Chapter Text
:Spoiler Warning: story takes place between chapter 180 and the series epilogue
A certain village felt slightly less busy today. Dozens of workers carrying bolts, wrenches and large slabs of metal were packing and planning for their next job. They left in a sort of peculiar quiet. None were upset about the "for sale" sign on the door of the factory where they once worked. Muted sympathetic voices echoed and quickly slipped away onto the street. No worker complained about losing their job. They were good people, or at least good enough to know that the factory had closed for an understandable reason.
This factory in Middle county, The Forte Workshop, was closing it's doors today. It's laid back but kindhearted owner, Roy Forte, was gone. His quiet funeral wasn't interrupted by rain or many guests. His quiet death by heart attack was unremarkable and painless. None of his distant relatives could travel or do anything but send tearful letters to the tiny village. The letters were read by his daughter, Reana Forte, who sent items from her fathers will to the senders. Oddly, she sent no letters in return.
In fact, none of these relatives heard from her again.
On the day of the funeral villages noticed a mere three figures standing beside Roys grave. Reana and her brother Ras spoke and hugged and comforted the other. People who passed by recognized Reana and leaned over the fence to tell her "I'm so sorry" and " I'm sure we'll see you even if we don't work together now". Roys daughter accepted these short condolences but spent the day sitting in front of the grave with her brother.
Strange rumors about the funeral spread through the village, different ones as the week wore on. Some said that Roy's ex-wife had appeared briefly on the day of the burial, only to leave without saying a word. The villagers would berate this woman, Luna, at their dinner tables that night. They knew that she was an affluent, rich scientist who had fled town for the sake of her career. "Those children deserved better" they said over dessert.
Rumors by mid-week came from patrolmen who saw the third person at the funeral. They said that this person, Kairak, was an apprentice who worked at the factory with Reana. He had lived with Reana and Roy as a promising gunsmith. The men had seen him standing a distance away from the grave, giving the siblings time to reminisce. As night fell and Ras said his goodbyes the patrolmen had nodded in approval as the rumored couple left the cemetery hand in hand. Acquaintances hoped that Kairak and Reanas great craftsmanship skills would guarantee them a secure life
The rumors from bar hoppers by the end of the week were the most exciting. One man kept insisting that he'd seen Kairak smiling as he packed items into a carriage. People peeked at the front of the Forte household in confusion as the apprentice seemed to be abandoning his sponsor. Murmurs of disapproval were silenced as Reana walked up behind him. She held her tools and her suitcase and seemed tired. Kairak lifted her into the carriage but did not jump in after her. She left the door open and waited for him as he disappeared briefly into the house. The bar hoppers giggled about newly-weds and people they knew who had married young before leaving the innocent scene.
The next day people would have wondered why Reana left so soon in the dead of night. Would have, if not for the fires. Long after dark people throughout the village bolted awake to the sound of buildings collapsing. People who rushed outside saw the Forte house as a crumbled wreck. There were no flames, but the house was nothing more than a charred lump. The factory was burned to the ground as well and, again, no one reported seeing any fire. No other homes were even singed.
Far down the dirt road a carriage driver began his long trip through the forest near his village. He was tired but he hadn't been able to refuse the passengers he carried. It was easy to imagine that the couple in the back was on the run, or beginning an irresponsible adventure. He chuckled as even the moons light was lost in the darkness of the forest.