Pyrus (20 page)

End of Book 1

Epilogue:

Necros was not a pretty country, and the constant signs of death and Armageddon that surround him almost make him vomit. Kris struggled through the clumps of bones and decay that littered the black wastelands. He hated going through this country, but it was the shortest route to Tidran, which is where he needed to be.

“This is the second time you have trespassed on my grounds.” A whisper on the wind breaks the silence. Kris summons Aquas, awaiting the appearance of his enemy that he knew all too well.

“We had a deal,” Kris calls out to it. “You granted me safe passage through to Pyrus; let me pass.” The black figure stands tall as he appears from behind a stack of bones. His blood red eyes make him seem like a zombie, but not all Kreydurs wear the armor that signifies them. The stench of death surrounds him as he continues to approach.

“That was passage towards Pyrus; our deal did not concern the return trip. You may have bested me before, but I was unprepared. Shade and I have decided that Necros will side with the winners.” Kris looks at him blankly. “Do not pretend to play dumb, Kreydur, I have seen the revival of Pyrus. The civil war will begin soon, and until a victor can be determined, we have no allegiances.”

“Then you will die a traitor to the code,” Kris replies coldly, and his claymore rose in defiance. A bat appears on the shoulder of the dark-skinned man but disappears as quickly as it came, like a shadow inside of a shadow. Kris finished the man off with one slash, never learning his name. But even as his body begins to evaporate into the sky, the man laughs.

“I may be finished. You may think you have won, but no one withstands a bite from Shade.” In response, fangs pierce Kris's back, and he crumbles to the floor.

“I considered having you killed with me, but this will be much more fitting. My time may now be over, but you are now just as much of a traitor to the code as I am,” he continues. His laugh echoes through the air as his face fades into the sky. Kris's palms fluctuate from black to blue. His cry of agony becomes that of a wolf. His blue eyes alit with a flame. His hands became pointed and sharp, and ocean blue fur grew along his shoulders. Aquas was no longer with him, but neither was Shade. Wings had extended from his back as his ears became pointed—the blue eyes now blood red. With another howl to the moon hidden behind the clouds, the beast begins its hunt for food. Anything would do, as long as it satisfied the bloodlust.