The former location of the Corpse Maze had changed completely. I had absorbed the maze itself, but it was still in a barren desert. Not anymore. There was a massive square of lush green grass with plants, vines, and flowers bloomed everywhere. There was a gazebo nestled in the center of the lush square with even more beautiful flowers and trees around. I looked over at Leyara as we climbed down off of Bellant’s back.
“I hope you like it, I hope it did her justice.”
"Leyara… This is… You are amazing. Thank you."
I was getting a bit choked up when some soldiers appeared carrying what looked like an ornately carved stretcher between them. They walked up and saluted Leyara and then immediately bowed to me.
“We are prepared to receive the deceased if you are Mr. Darkness.”
“What are you going to do with her?”
“We will prepare her in the fashion of the Folioran, by cleansing her and preparing her for the Seed.”
“Seed?”
“Yes, we will plant a seed of a magic tree so she can become a font of life for the surrounding area and turn it from a desert into an oasis.”
I was stunned. Not only was I unsure of their customs, but it seemed like Effie was getting the full treatment. I looked at Leyara and there was nothing but kindness, compassion, and a steadfast resolution to support me in my time of need. I was fairly certain I was in love with this beautiful Dark Elf princess. This was such a wonderful gesture.
“Thank you, go ahead.”
I pulled Effie's body out of my magic pocket. She was still wrapped in the special silk and it wasn't lost on the soldiers collecting her body. They handled her and treated her with such reverence that I would swear they were laying their King or even Leyara to rest. She was perfectly preserved from moments after her death.
My magic pocket was a wonderful tool after my memories were cleared up. I couldn't store anything 'alive' in it, but plants were ok, but most especially it preserved anything in the pocket exactly the way I placed it in, so for this funeral, Effie will only have been dead for a few short minutes before she is laid to rest. It didn't take long before the ceremony was ready and Leyara came to get me and pulled me from my thoughts.
“It’s time Vampir. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I think so.”
The gazebo itself looked beautiful from a distance but up close it was majestically beautiful and was a tree that had grown into the shape of a gazebo. In the middle of it was a hole to lower Effie into. It wasn't so different from funerals on earth but was even more special. There was a wooden plank that Effie was laid on. She looked like she had been cleaned up and rewrapped in the spider's silk. She almost looked like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon in rebirth. Sitting atop her tiny chest was a brilliant golden seed. It was standing upright on its own and seemed to pulse as if it had a life of its own.
“Thank you everyone for coming to the regrowth ceremony for Effie Leylin, a trusted and most precious confidant of our esteemed guest, Vampir Darkness.”
A Folioran chaplain began the ceremony with a quick nod from Leyara. I felt her hand reach down and find mine before interlinking our fingers.
"Today, she is surrounded by her comrades, friends, and those of us too unlucky to have met such a spectacular fairy as Effie Leylin. She will be sorely missed, but today she is given the chance to regrow. With this Seed, she shall be rededicated to the life cycle of the world and bring joy to more and many after all of us."
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It struck me how beautiful and simple this whole funeral was. I wasn’t clear on the whole magic tree process because even Vampir was not intimate with the inner workings of the Folioran because he was, of course, a villain to everyone. I would have to somehow find a way to repay them for all of this but most especially I had to do something for Leyara.
“At this time, I would like to leave a time for her friends to say a few words before she is rededicated.”
To my surprise, Dog who had disappeared when we first arrived, walked up to the front of everyone and stepped up onto the pedestal to say his piece. He must have been bathed and even had a bowtie looking thing attached to his collar because his hair was glossy and looked like it had been brushed.
“M-m-master told me I was a good boy, but so did Effie. Effie fed me bat bacon. It was still the best thing I had ever eaten, especially because I do not usually eat. Effie smelled like cigarettes and the Hopesis flower she rubbed behind her ears to “entice the paying meat”. I don’t know what that means, but I know I miss her.”
He sat back on his haunches and howled to the sky. It was serene, melancholic, and most of all, it was the howl of the best boi who had lost a friend. When he was done, he came and sat next to Leyara. He put his head on her leg and closed his eyes and she responded with a hand on his head. The chaplain looked over at me indicating it was my turn.
I walked up to the podium and looked at the few people around and the beautiful funeral arrangements and took in everyone finally seeing that I was a Vampire and the strange circumstances leading them all here. I cleared my throat but had a moment of panic as I wasn't sure what to add to this whole thing.
"Effie was my friend and she wasn't perfect. I am fairly certain she was a prostitute and was a chain smoker. Above all though, she was the first friend I had gotten here aside from Ron. She always had some advice to give in her crazy accent, and any time she was around it felt like home and I will miss her dearly. She was the kind of person who was humble and wise but also willing to have a good time. We met in a bar after all, haha. I lost her entirely too early, but I don’t regret her short part in my life because she made my entire life better to have known her.”
I coughed and wiped a drop of blood running down my face.
“She is gone, but not forgotten and to be honest this ceremony is so beautiful and better than I could ever have done on my own. On her behalf, I would like to thank the entire Sea of Leaves and Leyara who made it possible. You all have my eternal thanks.”
I moved to step down from the dais, but the chaplain stopped me.
“Please pour a little magic into the seed to complete the ceremony.”
He gestured over to Effie in the middle of the gazebo tree. I walked up and looked at her face once more. Goodbye Effie, I love you, my friend. I am sorry it had to end like this. I pulled out Eddie’s list and placed it on her chest next to the seed before sending some magic into the seed which instantly started sprouting as she sank into the earth.
Having moved back next to Leyara, I saw behind the curtain a little of this Folioran ceremony. A mage came and after a brief spell, the gazebo tree reverted to a seed which was tucked in a little pouch at this side and there was no proof a hole had ever been dug there. In its place, there was just a tree sprouting before our very eyes. Leyara leaned over and whispered to me.
“Watch.”
The tree grew at an amazing pace in front of everyone. Other than the removal of the gazebo, no one else had moved and everyone watched the tree grow. It grew first to a short sapling, then to a nice young tree in the middle of the bloom. The pink and gold flowers drifted lazily in the wind as it continued to grow upward. The Effie tree stopped at around 45 feet tall and there at the bottom middle was Effie's face smiling at us like it was all part of her master plan.
“Effie Leylin is now a dryad and protector of this oasis. She will forever provide, warmth, nourishment, and protection to this once terrible place."
We left after that and headed straight for the Sea of Leaves. I rode Bellant with Leyara and Dog rode a palanquin that was pulled behind another lizard mount. The landscape changed from a desert to a rocky tundra to the dense forest known as the Sea of Leaves. Shortly after breaking the tree line, we were met by a huge procession of Dark Elves who guided us to a ring of stones that teleported us to the capital of the Sea of Leaves, Trunk.
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Name: Effie Leylin
Date of Birth: Unknown (Ya never ask a maiden’s age ya whippersnapper)
Title: Friend
Race: Fairy
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Green
Interests: Twisting up men like a bramble, cooking breakfast for hungry vampires, cigarettes, family, Eddie’s list