The War of the Roil: The Knight and the Warlock

Epilogue

Edmund had to be rushed to a Preserver. According to the healer, his spine had essentially been shattered like glass. He was lucky none of it really got out of place before he was healed.

With Caze dead, the Titanspawn were noticeably less aggressive and their numbers were cut down by the three armies significantly. Only a few hunting parties were needed to kill off the stragglers.

Edmund sat on a particularly large boulder that overlooked the Origin Lands. The sun was setting in the distance while the soldiers of the Morgauls, Atrellians and Emryds partied like there was no tomorrow in a small reclaimed section of the plain.

A pair of footsteps approached him from behind. He turned a glance at them.

"Hey." Lara muttered.

She took a seat on the rock next to him.

"Hey." Edmund said, "Do you feel...oddly mellow?"

Lara nodded.

"You've changed quite a bit since that prisoner transport, haven't you?" Edmund said.

"Is that a bad thing?" Lara asked.

Edmund chortled, "No way."

"Well you seem to have changed just as much."

"What are you talking about?" Edmund asked, "I'm the same old rogue who stole your coin pouch that one evening. Just...better."

"Better is change." Lara smiled.

"I still can't get over the fact that we actually...saved the world. Kind of." Edmund sighed.

"What do you think about all that? What Vancen said." Lara asked.

Edmund shrugged, "I don't really wanna believe him, but...I can't help feeling like he's right. I mean...is power the only thing that could drive someone to kill a god?"

"Believe me. It's possible with some people." Lara said.

"Hm. Well, I think I believe him." Edmund replied.

"Ugh...I still don't know what to think. I...I met Tialeis. The god." Lara grumbled.

"Seriously?" Edmund asked.

Lara nodded, "After having met him, I just...there's no way what Vancen said could be true."

"There's time for thinking about that sort of stuff later." Edmund said.

"Yeah, you two especially should be celebrating." a familiar bard's voice rang.

Edmund turned. Pasco, Camilla, Dregu, Gammond and an auriok woman stood behind them.

"Lucia!" Lara gasped.

She stood and ran to hug the auriok.

"Hey, there. Easy, easy. I just woke up." the auriok, Lucia, said, "And apparently I missed all the good stuff. Oh, by the way, while I vehemently disagree with it and agree with Gam that you should be severely punished, I still think taking over the government single handedly was pretty cool."

"Uh...thanks." Lara drew away sheepishly.

"You did what?" Edmund asked.

"It's a long story." Lara sighed.

"Hey, you." Camilla grinned deviously as she grabbed onto his arm, "How do you feel?"

"Well, my spine isn't in pieces anymore. But I'm still exhausted as hell." Edmund muttered.

Camilla planted a kiss on his lips, "That's good. Anything worth doing exhausts you. I assume you're not really in the mood for partying, though."

Edmund chuckled, "I think I'd just die at that rate." He glanced at Dregu. The Morgaul held a linen-wrapped infant in his arms, "Hey. You still have that baby?"

The Morgaul shrugged, "It has no family. I'm going to have to lead my people to a new homeland to keep us safe from the Affliction. So I thought it might be good practice to raise a child. Though, I'm not sure I could find a wife this early into my career as a warrior."

"Hm. Good luck with that. And thank you for your help." Edmund nodded.

"No, thank you for helping my people free themselves." Dregu said, "And it is customary to show gratitude in a good duel."

"Duel me some other time when I'm not on the brink of collapse." Edmund waved away.

"Hmph. I'll hold you to that, Isley." Dregu said, leaving the others to join the party.

"Hey, Eddy, I don't mean to be a bearer of bad news," Pasco said, "But we are almost definitely going to be executed once we return to Atrell. So...where are you, Camilla and I and...well, the rest of the army gonna go?"

Edmund blinked. He was right. Just in the past few days, Edmund had violated so many laws, not even the Knight would be spared from them. Who would take in an army?

Edmund glanced at Lara, who was apparently in the middle of a reunion with her ex-lover, Gammond. And they seemed happy to see each other. Especially given the kissing.

"Lara." Edmund called, ending their kiss, much to Lara's irritation, "Does Emreth have room for like...five thousand Atrellian soldiers?"

Lara looked to Gammond, "I'm not a Consul. I wouldn't know."

"Er..." Gammond hesitated, "We might be able to. We took some heavy losses and having a dedicated army could keep us from having to draft so many people."

"By the way, that five thousand include us three buffoons." Pasco said, pointing to himself, Edmund and Camilla.

Gammond nodded, "I'll see what I can do. Emreth isn't exactly a one-person-decides nation anymore, but I'm certain we can come to an arrangement."

"Oh." Edmund said, "We-Lara and I-have something to tell you."

"We do?" Lara asked.

"Yes." Edmund said, "It's about the Titans. And their self-proclaimed true-purpose."