Epilogue: A New Dawn

  Raznak woke up and found himself lying on the cold stone floor. At first, he thought he had overslept, after a long, awful nightmare that still haunted him. The ceiling over him was strangely familiar, recalling it as the one from the barracks, but he had no memory of how he ended up in the room.

  He took a deep breath and tried to get up but his right side hurt, reminding him that he had been in fact, wounded. His body was sore and swollen. He sighed loudly, resigning to lay on the floor, looking at a candlelight projecting shadows on the wall, and listening to the sound of rainfall outside.

  -“He’s finally awake!” a gentle voice said.

  He looked around as familiar faces raced to meet him. -“Rain…” he said softly as Reinn sandwiched his hand with hers. -“Tracker…”

  -“We thought you were a goner, Boss,” ‘Track’ said, smiling.

  -“Me too…” he said, inspecting his wounds, finding the long, strange bone tool still protruding from his side. What kind of… magic is this?!

  -“You got us awfully worried, Raznak!” a raspy voice said.

  -“Lady Nana…” he said; instantly recognizing her voice, turning to her as she walked into his field of view, followed by someone clad in a long coat of plates. -“Commander Varr?”

  -“Rest easy, sergeant,”

  -“And… the Northmen?”

  -“Gone, for the most part,” Reinn said.

  -“I was dying,” he pointed out, realizing that his wounds would have been lethal in any other case. -“Who… who saved me?”

  -“That big guy over there,” another voice said. He turned his head, finding the massive drakenirr sitting in a corner. He turned again, now finding Kuro among the crowd. -“He tried his magic on you, Boss,” he said, smiling broadly. -“I would check if I still had all my body parts if I were you. You never know with these witchers,”

  -“Damn it, Hunter!” he groaned, half-chuckling half-grunting as the sudden outburst only aggrieved the pain. He turned to the Northman again. -“Thank you, stranger,” The drakenirr just nodded in return.

  -“What’s his name?” Raznak asked.

  -“Have no idea,” Kuro said, turning towards the drakenirr. -“Hey! Big guy! What’s your name?!”

  -“Drakenirr,”

  -“I know, but your given name!” Kuro countered, just earning a puzzled look. -“Err, the one you were born with,” he said, now receiving a scowl. -“The name your mama gave you!”

  -“Ah,” he said, pondering briefly and stroking his beard. -“Drakenirr,”

  -“By the Gods,” Kuro whispered, sighing loudly, slapping his hand across his face. -“Even an actual dragon gets that,”

  -“Dragon slayers renounce their humanity, Kuro,” Varr pointed out. -“That he took the time to learn other language than Nordic is commendable,”

  -“So, he understands what we’re saying?”

  -“Every word. He just can’t speak it,”

  -“I see. But that won’t be a problem for you,” Kuro said. -“Are you going to recruit him too?”

  -“Actually, he wishes to join your group,” Varr said. -“After all, it was you who beat him,”

  -“What?! No!” Kuro countered, surprised. -“I mean, he saved Boss and all but he tried to kill me!”

  -“Du f?rs?kte d?da mig f?rst!” the Northman roared. -“Jag fr?gade bara efter draken och du sk?t mig!”

  -“He says you shot him first,” Varr interpreted. -“He was looking for the dragon and then you tried to kill him. He just defended himself,”

  -“Ok, fair enough,” Kuro said. -“But I won’t trust him being around my cousin or Nana’s girls,”

  -“He’s chaste,” Varr replied.

  -“Wha- Wait, how do you know?”

  -“All drakenirrs are,” Varr said confidently. -“They take an oath for life. More than just warriors, they’re also priests in their cult. You shouldn’t worry about him more than any of my men,”

  -“Still, it’ll be a problem when he finds out about Rudo,”

  -“Who died and made you boss?” Raznak barged in, catching Kuro off-guard. -“I’m still in charge around here. I owe him my life, and he will make a great addition to the team,” he said, turning to his teammates. -“Don’t you agree?”

