Claws of Eternity ✔️

Epilogue

Five days later,

DEVAN

The night was clear and moonless. Devan shifted back into his human form in front of the walls of Carcassonne. He ran for five days straight, trying to bring Lerra back to Cardona in time. Then, he ran to Carcassonne even faster.

He washed up in a stream and dressed himself in the cotton beige clothing. Everyone assumed he wore them because he didn't care about his looks, but in reality, he ruined his clothing every time he shifted into a wolf. Servant's clothing were the easiest to change into and change out of.

Devan left two of his cousins in Carcassonne and they reported regularly. Giselle was still missing and Vlad was having an existential crisis. Devan sighed and walked towards Carcassonne. It's been ages since he last visited this place.

He clutched the woollen bag in his hands and headed for the gates of Carcassonne. The night was exceptionally calm and Devan wasn't used to the calm. All he did his entire life was explore the unknown, the mysterious. He was used to the ever-present sting of fear in his gut.

He wasn't sure where to go, but he knew this had to be done. Because of all the things he witnessed when he explored the northern parts of this world, he believed Leona.

Devan approached the Inquisition Tower of Carcassonne and there, in the shadows, an old woman stood. She was out and he was glad. Every time he saw any of the inquisition towers or houses, he had the need to free all the women in there. Which usually created more havoc and brought more attention to him than needed.

When the old woman stepped out of the shadows, she wasn't old anymore. Her bright blue eyes stared at Devan and she had a smirk on her face. One could only recognize her because of those piercing eyes.

"Do you have what I need?" She asked with a melodious voice. She sounded ancient; way too old to still be alive.

"Only two notes. One for Giselle and one that was apparently for me." Devan handed both notes to the woman and she read them out loud.

"The scale is tipped, power on one side,

The sign is picked, troubles there hide.

Light, as well as darkness, is blinding,

The answer always lies in binding.

Keep this key close to your heart,

For everyone else would be torn apart.

To a place where it was, it must return

Take this where hope goes to burn."

"See, 'take this where hope goes to burn.' Giselle should've brought the goddamn notes to me, instead she brought them to Draculesti." She opened the second one, one that Anton translated from Daemon Tongue.

"In a cold, cold land on a stormy night,

Up in the sky shone a pale blue light,

Behind the bars made of ice,

Where no man ever walked in twice,

The artefact of gold howled to a howl,

Attracting beasts ever so foul,

It's a price to pay, to be you, my friend,

For only honour can bring this to an end."

She read the note out loud.

"This one is about me." Devan said. "I found the artefact north of the Kalmar Union. I don't know if Giselle knew it was about me, she never asked."

"What is the artefact?" The woman asked. Devan took it out of his woollen bag.

"A lock. And a key." Devan handed both artefacts to the woman and she took the key ending with a Byzantine cross and the golden lock from Devan's hands.

"Thank you, Roua. It would've taken Draculesti and his crew ages to figure it all out. I will find out what they open." She said.

"There are other notes, ones we can't translate." Devan said.

"I suppose one is written in Old Witches' Tongue, that one is for me. Leona was smart, she knew not a lot of people would be able to translate it." The woman said. "I will find out what they are for."

"Where is Giselle?" Devan asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

"I don't know. I can't sense her." The woman's throat bobbed.

"Does that mean she might be dead?" Devan asked, barely managing to say the words.

"She better not be, for all our sakes." The woman returned into the shadows and Devan watched her face wrinkle on sight, she became older than time before his eyes. But somehow, the younger version seemed even older.

"What is going to happen now?" Devan asked.

"Shadows, Lights... they are all just foot soldiers." She smiled, her sharp teeth shining in the darkness. "We need to be ready when they come."

"Who?" Devan knew the answer, but he needed to hear it from this ageless wisdom that lurked in the shadows in front of him.

"The fourth figure, Roua. And they will bring the end of days." She began disappearing and Devan could barely believe his eyes.

"Who are they?" He asked.

She was gone. She disappeared right in front of him. But the wind carried her last words to Devan.

"Demons." The wind said and whooshed away in the dark night.