Locmire's Quest: Book One A Tales from Calencia Novel
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Chapter 42
A Time to Mourn
“Erimack . . . Erimack,” Zulp said, sobbing uncontrollably.
“You cannot die,” Olaf pleaded as he cradled Erimack's lifeless body in his arms.
Moments before the dragon had been destroyed, it lashed out one final time. Its bony tail had struck Erimack's chest, cutting the tiny Dainty almost completely in half at the waist.
Golgar looked to Locmire and pleaded, “Please, you must do something.”
Locmire, with a grim look on his face, said, “I am sorry, my friend. There is nothing I can do.”
Zulp stood from his knees and said, “What do you mean there is nothing you can do? You are a Wizard. Use your magic and bring our brother back!”
Regretfully, Locmire said, “There are some things that magic cannot do. Sadly, death has precedence over magic.”
“You lie!” Zulp shouted as he exploded forward to attack Locmire.
Oggy quickly stepped in and wrapped his arms around Zulp and wrestled him to his knees. For a moment, Zulp fought fiercely to return to his feet, then his body became limp, and he collapsed into Oggy's arms. His breath became labored with uncontrollable sobbing.
“I am sorry for your loss. Even though your brother is gone, his spirit will carry on. He was a brave warrior, and when I retake my throne, I will honor him with a warrior’s burial. 'Tis the least that I can do,” Oggy said.
Zulp looked up at Oggy with plump tears in his eyes and said, “You would really do that?”
“Yes, Zulp. Not because I liked Erimack, which I did, but because he was, in fact, a true warrior,” Oggy said softly.
Urganox walked over to Olaf and stared down at him. After a moment of carefully choosing his words, he said, “It would be an honor for me to transport a fallen warrior such as your brother back to the palace.”
Olaf slowly raised his stare to meet that of Urganox and said, “King Urganox, you are too kind. Although, I do not wish to burden you with such a laborious task, it would do me well to see my brother honored in such a way.”
Urganox bent to one knee and took Erimack from Olaf's arms.
Olaf fell to his knees and bowed at the feet of King Urganox saying, “My King, it is an honor to have one such as yourself show such respect to our brother. You forever have a friend in me.”
“As do you,” the Brazurkin replied.
After everyone had a moment to regain their composure, Lot walked over to Locmire and Oggy, and said, “I hope I am not rushing things, but we really must be making our way back. We still have much to do.”
Oggy began to speak, but something stopped him dead in his tracks. His eyes were fixated upon the body of a recently reanimated Daintish corpse. Tears flooded his eyes. Lying among the dead was his son, Biddle.
“Oh no,” Oggy said.
He walked over to where his son lay. His flesh was rotten, and a hole was in the center of his forehead. It seemed that Red's aim had been true. Oggy stared wide eyed at his son, quietly, for a moment. The rest of his companions came over to him but did not say a word.
Finally Oggy said, “He was brave. All he wanted to do was make me proud.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “And that he did.”
Oggy bent over, picked up his son, and carried him outside of the forgotten palace. Once outside, Oggy carefully placed his son on the ground and began to pick up chunks of pizenore that had fallen from the roof of the cavern. He started piling them onto his son's body. The rest of the group pitched in to help. No one muttered a word.
When the job was done, Oggy stood and stared at the mound of pizenore. He wiped a tear from his eye and said, “May you now find peace, my son.”
Red came over with Biddle's shield that Oggy had found earlier. He walked over to the grave and laid it face up upon the mound of earth and said, “So he be's remembered properly.”
“Thank you, Red,” Oggy replied as he shook Red's hand.
Locmire stood next to the grave and touched it with his staff. Hundreds of beautiful flowers sprung up all over the makeshift burial plot.
Oggy's eyes swelled once more as he said, “Thank you, Wizard.”
“These flowers will represent your son's memory, as it is in your heart. They will never die. They can never be plucked. As long as this world stands, so will these flowers.”
With that, Oggy burst into tears. Golgar and the other two Dainties embraced him, but he accepted their showing of love for only a moment.
Oggy pulled away from them and took a step back. He looked at the group and said, “Come, I have a throne to retake.”
As Oggy walked back to the palace, Locmire could not help but to admire him. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in strength.