Chapter 33
The End of the Legend
It took several days before a scouting party found Haibane walking through the Ketra Orc Outpost. They were arrested upon sight, but once they returned to Goddard they learned the war had ended with no clear winner as a third party, an unidentified force of beings with one wing, ended the battle for them. Haibane was returned to Aden without a scratch except for the grief of a lost friend in their hearts.
Now, nearly a week after returning to Aden, Haibane stood in the throne room of Aden Castle, listening as the King honored those who led successful battles against Goddard. Dressed in shining bronze and gold Imperial Crusader armor and wearing the crown of Innadril, Ryonai knelt before the King as his name was called.
"I honor thee, Lord Ryonai Ladd-Innadril, with the honored rank of Phoenix Knight." The King announced, tapping Ryonai with his ceremonial sword. "Rise, and may your shield continue to protect, and your sword continue to lead those who serve you, in the honor of Aden."
As Ryonai stood the throne room erupted into cheers, Haibane looking around in surprise at the response. Zaren, Kallina and the rest of the group had managed to escape the Sepulchers somehow, and stood with the rest of Haibane, unscathed. Standing on the raised platform in front of the throne above the crowd gathered below, Ryonai looked down and found Vuylay standing at the front of Haibane and winked at her, earning a blush from her. Feeling the adrenaline from those gathered in the throne room, Ryonai raised a hand into the air in victory, the crowd responding with louder cheers.
Laughing as the crowd behind her began to get rowdy; Vuylay stumbled forward a bit, and turned to push the person whom had bumped into her, playfully. Shaking her head at their immaturity, she gazed around the magnificent throne room of Aden Castle. It was far lovelier than Innadril's, but Vuylay decided she still liked the smaller castle's better. Her smile faded slightly as she caught sight of the back of Narlafayn's new red and black Nightmare Armor as it disappeared out the door. Sighing, Vuylay watched her go with sympathy, knowing that it was best to leave her friend alone.
Her moment of wistfulness was interrupted as Ryonai grabbed her possessively around the waist and lifted her up into the air. The crowd continued to cheer, happy to encourage any behavior from him in the moment, and he lowered her back to the floor as the group converged around him, congratulating him on his new title.
"There are other people getting honored today you know." The King of Aden muttered bitterly, shaking his head.
Deep within the Giant's Cave, the Dark Elven twin mothers of Terebel, and daughters of Gran Kain, stood at the mouth of the back caves, staring at the sky. They held hands like children for comfort, but their faces did not show the fear that laced their auras. The Giant known as Utenus crawled up from the depths of the caves and bellowed something at them in the Giant's slurred tongue. Although muffled by the stone mask he wore, his voice sounded sad, regretful. Zraa and Hydrosfear turned to look at him over their shoulder, each flashing him a genuine smile.
"Thank you for protecting us all of this time from our father, Lord Utenus." Zraa said, her voice no longer blank and devoid of emotion. "It was fun pretending to be your test subjects. I'm sorry we could not bring you enough data to cure the degeneration of your people during our time here. We both apologize deeply for that failure." Utenus shook his mighty head as she spoke, and let out another bellowing noise. Hydrosfear looked at him this time and shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes.
"No, but thank you. It is time for us to finally take the responsibility we have avoiding these long years. We finally know how to avoid your shaman's prophesy." Hydrosfear said this time, shutting her eyes with her smile. She and Zraa each took a breath at the same time and pulled the crystals from their chests. The mechanisms were not grafted to them as everyone had thought, but set to react as if they were. It was the clever trick of a Giant set on protecting the two girls he'd grown to honestly love.
"It's time, Polar." Zraa said, looking at her sister, now showing the fear in her eyes. Hydrosfear swallowed hard and nodded, averting her eyes. With a squeeze of their hands, the twins' form shrunk into two bright lights, and they sped off into the sky.
Time still flows on in an unrelenting stream despite the fierce wishes some may have for it to stop. Summer faded into fall, and then winter. Grand Saint's Day came and went, some hiding away and waiting for it to pass, knowing that it would never be the same again. Spring arrived again; bringing a pleasant morning that dawned bright and clear on the Elven Village. Life was still the same there, even though many of those who lived there were not the same any more.
"…so they really did all of that?" Dasniall said in wonder, seated next to Glarawen. He had dropped by the Village after learning that Glarawen and Arvalo had finally settled down there, and finally got the story of Haibane's adventures out of Cesa. Glarawen and Cesa sat next to one another making decorative bouquets for the upcoming banquet that would honor Celleriant's induction into the Temple of Eva. His knowledge became sought, and the Hierarchs had honored him with a Sword Master position. "Who would've thought that dinky little clan would've amounted to so much! I eat my words, although elegantly and with flavor!" he said, licking his fingers with a classy smack of his lips. Glarawen and Cesa giggled as they tied ribbons around their bouquets. Nearby, Waverly was trying to put together a puzzle with Iris, but she seemed more interested in eating the pieces than putting them in place, making the young boy frustrated.
"So have you lovely ladies managed to trot out to Innadril? It's going to be lovely this time of year!" Dasniall said suavely, putting his arm around Glarawen.
"No, and it's such a shame too! It was so hectic here after the war, we even missed Ryonai and Vuylay's wedding!" Cesa pouted, clutching her flowers like a child clutches a toy. "Most of us watched via the Broadcast Crystal, but it wasn't the same." She sighed and tossed her completed bouquet into the basket next to her and started another.
"That's a shame…Vuylay was quite possibly the second happiest bride I'll ever see in my entire life…the first being Glara here." Dasniall said, squeezing Glarawen's shoulder. She giggled and blushed, picking up another batch of flowers to begin work on. "Speaking of happy, where is our lovely Narlafayn? How is she holding up?" Dasniall asked, releasing Glarawen to glance around the Village curiously. Glarawen's response was to sigh sadly, and Cesa suddenly found her bouquet interesting. "I see." Dasniall said, reading the answer without spoken words.
"No tree!" Waverly suddenly cried, pushing to his feet and racing towards the South Gate. Cesa and Glarawen turned around curiously and found Iris sitting in front of a tiny tree, clapping happily.
"Oh my, she grew another!" Glarawen exclaimed proudly.
A lone figure exited the Temple of Shilen and made their way towards the house located at the far corner of the Garden of Shilen. The person, a woman, walked hesitantly as if it were hard for them to see, and knocked softly upon the door of the home. It opened almost immediately, and Anasala's eyebrows rose in surprise as she found Maeve standing on the other side.
