Epilogue - Diverging Paths
We met the army on the way back, and they greeted us with cheers. Jasmine and Genevieve had riled them into a fervor while we were gone, telling them just what we were doing, and they knew our return meant we had been successful. At long last, the war was over. Finally, there would be peace.
But peace came with its own troubles and hero-worship had a very unexpected side effect. One that had us alternating between hysterical laughter, and exasperated screams. When talk came to countries and homes, everyone had turned to the heroes as leaders. Now, they weren't generals. They were kings and queens.
"If someone had told me this was going to happen when we decided to do this, I might've reconsidered," Roland complained. He glowered at the map. "How the hell are we supposed to rule a damn thing? It's not like an army, damn it!" He groaned and stabbed the middle section of the map. "Okay, so, borders of all these stupid new countries. Here, we have the plains. Those are staying the same, though… Hanon, you were going to have them become the name the plainspeople always called them?"
"Yes," Hanon confirmed. She wore a more elaborate dress than I'd ever seen her wear; apparently, it was something for 'the new Chieftain of the Kutolah'. Her father had stepped down without fanfare and left it all to her. "It is the Sacae. It always has been, and now, the world will know." She smiled slightly. "Perhaps if I do it like this, the next wielder of the Katti blades will not have to give up everything, as Amir did."
"Where are they going? The blades, I mean. Our weapons are going to be nice and hidden somewhere with bunches of traps and magical seals."
"The Mani Katti will return to the temple, as it should. Athos has offered to hide the Sol Katti in another place, while he wanders to heal the lands." She glanced at Athos to confirm, and he nodded with a small smile. "So, they will be sealed, just as the other weapons will be. The Sword of Seals is already in its temple, yes?"
"Yes, Bramimond took it with him, though I keep the dragonstone or… whatever we're calling it now," Hartmut replied. He made a face. "Flame… fire… Fire Emblem, that's it. I have that." I knew he hadn't actually forgotten. He was just trying to ignore how Bramimond… wasn't all there. He'd gone to the Shrine of Seals, to live out the remainder of his life, in the darkness. It just felt hollow, considering all the plans and dreams he'd had. "Still working on a place for Eckesachs. I was thinking a room in the manse, or the catacombs. What about Murgleis?"
"Where else? Another temple," Hanon answered easily. It got a laugh out of the rest of us. "Durban, you're going back to the Isles?"
"Yes," Durban confirmed. His hand twitched at his side, eager to pick up an axe again. The impulse and fever in his blood were steadily getting worse. "There is… there is always fighting there. I will not be as much of a liability, there."
"But…"
"It's fine. I will keep contact, for as long as my sanity lasts, and will hide Armads." His eyes were hard with certainly. "But this is what I must do, if I am to help keep this hard-won peace."
"It's just bitter…" Roland sighed. "Then again, we all knew that was coming." He returned to the map, tapping the western section. "But Elimine here is taking the west, while I'm taking this south…" He traced out the borders on the map. "Barigan, are you certain that you wish all the snow and ice? Crops…"
"We can always trade. The snow and ice are my home," Barigan reminded gently. He smiled softly and crossed his arms. "There, we can pay tribute to Aenir." He paused and glanced around. "I would've thought Fiona would be here with us."
"Fiona has been dragged into more dances," Ely answered. She was dressed far fancier than I'd ever seen, in a dress lovingly handmade by Maron, and delivered by messenger. "There's been a new party every mark."
"Ah, I see." He shrugged. "Regardless, the snow and ice are home, and we can preserve Aenir's home for when… if… her children return." An awkward silence fell as we remembered Wuotan's message about the Gate. It was damaged by the Winter, and there was a very good chance that those who went through the Gate would never return. Those that remained may never go through. It was taking all his effort to make sure it didn't just collapse, and he was setting up a barrier to try and keep things stable. "But by doing that, we can pass down our stories and, slowly, the people can remember, and learn, about the dragons who helped."
"Then, slowly but surely, we can hopefully recreate a world where dragons and humans live alongside one another." Ely's eyes were sad. "It'll take so long…"
"Good things come to those who wait."
"True, but considering everything, Hilda and Hartmut might be the only ones who live to see that day," Athos murmured. He smiled wryly at us. "Ah, well. You two can plot how to celebrate while you fix up things here in the east." Both Hartmut and I froze at the implication, and most of the group frowned. "Hey, are you two okay?"
