As Zelriane and Kalen walked off into the endless bounty of hills and trees, away from the crystalline lake, Kalen took one final look back to the temporary home of his people. His brother was gone, and his father had been shamed before every last member of his family. Worst of all, Kalen's own honor was robbed from him, forced into the teachings of a madman for the sake of his village. Putting hope in Lystra may have been foolish, but even if she'd failed to save him, or avenge his brother, she'd done more than he could have ever hoped to with the power she'd been able to call upon. It defied all expectations, but this was still his fate. Kalen and Zelriane disappeared over the horizon, bathed in twilight as the sun fall past mountains that hugged the lake's edge.

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[center][h1]~ End Of Chapter 2 ~[/h1][/center]