Epilogue

The cerulean grass undulated from a gentle wind that blew over the hills behind the Deadeye’s summer villa. The way each blade moved took Sageman back to the amber grain fields of his youth. He glanced over to Deadeye, who checked the direction of the wind with her finger while she held a loaded shotgun.

He chuckled at the sight.

“An old habit,” she said with a smile, then looked over her shoulder and asked, “Be a doll and release the birds for us.”

“A-ah. Yes.” Red-faced, Rodrick tore his gaze away from Sageman and rushed over to the launcher.

Another star-struck kid. It is almost a shame that he won’t remember this.

Rodrick eagerly yanked the cord and launched six clay birds. The spinning disks flew overhead, and as suddenly as they touched the steel gray sky, they were smashed into dust by Deadeye’s shotgun.

“A good shot, I can see why you thought about joining the Inquis,” said Sageman.

Deadeye laughed. “Right, thankfully, I chose the better option. I’m pretty sure one of them approached you after the war. You were hot back then. ”

Sageman readied his shotgun. The instrument felt odd in his hands. It's been a while.

Coolly, he replied. “Yes, them and many others. Despite everything that happened, I don’t regret my pick. ”

He raised his hand and shouted. “Pull.”

Rodrick hurled another array of clay pigeons, and Sageman eliminated them with deadly efficiency.

When the last clay shards touched the ground, he scoffed. Such a crude weapon, but I should give my subordinates a sporting chance.

“So how is my godson?” He asked.

“Oh, Mindrattler, he is doing great, especially for a late bloomer. I’m a little sad he did not join the campus hunting squad with me. It is a waste for him to do paperwork for the old lizard. ”

A self-satisfied smirk formed on his lips. “What about the others?”

“The majority of the freshmen are promising, minus that one failure from Awldriver’s batch.” Deadeye grumbled and shook her head. “I hope you punished that apprentice of yours. I know those guys were sloppy, but his spitefulness brought in the Inquis.”

Sageman raised a brow that made Deadeye lower her tone, and she forced a tight smile. “My apologies, Master Sageman, but he almost ruined our surveillance. ”

“I did, but the only ones who left this scandal with a black eye were Needle and the Salamanders. So stay there a little longer, at least a year after my godson leaves.”

“Yes, Master Sageman.” She raised her hand for another round of clay birds.

He nodded and watched the woman shatter another set, then asked, “What do you think about her one success?”

Deadeye blinked. “Oh, Killgore, he was already a decent novice, and I have not seen a significant change within him. His Aether capacity increased a negligible amount, but that could have come from training or Aetherian supplements. ”

She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t see what she did, other than traumatize him for nothing.”

Sageman laughed. “Another cheap imitation, those fools are nothing without me. While Needle and the Sublime Weavers are busy having slapfights with their lackeys, we’ll begin phase two. ”

Deadeye laughed, and gunshots sounded off in celebration.