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A great bonfire burned bright on the stone plateau as men marched up the rough hewn steps, carrying the remains of their former brothers aloft on great carved targes. The hilltop was battered by a howling gale, tearing standards from their mounts to fly off into the glen below and sending the hair of the speaker whipping around his head as he bellowed over the din.

"We commend our fallen to the flames, so that their ashes are carried across their homeland, to settle and bring new life in their wake. Just as we sing songs of their bravery and call their names in the heat of battle, may their fighting spirit light a fire in our hearts in the darkest of times."

The men and women gathered around the great fire cheered and called out as remains were placed into the flames. The speaker nodded to the woman standing alongside him, clasping a great Astartes helm, highly polished and engraved with knotwork and runic inscription.

"And for our brothers who could not return, we cast this to the flame in memory. For Bull, my brother. He made the greatest of sacrifices so we could continue the battle until we were all but spent. The Legion will be amiss without his laughter and cheer."

"And his damned thick skull!" Came a shout from the crowd, followed by raucous laughter.

The speaker allowed himself a smirk.

"Aye, that as well."

The crowd became silent once more as the fire crackled and embers rose into the air to be carried off by the winds. For hours the gathering stood sentinel, watching their brothers undertake their final journey. Across the glen many great fires glowed as the Tosgan Cruaidh bid farewell to their dead. Native beasts stood in the shadows watching the conflagration, heads bowed low as if they too felt the loss of the warriors before them.

Vaelynn watched as the flames licked flesh from bone and leather baked before cracking into pieces. The shield maiden placed a hand before her face as the smell of burning flesh permeated the air. A scent she was more than accustomed to after battling side by side with Romach and his Steel Claws, but the fact that this was caused by the Astartes she had called friend left her ill. The speaker placed an augmetic hand on her shoulder, gripping slightly too hard. She looked up at Romach’s stern features as his white hair whirled around his head, giving him a halo akin to the angels of old religion.

"He would have wanted you here." He said solemnly

"Oh?" She replied, attempting to conceal the effect the odours had on her.

Romach nodded. “Bull cared for you a great deal. You were his ‘little sister’ as he put it” He said with a smirk.

Vaelynn felt her eyes well up as a smile came to her features, nodding to Bull’s helm as its eye lenses looked back at her from the flames.

As the sun rose to signify the approach of dawn, the fires died. Great plumes of smoke appeared across the valley as other memorial ceremonies also ended. Romach stepped forward and placed his organic hand into the smoking ash, taking a great handful and spreading it across his face, allowing himself to fall into the traditions of his forefathers.

"May we all come to an end as well as they did."

Astartes nodded and cheered as the dawn broke over the hills, bring an orange glow to their surroundings. Great banners were unfurled as mortal serfs and superhuman warriors alike played music using simple woodwind instruments and drums as the group readied themselves to depart. As the air filled with the sound of beating drums and rhythmic tunes the gathering left the stone plateau. Romach stood for a moment longer, staring across the landscape as smoke dispersed and throngs of mourners met in the bottom of the valley to begin their procession. The pain of loss weighed heavily upon him, so many dead under his leadership. The warrior could feel his inner daemons try to take hold as the faces of the fallen flashed through his mind. He shook the oppressive emotion from his consciousness before joining the march to their fortress home.