Epilogue

Shortly after the battle, the Nequam that survived slowly began to regain their normal way of being a civilized people. My parents returned to their thrones, but after what had happened decided the people should live good lives, but do not have to be people of silence as they once were. They said stories are meant to be shared and told, not just lived. We all worked together to rebuild our temples and care for our wounded animals and friends. People then began to live as they did before Zelix, only it was in such a way that they exuded honor and humility.

I decided to take the vow to become the next leader of the people of silence. We answer the wishes of those we find most deserving and manageable, not only on Earth, but on every planet that has the ability to hope and dream. There are not many of us, and we do not travel often, but we do so with a gratefulness to be alive.

Merlin eventually went back to Earth. It was his destiny to protect the future king and son of Uther Pendragon. Also, it was our initial duty to return Aurelius' body back to Earth to appease Nimueh once and for all. We established a connection from our planet to Earth, allowing Merlin to make contact with us as he wishes and vice-versa.

There are those who speak of my story, and those who even say they have taken part in it, but in the end it was never about me or my destiny. I met wonderful people on my journey, and yes in a way they become a part of my story, but more than anything I had received the chance to be a small part of theirs.

Merlin writes me about once a week, telling me all about young Arthur. He says Arthur is the once and future king, and that oddly enough is the spitting image of Aurelius, and even has his characteristics. I hope that is true, for I can see no better king than him. This story was always about him.

Facing Nequior

Nequior had me in his grasp, one arms stretched across my neck and around my arm while the other gripped my face tightly, his nails digging into the skin. He dragged me backwards towards a cliff that faced a wall with the opening to the room. It was like a decently sized balcony, only with no rails to keep you from slipping off, and several Nequam waiting down bellow.

It didn't take long for Aurelius to jump through the entrance, sword raised and jaw set in anger. "Let her go Nequior! You know it's been me all along." He spat.

Nequior let out a sickening chuckle as the entrance to the room began to disappear. "I suppose it has." He tossed me foreword with such a violent force that it almost knocked Aurelius over when he caught hold of me. A sickening smile spread across Nequior's face as he licked his sharp pointed teeth.

Aurelius set me down against the wall we had just come through and faced Nequior once more. "Hope you enjoyed your reign of terror because it's about to end." Aurelius growled.

Nequior cackled as one of his long limbs transformed into the shape of a sword. He rushed at Aurelius with a speed faster than anything I had seen before, yet Aurelius caught his sword with his own, staring Nequior right in the eyes. "I should really thank the two of you." He mocked. "If it wasn't for your pathetic attempt at living when you were supposed to die I wouldn't be here."

"What does that mean?" I cried.

Nequior swiped at Aurelius' head, but he tucked and rolled, allowing him to jump up and make a shallow cut on Nequior's back. Nequior hissed and turned back around, swinging wildly at Aurelius at speeds I couldn't even fathom. "Did you think it a coincidence that at the same time he arrived here I did as well?" Nequior chimed. "I was forged by the same magic that brought young Aurelius back to life."

"Shut up." Aurelius yelled, swinging at Nequior's head. Nequior used his normal hand to push Aurelius down, causing him to slide to the very edge of the mountain peek.

I jumped up, feeling weak and powerless, but I knew the moment I tried to use magic it would only make Nequior stronger, lessening the chance of victory. Then I noticed the Nequam scaling the side of the mountain, eager for a meal. I swiped at the ones that I could reach, but kept most of my attention on Aurelius.

Nequior now had one foot on Aurelius' stomach, pressing down hard as Aurelius struggled for the sword that was just out of his reach. "It was a nice attempt. Quite cute really." Nequior said, just as he allowed his sworded hand to plunge right into Aurelius.

I let out a gasp as Nequior laughed in triumph, taking his foot away. But Nequior didn't notice that Aurelius had reached his sword. Aurelius wrapped one hand around the sworded arm of Nequior, and with labored breath used his other to plunge his own sword into Nequior middle. Nequior's eyes grew wide as a hissing darkness escaped from him, and with the rest of his strength Aurelius tossed Nequior over the edge.

I ran to Aurelius, trying to cradle him in my arms. "Don't go." I cried. "Please don't go."

Aurelius fought hard to breathe, blood gushing out from his abdomen. "Make every second count." He whispered, and then he was gone.