  -“An extra pair of hands would be welcomed, sir,” ‘Tracker’ said.

  -“We’ve been short of one man since Sylus’ gone,” Reinn said. -“Besides, Rudo has been doing a fantastic job guarding Nina,”

  -“Ok, you win,” Kuro said, finally yielding. -“But we’ll need a name for you if you join us,” he pointed out. -“How about ‘Drake’?”

  -“Drake?” the Northman asked.

  -“Yeah! Short for drakenirr. You like it?”

  The Northman pondered briefly, stroking his long, unkempt beard in deep thought. Drake? He grinned. -“Ja! Jag gillar det,”

  -“Drake is then!”

  Nina watched quietly from the sidelines, leaning on the doorway. She wiped her face with her sleeves, having been moved to tears by such a tender display of brotherhood and camaraderie. More than just comrade-in-arms, they were family. A smile promptly found its way to her lips. After all they went through, they deserved a happy ending.

  Rainfall began to wane steadily at this point, and Nina decided to venture outside. She noticed on her way out that the remaining rooms now hosted Varr’s mercenaries. They seemed a rather decent bunch, and she knew they were trustworthy but couldn’t help but feel wary in their presence.

  Nina turned her head from the aisle and crashed into someone standing in the doorway. -“S-sorry!” she stuttered, looking up to see who she had crashed into.

  Her heart stopped.

  The Nord chieftain Kortan Blodhund stood still, his massive frame blocked the hallway and towered over her. His icy blue eyes stared at her, his face still swollen and bloodied. She gulped. She knew he was now bound to the Northwind Highlanders and no longer posed a threat but his mere presence still terrified her. -“I’ve been looking for you, young one,” he said as shivers went down her spine. -“May I have a few words? I will not rob much of your time,”

  Nina nodded. Kortan turned and promptly made his way outside. She went after him. The rain had died down to a gentle drizzle and was no longer a hindrance. He went to the walls near the armory for a bit of privacy, but also in plain view for her sake. She soon joined him.

  -“I understand how you must feel about me but you must know this,” he finally said. -“I am a Warrior Prince, and so is your father. We are descendants of King Lothar by Prince Jared, and rightful heirs to the throne of Skyfall,”

  -“That makes you a princess, and royal blood runs through your veins. Whoever is after you is because of that,”

  -“I’ve done a lot of things, some that I regret, and some that not. I cannot change the past, but I can try to change what is to come. I promise you this: I will dedicate the rest of my life to making up for what I’ve done to you. That’s the Nord’s way,”

  She sighed loudly. Nina never imagined she would be having this conversation with a Northman, let alone someone who ended up being her uncle. This was just bizarre. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. -“It isn’t me who you’ve wronged, but the Clansmen,” she said.

  -“The clansmen do not take offense to what I did,” Kortan replied. -“On the contrary, they are honored. That’s their way,”

  -“That doesn’t make it any less wrong,”

  -“I’m not asking you to approve, just to understand,” Kortan said, looking at the horizon. -“Many of our customs may seem strange to you just like yours are to us, and yet we’re pretty much alike,”

  -“That we share the same code of honor with the clansmen is the only reason I’m still breathing,” he said, turning to her. -“And now the same Gods that you serve have given me the chance to make amends,”

  -“I will help you whether you like it or not,” Kortan said, stubbornly. -“I’m your uncle after all, and I owe it to your father,”

  -“I’m not sure what the future will hold, miss, but know that no matter what challenge awaits you, you won’t face it alone,”

  -“Thank you,”

  He nodded, then turned and walked to the barracks. Nina let out a long, loud sigh, feeling the anxiety that previously reined in her heart finally wash away. At last! She thought, now with one less burden over her shoulders. She looked up at the night sky; the clouds just began to disperse and she caught a glimpse of the stars behind it. She couldn’t help but smile.

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  That was when her trusty dragon friend popped into her mind and she decided to look for him. There was nothing she wanted more than just to relax, aware that she wouldn’t be able to feel fully safe without his company. She walked to the armory, swinging the wooden door open, expecting to find him.