"Why Maeve, your glamour is breaking." Anasala stated, surprised.
"That's not a very polite greeting." Maeve responded, lowering her eyelids in an annoyed glare. The winter had not been kind upon her 1,200 year old body, and wrinkles showed almost prominently through her glamour on her face.
"Well at least it was a greeting, come in." Anasala said, moving out of the way to let the Elder in.
Anasala led her to the receiving room and helped her sit upon the sofa which had long since been cleared of dust covers. She disappeared into the depths of the house for a moment before returning with a tray holding a teapot and saucers. After pouring Maeve a cup, she sat down in the chair opposite of her, and served herself.
"So has there been any word yet?" Anasala asked casually, sipping her tea. Maeve sighed and looked down to her teacup, watching as her reflection wavered over its surface.
"No, he's still missing, and I think he's still got that damn sword." Maeve said, her voice hard. "I'm sorry Anasala; I didn't raise him well…" Anasala held up a hand and shook her head as she set her teacup down with the other.
"No need to apologize, heaven knows I wasn't there for him as his mother." She said regretfully. "Amari has gone missing too, but only recently. Apparently Shilen promised him some sort of deal in exchange for his servitude during that war, but she failed to follow through with it. These past nine months…he's been taking it hard." Silence enveloped the ladies after that, the only sound in the house the faint shout of children as they raced about the Garden, learning from the Celebrants.
"This is good tea." Maeve finally said, taking another sip.
Far south of the Elven Forests, past the bustling trade city of Giran, Ryonai paced back and forth in the throne room of his castle, tense with worry. He was dressed in the heavy robes befitting a Lord, puffy sleeves and pants included, and these swung about his body each time he turned. Zaren stood near the throne with the Chamberlain, semi-hypnotized with Ryonai's walking. A door opened somewhere within the castle, and Ryonai stopped pacing and raised his head to the sound. Without waiting for anyone to appear, he dashed to the staircase leading to the upper walkway, and ran towards the Lord's Bedroom. Zaren was close behind him, his eyes large with concern.
A Bishop emerged from the hallway, halting him before he could reach the bedroom, smiling broadly. Ryonai blinked, bewildered, as she placed a tiny bundle in his arms. Looking down with wide eyes, he found himself staring at a pink-skinned baby, its ears slightly pointed with its heritage.
"It's a boy!" the Bishop said happily as Ryonai let out a short laugh of relief and wonder. "And…" she continued, stepping to the side so her Cleric assistant could step up, "…it's a girl as well!" Ryonai's eyes widened as the Cleric stepped forward, holding another bundle, this one wrapped in a pink blanket. The Bishop gasped and grabbed Ryonai's new son from his arms as fainted backwards onto Zaren.
Several minutes later, Ryonai peeked into the Lord's bedroom. Vuylay lay at the center of the bed with her eyes shut, resting from the labor. A grin cracking his face in two, he slipped inside and shut the door as quietly as he could.
Vuylay groaned lightly in her throat as she felt the bed shift with his weight, and she turned her head towards it. Smiling proudly at her, Ryonai smoothed her hair from her face and watched her until she opened her eyes to look at him.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked softly. Vuylay returned the smile lightly and stretched until a shock of pain made her groan.
"I feel like I've had enough kids for a lifetime." She responded, her voice raspy. Ryonai chuckled and continued to smooth the hair from her face, and leaned over to kiss her forehead.
"I love you." He said, keeping his face near hers. Vuylay smiled lazily at him, and lifted a hand to cup his cheek.
"I know." She said in return, smiling mischievously. Ryonai gave her a lopsided smile and sat up again, holding her hand.
"Better watch it, that answer got us a set of twins. We might get triplets next time." He said, massaging her fingers. Vuylay's eyes went as large as they could go and she weakly threw one of the decorative pillows around her head at him.
"Yeah, and you're giving birth to them this time." She said, suddenly energetic. Ryonai dodged it and laughed, then leaned over to kiss her tenderly. Outside the door, Zaren watched the happy couple through a crack, and then looked down at the babies he held in his arms.
"Mommy and Daddy better hurry up, I don't like changing diapers." He said, looking over the babies. The girl suddenly made a face that looked like a smile, and Zaren's eyes widened as he felt her blanket shift as she passed a large gas bubble. "Oh dear…" he winced. Knowing that defeat was imminent he carried the twins down the hall to what would be their nursery, hoping they'd prepared ahead of time with a supply of diapers.
Up in the frigid north, the Pixie family gathered around the Gatekeeper as they waved and said goodbye to the two of their family at the group's center. Nanaka and Gaseous were finally old enough to venture off into the world and make all the shinies they could in the Pixie and Blackstaff name, and were getting as grand of a sendoff as any previous Pixie had. Some of the younger children cried, while others jumped happily, knowing it was their turn next.
Dragged into the Pixie sendoff by Shana, Koyori smiled weakly and waved at the Dwarven pair before they disappeared, and then sighed heavily in relief. "Well, now that's taken care of, let's go back to Dion Shana…" Koyori began, turning to her sister. She blinked as she found Shana's spot vacated. "Shana?" she said a little louder, glancing around for her sister's bright red hair. Her eyes widened as she spotted her strolling away from the group, holding hands with Spore, and giggling in a very girlish manner. Koyori swooned on her feet and held a hand to her head as a headache sprung up. She had to sit the girl down sometime and teach her what a good man was, and she had to do it soon.
"So Raccoon-Lady, where are you and my Shana living now?" Mama asked, patting Koyori harshly on the back. Koyori winced and stumbled, then looked down at the Dwarf. For once she wasn't pregnant, and looked rather trim as far as Dwarves go. Koyori figured she had finally gotten tired of being full of baby and was giving it a rest.
"Dion. Nice place, although there always seems to be some sort of political unrest." Koyori said with a heavy sigh, walking with Mama. "Plus Shana just won't cooperate with me and we argue almost every day…"
"Sounds excellent! You two are getting along just fine!" Mama said happily, beaming brightly at the taller girl. "So have you found yourself a good man yet? I heard you've been looking!" she asked next, changing the thread of conversation before Koyori could protest. Koyori pursed her lips and shrugged, glancing away so Mama couldn't see her bitter expression. She stopped mid-step as she caught sight of Calisan standing outside the Pixie house, arguing with Spicy.
"Who's that?" she asked, her heart doing the pitter-patter dance that it did when she spotted a rich man.
"Calisan Teristen, always trying to out-merchant my merchant baby, but he doesn't do very well." Mama laughed heartily, thumping her stomach in pride.
