William tried unsuccessfully to sleep, until the first beams of light shone through the windows and he sat upright. He softly got to his feet so as not to disturb Kirby, crossed the room, and looked out the northern windows.
He was surprised—but probably shouldn't have been—to see a small band of travelers approaching from the forests.
"Kirby!" he hissed, startling her from sleep. "Wake up!"
Chapter 83: William
William, Kirby, Drew, and a handful of New City free men and women traveled down the stairs, past the secured doors, and out into the sunny fields, carrying their weapons. On either side of them, the enormous windmills creaked. Noticing them coming, the band of visitors stopped midway up the path.
"Keep your guns ready," Kirby instructed the people around her.
The men and women heeded her instructions. William kept his hand near his holstered gun. As they continued, he noticed the men wore loose white garments, with strange adornments around their necks. The visitors looked like some of the people he'd seen from up high, but never up close. With relief, William noticed they bore only sheathed blades at their sides.
"Good morning," Drew said to the newcomers, as they got within fifteen feet.
The strange men looked around the fields, processing a change from what they were used to. One or two eyed the guns warily, probably second-guessing their decision to approach.
"We are looking for Rudyard," said one man, looking back and forth as if he expected demons to spring out and ambush them.
"Rudyard is dead," Drew said simply. "And so are the rest of The Gifted."
The two groups watched each other warily.
Leaving no room for guesses, Drew added, "We own New City now. We are the new owners of this land, and everything on it."
William swallowed. He knew the importance of staking claim to a piece of land that others might try to take. To his relief, the men didn't seem as if they were in for a fight.
Stepping forward, holding up his hands to show his good intent, the man said, "My name is Xavier. Our people have traded here with The Gifted for many years. We would be willing to trade with you, too, if that is agreeable."
"You are the Yatari," Kirby said.
Xavier nodded. "We are here for a peaceful meeting. Perhaps we can come to a similar agreement as we had with the previous owners."
The men shifted nervously, perhaps wondering whether the people in front of them might take their things forcefully and kill them.
Kirby watched Xavier. After a long moment, she said, "You helped one of our friends, a while ago. A man named Bray."
A flicker of recognition crossed Xavier's face. "I remember."
"Bray is dead," Kirby said, "but we appreciate the help you gave him. Such favors are not easily forgotten."
Putting two things together, Xavier said, "I will admit, I am glad to see you standing here, and not some others."
A few of his men nodded their agreement.
Xavier continued. "It is customary for our people to give a gift as a gesture of good faith. If you are interested in our wares, we would be glad to provide you a sample, like the people with whom we used to trade."
"Are those shells?" Drew asked as he pointed to the bags, seeming as if he already knew the answer.
"Yes, for the glass you produce in the city, as The Gifted requested," Xavier said. "Along with some other goods from the ocean. They are things you cannot easily get here, as you know."
The men stepped forward politely, placing the bags down for Drew, Kirby, and the others to inspect. Drew opened one of them, revealing an array of colorful shells. William's eyes widened with curiosity as he examined the strange goods.
"If there is anything else we can do for you, let us know," Xavier said kindly.
Kirby exchanged a long glance with William, the same expression flickering in her eyes that he'd seen in their room the night before. Turning to Xavier, she said, "There is something I might want to discuss."
Epilogue
Warm sunlight created a shimmering glare over the ocean as William and Kirby peered across the blue water, off the side of the boat the Yatari had traded them. A few birds swooped and dove, plucking small fish from the rippling water. Others soared on smooth wings, searching for prey beneath the ocean's surface.
"Do you think Drew was upset with our decision to leave?" William asked Kirby.
"No," Kirby said. "Drew is an honorable man, like Bray. He knows that we did what we needed to be happy. He was grateful you spent some time teaching him what you learned about reading and writing. He'll pass that knowledge to others."
"Perhaps we will be back one day," William said wistfully. Turning his attention to the vast expanse of blue around them, his face turned to wonder as he said, "I can't believe we are on the never-ending river."
"The ocean," Kirby clarified, smiling, as a breeze blew through her hair.
"The ocean," William repeated, trying to break his old habits. "I remember seeing it in the Ancient City, and in a few places we traveled, but I've never floated on top of it. The people of Brighton used to say that it goes on forever."
"Not forever," Kirby said, keeping her smile. "Or, at least, that is not what our people think. But a long way. In most directions you sail, you will find land. Or, that is what we've been taught."
