Epilogue
A hooded man stood inside the burnt-out ruins of Mattias Hearthheart's former home. The smell of smoke still polluted the air even though it had been several days since the fire had died. The upper floors had collapsed upon themselves, but the marble staircase still stood strong. The man ran his gloved hand across its intricate detailing and snorted. Mattias really did spare no expense. The man sifted through ash, books, and other ruined possessions. Finally, he found what he was looking for. He put it in his pocket and began to stride back to the door when something caught his eye. A large, pure gold picture frame glimmered in the moonlight beaming down from a hole where the roof had caved in. He picked it up and looked at the mostly undamaged painting. A beautiful girl with large, sad brown eyes and long blonde hair stared back at him. The man's heart started beating faster.
"Lesianna," he whispered. He touched her face and shook his head. "You were everything to me. And oh, how she looks like you…"
The man looked up quickly as a figure appeared at the doorway. "Boss, the ship's arrived. It's moored and waiting."
"Did Dread succeed?" the man asked curtly.
"Yes. Lighthouse watchman's dead and the Guard's none the wiser."
"Right. We gotta go before the midnight patrol arrives." The man gave the painting one last look before propping it up against the wall and jogging to the door.
The two men walked quickly down to Daggerfall Docks. A huge, menacing-looking black ship known as The Final Dawn was moored at the very end. Dread, a frighteningly large Argonian, stood against it. Busting him out of prison was a minor hassle, but they were sure his talents would prove more than useful. He flashed them a grin with his sharp, white teeth as they approached.
The hooded man crossed his arms and looked around before addressing the Argonian. "Has anyone seen the ship?"
"Yes. Just one. A nosy Nord woman walked past earlier. She seemed harmless, but Shasinn took care of it. She's as dead as the Ayleids."
"Good. Stand guard out here until we weigh anchor."
The two men boarded the ship and went below deck. The man's men sat around tables and on the floor, gambling, talking loudly, and drinking. They were extremely professional and reliable when on duty. But when they weren't, they were loud, mean, and churlish. One of his agents approached him holding a trained hawk. The agent spoke quietly, telling the man something that made him smile wickedly.
"Gotcha now," he said.
He made his way to the captain's quarters. Waylas, an old Redgurad who served as Dawn's captain, was there waiting for him.
"Ah, you're here," said Waylas. "To Anvil, then?"
The man pursed his lips beneath his mask. "No. Change of plans, take us to Evermore. There's something I need to do."
Thank you for reading my story, and I hope you're enjoying Serenity's journey so far! I'm in the process of writing Dancing Under a Diamond Sky Book Two, you can find it on my profile. Thank you again!