Beauty X Beast ~ Epilogue!

The barrel continued to tirelessly run in a straight line toward the border of Verdelune. All too soon, the day gave way to night, and the landscape was shrouded in velvety darkness. 

Despite the intense discomfort of the confined space—the jostling and the subdued but continuous noise of the hydraulics forcing the legs to push ever onward—to the duo who had just had their lives turned upside down, this was simply a safe mode of transportation gently rocking them into a fitful slumber. 

Though they woke up several times throughout the night, they were always able to return to sleep… until finally the construct came to a halt as the first light of true dawn painted the horizon with brilliant colors. Birds began chirping, and the gentle rustling of grass in a steady breeze contrasted starkly with the chaos they had just escaped. With a loud *hiss* of steam and ruptured hydraulics, the mechanical legs attached to the barrel gently sank down, easing Danielle and Kota to the ground.

Danielle stood and stepped out with a wince, stumbling ever so slightly. As per usual, her skills took over, translating the motion into a smooth, perfect landing on the ground. She shook the stiffness from her legs, stretching side-to-side to overcome the strain of their journey. Once the Enchantress had her blood flowing once more, she moved to the side and offered a hand to Kota, helping the Artificer out and guiding him through the same motions.

As he did not have system skills helping him and had spent more than a decade walking in the bodies of his creations, Kota had a far harder time managing for himself. She gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and guided them both to the ground. There, they simply took a moment to breathe in the fresh, cool air. 

Danielle took a deep inhale, slowly letting it out and saying, “Smells like freedom. Wonderful, terrible, bittersweet freedom. Where do you think we are?”

The sun chose that moment to fully crest the horizon, and a line of light rushed along the grassy slope they were sitting on until the world was alight around them. The terrain was utterly unfamiliar to Danielle: lush, green, a vast expanse of grassy mountain stretching out below them.

“I recognize this place from paintings; it's a fairly famous location. The locals call it ‘Mountaindale’. It's the juxtaposition of a mountain and a broad, grassy valley—a dale. A place for only the highest of achievers, especially among artists. To get up here and paint? As I’m sure you can see for yourself, that takes a special kind of determination.” LeKrout paused for a long moment to take in the sight. “Unless I miss my guess, we’re three-quarters of the way to the estate I had purchased in your name. We're far beyond the border of Verdelune, high above the worries and dangers of that kingdom.” 

“Then we should be able to make it by the end of the day?” Danielle’s optimism bubble was popped by Kota letting out a soft snort. 

“If you can sprint uphill until sunset, then you might be able to reach the outskirts of the city tonight. Otherwise, it's going to be a two, maybe three-day walk.” 

“Well…”

Kota let his head loll on his shoulders as he sent a meaningful stare at the Enchantress. “What am I saying? Of course you can endlessly run for a full day. Well, even if you can, I can't. Besides that, we need to find food and water up here-”

“My father wouldn't have sent us out to die on the side of a mountain, no matter how beautiful it was.” Danielle painfully got to her feet, her muscles still cramped and sore from the long ride. Going over to the barrel, she poked and prodded at the sides until she found the door to a compartment and pulled it wide. “There we go. A few sacks of dried meats, some water skins, and… the cores!”

“They made it?” Kota was at her side in a flash, reaching a trembling hand into the open space and gently running it along his creations. “This… I thought we lost them in the fire! With this, we have everything we need to rebuild. My life's work isn't destroyed. Perhaps… it's merely changed? For the better?”

Danielle grasped his hand before it went too far, pulling him away from shards of glass littered through the space. “Looks like your heart made it in as well. What's, um, left of it. Why would he have put this in here?” 

Four perfect sections of a heart were in the storage space, all of them shining gold except for where a single ‘X’ had turned a malevolent green and cut through—leaving perfectly straight lines through the organ. “A heart of gold can be used to make powerful magical items. I would even go as far as to say enchanted items… but not this. Magical is the best I can hope for, as the cuts of an oath breaker are permanent and will always reduce the final product into something lesser than it could have been.”

“Still…” He sent a crooked smile to Danielle. “I could always auction it off to the highest bidder and fund the next decade of our research and projects.”

“Before that…” Danielle swept the food pouches out, shaking off the broken glass and stacking them to the side. “Before all that, we need to get to our new home. We need to warn them that Verdelune is secretly building up an army and is planning to invade.”

Kota froze for a moment, slowly turning to stare at the Enchantress as she organized all of the goods they would be taking with them in a pleasing manner. “But…? A quiet, hidden life? Isn't that what you wanted? If we bring this news to someone who can do something with it, there will be no escaping our part in it.” 

“We will give them a warning; I didn't say we had to deliver it ourselves.” Danielle hefted her portion of the load and gave Kota a bright smile. “Let's get going! No time like the present, and it's the start of a beautiful new day. I could use some time to… process. To grieve, if I'm being honest.” 

The Artificer slowly nodded as he listened to what she was saying, lifting his own burden and taking the first step toward their new destination. “You're right. They deserve to know what's coming.”

“After that’s in the past, we need to find a place to rebuild, where we can continue our work and live a life worth living.” She turned her eyes, meeting his and finding a shared determination. “Together?”

“I'd like that very much. Yes… together, if you’ll have me,” Kota agreed warmly, beginning to climb the mountain stretching out before them. “We’ll warn the kingdom, carve out a new home, and rebuild our lives. Whatever you choose to do, I’ll be right there with you. No matter what.”

Danielle looked at the Artificer closely, sensing that he was being completely sincere. “Whatever I choose, for the both of us? You trust me enough that you would bind your fate to mine? What if I choose wrong?”

“If you’ll have me, I’ve decided that it’s high time I follow my heart.” Kota raised an eyebrow as Danielle lifted the jar and let loose a weak chuckle. “Not like that. Danielle… you had my heart far before you held it in your hands.”

“Together, then.” She swallowed hard, not bothering to hold back tears as she reached for his hand. “We'll choose the life we want to live together… together.”