Vuroth's Tear: Even the Gods Cry

Epilogue

Epilogue

A year had passed since Tola had been stopped and Drakorna had begun rebuilding itself with Dravis as it's new king. He focused on the people, spreading the word to every city that the war, the plague of Tola, was over and they were safe once more. There was a lot of work left to do but to him, the most important thing was to be open with those he now ruled over.

The throne room had been fixed, the window high above the throne had been replaced. Dravis had his royal guard, the men he had fought beside in the battle against the husks, spread throughout the castle and walked the streets to offer help to those who still worked to rebuild Travidon. There was still a lot of work to do but Dravis was optimistic about the future.

Dravis was thankful that the kingdom seemed to accept him as their new king. He expected at least some resistance but the people looked at him adoringly, visiting the castle to pay their respects with gifts and heartfelt thanks for risking his life to save them.

He sat alone in the throne room, staring at the floor. The carpets had been replaced, the gashes in the stone from the weapons were gone but still he couldn't get the picture of the room out of his mind, the Syn carcasses littering the floor. Aven, Kass and Velana surround the body of Donovan. Dravis hoped his friends were well, he wished they would have stayed for a while. Maybe one day soon, he will see them again.

Krenton was slowly being rebuilt by Velana, Kass, Cap and his crew. In the months since leaving Travidon, they had cleared out the rubble of the fallen buildings and fixed the buildings that had been damaged but not destroyed. The dock had been rebuilt so it would no longer be a gamble to walk on it. There was still much to be done but already the port town of Krenton was returning to life. Velana insisted on rebuilding Donovan's old house and called it her home when it was finished. She and Kass shared the home, the two were inseparable and in love.

Cap had left a month before to get supplies and hopefully more people help finish rebuilding and live in Krenton. Velana expected him back any day and she hoped he would have word about Aven. He left soon after burying Donovan, he promised Quinn he would return for Aro and so that was where he went. There was no goodbye, he just went to bed one night and when Velana and Kass awoke the next morning with nothing but a short note to tell where he had gone.

Velana woke early, the sun was just about to poke up over the horizon when she stepped outside into the cool breeze that blew in from the sea. It was still dark but the sky was filled with the lighter blues and pinks that signaled that dawn was near. She saw that Cap's ship was docked, gently floating on the water and she smiled. Velana decided it was too early to go talk to Cap, he was probably resting up from the voyage.

As she turned to head back inside, she noticed someone standing in the distance, staring down at Donovan's grave. It was Aven, she could tell from the clothing he wore, the same tattered clothing that Velana had gotten for him some time ago. She ran to him and smiled as she came closer.

"Aven?" She gasped, she couldn't hold back the tears as she hugged him. She could feel the worn leather under her hands, the holes from his fight with Maduk had been sewn but not very well, "I've missed you. How dare you leave for a year without saying goodbye first!" She scolded him but it didn't really matter to her, he was back.

"I didn't plan on being gone for so long, but I had some things I needed to take care of," He said, hugging her tightly. He was thankful just to see his friend again.

When he let her go, she pulled back and looked at him. She pulled down his hood and gasped by how much he had changed. His eyes were completely filled with a burning swirl of red, yellow and orange flame. His hair had grown back out but was no longer solid black, but ashen gray. She could tell his skin was darker, tanner and she could see tiny cracks in his skin that had a glow, like hot embers burning just beneath his skin. The cracks were thicker, more noticeable on the backs of his hands and around his hairline.

She ran her fingertips on his cheek, tracing one of the thick lines that started by his ear and traveled down his jawline, "It's beautiful," was all she could bring herself to speak, she was in awe of the drastic change in her friend after just a short amount of time, "I thought it took years for this sort of thing to happen. That's how Verik made it seem, right?"

Aven smiled, "I still have Vuroth's Tear. It amplifies my power. It's made the change happen a lot faster than it normally would," He made a fist and watched the cracks covering his hand glow brighter, "I'm still getting stronger."

He stared at her, realizing just how much he missed her and Kass, "How is everything? How are you and Kass doing?"

Velana's smile grew very wide, "We are very well," she grabbed his hand and put it on her belly, "We are going to have a baby."

Aven could feel that her belly had grown but not by much, she wasn't too far along, "Congratulations, Vel," He said with joy and hugged her again.

"Yeah, I'm going to be a mother, Kass is going to be a father, which I cannot tell you just how excited he is," She smiled at Aven, "And you are going to be an uncle. You said we were a family and you were right."

Aven was in shock, he didn't know how to respond. He felt so honored, so loved. He looked over Velana's shoulder and saw Kass walking towards them, "We are a family, Vel and that's why I need to ask you for a favor."

Velana sighed, "So you didn't come here just to see us, huh? What do you need?"

Kass made it to them and kissed Velana on the cheek, then nodded to Aven. Aven smiled, "I promised Quinn that I would keep Aro safe. I was hoping you could look after her for a while."

Velana looked at him, confused, "Of course we can, but why can't you look after her?"

Aven looked down at Donovan's grave for a moment before responding, "When I first found out that Verik was the one who healed me, and that he left me all alone, I was filled with rage. Now, I understand why he did it, and that is why I can't take care of her right now. Like Verik was then, I'm a Mage and I have a duty to the kingdom."

Velana looked at Aven, the full fledged Ember Mage, "We will look after her, but only if you promise to come visit her, and us when you can."

Aven looked down at the stone with Donovan's daggers sticking out of it, marking his grave, "Yeah, I'll be back to see you all. I need to meet my niece or nephew, don't I?" Kass and Velana both smiled before he continued, "She's asleep on the ship. Take care of yourselves, I love you guys." Before they could respond, he turned and walked towards the forest.

Aven walked with a new purpose, his rage had an outlet, fighting the evil that threatened the kingdom of Drakorna. He felt Vuroth's tear hanging from a chain around his neck, hidden under his shirt. With it, hung Donovan's enchanted ring as a reminder of what he lost, the pain he felt. For the first time in years, Aven traveled alone, but for the first time he didn't feel alone. Aven knew he had a family now. Velana, Kass, and their unborn child, even Aro, were his family. As he disappeared from sight, Velana smiled. She saw something different in him, something that she hadn't seen in him before. He had peace, he had purpose.

Kass looked at her, "You're just going to let him go?"

Velana kissed him on his lips, "He'll be back," she rubbed a hand on her growing belly, "Krenton is his home now, and everybody eventually comes home."