the front of a long procession. At the very front of the procession was Jakobus who held a wooden cross that would act as their grandfather's temporary grave marker. On the cross was written the late king's full name as well as his years of birth and death. Raja Parhal Portibion Sigumogo, born 5E410. He was barely sixty years old. A far cry from the one-hundred-fifty to two hundred years it was said a swordsaint could live up to. Even the Archbishop was older than that. Not by much, but still.

Josias and the rest of the pallbearers made their way out of the church following Jakobus to their location. Throughout the road on the way to the clan monument, thousands of people had gathered to witness the final earthly journey of the old king's body. News had travelled quickly throughout the realm and even beyond regarding the death of the Hulubalang Nabolon of the Halak realms.

Dark clouds had started to gather in the sky, blocking out the heat and rays of the sun. It was as if the sky itself was sorrowful at the death of such a great individual. Josias just hoped it didn't rain too heavily as it would ruin his clothes. Worst yet, it could also muddy the roads, making the trek to the monument all the more difficult especially while carrying a coffin.

The tugu of the Sigumogo clan was located a little over an hour's walk away from the village. It wasn't too long of a trek but the monument itself was placed upon a small hill in a relatively more highland area. It would require a little bit of exercise to get there. Though Josias thought at first that the carrying the coffin wasn't too bad, it eventually did start to ache on his shoulders slightly.

They soon caught sight of the monument itself and after walking a few more miles, they finally reached it. The tugu monument itself – as were most other Halak tugu – was made in an obelisk-like shape. It was perhaps a couple-dozen feet high and had eight sides to it. Each side represented the eight main clan branches of the Sigumogo.

On each side of the monument were the beautifully etched names of all the clan leaders from Tuan Sigumogo himself. On top of the monument was a carving of a man and a woman flanked by two tigers. They were effigies of the eponymous clan founder himself as well as his beloved wife. Beneath the two main figures were carved reliefs of their children and grandchildren who would go on to descend the eight clans.

On the very top of the monument was a figure of Christ with his hands outstretched. It symbolised God blessing the children of the Sigumogo. It was an addition to the monument that his late grandfather had commissioned when he converted.

The monument itself was in a large fenced courtyard which acted as a cemetery for the Sigumogo of all clans. There were massive stone sarcophagi placed in neat rows throughout the yard with various elaborate carvings and traditional pagan motifs of the three gods. The stone sarcophagi were the graves of Josias' ancestors, the previous kings of Goria.

Tuan Sigumogo himself wasn't buried within the field; rather his body was said to be placed inside the monument itself along with that of his wife and his children. The first person to be buried in the courtyard was Old King Goria.

However, in contrast to all the pomp and grandeur of the other sarcophagi, next to the sarcophagi of his great-grandfather, several people were digging a hole in the ground. It was where Josias' grandfather had requested to be buried. As Josias and the rest of the pallbearers reached the hole, they carefully placed his grandfather's coffin next to the dug-out hole.

Within the hole itself was another white coffin similar to his grandfather's. It was that of his paternal grandmother.

"Mak, We're back… We brought bapak with us…" Josias heard his father speak while sobbing as he knelt next to the hole. "He's been aching to reunite with you for so long and… looks like you two can finally meet! Please continue watching over us! I promise we'll do good here!"

As the hole was completely dug out, the final burial ceremony could begin. The archbishop took his place as he stood beside the hole, overseeing the retainers who worked to lift the coffin and place it inside the hole. They tied ropes to the coffin to safely and respectfully place it inside of the grave.

Josias stood with the rest of his family and clan elders as they witnessed the coffin being lowered. When the coffin was well and truly placed within the grave, Archbishop Ludwig took a piece of the dirt and held it over the grave. He proclaimed the last rites and prayers before throwing the dirt inside of the grave three times.

With a nod from the archbishop, the retainers grabbed their shovels and started the process of burying the coffin within the grave. Archbishop Ludwig directed the people to start singing another hymn as the coffin was being buried.

"Di surgo hasonangan i, inganan na dumenggan i! (In heaven may I find my joy, a place of sweetest rest and bliss!)" Josias and his family sang with tears and sobs as they said their final goodbyes to their beloved grandfather. It was only then when some of the younger children started to really cry. "Tusi naeng laho muli au, asa rap dohot Jesus au… (My heart and soul longs for the journey to be together with the Lord…)"

"Wait! Why are they burying oppung??" Tiur asked Josias who was holding onto her and Tigor. Tigor also looked at Josias with a puzzled expression. "Tell them to stop! How's oppung going to get out if they put all that dirt on him?!"

Josias could only give the children a difficult smile as his tears sought to run once more out of his eyes. Even Serena couldn't help but cry at the children's questioning as she knelt down and hugged them. Josias knelt and did the same.

"Oppung is… oppung is not coming back…" Josias said as he hugged the small children.

"Not coming back?" Tiur looked like she was struggling with the concept of death being permanent. "But.. but! The priest said Jesus will save us from death! That means oppung will come back!"

"...Ompung is with Jesus now… he's in heaven…" Josias was struggling to explain it to the children. All he could do was embrace them gently. Josias' sister Julia, being older than the other children by a year, had more of a grasp on the concept of death and so was greatly distressed by their grandfather's death.

His father was wailing and sobbing even worse throughout the whole burial process. Josias' mother could only embrace her husband as she held on to his crouched back on the ground.

It was a terrible day for everyone and the world was worst off for it. Josias' only hope was for his family to be able to get through all of this.

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