by Sean Watman
“Well we are not that far from the palace,” Leo says.
“I thought we were travelling for a while! Do you think the guards will pursue us quickly?” He could hear the tension and agitation in my voice. He motioned at me with his paw as a smile began to form on his face. I immediately became very ticked; how could he laugh at me? I had done the single most insane thing I could think of. .
“I think you are referring to the wrong palace,” Leo says to me as he motioned with his paw. Instead of jumping to conclusions this time, I follow his paw and stare into the valley below me.
“Yeah … Did I mention how convenient this is?” I ask him. We didn't need to go looking for Lyra, she would come to us. Now we could stake out at the true palace, fight off any defenders, and clean the place up until they arrive. The fear of being attacked once I reach the true palace evaded my mind as I glanced at the moss-stricken walls. This thing was old, but it had a glow to it, a certain vibe that told you this place was for royalty, despite its condition. The walls were cracked, some of the windows were shattered, and the moat that was once probably was a sea of lava had run dry.
“Remind me why we didn't just assume leadership in the good palace?”
“You know why; it is the rally point for this country. King Sol can lead our armies from here, and it is your job to ensure that peace is restored.”
“By leading armies, how are we ensuring peace? We're just causing more casualties, more death, more suffering. How can you be okay with that?”
“It is not my choice that I am part of this war. I just have seen many more battles, and my body always quivers in anticipation at a new and stronger foe.” Leo contradicted himself, but I wasn't going to tell him. He was avoiding my question by shutting me off from his true feelings. I wasn't going to be assured of anything he said anymore.
I look at the volcanoes around us, the ash that had stuck to my pants, and I think of home. Memories of my friends, my family, my life. And that's all they are ever going to be now: memories. I couldn't go back, not while I was still a part of something here. My role is just starting, and I have much to learn, but something was nagging at me in the back of my mind that makes me forget about my past life. I feel this really hot sensation in my pocket. At first it's soothing and relaxing, until it becomes unbearable. Taking the bottle from Kris out of my pocket as I sit down on a nearby rock, I examine it. I now had another thing on my to-do list after Lyra arrives—for the bottle was now Pyrian red.
End of Book 1
Epilogue:
Necros was not a pretty country, and the constant signs of death and Armageddon that surround him almost make him vomit. Kris struggled through the clumps of bones and decay that littered the black wastelands. He hated going through this country, but it was the shortest route to Tidran, which is where he needed to be.
“This is the second time you have trespassed on my grounds.” A whisper on the wind breaks the silence. Kris summons Aquas, awaiting the appearance of his enemy that he knew all too well.
“We had a deal,” Kris calls out to it. “You granted me safe passage through to Pyrus; let me pass.” The black figure stands tall as he appears from behind a stack of bones. His blood red eyes make him seem like a zombie, but not all Kreydurs wear the armor that signifies them. The stench of death surrounds him as he continues to approach.
“That was passage towards Pyrus; our deal did not concern the return trip. You may have bested me before, but I was unprepared. Shade and I have decided that Necros will side with the winners.” Kris looks at him blankly. “Do not pretend to play dumb, Kreydur, I have seen the revival of Pyrus. The civil war will begin soon, and until a victor can be determined, we have no allegiances.”
“Then you will die a traitor to the code,” Kris replies coldly, and his claymore rose in defiance. A bat appears on the shoulder of the dark-skinned man but disappears as quickly as it came, like a shadow inside of a shadow. Kris finished the man off with one slash, never learning his name. But even as his body begins to evaporate into the sky, the man laughs.
“I may be finished. You may think you have won, but no one withstands a bite from Shade.” In response, fangs pierce Kris's back, and he crumbles to the floor.
“I considered having you killed with me, but this will be much more fitting. My time may now be over, but you are now just as much of a traitor to the code as I am,” he continues. His laugh echoes through the air as his face fades into the sky. Kris's palms fluctuate from black to blue. His cry of agony becomes that of a wolf. His blue eyes alit with a flame. His hands became pointed and sharp, and ocean blue fur grew along his shoulders. Aquas was no longer with him, but neither was Shade. Wings had extended from his back as his ears became pointed—the blue eyes now blood red. With another howl to the moon hidden behind the clouds, the beast begins its hunt for food. Anything would do, as long as it satisfied the bloodlust.