"Calisan Teristen, hmm?" Koyori repeated, a sly smile crossing her face. Walking ahead of Mama, Koyori mustered up her old flirty approach, and put on a smiling face as she walked towards Calisan. She was too obvious with her intent to flirt, and Mama chuckled to herself and shook her head.
"Back to her old ways I see." She said, following after her.
Far south of the Dwarven Village, Broud walked bravely into the Ketra Orc Outpost. The guards at the front glared at him, but said nothing, knowing that he had been raised among them. Word had traveled to the Outpost that he had accepted his father's tribe and was now living amongst the High Orcs, but the Ketra were still Orcs of honor, and left him alone. Broud headed towards the village, to the ramshackle house that he knew he would always remember clearly.
After the war had ended, Broud had finally swallowed his pride enough to sit down with his father and speak to him of life amongst the Ketra. Broud became angered as he learned of all the things Hrek, his Grandfather and Guardian, had done to Oonugh. Hrek boasted of being one of the Ketra and being of honor, but he showed nothing but cowardice that was worse than the lowest of humans. Such a grave humiliation was a crime amongst the Ketra, and Broud was there to punish him for it. Oonugh had let him leave with two words in his ears: Think First.
Gripping his pole axe firmly in his hand, Broud clenched his jaw and kicked the door open, charging in with a growl. Hrek shot up from where he sat in his fur-covered chair, his eyes large with shock. The fear melted a second later and was replaced with a senile smile and open arms.
"Broud, you've come back to visit! It's so nice to see you!" Hrek said happily, throwing his arms around Broud in a bear hug. "Have you seen much in the outside world? I see you have become stronger, I'm proud of you!" he said, leading Broud towards a chair and offering it to him. Broud obliged obediently, his eyes large as he watched Hrek's smiling face. "Sit, sit! I'll make us something to drink! You must tell me of your adventures!" Whistling lightly to himself, Hrek moved over to the fire pit and began to stir the pot dangling above it. The smell of Orcish coffee filled the room, and Broud was stunned.
It dawned on Broud then, that the Hrek in front of him was not the same Hrek that was here when he left. The other Hrek had been aged, but had black hair and a body that boasted of fierce strength. This Hrek was withered, his muscles shrunk from age and his hair white. His beard was ragged, and wrinkles lined his face like water damaged leather. This Hrek winced as he stooped over the fire pit, struggling to stir the coffee despite an obvious pain in his back. This Hrek was cheerful, senility taking away his sharp temper and murderous intent. This Hrek was too pitiful to be punished.
"Damn thing, cook faster! I have company!" he grumbled to the pot. Broud stood and put his hand on Hrek's shoulder and drew him away from the fire pit. He gazed at the older Orc with a gentle expression as he led him to the chair he'd vacated.
"That's alright Grandfather, I cannot stay right now." Broud said slowly, to make sure Hrek understood. The older Orc's face fell, and he sat heavily as Broud supported him. Broud stood and gave him a thin smile, which made Hrek beam again. "I am glad you are well." Broud said, choosing his father's words as a parting.
"Come back and visit me again soon, alright Broud? Alright?" Hrek called as Broud left the house. Broud paused to smile at him over his shoulder, but did not respond as he left. No, he would not visit his Grandfather again, for there would not be another chance. Hrek's flame was almost doused. It was a cruel end to Hrek's long life, but his fate was to die alone, amongst Orcs that would merely toss his body into the garbage and burn it as if he were nothing.
Broud paused as he passed the gates of the Outpost, and shut his eyes to take a composing breath. Right now, in the Orc Village, Sprissa was undergoing a ceremony. The Flame Lord Kakai recognized her strength and bravery during the war, and had made her the new leader of the Duda-Mara tribe. She was now in line to become the next Flame Lord, and leader of the Orcs. Letting out his lungful of air, Broud opened his eyes and smiled lightly into the sky. Perhaps if she became the Flame Lord they could be together without secrets, but until then Broud was satisfied with the secrecy.
"Guard the ramparts, they're breaking through!"
Miles north of Broud, Schuttgart Castle smoldered with black smoke as a cluster of people laid siege to it. The smoke had come from the cannon that the one lone Dwarf in the cluster had fired into the walls. The Lord of the Castle, Esham, raced along the upper walkway and leaned over it to glare at the people chopping at his doors.
"Well don't just stand there, stop them!" Esham roared, angry that there was little being done to thwart the menace. He glared out across the courtyard, trying to find the leader of this rebellion. His eyes widened as he found Evzen standing near the flag representing his clan, an authoritive look upon his face. Nearby, Ichigo scrambled around her Wild Hog cannon, trying to figure out why it had stopped oinking.
"Wait a minute, aren't those people with Haibane, that clan protected by Fafurion?" one of the guards near Esham asked fearfully, recognizing Ichigo. He had been part of Ryann's clan prior to the war, and would never forget the pink haired terror as she drove her golem into the wall. The guard's fearful utterance traveled along to the rest of the castle quickly, and Esham growled in his throat.
"Stop that female yammering and defend my castle!" Esham shouted, grabbing the guard who spoke first by his tunic collar and shouting into his face. The guard winced and held up his hands as spittle decorated his cheeks.
"Ok, where's the party?" Oscuro called as he galloped up to Evzen on his strider. The Orc had proclaimed that Ryonai's siege had been so fun, he promised to help him if he seiged another castle in the future. Ryonai would never again need to siege unless someone tried to take Innadril from him, so he introduced Oscuro to Evzen. In truth, Evzen didn't really have a clan of his own, not in the political sense. Those that were trying to break into Schuttgart castle now were all borrowed members and allies of Haibane acting on Ryonai's order.
"Fafurion!" one of the guards shouted as he saw Oscuro's strider. Oscuro blinked twice towards the castle as more cries of "Fafurion! Fafurion's come to kill us!" wafted to their ears from the ramparts. He looked to Evzen in confusion, and the Dark Elf shrugged his shoulders in return. Evzen's mouth parted in surprise as guards began to pour out of the castle, some jumping from the walls and injuring themselves as they landed, each crying "Fafurion!" in fear as they raced away.
"Get back here you idiots!" Esham shouted, his face purpling with rage. Again Oscuro and Evzen glanced at one another and then down to the strider, who panted like a dog. The beast shut it's mouth and looked up to his master with a whine, afraid that he'd done something wrong as was going to be punished for it.
"We're in!" a voice shouted from the doors.
