Epilogue

"I can't believe it's been a year since the events that destroyed this village, a year from when we were torn apart. A year since we lost you,"

A fresh lifting sea breeze teased its way through the village bringing with it the reminder of new life as seagulls glided along the air current, squeeing in delight. Horns sounded from the newly rebuilt harbour to signify the arrival of the fishing fleet as the vessels moored themselves along the dock. Fishermen lined up and swung their catches to their waiting crew, the pungent aroma of fish filled the air. Men and women chatted loudly to one another as they sorted the goods ready to pass onto the traders and their eagerly waiting customers. Children squealed as they darted and dashed between the bustle of people, screaming in laughter as they chased each other through the streets.

"We had to rebuild from the ground up. The village was nothing but ashes, and our souls were exhausted. But that's one thing I have to say about humankind; we keep finding a way to survive,"

Archer and Miles stood outside, pondering over a table of blueprints as they deliberated their next plans. A year since the events of the final battle for Sera had left Archer with a huge hill to climb as the newly anointed Leader. But Miles had taken a firm position by his side as his second in command, and together they helped give new life to a destroyed village. Now they stood debating the need for supplies so they could develop and expand the hospital. Miles let out a thoughtful noise as he gazed back at the building they had planned to work their magic.

"The war brought out the best, and the worst of people. Those that remain are left broken by the events that I didn't think anyone would fully recover. It takes a strong leader to help pull your people forward from that rut."

Archer's Great Niece chortled a hearty belly laugh from the rug beside them as she tottered unsteadily towards her three adoptive mothers to the sound of their cheers. Archer paused a moment to watch the little life now left in his hands and the responsibility that came with it. So many people looked to him for answers and protection. It left him wondering how he was going to juggle it all. He glanced across at Miles who had joined the young child's captive audience with a grin across his face. They all knew that after everything that child had gone through she deserved the best upbringing in her life. Archer made his way towards her and opened his arms out to her. She let out a squeak of joy and toddled towards him, he caught her and swung her around. After all the pain he had suffered he had grown to realise that he needed her as much as she needed him.

"There is new life, however, children who can put the monsters behind them and start looking forward to a future. Small humans we can mould to be better than us, so they would never make the same mistakes we made."

Considering the fatalities that had struck the village that fateful day the population had now steadily started to grow. The imprisoned Nightmares had either accepted a sentence of confinement or a death penalty. Most had thrown their middle finger at the chance of a new life. Thaw, however, had admitted his guilt and was willing to spend the rest of his life righting the wrongs his leaders had left in their wake. The village had been reluctant to accept him at first, but he was repentant and understanding in their pain. He wasn't going to rush a process that could take some time.

The village had become a welcoming refuge to all, finally stepping away from Burn's strict ruling, Archer's legacy was already making a name for itself. Travellers were drawn to the fish trade and the secure walls that protected the inhabitants. Many people opted to stay, bringing with them new skills to help develop the village further.

"We are all in this together, after all. We need each other if we stand a chance in overcoming extinction,"

Outside the infirmary, as Miles watched them carefully, Sofie pushed a stroller with her only treasured child swaddled inside. Beside her, Tate guided himself forwards with a walking frame as his nurse stood patiently in front of him, ready to catch him in case he lost his balance. The baby made a yowl from the stroller and Sofie reached in to attend to her, unfolding her from her blankets to hold her close. Tate stopped to take his family in, his heart swollen with pride as Sofie nuzzled the tiny human with a tuft of chestnut hair. He glanced down at his hands as he tried to grip the frame with the stumps of his fingers. A newfound determination pushed him forward. He was going to do everything in his power to make his family proud of him.

"Those of us who are battle worn have faced an uphill struggle. We are lucky that we have such a strong family around us to keep us going. I fear without them the darkness would have sucked us in a long time ago,"

It had taken Tate a while to accept his rehabilitation, despite Sofie's gentle pleading. He didn't want to admit that they could never reverse what had happened to him. It took a physical therapist to move to the village and express an interest in guiding him to recovery before he even considered leaving his bed. Together he helped him adapt to his disabilities and use them to his strengths. He had developed vastly since his first day on his feet, and now he pushed himself forward so he could hold his baby daughter for the first time.

"My family are fighters. That's for certain,"

Aidie pulled the door closed to her home, much larger these days to accommodate the children who now lived with her. A gurgle from the papoose on her back caused her to twist and ruffle the dark curls of her small daughter that nestled into her. Curled beside, her twin brother clutched at her fingers in comfort. Their dark features and ebony hair the epitome of their father. Aidie shook out her shawl and threw it over her shoulders to half cover the babies. The three brothers sprinted around her as they chased one another in their next game of imagination filled thrills. She followed them quietly through the street, stopping at Miles as the boys flung themselves at him in an embrace. He always took time out to fuss over the Wilks family. The babies had a particular place in his heart these days. Although he had never been tempted to settle down himself, he surrounded himself with his honorary children instead.

