Gridgor's Passing

Author's Note (A/N): So, in last chapter AFF let me use the symbols < and > for when Theron or anyone used a foreign language. However, in Chapter 2, it some how didn't let me so through out if you see ~, they're speaking Amestrian. Until I can figure out why, hopefully it'll go back to <>.

Chapter 2—Arrival

Hezekiah had been allowed to come into the room with Calth’air’s ever watchful eye. Theron hadn’t moved from the bed but the King slid in behind him, holding him closely and comfortingly. The mage stared blankly, trying to block out everything at the moment. Rolling over, he tucked his head under Hezekiah’s chin, letting out a long sigh.

“Will you be okay though the ceremony?”Hezekiah whispered softly.

He got a quick nod.

“Will you look at me?”He asked.

Shake of the head.

“It will be alright…You’re strong, I know that…and you’ll get through this. You have me…Ludwig and Mamoru…Your Soulmate, Ace…Everyone…”Hezekiah whispered softly, petting his hair gently. Giving his head a little kiss and his body a warm squeeze, he sighed. A maid had stepped into the room, waiting for the King to rise. “I have to go, love…”

Theron shook his head, looking up at him. His eyes held so much pain and that child-like awe that begged for him to be held. Hezekiah gave him another hug and slowly slipped away. Theron sat up, watching him leave. Now he was alone again with Calth’air and honestly at that point, the man was starting to scare him. However, when the door opened again, he was hopeful. Hezekiah had returned but his face was slightly pale.

Waving Calth’air over, the taller Amestrian man walked over and spoke with the King quietly. He nodded and Hezekiah left again. Calth’air walked over, standing next to the bed.

“Gridgor’s body has made it to Grayharte safely.”Calth’air said with a hushed voice. Theron stared at him in disbelief, looking down with wide eyes.

“I…will go and receive his body. Please…give me a moment to dress.”Theron answered, slowly sliding out of bed. He had requested his funeral garb be brought to the room but Calth’air turned them down. He, instead, brought traditional black clothing, make-up but no head-dress. While Theron dressed, he kept touching his hair, knowing that it wasn’t going to be there for long. Painting a red stripe across his eyes, he stepped out of the room. He felt completely different but the same gaping hole was still punched through his chest. If he wasn’t solid, he could almost feel the wind whistle through it.

At the gate of the castle, more Amestrian men stood there with a decorated casket in a cart. Theron stopped for a moment, trying to absorb the reality of the site.

He was hoping that Gri would just pop out of the casket and say ‘Surprise!’ in hopes of scaring the daylight out of him. The lid of the casket remained stationary. The men around the cart were all faces he recognized from the war, all of them coming to pay their respects to a fallen comrade.

~”We…Have come to help.”~ One spoke up, stepping forward and bowing respectfully. The others did the same. Theron bowed slightly in return.

~”Thank you.”~ Theron said softly, his voice a little raspy from screaming. With hesitant steps, he moved over the casket, placing a hand on it and running his fingers along it. It had been painted red, a wreath of flowers on top of it most likely from the Silvanesti villagers and passers-by.

~”Where will the ceremony be held?”~Calth’air asked, Theron raising his head and looking over his shoulder. His eyes wandered around, looking back up to the castle then tracing downwards towards the small beach.

~”There…along the water. People will observe from the balcony on the castle or on the cliffs.”~Theron said. The men looked towards the beach, looking back to the mage and nodded. ~”It will be tonight…”~

All of them nodded again, two of them picking up the front of the cart to pull it to where they could keep the body until that evening. Since others were still wary about the Amestrian people, Theron offered them a space to rest in the temple. When Mamoru saw them, he ran up to Theron and hugged him again with a sniff.

“Shhh…It will be okay Mamoru…”Theron cooed. He knelt down, petting the boy’s hair down a little. “Will you and some of the others prepare seven mats for them to rest on until tonight? It will just be for a day or two that they will stay.”

“Yes…”Mamoru said, nodding, bowing and leaving. He gathered a few of the other boys and went to seek out spare mats.

Theron rose back up, staring blankly into the temple. He stepped forward, Calth’air following behind him as he walked towards the main altar. The large statue of Reyah stood majestically over them both. Altar boys were busily lighting candles. Stepping over to the Altar, he slid open a small drawer, pulling out a single, red, incense stick. Sticking it in the sand, he ran his finger over it so it ignited, blowing the flame out so it would slowly burn down

Stepping past Calth’air, he knelt down on some flat pillows, sitting there calmly.

~”What are you doing?”~ Calth’air inquired, sitting down beside him cross-legged.

~”Praying…It’s the only thing I can do. I can’t cry. I can’t hold someone close to me for too long for fear of spilling a single tear. I can only Pray…and hope that Gridgor makes it to our Father and Mother in Paradise.”~Theron explained, bringing his hands flat together and touching them to his forehead. Then to his lips. Then bowing forward so his forehead touched the floor before he rose up again and settled them in the center of his lap.