"Who knows what sort of people we might find out here?" he asked.
"Other people, perhaps other civilizations," Kirby mused. "We can only speculate what is beyond the large piece of land we left." Holding up the map in her hand, which the Yatari had given her, she said, "For now, we'll keep close to land, looking for these islands. We don't want to run into a storm that will knock us off course, or damage the boat. Who knows? Perhaps we will like one of the islands enough to stay a while."
"We can be the Wardens of the sea," William said. A swell of excitement overtook him as he envisioned hunting, or fishing, in some faraway place.
Kirby smiled.
A soft wind blew from the east, rippling the water and running through William's shaggy hair. Leaning back, he felt a sense of calm he hadn't enjoyed in a long while. He'd never seen so much empty space around him. Kirby had told him about a group of dangerous, sea-faring people, but he couldn't envision anyone bothering them so far from land. He certainly felt safer than when he was back in the townships, or anywhere else they had been—perhaps even safer than New City. And they had plenty of guns from Drew.
Peering over the edge of the large, smooth boat, William stuck a hand against the opposing wind.
"I think Bray would've liked it out here," William said, with certainty.
Kirby fell silent a moment, reflecting, before a gentle smile appeared across her face. "I think he might've been wary about this contraption, but he would've gotten used to it."
William retrieved the flask he'd taken from New City, which he'd marked with Bray's initials. He took a long sip, looking down at Bray's sword, which still hung by his side. Wherever he went, he would carry his friend with him.
"Did the Yatari have names for these islands?" he asked Kirby.
Kirby shook her head.
"Perhaps we can name them," William said excitedly.
"You'll have to write the names on the map," Kirby reminded him. "Or maybe I can try, with what you showed me."
They sailed for most of a day, under the hot sun, with only the accompaniment of some birds, or the occasional splash of a fish close to the hull. Sometimes, the sun shone too hot, and William and Kirby covered their faces with thin blankets. The water created a glare that made it hard to see occasionally, but was always magnificent.
Around mid-day, they snacked on some dried meat and figs they had taken from New City. William marveled that the goods tasted even fresher over the ocean. Perhaps it was the excitement of the trip, which made every breath, every sight, seem different and unique.
The sun was settling over the horizon when William spotted a small patch of green and brown in the distance,
sprouting up as if the gods had dropped it in the middle of the water. He stood, taking out his binoculars.
"Is that the first island?" he asked, unable to stop his excitement as he looked through his device.
"I think so," Kirby said. Frowning, she pulled out the map. "Although it looks a little different than the drawing the Yatari made. Can I see the binoculars?"
He handed them to her, and she surveyed the island in the distance.
"Perhaps we have discovered a new place," she said with wonder.
"Maybe we can add it to our map," William said.
Kirby smiled. Reaching over, she took William's hand, as they watched the shore grow closer.
THE END
Afterword
Writing the last chapter of THE RUINS was bittersweet.
After ten books and three years of living in the heads of these characters, it has been hard parting with them.
Perhaps one of the most important story arcs of The Ruins (and The Last Survivors) has been William's. From his initial experiences as an infected boy escaping his township, to his journey with Bray and Kirby, William evaded death and endured loss. He forged his way through a ruined world with the guidance of his protectors.
In the end, he stood on his own.
Or at least, that is my hope.
As I wrote the last few scenes with Bray, I couldn't help but recall an earlier passage from Book 5 of The Last Survivors.
"The best thing you can do [for your children] is to teach them for when you're not around. They'll need your good sense to fall back on. That's the way to keep them safe. Like my father did for me. Like your parents did for you." - Bray
I'd like to think William and Kirby found their golden palace in the clouds. The gods know they have both earned it.
It is possible I'll return to the world of THE RUINS, but for now, the story is concluded.
For those wondering what is coming next, I have several projects on the horizon. The closest to THE RUINS—at least in tone—will be a sci-fi novel called SANDSTORM, set on a desert planet in a post-apocalyptic setting.
If you'd like to be the first to know when SANDSTORM comes out, or other stories similar to THE RUINS, sign up for my "no spam" newsletter here. I usually send emails out about once a month, telling you about new releases or specials on my other books.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sticking with THE RUINS. I hope you have enjoyed the series. I'll talk to you soon!
Tyler Piperbrook
-January 2018
P.S. If you enjoyed THE RUINS books, please leave a review!
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Text copyright © 2018 T.W. Piperbrook
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.
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