The Blades

Chapter Twenty-Four

June 21st in the 4th year of the 18th Ultimatum

Five years later, on my 27th birthday, Airys and I gathered Thälor, Kodi, and Tercet for a small celebration of old times, though now on different paths, our bond was as strong as ever. There we were, standing atop that hill, overlooking Dolonde's bay as we had done for my birthday six years prior. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Tercet was doing better. Now seventeen years old, fluent in elvish, and the art of healing, the only remainder of her old injury was a slight limp in her right leg. She was vastly improving but had left behind the life of an assassin to become the new Sanctuary's head healer, trading Red for Blue.

Thälor and Kodi were happily together. The two of them had gone to the Nyx Academy of magic and had graduated in just two years—half the time it took others—with top marks from their professors. Kodi's shifting ability had vastly improved to where he could now change facial features and hold forms for a lot longer. It entertained him to see how long he could go with a conversation before someone realized they weren't talking to who they thought they were. The only thing that hadn't changed was his voice. Thälor was now an almighty and powerful fire sorceress. I was definitely confident she could burn down all of Skystead, instead of just the forest had she wanted to.

Airys had taken in many orphans off the streets and was teaching them the new ways of the Blades. Many showed promise as young assassins, healers and everything in between. Together, we trained them, opting out of using Bayah's methods but coming up with our own. I had personally taken it upon myself to travel to every region, searching for orphans or breaking people out of prisons that I thought were fit to join us. Our numbers were made up of Dwarves, Nyx, Naryans, Elves, Zei, and Humans alike. A family. The Blades flourished once again under Airys' leadership.

So, there we were, gazing across the water at the sunset, the sky flushed with red, gold and blue; a painting artists had yet to master.

We had saved the world, lost everything we had, and yet we still stood. I was happy, my hand locked in Airys', our fingers laced together.

As one, we took up each other's hands, looked at the faces of each other, took in a deep breath, inhaling the salty smell of the ocean and the young pine trees. And then...

We jumped.