  He wasn’t there. Normally something like this wouldn’t make Nina panic, but this time she found herself suddenly worrying. She looked at every corner, then at the beams above her, even behind the racks. There wasn’t a trace of him. Where is he?!

  She rushed outside, looking frantically around the courtyard. She went to the stables now finding it full of bulls but no dragon in sight. She then went to the latrines, knocking on the door repeatedly. -“Rudo? Are you in there?!”

  -“Go away!” a deep, rough voice replied. Damn it!

  Now she began panicking for real. Where did he go?! He wouldn’t leave me, wouldn’t he?! Nina looked inside the carts but found them empty. She returned to the barracks, frantically searching each room, looking through each platoon of mercenaries to no avail. She returned to Nana’s room but Rudo was still nowhere to be found.

  Kuro saw the sheer horror in her teary eyes and instantly realized the most likely reason. Heh. A knowing grin appeared on his face. The thought of teasing Nina crossed his mind but he would leave it for later since she seemed more worked up than usual. He calmly pointed with his finger and whispered. On the roof.

  Nina rushed down the aisle, now finding wooden steps lodged in the stone wall forming a ladder that she had previously missed in the dark. She looked up, spotting a wooden trapdoor on the roof. She took a deep breath and climbed it, swinging the trapdoor open.

  She finally found Rudo sitting on the thatch roof to her relief. She let out a sigh, instantly earning his attention. -“Hey!” he said, grinning yellow, crooked fangs. She couldn’t help but be robbed of a smile. He stood up and raced to her, lending a hand to help her climb.

  -“What are you doing here?!” Nina asked, grasping his hand. Rudo pulled her up on her feet effortlessly. -“I was worried sick!”

  -“Just lookin’,” he said, smiling. She stared nervously at his massive hand still holding her own much to her chagrin. Lucky thing nobody is watching us! She didn’t even attempt to pull her hand out of his firm but gentle grasp, having been used to his antics at this point, finding safety and comfort in his presence instead.

  -“I know, but what?!” she said. He didn’t reply, turning to the horizon instead. Nina turned to look at what he was looking at when a bright flash suddenly blinded her. She covered her face with her other hand and peeked through her fingers. Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, Gods!

  The king star slowly emerged on the horizon, gradually dispelling the darkness with its majestic light, casting streaks of brilliant shades of pink and orange across the sky in a dazzling, breathtaking display. She couldn’t help but weep tears of joy, her eyes feasting over the magnificent spectacle as if the Gods themselves were cheering her up, filling her heart with hope for the new day.

  How many people miss it?

  How had she been so oblivious?! How many people truly took the time to notice such a glorious display of the Gods, let alone appreciate and fully enjoy it?! Maybe because it happened every day people had taken it for granted.

  But today Nina wasn’t going to let herself be oblivious to it anymore. She wasn’t going to hold back. She sobbed powerfully, and wiped her tears with her sleeves, taking a deep breath and taking it all in. This is the magic of the highlands you talked about. She looked up at the cloudy pink sky and smiled. Isn’t it, Verkan?

  She turned to Rudo who still squeezed her hand. -“Thank you,” she said, smiling broadly.

  -“For wat?” Rudo asked, puzzled.

  His giant black and yellow eyes stared so deeply at her that she had to turn away flustered. -“Nothing! It’s just…” she said, looking at the horizon, drawn by the beauty of the scenery from their privileged view. -“It’s been so long that I had forgotten just how… beautiful it was,”

  -“View… tiful?”

  -“Beautiful!” Nina said, nervously. She was hesitant about explaining the meaning of that word but he seemed genuinely in the dark about it and the marvelous spectacle of nature needed a word for it. Isn’t it? -“It means…” she said, briefly pondering the right words to express it. -“Something that fills your heart with joy… just by looking at it,”

  -“Joy?”

