Scabbard's Song (28 page)

Epitaphs

Soldier never again became that splendid but awful and bloody knight Valechor. He remained in Zamerkand until the end of his days, contented. He lived gloriously until he was an elderly man and melted away with a seasonal frost. Layana died within two weeks of Soldiers passing and her adopted son Musket became the new king, The son of Drummond in the old world also held on to kingship, but unlike his father was a peaceful king and brought stability to the borderlands. Spagg outlived Soldier, becoming a toothless, wizened husk, unwilling to release life until it sighed at last from his leathery shell. Some say his remains blew away on the night wind. Uthellen lived for thirty years in Zamerkand as companion to Layana. Her son IxonnoxI ruled for several centuries, playing wisely with the worlds magic. OmmullummO retired to a dusty corner of the universe and rotted away. Sando died shortly after hearing of his brothers death, having caught a terrible sadness. Soldiers dragon continued for three hundred years, grieving the only mother he had known when called to his funeral by Wos mournful barking. Fractured hearts were mended and whole ones broken anew. That is the nature of the shadow worlds in which we live.