Epilogue: Despair

  The guards could not find them. No matter who they asked, no one had seen Rhed or Blhu. No one could find Lantorn.

  Karv said, "We think it's best to assume they have left and are gone for good. At least we won't have to deal with them."

  Vanos asked, "What if they get their hands on the Planet Eater?" He thought about how the Planet Eater would eat the whole world.

  Karv said, "Then we will deal with him when we get to him."

  ***

  The next step was getting Wasting back home, and they met up with the lioness from last time, but Wasting turned to Vanos.

  He stared deep at Vanos, and said, "Thank you for all you did." He brought his mouth to Vanos, and Vanos reared back. Wasting paused in his tracks.

  Wasting coughed and went with the lioness.

  ***

  After a couple of weeks, they had been invited to the palace with the empress.

  They walked in to the main chamber. The greeting hall with the purple and pink checkerboard patterns. A fox sat on the throne, which was bathed in platinum. Mosor was first to step forward.

  "Empress Owlis? You asked to meet us?" Mosor said.

  "Yes," she said. She came down. She contrasted the entire floor because she was the colors of Autumn. A leaf shaped brown patch was on her right eye like a patch.

  "I came to ask you all, if you were willing to join the kingdom in teaching the next era. Or shall I say, will you be willing to join N:ERA?"

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  Mosor looked at Kyofi and Vanos. They did not know what N:ERA was or what she was asking about. Still, she said, "I think we could do it."

  ***

  "When someone lives in fear, it's bad. There is fear that guides, such as the fear of touching a hot oven. Then there is the fear that prevents, such as the fear of getting better because you think about the hardship after."

  "Then there are lights in that darkness. The tenaciousness ones are like fireflies in the phantasmagoria. They are the heroes. They are the lights."

  The Twayt stepped onto a stone pillar.

  "I will end that light."

  "You can form your forces, you can try to fight, but watch them all fall in despair." She wielded a sword. Lantorn, Rhed, Arber, and Blhu stood behind her.

  "We live in despair

  I saw a dream of valleys

  Lost in the mist

  To see the people walking

  No aim or ambition

  I saw the fallen buildings

  Now part of the ground

  I opened my eyes

  And learned I was awake the whole time

  Give up, give in,

  Let darkness fade

  The light will crawl

  We live in despair

  I saw the forces fighting

  Against themselves they would not admit

  Because they struggled to say that

  They had problems in their system

  I saw the civil war end

  Soon as they souls had broken

  Give up, give in

  Surrender yourself

  And accept your fate

  And live in despair

  The fear we lived

  The pain we took

  We all tried too hard

  Wisdom will fight

  But never prevail

  Let us all know

  Give up, give in,

  This is your place

  To fall again

  And live in despair. "

  -Solarh Theme "Despair"

  ***

  Paynut told his wife Honay about the idea. The yellow wolf shook her head, but gave in. They went to their daughter, also yellow with some brown on her cheeks. Paynut asked, "Baynana, how would you feel about helping your cousins over in Wysdom with work, that sound good to you?" Baynana tilted her head as she thought about it.

  "Yes." She was feeling like meeting up with Ahmond, her cousin. The one the same age as her. Paynut grinned at her. "When?"

  Paynut showed her a bag, that was filled. "Soon as I get three tickets for a train." He stared over at a globe that showed where Wysdom was. It was a small chunk. Still it was their new homeland.

  Over at Wysdom, Mosor, Vanos, Kyofi, Ahmond, and Mynt all prepared to have one final fight to prove who the leader was.