"Let's go get your castle." Oscuro said, leading the way into Schuttgart Castle. He snickered as he walked, and patted his strider's head. "Man, if this happens all the time, I'm always sieging with you guys." He chuckled. A grin split Evzen's face in two, and he dashed past the Doomcryer and into the castle.
"Watch me Mune, I'm not so cowardly anymore." He whispered as he hurried past the throne room to the crystal engraving room. Esham jumped from an upper walkway just as he set foot inside, and unsheathed his sword.
"Evzen Greyhelm, I should've known it was you, you ungrateful cur!" Esham shouted, swinging his sword. Torment, Oscuro's strider, growled menacingly from behind Evzen, halting Esham's blade before it met its target. The burly man's eyes widened and he whimpered as the beast stomped into the room, smoke pouring out from behind its teeth in a menacing manner. The tense moment of silence was broken as Esham whimpered like a child, and dropped his sword. "Fafurion!" he cried, racing out of the crystal engraving room, fleeing his castle as fast as his guards had.
And thus it went down in history about how 'Fafurion' helped the Greyhelm family retake Schuttgart Castle, although no one could clearly recall what 'Fafurion' looked like.
Back in Aden, Synshlee floated, invisible, above Hunter's Village. She had been wandering the world as a lost soul after the war ended, and finally found her way there. Sayha had promised to return her to the Abyss once he was through breaking up the war, but he had sped away once it was finished, trying to quickly return the winged beings to their island before his family discovered that they were unsealed.
He never returned after that, and Synshlee wandered, lost. Without Sayha's magic she became invisible and unnoticed, for only the spirits with things left binding them to the world retained visible form. Now she hovered over Hunter's Village, reminiscing the time she spent there with Oonugh.
As if on cue, Oonugh emerged from one of the houses on the upper level, dressed in casual Orc clothing. Synshlee's face brightened and she flew towards him, but then halted before she'd gone but a few feet. The smile melted from her face and she looked away from him sadly. Even if she went to him now, he would no longer feel or hear her. It would be futile to even try.
Lavinia emerged from the house behind Oonugh, her eyes large and face pale as if she'd just seen something frightening. Synshlee tilted her head curiously as Lavinia put a hand on Oonugh to get his attention. She moved stiffly as if in shock, and Oonugh put his hands on her in instant worry. Her lips moved, but Synshlee was too far to hear what she was saying. She surprised herself by chuckling lightly as Lavinia's words became obvious with the way Oonugh paled, and how Lavinia placed her hands upon her lower belly.
"Oonugh!" she heard Lavinia exclaim as the Orc passed out from shock. She bent over her lover and shook his shoulders, trying to get him to regain consciousness. She chuckled nervously as people passed by and gawked, embarrassed that Oonugh, a mighty Orc, had passed out over the simple news that he was going to be a father. One would think he was used to such news now, with how he had two children already.
"Life goes on even though I yearn for the past." Synshlee said wistfully, smiling at the pair. She blinked and looked down at her hands, which had begun to dissolve into firefly lights. "So something was binding me to the world after all…I see." She narrated as she watched her spectral form dissolve in wonder. She whispered her farewell as her form dissolved completely, eager to return to the Abyss and wait for life to begin again.
Within the house that Lavinia had given to Narlafayn and Mune when she moved to Hunter's Village with Oonugh, Mune grunted as she pulled a mysterious box from where it was shoved behind a panel in the wall. It irritated her that someone would hide something within the house without her ever knowing, and she glared at the box as if it had put itself there.
"Yeah, I see you sitting there all guilty." She growled at it, narrowing her eyes. "Now open up, what are you hiding." She opened it up easily, and glanced at its contents.
Her look of anger softened as she realized the box held some of Ballard's treasured belongings from his long life. There were locks of hair from each of his family members, including her, even from her father. There were drawings that Mune had the faint memory of scribbling with her siblings, each labeled with "To Grandpa" in horrible child-writing. There were leaves from the mother tree during her healthy days, and tiny glass bottles holding little portions of her grandmother, mother and father's ashes.
Mune swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and tried not to think too hard. She ached to see her grandfather again, but she knew she never would in this life. He was safe in the afterlife that the Elves retreated to. She refused to believe he was in the Abyss, as it seemed to her that place was hellish. Perhaps Eva had a place for spirits, a land of water and music that was peaceful. She hoped that this was true.
She tilted her head as the bottles of ashes shifted to the side to reveal a bottle just a little bigger than the others, housing a strange, diamond-shaped green glowing crystal. She lifted the bottle and shook it, trying to discern if the crystal were of any special importance. She pursed her lips as it did nothing with the jostling, and chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. Curiosity gnawing at her, Mune glanced around the living room to make sure she was alone, and then eagerly scrambled to unstop the bottle.
It was corked tightly, and Mune grunted as she tried to pull the stopper free. She gasped as the bottle unstopped with a loud pop, the crystal flying through the air with the force she used to free it. It broke into two pieces as it hit the ground, and Mune let out a noise of desperation. Cursing to herself she knelt beside it and lifted the smaller of the two pieces to look at it in disdain.
The muscles in her fingers twitched involuntarily and she sucked in a hissing breath as she unintentionally pricked her skin on the sharp points of the sliver of crystal, and tried to drop it. Mune's eyes widened in first shock, then fear, as the crystal did not drop from her hands, instead it was pushing into her skin, moved by its own force. Whimpering in fright, she grabbed for the end of the crystal to pull it out, but the rock seemed to sense her desire, and slipped under her skin.
"No, no no…" she whimpered, trying to find the crystal in her finger to push it out. This is what you get for being curious, the bitter voice of her conscience stated as she stared at her bleeding finger in fright. She glanced past her finger as the larger piece of crystal on the floor began to glow brightly, filling the room with green light. Mune shifted so she was on her hands and knees in front of it, staring at it with wonder.
"I see curiosity finally got the better of you, eh Mune?" Ballard's voice came from the stone. An image flickered above it, and Mune's heart leapt into her throat as a miniature, transparent image of Ballard's appeared above it.
"Grandpa!" Mune exclaimed, her throat tightening with happiness to see him again. She smiled happily at him and lifted the crystal so she could see him better.
"If you have activated this crystal, it must mean that I am dead." Ballard said sadly, although he smiled brightly. Mune's smile faded with his words as it dawned on her the crystal was a magical recording of her grandfather, not truthfully him. She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, determined not to cry.
