by Jesse Teller
“Kind of beautiful.” Black Cowl laughed. “You ought to be thanking me. I killed your enemy, I killed Phomax.”
“The Fury killed Phomax. Even when you had your chance, you shoved the responsibility back on others. She killed the man this nation looked to for peace and prosperity. You took that peace away from them. You deserve no thanks for that. This nation knew fear because of you. I never wanted Phomax dead. I just did not want to serve him anymore. He was a son of the Dragon. He was Pax’s blood. He was sacred.”
“He was a fool.”
“No argument there,” Rayph said.
“How will he do it? How am I going to die?”
“Thomas is going to cut your head off. He will use my sword because it is sharper and needs less strength to wield.”
As Rayph passed guards, they nodded and smiled at him. He nodded back and Black Cowl hissed. “He will kill me in front of all his people? He is an imbecile. His people will fear him when they see him take a life.”
“No one but my people and I, the queen mother, and his intended will see,” Rayph said.
“He will not kill me out in the open?”
“He has outlawed public execution. Says it only brings darkness to the people. He doesn’t want his citizens having to see a man die.” Rayph grinned. “That wasn’t even my idea. He has also outlawed gallows men. The king, noble lord, or magistrate of the city has to do the killing themselves. He told me when a man has to draw blood, he thinks hard about whether he wants to or not.”
Rayph stopped at the door to the execution room and turned to Black Cowl. “I hunted you. I killed your people and I made a fool out of you. I never respected you. You were always a thug. Always a coward. Now you die an uneventful death.”
The door opened and Thomas looked up from the block he stood before. Rayph grabbed Black Cowl and kicked him to his knees.
Epilogue
Fifteen Years After The Escape
The way was long. The silver grass felt wonderful on his bare feet. When he saw the first of them before him, he closed his eyes and willed himself not to cry. He found the opening of knights and stepped between them. They knelt with their heads down, their swords placed on the ground before them. They all wore their white cloaks, their ivory shoulder pads on their right shoulders. As he walked past them, they snatched their swords from the ground and slid them in their sheaths. They stood and smiled at him.
He was humbled by their mighty faces, humbled that they would, from this day on, be under his command. Rayph kept walking.
He reached the dais and slowly walked up the stairs. Before him stood three trimerians, Glimmer, Crystal, and Comely. Behind them stood the king of Ebu. Rayph looked to the left of them, at a long line of people, and he went to the first.
Sisalyyon smiled at him and touched his face. She handed him a cherry blossom and kissed his cheek. “You have earned this thousands of times. You were born for this. I love you.” Rayph kissed her cheek and hugged her.
Cosmo stood beside her. Rayph remembered crying at their wedding. They lived in The Veil now, and Rayph knew no harm could come to him there. Her wanderings were over. She had found what she was looking for. Cosmo hugged Rayph and pointed at Buddy.
“I have seen this mark on the bottom of his paw,” Cosmo said. “I took an impression of it and I think it is the seal of the King of Drine. Do you know anything about that?”
Rayph shook his head. “I can’t really talk right now, Cosmo. I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“Oh.” Cosmo looked up, only then seeming to realize where he was. “Of course you are. I’m sorry, silly of me.”
Rayph kissed his forehead and moved on.
Dran stood staring straight ahead. Her eyes did not falter. Her face was unreadable as stone. “Commander,” she said. Her voice cracked as she blinked her eyes. “That is what you will always be to me. Thank you for—” She coughed and he smiled.
Rayph kissed her cheek. “You are the greatest soldier I will ever know. I love you and I’m proud of you. Serve him well, and if he needs me, send for me.”
Dran nodded and Rayph walked on.
He reached Fanhon and grinned. “Come visit. I’m in the forest now for good. No more of this outside world. Things are too complicated here,” the trapper said.
“I won’t be going in that forest for a long time, Fanhon.” They both laughed. “You’re the best I have ever seen,” Rayph said.
“But humble about it,” Fanhon said. Rayph laughed and patted his shoulder. “I’ll be around if you need me,” Fanhon said. Rayph nodded and walked on.
Trysliana hugged him as soon as he stepped close. She gripped him tight and held him fiercely.
“Thanks for Song. Thanks for the wine,” Rayph said. “You are a hell of a bar wench.”
She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for bringing my man in that bar,” she said. She was crying and Rayph hugged her.
“It was the most beautiful thing I ever did,” he said. He looked down at their daughter, Pyralia Trisha Kond, and smiled at the young girl. He dropped to his knee, though it marred his perfect white robe, and he kissed her nose. “Come see me when you are older,” he said. She giggled.
Smear stepped in front of Rayph and hugged him. Rayph hugged him back. “Gonna be a day,” Smear said.
“A few,” Rayph said.
“You gonna be home?”
“I’ll be around.”
“Keep on.”
“Yeah, you too,” Rayph said. He patted Smear on the side of the face and looked at Trysliana. “Did pretty good for yourself.”
Smear nodded. “I’ll be around for tea,” Smear said.
“And cheese,” Rayph added.
Archialore stood beside Smear, and Rayph took her in his arms and kissed her. “I’ll be in the air out there as much as I can,” he said.
She wiped her tears and smiled. “You made it,” she said. He kissed her again. She held his hands tight in hers.
He looked at her for a long time before he squeezed her hand and she let go.
He walked to the king of Ebu and dropped to his knees. Rayph lowered his head and prayed.
Thank you, Vanyel Eteral, for your lessons. Thank you for Lorinth. It raised me well. It gave me hope. It was your greatest blessing.
The king of Ebu took his sword from his sheath and tapped Rayph on the head. He sliced a cut down Rayph’s left, then right, cheek and he sliced a lock of hair from his head. Rayph looked up as the king held the hair to the sky. A great surging wind ripped up and took the strands of hair off into the nation of Ebu.
“Stand, Rayph Tellamore, Knight of the Trimerian People, Commander of the Ivory Arm.”
Rayph turned to Glimmer, who pulled the very first crystal sword ever made, and placed it in Rayph’s outstretched hands.
Glimmer sighed and Rayph felt a great weight pass over onto his shoulders. Rayph looked Glimmer in the eyes. “How do I do this?” he asked, the sword trembling in his hands.
“You advise, you protect, and you live. But before everything else, you love,” Glimmer said. He stepped off his spot and walked out into the crowd. He took the hand of a glowing woman Rayph had never seen. She wore a silk cloth over her eyes and she hugged Glimmer tight. Without a look back, he took her hand, and with a flash of light, Glimmer was gone.
Rayph walked to the left of the dais and stopped before Thomas Nardoc.
“You amaze me,” Rayph said.
Thomas smiled. “Thank you for my life, my teachings, my wife, and my kingdom,” he said. “You will always be welcome in Lorinth. Please consider it a home you can come back to.”
“I will,” Rayph said. He looked past Thomas to the fierce mage with the thorns coming out of his face. Fannalis said nothing. He looked at Rayph without a nod, without a smile, and in that look, he gave the thanks that had no words. His five brothers stood beside him, all terrifying and powerful.
“I left you an intense court wizard,” Rayph said to Thomas. “Reme
mber his extremes and his passion.”
“Rayph,” Thomas said. “Lorinth is not your problem anymore. I want you to go home. Truly go home, and stop worrying about us.”
Rayph nodded. He smiled and turned to the knights behind him who awaited his command.
With a devastating explosion, the air ripped open as a moon exploded overhead. Fear snatched Rayph’s heart and he cried out.
The same moon that had exploded fifteen years ago had shattered again. Rayph felt panic before he kissed his new sword and sheathed it silently. He looked behind him to his knights.
Rayph had much to do.
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