NONE SO VILE

Epilogue

Ajaccio Island, New Colonies, 1814.

Two Years Later.

Leon stood on the edge of the clifface, the salty sea air stinging his eyes and nose as it swirled around him. He stared out from the island, into the sea, the black sand beach below him slowly vanishing as the tide washed in, foamy ocean brine swallowing it up.

He turned his eyes to the western channel, watching the modest ship that rested in the harbour across it. It was small for a schooner, but well-maintained and speedy when it counted. Once every month, the ship would bring cargo across from the city there to Ajaccio Island, giving Leon and his family the supplies they and their few servants required.

The New Coalition had accepted his surrender reluctantly. After word had finally gotten through, it had taken nearly three months to officially transfer power. Leon's Empire was finished. The biggest point of contention had been the Church refusing to allow Alabaster and Émeric to go free. To them, a rogue Angel and a necromancer capable of making something like the Mahoraga was intolerable, and nearly worth the continuation of such a devastating war. There'd been no talk of executing Leon, as he was a former monarch, but the Supreme Pontiff of the Church had been desperate to take Alabaster's head. Despite Leon's trepidation, Gabriel had remained firm. He had refused to budge, even threatening to revoke his conditional surrender at one point.

It had gotten heated. Alabaster had been willing, if only they'd let Émeric go free, but even that was not good enough. The New Coalition wanted both of them, or nothing at all. Eventually King Deuxmoise intervened and diffused the situation. He had offered to supply the ships and soldiers required to guard Ajaccio Island, and swore that Losaile would accept any associated debt. Leon had wished he'd gotten the chance to speak to his old friend. He wondered if Deuxmoise knew that the rift between them was healed by that.

They were sent here. A beautiful island just off the coast of a small country Leon had never heard of. It was civilised enough for a colony, specialising mostly in the leather from large feral cows, as well as exotic grapes and olives.

Raising his telescope, Leon watched the man who captained the schooner. Over the past two years, Leon had gotten to know the wolf captain, during his sporadic cargo deliveries. His name was Diego, and he had a wife and daughter, whom he loved almost as much as brandy.

They were exiled here. Leon had sworn to Rennaire and the New Coalition that he would never again step foot on Rennairan soil, nor would he ever make to leave his new home of Ajaccio. It was beautiful here, temperate too, but he could not deny a part of his soul was bored.

A deep part of him still yearned for the empire.

He watched Diego through the telescope, the portly wolf guiding a fresh load of supplies onto his ship, prepping to bring them across the channel.

It wouldn't be hard, Leon thought, licking his lips. Get him drinking, be friendly. By the time he wakes up, I am gone. The soldiers that Deuxmoise had stationed out here to guard Leon had gotten lazy. Taking the schooner would be simple, sailing it back to Rennaire would be tricky, but not impossible.

If I marched back into Albedo, right into the palace, and stood before King Gabriel and his new senate… would any of them truly have the balls to deny me?

Leon wasn't sure. The leper king was not perfect, but by all accounts he was far better than his father. Diego was always reluctant to give Leon too much news of Rennaire, but from what little he had managed to gather, the empire was doing well. They had been somewhat defanged, demilitarised, but their trade economy was strong. Albedo had started to flourish as a centre of art and philosophy, and the Undercity remained connected to the topside. Much of the spirit Leon had injected into the city remained, even if many of his laws had been repealed. Diego, for what it was worth, swore people said that Rennaire was a just and free-thinking place.

Perhaps it is the start of change.

Perhaps if he went back, he could finish what he started.

Leon smiled as Alabaster's creepy undead vulture glided into sight. The black bird cawed, swirling around as he rode the coastal currents in the air, one dark eye on the former Emperor.

“Hello, my friend, fine day for a flight!" Leon called, grinning. Bellamy only cawed back, circling around once more before coming to land less than a metre from him. It looked up, expectantly. “You're getting fat," he said, squatting down to feed the bird a piece of dried meat. As Bellamy swallowed the treat, Leon rubbed a paw down his back, staring at the schooner.

“What do you think, bird?" He cocked his head. “Could you do it? Leave something like that unfinished? Should I go back?"

Sailors boarded the ship, calling to one another as they prepared to push off. Leon considered the past, how deeply he'd lost sight of himself. He imagined what going back would do to Cosette and Émeric, to Alabaster. The dragon would never forgive him.

“Not today." Leon tossed another piece of dried meat to Bellamy, standing and putting his back to the sea.