"I'm sure you've realized by now, what secret I have that I've kept from all of you, all of these years. I am the guardian of the Seal of Gnosis; I protect the rune guarding the seal that keeps Shilen within her prison." He explained. Mune nodded, and then frowned as she realized he couldn't see her. "As I am making this recording, it is years before I know I will die, but I have already chosen my successor to the seal. With each seal protector there is always a secondary guardian to assist them when it comes time to do the ceremony to strengthen the seal rune. It is at this time that we guardians are at our weakest, and it is up to the secondary to keep us protected and perform the ceremony." Ballard's legs moved as if he were pacing back and forth, but the image held him in once place. He stopped pacing to look at the device that was recording him and smiled. "I have chosen you as the next secondary guardian to my successor Mune, and I'm sure the crystal has already recognized you as it. Seek out my successor, and protect them fiercely. You may not know what to do now, but I can assure you that once you find them, you will know." He shut his eyes with his smile, the fatherly smile that made Mune's heart squeeze. "You will do well Mune, please don't be too angry with me. Eva's blessing be with you always. I love you, granddaughter."
The image flickered into the air as the crystal stopped glowing, and Mune stared at the cold rock in her hand without emotion. All was silent in the room as she tried to absorb everything Ballard had said to her.
"Ok." She said sullenly, answering him even though he could not hear her. "But who has the Seal now, grandpa?" She waited patiently for the answer she knew would not come, and sighed heavily. A new journey would begin for her, she knew, and she had the gut instinct that she wasn't going to enjoy it.
"…and that is the whole of it, sir." Leon said professionally, standing tall next to Cedric's desk. Cedric nodded as he wrote Leon's words on a tablet in front of him and then sighed heavily as he relaxed and stretched his arms.
"At ease then, Sir DiValmont." Cedric said with a smile as Leon continued to stand at attention. "Quite an adventure you've had with that clan of Ryonai's, eh?" he asked as Leon took a seat hesitantly in the chairs on the other side of Cedric's desk. Leon cleared his throat and nodded, offering the older Paladin a feeble smile. "So what brings you here, nine months after the fact, to give me your report now? She keep you tied up again?" Cedric chuckled as Leon blushed, and then nodded.
"She said I needed more training, so she ordered me to the bright lands." Leon said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't say it was much of training though, some part of me wants to say she just wanted an excuse to give me a vacation. I think she felt sorry for me in her own way." He added, his blush deepening. Cedric chuckled and shook his head as he began to fill out the paperwork accompanying Leon's report.
"That sounds like her." He said, signing the paper. "Who would've ever guessed that a son of the DiValmont family was this earth's voice of Einhasad? I don't think I ever would've, but I'm glad I know." He grinned, making Leon blush again. For such an important job in his life, Leon was incredibly humble, and never spoke of his connection to the goddess.
From Cedric's understanding, Einhasad didn't speak to Leon frequently, but when she did, he obeyed. She had set Leon as Sharmin's protector as her strange power developed, to keep her out of situations that would prompt her to use it. The few times he'd failed she'd reprimanded him, but not harshly so.
"So what's next for you, Leon?" Cedric asked, leaning back in his chair and watching as Leon shifted uncomfortably in front of him. Leon thought honestly for a moment, and then grinned broadly.
"I'm thinking I'll find myself a house by a lake and do some fishing." He said proudly. Cedric shook his head and stood, moving around his desk. Leon stood respectfully as the older man approached, and Cedric clapped him on the back.
"How about some company? I could use a break." Cedric offered, placing an arm over Leon's shoulders and leading him from the office.
"That would be great, sir!" Leon exclaimed, awed that Cedric would want to spend any amount of non-business time with him. Cedric laughed aloud at his reaction and led him down the hall.
"Great! Let's make our plans and be off, shall we?" he said, his voice fading as he disappeared with Leon down the hall.
Within Cedric's office, the tiny, private broadcast crystal suddenly flickered. The grinning face of the Crown Prince flashed briefly across its surface and faded. Was it merely a magical after-image of his long-passed speech, or something more?
On the other side of the continent, farthest away from Aden, Komugi and Sharmin stood on the docks of Giran Harbor, waiting for the boat for Talking Island. Ferrol leaned heavily on Sharmin as they waited, looking older and wearier than ever. On Sharmin's other side, Komugi huffed indignantly and tapped her foot impatiently.
"Where is that damn boat? We've been here for a half hour!" she puffed, folding her arms over her chest. Sharmin chuckled at her sister nervously, then blinked as she felt Ferrol's weight shift away from her.
"I'm going to go sit on that barrel over there." He said with a weak smile, moving away from her and walking slowly towards a discarded low barrel. Sharmin sighed as he went, her brow knitting in worry.
"I hope the Island will help him, the mainland only seems to make him weaker." Sharmin said sadly, watching as he sat with difficulty on the barrel. Komugi frowned at her and smacked her on the side of her head lightly.
"Don't be so negative, you just got married for Pete's sake, Mrs. Windawood." She said in annoyance, glaring at her. "You're supposed to be all happy and girly for once, act like it." She shook her head as Sharmin returned the glare and rubbed the back of her head. "Of course Ferrol will be alright, like I told you before the man probably has a lot of bad memories of every place but Talking Island, I'm sure he'll make a speedy recovery there. Maybe even more so if you and Gatz get cracking on popping out babies." Color rushed to Sharmin's face with her last sentence, and she ducked her head down to hide it. "I'm still mad that Gatz had to rush off before you guys could do the Honeymoon thing. What political unrest could be so important to rob a man of his Happy Hour?" she wondered aloud, scratching the side of her nose.
"Komugi!" Sharmin exclaimed, bewildered by her choice of words. Her eyes flickered to her father, afraid that he was listening, and then back to Komugi.
"What, he doesn't last an hour? Damn, we'll have to talk to him about stamina." Komugi responded easily, as if she wasn't speaking of personal things at all with Ferrol nearby. Komugi grinned wickedly as Sharmin tried to sink into herself with her embarrassment. Some things like this, the Prophet hoped, would never change.
"Finally, here's the boat." Sharmin said, not masking the relief in her voice as the ship pulled in and docked. She helped Ferrol stand and led him slowly towards the docking ramp as the few passengers from the Island shuffled off. There were fewer and fewer people leaving the island these days, the amount of students from either school was said to be dwindling down to less than half of what it was when Sharmin attended. After finding a place for Ferrol to sit, Sharmin stood and realized Komugi had not followed her onto the boat. She tilted her head in confusion as Komugi stood on the dock still, scrunching her fingers in a cheesy sort of wave and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Aren't you coming?" Sharmin asked, walking to the edge of the boat. Her heart fell as Komugi shook her head, and she opened her mouth to ask the reason why.
