Chapter 36 - Sky of lights

Weeping and mourning was all that was heard as the devastated guests left the castle. While everyone else in Dark Star celebrated the King Raglan festival, these guests were left feeling shattered after having witnessed the death of their beloved king. They never would have imagined that the most anticipated day of the year would end in such a tragedy. As they left, they painfully watched the giant wooden sculpture they were supposed to light up been torn down by the royal guards.

Light held Sharaina's hand as they walked out of the castle. Neither of them wept nor said a word. Some of the other tutors who came along with them wept and spoke about what happened. Light and Sharaina listened to what they were saying but neither of them could say anything in order to add on into the conversation.

Light tuned out what the others were saying and glanced at Sharaina. He saw that she had a worried look on her face. The fear in her distant eyes was clear. Her tension got him concerned and he gave her hand an assuring squeeze. Sharaina held on to his hand and abruptly halted.

The other tutors walked passed them still talking about what had just happened. They opened portals and disappeared into them. Light stood in front of Sharaina, towering over her. He held her chin to make her look at him and they both saw the look of sadness in their eyes.

"Is it okay if I can spend the night with you?" she softly asked him. "I don't think I will be able to be at the dorm tonight because I don't have the stomach to tell anyone what has happened. I also can't hide what I am feeling." she further explained.

Light took off his jacket and covered Sharaina. "Yes it's okay. Considering what has happened, the gates will not be closed tonight." he assured her and saw the relief in her pink eyes.

Light and Sharaina stepped out of their portal and appeared in front of the TQ gate. The security guard let them in without even a greeting. Sharaina held Light's arm as they walked in silence to his house. Everyone around them were having fun drinking and partying. Some even went as far as lighting fireworks. Light and Sharaina frowned at them because word that King Raglan had been murdered by Meelzib hadn't reached them yet.

Light unlocked the door and Sharaina watched him in silence. As soon as the door was opened, they both walked in. Sharaina went straight into the bathroom and Light lit up his bedroom with the four lamps fastened to the walls. Lost in thought, he took off his shirt and remained with his white vest.

Light pulled out pajama pants from his wardrobe and quickly changed into them. His hands searched through the clothes in the closet and pulled out a pair of socks. He was taking out a pajama shirt that matched his pants when he heard Sharaina flash the toilet.

Sharaina was caught off guard with Light's appearance. The last time she saw him without a shirt, she blushed so much that she couldn't look at him. She looked at his strong and firm hands lifting up his pajama top as his eyes judged it.

His vest hid most of what she would have wanted to see but it was tight enough to give her an idea. As he closed his wardrobe, his muscular broad shoulders made her want to touch him but she was too shy to do so. She faced away and threw his jacket on the couch.

Light approached her with the socks and the pajama shirt. There was also a new toothbrush on top of the shirt. He stood a few feet away from her and stretched them out to her.

"Here, change into these." he offered them to her.

"Okay," she took them and turned her back to him. "Would you mind unzipping my dress?" she asked of him, feeling a little shy for asking.

Light gently threw her hair in front and took hold of the tiny zip. Sharaina felt goosebumps as the air hit her naked back. Light pulled the zip all the way down to her waist while she hugged the pajama shirt.

"Oh, so this is were your dragon mark is." he commented.

Light carefully spread the dress apart so that he could have a better look. He was completely astounded by the art on Sharaina's back. Her special warrior's birthmark was made up of two dragons on each shoulder blade. They faced in opposite directions with their wings slightly spread. Their bodies ran down her back with their tails connecting on her waist.

Sharaina slowly turned around to face Light. "I would like to go and change now." she awkwardly said.

"Um sure, sorry I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." he apologized, feeling awkward.

"It's okay." she smiled faintly and disappeared into the bathroom once more.

Light pulled his duvet over and sat down on the bed. He poured himself a glass of water from the jar he kept by his bedside. As he refreshed himself, he heard the door open. He turned to see Sharaina walk out with her dress and heels in her hands. She had washed the make up off her face and tied her hair into a large messy bun.

His pajama shirt went slightly above her knees and the folded sleeves indicated that they were too long for her hands. Her big breasts were barely hidden by the shirt. When she turned to put her dress on the couch, Light observed that her plump bottom was visible through the shirt too. Light's eyes trailed down her long legs that seemed to go on forever. It was only when his eyes looked up again did he realize that she was still wearing her diamond choker.

"Would you mind if I kept this here with you?" she asked him.

"What?" he asked confused, her sexy body distracted him so much that he didn't hear a word that she said earlier.

"This." she pointed at the choker. "I want you to keep it for me. I feel that it will be much safer here with you."

"Oh, I am fine with that as long as you don't forget about it." he smiled faintly at her.

Sharaina scaled across the room and sat on the bed with her legs folded. "I wouldn't even dream of it." she took it off and looked warmly at it. "It is the first gift you gave me. I'll forever cherish it."

Light took it and put it in the drawer by his bedside. "I trust that you will." he remarked and was rewarded with a sincere smile.

Light got into the covers and rested his head on his pillow. "This whole thing is very sad." he changed the subject.

"I still can't believe that he is gone." she added. "Now Meelzib is king. We will be ruled by an evil man who killed his own father. How will things be for us?" she worriedly asked him.

"Things will most likely change. I just fear to what extent they will." he answered with another sigh.

