Blackfire frowns a bit, pulls her top back down, and gets up off the floor. You and Blackfire are both tired, so you go into your room to nap.
Hours later, Blackfire wakes you--quite the change--and she seems upset.
"Saffire, its Gogorio! He came back with a big hole in his armor, and--"
You don't wait for her to say more. You rush outside to find Gogorio lying down on the ground, and a blood pouring through the gaps in his armor. You kneel beside him, and can see that the hole is as wide as the tusks of those hairy beasts.
"You tried to conquer one, huh?" you ask in a hushed voice.
"Y-yes..." Gogorio struggles to say. "I obviously failed..."
"No, no," you tell him. "You just haven't succeeded yet."
Blackfire looks at you, a little puzzled.
"Remeber what Gogorio told us, Blackfire? You get a second chance in your next life, just like your comrads!"Gogorio smiles, and holds your hand in his. His eyes close slowly, and his breathes weaken.
"After I die," he says, "cremate my body and put my armor in the lake, just like the one you found the other day. That is how we hopeful warriors say good-bye to each other when we have died."
"Of course, Gogorio," you say. His eyes close completely, and his breathing stops. His face is still smiling.
The Woburgins gather plenty of firewood for Gogorio to lay on, and you gently set his armored body on top.
"I'm not really sure what else we should do before lighting the fire..." You look at Gogorio, his armor still gleaming in the sunlight. "I've never been to a funeral, we don't know Gogorio's customs, and I don't really remember any of our Tamaranian ones..." You don't remember because you were forced to leave your planet before you could attend your first funeral, the one for your friend, Spitfire...
"Don't worry," Blackfire says, "I think I remember some."
(NOTE: there is no info on Tamaranian funeral ceremonies, so these are my own ideas)
She goes to the edge of the forest and gathers up some leaves. She ties their stems together so that they form a sort of bouquet, or perhaps a fake flower.
"It's nowhere near the same," Blackfire admits, "but this has the same basic shape of a funeral bouquet. Each flower, or in this case, leaf, represents the many original royal families that ruled over parts of Tamaran. The tying of their stems represents the many families coming together to honor the one who died." She sets the funeral bouquet on Gogorio's chest, about where Tamaranian hearts would be. She then finds a big twing, and snaps off the extra little branches. She puts it in Gogorio's hand, like a sword. "It is to symbolize who and what he was, and who he is meant to be." Sniffling a little, she stands by you, her hand in yours. After a moment, she speaks again.
"Now, we pray to X'Hal to help Gogorio's spirit make it up to heaven, and also to help Gogorio be reincarnated." Blackfire closes her eyes, and begins to speak in Tamaranian. "X'Hal, glemsnork fonpo hikow zoopling..." She stops, the tears becoming a little much. You hold her close, and whisper "It's ok" a few times. After wiping her tears, she continues. "Ubnork choo zomrot glompstore. Botharroknar glim, zahmork." (NOTE: all but X'Hal are made-up Tamaranian words.)
Then she opens her eyes turns to you. Her eyes still gleam with held-back tears. You light the fire. *ZAP ZAP* The fire burns, consuming wood and warrior. The smoke rises to the sky, and you feel as if it is lifting Gogrio's spirit up to the heavens. Of course, you've never been the religious or spiritual type before, but now felt like the time to believe in that much.
Once Gogorio's body is all ash, you pick up the armor, and even the one stored in your room, and you take them to the lake. You and Blackfire set them down in the water, and they armors gently sink down, all the way to the bottom.
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