Rosa's fingers struggled as they awkwardly fiddled with the black tie. She stared intensely into the mirror, folding piece over piece just like she did for school but unlike then it just wouldn't work. Instead becoming a messy and feral bundle.
'Why?' Rosa questioned, her ire rising as she once again ragged the tie apart. Ever since this morning the day had been … strange, unnatural, like reality was tilted.
Emma emerged in the mirror behind her. Softly her sister turned Rosa around and claimed hold of her tie.
"Calm yourself Rosa" Emma said as she folded piece over piece constructing a neat and formal tie.
"I am calm" Rosa snapped, but even she could hear how fake the words were. "It's just … I've been fine since the day, following exactly what dad taught me. But now it's the day … the world feels strange … it can't be avoided any longer … they're actually gone", she felt her lip tremble, "I-I can't get a hold of myself" Rosa said, adjusting the tie so it sat comfortably below her neck.
"That's a good thing Rosa. It means you're human" Emma said pushing her little sister's hair from her face, "You're allowed to feel all those emotions, think all those thoughts. Today is a day for grieving. We mourn, we remember and we keep moving forward. Follow the Elacti way".
Rosa took a deep breath in and nodded. The Elacti way. She took a step back from the mirror. While her sister was dressed in her hunter uniform and a long military style long coat, Rosa wore a different attire. She was dressed in a black overcoat with a white shirt and tie. A long black skirt hung from her waist travelling down to her shins where it met black leggings and boots.
The stairs trembled beside them as its wood creaked under footsteps. Louie wandered downstairs and joined them by the front door. He'd arrived in the early morning just as he said he would. His attire was almost identical to Rosa's except he wore pants instead of a skirt and leggings. To her knowledge Louie didn't possess the black military style uniform the hunters and officers wear. He apparently once had but burnt it many years ago, for untold reasons.
"Are we ready?" he asked, joining them in front of the mirror and tidying his appearance.
"We are" Emma responded.
"Off to Mors Ostium we go".
What is Mors Ostium? Had been Rosa's first question after the meeting two weeks ago. Louie had explained to her that it was the name given to the cemeteries of hunters. An isolated and hidden region where all the hunters of a region are laid to rest. Thousands of years old, the Mors Ostium of the United Kingdom lay at the very centre of the country.
They travelled to the HQ first where they met up with the rest of funeral attendees. The journey to Mors Ostium took hours however, Rosa found herself lost in thought for most of the drive. In a perfect line, their party of black cars cruised down small smooth roads that cut through vast empty green fields, a grey sky above that gently spat down upon them. Any sign of civilisation had vanished hours ago. The hearse sat at the centre of the pack with Louie's car driving directly in front like a protective guard dog.
"Not long now" Louie told them.
Rosa's eyes scanned their environment searching for any clues of the hunter graveyard, a legion of headstones, a giant monument but all she could see was a vast ocean of green blades that swayed in the wind. However, Rosa had learnt better to just rely on her eyes in this world. Her concept of reality had been shattered far too many times in the recent weeks to keep making that mistake.
They continued their drive and Rosa noticed two tall, pointed stones placed either side of the road ahead. As they passed through the sky shimmered, as if they'd drove through a mirror.
The world around them changed. The grey, clouded sky dissolved and was replaced by a clear blue and a calm, gentle wind brushed over emerald plains and ruby roses, that sprouted among the blades. Resting upon the grass fields were grey, polished gravestones, as far as the eye could see. There must've been thousands upon thousands. Rosa's gaze wandered around however, quickly locked directly ahead. At what seemed to be at the centre of the endless cemetery was a towering monument. A thick, tall square pillar of grey and white stone, decorated with gold inscriptions however, Rosa couldn't decipher them from this far back.
"It's grander than I could've possibly imagined" Emma said from the passenger seat.
"You've never been before?" Rosa asked.
"No. I've never had the reason to" Emma replied.
"What about you?" She questioned, glancing at Louie.
"I have".
Their travelling party continued down the road where they came onto a large plain of grey brick. To Rosa's surprise there were already dozens of cars parked.
After parking up themselves, Rosa exited the vehicle and greeted the cold air, which bit at her skin. The rest of the travelling part parked up beside them, all except for the hearse which carried of forward and then drove down a wide pathway to their left.
"Is it safe to leave them on their own?" Rosa asked, her breath misting in the air.
Louie nodded. "The Mors Ostium is protected".
They gathered together with the others and wandered down a pathway towards the giant monument at the graveyards centre.
Their group consisted of around thirty people, a mix of both hunters and officers – now distinguishable to her through the slight alterations between their uniforms. The hunters wore a more militaristic and combat prepared attire.
Rosa glanced around to see a number of familiar faces, Lyn and Vanessa leading a band of officers, Audrey, Sam, Zack, Bianca and Commander Ruthor.
Audrey and Sam wandered over and Audrey placed a friendly hand on her shoulder as she passed by and joined Louie, Zack and the commander up ahead. All three of them wore decorated, militaristic long coats that portrayed their higher rank in the organisation. In fact everyone was displaying their rank and authority in the organisation, everyone but Louie, who wore normal clothes you could buy anywhere. Well normal for him.
"How are you doing?" Sam asked. Like all officers she was wearing a plain overcoat, pulled close to fight off the cold.
"I don't know. The world feels … strange. Like there's a void" Rosa said.
Sam nodded. "I remember well. I wish I could tell you its fades away. But it never does, not truly. All we can do is stick with the people we love and carrying on forward. Do our parents memories proud".
Rosa cracked a smile as she appreciated her friend's words.
As they conversed the two of them joined everyone and they began to walk away from the car park and down a wide grey brick pathway, which headed towards the cemetery monument.
Rosa glanced up wide-eyed as they reached the base of the pillar, she hadn't realised how big the damn thing was. It easily stretched ten feet across the ground and soared fifty feet into the air. Across each of its white faces, words were inscribed in gold. Looking more in-depth, Rosa concluded they were names, dozens on dozens of names.
"Ortus Praedator" Rosa muttered. The name was at the very top of the monument on every face she could see and was considerably grander than any other.
"The original hunter" Sam said, "or at least that's what the legends state. The man who started it all. The greatest in history".
The group turned left, following the same route as the hearse, Rosa gave the monument one last look before ensuing. There was something entrancing about it, about the history it held, the power contained deep inside. She didn't understand why but, she knew that was the structure which protected the Mors Ostium, kept it hidden, kept it safe.
They wandered away from the cemetery's protection, the wide path soon began to shrink and split off into numerous winding trails that headed off into all directions. The well-kept fields of green and red soon began to be populated with graves, all identical in appearance - a polished grey stone – however each one holding a unique name and story.
Rosa scanned over the seemingly endless plains stunned. Just how many hunters had there been? Fighting off creatures of the night, giving their last breath to protect the innocent knowing their sacrifice and life would never be truly acknowledged by the world.
"It can be a lot to take in" Sam spoke up.
"How old is this place?".
"Couple thousand years give or take a few centuries. All the graves are the same" Sam stated "represents the hunter belief of no matter your rank or power everyone's sacrifice is equal"
"That's nice" Rosa mused.
"The only exception are the founders" Sam added.
"Where are their graves?" Rosa asked.
"You walked passed it" Sam replied, she then glanced back at the monument in the far distance.
"They thought highly of themselves".
Sam chuckled, "In their defence they never built it".
"Fair enough".