Call of the Waylanders

Epilogue

I woke up to my clock ringing for the second time this week. I set it to wake me up again in twenty-four hours, then got up and got dressed.

It had been three weeks since the Bull-Rock War, as most people were calling it. The leaders had been giving us all breaks, section by section, week by week, just in case bad things still happened. I had still been in service for two weeks before I was able to take a break, but two weeks wasn't as grueling as the amount of time some Rangers were going to have to take.

I walked down to the main floor of my mother's house--I was there for the time being, as I wanted to spend more time with my her before my vacation was done, as she was my only family. Well, her and Marrow, but Marrow was a different kind of family.

I saw that she had left sweet waffles on her little counter. I took them and a fork and ate hungrily--Rangers didn't normally get to eat like this. After I was done with the waffles, I was going to play with Marrow, and maybe even take a look at the graveyard again.

So many Rangers had died during the war, especially when we were taking the castle. I hadn't even known, but apparently, the stone soldiers, along with a crowd of Rangers, had encountered fire-infused geovores, which had killed almost every Ranger there. I didn't know what to feel about that. I was happy that Rory and I had been able to kill Torilon and that I was alive, but I was grievous about how so many people had died...so many people.

The leaders had disbanded the team I had created a year and a few weeks ago, so there was no more of us. Normally, I just spoke with Minnie at the Wizarding Guild. She told me about things at the Wizarding Guild, and I listened. It wasn't a problem for me; I didn't have anything to say.

"Marrow!" I called out, holding up a slab of meat that he so loved. A giant purple-furred wolf leaped from the trees around my mother's house, covered in bone armor, with soulless eyes like nebulas, his armor making a click-click sound with each step. I threw the meat, and he leaped up to catch it, grabbing it with ease in mid-air. I hugged him and asked him where he wanted to go today. He barked and ran in a random direction, and I followed.

I was enjoying my vacation.

*****

The ashes of Infernas' fortress was still in ashes. Infernas had moved back to his original castle in the Deadlands.

He sat in his throne room and called for a Scorch Knight. Many came, but they backed away once the first one reached the throne room.

"What do you need me for, lord?" the Knight asked.

"My second-in-command has been killed," Infernas began.

"I swear, lord, it wasn't any of our faults!"

"Oh, don't be like that. Here, take my hand." The Scorch Knight, with much nervousness, walked forward and took Infernas' hand. 

"You have no name, correct?"

"Yes, lord."

"WRONG!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't be. Be proud. You are now Amashukabe, my second-in-command. Let me share with you some more power." Amashukabe, with less fear, looked up. His armor changed to a more intricate design, his helmet changed from the single pipe to the searing stripe, and a sword appeared in his other hand, a wicked burning cutlass.

"Now, I have absorbed many Unmagic cores," Infernas told his second-in-command.

"Of course, sir, why wouldn't you?" Amashukabe replied, no longer having to call Infernas lord. 

"Exactly. Now, I'm going to be going dormant to transform. All I need you to do is practice with that cutlass and get yourself a cape. Good day, Amashukabe."

"Yes, sir. Have a wonderful dormancy."

"Thank you." Amashukabe left the room to many cheers of congratulations from the Scorch Knights who had been listening, and Infernas closed his eyes.

And prepared to destroy the Five Lands.