Epilogue

Amoc let out a short growl. He was shifted to his wolf form, and Maggie had made an offhand comment about how ‘cute’ he looked. Simon hadn’t been able to stop a chortle from escaping. Maggie hadn’t had an opportunity to see Amoc use the wolf form before now, and the comment had been her first reaction. Amoc’s solid brown coat definitely made him a striking wolf; Simon couldn't deny that.

“Hey, Mr. Growly, this was your idea.” Simon reminded Amoc. “It’s the way he knows us, so it’s the way we’re going to meet him again.”

Amoc let out a short ‘harumph’, or at least the best approximation the wolf form would allow.

“And she’s not wrong.”

Amoc fixed him with a glare, then turned to leave the wheelhouse.

Outside the Argo’s windows Simon could see the Albany skyline, and the docks that were looking considerably more overgrown than the last time they had been here. The tour boat they had siphoned fuel from was still there, and hopefully still had some of that fuel left.

Miriam’s fix for the Albany ‘bubble’ seemed to have been effective. Simon didn’t feel the Veil was any more or less close than in Mt. Weather, following the addition of its own protective bubble. This could be a second haven for the living now, and it was one of the big reasons they had made the trek up here.

And to tie up one specific loose end we left behind a while back.

“And with that, does anyone need a reminder of what our first jobs are?” Simon asked the assembled group.

Everyone either shook their head in a silent ‘no’, or said the word itself. They were all used to the routine by now. Everyone other than Ben.

“Oh, uh… no I got it.” Ben said after realizing he was the odd one out.

Ben was the one new addition to the crew, having decided that Mt. Weather had enough protection these days with the Fenris Garou, the dragon, and its permanent protective bubble. He had joined them with the blessing of John, Greg, and his fellow Garou, Sam and Sadie.

And maybe that was a part of his decision; I think Ben was feeling a little cooped up. I was feeling it too. Traveling in this world is dangerous as hell, but there’s a certain something about that danger that calls to me. Sailing forbidden seas, and all that. Whatever his reason, I’m sure as hell not going to say no to having another Garou on the team. Ben’s going to need some time to settle in, but time is the one thing we have plenty of now.

“Well then, let’s get to it.” Simon concluded.

Marcus and Maggie were still there of course, as was the unmistakable Draki. They set off with Ben for their half of the excursion. The one missing person was Ari, even though he hadn’t been with them for all that long. Ari had remained behind at Mt. Weather, as he had never experienced open water, and their long trek north might have been a bit too much from him. There was also evidence that more of his kind might be around Mt. Weather, and that more than anything was why Ari had decided to stay behind.

Simon picked up the backpack he had prepared for the trek and put it on. There wasn’t much need for protection given the bubble and Amoc being with him, but he also put his old machete in its place on the shoulder strap, just in case. It had been with him the last time they were in Albany, and was a reminder of what they were doing here. Stepping out onto the rear of the Argo, the air was crisp with the beginning of Fall. It was just about a year to the date since they had first come through Albany. Simon found Amoc waiting for him at the ramp.

“So you really can remember his scent after all this time?”

Amoc gave him an affirmative nod.

“Amazing.” Simon commented. “Well, lead on, then.”

Amoc loped down the ramp and onto the docks, and then into the parking lot where they had first met Arnold, the mysterious crazy man that had greeted them like nothing had changed in the world. He had claimed that he had just been out for a walk. The second time they passed through Albany, Arnold had been missing. Simon hoped that he had managed to survive in the intervening time. It stood to reason that Arnold likely called one of the nearby neighborhoods home, and might still be there. It might also stand to reason that fixing the bubble could have helped him regain some rationality.

And it could be a wild goose chase, but I wouldn’t ever be able to rest knowing I had never tried to find the man again. Albany being the only other place with a protective bubble is secondary in the consideration for this trip, as far as I’m concerned.

As they walked the streets, Simon was reminded how easy it was to forget that Albany, the state capital, was far less prosperous than the city. The ‘city’ being New Yorker shorthand for New York City, which almost everyone from out of state thought was the state capital.

They walked by an old church that had clearly been abandoned long before the apocalypse, judging by the boarded up windows and nearly complete encasement in vines. Many of the row houses and walk-ups looked tired in a way that spoke of decades, not years of neglect. There were signs that people had tried to get out, though. Few cars were left, many doors had been left open, and the odd suitcase lay randomly splayed open on the street.

Maybe they had been given some time when the New York coven made their attempt. Then the question is: where did they all go? And how many of them made it?

After an hour or so of wandering the streets and alleys of urban Albany, Amoc came to a halt, nose up.

“Got something?”