I held him to me screaming and crying, my tears mingling with his blood. Merlin was soon there, gripping at my arms and trying to pull me away, but even then the screaming didn't stop.

Counting Seconds

We ran as fast as we could, Aurelius effortlessly slicing through anything that neared him. Once we reached the entrance a Nequam sprang out of the doorway, crashing on top of the both of us. We struggled frantically, trying to unpin our hands, when Alati was swiftly upon the Nequam that breathed a toxic stench into our faces, and threw it into the nearby flames.

Aurelius jumped up quickly, pulling me along with him. Once up he released my hand to grip his sword with both of his hands, allowing him to swing freely at the Nequam that fell over themselves to greet us on the stairway. As Aurelius covered what was up ahead I kept an eye on our back, mostly using my powers to push away anything that got too close to us, and slashing at the things that disregarded my attempt. The stairs were steep and twisted around the walls of the tower, giving me the view of my family fighting below in the open, round corridor.

When we had finally reached the top, Aurelius kicked the door open, the room full of Nequam. We sliced through them, standing back to back, causing the ones I cut to burst from the inside out while the ones Aurelius cut through just slumped to the floor. Once all of the monsters were destroyed we stood in the middle of the room taking one second to breathe, then another to glance at one another approvingly. Yet, at the top of the tower Nequior was no where insight. We glanced about the room, but it was completely empty, only a lighted lantern hanging from the ceiling casting our shadows across the floor gave any sign of a person being here. Aurelius began running his hand along the wall, looking for anything to help him find Nequior.

"Surely he's around here somewhere." I muttered, glancing about. There were no other room within the whole tower, only stairs, this room, and the open space bellow. I then noticed a small crack on the wall across from the door way. "What's this?" I asked, walking closer to it. I traced the long, thin crack with my own finger.

Aurelius came up behind me, layering his hand on op of mine to touch the crack, when the crack began to give off a hissing sound. We both backed away as a hole began to emerge from the wall, when out of nowhere a long limbed hand reached trough, grabbing hold of my dress, pulling me into the discovered entry way.

Entering Battle

We encroached upon the tower within the mountain several hours after waking and trekking across the land. The mountain had been carved away leaving a tall thin tower peaking from its top. The closer we got to it the more putrid the smell began to be. When we were still a safe distance my father and Aurelius debated tactics, Aurelius use to being in charge of an army, not quite understanding my father's instinct to take control of whatever was going on within his kingdom.

After a few moments, my father trust his sword into the ground. "This is what we will be doing." He barked. "The dragons will go first, being able to take out more then the rest of us can. The griffin will then follow behind, able to snatch them up and make a pathway. Merlin, my wife, and I will then proceed, taking care of what we can. I have no doubt that there will be more than we can all take down right away, so when that time comes you and my daughter will continue on, and you will not stop until you find Nequior and kill him." My father's voice and stature was hard and rigid; just as Aurelius' was.

"Yes, sir." Aurelius yielded.

Merlin, who had been fairly quiet during the tension, slipped away to give the instructions to the dragons and griffin who rested behind us. When he returned he looked to father. "On your command."

Father then lifted his sword into the air and cried, "Anguis!" Instantly an army of eleven dragons raged over head into the fog that had begun to sink. Hundreds of Nequam began to spring up out of the ground and the tower's doorway, covering the ground in an almost solid coat of black. The dragons set fire to the mass, and a few swooped down, tearing at their limbs, but were quickly being overwhelmed by the hoard of demons. My father then raised his sword once more and cried, "Gryphi!" Nine griffin then filled the sky, some swooping down upon the Nequam instantly, others dropping rocks from the nearby area. The numbers had dwindled down to about half now, and my father looked to us. "This is it." He whispered just loud enough for it to be heard over the roar of the battle. "Make it count." He took my mother's hand briefly, touching it to his face, and then they and Merlin were charging into the fray.

"Make every second count." Aurelius said, looking into my eyes.

"Every second." I echoed.

Preparations

Merlin went outside to rally up the dragons and have them find any creatures they could to help aid us in our mission. My parents went outside as well, searching through the rubble and debris to make sure nothing of value had appeared. I helped Aurelius put on his chain-mail and armor, adrenaline still coursing throughout my body, happy to see the human I loved breathing once more.

