Blood Runes: Epilogue
Epilogue
Sam closed the cover of the book in front of him and rose from his seat to stretch. Deciding to get a bit of fresh air, he walked out of the library on the third floor of the tower and into the stairwell, where he could look out one of the open windows. He and Dean had taken up residence in the tower after closing and sealing the new gate. They wanted to be nearby and ready if the dragon-snakes chose to make a move on the gate.
Months had now passed and there were still areas of the massive tower they had yet to fully explore. Some areas were heavily warded and others were inaccessible due to the state of disrepair into which the structure had fallen.
Oddly, they found no traces of the Sartan who must have once occupied the place. They had left no messages, implying that they either never intended to leave or planned to return. They had as yet found no sign of a stasis chamber like the Sartan had used on other worlds, nor had they found any remains. The most likely scenario, they decided, was that the jailers had grown concerned by the lack of communication from other worlds and set out for either the Vortex or Nexus to try communicating from one of those locations. The truth remained lost to the passage of time.
Sam spent most of his days studying the artifacts in the collection on the ground floor and reading in the tower library. The collection was smaller than that in the Nexus, but more far more in depth in certain subjects, including the pre-sundered world. Sam was fascinated by the world that had been, so he had no trouble losing himself for hours in the books and scrolls. He also practiced using both Patryn and Sartan magic, finally content to advance at a slow, steady, and natural pace.
Dean spent about half his time restoring the tower. He divided the outside of the tower into sections, carefully removing plants and debris and adding rune work to keep the local flora from encroaching again. Inside he restored or replaced runes designed to reduce dust, provide lighting, and he was currently working on a system of guide runes that Alfred had explained could be used to find specific locations within the complex. The rest of Dean’s time was spent “on patrol.” Very little approached the tower, and it wasn’t terribly difficult to figure out why, when a small figure could occasionally be seen walking the perimeter alongside Dean like a much younger shadow. He also occasionally undertook brief forays into the surrounding woods to hunt.
Another figure often seen at Dean’s side was Castiel. The dragon, unlike his brethren who had set off to seek out the remaining dragon-snakes as they felt it was their duty to do so, had chosen to remain at the tower with Sam and Dean. The friendship was odd, and sometimes strained, but their bond to one another was strong. Sometimes Sam envied they way the two could sit together in easy silence. The dragon’s true form was helpful in shifting large rubble and removing hardier growth like several trees that had managed to take root in various places on the tower walls. He frequently took short trips to visit his fellow dragons and to check up on the rest of the group that had traveled with him and Dean to the tower the first time. He was the brothers’ main form of communication with the outside world.
The Labyrinth had become a less dangerous place, though it was still far from peaceful. Monsters still roamed the wilds, but they were now less inclined to seek out confrontation with the Patryn people, and their numbers had declined dramatically. Sam suspected that they were no longer generating magically, but only through natural reproduction.
Haplo and Marit had seized the opportunity to begin the search for their daughter, Rue, in earnest. It remained a daunting task, the Labyrinth being as large as it was, and Rue unfortunately a rather common name. The journey allowed them much needed time to reconnect, and Castiel reported that they seemed more or less content. They promised to bring their daughter to meet their friends once they did find her, after taking some time to get to know her themselves, of course.
Alfred had been transported back to Abri at his request. The Sartan was fascinated by the culture that had developed there, though he was a bit saddened by the origin. An observer by nature, he decided to set about thoroughly chronicling all he had seen and heard on his varied travels as well as his thoughts on the combined Sartan and Patryn society at the Vortex. He had hoped to record information on the combined Sartan and Patryn runes Sam and Dean had used, but Dean was reluctant to provide much detail. Any resource on the hybrid magic would make it that much easier for the dragon-snakes to uncover the gate’s key rune.
The dragon-snakes remained hidden somewhere in the shadows. That there had been no sign of them despite the dragon’s search efforts made Sam uneasy, but there was nothing to be done but wait. The fear, hate, and chaos that fed the dragon-snakes’ power had dwindled in the more peaceful Labyrinth, creating an even bigger challenge for the creatures.
Let them come, Sam thought. This time they would not catch his brother and him unawares. Sam and Dean had only grown closer through the shared ordeal, and they each knew how to use their strengths to compliment the other. The dragon-snakes would face a force to be reckoned with, and in the meantime, there was always more to be learned.
