R E M E M B R A N C E
The sky was gray as 'Fulsamee and 'Ornamee stood, waiting, as the pack waited for the ceremony to begin. While he waited, 'Ornamee considered the goings-on of the previous night. Sixty-eight humans killed, actually seventy-three, after Keljev did his thing, and four raptors lost. Acceptable results, though none would have been better. In just a few minutes, those dead would be celebrated.
The pack was in the competition field, arranged in a half-circle around a small raised platform that had been moved in earlier. A pile of wood was set upon it.
A new horn sounded, deep and loud. The ground vibrated slightly. A path was made through the crowd to the platform, and nine solemn raptors slowly walked in. At the head of the procession was Fennark, and behind him two raptors carried each body. The horn went through a series of notes that set a sorrowful mood upon the pack. The four dead were laid upon the wood, and fires were lit underneath each one. The eight bearers returned to the pack.
Fennark spoke to the pack, saying, "To serve others is the highest goal of existence, and to perish doing so brings supreme honor upon those who do. These four - Brightflash, Kinsar, Boramek, and K'lain, are no exception. Their lives, given in service to both this pack and the denizens of Chandara, are not true losses, but illuminating rays of guidance for those who walk the path."
As he said this, the four bodies were almost totally consumed, burning brightly. Fennark turned, and tossed a clawful of shining metallic powder onto the blaze. Streaks of brilliant blue and purple shot skyward as the flames jumped twenty feet in the air. Turning back to the pack, he continued, "Their ashes will be added to our fires so that we may recall the path they have shown us." Once again, he turned to the blistering heat emanating from the fire, bowed his head, and began murmuring a blessing over the dead. The pack in its entirety joined in, and the field was filled with the reverberating tones.
'Ornamee had never heard the blessing before, and so stayed silent, but bowed his head as well.
The sound of the raptors' blessing faded, as the flames guttered and died. Another set of four slowly walked onto the platform and scooped the still-glowing ashes into four separate urns. It was then that Fennark dismissed the pack to their daily routines.
'Ornamee watched as Riftor strode up to the platform and accosted Fennark, presumably about something having to do with the prisoner they had taken the previous night. He heard a slight rumbling, looked around, and was confused by the fact that no one was around to be making such a noise. Then he heard it again, and realized that hunger was beginning to make itself known. 'Fulsamee went to solve that problem.