Dragon Knights Fan Fiction ❯ Twenty Themes ❯ A Formal Event ( Chapter 6 )

Warnings: Spoilers, a wake, Draqueen gathers to say goodbye to a loved one.
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The Great Hall was filled by solemn-faced people, both human and Dragon, uncomfortable in pinched shoes and stiff, fresh-starched clothing. They mingled, saying little, but nodding and occasionally grasping too firmly to each others hands as they said hello. Eyes glistened and even Tetheus was betrayed by a moist sparkle. His voice remained muted while he and Ruwalk worked the room and welcomed the castle's guests.

Despite the goodly crowd, a huge space was maintained around a low, round table, which was at the top of the room. Feet covered the many scrapes which bore witness to the speed and lack of care with which it had been delivered. The only ornament on the table was a long, upright crystal tube, adorned with the Dragon symbol of Draqueen.

Uptight castle staff, out of uniform but still serving, carried trays of wine in glasses. They handed one to each present and kept a glass for themselves. Vague mumblings began as the Dragonlord, treading heavily, arrived from a side door, dressed in an immaculate white suit and covered by a light silk cloak.

"Rath should be here. We should wait," muttered subdued dragons to each other.

They were consoled by Ruwalk and Tetheus, the two remaining Dragon Officers. "He can't mourn in public and will do it in his own way."

As the rumbles died down, Raseleane scurried up to her husband and pressed a glass into his hand. They spoke briefly and he squeezed her arm before they parted and he approached the round table.

He scanned the room, face impassive, as it settled into total silence.

Finally, he lifted his glass and greeted everyone.

"Thank you all for coming. I'm truly glad that so many have come together to pay tribute to a fine man and a loyal officer of the Dragon Tribe. He lived a longer life than he expected at birth and he made every moment of his immortality count. As he knew what it was like to be mortal, he understood in a way that many of us here today cannot, how big a sacrifice he made. I loved you, Kai-Stern and you're a brother that I will miss until the day I follow you. We have no body to bury, so this is our goodbye."

He reached into an inside pocket and pulled out a simple, blue crystal ball. He held it up to show the room and intoned, "This was his duty. He fulfilled it exceptionally and always bore the burden lightly."

He placed the crystal ball on top of the delicate tube and lifted his glass to it.

"To Kai-Stern," he said softly, before stepping back and letting Tetheus take his place.

"Many of his missions involved finding and defeating demons, which he did alone even when he should have called for help." He lifted a thin, blade and carefully sheathed it in its scabbard. "He doesn't need this anymore," he said solemnly, placing it beside the glass stand. "To Kai-Stern, who kept us safe."

Ruwalk stepped up next, holding a thick pile of bound pages. "This is one of his travel reports, from the most exotic location he visited," he said, smiling while flipping through them. "He spent more time describing the countryside than the mission and I was extremely jealous. Now I realise that he was just trying to share the experience with me."

He put down the travelogue and looked up.

"To Kai-Stern, who saw the world."

Dignitaries and common folk alike shuffled their feet unsure of who should speak next. There was no defined order: people had just been asked to share their memories. Count Melgrin started to move, but was beaten to the punch by one of the castle's maids who still held a tray in her hands. She placed it on the floor and took off her shoes while she was bent over. She was too quiet at first and had to be asked to speak up.

''I think that every girl in the castle remembers their first ball: we share the same story. We started by nervously watching from the side-lines, feeling uncomfortable in new clothes and wanting to leave. Then Kai-Stern approached us and asked for our first dance. I know that I had a great night when it was my turn and these are the same shoes I wore then."

The shoes were left beside the table leg, then she retrieved her tray and made a barefoot toast.

"To Kai-Stern, who could really move."

A dishevelled and craggy-faced old man, the town's notorious drunkard, moved to the head of the room. His voice rang out, raspy and hoarse, but quavering from something other than booze. "I met the Blue Dragon Officer," he paused, "although I'd no idea who he was at the time - he didn't announce it. One day I was in my cups and he sat beside me. I ignored him at first, but he was easy company, you know? Eventually we drank together in every inn in the city. He passed on a lot of good whiskey, gifts from his travels. I... Friends are hard for me."

He lifted his glass and laid it on the table, then raised an empty hand.

"To Kai-Stern, who liked a drink."

"I always hoped that he'd marry my daughter." The speaker was a blonde duchess in a red velvet dress. She wore a faint smile and carried a covered dish. "It wasn't because of his title or closeness to the Dragonlord - he was just a good man, who should have made a girl very happy." A blush spread across her face, even though the make-up. "When I was younger I'd hoped to be that girl. I spent hours in the kitchen, learning to bake, thinking that I could win him through his stomach and I forced him to eat only my food when he visited my parents." She added the dish to the memorial. "Some of my recipes were rather unusual and none of my testers ate more than they could get away with. He never complained."

"To Kai-Stern, who loved my cooking."

A pretty girl in a simple lilac dress carried a deep red rose. She took in its fragrance before giving it up. "I got one of these every birthday from the age of sixteen."

"To Kai-Stern, who was incurably romantic."

A crone, bent with the weight of a century hobbled to the table. She took a small pot of lip-colouring and gave it to the memorial. Her voice quavered as she spoke.

"To Kai-Stern, who never stopped smiling."

Everyone recognised the plump burgher who came next - he was one of the nicest people in the town. "When I was younger, I really liked this girl. I talked the ear off anyone that'd listen, but I hadn't the courage to let her know how I felt. She worked in the grocery and smiled at me whenever I came in. She always gave me a strawberry when the first baskets of the year came in. Anyhow, Kai liked her too and he made a bet on which of us would win her heart. I bought sixty separate apples in that shop before I asked her out." His eyes lit up. "She said yes and again a year later when I asked her to marry me. I only found out at the wedding that they'd never met."

"To Kai-Stern, who owes me three fifty."

After each speaker, the common refrain rang out, "to Kai-Stern" and no one broke down, until it was the turn of a small girl in a pristine white dress with the slip showing. She clutched tightly to a painting, all blobs of colour. Her feet dragged and she began to cry before even reaching the table. She dropped the picture beside a basket of fruit and ran, without explaining the feeling behind it.

It took several hours for everyone to speak and the pile of memories on the table grew. Some of the larger keepsakes were placed under it and the small ones were continually moved as the danger of their destruction grew.

When the line of people wishing to say their piece had been exhausted, Lady Raseleane took her turn. She carried a carved toy, some sort of dog, and addressed the crowd. "This was Rath's," she called, before adding it to the pile. "He loved Rath as much as the rest of us and we understand why he chose to do what he did. That is why we cannot mourn him." She then raised the glass in her right hand and toasted the room.

"To Kai-Stern."

"TO KAI-STERN!"