[COMPLETE] R E V E R S E #NaNoWriMo2k17

Chapter 11

He fumbled with the tie nervously. Stella assured him that he looked fine, but he felt stupid in a bulky shirt. The funarela was in an hour, and his parents had given him fifteen minutes to change.

"You look fine," Stella said again when he exited the room. She was wearing a simple black dress, paired with a few bracelets.

"You're not the one wearing it," he groaned, pulling at his tie again. Why did they always make these things so tight and resticting?

"No, I'm not." She helped him loosen it. "But you still look fine, Trust me."

The funeral location wasn't too far from their house, on the outskirts of the village. Stella said she'd been there a few times as a memorial to her grandparents. Ajax had never visited the cemetery and he was nervous. There would be no body to bury. A coffin had been made, but it was empty. Dark oak wood, with delicate carving of flowers and vines decorating the sides, finished with a glaze. The thought was depressing, although he felt like it would be better than nothing at all.

They were among the last to arrive. He grabbed Stella's arm for support and she obliged, holding him close. They saw Tas' parents near the front of the ceremony, and his heart went out to them with a pang. Most of the dragons standing around were silent, and they were keeping a respectful distance away from his parents.

It didn't take long for the rest of the quests to arrive. He sighed, sitting down in his seat at the front next to Stella and his parents. A violin was playing softly in the background, which was not helping him to cope. The director addressed the dragons, and the ceremony began. Having never attended a proper funeral before(he didn't have one for his parents, they'd specifically asked not to have one in their wills), he found the entire experience overwhelming. There was a number of speeches, and he was hardly able to stomach them all. By the time it got to his turn, he was ready to utterly break down, but he managed to hold it together long enough for him to finish speaking.

"He was like a brother," he sobbed. His tears blurred the speech in front of him, but it didn't matter. He pretty much knew what he was going to say off by heart anyhow. "I couldn't have asked for a better friend. He will never be forgotten, and will always be in our hearts He was my friend, my connection to the rest of the world." Taking a leaf from Stella's book, he added, "We may never be completely okay. But we can learn to accept his passing, and live life in his name."

When he finished, he collapsed on the steps, overcome with emotion Someone ran forwards to help him, and he allowed himself to be carried back to his seat. There he completely snapped, crying his heart out whilst Stella patted him on the back, tears streaming as well.

He ended up missing most of the remaining ceremony, but he did get up at the end to put flowers over the coffin. Iris and bluebells. Friendship and graduate. He felt like those were appropriate, as thanks for everything he'd done for him.

They watched the empty case be lowered into the ground, and ground being patted back over it. They'd chosen his tombstone well, he believed. A simple stone, interlaced with moss. A reminder of his Nature origins. Ajax was given the privileged of setting the stone. He carefully pushed it into the ground, and when he was done, he felt as if though his friend was finally at peace.

'Here lies Tas. A friend and a brother.'

The guests began to leave. Tas' mother approached him tearfully, thanking him over and over for his speech and shaking his arm. His father didn't say much, but he nodded at him, and that was enough.

After the ceremony, they returned home silently. Stella excused herself and locked up her room. Ajax eventually went back to his as well, taking his notebook back out again, staring at the picture. Some time later, a knock sounded on the door, and he opened it to see Stella on the other side.