Epilogue...

Many years later...

Nosdyn sensed it before anyone else did...a presence a lone presence he had not felt for a long time. It alarmed him that particular presence would have shown after so long...Nosdyn suddenly stood up. He awoke N'Jal at that point. "My Master there's a problem." Nosdyn said to her and they both stepped outside of the cave.

"Father"' A voice called out from the darkness.

Nosdyn's heart sank all at once at that point...the one person...the one factor that could have ever made a difference in any of this was standing outside wandering around calling for him. He'd have been a man by that point. N'Jal stood by him, he knew he would have to be strong to face whatever would happen...to face whatever was about to occur. Nosdyn called out to the boy...he'd not seen him in years but always...he thought of him. "Tharak." Nosdyn called, making sure his son could hear him.

He had

Tharak had red skin, unlike Nosdyn's own blue skin tone...The natural Krotar birthmarks were also on his son's body. He had hair instead of horns, likely from his Mother, Xyllea.

Nosdyn looked at his son carefully...trying to figure out why then, why now. There were many questions.

Tharak stood in front of his Father. He looked down to the ground for a moment. "We are more alike than you will ever know Father." He said to him. "I've also been exiled because of who I am...Mother also did this to me." Tharak said, there was sincere pain and anguish in the boy's eyes. "I didn't know where else to go, Father."

It had come around full circle at that point...something horrible was eating away and rotting the heart of what Ettermire and her people once stood for.

Nosdyn thought long and hard about what he was hearing. "Lancaster's boy, what happened to him?" Nosdyn asked of his son.

Tharak nodded. "After the night he came here to speak to you...he never returned to Ettermire...he's been missing for years Father."

Nosdyn was trying to ascertain the truth...but he knew his son would never lie to him..there was too much Demon inside the boy. Too much honour at stake. "And you are certain it was Xyllea that did this to you?" He just had to know...that would mean that twice now...the same bitch had betrayed them.

Tharak nodded. "Father...I wasn't able to fight back. They did something to me...it was not like what they did to you. I just could not fight back.." He started crying at that point.

For the first time, since that whole nightmare began...since the last time he saw his son in person...he hugged his boy. "You kept your honour, boy. You did the best you could."

"What do I do Father...I have nowhere else to go." He said to him.

Nosdyn looked back towards N'Jal. "You know I am with N'Jal at this point...things aren't so simple anymore. You have to be certain this is what you want..I am not like The Sons of Ettermire are...I am not a coward. I will not try to sell you anything. This has to be YOUR choice." He hugged his boy...it was good to see his son again having grown so mature at that point. That fierce intelligence was always in his eyes.

After a moment, Tharak nodded. He looked at N'Jal, the Master, and spoke plainly, very similar to how Nosdyn himself would speak. "What do I have to do to submit to your teachings?"

And so...it began.

-The End.-