320) The Salvation of Eden, Epilogue
“You were right,” he nodded to the short, reddish-blonde woman seated next to him, eyes wide with wonder, as they always were. Her vivacious smile leapt out like a friendly dog.
“I knew they could do it,” Ms. B replied.
319) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 83 — Prophecy
Listen with joy to the birds
Dear Friend
As their songs fade to silence
We face The End.
318) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 82 — Funeral
“She was my Friend! She gave everything for us,” Reilly cried at one point, and that really summed it up. She was a Friend, who gave everything for them.
315) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 79 — The Nature of Evil
“Seeking to destroy what they see as the Evil that has caused their own suffering, they end up in the same darkness. And thus, Evil endures.”
314) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 78 - The Benevolent Genocide (as told by the First Hierarch)
Were they to see the truth, they would accept their own genocide as an act of mercy and a salve on the Collective Being.
Let the blazing fire of Truth be your only guide, and you will See….
312) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 76 — Kohra finds her Power
Everyone was silent while Kohra closed her eyes. Dominic smiled to himself. Ms. B had told him this would happen. That someday, Kohra would start to find herself. He felt strangely proud, like he was watching “a moment” in his friend’s life.
311) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 75 - The Second Challenge
“Maybe they eat dust.” Lenny pointed out into the cavern. “You see any dust in here?”
“Maybe they eat your face!” Reilly poked Lenny in the ribs.
“Maybe they eat your mom!” Lenny poked her back.
“My mom is a tree!” Reilly raised her voice.
“Maybe they eat trees!” Lenny fired back.
310) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 74 — Graxia’s bedroom
Kohra opened the bottom drawer, and gasped. A black, hooded traveling cloak, with a pair of black gloves. Her heart skipped a beat. “Everyone! Look. At. THIS!!” Hands shaking, she lifted up the cloak for everyone to see. “The Hooded Man must be Graxia’s husband!!!”
Lenny burst out laughing. “Husband!? Oh Kohra…. Husband!!” She wiped tears out of her eyes.
309) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 73 — The ancient Zhaalmohhrian home
The ceiling itself was brightly painted, a huge mural stretching across the entire length of the hall. It was a battle scene, clearly, but the combatants were not people, nor beasts. There were flying contraptions with strange sticks poking out of them, squat, lumbering wagons, each sporting an enormous proboscis and armoured like an oversized beetle, and squarish, humongous humanoids with beams of light shining from their eyes and hands. It didn’t make much sense.
308) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 72 — Lenny loses it
Kohra swore under her breath. Have we had it wrong this whole time? Is this not even the Hooded Man’s place?
307) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 71 — From out of the frying pan….
Who is to say who are the “good guys” and who is “bad”? Did those soldiers not have friends? Loved ones? Childhoods? Hopes for the future?
She closed her eyes. But the darkness behind them was worse.
306) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 70 — As glory fades
For some absurd reason, it was at that moment that Melkorn finally woke up, rising to his feet, staring around at flames and death and a huge smoking metallic spider. Nothing made sense. All these people were yelling at him. Some bald man with a beard had a war-hammer! Melkorn roared into action, thinking he was about to be attacked, swinging straight for Gorb from only a few steps away.
305) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 69 — Attack
There was a sudden, tremendous crash, and screams filled the air. Peering through the trees, Lenny saw the flaming guard tower fall. She grinned, pumping her fist. “We’re winning!”
304) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 68 — The least likely Plan
Lenny responded, “Yeeeeet!” and raised her arms in what she called her “goblin pose.” Lenny typically did things like that when she found herself the centre of attention. Dominic laughed, in spite of their circumstances. Kohra, watching from behind, smiled. She loved these people. Even in the midst of a suicide mission, they found humour in little moments.
“Okay, we were right,” Grok commented as they hiked. “She brought most of her forces to catch you.” She grinned. “I love it when a plan comes together.”
303) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 67 - Time Bubble, Magic, and Saying Good-bye
At the end, they all lay in the snow, looking up at the scintillating sky. Kohra smiled to herself, pure gratitude warming her from within.
Today was a good day. A magical day. Whatever happens tomorrow, we really Lived today.
302) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 66 — An Enemy Outside of Time
She smiled tenderly, like a mother tending to her feverish child. “You were infected. Your minds were infected. I had a strange feeling last time you were here, but I never thought.… I should have known better. You must have encountered a multi-dimensional creature recently.”
“The Reaper!” Devona exclaimed. “Yes! We did! We….”
She never got to finish her sentence.
301) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 65 — Never enough time in a day
“Okay, listen. First, we need to knock her out.” She looked pointedly at the Archer Captain. “Devona, I’ve got a potion—” but Devona had already booted the Captain in the face. She was out cold. Nobody objected.
300) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 64 — War
We tried. We tried, people of the future, if there still are people in the future. I hope you know, we tried.
299) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 63 — Stealing the Most Powerful Weapon in All the Worlds
She felt…insane. She wanted to do anything, pretty much anything at all, more than what she was about to do.
Everything is about to change.
She took a firm grip on the pommel, and gently tugged.
298) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 62 — Even Stupider than all of the Other Stupidest-things-they’ve-ever-done
“Maybe this is it, Kohra; maybe THIS is how we make a difference. For EVERYONE! For our parents, and Col, for Ms. B, for all the rest of her kids! For Juanita! And Galen! For the good people of the Borderlands! THIS is how we stand up for Eden!”
He took a deep breath. “Besides, Kohra, what IS life, if there is nothing to live for?”