"Of course," Hartmut answered with a bright and gentle smile. Everyone's eyes narrowed at it. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"Well, Hilda has been strangely quiet during all this planning," Roland pointed out. He frowned suspiciously. "And both of you froze, and-"
A low, loud 'clang' cut him off, and it took a moment to realize what it was. The cathedral bell in the main square was ringing.
"It's time," I whispered. I was saved by the bell, literally. "Come on. We have to head outside."
"Oh, right," Durban replied. He sighed, shaking his head. "I can't believe I almost forgot Delrin's execution."
"A lot has happened." But one of the first things we did upon returning was… well, have Ely do as we said. She had a 'divine revelation' and we declared Delrin as Marius's true murderer. The soldiers turned on him instantly, without even the slightest bit of hesitation, and I was glad that we had morals, as otherwise, we'd be terrifying. We probably were already. "But let's go. We have to witness this."
Hopefully, the dragons could rest and hide in peace, knowing that Delrin was dead. I doubted I would. He'd haunt me forever, and I hated it.
Despite my words to be there and my intention to focus, Delrin's execution was just a blur. It just… didn't matter to me anymore. It should've, but it felt so much like too little, too late. I'd lost three siblings because of him. I'd lost my first family and my first home because of him. His death didn't bring any of them back. It didn't bring anyone back. It was an empty vengeance, and an emptier justice.
It bothered me that I'd been too tired to even feel vindicated at it, but I supposed I should just be glad that he was dead. He might've gotten his war, and he might've 'wiped out' the dragons, but he'd lost his life for it, and he'd be stricken from every record. It was like he'd never existed.
Except he did. Except that he had won and changed the world forever, and no one would ever know the truth.
"So, have Genevieve decided where she is going to go?" I asked Hartmut as we walked to our room. After the execution, we'd been dragged into parties with the soldiers, dancing and laughing until the dawn of the next day came. Only then did everyone go to rest, mostly so that they had energy again to party. "Fiona thinks she'll go with Ely. She definitely doesn't want to go to the desert, or try to find the dragons here."
"Genevieve might go help Roland, actually," Hartmut answered. His eyes were sad. "It's what Josephine would've done, and she has so many sad memories here."
"How is she about…?"
"She hurts, and tries to smile, but the smile itself is broken." His breath hitched and he coughed to clear his throat. I couldn't blame him. Genevieve had actually collapsed when we explained what happened to Bramimond. "Roland is able to sympathize with her pain the most."
"Does he know?"
"Not yet. I think she'll stay for my coronation." He made a face, and I laughed a little. It seemed as if the whole army planned on staying here until Hartmut, the Great Leader of the Divine Heroes, was crowned King of… whatever the hell the country was going to be called. "Hilda?"
"Yes?" I glanced up at him, and felt my heart break at his serious look. "What is it?"
"You're not staying." He stopped and turned to face me. It wasn't a question, or even a plea. It was a statement of fact.
"I…" I glanced around, looking for a distraction, but there wasn't. It was just us. "I can't." I shook my head. "You… you need a queen, Hartmut. I can't be a queen. Hell, I can barely be a noble lady, and they're forcing that on me."
"But…" He sighed, shaking his head. "No, I know. As soon as they threw the crown at me, I knew you'd have to leave. You'd be unhappy, and we'd both be miserable, because I couldn't make it 'better'."
"I…" My voice cracked and my eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorr-"
He leaned forward and kissed me, fiercely and desperately. "I love you." He kissed me again, and all I could do was cling to him. "I'll always love you. You, and no other."
"Hartmut…" I kissed him back, just as fiercely. "You and no other. Always."
"Stay with me until you leave." His voice cracked, and I knew why. The boy who feared being alone was left alone. His parents, all three of them, were dead; his brothers were dead. One sister was dead, another was sealed, and a third was leaving. His best friend had destroyed himself and would live out his life in the dark. His friends were dispersing. And I, his love… "Until the stupid crown is mine, please…"
"Of course." I clung to him desperately, wishing time would just stop. Wishing that we hadn't made the promise to accept the consequences of leaving, because then, we could just run. "I'm here. I love you."
War changed everyone's lives, for better and for worse. And sometimes, duty had to trump even your own happiness. Especially when you were a 'hero'.
Next Chapter - Epilogue 2 (last chapter)