  -“That it makes you happy!” Nina said exasperated. -“Geez, Rudo! Do I have to teach you everything?!” she scolded playfully.

  -“Dat woud be nice,”

  The sky started clearing and the sun began to light up most of the forest, and the distant river going through it, adding endless greenery and heavenly blue to the already stunning display. Nina turned to the amazing scenery, shutting her eyes, taking a deep breath, and letting it all in, feeling the sunrays warm up her body.

  But Rudo’s eyes weren’t on the horizon, being fixed on someone just as breathtaking instead. He had trouble putting a finger on exactly why but just being next to Nina made his heart soar. Her strange powers were indeed terrifying, perhaps the scariest thing he had ever seen, but he had long resigned to even trying to comprehend them. What was the point? It didn't matter to him anymore, he was happy if she was happy, and seeing her smile just made all the pain worth it.

  -“Viewtiful…” he whispered, pondering briefly on her words, trying to find something that matched the idea. -“Sumthing dat makes me happy…” these thoughts wandered his mind when the realization hit him. His face lit up instantly. Dat’s it!

  -“Nina!” he said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned to him again. Rudo stared at her, his eyes shining with the sun’s reflection, his tail wagging wildly, and a grin forming on his face. -“You’re viewtiful!”

  Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

  Nina gulped loudly. She began to shake and cold sweat ran down her face. Since when did he become so… smooth?! This is bad! She pulled her hand from his grip and immediately hid her face behind her hands. That’s on me for teaching him! What I’m going to do now?!

  She peeked through her fingers. Rudo just kept staring at her at a complete loss. Her heart stirred up, and her mind raced, all worked up by such awkward if harmless words. Girl, he just learned a new word! He just said it! Rudo didn’t even know what the word meant until you taught him! She sighed, clasping her cheeks and feeling them steadily warming up, cursing at how easily she got flustered.

  She’s been through a lot since all this began, and deep down she was glad this was all she had to worry about now. She’s been treated like an object, a prize, a trophy, something to be traded off and fought over but no one other than Verkan and Kuro listened or even cared about her.

  Then, out of nowhere, him. Rudo cared, he listened, he respected and protected her, and in the biggest twist of them all, he captured her heart. Not like that! Definitely not like that! But he had pulled her out of the hole she’d been in and carried on through impossible odds with nothing but that childish, unyielding resolve that she had come to admire.

  It was odd. The first person who treated her like an actual human being was, ironically, not even human. He wasn’t exactly the easiest to be around, but he had turned into someone she could completely trust and rely on. And while everyone treated her with the sobriety that came with her position, Rudo, with all his quirks and antics, was the first one that treated her and made her feel just like…

  Dare she say it?

  A girl.

  Well, in my defense, nobody has called me like that since forever! Nina looked at the horizon, trying to change the subject and come up with something else but her mind was blank. Rudo’s words really did a number on her. Damn it! Thankfully Kuro wasn’t around or she would never hear the end of it. She slowly turned again and timidly looked at him. -“Thank you… for everything,”

  -“Don’t sweat it,” he said, smiling.

  But even though he didn’t seem to be aware of the implications, she needed to come up with something different, just to make sure he didn’t put her in such a position again in the future. Maybe a game will do the trick? Nina pondered briefly about it. That’s it! A mischievous smile formed on her lips.

  Nina hit him in the arm. -“You’re it!” she yelled, sliding down the roof, and landing harmlessly in the muddy courtyard below.

  -“Wat?” Rudo asked, completely at a loss.

  -“It means you’re it, stinky!” Nina said, running away.

  -“Hey, I’m no stinky!”

  -“Yes, you are!”

  -“No! I’m not!

  -“I haven’t bathed you yet, remember?! Now I’m going to get your bath ready!”

  -“No if I catch you first!”

  Rudo leaped from the roof, landing on the mud right next to her. Nina let out a high-pitched squeal, running away for dear life, giggling all the way to the stables now in plain view of everyone but they didn’t care. He chased her around the buildings, running just slightly slower as to give her a standing chance.