He wandered down the narrow path, returning to the small estate they all shared. It was a square terracotta building, two floors, with plenty of open windows and balconies, and yellow and blue tiles decorating the edges. A lovely home, perhaps not an Emperor's home, but better than most men could expect.

Émeric, nearly twelve years old now, sat on the ground floor porch sketching in his books, his halo softly glowing above his head. Diego always brought him art supplies, and the boy relished the opportunity to draw the people and places on their island home. Cosette sat behind him, simply sitting and enjoying the breeze. Leon gave them both a wave, and passed on by to the other side of the house. The wounds of the past had not healed, but they were eased.

Émeric had not gone insane. It had been difficult, but Alabaster had said he suspected the quiet was good for the boy. As he explained it, the other bound the world together. Complex material structures combined with dense population centres worked together to create a concentrated knot of the other, all in one place. Angels could see it, they could feel it. Out here, there was less to fray at the boy's mind. They had not learned everything there was to know about Angels, but there was enough that Émeric could grow up happy.

He still had nightmares, some from his Angel-persona, and some from the things he'd seen back in Rennaire. But the boy was doing well, and it was mostly Alabaster that Leon had to thank for it.

“I will never get used to seeing you out here," Leon said, rounding the corner and leaning on the garden fence.

Alabaster, former mystic, necromancer, and father of blasphemy incarnate was on his knees in the dirt, digging at the soil with a trowel. Even as Leon watched, the ivory dragon delicately dropped a clawful of seeds into the little hole, gingerly using his fingers to cover them in soil.

“I spent so much of my life surrounded by dead things," Alabaster mused, looking up. “It's nice to nurture something that grows."

Bellamy came swooping in then, cawing as he landed on the edge of the rooftop, staring down at Leon accusingly.

“You've been feeding him again. I told you he'll get fat," Alabaster said, pushing to his feet. He leaned forward, his lips finding Leon's over the garden fence. “He's a revenant, you know, he doesn't technically need to eat."

Leon shrugged. “But I like feeding him, and he likes eating."

“Mhm." Alabaster smiled. There was still hurt deep in his eyes, two years was not long enough to solve every problem between them. But like Émeric, for now it was good enough. “How are you?"

The jaguar paused, considering. Finally, he sighed. “I am content, Alabaster. The weather is good, and new wine will be delivered soon. Diego promised to bring me books."

The dragon's eyes darted between Leon and the vulture. “Do you miss it? I know our life is simpler than you wanted."

“No, I don't miss it," Leon lied. “I love you, and that is enough for me." That part was true.

“Good," Alabaster said. He turned his head, looking out over the loose flower fields that accompanied their home. Many of them were empty, future projects from the dragon. “I still see it all sometimes. The fire and blood. I look out here and see a field of bones, it doesn't feel fair that we just walked away. At the same time, I almost can't believe it was real. I look at Émeric, and wonder how he could be anything but a simple boy."

“It's like you say," Leon replied softly, his paw stroking gently over Alabaster's smooth, white scaled claw. “We become what the world makes of us. What it expects of us. That's what we have to fight against."

“That's how it's always been," Alabaster said, chuckling as if to a private joke. “Did you never realise?"

“Realise what?" Leon frowned. “Always been… what?"

Alabaster leaned in, kissing Leon once more and whispering in his ear.

“Us, Leon. Us against the world."

The End

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Author's Note: Thank you. If you read this far, I truly appreciate it. This is the longest story by far I've ever written, coming in at 230,000 words, it's a serious contender for a fantasy epic. There are many mistakes, missteps, but I think great success as well. I am so proud of this story, and it really achieved what I have been trying to do with my writing for so long. I hope you enjoyed the story, and that the characters moved you, if they did, please let me know, that's what it's for. So much of myself is truly in this story, I am both Alabaster and Leon myself (though not nearly as capable), and so there was a certain level of vulnerability I felt in writing this. There's not many furry novels that are really… like this one, and structurally even the book is quite odd.

Honestly, I have so much more to say about NONE SO VILE, but in a few days or early next week, I will post a journal on my account detailing some thoughts and takeaways I had personally. If you're interested in my thoughts at all, or how I perceived the story, check that out.

If you, for whatever reason, want to talk more in-depth or privately, please feel free to reach out on Telegram. I can take DMs here and on Bsky as well, but that's the fastest and easiest way.

NONE SO VILE has been finished for me for a while, personally, I finished writing months ago, but now that it's public it truly feels 'over'. It makes me a little sad. I loved this story, so much, and I am happy to call it the best piece I've put out (so far).

I hope you thought so too, or that it was at least worth it. It was a big ask, being that long.

Love you all.

• Julian