THE DRUNKEN COUNCIL OF THE CRIMSON DICE
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The great hall had emptied save for stragglers — a few drunken uncles of Lord Aurelthane, a couple musicians asleep under their harps, and three women still trailing after Kaer like moths after a torch.
Kaer, who had no idea why.
The long banquet table was a disaster of half-eaten pastries, spilled wine, glitter, confetti, and what might’ve been the remains of the chicken from the stag catapult incident (nobody investigated).
And there sat:
Arden — soft-flushed, rosy-cheeked, wine-glassed.
Vex — sprawled across a chair, legs everywhere, slurring half-infernal poetry.
Laz — shirt half unbuttoned, eyeliner smudged, hair tragic.
Borin — beard soaked with ale, staring at the ceiling like it held the secrets of the cosmos.
Garruk — asleep for ten minutes until children found him again.
Kaer — stone sober but surrounded by empty bottles because everyone kept handing him one.
Arden cleared her throat, which at her current level of tipsiness, echoed like a divine proclamation.
Arden:
“We… should talk about the future.”
Vex nearly fell out of her chair.
Vex:
“WHICH future—there are so many—EIGHT timelines—possibly nine—someone check the pastry table I’m certain one of those pies is cursed.”
Laz blinked hard.
Laz:
“Vex. Focus.”
Borin sat up abruptly, alarming everyone.
Borin:
“AYE. FUTURE. THA’ WEE LASS IS GONNA BE A MUM.”
Everyone nodded solemnly.
Kaer blinked.
Kaer:
“Elaris is going to be a father again.”
Garruk awoke suddenly.
Garruk:
“WHO’S ON FIRE.”
(He was disappointed there was no fire.)
Vex pointed a dramatic finger at him.
Vex:
“Sereth is pregnant, you brick.”
Garruk froze.
Garruk:
“…Oh.”
Arden leaned forward, elbows on knees, voice gentle:
Arden:
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“She was glowing. You saw how she held her stomach. And Elaris’s face—he almost collapsed.”
Borin wiped his beard.
Borin:
“He did collapse. I saw it.”
Laz nodded.
Laz:
“He also cried twice.”
Kaer:
“Five times.”
Vex raised her hand.
Vex:
“Seven. I kept count.”
Garruk scratched his head.
Garruk:
“I thought that was sweat.”
Vex stared at him.
Vex:
“You precious idiot.”
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Arden refilled everyone’s glasses, because the mood demanded it.
Arden:
“…And Elyra. A young man asked her to dance tonight.”
Kaer actually smiled — the soft, proud, big-brother grin nobody ever saw.
Kaer:
“That boy is brave.”
Vex tossed her hair dramatically.
Vex:
“I SAW THE KISS. I SAW IT. It was soft and gentle and full of teen angst. She’s become a woman. An ICON.”
Laz handed her a napkin.
Laz:
“Vex. You are weeping.”
Vex dabbed her eyes aggressively.
Vex:
“I AM HAPPY.”
Borin patted Kaer on the shoulder.
Borin:
“She deserves it, the lass. After everything she’s been through.”
Kaer nodded.
Kaer:
“She’s strong. Stronger than she thinks.”
Arden sighed warmly.
Arden:
“She’s grown so much. And Sereth trusting her to dance, and laugh, and fall in love… it’s beautiful.”
Garruk blinked at his mug.
Garruk:
“When did we all get OLD.”
Everyone burst out laughing.
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Laz waggled his eyebrows.
Laz:
“Our nerdy necromancer is officially a married man.”
Vex smirked.
Vex:
“And he’s HOT now. Like what happened there? Did commitment make him attractive?”
Arden sighed knowingly.
Arden:
“Love does that.”
Borin snorted.
Borin:
“AYE. OR SUSPENDERS.”
Kaer nodded.
Kaer:
“He did look good. Sereth is going to faint every morning.”
Garruk nodded thoughtfully.
Garruk:
“If he hurts her I will break every bone in his—”
Everyone:
“GARRUK.”
He paused.
Garruk:
“…Gently.”
Kaer put a hand on his heart.
Kaer:
“Elaris… he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. Truly. She healed something in him none of us could.”
Arden looked misty.
Arden:
“He healed her too.”
Vex hiccuped and raised her glass.
Vex:
“A toast to love. Because apparently it actually does fix things or whatever.”
Everyone clinked glasses.
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Laz looked around the circle.
Laz:
“Alright. Let’s be honest. All of us. Right here.”
They all straightened — or slumped upward.
Laz pointed to Borin.
Laz:
“Borin. You’re the heart of this group. You’re grumpy and loud but you put us back together, literally and emotionally.”
Borin sniffed, beard trembling.
Vex pointed at Laz.
Vex:
“You are chaos incarnate. And we love you for it. You make us laugh when the world is burning.”
Laz blew her a kiss.
Arden turned to Vex.
Arden:
“You pretend you’re all fire and fury, but you care the deepest out of all of us. You protect us in ways we don’t see.”
Vex actually cried.
Laz silently handed her another napkin.
Kaer looked at Garruk.
Kaer:
“You… are the bravest of us. And the gentlest. Children trust you instantly. That says everything.”
Garruk’s chin wobbled.
Garruk:
“I AM NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING—”
Arden smiled at Kaer.
Arden:
“You’re our anchor. When everything collapses, you’re the one we all look to.”
Kaer genuinely didn’t know what to do with his emotions and just drank more wine.
Borin pointed at Arden.
Borin:
“And you, lass. Without ye we’d all be dead. Or cursed. Or in hell. Ye keep us straight.”
Arden flushed bright pink.
Vex pointed at Laz again.
Vex:
“And you’re pretty.”
Laz:
“I KNOW.”
They all laughed.
Then Arden looked around the entire group.
Arden:
“We’ve lost so much. We’ve suffered so much.
Tonight… we gained something new.
A family made bigger. A future made brighter.”
Silence settled.
Warm.
Soft.
Right.
Laz raised his cup last.
Laz:
“To the next chapter.”
All together:
“To the next chapter.”
And for the first time since the Crimson Dice began their journey…
everyone felt safe.
Everyone felt whole.
Everyone felt home.
