Diamond Wings

Epilogue - Until We Meet Again

   A grotesque and barren wasteland lay silent and still.
   Suddenly, the quiet is abruptly broken by a surge of blue electricity erupting from the air, and spreading into a large sapphire circle, hovering above the ground.
   A blue radiant orb begins to appear from the portal, falling out of it and down to the ground. Four strange and unlikely friends, trapped inside the blue globe fall with it, until it impacts the ground and dissipates, freeing them.
   They look up, as the portal above them shrinks and vanishes into the nothingness that it came from.
   Sarena huddles over her fallen friend, as Glik lay still and lifeless. She sobs and weaps uncontrollably, blaming herself.
   Max and Scarlet both rise to their feet, hanging their heads for their slain comrade, but still stoically looking around, watching out for the next lurking threat.
   Max begins to reload his gun, as he pans the lifeless horizon, and a tear begins to well up in one eye. He looks back down to his grieving friend, and fallen, brave soldier. A glimmer of light reaches his trained eyes.
   "Sarena! Your hands," he declares.
   Sarena leans up to look at her glowing hands. Yellow and white light shine from her palms, as she curiously and shockingly investigates them. The radiance seems to reach out to Glik, before receding back into her palms, and fades away.
   "No, no, no! Come back," she asks in her desperation.
   "Sarena, what was that?" Scarlet asks.
   "I'm not sure . . . but I think I might be able to heal him," she responds in her confusion.
   "Well don't stop now," Max orders. "Keep doin' what you were doin'."
   Sarena takes a deep breath, before placing her hands back onto Glik. She lowers her head, closes her eyes, and concentrates. She tries to feel the air around them, Glik's warm body, and the loving friendship they share.
   Max and Scarlet's eyes grow wide with hope and awe, as the yellow and white glow returns.
   The air all around them grows warm and bright from the radiance. The light intensifies until it becomes blinding.    The glow starts to spread throughout Glik's body, as it emanates from Sarena's hands. The light drains from her until it encases him, and his wounds begin to fuse shut.
   Once nothing but a scar remains, the light within and all around Glik, begins to fade.
   Sarena opens her eyes and leans back, as all three intently keep eyes fixed onto their fallen friend.
   After an uneasy and unsure moment, Glik begins to stir. Like waking from a nightmare, he slowly opens his eyes, and groggily leans up and foward.
   "GLIK!" Sarena yells, as she rushes in to squeeze him tight with tears of joy. "You're alive!"
   "Thought we lost ya there for a moment lil' buddy," Max claims, as he looks on smiling with Scarlet.
   "What happened?" Glik asks. "Did we win?"
   "Not quite," Scarlet responds. "But, we all live to fight another day, and that will have to be enough of a victory for now."
   Suddenly something catches Max's ears.
   "Shh, something's coming, six a' clock. Look alive." He turns with Scarlet, preparing to meet the next threat.
   Footsteps grow louder from the other side of a dirt mound. The tips of large wings and a head start to appear, as the tall man crests the mound.
   "Not another family reunion," Max pleads.
   Sarena curiously stands, and turns towards the approaching man.
He reaches the top and stands before them.
   "Sarena?" the stranger asks.
   Shock and disbelief come over her face.
   "Father?"

The End

Book 1 Unlikely Friends

Diamond Wings

Gino Strianese