The Wetlands title was reinstated to the Ocean Guardian’s Sanctuary, since that was never occupied by man, and we wanted to honor the ocean guardians. Finally, the Blazelands… Well, that remained empty since the only kingdom that ever existed there was the one Raithian created.
I liked calling it Tharionland, but that was another conversation entirely. He travelled there sometimes, to recharge, but always came home to us.
The Outlands, or the in between, were never mentioned again after the land was cleansed. A special memorial was added for the fallen of all the previous battles. It was now a beautiful park and monument, filled with appreciation and remembrance.
My attention returned to Little Suzie, who sat in front of me, hugging Vyper’s neck. “It’s a Dragon,” I whispered, finding it way too funny.
“Flying Dinosaur!!” she screeched, glaring at me like I had just insulted him.
“Leave my babe alone,” Vyper growled in my mind, absolutely smitten with the beautiful, brown-skinned princess on his neck. In his defense, he wasn’t the only one. She was absolutely adorable.
“She’s not yours, you know? Suzie is a human, not a Soulris.”
“My Babe!” he screeched just like she had, making me cringe.
“Fine…” It looked like Vyper had claimed his soulmate, not caring that she wasn’t even from this world.
Chuckling, I turned to the others when a new kingdom came and went below us. “We are almost there. You guys are going to love the Castle of Dragons.”
When my gaze returned to the front, I caught the moment we flew over the March of Kings. Giggling children ran and played along its rebuilt park, while others dipped their feet into the large Truth Teller fountain—now restored and gushing with crystal clear water.
A heartfelt smile captured my being when my eyes went to the path created by the statues of all past kings. One I had the privilege to walk. Angus Devenish III no longer stood alone; his line broken no more. Beside him, a statue of the Harbinger of Justice was erected, and before them, King Ezra and Queen Sienna took their rightful place in our history—the three of them changing it forever.
Their presence in the March of Kings served as a reminder of the transition they ushered with their courage and sacrifice. Thanks to them, Evanna and I now ruled this free world. Our statues stood proudly at the end of the march, waiting for the king and queen who would one day stand before us.
Caelisium wasn’t just for the Devenish king anymore, but for him and his queen to protect together. None of us could make it alone, and it was time to recognize that.
“Bye, Dad…” I waved to his statue like a crazy person, and faced our incoming kingdom, the smile reaching my face.
The once Lost Kingdom was restored to its glorious heights and dubbed the Kingdom of Dragons, taking its rightful place as the first territory—though it had once been part of the Greenlands. In place of the massive broken statue that used to occupy its tallest spire, our Dragons now landed there from time to time…
It was the perfect place for them to look after their beloved Caelisium.
Brilliant sun rays hit Aeramen’s adult form as he adjusted his hold on top of the tallest spire of our castle, sending copper glimmers to dance all over the structure and the gardens below. He stretched lazily while he turned, searching the sky until he found me. A powerful wave of love spread through our connection, and he lunged off the castle, playfully gliding around our caravan once before escorting us the rest of the way.
Our guests’ admiration overflowed with the sight of him before it engulfed our kingdom too. Seeing them show the same appreciation for its magnificence and history that they had with everything else made me feel proud of our world.
The Kingdom of Hope was no longer hidden. Tharion used his fire lava to open the mountain, exposing the castle, city, training fields, and market, making it part of the kingdom Evanna and I now ruled. Some of our people decided to stay there instead of building a new city, since that was the first place that ever felt like a true home to them.
“Okay, everyone. We are here!” I announced when Vyper began to descend, reaching the new landing area created just for our Dragons.
A few of our brothers and sisters who hadn’t come with us to the Mirror World, greeted us at the gate, forming the welcome committee and greeting our new kin. After dismounting, we all gathered together while Evanna gestured for them to come to her side.
I stood next to her with Suzie in my arms, though she wasn’t too happy I made her leave Vyper’s neck.
“These are Quinn, Arlo, Edward, and Harvey. They will guide you to the houses where you will stay. You can shower, eat, rest, and they will find you again later to show you where everything else is in the city, so you can move about freely,” Evie explained. “After that, you’ll be able to visit the other kingdoms, and decide where you’d like to live.”
“The houses where you will go now are new and empty,” I added. “You can claim them as your own, and stay there permanently if you want, or move later on. You can live alone, or with others if that makes you more comfortable. It’s all up to you.”
Nodding in relief and sharing grateful smiles, the people gathered into groups and followed our Elevated Warriors with the promise that we would see them all tonight.
When Ms. Reyes, Josh, and Rebecca entered the castle with Evie, Suzie, and I, we found Willow and Kingston walking towards us.
“I didn’t know you were coming so early.” Evie greeted Willow with a heartfelt hug, turning to Kingston.
Smiling, he leaned down for her to kiss his cheek, and a red ruby gleamed under the shifting light with his movement. The large jewel was set on the silver brooch he wore on the shoulder of his colorful tunic, shaped after his royal crest.
The first decree that Evanna and I ever made was reinstating the old kingdoms. We named Kingston Knightsky, King of the Cresting Sun Empire because those were the lands of his ancestors, and there was no one else as worthy as him to bring them back to life. Willow Whitesky was dubbed Queen of the Crystal Alpes Empire, since her family line had originated in the Icelands.
They usually divided their time between kingdoms, living in the Crystal Alpes for a few months, and the rest at the Cresting Sun.
All remaining kingdoms were awarded accordingly to some of our Elevated Warriors, who fought and even died for us. Asher and Skylar made the Prospering Forest Empire their home, which they requested specifically after their unity ceremony, so we were happy for them to rule it. Their castle was a massive and beautiful lodge-style structure, surrounded by cabin-filled towns with gorgeous rivers and sky-gracing trees.
Aelia was thrilled to make it her home, often roaming the forests barefoot to commune with the spirit of Caelisium and the Sky Gods.
Imogen and Harrison chose the neighboring, Evergreen Meadows Kingdom, and they had the most beautiful estate I’d ever seen as their castle, surrounded by bounteous horse pastures and ranches. Finally, Elijah and Harper requested the Rising Summits Kingdom, making the mountains their home in a massive Chalet that might as well be a ski resort.
“I’m throwing a party to celebrate your friends’ arrival,” Willow replied to Evanna, opening her arms to greet me. “You know I need to make sure everything goes according to plan.”
Handing Suzie to Evie, I hugged Willow warmly before bending down to kiss her growing belly. She was four months pregnant with what I hoped was a girl as feisty as she was.