Rune Wielders

Epilogue

The next week had been hell for all of them. Between Bara disappearing for long periods of time to check up on her Snow Vixens to Ruby having nightmares about the hellhounds to Colbie's inability to sleep longer than four hours at a time, it had been hell. That was a fact.

What was not a fact, Colbie knew, was who was going to be the next Rune Wielder leader.

"I don't know," Bara snapped, rubbing her snout with a paw. She turned away from the four Rune Wielders, shoulders tense. Her tail was fluffed up, brushing against the concrete.

Colbie sat on the boxes, watching Bara pace back in forth. She squeezed Reed's hand, who squeezed back. "How are they even...chosen?" she asked, finding herself wary of Bara's yellow eyes.

"Usually, the last one chooses a new one from the most recent team of Rune Wielders. An understudy, of sorts. Considering that Eugene cannot exactly voice his understudy choice, we have no idea who it could be."

"Could someone volunteer if no one wants to be an understudy?" Ruby asked, glancing down at her hands.

"Yes, of course. It doesn't happen often, but we might have to accept a volunteer from you four from the circumstances." Bara let out a small whine of frustration, tail flicking back and forth. "If I had known this was to happen, I would've made Eugene choose someone sooner before this happened."

"It's not your fault, Bara," Colbie said, watching her shoulders droop.

"It is, though. I was too soft on him for too long. I should've kept my pestering about choosing his understudy, but he was too stubborn to realize that he might not make it. If I had just...just..." Bara's ears flattened against her skull as she shook her head.

"There's nothing you can do now," Reed murmured, looking down at Colbie's new right arm. It had been weird fixing it without Eugene there to guide him, but Alos had taken Eugene's place for guidance that time.

"Right, of course." Bara perked her ears back up by force, putting her paws on her stomach to take a deep breath. "I am sorry, kajuts. I know you all must be having a hard time dealing with his death, and now I'm making it worse."

"You shouldn't keep it to yourself, Bara. We all miss him," Alden said, frowning. "It's not good for you to do that kind of stuff."

"Hypocrite," Ruby muttered, earning an elbow in her ribs from Colbie. "Ow!"

Colbie said nothing, watching Ruby pout for a few moments before leaning forward, smiling at Bara.

"We're here for you just as you were here for us, Bara. You've saved me from my nightmares more times than I can count, and I'm sure you've kept Colbie company plenty of times when Reed wasn't able to," she said. "We have to take care of each other."

Bara looked surprised before a small smile graced over her snout. "Of course, kajuts. How could I forget the most import aspect of grieving?" she said, looking a bit better. "Now," she said, fixing her fur with her paws behind her, "Which one of you wishes to be the next Rune Wielder leader? Or, more a mentor, even if I do say leader."

The teens were silent, staring at each of their knees before someone slid off the boxes, standing in front of Bara with a carefree grin to his face like it was the first day he had been here.

Alden.

Colbie smiled, watching him stand tall. She should've known that Alden would take Eugene's place. While Eugene was a father to all of them, to Alden he was more than just a father--a friend, a mentor, someone he could lean on just as much as he could lean on them.

The three teens on the boxes didn't seem surprised at all. Bara, however, was, stepping back slightly at the pure enthusiasm radiating off Alden.

"Alden? Truly, you would like to..?"