Ollie MacQuoid and the Journey To Rubius

Epilogue

When Ollie woke, he was staring into nothing.

Am I dead?

He reached out and felt around him. Fabric. Thick, heavy fabric, like fur. It was all around him. His back hurt more than he had ever remembered. He was laying on his stomach. There was wood beneath him. And they were moving.

Ollie reached out a little further. Flesh. Cold flesh. He started. Flesh! Though his back protested painfully, he pulled at the fabric around him until it gave way, flooding his lungs with icy air. Elora laid beside him, curled on her side, wrapped in layers of thick, furry blankets. Several large chunks of red gemstone, all of them blissfully warm to the touch, were mixed in with their pile of fabric, keeping any wind from blowing inside. Elora's face shifted. There wispy clouds of breath coming from her lips. She was breathing. There was another sleigh behind them. Ollie saw wings. His heart wasn't beating heavily anymore. In fact, it had stopped beating completely.

A face appeared over Elora, washed in white light. It was the leader of the group, whose name he couldn't remember. The shards of crystal sewn to his coat seemed to be glowing brighter. He gave him a warm smile. Ollie couldn't bring himself to do anything but stare in awe. Slowly, the man raised four fingers and gave him a gentle nod. They'd all lived. They'd all made it. They'd survived.

Ollie coughed, and a line of blood dribbled down his chin. The man's smile wavered. He wiped it away gently, murmuring in his language. Ollie wondered what he was saying.

The world became dark. Ollie started, but the man placed a hand on his arm to calm him. Too weak to prop himself up, Ollie craned his neck to see where they were going. They were in a tunnel, the moonlight fading behind them. The tunnel was massive, more of a smooth, rounded cavern than an actual tunnel. White, glowing gemstones protruded from the ceiling, casting light onto them. Ollie turned his head to the other side and saw the woman and the strange deer walking near Alaudidae's wagon, the woman seemingly lost in her thoughts as she stared up into the galaxy of glowing gemstones above them. She was very pretty. She, like the rest of her team, was very dark in complexion, with long, black hair she had tightly bound in twin braids. Ollie had black hair and tan skin (though he was slightly paler than her) and yet he didn't think he looked anything like these people. He'd never really seen anyone who looked like them. The Rubians. They were real. They'd saved him.

Ollie reached out and grabbed Elora's hand. Her skin was cold, but there was undoubtedly life within her. He almost smiled. We made it, Elora, he wanted to tell her, We did it. We're safe.

Elora squeezed his hand, though she didn't wake. Good. She needed the rest. Ollie grabbed the nearest blanket and threw it over her. He didn't feel cold. He didn't feel anything. The emptiness inside him felt even emptier without the fear that had filled him for so long. Ollie liked it. It felt peaceful.

The tunnel around them grew smaller, more elaborate. The stone had been tenderly shaved away and chipped into delicate, beautiful designs. Of what, Ollie didn't know. Even the chunks of gemstone had shapes of different animals and words he couldn't read engraved into the glowing surface. They were nearing a door, a gateway. It was open for them.

Ollie reached up and grazed one of the protruding red gemstones. It was warm beneath his fingers.

They'd made it.