The Isles of Ice Book Two: A Frozen Heart

Epilogue

A week had passed since the Caros Incident.

There still wasn't a fancy name for it, everyone was too shocked. Astraeus had sent an entire island into the sea, and there was no sign of it.

Kingston had been quick to take credit, saying it was proof that the nation was blessed by the Maker. The Kingston forces took advantage of Clamerates having its fleet shushed to bits when Caros was sunk and invaded the island.

Xavier passed out pretty soon after saving Atlas, and woke up to hear the news. He hadn't imagined any of it.

At the very least, Caros had an evacuation order issued, so many Carosites were alive. They lacked any nation to grant them sanctuary, but that was secondary to their lives.

Kingston had taken over Clamerates. The Clamerates Empire was no more, Damien had been executed and the rest of his council were imprisoned.

It was difficult for Xavier to believe. The status quo had been changed, and there was nothing the group could do about it. They had tried everything they could to stop Astraeus, but he still won at the last minute.

Helena was trying to put on a brave face, but Xavier could tell she was worried sick about her husband. The pirate tried his best to console her. It was new to him, but that didn't mean he couldn't try.

Luna and Maya were in shock from it all, but in the best spirits of anyone. Luna had awakened her latent power, and she was eager to use it to try and change their course.

Despite this, it was still disheartening that Kingston now had such a large hold over the Archipelago.

Atlas was barely responsive at first, they were in pure shock. It made sense, losing Solanja and now having to watch Caros be lost as well.

They opened up after a day or two, and made it clear they were only just getting started. Astraeus's hand had clearly been forced, and they believed they had a solution in mind.

Xavier felt as though he had both failed and succeeded. There were still many lives lost, as well as an entire island, but Xavier had saved his friend.

It was that victory that gave Xavier hope for the future. The pirate had nearly beaten Astraeus, and managed to protect someone close to him. Rose would certainly be happy with his efforts.

The pirate had also noticed his ice magic had weakened, slowly returning to its normal levels. Atlas described it as his heart thawing, as he allowed himself to mourn.

Kingston was now threatening Marok and the Azure Cove more than ever. They were the only holdouts left, and there would only be so much time until Kingston was ready to make its next move.

The death of Titus was a large blow, and the Scalliers were upset that they were used as bait. Their contributions would be greatly scaled back. One small victory in the sea of disaster.

Jacob had no words, he buried himself in the forge on the Azure Cove and barely left for several days.

Xavier walked outside one day and snow was falling from the sky. The cove was slowly rebuilding, and everyone was on edge. There was no telling when Kingston would strike.

Xavier walked down the street to the forge where Jacob had been spending most of his time. The pirate knocked on the door and let himself inside, finding Jacob hard at work on some sort of craft.

"Sorry to interrupt, lad." Xavier's voice felt foreign in the room.

Jacob stopped what he was working on and turned around. The boy was completely heartbroken, Xavier could tell. "What's up?"

The pirate gestured to the door. "Come on a walk with me, Jacob." The blacksmith didn't even bother protesting.

The two walked in silence for a little while, going through the chaotic city of the Cove. "So lad, how are you feeling. Be honest."

Jacob waited a while to respond, but eventually sighed. "It's weird. It doesn't feel real. I just wish I had gotten to spend more time there. But I don't really feel liken I regret it, it's weird."

Xavier nodded. "I know what you mean. It's a lot to parse. It's so beyond what I could ever imagine... you're taking it better than I did."

Jacob shook his head. "I've been trying to distract myself by forging random weapons for days now. That's not really much different than what you did."

"It's more productive." Xavier countered. "Either way, not the point. The point is, you're doing the best you can and that's what counts lad."

A tear slipped down Jacob's cheek, so Xavier offered the boy a hand. Jacob took it and embraced his friend. "It's been a lot, but we'll get through it. Aye, lad?"

Jacob nodded, and then looked out at the water. A few minutes later, Atlas appeared beside them. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Xavier shook his head. "What's up Atlas."

"I've been trying to think of how to handle Astraeus, and figure everything out with Luna and how the islands are sinking. I think I have a plan. It's going to sound insane, but I think we can do it."

Jacob turned to face Atlas. "Which is?"

Atlas stared out at the horizon. "We're going to go to Solanja."