"Nah, I don't want to be in the way of you and Gatz's baby making." Komugi said wickedly, dispelling her sister's sad expression in an instant.
"But where are you going?" Sharmin finally got out, frowning as Komugi's grin grew. On cue, the dock's bell began to clang, signaling the arrival of another ship.
"Zaken, I'm not joking, give it back!" the short zombie with the oversized corsair hat, known as Corsair Captain Kylon shouted from the cliff near the docks. He and his small zombified crew ran along the edge, protesting as a ship sailed past them.
"I'll just take it out for a spin and make sure it's floating alright, don't worry!" Zaken called from the ship's wheel. He wore his captain's coat again, which flared around him in the wind elegantly.
"Zaken, this isn't funny! That's my ship!" Kylon shouted angrily, reaching the edge of the cliff. Sharmin's mouth dropped open as the dusty pirate's ship sailed past the passenger boat, the crew running to the railing to watch it sail past in wonder.
"Well, there's my ride!" Komugi exclaimed as Zaken pulled the ship close to the docks. "Sharmin, take this!" she shouted, throwing a small bag at her sister before dashing along the length of the dock. Sharmin's eyes widened as she swore she saw spectral wings emerge from Komugi as she leapt from the edge of the dock, flapping once to carry her over the water and disappearing as she landed safely on the deck of Zaken's 'borrowed' ship.
"Wait, Komugi, what is this?" Sharmin called, racing to the back of the passenger ship with the small black bag in her hand. "And am I ever going to see you again?" Desperation crept into her voice with her last question, and she could see Komugi roll her eyes, even with the distance between them.
"Of course you will stupid, that's why I gave you that bag!" Komugi shouted. "It's magic! Grab one of the things from inside, tell it you want to see me, and it'll come get me!" She began to wave as the ships drew farther apart, Kylon and his crew's protesting crescendoing as the ship drew away from the harbor. "Zaken wants to visit Gracia again; I promise I won't be gone forever! Have lots of nieces and nephews for me damn it, I want to spoil them!" Komugi shouted. A lump welled in Sharmin's throat despite the smile on her face, and she waved back at Komugi as hard as she could until the ship faded into the horizon.
"I HATE YOU ZAKEN; I HATE YOU WITH ALL OF MY DECAYING GUTS!" Kylon screeched as his last treasure, his precious ship, disappeared from view. He pulled his hat low over his head as he let out a whining noise of frustration. Around him, his crew blinked in stunned silence, unsure of what to make of their stolen ship being stolen.
"So uh…what do we do now, captain?" One zombie asked. He whimpered and withdrew slightly as Kylon spun around to glare at him, thinking he was going to be hit. Kylon relaxed a second later, his crewmate doing the same.
"To the Monster Race Track! We will pillage it!" Kylon shouted, unsheathing his rusted rapier and holding it to the sky.
"To the Monster Track!" his crew shouted in response, and the group of pirate zombies raced out of sight.
In Talking Island Village, the governor's secretary exited the governor's office, and looked around the village in disdain. Tsking loudly, he put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot in agitation.
"Now where have they BOTH gone?" the man shouted loudly, angry that he'd found the office devoid of not one Windawood, but two.
An hour away from town, Gatz sat with his uncle underneath the Obelisk of Victory, sharing a thermos of lemonade and watching as Cedric's nephew taught children in the fields.
"You know uncle, playing hooky like this is really liberating." Gatz said mischievously, taking a sip of lemonade. Sir Collin chuckled and toasted his words with their tin cups before taking a swig himself. Silence descended the pair as they watched the students, Gatz chuckling in the memory of his time in the school.
"I'm sorry that I had to pull you away from your Honeymoon for meetings that you didn't have any part in, Gatz." Sir Collin began, placing his cup on the ground beside him. Gatz froze mid-sip and shut his eyes in annoyance. He had played up with his best business face that he wasn't upset, but as always Sir Collin could see right through him. He chuckled as Gatz tried hard to keep his annoyed face from showing, and stretched his neck.
"There's a reason, though, so it wasn't in vain." Sir Collin said, looking at his nephew. Gatz blinked and focused his attention on his uncle, waiting for him to continue. "You see, there's talk of opening up trade with Gracia again, and the new King has asked me to act as ambassador to those coming over from that continent. To do so however, I'm going to have to relinquish my title as governor, and that's where you come in." Gatz's eyes widened as Collin grinned, and his cup slipped from his hands.
"What are you saying, Uncle Collin?" Gatz asked in a tiny voice, his heart thudding in his chest. Collin chuckled and patted Gatz heavily on the shoulder before righting his cup and pouring him more lemonade.
"I'm saying, my boy, that you are more than ready to become governor. I'm going to take that ambassador job, and I'm leaving you in charge of the island." He said fondly, smiling as Gatz's jaw dropped open. Yes, he was certain that Talking Island would be in good hands, Gatz's reaction was just like his when the aged king Raul gave him the post in the first place.
Up in Rune, Amari sat by a wagon parked outside of the city, scowling to the ground. He was not pleased with the message he'd received that had called him to that place, even less pleased with whom the message had come from. A shadow fell over him as a person came to stop in front of him, and he slowly raised his head. The face of the mature Eva peered down at him from beneath the traveler's cloak she wore, and Amari glared.
"What did you want?" he asked bitterly, not moving to stand or show the goddess respect. Even after all that had happened, Shilen was still his deity, and to him Eva was the intruder that had taken over her post without permission.
"Come with me." Eva said, turning away from him.
She led him away from Rune to the north, towards a small cluster of houses near a meadow reserve for taming wild beasts known as the Beast Farm. They walked in silence; Amari's few questions floating in the air, unanswered. Eva paused as the houses came clearly in view, and pointed. Amari's gaze followed her finger, and he tilted his head as a group of playing children met his eyes. He narrowed them and took a step forward, his heart thudding inexplicably as a familiar-faced, black-haired Dark Elf girl raced out of one of the houses and launched herself at one of the boys playing in the yard. The boy yelped and fell over, and the rest of the children dog piled on top of them. Amari whipped around with his eyes large, asking Eva to explain what she was showing him without words.
"I am sorry that my sister had to deceive even the one who is the most devoted to her cause." Eva said softly, meeting his eyes without flinching. Amari looked away with a wince, trying to hold his emotions in check.
"I do not want the pity of the Light Elves goddess." He snapped, turning away from the children in front of him. Eva followed him as he walked away, his fingers rubbing his forehead in thought.