Aurelius sat upon the slab of stone, staring at the sword in his hands, eyebrows furrowed. He looked up at me, worry creasing his brow. "Do you really think I can do this?" He asked.

I smiled. "I believe it with all my heart." I whispered, laying my hand on top of his as it gripped the sword.

He gave me a small smile and I saw a gleam of hope returning to his eyes. Laying his other hand on top of mine he gave me a nod. "I'll have you by my side this time. With you I feel I could conquer the world."

We exchanged smiles briefly and then made our way outside to the others. Merlin and my parents stood before rows of dragons and griffins, Alati nearing the front. There were maybe twenty of them all together, and Merlin spoke to them in a tongue I could not recognize, which surprised me greatly for I knew most things from my time in hibernation.

My parents approached us and my father handed me a lightweight sword. "This sword is forged out of magic, so it will not hurt Nequior, but it will destroy his creature of darkness for it was made with light." He explained.

I nodded and took it in my hand, seeing how the glow from my own skin bounced off of the blade. Merlin soon joined us, dragons and griffins standing and ready for battle. Merlin had his own sword and was practically bouncing from foot to foot, eager to get this over with.

"All right." My father started. "Theres a tall mountain not too far from here, maybe a days journey. That will be where Nequior has chosen to reside. The place we were before was just one of a few prisons; where we are going will be crawling with Nequam because he now knows that we are coming to take back our land. You must make sure to move swiftly and quietly, and most importantly aim to kill with one shot, you may not get a second."

We then set out, but it was already beginning to grow dark and the fog was growing thicker, so we traveled until we found a decently sized crevice to take refuge in. Aurelius suggested we take turns keeping watch but Merlin insisted the dragons had us covered. Regardless Aurelius stayed awake anyway.

"You should try to sleep." I whispered over the snore of Merlin.

Aurelius shrugged. "I feel I have been sleeping for years."

"That's because you have." I retorted. "But you have to be rested for tomorrow, every second counts."

Aurelius smiled. "Yes, I am quite aware of my seconds." He arranged himself so that he could recline against the wall of the crevice. "Come here." He motioned, allowing me to rest next to him with his arm around my shoulders. "I will rest like this." He whispered. "Being sure that every second counts."

I turned my head towards his chest and took a deep breath, inhaling the earthly smells that still clung to his clothes. My mind drifted to the memories of our time on Earth and I thought through each second that we had spent together and fell asleep grateful for every last one of them.

His Return

My brother, parents, and I worked together with our powers to remove the parts of the temple that we could, but most of them were too big for us to handle, so most of the work was down by the dragons. When we had finally reached the bottom, the stairwell down into the floor was still intact with just a few pieces of debris resting upon the steps. We glanced around briefly and then quickly enter the hidden room; the candles lining the walls burst with flames that for a brief moment seemed to climb up the walls and to the ceiling before settling down to a moderate glow.

My father and mother approached the encased body, and quickly glanced to one another. Taking each other's hand they closed their eyes and placed their free hand over the glow of the shield. They stayed that way for a few minutes, the rest of us becoming antsy as no noticeable change took place. My mother then opened her eyes and reached out towards Edgar.

Edgar approached her timidly, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. We he reached my mother she stooped down, picking him up, and had him lay a paw upon the shield. No apparent pain inflicted him like when I had touched the shield previously. My mother closed her eyes once again, Edgar doing the same, and purple sparks began to emanate from the shield.

Merlin took my hand to calm my nerves, and I greatly accepted it. The candles about the room began to flicker wildly, but neither my parents or Edgar made a movement. My grip tightened around Merlin's hand; whatever kind of magic this was was not the kind of magic I was accustomed to. The candles then quickly died out, leaving us in a darkness that seemed almost unnatural. I let out a small gasp and quickly tried to relight all of the candles. Merlin took hold of the free hand I tried to use and he tried to soothe me.

"Relax, dear sister." He whispered. "All is well."

I let out a deep shaky sigh and glanced about the room. I began to fidget, still unable to see what was going on with Edgar and my parents, when a dim light began to spread from the candles, slowly illuminating the chamber once again. The shield had disappeared and Edgar was also gone himself. I rushed over to Aurelius, who appeared to be sleeping.

"Why doesn't he wake?" I asked.

"You must wake him." My mother prodded. "Call his name."

