Paladin of the Seraph, page 72
“That’s totally cheating,” the Dungeon Queen said when Darren successfully resurrected himself. “If this was a game I was running, I’d kick you out for that.”
Darren could only smile. Healthy and whole once more, he spread his wings and prepared to leave the Seven Heavens. Most of his forces were retreating from the Heavens since Horon and the Protectors had security well in hand. Unfortunately, he’d nearly forgotten about the two captive Prime Saints in his Realmvault when he was leaving. If not for Horon wondering about their whereabouts, who knew how long they might have remained there. He handed both of them over to Horon’s custody.
“Leaving the Heavens so soon?” Horon asked.
“Callum offered to get drinks.”
Horon’s eyes lit up. “That’s right! And I said I’d come too. Would it be rude of me to tag along?”
Ordinarily, seeing the captain of the city guard in the tavern was cause enough for a ruckus. Seeing the king there with him, doubly so. But most mortals of the Sacred Seas never expected to see a Prime Saint pounding back tankard after tankard and celebrating at their side.
“I regret promising that drinks would be on me,” Callum groaned as he saw Horon lifting an entire barrel, much to the crowd’s amusement.
Darren clapped Callum on the shoulder. “Perhaps the king of Limedeep will give you a raise.”
Descending to the surface was a peculiar experience. The world had changed thanks to Melancholy's power. Kalaziel was gone, and with him all traces of his legacy. While the change was not as apparent in the Heavens where powers at and above the Fourth Order were all over, things were different in the mortal world.
Without Kalaziel's influence, countless millions of ordinary people had not sacrificed their souls on his behalf. The cities of Whiteguard were teeming with life as though that terrible plague had never struck them at all.
Captain Emelia was extraordinarily confused to see so many people who'd been dead suddenly walk the streets as though nothing ever happened, and she approached Darren as though she feared she was going mad.
"What happened? How are all these people alive?" she asked, pulling at her hair. Though Whiteguard was whole again, Darren's forces were still present in every city, and it seemed no one living was surprised at having a new king. To Captain Emelia and the few others at the Fourth Order who remembered the true order of events, it must have seemed as though they'd stepped into a new reality.
But Darren was quick to reassure her and explain things in his usual manner.
"It's okay. I fixed everything."
His explanation unfortunately left her even more flabbergasted and confused than she'd been before, but Thalia eventually got the full story out of him and passed word along to the many Fourth-Order men and women in Darren's service who thought they'd gone mad. Darren had rewritten the past as though Kalaziel had never existed.
The Blackwind Empire and Limedeep were just as heavily affected. Villages emptied to trade for Sinful Servants were restored to full health. Barren fields were suddenly teeming with crops. The children of Limedeep, slaughtered in that fateful invasion by Archpaladin Gaimon, now roamed the streets at play, a year older but none the worse for being dead for so long.
Darren had given millions of people the lives they should have had.
Months passed in the Sacred Seas, and things gradually returned to normal. But, new emperor or not, people had to resume their normal lives eventually.
With no foes left worth fighting, much of the forces Darren had created to invade the Heavens and Hells disbanded to take on civilian duties. However, they kept their sigils and were ready to heed the call should another quest appear before them.
Time passed far more swiftly for Darren than he’d thought possible. He wasn’t used to so much peace and tranquility, and the lack of a threat had him flying over the Sacred Seas more than once with an eye to the dangers lurking.
He met with Laura again, bringing her all the chocolate her heart desired. She still wasn’t ready to leave her little cabin in the lowest level of the Seven Hells, but Darren figured he’d offer to give her a tour of the surface anyway. Perhaps someday he’d bring her up to the surface, and she’d see the world like he had that first time. It would be nice to share that moment with someone. He didn’t think anyone else would appreciate the sky overhead like he had, except for her.
His mother was doing better by the day. While she didn't remember everything, she smiled at him more often than not, and she'd even told him a few stories from when he was a baby. She didn't remember those years they spent roaming the Seven Hells with only one another for company, but in his heart Darren secretly hoped those memories would stay distant and fuzzy forever.
His mother seemed happier than he remembered, more innocent and full of joy. If he could, he would carry the burdens of that dark time on his own so she could remain the way she was now.
Darren spent most of his days jumping between all his palaces and being seen in the various capitals of the Sacred Seas. By now, nearly everyone knew that there was a new king in town and that he’d united the entire Sacred Seas under one banner.
It had never been Darren’s intention to become a conqueror. He’d just intended to draw Kalaziel out. But now that it was done, people seemed to like the peace and stability of all swearing loyalty to their all-powerful paladin of a ruler.
Most of the day-to-day ruling was done with the help of his women. Thalia bore the largest share of administrative duties, but that was something she’d been born and raised for. Once Cassandra finally finished her pregnancy, she could lend a bit more help.