"The one you desired was reborn ten years ago, Shilen did not tell you because…" Eva began, but was stopped as Amari held up a hand. He looked at the water goddess with a pained smile, and shook his head.
"I understand, you don't have to explain." He said softly. He knew he would not be able to stand the heartache if Eva continued telling him Shilen's reasons for deceiving him. It was a strange bittersweet feeling in his chest, to see Ilyra reborn in front of him, yet learning that his goddess didn't even care for him in the end. Even the wellspring of dark magic that had been carefully guarded within his soul was missing now. He mouthed his thanks, pride still denying him the courage to voice it, and turned to walk back towards the city.
"Where will you go now?" Eva called, not moving. Amari paused to glance over his shoulder at her and shrug.
"Off to find my brother and relieve him of that accursed sword, I suppose." He said lightly, his protective armor of indifference slipping back into place. "There's not much I can do here until she's older, after all." He grinned genuinely as Eva blushed underneath her cape, and returned to his trek towards Rune. "Goodbye Eva, I suppose I don't hate you so much after all." He called, as he walked away, waving. Eva snorted lightly through her nose and smiled thinly with his words before a waterspout erupted around her, taking her elsewhere.
Back in the Elven Village, Narlafayn stood below the step ladder that Cesa was perched upon, holding the basket of the flower bouquets as Cesa decorated the posts around the Village with them. She stared into space as Glarawen approached with a fresh basket, and jumped as Glarawen touched her shoulder in concern. The basket crashed to the ground, the flower petals scattering as the bouquets tumbled out.
"I'm sorry." She murmured, kneeling to try and pick the bouquets back up. Cesa sighed from her perch and climbed down. The bouquets were ruined, and Cesa had to make that many more to replace them.
"Why don't you leave that here and go find Waverly, Narla? Iris was growing trees around him again and he took off into the forest." Cesa said gently, taking the basket from her. Narlafayn looked up to her with nearly lifeless eyes and nodded obediently. Without a word she stood and walked towards the west gate. Cesa shook her head as she watched Narlafayn leave, and stood up. "I really miss the old Narla, I hope she comes back in time." She said. Glarawen smiled sadly in response, and sighed.
"That's what happens when the other half of your soul is taken from you." She said softly, her eyes misty.
Narlafayn walked slowly down the ramp leading into the forest, catching sight of Waverly sitting on the bank of the lake underneath the village, a fishing pole gripped in his hands. He had turned five the previous year, and now sported the full vocabulary that all five year olds had. He had made it clear that he hated trees, and wanted nothing to do with them. Instead he was quite fascinated with water, which helped ease Cesa's shock a bit.
Narlafayn paused at the end of the village bridge and put her hands on her hips as she found Waverly chattering away to someone wearing a travelers cloak next to him. The person reached out to adjust his hold on the fishing pole, quietly giving instructions that Waverly eagerly agreed with. Shaking her head, she approached them, mustering up enough strength to smile.
"Waverly, you shouldn't bother strangers, it's rude." Narlafayn scolded lightly. The person wearing the travelers cloak stood as she approached, and turned to face her.
"He's not bothering me; in fact we're having a ton of fun, right Waverly?" Terebel said, grinning widely at Narlafayn.
'Uh huh! Catching lots of fish!" Waverly agreed, although his fishing bucket was devoid of anything but a piece of algae. Narlafayn's face paled as Terebel pushed the hood of his cloak from his head, shaking his hair as it was freed. His eyes were once again the turquoise she remembered, although his hair had grown down his neck to touch his shoulders. Giving her his trademark cocky smirk, Terebel held his arms out to her. Narlafayn flew at him with a sob, the force of her hug propelling Terebel backwards with a look of surprise. They both fell into the lake with a large splash, Waverly crying out as he was hit with a wave.
"The fish!" he protested tearfully, pulling his pole from the water. Ignoring the upset five year old, Narlafayn covered Terebel's face with kisses the moment they both surfaced, making sure to hit his mouth more than once. He laughed as she went, and didn't try to stop her.
"How is it possible? I thought you were dead!" she said between pecks. Terebel sighed and halted Narlafayn's eager kissing. He gazed into her eyes gently, and caressed her cheek, pushing hair from her face. He softly shushed her as a tearful look formed on her face and kissed her forehead as she let out a choked sob. The mood changed between them with that gentle kiss, and he lowered his face to hers to kiss her fully. Waverly's hook plopped into the water near them, startling them from their moment, and the pair looked at the elf boy as if they'd forgotten he was there.
"Waverly, why don't you go back into town and get us some towels? Take you time, I need to have a big person's conversation with Auntie Narla." Terebel said, his voice shaking. Waverly stuck his lower lip out in a pout, and the pair laughed at it. "Go on, we'll fish some more when we're dry, I promise." He said. Dutifully Waverly stood, leaving his fishing gear where it laid and raced into the Village as fast as his short legs could carry him. Grinning mischievously at her, Terebel pulled her across the lake, towards a collection of bushes growing along the bank. After helping her from the lake, he shed his travelers cloak and pulled her down to her knees to finally kiss her passionately.
"How is this possible? Am I dreaming?" Narlafayn sighed as he pulled away for air. Terebel lightly laughed through his nose as he gazed at her, and searched out the strings keeping her violet dress tied to her body.
"If you are, I don't want to wake up." He breathed, kissing her again. He pulled away and looked at her seriously, his eyebrows knitting together in worry. "Unless…you've found someone else?" he asked cautiously. Narlafayn blinked large eyes at him, surprised that he'd ask such a question. With a joyful laugh she launched herself at him again, pressing her lips against his and knocking them both into the bushes.
"Last thing I remember in that tunnel…is seeing this light behind me." Terebel began some time later as he and Narlafayn lay in the bushes cuddled together. Although it was still wet, they'd pulled his cape over their bodies to cover them and hide their nudity from any curious visitors. Narlafayn opened her eyes as he began speaking, and shifted to look into his face. She felt completely and utterly happy, knowing nothing but peace with the feel of his body next to hers. Terebel sighed deeply and passed his hands over his eyes as if it were difficult to remember what he was going to tell her.
"I had managed to kill most of the demons coming through that tunnel, and pushed them back into the Sepulchers." He continued, rubbing her arm. "However, once down there, that demon that they called Scarlet got the up on me again, and I found myself on the end of her sword. She left me to go back to her master since he was more important than pursuing you guys." He smiled wanly as Narlafayn squeezed him tighter with worry. "Shilen appeared then, and offered to send me to another world, because she wouldn't have me in her Abyss. These two lights appeared…and I heard voices…everything faded after that."
