“Farmers! Carpenters! Butchers and Bakers! You were all of these and more before tonight. But now, I call you survivors!”

As if by command, the people began to cheer in agreement. Perry continued his speech; and with each statement he received a punctuating bellow of acknowledgment.

“Through the War of Blood and Iron, you survived! From the invasion of the southern armies, you survived! And now, even that hellish beast is no match for you!”

Another eruption of cheering from the crowd.

“For years I have stayed and watched over this town,” Perry continued, “And if given the chance, I would once again lay down my life for Viemen!”

This time, the vague excitement of the night had morphed into something more purposeful. The voices that came from the crowd now carried with them a solemn pride and abounding gratitude.

“And though I am forever grateful for your kind words of thanks, I cannot alone take credit for this accomplishment…”

In the lull that followed this sentiment, Albert stepped forward with a stuporous grin and shouted.

“Yeah! Give us some credit!”

The crowd laughed with Albert as he jogged around throwing his hands in the air and making poses.

“Don’t forget us!”

Ellis and Mary jumped up from their place on the stone steps and ran around with Albert. The crowd cheered them on as they pantomimed a fight with imaginary swords. Perry couldn’t help himself from laughing at their innocent joy; but he soon found his gaze drifting toward the outskirts of the clearing. Telhari stood there, with a cup in one hand, smiling fondly at the impromptu performance.

Perry waited until Ellis, Mary and Albert had finished —flourishing their hands with an exaggerated bow— before he raised his hand once again to the crowds.

“It is without doubt that were it not for the efforts of Mayor Rothwell’s men, the stalwart courage of my Starspawn, and even — gods help me— the assistance of my nephew, we would not have been so fortunate. However, there is one other without whom none of this would be possible.”

The crowd seemed to murmur excitedly to one another in anticipation.

Perry lowered his hands and with much effort descended the steps. He took a few more paces toward the corner of the yard, before he held out his hand and spoke again.

“Master Telhari, please.”

Albert, Ellis and Mary stepped back to allow a path for Telhari through. Meanwhile, Telhari stood still with surprise, as within an instant the entire congregation had turned their eyes towards him. He placed his cup gently onto the table and began walking forward. Perry strode in his direction, and when they met, he clapped Telhari on the back and presented him to the crowd.

“Without this man, we would not be alive to celebrate!” Perry began. “Without his strength, without his wisdom, we would not have lived through the battle! Without this man—”

“He ain’t no man!”

A snickering laughter spread through the intoxicated crowd.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ellis balled his fist up at the joke; but before he could interject, Perry began to speak once again.

“You are correct!” Perry announced with a forceful tone, “He is no mere man.”

The laughter died down.

Perry made sure his intentions were clear to the crowd as he looked one at a time over each of them before continuing.

“No man could soar through the air and wrestle a draconic beast with chains of steel! No man could cut with ease through such impenetrable scale! No man could beckon forth the storm of mother nature herself and bend lightning to his will!”

The people were captivated. One by one they began to nod and speak up in agreement. Whether they agreed because they had seen these feats for themselves beyond the flame and smoke, because they trusted Perry’s word, or whether perhaps they were too drunk to know the difference, cannot be said. But they were all of them now engaged with wide-eyed awe at the figure who stood before them.

Perry scanned the crowd as spoke. He was acutely aware of their feelings as he too had once felt the same. And it was for this precise reason that he would not let such a sentiment go unchallenged.

“No mere man would endure ridicule and shame, yet risk his life against certain death for those who would disregard him!”

Perry’s words stung, like a father reprimanding an ignorant child. Many hung their heads in shame or gazed now sympathetically toward Telhari.

Perry grasped Telhari’s shoulder firmly as they stood before the townsfolk. The statement was clear.

This Elfkin is one of us.

Perry let go of Telhari and stepped forward a few paces.

“He is no man. He is a hero!”

Such a potent and honest admission by Sir Perry had left the crowd speechless.

“Woo!”

“Yeah!”

Ellis and Mary cupped their hands together and began to hoot and cheer.

Albert and the other Starspawn members raised their full cups in the air; and Perry too, held up his cup.

“Hear, hear!”

With that, the courtyard of onlookers began to clap and jump and cheer for Telhari. Their joyful boasts filled the air and set off a wave of excitement. Music once again filled the grounds and the celebratory masses formed circles within which they danced and laughed and sang. Perry turned away from the crowd and started toward his spot on the stairs when a voice suddenly called out to him.

“Sir Perry!”

Rothwell jogged toward him, dodging people as he went.

“Welcome, Julian!”

“Yes, thank you,” Rothwell said as he looked around him at the festivities. “This is quite the event.”

“Can you blame me? If we are to be finished with construction before the deep of winter they will need to work hard. It would be too cruel to force them into such labor without giving a chance to rest.”

“I think they will likely be too ill tomorrow morning to do much of anything.”

Perry laughed as he headed toward the stairs.

“Perhaps, Julian. And I will likely be one of them.”

“I am not here for food or drink.”

Perry stopped short.

He kept his face from Rothwell as it was presently twisted into a scowl. There were many things that had confounded Perry’s mind and filled him with ire; things which Perry had ailed over as he turned in his bed, night after night. Even Rothwell’s actions the night of the burial had left him vexed. He had hoped, prayed even, to be free of those worries for just one moment. To share in the enjoyment of his friends and neighbors. But he was not so fortunate. And, with a heavy breath, Perry turned to Rothwell wearing a stern but unreadable expression.

“You’ve come to talk, then?”

Rothwell nodded.

Perry scanned him from head to toe before answering.

“You have my attention for now,” he said dispassionately as he turned from Rothwell, “Follow me.”

Together, the two ascended the steps beneath the shadow of the manor, leaving the ease and warmth of that joyous celebration behind them.