DD slowly handed Chaser’s box to Becklin. The last few years of control stopped him from attacking her. All of his pain welled up as hatred for her. In his mind’s eye, he reached for his dagger and stabbed her, ending his pain. He forced a slight smile, “Master Chaser from FearFort asked me to bring this to you.” She took the box. He hoped it would explode with magical energy as she looked inside. He was content to have this box his last mission in life.
Becklin took the box with a slight surprised look in her eyes. She opened the box and peered inside. She seemed to disappear in thought as she stared at the box or what was within the box. She closed it with the grace of a trained warrior. With the box at her side, she looked back at DD. With the stoicism of a commander in the Knights of Forgotten Man, she spoke, “You name is DD Right.” DD nodded. “Would you like to say something today before with send Ispin on his final adventure.”
“Yes!”, came out of his mouth before his could process it into a correct command response. It was tainted with a little of the hatred he felt. He calmed to stand firm again, his voice now controlled and commanding, “Yes, Sir… I would be honored to say something for Ispin .”
The rest of the day was a blur as DD tried to bring his thoughts into line. He wanted to say something grand about his former friend. He had heard great tales and the great remembrances and wanted to be one of those. Words had never been his companion. He only had one skill that would help him here, determination. His brain was a flurry of thoughts. Nothing came together.
Later the day, he stepped up to speak when asked.
“Hello. My name is Derrick Daimons. I am here for the many that could not be here. Ispin was not just a friend to me, but to many back in Fearfort. Um .. you do not care about this, … ah … why am I doing this like a report.” DD swayed and re-established himself in a slightly more relaxed or causal manner. A smile unrolled across his face as his eye drifted around, finally finding the assembled group once again. “I think this would be best in a story.”
“Ispin used to come to Fearfort every couple of years. He loved to spar. For me and my friends Spins and Tails, he would often train with us. Our official knightly training is for fighting in groups groups with a person on your right and left. You fight for the man on your right and left. He liked to spar three on one. He taught us to dance in combat. He could draw all three of us in, find an escape and take one of us out as he did.
As the years went on, he started to move us into the center spot. This is where Spins gained her nickname. She had an amazing ability to spin from attacks to find her escape from the multi attackers. I used his teaching to learn how to shift myself and others in the combat itself. I wanted to control the battle, even when I was alone.
Ispin was my friend. I will carry his memory until I die. I will remember the forgotten.”
DD wiped some tears from his face that were quietly flowing from his eyes. He went back into a formal at attention stance. He saluted in the form of the Forgotten man, turned, and walked away.