"When I woke up again, I was in this palace made of light. A woman with great shining wings told me that I had been spared, because my mothers had struck one final bargain with fate. They took from me the power to destroy, and the prophesy of the destroyer. It was their one and only power as daughters of Gran Kain. In my stead, they sent themselves to another world, freeing me of the Legend of the Destroyer." He smiled warmly at her as her eyes welled with tears, and she kissed him.
"What took you so long to come back to me?" she asked in a choked voice. Terebel raised a hand to caress her cheek again. He kissed her lightly before reluctantly drawing away from her and sitting up. Narlafayn's eyes widened as she got her first view of a strange rune burned into the skin of his back. "What's that?" she asked, alarmed. Terebel glanced over his shoulder as he reached for his clothes, and grinned at her.
"Final gift from my father, if you can call it that." He said, standing to pull his pants back on. "It was also the one thing that prompted Einhasad to take me to her palace. Apparently my new tattoo is the Seal of Gnosis; my dad gave it to me before he died." He said, as if it were perfectly natural. Pants in place, Terebel knelt again to kiss Narlafayn once more as a look of desperate fear crossed her features. "Don't make that face Narla, its fine. It at least gives me something to do with my new long life." He chuckled. "As for what took me so long, Einhasad had to be certain that the Destroyer's power was completely purged from me, so I've spent the past nine months in her realm. Nice place, but far too clean for me. She's a surprising slob in her own little living areas, but the rest of the palace had to be speck free or she'd pop. Did some bonding with my grandpa too…can't say that I enjoyed that though. He's definitely not the old man you'd go fishing with."
Narlafayn let out a noise and clung to him, nuzzling her face against his neck and breathing in the smell of him. She never wanted to forget it, even when she was just a few steps away from him. He raised his arms slowly to hold her back, and leaned his head toward her.
"Hey now…if you do that, we'll be out here a lot longer." He said with a trembling breath. Narlafayn pulled away to grin at him mischievously and leaned forward to bite his lip.
"Fine with me." She said, pulling him down into the bushes again.
In the Village, Dasniall and Glarawen stood at the observation balcony overlooking the forest, right above where Narlafayn and Terebel disappeared into the bushes. "That Naked Bush is really getting some quality time." Dasniall grinned. Glarawen giggled and leaned down to pick up Iris, who toddled over to them. "How long do you think they'll be in there?" he wondered aloud, craning his neck to try and see if he could catch a glimpse of the action below the thick brush.
"Das, behave!" Glarawen scolded playfully. She giggled again as the bushes rustled, and carried Iris into the village. "I hope not for too long, Cesa will have dinner ready soon, and I'm sure she'd like to know that he's back and well." She said, her voice fading as they retreated into the village.
Within the shining palace of Einhasad, Paagrio knelt before his mother, his head bowed reverently. She sat elegantly upon a throne from where she watched the doings of the world, and gazed down at him without expression. His dark skin and hair seemed nearly black against the shining white of her citadel, and he tried to shut his eyes against its brilliance.
"You should be ashamed, Paagrio, for trying to use that human's gift for your own design." Einhasad said coldly, narrowing her eyes as she stared down at her son.
"I am sorry, mother." Paagrio said in a low voice, "But you have no right to interfere with business of realms not your own." Einhasad stood up from her throne, her eyes flashing with her anger.
"You are foolish to tell me such a thing, Paagrio, for it is through me that girl even has that power." Einhasad said angrily, grabbing one of Paagrio's braids and pulling his head back to look at her. "I gave her mother that power, my hot-headed son, so that she would it to keep my foolish whelps in line. It is only natural, no matter what gifts you bestow upon her to sway them to your cause, that she would reject you. I put that restriction with the magic to keep you idiots from trying to use her." She released Paagrio's hair and re-seated herself. "I have since contacted the girl about her magic, and how it will be passed to her offspring. She, or anyone else of her bloodline will never be swayed by the promises of the gods again. She knows how to use it to its true purpose." She grinned smugly as she watched her son try to control his rage as he returned his gaze to the ground. "You would do wise to 'butt out', my son, unless you'd like something similar to what happened with Sayha and that Dark Elf he impregnated, happen to you."
"You forget the Hammer is still alive within the vessel Shilen placed it in…" Paagrio attempted to say, trying to find a way to bandage his wounded pride by finding a shortcoming in his mother's sight. Einhasad's bored sigh made him clench his fists in frustration, and he glanced up at her.
"I knew the Hammer was within that girl, why do you think I tried so hard to remove her from this world again?" Einhasad said lightly, inspecting her fingernails. "I talked with the goddess of the world she was in, and through our combined powers we've made the spirit of the tool fall asleep within the Elf. It will return to our realm once the Elf's live is over, whenever that will be, so I am not worried." Einhasad shifted upon her throne, and she smirked again. "As for that accursed sword, I've hidden far out of sight. It will be years before anyone finds it again." She smiled as Paagrio hissed at her and disappeared in a burst of flame. Pleased with herself, she relaxed in her chair, and made herself comfortable.
"Eva." She called. The waterspout erupted in front of her, and Eva appeared from it, kneeling reverently.
"Yes mother?" the young Eva said in a tiny voice. It was so rare for Einhasad to call upon her; Eva feared that it did not bode well. Einhasad smiled and leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.
"Tell me Eva; is it true that you had something to do with the unsealing of the Sealed Ones?" Einhasad asked, her voice sinisterly smooth. Eva raised her head with large eyes, confused as to what her mother was asking her. Sayha had been the one to release the Sealed Ones…how did Einhasad pin it to her?
There were happy conclusions all over Aden and Elmore, and end to Legends and epic Journeys as those of our story settled to begin a happier life. It was peaceful for once, save for one far to the north. Deep within the Forge of the Gods where the heat was nearly unbearable, one lone Elf with hair the color of springtime flowers, sat on the only rock that was bearably hot, rocking. She was wild looking, her once beautiful hair ragged and singed from being within the heart of the volcano. Her eyes were large, and her mouth moved as she whispered incomprehensible words. Not ceasing in her rocking she looked down to the burned blanket she held in her arms, her eyes large and insane.
"That's right precious, you'll take care of them for me, won't you?" she whispered, gently caressing the blanket. A tiny fist poked free of the blanket, and the sound of a baby's unhappy whimper sounded through the room. Shizuka smiled and kissed her baby's head, smoothing down the single lock of red hair that grew there. "That's right my precious one…that's right. Sleep now and grow…and then go out and avenge me one day."
"Make them sorry that they ever knew my name."
The End