Cassandra had worried about the pregnancy at first since she ended up carrying the baby far longer than seemed natural. She was two months overdue when she finally sensed their child ready to join the waking world. Darren stood by the side of the palace midwives with as much tension on his brows as when he’d gone to face Kalaziel that final time.
“Lady Cassandra, I’m going to need you to push! It’s... oh, it’s done. My word, but I think that was the quickest birth I’ve ever attended.” The midwife laughed as the baby took his first breath. “Congratulations, Lady Cassandra, Your Majesty. You have a healthy son.”
Darren held his son for the first time. He’d never pictured himself as a father, yet here he was. So was this how his father felt, once upon a time?
The child stopped crying and opened his eyes for the first time, revealing two piercing orbs of blue like his own.
“Let me see.” Cassandra held her hands, tired but excited.
"Have you picked a name?" the midwife asked.
"Leander," Cassandra replied. "It was Darren's grandfather's name. I'm sure the old kings of Whiteguard would be proud."
Darren hadn't known his grandfather's name, but he was happy nonetheless.
"Hello, Leander," Darren said. And in his heart, he promised to give his son the childhood he never had.
Leander would have no shortage of motherly affection. Morgana, Asuriel, Ashe, Thalia, and Sasha took turns holding him and gently rocking him to sleep.
“Here, kid. I have just the thing for you!” Morgana reached into her back pocket and withdrew a golden scepter. Darren remembered it from one of the demon lords they’d slain, only now the scepter had been cut short, and someone had stuffed the enchanted gold with something to make it rattle. Morgana tucked it between the baby’s chubby fingers, and he waved the golden scepter back and forth, giggling at the gentle rattle.
They only stopped when they heard news of a gift from the Heavens. Ashe had come down from a council meeting the previous day and hinted that something was coming.
Sure enough, when they opened the balcony window, they saw a massive statue of Darren in the city square, standing like it had been delivered months ago and only now had been noticed. Many of the populace gathered around it, looking on in just as much wonder.
“They captured your jaw perfectly. Impressive." Sasha followed the line of Darren's chin with her finger as she compared it to the statue looming above the city.
Cassandra playfully poked Darren's side and added, "They definitely got your good side. But with a subject of your size, they had plenty of room to work with."
“Please express my gratitude to the Heavenly craftsmen.” Darren nodded at Ashe, who beamed back at him with a bright smile.
The towering statue loomed over the city as though protecting all those within it. Darren's figure held Melancholy between his hands, resting point-first against the ground. The mighty blade was nearly as tall as he was. Even this stone replica emanated a hint of the legendary sword's immense power. Ashe, having spent time inside the sword itself, knew its shape all too well. Darren suspected she had been the one to share his likeness with the craftsmen.
“We should add a plaque at the base of the statue.” Morgana grinned. “I vote for Darren Heavengrace, Slayer of Demons, Conqueror of the Heavens, and Destroyer of Bed Frames!”
AFTERWORD
My heart is filled with mixed emotions as I write this. This story began as a brief diversion from Spellheart, an opportunity for me to delve into third-person and multi-perspective writing, a facet I felt I didn't explore enough in Spellheart. Little did I know that this small writing exercise would take on a life of its own!
Originally envisioned as a trilogy, this series evolved into four not-so-short novels. With each new chapter, the world became richer, and the characters took on lives of their own. However, I can't take full credit for this -- your enthusiasm for the series has been the driving force behind my persistent and dedicated work over the past two years.
Like Darren deep in the depths of the Seven Hells, I feel a touch of melancholy that we've reached such a grand ending point. I wish I had more content planned, but this is what I originally envisioned as the series' conclusion. It wouldn't feel right to extend beyond this point unless an idea for a second arc that truly inspires me emerges.
So, for now, the only promise I can make is that there will be a touch of Darren Heavengrace in all my future characters!
Amazon Apocalypse, my next Harem Gamelit novel, is on its way. This time, it's for real! I know I delayed it by half a year last time, but now, I'm almost done with it. The concurrent writing of this novel and that one was what made the gap between books a bit longer than usual.
I believe many fans of my current series will enjoy it. Amazon Apocalypse is a LitRPG Apocalypse novel that follows the adventures of Carter, a mage and scholar in a world transformed by the arrival of the Arcadia Multiverse and the System (along with Amazon warrior women).
In closing, I want to extend my sincere gratitude for being part of this journey. Your passion for these characters and their adventures has been invaluable to me, and it's an experience I'll cherish for a lifetime. Here's to our next adventure!
-Marvin
Follow me on Amazon to be notified when it launches!
AFTERWORD
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ALSO BY MARVIN KNIGHT
Zeal of the Mind and Flesh (Spellheart Book 1)
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Marvin Knight, Paladin of the Seraph
