A World With/Out Home

Epilogue: What happened after.

Epilogue: What happened after.

The change to the world, though sudden, was not apparent immediately. Riften was the first to feel the change. A heart wrenching pain coursed through his chest, the all too familiar sensation of a friend now lost. Then not even a moment later the incursion of demons he was facing suddenly vanished. The demons black and sludge like bodies burst apart into fine particles that faded to nothing leaving soldiers all across the field confused. The members of the Hero's Guard, tired and pushed to their limits suddenly found their targets gone and what followed was a strange and tenuous moment of silence. Then a cheer rang. Riften with his dagger held high, his eyes wet with tears but determined to see their victory through.

As for the world itself, demons aside, nothing seemed all too different. The barrier of swirling fog still surrounded their lands and though news quickly spread, the people could not see the difference. The true change however resided in the Garden upon which their world was centred. The children born from the power of past heroes perked up and much to the surprise of their temporary caretakers, charged outside in unison. Mitsu, Kara and Himila stood at their front, their eyes stuck to main entrance of the garden. The path which was usually consumed with darkness was bright and as they tentatively approached and peeked through, what should have led to the Temple grounds instead opened up a world wild with life and no signs of fog. The members of the Church who followed gaped in astonishment. The old world had returned.

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Epilogue: Karen and The Mercenaries of the Ever-Garden.

Karen, the de-facto leader of the Ever-Garden, had a lot to catch up on. From the sudden appearance and then disappearance of her best friend and comrades, to learning about the reality of the strife they had caused, not much time at all had passed. It didn't help that out of all the members of the Ever-Garden those that remained, Riften, Mori, Edgar, Sephie and Kyle were not suited to bureaucratic tasks. If it weren't for Lav who already had experience of the world, she may have lost her mind.

In the end however their role hadn't changed all too much. Protect the people and keep the peace. Though now with the addition of being obvious celebrities, and with a camera crew always nearby, while some thrived with the attention, others did not. The world was now split in two with the Garden being at its centre. An entire world that had gone astray needed to be reclaimed. Beasts and monsters that ran rampant in the fog had become numerous, the past cities were in ruins and then there was Kalvara, a foe now partial friend leading a large populace of devils and humans alike.

Karen sighed as she looked at the Gate from the new world to the old. Its construction barely finished. She couldn't help but wonder when next she would see the rest of her friends. Regardless a smile was on her face and those that she called family were waiting.

*

Epilogue: Melissa

Melissa never liked to stand out. She grew up on the streets and learned the trade of back alley deals, growing up to be a might pain for any authority. In the past she was known as an assassin and eventually through some rather awkward interactions joined the Hero's Guard where she found true companionship. When she lost her leg and her best friend, she thought it time to retire to quieter life. Life however found a way of dragging her back.

After refusing another promotion, Melissa adamantly refused to join the upper hierarchy of the Hero's Guard. She saw what they were putting Valandus through and wanted none of that responsibility. It was a shame however that her talents were needed. Pouched by the master of thieves himself, Riften anointed Melissa the head of his newly formed 'reconnaissance' team. It wasn't a job she could refuse, though she did try but when a literal living legend asks for your help, and also drops a tonne of cash on you, she couldn't really say no. On the plus side, Melissa never really stood out, at least not in most circles.

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Epilogue: Reina

Reina got what she always wanted, acknowledgement and responsibility. With the advent of the old world and her role as a 1st Officer, she was always busy with something. The people knew her as a stalwart commander who could handle near anything and much of the exploration of the old world was done under her management. Though she did achieve her goals and climbed to a position equal to her mentor, the man himself was gone. The memories of him however never stopped influencing her, including those of when to take a break and enjoy. Despite her usual stern expression, Reina learnt to smile more often, especially when she visited with a bottle of wine.

*

Epilogue: Valandus and Maila

Valandus somehow made it back home and spared no time in reaffirming his feelings for Maila. Even as the quarter elven women lamented the loss of his arm, Valandus could only smile. He, after all, had made it. With no super powers, a decent combat ability and quite a lot of luck, the driver had racked up more achievements than almost any other member of the Hero's Guard. What more, he finally got the girl of his dreams. As for Maila, she had made a promise and truth be told had always found Valandus endearing.

With the old world back in play, there was a lot of work to do. The two were incredibly busy, Maila being a leader of the Church and Valandus a 1st Officer. They however always had time for each other and to make things easier, Valandus chose to move back to the Garden, much to many of the children's excitement. Eventually the two did get married, a ceremony that ended being a much bigger deal than either of them had anticipated.

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Epilogue: The children of the Garden.

The children of the Garden, born from the remnant powers of four of the past Mercenaries of the Ever-Garden. With the incursions over and the plight of their world gone, the future for them all was suddenly much more open. There was no need to hide anymore and with their new freedoms also came curiosity. The spark of life that had been growing since their creation a hundred years prior was in full effect. Throughout the years that passed many of them left the Garden, whether it be to explore the world, work somewhere new or even find love and family. Regardless they all still had a home they could always return to, a home that continued to grow.

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Epilogue: Lillia/Lav.

The years passed and Lav never stopped looking. She had all the confidence and hope in the world that Estile would come back. To that extent, Lav never stayed in one place for too long. She was always out and about searching and waiting. Towns were built in the old world, people were born and others passed away. So Lav found herself at the edge of the frontier, a bustling beginning to a city made to reclaim the unknown, her stomach empty and a single bakery in sight.