[COMPLETE] R E V E R S E #NaNoWriMo2k17

Epilogue

 The quiet clopping of hooves on the volcanic rock was the only sound on the hill, save for the ever present bubbling of lava as it leaped in hissing pools. The centaur looked out over at the landscape, bow at the side, tail swishing. His amber eyes were tired from lack of sleep and stress.

A smaller, shorter centaur approached him, holding a scroll. "Sir."

"Did you receive the report? What did our spies say?"

"They've... they've captured the Icefields. The operation was a success."

He muttered a few curses under his breath. "By Mather... this is far worse than I could've predicted."

Talus remained respectfully silent as the chieftain paced around the ledge. "Curse our wild cousins," he muttered. "I should've seen it coming. Abandoning us, taking the side of that tyrant Talona..."

"What will we do?"

He stopped pacing. "I'll have to think about it. In the meantime, see if its possible to help any of the warriors escape."

"Yes sir."

"Am I correct in saying that all of the dragons were captured or killed?"

"Almost, sir."

He looked at him quizzically, his arms behind his back. "Almost?"

"Apparently, one of the dragons escaped last night. Are you familiar with Darius Reijal?"

He frowned, looking over at the horizon. "A little. I've heard his name before, but not much."

"His last remaining descendent, Ajax Reijal, somehow managed to bypass all the guards without any of them noticing. They're still trying to figure out how he escaped."

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "If he can get out, maybe the others can too. We just have to figure out how." He paused. "Do you think this dragon would come by here?"

"Why, though?"

"I don't believe he would stay in the Icefields for too long, with half the entire monster population after him. He might fly along the Frigid Floes towards the Starfall Isles, but then he runs the risk of being spotted. Plus, the Isles is the location -" he stopped "-correction, was the location of their main base. If I could, I'd bet he'd come around here or to the Windswept Plateau."

"What about the Shifting Expanse?"

"Maybe. If that's the case, we'll have to alert the other dunhoof tribes around that area to be on the alert for this Ajax Reijal. Do you have a description of him?"

"It's just says 'Tundra with white fur' here. I'd say he's got Ice eyes too, since his family is exclusively so."

"Excellent. That's good enough. Is Caela around right now, or is she on messenger duty? I keep forgetting these days."

"No, she's here." Talus whistled, a long, loud blast which reverberated through the valleys. A few minutes later, a small shape could be seen spiraling up from the shadows cast by the hills, approaching rapidly.

"Oh duty, sir." She bobbed her head. Caela had always been must smaller than her harpy sisters, but she didn't care. Plus, it helped her to avoid detection better.

He gently took the scroll from his assistant's hands. "Could you duplicate this letter two times? I need to send a copy of it to each of the tribes in Wind and Lightning. Tell them to keep an eye out for a white Tundra with Ice eyes."

"White Tundra with Ice eyes," she repeated. She snatched the scroll in her claws. "I think I can do that."

"Good. Don't deliver both of them, you'll overwork yourself. Get Robin or Sky to help you."

"I won't. Good luck, Oak."

"Good luck and goodbye."

After the harpy left, scroll safely in her talons, he sighed. "She's a good girl. Unlike some."

Talus shifted uncomfortably. "Let's not talk about that."

"Right," he sighed. A cool breeze blew through, probably a blessing of the Windsinger. It reminded him of better days, when the world wasn't so torn up like this.

"I still don't get why they are like this," he muttered. "Why did they leave in the first place?"

"They didn't like being overrun by the dragons. They wanted to be independent."

"Still. We are already independent enough, are we not?" He looked towards the sky. "Maybe I'll never understand them."

"Have faith, Oak. They're not completely gone."

"Talus... it's been over six hundred years since the war started. It would take a serious amount of determination to not fall into that trap." He shook his head. "From the moment I was born, everything revolved around fighting and bloodshed. I knew no peace, and I was desperate to feel it."

"Is that why you left the army?"

"Perhaps. Even now I still don't know why I resigned. Maybe it was a feeling. Or an instinct. Whatever the case, here I am now."

They stood together on the mountain for a while. The sun had already set beneeth the horizon, the moon just beginning to peek over the horizon when he spoke again.

"Talus... do you want peace?"

He hesitated. "I do, sir."

"You seem unsure."

"It's just... the Beastclans and the flights have been at war for countless number of years. Everything resolved around winning the fight. When one side has been defeated... what will the winning side do?"

"Maybe spend the next hundred years repairing the damage the enemy - and they - have done."

"Heh. Maybe."

There was another period of silence. The stars started popping into view. Most of them were invisible against the night sky de to the smoke constantly rising from the volcanos, but a few managed to shine through. He was staring so intently at one he didn't realise Talus was talking to him until he tapped him on the shoulder, startling him.

"What? Oh, sorry. I got distracted."

"It's uh... it's getting late. We should be heading back."

He blinked a few times. "Right. Yes. Sorry."

"Are you okay Oak? You've seemed really distracted recently."

He hesitated, before sighing. "I'm getting old, Talus. And don't deny it."

He started to make his way back down the hill, Talus quickly trotting to catch up. "Honestly, these days, there's only one thing I still wish for after all these years. Not fame, not riches."

"What is it?"

Pause. The crickets began to chirp, singing a nighttime lullaby as he looked on silently.

"A break."

--------

And that, my friends is the end of Book 1 of the Reverse seriers.

I FINALLY FINISH A BOOK AJFHAKEJFBAEV

IT ONLY TOOK TWO YEARS ahahHA

*ahem*

The next book is still a WIP, and I'll probably only start working on it during next year's nano(sorry ;-;)

We're not done yet though. The final word count for this book is 46070... 3930 words off 50k.

YEP TIME FOR RANDOM BLOOPERS

CYA ON THE OTHER SIDE