I felt my heart racing a hundred miles in my chest; all the feelings I had felt in my human body still coursing through my veins. I ran a hand across his forehead, brushing across his unusually combed hair, and down his temple to his cheek. "Aurelius," I breathed. "Time to wake up."

Aurelius' eyes opened slowly, and he glanced about as if none of it had sunk in. He then looked to me and he stopped glancing about, trying to focus. "Fia?" He asked. I nodded as he then glanced down at his own hands, inspecting them. Looking back at me he remarked, "You look a lot smaller." He sat up slowly and flashed me a crooked smile.

"No, you just got bigger." I retorted, tears wetting my eyes.

"Is that a fat joke?" He inquired. I just smiled.

"Well if you've had enough bantering we have important things that must be attended to." My father retorted. "Nequior is still out there, and Aurelius is the only one that can destroy him. As you have noticed our magic simply feeds him, and dragons are built of magic just as we are. Our only hope is that we get Aurelius to him safely so that he can end all of this suffering." He walked over to one of the grooves formed along the wall and pulled out the chain-mail and armor that Aurelius had worn during his last battle. After handing them to Aurelius he then proceeded to another wall and pulled from within it Aurelius' sword. "This" he said, holding the sword out with both hands. "is your destiny."

Edgar

I felt my breath catch in my throat and I backed away from Edgar, purposefully trying to keep myself from understanding. My eyes began to feel the warm pricking of tears as I barely gasped out the words, "Where did you get those scars?"

Edgar stood with his gaze cast downward and a slight breeze whipped at his exposed white fur. "They're battle wounds." He muttered.

Everything about me seemed to be spinning and I felt my knees begin to buckle as Merlin grabbed a hold of me, easing me down to a sitting position on the ground. My parents were now in front of me, my mother laying a her long, delicate fingers across my forehead, relieving my dizziness; the darkness now fading from her and my father as well.

I did not understand how Edgar could have the same battle wounds that Aurelius would have. It was all too much for me so I tried to focus on simply breathing as tears blurred my vision. I closed my eyes, fighting to maintain my own composure.

"I'm sorry." Opening my eyes again I saw Edgar in front of me, his fur wetted by his own tears. His ears drooped greatly and his eyes glistened before me. Reaching a paw out towards me, he whispered again, "I'm sorry."

"Aurelius?" I breathed, as recognition brightened his eyes. Pulling him in a tight hug I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't know how this was possible, but the mere fact that it was filled me with hope. Still holding him in my arms I looked to my parents who exchanged looks with one another. "I found his body in a temple, but it was destroyed by a bunch of dragons before I could do anything."

My parents looked at one another once again before my mother explained, "He came to us many years ago, savagely wounded. At the time our people were unaware of the sufferings of other planets, we simply lived for ourselves, but in this boy your father and I saw the future, and that he had a destiny not yet accomplished. We could not save him in his human body, so we rescued the small bit of his soul that still hung on and allowed him to bear a body like our own. We then took his human shell and placed it under the casing that over time would heal it the best it could, as you must have stumbled upon. We then asked what name he would like to go by and he told us Edgar always seemed like a nice name to him, that he had met a nice fellow with that name once. We then gave him a farm to reside over, knowing about the dragon he had slain it was now his responsibility to care for what he had previously destroyed."

"That dragon was going to kill me." I stated.

My mother continued, "From that point on we aided in those hunted and destroyed on other planets, such as the dragons and griffins you have encountered. When our previous home was attacked it was Edgar who rescued who he could, even taking his own human body with him here. Before you were born Edgar came to us, our new home now under attack, and requesting fervently to be the one to take you and your brother to safety on another planet. Your father and I knew this was his destiny, to always preside over you and assure your safety, so we relented. But with his body hidden away in the great stone temple and still wounded we could not allow him to take his human form, so he became the fuzzy rabbit you now have before you."

I looked down at Edgar who now became known to me as Aurelius, who sat unsure of what he should do with himself after hearing his own story.

"His destiny is still not over. We must get to that temple quickly so that young Aurelius may join us in battle." My father stated.

"How are we going to get all the way there?" I asked. "Plus I saw the temple destroyed there will be no way of getting to the case."

Merlin let our a chuckle. "Oh don't worry about that, sister." He chimed with an army of eight or nine dragons looming behind him.