Paladin

Epilogue

September ended quietly.

Illyria could only hope Sofia spent her birthday with the rest of the family, wishing that they somehow found their paths to one another.

The past few months had been hard and trying, Ira's exploits constantly occupied her time as he invented many ways to kidnap or slowly kill members of the tribe. It had gotten so bad that the two unicorns on the Guild were missing, already dead with their horns cut along with the rest of their horde.

It was easy to prey on the unicorns, mostly because they were stationed on land and their main aim was to help those in need with their healing abilities. Ira had taken to plan injured people around the outskirts of Ishidil. These tactics were how Ira had exterminated the elf population a few years ago, after bleeding them dry of their magic.

Illyria was cleaning out the poisonous water of the river with her telekinesis when Vera came storming towards her as if there was a fire at her heels, "Illyria. Illyria, wake up."

"What's going on?"

"Amanah," She panted unsteadily, "I found her."

Illyria's heart dropped. "What?"

She finally caught her breath and spoke coherently, "I was led to believe Amanah had escaped with your father, but I located her in the palace dungeons. Ishidil has convicted her for treason, aiding and abetting etc. The King and Queen failed to inform me of this until recently."

"When was she captured?" Illyria inquired, putting a golden cape that was required for two-legged members of Guild, "Do you know what is happening to her? How did you find this out?"

"If she never left Ishidil with your father, then I assume in September," She calculated in her head, it was now January and a stone formed in Illyria's stomach, "I heard your brothers most loyal guards talk about her and I went to investigate but she's being closely guarded."

"Ira may have kept this from everyone," Illyria blindly reached for my dagger only to realise for the thousandth time that she didn't have it, "We have to go get her."

"Wait," She cautioned Illyria with her hand on my elbow and she stiffened from her touch, "You can't just barge in there with no plan."

"You don't understand," Illyria ripped her elbow away from Vera and shouted, "You have no idea how sick and twisted he is. You don't know what he'll do to her. I need to help her."

But Illyria couldn't move my feet. Just the thought of seeing Ira or Seni made her sick to her stomach even though she knew Seni was back in Chawn. And entering the dungeon where Rufus had died sent tremors throughout my body. Illyria had come to terms with the fact that something treacherous had happened to Umma and Baba in the recent months. Illyria knew the safehouse where Laith and Oncle John was but for their own safety, she didn't dare seek them out. She had briefly contemplated finding her grandfather and Sofia, but Illyria knew they were unlikely to be in Eritrea or the last place they called from.

"Ira killed Alyaan," Her voice broke and tears leaked from her eyes. "He slaughtered him and cut into my mother when she was pregnant. He tried to kill me. He ruined everything. He ruined us."

She didn't know what to do. About anything.

She turned to face Vera, the desperation in her face was plain, "What should I do?"

***

"Illyria, we thought that horrible man had killed-"

"Where's Amanah?" Illyria cut to the chase. "Have you released her to Madame Vera's custody yet?"

The King and Queen exchanged a glance that Illyria couldn't quite understand, and Ira watched the entire exchange with a boredom only he could master. Vilath's energy could be felt by everyone with his eyes darting to between between his family members.

The Queen gave a gradual nod. "Yes, and we've dropped the charges as you've requested."

"Then I guess I'm staying. That was our deal, right?"

"Yes, it was-"

"Just one moment." Vilath broke up the oh-so-happy reunion. "Illyria-when Ira left France, he said he left you and your older brother, Alyaan behind and your mother was pregnant. Where is Alyaan and the other child?"

So Ira hadn't told them what really happened. Did Illyria really think he would implicate himself? Of course, he fed them lies; it's what he did best.

"Alyaan died." The admission sent them all in shock and a nearby guardsmen dropped his shield. "And I don't know where Sofia is."

***

And that's my second rewrite wow. So the sequel is called Ishidil (it's already posted on my profile but I'm going to rewrite that as well) and will upload in the coming months. I just want it structured before I upload because it's going to be a little different, with more characters and basically, it's gonna get messy. 

Leave me a comment of what you're expecting or what you want to see in the sequel and I'll try my best to include it.