ECHO [Rewritten - NaNoWriMo '16]

The Epilogue

An odd sense of peace washed over Echo. And despite her heavy heart, Echo found herself smiling, her fingers touching the delicate leaves. She didn't know what this tree was, but it wasn't something that could be found in Arizona. Her hand fell to her side, and she walked over to the lake. The water was clear, as though no filth had ever touched its surface.

"Liane Fawx," a voice said, deep and powerful. It held the weight of the world within it, an inferno of heat, and the promise of the brightest life, and an unavoidable demise. Chills ran up Echo's spine. She rose to her feet and turned to discover a dragon. Its scale as red as blood, ivory spikes lines his spine. He was massive. At least half a mile long, maybe even longer. He towered over her, blocking out the sun. Fangs curled over his bottom jaw, as large as her. And Echo was nearly six foot tall.

She backed up several steps. She couldn't help the wave of fear that washed over her. "How do you know my name?"

"I have been watching you Liane. I have seen your journey. I have seen your struggles. You have grown and become something more than the average human. More than the average monster. You are a rarity, and you have a fire within you that not many do." He lowered his great head near her. Every time he exhaled, she struggled to stay standing.

"My name is Echo," she said. She swallowed her fear and glared at his ruby eye, "How am I here right now? Who are you? It was you who brought me here, wasn't it? Otherwise, there would be someone else standing in your place. Or, I would be dead. As I should be."

The dragon chuckled. It sounded like an avalanche; it shook the ground beneath Echo's feet. "You are very intelligent, my dear. And Echo it shall be. Yes, I am the one who brought you here. You were dying and that was not something I wanted to happen. My name is Dagda, I am sure you know who I am."

"You are a Celtic god. Similar to Zeus and Odin in terms of position. But aren't you supposed to be a man?" Echo frowned.

He blinked a mighty eye, "It is one form that I am known by. This is my other. I am more comfortable in this form, and as of right now whether I am dragon or man is not what you should be concerned about."

"Where is Paiute?" Echo asked.

Dagda snorted, the force causing Echo to step back else she would have fallen. "That is not something you should be worried about either."

"He is my familiar, and he is my soul. Where is he?"

"You will discover that your soul is back within your flesh. You have no need for a familiar." Dagda replied smoothly.

"Where is Paiute?" Echo repeated.

He sighed, the air so powerful that Echo had no chance and promptly fell. She stayed on her back, wary as Dagda reared his head over her. He paused, so near that she could feel the warmth of his skin under his scales. He lowered his head so that the very tip of his muzzle could touch the pale skin on her forearm. Echo stiffened, resisting the urge to scream as the dragon parted its jaws slightly and released a small current of flame. It scorched her skin. She couldn't resist the whimper that escaped through her lips.

Dagda pulled away, his scales catching in the fading sun. Echo was drenched in sweat, her palms bloody from her fingers nails cutting into them when she had balled them into fists. She looked at the skin and saw that while it was red, there wasn't a burn mark. Instead, right in the center of the raw skin was a paw mark. Echo reached over, and while it stung, she touched the small paw. It glowed; lighting up with fire and then the mark disappeared and next to her was Paiute. She sat up so quickly, her head spun. She opened her arms and he leaped into them. Echo held him close, not even realizing tears were streaming down her face. He was just as happy to see her.

After several minutes, Dagda said, "You now have your familiar."

"Thank you," with her hand still in Paiute's fur, she said. "So, why am I here?"

"Because I have chosen you to be a Druid." Dagda informed her.

"One, no one ever asked me if I wanted to be one and two, a Druid? Like a religious leader?" Echo frowned. Paiute looked up at her and touched his wet nose against her jaw before lighting up and disappearing. Once he was gone, the paw mark reappeared on her forearm.

"I chose you because of your actions. You were dying; there wasn't exactly time to ask you what you wanted to do. And while the civilian definition for a Druid is a religious leader, they were actually my shoulders. Protecting those who were gifted, whether they were Celtic or not. Protecting the gifted, the weak, the ill, and the innocent."

Echo stood, looking at the dragon in the eye. "Why would you choose me for a position of that kind of importance?"

"Because, despite your gift. Despite how you were raised, you still have a heart. Whether you believe me or not, you have a big heart and will protect those who need it. Will you accept my offer, Echo?" Dagda's eyes searched hers.

Echo raised her chin, "I kinda liked being dead but...I guess I will. I can do some good for once."

He touched her forehead with his muzzle, "Liane Fawx also known as Echo, you are now a Druid. You will need to go through proper training, to learn all of the myths and fully explore your talents. But you are no longer an assassin."

Echo closed her eyes as she felt a spark of fire ignite within her blood. A new start, a new life. She was nobody, but maybe in this life, she could find who she was. 

A/N: And DONE! Woot woot! A novel that I am actually quite proud of! I hope all of you enjoyed it, if you did please share it and leave a comment! Thank you so much for all of your support :) until the next novel, toodles!