Slowly, he rose back up again, looking down to Calth’air. ~”Thank you…for taking the time to help. I realize that it must be a pain to watch someone…And only do that much.”~ He said, bowing.

Calth’air blinked, his eyebrows furrowed. So…The mage could tell he was just as annoyed with this as anyone would be. Nodding, he rose to his feet and took Theron’s hand in his for a firm handshake. ~”It is an honor to be able to do this…And to do it for a fellow man. I don’t do this often…but you are welcome to my village any time.”~He said, bowing to where their hands touched and lifting back up again. Theron knew Calth’air was being sincere and he gave a nod in return.


“I am going to rest for a little while…tonight will be a late night.”Theron said as he pulled his hand away, walking at a calm pace back to the castle to the room. He removed the make-up across his eyes and took down his hair, slipping under the covers. Theron managed to fall asleep though that didn’t keep him from whimpering and growling in his sleep.

By nightfall, the Amestrian men had gathered, Hezekiah and the boys watching from the balcony. Theron came out in his funeral garb, his hair braided down his back. Walking in front of the men that carried the casket, they strode down the small path to the beach down past the cliffs. The men had already made a platform and gathered wood after Theron showed them where they would be sleeping. Resting the casket on the platform, they slid off the lid.

Gridgor lay there so peacefully that it looked like he was just asleep. Instead of a red-stripe like the men standing around him wore, he bore a purple one. His hair was in its’ usual braids and decorated with beds and feathers. Every man of their race bore warrior’s garb of some form. Gri, despite death, wore his proudly.
Theron leaned down, planting a small kiss on the pale, cold forehead before backing away. They all formed a circle, Theron and Calth’air standing at the top and bottom of it. Both of them held the torches they lit with a bit of oil and cloth. At the same time, they lit the pire, sending the casket and wood into the flames.

All of them stared, watching as the body burned. As the hours went by, nothing remained but a few embers and all of them gathered by the mage. Theron, was sent to his knees by two of them, Calth’air standing behind him.
~”Rhodhir, son of Mathair and Shatalia…Brother of Gridgor and member of the tribe of the Hicatae, Tribe of the Plains. As last remaining member of your tribe…and warrior of many battles…I release you.”~Calth’air said as he grabbed Theron’s long braid, taking a curved knife from the sheath and placing it just a little past of where it had been marked off. This would be the only special occasion where a man would keep his hair at a reasonable length since he was a Mage, Lord and a warrior Shaman to his people. ~”By cutting your hair, I separate you. By cutting your hair, I send a part of your spirit to Paradise, to brethrens and family. Consider this an honor and know that you are still one.”~He concluded.

With a quick swipe, Theron’s hair was chopped, the braid thrown onto the remaining flames, the band that marked it sliding off. The length was nearly boyishly short but just long enough for Magery and to be braided if he chose to. As the embers died, Theron stared dully at the ashes. The Amestrian warriors who had helped him slowly started to file out one by one, touching the top of his head before they headed up the path.
Calth’air was the only one that stayed.

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Up on the Balcony, the boy had wept. Hezekiah stayed with them, consoling them the best that he could though he couldn’t help but worry about his lover knelt on the beach down below. He saw a faint glimmer of something coming from one of the shadows, something being cut and thrown into the flames. Theron, on the sand, looked to be unharmed. The moon had been full that night and slowly the shadows departed from the beach. Two remained. Patting the boys shoulder’s they rose, cradling an urn to take down to the beach.

Calth’air still stood behind Theron, his eyes focused on the back of his cropped head. He was hesitant but he stepped forward, touching the top of his head. <”I am…sorry…”>He said softly, his head whipping around when he saw three figures coming down. Mamoru and Ludwig ran to him, wrapping their arms around him and sobbing. Theron was in shock, startled by their sudden appearance but he wrapped his arms around them and began to sob with them.

“Theron…”Hezekiah called out, his eyebrows furrowed. Theron turned around, waving him to come and join them. Hezekiah walked over, kneeling down and holding Theron from behind. He did not cry but his eye was warily on Calth’air. He had chopped off Theron’s hair and did nothing to consol the mage but watch him.

Of course…He only knew what Theron told him about Amestrian ceremonies when they came around.

Focusing back to his family, Hezekiah helped them to their feet, and hugged Theron tightly. “Let’s go back up to the castle…after we’ve gathered Gridgor’s ashes…alright?”Hezekiah whispered softly into Theron’s ear, rocking him a little. Theron sobbed, nodding and urging his feet to move over to where the pyre was.

Gathering the ashes, they walked back up the path, Calth’air behind them. Back up to the castle, Hezekiah had a bath prepared, helping Theron to wash then taking him to bed. He lay with them, refusing to be bothered for the rest of the night. Theron wept, his face buried into the King’s chest and eventually cried himself to sleep.