“As I will you,” Burton said. “Goodbye.” He placed his hand on his apprentice’s shoulder for the last time then limped into the river until his body was completely submerged beneath the lapping waves.
Morning light lit the eastern horizon.
Anna found Montague staring into the sunrise. She and Gretchen joined with him in a silent embrace.
“How are people going to move on from this?” asked Anna.
“People are strong,” said Montague. “But when carnage like this is unveiled it makes them feel weak, like they had no control, and will never have control.” He turned to her. “But they do. We do have control. And when we, as a people, realize that, we can move on together.”
“If we survived the war, then we can endure its memory,” Gretchen said with confidence. She took Montague by the hand. “So, what now, my king?”
He didn’t tell anyone that he was a Volpi. Since Gretchen had recognized him as king, she must have known all along.
Montague didn’t know what was next. Looking to the sky, he hoped to find inspiration. The auburn moon, a rogue craft, would no longer influence the planet’s natural moon. Unshackled, the brilliant, powder white light’s path through the sky would be restricted no longer. It receded beyond the Kejin Mountains as the sun was coming to take its place.
The king of Men, Montague Volpi, took a deep breath then turned to her.
“Freedom.”
R. Anthony Giamusso is an author and musician from Northeastern Pennsylvania, where he wrote and recorded five studio albums of original music. His passion for the creative arts began as a child, drawing his own comic book series based on the fantastical world that entertained his imagination. In recent years, he returned to storytelling and went on to earn his MA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. Today, Anthony lives with his fiancé and two dogs. He enjoys trips to aquariums and museums with friends and loves spending time with his family.