"I'm always surprised at how quickly people move on. I feel like I'm stuck firmly in yesterday reliving the moment you were ripped from me. There isn't a moment where we don't miss you, even though it looks like we may have forgotten. Your loss was something I struggle to overcome. I don't think I'll ever get over it,"

The eldest of the Wilks brothers, apparently bored with the adult conversation, rushed over and grabbed Aidie by the hand, pulling her away towards the tantalising scents of the harbour. His two younger brothers scampered alongside him in excitement. She smiled at their mirth as they greeted every vendor with enthusiasm at their goods, tugging on her sleeve to encourage her to barter. The boys took their goodies and sprinted to their favourite picnic spot overlooking the harbour where they shared everything between themselves. Aidie sat and watched them as she nursed the twins, cradling one as the other rolled around on her back cooing playfully at her youngest uncle. Aidie let the wind breeze through her blonde curls, rippling through her like a hand stroking her lovingly. She closed her eyes and let out a slight sigh.

"I had never factored having a family into my future, but here I am with five kids. I'm starting to feel my age already. The boys are typical boys, all competing with one another and totally oblivious to any impossibilities. And then there's the twins..."

As a chill started to fill the air, she wrapped the twins back into their papoose, greeted by their complaints. For such young humans, they certainly had very distinct personalities already. The eldest of the two, her plucky daughter, who had challenged her mother every step of the way, had a fiery soul not too dissimilar from her parents. Her son was more content in comparison, he took everything in his stride. He had never seemed to be in much of a rush to do anything.

"Aliana and Jaime Wilks arrived one stormy night. There were certainly a few worrying months as one was in a hurry to enter this world and the other not so much, but they are fighters. Runs in the family I guess."

Aidie continued her walk through the village up to the lonesome cemetery overlooking the life that surrounded them. The boys diverted over to a large tree and commenced their climbing, teasing one another as the eldest raced his younger siblings to the higher branches. She softly padded through the rows and rows of newly etched headstones, positioned to commemorate those who had fallen in Sera's final battle. A shiver shuddered down her spine, forcing her to pull her shawl closer around her shoulders and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked around and picked out the regularly visited gravestones, bunches of flowers laid on most, beside names of villagers. People she had seen torn apart in front of her, people she had loved, her family.

"I wish you were here to meet them. You saved my life; you saved our lives, and I will be forever indebted to you."

She dropped to her knees beside one particular grave, leaning forward to place a hand on it and utter a silent prayer. Her fingers traced along the wording on the headstone, as if touch alone would bring her closer to contact with the dead. Eventually, she rose to her feet, tears in her eyes, wiping them away with her palm, she let out a heavy breath.

"There are times that I have contemplated walking away from this chance of a happy ending. I feel like I don't deserve it. The grief I feel from losing you, is there ever a way back to normality from here?"

She wearily pulled herself to her feet, her snoozing children on her back grumbled to one another at the awkward jolting. Dusk was starting to settle over the village as a soft purple haze coloured the sky. She turned and continued up the incline till she reached the peak and looked back to gaze down at her village, her home.

"I know I'm foolish to think that you can even hear me, you're gone like so many people. Sera is saved, leaving us thanking the invisible gods, demigods, whoever we turned to when the world needed it."

A hand linked into the crook of her arm. She blinked, and half turned her head as a gentle smile spread across her lips.

"I don't need a god to thank for saving my life, I needed you. You gave me my life back, you gave me a future."

She leant her head against her companion and let out a heavy breath.

"She gave me a reason to survive,"

Her companion reached across and teased a strand of hair behind her ear, she looked up, reaching a hand lovingly to stroke against their cheek. His scars would be a forever reminder of his past, slashing down one side of his face. One eye now partially hazy white gazed blindly at her as the other dark iris fixed intently upon her. She loved this man dearly and didn't want to think how close she had gotten to losing him.

"Whenever I think of walking away I think of her and everything she did for me,"

As if sensing the moment her daughter let out a bleat of a cry, her tiny arms fighting her swaddling to reach out to her father. He dug into the papoose and plucked her out into his arms, drawing her into his chest as he stroked her dark curls. He whispered quietly to her until she settled into him. Aliana would forever be her father's little girl.

"There is nothing I won't do for her, for them,"

Aidie watched him thoughtfully marvelling at the man she proudly called her husband. He had suffered for a long time battling the demons inside his head, and the survivor's guilt that had nearly cost him his life. It had taken the twins arrival for Ollyvar Wilks to realise that he needed to keep going for the sake of the tiny humans that depended upon him. And when he felt the darkness start to suck him down again his family were intuitively by his side ready to pull him back.

As they made to walk back down the cemetery to the boys, Aidie held back a moment to stop and honour the final gravestone, overlooking the village like he would have wanted. The place where Wilks went when he needed answers, but the silence served as a response enough. She nodded as a thank you as she smiled sadly at the inscription; 'Cameron Jaime Ceorl'.

They plodded slowly down the pathway, Wilks carefully holding his daughter to his chest as she lovingly gazed back him. Her dark eyes just like her father. Aidie linked an arm with him as they stopped to take in the brothers playing in the tree.

Ollyver took a moment to admire his family, his half brothers who had needed his protection from the COG. His wife who had remained steadfast beside him no matter what and his children who had brought him back from oblivion. He was a survivor because of their strength.

He glanced back at Aidie, placing a hand under her chin to bring her attention to him. Her expression softened as her eyes met his and she sent him a quirky smile as he leant down to kiss her gently.

"What's next?" she asked him with a knowing look. His half siblings sprinted past them, the youngest stumbled behind all chubby legged and laughing.

So many memories of the past swirled and ebbed between them, both good and bad. How do you respond when you don't know the answer yourself? But one look at Aidie's expectant face made him realise that no matter what she would be by his side.

"We live," he gave her a smirk, "for them."