27th of Ready’reat
“He’s not coming back.”
“What?”
Vek said it again. “He’s not coming back.”
Jamison’s body had been located floating in the Dramidj Ocean. It had been retrieved. All his items and equipment were gone, but the others were just eager to have Jamison back. His earnest enthusiasm for adventuring lightened the spirits of all, even when he was setting off traps. Now, Vek was telling them that Jamison Crow was really dead, and he had no interest in returning to his body.
“He says he’s done. He’s been absolved.”
Grumbar began to cry. “No, oh, no…”
“He has a last request.”
“What’s that?” Kizz asked.
“’Bury me next to Dekker’.”
“Dekker?”
“One of his first partymates, and a childhood friend. I know where that is. Don’t worry.”
Kizzlorn walked away.
Edge called out to her. “Kizz? Where are you going?”
“I have to write a letter. There are people in the world who’d want to know.” She walked upstairs and she wrote.
Dear friends
I know you only just left, but I am grieved to inform you that Gregg Flamebrow has just fallen in battle. He has chosen to not return to life, citing absolution as his reason. He has requested burial in Poddleton beside his childhood friend Dekker on the 1st of Suns’ebb. We hope you’ll attend.
Love,
Kizzlorn
Oaken gave the letter to a dove and instructed it to fly west and find the Order of Valor.
The Knights spend two days grieving.
1st of Suns’ebb
A light rain was falling over Poddleton, and the cooling air of the first day of winter cast a grey shade over everything. The Knights of Spellforge Keep rode into town for the first time. The only one of them who’d been here before had been Jamison.
Tsunami and Sunshine pulled a wagon bearing Jamison’s casket. They walked past the rows of houses and the spot where the Silver Quill had once stood. They walked to the cemetery. They walked past extravagant headstones and simple stone markers. They read the inscriptions as they walked. There was PAPPY ROUGHFOOT (father and friend), FLUDO (beloved pet), BREE (killed by Utreshimon, the blue dragon, Earthday, 6th of Patchwall), and finally DEKKER ROUGHFOOT (my boy).
The Knights got out and levitated the casket over the grave, preparing to lower it. Kizzlorn looked around, seeing no one. “Maybe they didn’t get the letter…” She turned her head, looking about, and squinted. To the west, from the mist, someone was walking. His hulking gray form lightened as he neared.
It was Dartan, and he was alone.
MORE TO COME...