A/N: I'm publishing the final piece of this work as a birthday present to myself. Enjoy it alongside me, if you would!

Epilogue

It is from a distance that Aithusa watches her Dragonlord fade from the mortal world.

They are all silent. Even her wyverns have quietened down. One human uselessly shakes the warlock's empty shell – though he has given up calling his name –, while the other mumbles in his head senseless prayers to non-existent gods. The phoenix circles the place Emrys' spirit had been standing before being swallowed by the power of the veil. She can tell that at any minute now the bird will start with one of his melancholic tunes.

Were she not a dragon, Aithusa might have tried to kid herself into denying the sensation of deep loneliness and despair at the thought of losing another of her kin. She would have scorned at the notion of feeling regret at the death of the irresponsible Dragonlord who hatched then gave up on her, who murdered her one true friend and who did nothing to save the only other dragon in existence.

Lies and deceit, that's a thing of humans. It is what always destroys them, in the end. Dragons are above such hypocrisy.

Aithusa wills her wings to carry her near to the humans, hovering softly above them. They barely seem to register her presence, absorbed with watching the most peculiar spectacle. The dragon cocks her head at what she sees.

Emrys' guardian animals haven't faded with him, if anything they have grown brighter and denser. The dragon can feel the Dragonlord's magic and soul in them, as strongly as if he was standing right beside her. Aithusa knows little of the senses of humans, but surely, even from their narrow-minded and short-sighted perspectives, that much is clear.

The phoenix, noble being that it is – who comes second only to dragons in matters of magic and power –, has already realized what is going on. He flies higher into the air to join the phoenix-shaped guardian. They loop around the clouds for a few seconds. The living bird's singing is as melodious as she knew it would be – however, his song has pauses in periods of eerie silence, as if half of the duet is being left unsung. If Aithusa were the sentimental sort, she would have called that their goodbye.

The unicorn and the thestral, both on the ground, trot towards the awestruck humans, gently nudging at them with their snouts. The men gingerly touch the beasts' necks, and Aithusa recognizes the moisture in the younger human's eyes as tears. His lips are quirked in a smile, though, so she is unsure of the emotion he means to express.

Then, high above, the dragon-guardian roars mutely, breathing silver white flames in the skies. Aithusa huffs in impatience, but obligingly spreads her wings wider and flies away. They don't circle nor do they touch. The dragons simply look at each other's eyes.

In a moment of quite human madness, Aithusa imagines she can see Kilgharrah in front of her, as he was on the day she was born. He seemed so wise and ancient then. So big and powerful, while she herself was tiny and weak. He knew all the answers to the questions she hadn't learned the words to ask.

But she is no longer the innocent, eager hatchling she had been back then. And though she may never speak, so thoroughly was she mutilated in her years of incarceration, she knows what she needs to say.

Light of the sun, you told me my name means. Then why do I meet only darkness in my path?

Will I die as the last dragon, as you once thought you would?

Have you always known it would end like this?

But then the madness passes, and it is her Dragonlord's eyes she sees through the dragon's.

The guardian turns in mid-air, and tilts to the ground, impossible wind currents carrying its massive form. It rushes to Emrys' fallen form.

The four silver animals join as one, in an explosion of white brightness that forces even Aithusa's eyes closed. She roars and blindly lurches down again.

Even before she opens her eyes she knows that they are all gone. The morning isn't as bright or warm as it had been, and Aithusa can no longer smell the Dragonlord's body on the ground.

That is why you shouldn't grow attached to humans, she thinks to herself, clawing at the stone ground in frustration. They are so fragile, so breakable, their survival instincts so pitiful. They always leave, in the end.

The phoenix chirps in admonishment, and it is only then that Aithusa realizes the humans are staring in fright at her. She snorts back, but ceases the vicious destruction of the rocks. The dragon turns her back at them and takes off.

She roars an order at the wyverns, but doesn't wait to see if they will actually let the humans mount them again.

Aithusa has only beat her wings twice before the phoenix has caught up with her.

Where will you go now? She inquires disinterestedly, not really expecting a reply, as the pair flies together over the sea of endless waves.

The dragon is mildly surprised, but not quite impressed, when the bird manages to rush past, turning back solemnly to look at her.

The phoenix lets out a cry.

Back, it seems to say.

A/N:

So this is it folks!

The original plan was to make this the first of a series of works which would span throughout the centuries, merging with the HP world until we reached recent times. I still would like to do it eventually, but probably not anytime soon.

Anyways! I hope you were able to enjoy this fic as it is. I certainly enjoyed writing and sharing :D

Thanks for reading.