33: Legacy Ceremony (1)

The streets of the Spartan Capital were hushed as the sun began its descent, the orange-red hues of dusk bathing the city in a warm, ethereal glow.

Though the flames from the pyre had died down, the atmosphere had not risen. The citizens and the streets of Sparta were still filled with a solemn air.

In fact, the whole of Sparta was filled with a more solemn atmosphere even after the burial ceremony had ended. An hour after the flames from the funeral pyres had died down, Spartan citizens, nobles, and even visitors from far lands took to the streets and walked to the Grand Amphitheater.

Some were solemn, some sad, some nervous, some bored, and the children were mostly curious.

As the countless citizens, nobles, and strangers moved to the Grand Amphitheater. At the forefront of the procession was the Morningstar Family.

One would think the royal family would be utilizing a carriage or a faster and more comfortable means of transportation. But no, each member of the present Morningstar family, including the King of Sparta, Abel Morningstar, walked to the grand amphitheater.

It was strange. Despite the immense numbers of the procession, not a single individual spoke or made noise. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed throughout the Spartan Capital.

Silver found himself gripped by a sense of nervous anticipation as he followed his father through the winding streets toward the grand amphitheater where the Legacy Ceremony for Commander Kael would take place.

After waiting for what seemed like years, he was finally going to see a legacy ceremony for the first time in his life.

After burning the funeral pyres for the burial ceremony, everybody who was present had to stand and wait for the flames to die before they could leave.

Although standing for hours was not a problem for Silver since he had gone through a lot of gruesome training with his father and in the Spartan academy. He was bored. Very, very bored.

He could not remember the last time he was that bored, and if not for his training, he would have yawned at one point during the burial ceremony.

'What a boring and tiresome ceremony.' Silver softly sighed. 'Unfortunately, it's Spartan culture.'

This was his previous thought. But now…

He could scarcely believe that only a few hours prior, he had watched in reverent silence as his childhood heroes were committed to the cleansing flames. Now he would bear witness to the honoring of a legend.

As they approached the amphitheater's vaulted entrance, Silver slowed his steps, his eyes absorbing the sheer grandeur of the colossal structure.

Formed from marble quarried from the nearby mountains, its towering arched facades, and meticulously carved friezes seemed to glow in the fading sunlight. This was the hallowed ground where only Sparta's most legendary figures were forever enshrined among the pantheon of heroes.

The Grand Amphitheater was not the same as the Spartan Colosseum. The Grand Amphitheater was where Sparta's most legendary figures were forever enshrined. Meanwhile, the Spartan Colosseum was where battles to the death or grudge matches occurred. It is also the place where young spartans undergo their rite of passage, that is if they choose to battle to the death in the colosseum.

Also, the Grand Amphitheater was located in the northern part of Sparta, near the sea. Meanwhile, the Spartan Colosseum was located in the southern part of Sparta.

The amphitheater's seats were already teeming with murmuring citizens when Silver and his family took their places in the elevated viewing box. He could see elderly veterans settled among the crowd, their bodies bent with age yet their eyes gleaming with pride for the legacy they were about to enshrine. 

A hush fell over the masses as the ceremony began, the cadence of solemn drumbeats reverberated through the stone amphitheater. All eyes turned toward the central stage as a procession of torchbearers entered, their flickering flames cutting through the growing darkness. 

At their head strode an honor guard, warriors bedecked in ornate ceremonial garb who flanked a solitary figure - a wizened man whose lined face and cloudy eyes betrayed a lifetime of hardship and warfare. This was Orion, one of Commander Kael's oldest friends and the sole surviving Vice Commander Commander Kael's army.

Silver's heart rate increased slightly as Orion took his place at the center of the stage, his head bowed as if bearing the weight of the world upon his shoulders. When at last he lifted his gaze to the watching crowd, his eyes burned with an intensity that made Silver's breath catch in his throat.

"Brothers and sisters of Sparta," Orion rumbled. 

"We are gathered here on this hallowed ground to forever enshrine the name and deeds of one whose life became the embodiment of our sacred creed – to honor the sacrifices of the past and to safeguard the future that others might live in peace."

He paused then, seeming to draw strength from some unseen wellspring before continuing. "Commander Artheus Kael was more than a warrior peerless in combat. He was a beacon whose martial prowess and unwavering spirit guided our blades through the blackest valleys of war. When the dawn seemed threatened by the enduring night, it was his luminous example that reminded us of the truth - that for every Spartan heart that ceases to beat, the flame of our shared resilience blazes all the brighter."

As Orion spoke those words, the torchbearers fanned out in a circular formation, their flames casting a flickering halo of light. In the center of this ring, they carefully lowered an ornate brazier wrought of blackened steel and ornamented with fearsome bestial motifs. Inside this brazier was Commander Kael's helmet and his shattered greatsword.

Silver instantly recognized this as the legendary Everfire Brazier. It was said to have been forged from the captured flames of a vanquished phoenix and was able to burn indefinitely without fuel. It was also said that the Everfire Brazier could keep the souls of the vanquished.