Chapter 958 What Next?
A pack leader is an integral part of the hierarchy. The death of one should be mourned. The death of one who tried to fight off the Executioner is even more tragic. Sauron tried to save them when he found out that Ragnarok was an Executioner. They didn't understand why he fought a future Executioner until he died and the Executioner turned on them.
Sauron did his job as the pack leader until his last moment. He wouldn't give up an inch for the interest of his pack. But now he is gone. It is an understatement to say that he will be missed. They can heal broken limbs, but they can not heal detached limbs. Just like detached limbs, they may never recover from the loss of Sauron.
The Alphas present stepped forward one after the other to say some words about him.
"I remember when he defeated my former pack leader. He did it with a grin on his face throughout the entire fight. Sauron was strong. He believed in strength and he did right with the strength he had. He can be hard on others in another pack but he is kind to those he considers his. And we were his. We were his family. He protected us. He was always there for us. We could always count on him. But now. He is gone."
The speaker paused to choke back a sob. She wiped away a tear from her face and continued. "He is no more. We have lost a tyrant and a protector. He will be missed."
Another Alpha spoke. "He was great. He did great things. It felt great to be in his park. We could feel his greatness across our bond when we ran with him. He was the best commander that you want to lead you to battle. He made us feel great. With him at the head of the pack, we were part of something great. But now we are mundane again. Sauron will be missed."
The burial continued for days. Every Alpha said something about him. Most of them said nice things about him. They are not lying about those nice things. They truly believe he is good and kind. They are not just saying so because he is dead. Other people such as the defeated pack leaders and one very disgruntled ancestral Vampire might only have bad things to say about Sauron but not them.
They bid their farewell to an icon. Then they huddled together in silence for hours. Some comforted the others that were crying while others remained silent for days.
The loss of Sauron is very impactful to them because he was very impactful on their lives when he was alive. Sauron was great so they feel his absence greatly just as they feel the absence of Emperors that have not been seen for hundreds of thousands of years.
The connection between pack members goes both ways. They share strength and emotions. It was great running in a pack that was large because the boost from their numbers was great. Everything was good under Sauron's reign. Then they lost it. It is a loss that they feel deeply.
They felt their connection with him ripped apart and shredded when he died. It was a very painful experience. Then the Executioner damaged them further. He took the lives of their comrades after taking the life of their pack leader. They have a large piece of themselves missing now. The executioner maimed them in both body and mind. So now they mourn for all that they have lost.
The mourning did not continue forever. The Alphas met after the burial.
Someone asked everyone, "What do we do now?" n(.o.(V-)e)(L/-b-)1//n
They are aimless and without a purpose without a leader. This above all else is disconcerting. Without a pack leader or an Alpha of Alphas, there can be no pack. Warrogs are not meant to be without a pack. Even Omegas work together with packs to achieve their aims.
"We need to avenge Sauron and every warrior that died?" Someone suggested immediately.
"Yes, let's do that."
The sentiment for vengeance got a lot of agreement from the Alphas. But not everyone thought it was a good idea.
Someone rebutted, "How do you suggest we do that? We are up against a future Executioner that killed Sauron. We are not even mana entities yet and even if we are, we are of no match to him. He will kill us all. Or were you not there when he rained down fire upon us."
This doused their enthusiasm for vengeance. The reality of the situation is that Ragnarok is too strong for them. Sauron was not nearly enough to defeat him. They are not Sauron so they will definitely not be enough to bring the Executioner to justice.
"Let's find the future Emperor. Only the Emperor can match and control the Executioner." Someone suggested.
"That's true. There is always an Emperor with an Executioner. The two of them come in pairs."
Another person shut down the idea. "That's just a myth. Even if it were true, how are we to find the Emperor?"
"We will spread around the plane and look for the Emperor. We will soon hear news of them if they exist."
"Are you senile? What do you mean we spread around? We are not meant to scatter around. I believe we should just stay together and rebuild."
"We should just rebuild. Looking for an Emperor that might not exist sounds like a waste of time. The Emperor might not exist and they might not help us even if they exist."
Another one shot back, "The Emperor will help us. Emperors are always against Executioners. The Emperor will certainly punish the Executioner for harming Warrogs. That's the way it has always been."
The Alphas began to argue. They kept their difference of opinions to just the clash of words, for now. They just mourned a loss so they are not keen to add more to their losses.