Previous || Master Post
Sam closed the cover of the book in front of him and rose from his seat to stretch. Deciding to get a bit of fresh air, he walked out of the library on the third floor of the tower and into the stairwell, where he could look out one of the open windows. He and Dean had taken up residence in the tower after closing and sealing the new gate. They wanted to be nearby and ready if the dragon-snakes chose to make a move on the gate.
Months had now passed and there were still areas of the massive tower they had yet to fully explore. Some areas were heavily warded and others were inaccessible due to the state of disrepair into which the structure had fallen.
Oddly, they found no traces of the Sartan who must have once occupied the place. They had left no messages, implying that they either never intended to leave or planned to return. They had as yet found no sign of a stasis chamber like the Sartan had used on other worlds, nor had they found any remains. The most likely scenario, they decided, was that the jailers had grown concerned by the lack of communication from other worlds and set out for either the Vortex or Nexus to try communicating from one of those locations. The truth remained lost to the passage of time.
Sam spent most of his days studying the artifacts in the collection on the ground floor and reading in the tower library. The collection was smaller than that in the Nexus, but more far more in depth in certain subjects, including the pre-sundered world. Sam was fascinated by the world that had been, so he had no trouble losing himself for hours in the books and scrolls. He also practiced using both Patryn and Sartan magic, finally content to advance at a slow, steady, and natural pace.
Dean spent about half his time restoring the tower. He divided the outside of the tower into sections, carefully removing plants and debris and adding rune work to keep the local flora from encroaching again. Inside he restored or replaced runes designed to reduce dust, provide lighting, and he was currently working on a system of guide runes that Alfred had explained could be used to find specific locations within the complex. The rest of Dean’s time was spent “on patrol.” Very little approached the tower, and it wasn’t terribly difficult to figure out why, when a small figure could occasionally be seen walking the perimeter alongside Dean like a much younger shadow. He also occasionally undertook brief forays into the surrounding woods to hunt.
Another figure often seen at Dean’s side was Castiel. The dragon, unlike his brethren who had set off to seek out the remaining dragon-snakes as they felt it was their duty to do so, had chosen to remain at the tower with Sam and Dean. The friendship was odd, and sometimes strained, but their bond to one another was strong. Sometimes Sam envied they way the two could sit together in easy silence. The dragon’s true form was helpful in shifting large rubble and removing hardier growth like several trees that had managed to take root in various places on the tower walls. He frequently took short trips to visit his fellow dragons and to check up on the rest of the group that had traveled with him and Dean to the tower the first time. He was the brothers’ main form of communication with the outside world.
The Labyrinth had become a less dangerous place, though it was still far from peaceful. Monsters still roamed the wilds, but they were now less inclined to seek out confrontation with the Patryn people, and their numbers had declined dramatically. Sam suspected that they were no longer generating magically, but only through natural reproduction.
Haplo and Marit had seized the opportunity to begin the search for their daughter, Rue, in earnest. It remained a daunting task, the Labyrinth being as large as it was, and Rue unfortunately a rather common name. The journey allowed them much needed time to reconnect, and Castiel reported that they seemed more or less content. They promised to bring their daughter to meet their friends once they did find her, after taking some time to get to know her themselves, of course.
Alfred had been transported back to Abri at his request. The Sartan was fascinated by the culture that had developed there, though he was a bit saddened by the origin. An observer by nature, he decided to set about thoroughly chronicling all he had seen and heard on his varied travels as well as his thoughts on the combined Sartan and Patryn society at the Vortex. He had hoped to record information on the combined Sartan and Patryn runes Sam and Dean had used, but Dean was reluctant to provide much detail. Any resource on the hybrid magic would make it that much easier for the dragon-snakes to uncover the gate’s key rune.
The dragon-snakes remained hidden somewhere in the shadows. That there had been no sign of them despite the dragon’s search efforts made Sam uneasy, but there was nothing to be done but wait. The fear, hate, and chaos that fed the dragon-snakes’ power had dwindled in the more peaceful Labyrinth, creating an even bigger challenge for the creatures.
Let them come, Sam thought. This time they would not catch his brother and him unawares. Sam and Dean had only grown closer through the shared ordeal, and they each knew how to use their strengths to compliment the other. The dragon-snakes would face a force to be reckoned with, and in the meantime, there was always more to be learned.
Previous || Master Post