The Lunes finally spill out the exits. But what they see on the outside of the observatory isn't much better than in.
A certain lioness warrior of death with a scimitar and red-moon eyes, and her silver-haired husband of life have a whole group of guards safely subdued or otherwise maimed or slaughtered.
"Finally," Ode punches Kane's arm. It was meant to be playful, but Kane winces in actual pain. "I told you our Champions would get along great someday."
Get along? What do you call it when two people work towards the same goal in drastically destructive and different ways?
Get along, yes, that sounds about right.
Kane smiles, nodding shyly to us. But his eyes narrow significantly once they hit Cato.
"Brother..." Kane frowns. His silver eyes take it all in. Cato's swollen eyes. The thin wires Sol helped rip out of his skin. The map of scars. The familiar shaved head, showing off giant knots from where more Lune equipment had been unwillingly implanted in him.
What could be going through his mind right now? Oh, who knows. Maybe the betrayal of the god of war overthrowing the god of life. Maybe the fact that Cato slandered Kane for being evil and pathetic. Maybe the eye-gouging and general cruelty have something to do with it.
Kane turns away, looks at Aziz, who is also awkwardly avoiding his gaze.
"Love, brother. Can't love heal millennia-old-wounds?" Aziz offers up, hopeful. Head bowed submissively.
Cato still looks to his own mutilated body, purposefully avoiding Kane. Ode nudges him. The god of life shuffles over like a sullen child. Sol, supporting Cato's other side, doesn't avoid Kane's eyes. She glares up at her god with every bit of hatred stored away in her heart.
The gods and their children don't soon forget.
"You and," Kane looks at Sol, sighing, "your daughter... I owe you. For fighting the Lunes. One debt repays another, for you betraying me in the First War. You redeemed yourselves in the Second. I'm sure Emperor Elio and Ryu need a new general. Sol would be perfect for the position, being the daughter of war and all. And, every honorable general gets a stipend. Fertile fields in the south of the Empire. A cottage to house any loved ones, for healing." Kane looks pointedly to Kura, who's blushing at the announcement.
Cato addresses the floor. "But I didn't serve honorably for shit, brother. I just sat in a cage."
"Yes," Kane points to the bound guards surrounding them. "You served very well as a distraction while wefought honorably."
Oh gods.
He let...
He let his own brother get tortured for days just so he could serve as a decoy? Oh, for all the power in the universe, I wouldn't want to be a god if they hold grudges like that.
Cato chuckles to himself. "I wouldn't expect anything less." He leans back violently, as though he's going to spit. But he stops himself at the last moment, leaning heavily on Sol. "I'm glad my daughter turned out the way she did. Turned on you."
Kane's smile doesn't fall from his face, sweat brimming on his obsidian brow. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
Ode calls over this time, staring straight at Cato. Cato returns her gaze, his own gold eyes unforgiving in their bizarreness. Huh, he respects her more than Kane. No wonder. I still have nightmares featuring Ode. "Betray my husband again," she declares this just loud enough that we can all hear her. "And I will ensure there is nothing left of you, and that dogs eat your bones in the Pit."
The god of life smiles at his wife's threat. She means it.
Cato stares fixedly, once more, at his broken toes. "Uh-huh." He grunts. Sol, glaring silently, takes his arm dutifully in hers.
Kane breaks away from Cato, looks to Aziz. "And you. Stay in Port de Lune. Teach them philosophy. Ethics. They should learn humanity alongside the sciences, so their logic doesn't override their compassion. Ode's right. We shouldn't have war every time we squabble. We should rule over our separate domains, keep relative peace in the mortal world." He points to Aziz. "Port de Lune." He points to the observatory, his hands mimicking the cages within. "Mother Truth and Father Deceit, or rather, what's left of them. We'll bring them to the Before. Hopefully sleep and the energies there restore them to something of their former selves with all the Lunes injected in them. Then, they'll be imprisoned for their crimes." And finally, to Cato. "And you..."
"Oh, there's no need to worry about me, brother," Cato nods, surprisingly respectful. "The village of Raja. I don't need a kingdom, just a simple training village. The village of warriors and good food for offerings, that'd suit me better than some den of bureaucracy."
Kane's jaw tenses, uneasy. "Only the village." He turns to Aziz. "And only Port de Lune. Ode and I will watch over Rahasia. Are we in agreement?"
Aziz bows. "Of course, oh king of the gods."
Cato just chuckles.
The three main gods in three separate areas. How long can that last?
Ode looks to me next, noticing the pensive flicker in my eyes. "And Lucky, my Champion. What will become of you?"
I smile, looking past her at the green-eyed witch that's running. Healing potion smeared all over her stolen scholar robes. "Captain, I forgot your transition potions for the day!"
Well, well, well. Even supporting characters get happy endings after all.
***
"And that moku," I point to Akua, the sun glinting off the sands, "is where I grew up".
Farzaneh grins, her raven hair bunching up as she leans her head against my shoulder. "Well, it'll be ours now."
"I thought you hated the ocean."
She sticks her tongue out at me. "I hate sailing on it. The islands, they're growing on me." She nestles closer. "They can't be all bad if they made you, a heroic pirate."
The Alchemist, father,watches behind us, smiling favorably. He still nurses a bad limb and coughs horribly at night. But Farzaneh's becoming quite the healer. She's worked hard to channel all her power into performing incredible healing works. From fire, she's managed to redirect her energy flow to give of herself instead. Her own energy bleeding out of her, saving others. When I asked Fari why, she said that destructive power wasn't nearly as useful as healing magic when you stubbed your toe. Sure, it was flashy, but what use was unleashing fiery damnation if it couldn't heal something so basic as a toe?
"So, how much do you think I could sell witch's brew for to passing, impressionable sailors?" Farzaneh asks. "You know, I was experimenting with a Lune apothecary textbook I'd stolen, and I might be able to create a potent form of essential poison next."
I raise an eyebrow. "Scandalous."
Farzaneh leans in closer, planting a soft kiss on my lips, "that's not what you said last night."
I laugh, casting nervous glances to my dad. The Alchemist smirks at me and applauds, making me blush even more. "Still, we're not exactly living on the right side of the law, are we?"
"Well,you were the one who gave me the idea of starting a trade for less-than-legal witching wares. I hear the Idriolans love that sort of stuff, call them exotic curiosities." She laughs, pulling me closer to her. "Always a pirate."
I laugh in reply. "Always a witch."
The ship sails on to Akua. I can almost see my future, it's so close. I can see the witch's hut, bolstered by the remains of the Kona that Ode scrounged up for me. I can see it, the Alchemist growing safely old, eating heaps of salt fish like he used to. I can see her.
Farzaneh.
And me.
A witch and a pirate.
Our adventures behind us, but also stretching out ahead. Like a horizon, chasing it round the world until, finally.
We reach home.
***
Hello Pirates~!
1) Thank you so much for all your votes and comments. I hoped you enjoyed this as part of my "Legends of Rahasia" series! Aw, Lucky and Fari will always have a special place in my heart.
2) There's a reason Kura and Sol don't get an epilogue. A. Because this story is told mainly from Lucky's POV. And B. because they'll be featured in my next book! ;)
3) Yes, the NEXT"Legends of Rahasia" tale. It involves Emperor Elio and Ryu's daughter, Princess Arnina Ode, fighting a mysterious blood magic sorcerer to protect her kingdom. Here's the cover...
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