The Autobiography Of An Alien

Chapter 13 - For the Faint of Heart

Draft #58 - Funerals

Funerals are not something that I wish to witness very often. I had only ever gone to one, and it had been when I was but a mere hatchling, lost in the sadness that my sire was no longer here and confused as to why he would leave. 

I am... not close to many. Admired, certainly, but never enough to leave an impact on someone's life that they wished for my presence to be there when they departed it. 

***

Vrol'ma's funeral was held three days after their return, and to everyone's surprise, Rulshkka decided to accept the invitation his mate sent.

"Are you sure I should go?" Kohgrash murmured to him, fiddling with the shirt collar around his neck. He couldn't decide how to style it. "I didn't know him for very long." 

"He would've wanted you to come," Rulshkka reassured, batting his hands away to straighten out the collar. The funeral was held where they all were - at the spiritual temple. It was quite a drive from their house. "Don't you want to?" 

If Kohgrash didn't want to show up, then he'd be welcome to stay home. Rulshkka knew, however, that Vrol'ma would've wanted the little human there. He had been rather fond of him when he had first been here. 

"Well, I do. Vrol'ma was nice. But I'm an outsider, Vok'Rul - I'm a human. Funerals are kinda serious business. Least where I'm from," Kohgrash explained, messing up the collar again. 

"Don't be ridiculous," Rulshkka said. He wasn't one for reassurance, but he'd try his best. "You're as much of a Vokkrus as I am. In everything that matters." 

Kohgrash looked at him balefully, eyes full of skepticism. "Okay. I'll go. Vrol'ma was a friend." 

Shul tagged along, claws gripping the bouquet of flowers so tightly that Rulshkka was sure they wouldn't survive the trip. The car was filled with tension that he wasn't sure how they could dispel. Luckily, Kohgrash had no problems breaking the silence. 

"One time," he said, tone conversational and tense all at once, "When humans were still pets, I left Vok'Rul's wing to explore the place some more. This was pretty early into my time there, so I didn't really know my way around. Long story short, I got pretty lost. Vrol'ma found me - and I mean, you knew what he was like. He always had that look on his face that looked like he thought you were an annoying fly." 

Shul grunted in what Rulshkka thought was a little laugh. 

Kohgrash continued, "Anyway, he found me and started talking to me. No idea what he was saying back then, but I managed to figure out he was just trying to lead me back home." Kohgrash sighed, slumping slightly against the seat. "He was real nice." 

"Good at his job," Shul added slowly. His grip loosened on the flowers. 

Rulshkka and Kohgrash lingered near the back. Vrol'ma hadn't had many friends - hardly any Vokkrus did - but he thought that they deserved to see him more than him. Kohgrash hadn't questioned his decision, but Vrol'ma's mate certainly had. 

"O Vokkra, thank you for coming," Vrol'ma's mate, Rokim, bowed deeply. 

"Please," Rulshkka said, splaying his claws. "Do not let propriety govern our conversation - this is not the place for that. Rokim, I am deeply sorry for your loss." 

Rokim's face grew sad. "Vrol'ma knew what the job was when he signed up. I don't think he'd want to go out in any other fashion than the one he did. Protecting the leaders of the Alliance was something that he would've loved to die for. He got his wish."