  Kuro watched from the barracks in awe, watching his little cousin and her dragon friend having such a blast that it warmed his heart. He chuckled, already coming up with new ways to tease her all the way to Dawnfall. A new dawn was upon them, and with it, the promise for a brighter future.

  Even though the danger wasn’t over, and an unknown threat still lurked in the shadows, they looked forward to the journey, braving the unknown with hope.

  After all, they had earned it.

  A warm, gentle breeze blew through the matted forest, marking the beginning of a new day. Even though a new dawn was upon them, the woods remained engulfed in darkness as the sunrays had a very hard time bleeding through the tree tops, casting a shadowy blanket below.

  Well, at least it stopped raining. He thought, spitting bitterly while cursing his luck. White Feather wasn’t the kind of person that gave up easily. Who would’ve thought that accursed dragon would beat me a second time? He limped his way up the gravel road, hoping to find his cart somewhere.

  The distant thundering of the bull’s galloping snapped him out of his thoughts. He promptly identified the riders as Wulfeinn and his men. They have been looking for him. Great. They had tried to chase after the dragon last night but they were simply no match for his speed. He was long gone before they even knew what was happening.

  -“There’s the wizard!” one Northman said, pointing at him. He could tell, however, that something was off. He could smell the bad blood.

  He instantly recognized Virheim just as he jumped from the back of one of the riders. His bloodied, badly battered face courtesy of the girl was twisted with more than just rage. -“The girl is gone, wizard!” he roared. -“We are stuck here! This is all your fault”

  -“Virheim! Stand down!” Wulfeinn urged.

  -“Do not tell me what to do, Wulfeinn!” Virheim countered fiercely. -“You are not your uncle!”

  -“We have to think this through!”

  -“We will after I tear this buffoon to shreds!”

  -“I wouldn’t do it if I were you,” White Feather warned.

  -“He is powerless now!” Virheim said, readying his battle axe. -“His magick waned fighting the dragon!”

  White Feather grinned. He produced his spell caster and promptly inspected it, finding a single remaining round still inside. Damn it! He cursed. Not enough. He threw his weapon on the ground, deciding to do this the old-fashioned way. It’d be too easy anyway.

  -“Tell me, wizard,” Virheim said, his massive frame towering over him, looking at him straight in the eyes, and grinning bloodied teeth. -“What are you without your magick?!”

  White Feather just frowned. Virheim roared, raising his battle axe. The axe carved the ground. He dodged the blow gracefully, kicking the axe out of his hand. Virheim grunted, throwing a fist blow which he deflected easily.

  The Northman then lunged at him but White Feather hit him in the throat, stopping him in his tracks. He shifted behind him, tripping him with a kick behind the knee. White Feather took hold of his head from behind and snapped his neck effortlessly. The lifeless body fell to the ground. He then turned to the rest. -“Anyone else?”

  A violent uproar took over the forest. The Northmen readied their weapons when Wullfeinn stepped in. -“STAND DOWN!” he growled.

  -“So, there is more than meets the eye,” Wulfeinn said, inspecting the wizard up and down as he hadn’t even used his weapons. -“But it doesn’t change the fact that we’re stuck here,”

  -“Just a temporary setback,” White Feather said.

  -“Explain yourself!” he countered. -“The girl could be anywhere! How are we going to find her?!”

  Another rider arrived just in time, towing a second bull by its reins. -“Gonn!” Leif shouted, surprised to see the young Nord boy riding so proficiently. White Feather picked up his weapon from the ground and walked to meet him. He jumped onto the second mount.

  -“Get the stuff ready, kid. We’re moving,”

  -“Ja!”

  -“How are we going to find her, wizard?!” Wulfeinn demanded.

  White Feather turned to him unhurriedly. -“Because I happen to know her ultimate destination,”

  -“She’s heading back to Dawnfall,” he said calmly as a wicked grin appeared on his lips. -“This isn’t the end just yet,”

  -“This is just the beginning,”