The surviving mages were surrounded by Ikarus and Graleon soldiers, corralled like cattle. And they weren’t even resisting. They just roamed around as if they didn’t understand what was happening. Anna noticed that most of the people around, including the Resistance soldiers were looking into the sky, behind her. When she turned around, she saw a streak of smoke cutting through scattered clouds down to the sea horizon. The auburn moon was gone, and the powder glow of the white moon shined bright.
Anna kept walking, but she recognized no one. The dire screams of suffering men, crying out from all around her, left a pit in her stomach. Perturbed by the torturous sounds and putrid smells she wandered the battlegrounds fighting the urge to spew again until she saw the giant cat, Apollo, lying in the middle of a scattered huddle of men. Anna ran to her, but when she neared, she realized what Apollo was doing.
Indrid lay dead and the cat was licking his wounds—wounds that would never heal. Apollo’s melancholy purr vibrated the ground.
Anna’s body went numb. She wanted to run to her stepbrother, but the weight of her pain was too heavy. So, as Apollo watched with a keen eye, she moseyed over to him and fell by his side. She held the Graleon count in her arms and touched his bearded face. Her affection for Indrid surfaced. She knew that Indrid had loved her more than a sibling. And she felt bad for breaking his heart; not loving him in that way in return. Now, he was in a place where hearts can’t be broken. He was at peace and she would miss him dearly.
“History will remember his courage. I doubt it not,” Sir Simon said approaching. “Thank you, my count—”
Apollo roared and swatted at the knight when Simon came close. Graleon soldiers and knights took up arms, pointing their bloody steel. Maul watched carefully from a distance, preparing to pounce.
Anna yelled at the men, “No!” Then she turned to the cat, “Apollo! No!”
The cats reposed.
“Stop!” Simon said to his soldiers. “She won’t hurt me. Our count died saving my life while riding this cat. Leave her be; both of them. From this day forth, these cats will be treated with the highest respect.”
Immediately, the soldiers lowered their weapons.
“I want his body taken back to Ikarus,” Anna said.
“Of course, my lady,” said Simon.
They heard a congested moan coming from behind them. Burton was resting against the chest of a dead werewolf, bloody and pallid. Anna and Simon rushed to him.
“Burton, are you all right?” asked Anna.
“I’m just dandy,” said Burton. He tried to laugh, but choked instead.
She knew his humor was an act to relieve her worry. “I haven’t seen Montague. Have you?”
“He’s fine.”
“Where is Rayne?” Anna asked.
Burton shook his head. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I wasn’t strong enough to complete my mission. He did what I couldn’t.”
Anna sank to her knees. The hopes and dreams that she had fantasized about while waiting in the high tower, cold and scared, were crushed.
“He died to save this world, to save you, Anna. The love you shared within the little time you had together will be with you forever…in here,” he said, pointing to her heart. “Your child will remind you of that for the rest of your life.”
“My child?” Anna asked, sniffling. “Rayne’s child?” She knew that the wizard would know this but was stunned at the fact that she had gotten pregnant after the first time she had ever had sex.
“Indeed,” said Burton. “A piece of him will live on.”
Anna looked to her belly and touched it. The sensation was uplifting knowing that another lifeform, one she’d created with the man she loved, was growing inside her.
“You are the bravest woman I know, Anna Lott of M—” Burton stopped, “—of Ikarus. You may have single-handedly won the war. If you hadn’t gone to the Mern city to convince your mother to fight, we might not be standing here.”
She regarded the trifling amount of soldiers that had survived.
“I can tell you that the monsters would have certainly overcome the Resistance if the Merns hadn’t collapsed the majority of ships,” he said. “Rayne would have been forced to use apocalyptic forces to overcome them, destroying a vast portion of this precious world.”
My mother, she thought. Anna didn’t know if Glassinger was dead or alive or whether she’d see her again or not.
“Unfortunately, my dear, she is gone,” said Burton.
Anna was flabbergasted. How did he know what I was thinking?
“I can see the wonder in your eyes,” Burton said. “Glassinger loved you, Anna; enough to die for you.”
It was a wonderful sentiment. Anna was touched to know that her mother and others from Mern had given their lives for her and the ones she loved. Certainly, she would return to the underwater city to personally thank Mern for their duties and give condolences for their losses.
Anna kissed Burton on the forehead. “Thank you for all you’ve done,” she said. “I’ll never forget you.”
Walking away, she pressed her hand against her belly. The thought of having a child gave her hope—someone to live for.
AT THE end of a successful mission, liberating Planet Naan from the Nekrum’s chokehold, Burton Lang bathed in relief. The slow pulse of death was of no concern.
Sir Simon, the legendary dark knight, who’d sailed to the edge of the world, stood before him. “Indrid Cole didn’t make it. I thought you should know.”
“Then, in a few moments, I’ll be thanking him for saving you,” said Burton.
“I know who you are,” said Simon. “She told me all about you.”
Burton started choking. His heart pounded harder when he thought about precious memories of Simon’s mother.
“Easy,” Simon said, taking a knee.
“I loved your mother, and you. But I was banished when you were a baby—for reasons contradictory to what your priests will tell you. I didn’t get to raise you as my own.” Burton