Light took notice of the tensed look on Sharaina's face. She looked so fragile and confused. Her sharp eyes appeared distant as she anxiously tucked her lips in thought.

Light sat up. "I can tell that there's something else you want to tell me." he softly said to her.

"I can't take my mind off the way King Raglan looked at me right before he died. He looked like he was at peace to see me." she explained. "I know it sounds weird but he did. I'm I crazy for thinking like this? Please be honest with me." she longingly searched his face for answers.

"I also noticed that he looked at you. During the time I wasn't sure if he was but you have just confirmed it." he gently said.

Sharaina dropped her eyes. Light cupped her cheek and she looked back at him.

"It's okay, the man was dying and he was heavily intoxicated so he may have not meant to look at you like that. Don't stress yourself over this."

Sharaina emotionally hugged Light and he held her. Light slowly fell back and rested his head on his pillow. Sharaina rested hers on his chest. He held her warm thigh while she put her arm over his waist. The two of them listened in silence to the joyful noise that was going on outside. They somewhat envied the excitement the others felt. Sadly, by the time they came to terms with what they had seen, the whole kingdom would be mourning.

****

In the next morning, news that King Raglan was dead spread like wild fire. Everyone was shocked beyond belief. Most of them refused to believe it until they saw it in the paper. When they discovered that it was Meelzib who had killed King Raglan, they were horrified. They feared what their new king had in store for them.

Sharumez and his household joined everyone in wearing light pink clothes. The women had veils over their heads and they did not wear any make-up or jewelry. The people of Dark Star wore light pink clothes in times of mourning be it death or prolonged hibernation. They also went on to starve themselves all day and postponed all forms of work.

Sharumez and Naian sat in silence in the living room. All they could hear were the weeping sounds of Akirexer and Emelinia in the kitchen.

Alainara could not fully understand what was happening so she just stayed in her room. She knew that King Raglan was dead and she was sad about it. She, however, didn't fully understand the consequences of his death. Because she was young, Akirexer made sure that she ate and urged her not to fast like the rest of them.

All classes and training exercises at the great Academy were halted. The gates, just as Light said, remained opened. The students all wore their uniforms and they stayed in their dorms. Not one of them went to the cafeteria for any of their meals. Most of them woke up with hangovers only to be told that King Raglan was dead and that made them feel worse.

Lalina prepared herself to leave for the castle.Yolin sadly looked at her as she packed her handbag.

Lalina felt sad that King Raglan was dead. He had always been such a nice and loving uncle to her. She felt even worse that it was Meelzib who killed him. She never thought that Meelzib would go as far as killing his own father for the throne.

"Yolin, would you mind coming with me to the royal castle?" she asked with swollen red eyes and sniffle.

Yolin comfortingly held her hand. "I'd be happy to." she said and Lalina hugged her crying.

****

Lavila washed off her makeup and put on her mourning attire. With a veil on her head, she put her hands together as she looked at the dead body of King Raglan. She had tears in her eyes as she thought about the years she spent with him.

She remembered how nervous she was when she first met him at their engagement ceremony. It happened soon after she won a beauty pageant. Lavila remembered how he happily smiled at her as he filled her head with vini powder in the full view of the kingdom. He continued to smile at her that way until he caught her cheating.

"My love, if only you didn't throw me out of the castle, I wouldn't have started the storm that ended up killing you. You should have known that I value my pride more than anything else. You made me do this. This is all your fault." she said underneath her breath.

King Meelzib entered the room and was surprised to see his mother in tears and on her knees with her hands held together. She was the last person he expected to mourn his father.

"I will never understand you mother." he said to her in a bored tone.

"He was my husband. I have every right to mourn him." she answered without taking her eyes of King Raglan.

"Yeah sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." he blankly replied with his arms folded. "I just can't wait until all this drama is over."

A group of four warriors came into the room. They wore their special white uniforms for events such as these. They closed the white coffin and carried the body out. As soon as they walked out of the room, the gong was sounded and the trumpet players began to play. The commoners who had gone to the castle in crowds began to weep loudly.

Gamarax manipulators focused their gamarax on King Raglan's body and they raised it up in the air for all to see. A huge green dragon that belonged to King Raglan appeared in the sky beside the coffin. It blew fire on it. The commoners got down on their knees and many tore their clothes.

The Enchanted 7 and all the warriors present bowed down to King Raglan for the last time. Meelzib looked on without any emotion. Lalina broke down crying in Yolin's arms while Lavila patted her eyes dry.

The gamarax manipulators spread the gamarax released by the body across Cherilisia and it caused flowers to bloom across the green land.

****

When the night came, the people of Gemhules, along with the whole kingdom lit lanterns. They all met at the village square and released the lanterns into the sky. The whole sky was covered with lanterns. Sharumez held Akirexer as they looked at the lights in the sky.

In Perivion, Light and Sharaina sat on Light's roof and looked at the lantern they had just released. Light put his arm over Sharaina's shoulder as they watched it join the others in the sky.

When the people got tired of looking up at the sky, they went back into their homes to have their only meal for the day. It comprised of vegetables with no oil or salt and half a cup of water. They were to eat it in silence.

The whole kingdom was to mourn King Raglan for the next fourteen days. In these days, they were to wear mourning clothes and fast all day. They were also to work or go to school for only six hours in a day and spend the rest of their day in their homes.

Now that King Raglan is dead, what will become of Dark Star?