Amoc confirmed it by setting off again at a brisk pace. Simon jogged to keep up. A few minutes went by as Amoc tracked the scent, occasionally taking a turn, but maintaining the pace. They came to a stop in front of a townhouse that counted a garden as its neighbor. A garden that was conspicuously not overgrown. In fact, it looked to have a number of very healthy vegetable plants growing in it.

“I’m going to assume this is the place.” Simon stated.

Amoc looked intently at the door of the two story, brick-walled townhouse.

“And if you’ve got the scent… then I’m also assuming he’s still alive.” Simon concluded.

The door of the townhouse suddenly opened, and in it stood Arnold, the same middle-aged human Simon remembered, and possibly the sole resident of Albany since the apocalypse began. He stood there for a moment, looking at Simon and then Amoc, likely trying to figure out whether or not he should accept the fact they were real.

“I wasn’t sure we’d find you again.” Simon began, breaking the silence. “But I had to try. Never could have lived with myself if I didn’t.”

“I heard a voice, thought I might be going crazy again.” Arnold stated. “But I remember you. Simon, right?”

Simon nodded.

“I’ll be honest, I was pretty well convinced I hallucinated the man and his wolf arriving by boat.” Arnold replied. “I wasn’t exactly with it back then. Still not sure I am, really. What with the zombies out there on the outskirts.”

“You seem more lucid this time.” Simon assumed. “Seems like you realize what happened to the world now.”

“Yeah… yeah, things really went to hell, didn’t they?” Arnold asked. “I don’t remember anything about how or when it started, just waking up one day with this… lady, talking to me. Saying I’d be fine now. Don’t know if you can call this ‘fine’, but I definitely feel like I’ve got my mind back, at least.”

Simon could guess who that lady was. Miriam had been true to her word.

“Where are my manners?” Arnold continued. “Come on inside. Not a lot to offer these days, but it is still warm with the stove. Charlie can come in too, if he wants to. That was his name right?”

Arnold asked, looking over to Amoc.

“It is, and sure, he’s housebroken.” Simon couldn’t resist saying it as he began walking to the door, motioning for Amoc to follow.

Amoc glared at him again, but continued to play the role he had set himself in. He followed Simon into Arnold’s house. Inside it was indeed warmer. Simon noted the old iron stove in the living room, likely original to the house. An old thing that was invaluable again, in a world without power. It was fairly plain inside, but seemed to be generally well kept. Looking into other rooms, there were supplies of all types stacked up, but the living area seemed to have been kept deliberately clean.

Amoc played up his role a bit by sniffing around the house, and then sniffing Arnold himself.

“He’s pretty friendly.” Arnold commented. “How exactly did you end up with a wolf… I mean, I assume he's a wolf given his size, but how did you two, well… team up?”

Arnold motioned for Simon to have a seat on the living room’s sofa, while he himself sat in an armchair opposite. Amoc did a couple more laps of the living area before laying down on the floor next to where Simon was sitting.

“Oh he's a full-blooded wolf.” Simon began. “And it was luck, I guess. Found myself in the city one night, which was a terrible idea in hindsight, and got myself into some undead trouble. Shocking, I know. Then this guy comes out of nowhere…” Simon found himself scratching Amoc’s back, which Amoc leaned into. “And starts chewing on undead. Saved my life. Never quite figured out why, but he seemed to be in rough shape. So I fed him, and, well… he’s never left my side since.”

It was pretty close to the truth.

“They say they’re a lot smarter than dogs.” Arnold offered.

“Of that I have no doubt.” Simon agreed.

Amoc had gone from leaning into the back scratching to slowly turning to expose his belly. He was really playing up the role, now.

“Seriously?” Simon asked. “We’ve been here for five minutes. This is undignified.”

Amoc remained where he was.

“I don’t think he cares.” Arnold concluded. “He really does seem to trust you completely.”

The realization was like cold water to Simon’s face. As many times as he had heard Amoc say it, Simon hadn’t really ever fully accepted it until now. Arnold barely knew them and could see it. Amoc was trusting him with a display of affection that he had likely never trusted with anyone else before in his life.

Simon had to focus hard on maintaining his composure.

“Yeah.” Simon admitted after a moment. “Yeah I guess he does.”

Simon reached down and began rubbing Amoc’s belly. A hind leg began pawing at the air.

“You are entirely without shame, you know that?” Simon said, meaning every word of it.

After a few moments of the display, Simon stopped the belly rub and Amoc let out a contented sigh. It was hard to tell how much of it was for show and how much of it was Amoc actually enjoying something he had wanted to experience for a very long time.

“So you found me.” Arnold resumed. “And I’m still among the living, despite everything. Like I said, I don’t remember anything about how it all started. Just occasional vague impressions, like you showing up at the tour boat docks a year ago. I’m managing, though there have been days I wondered what the point is. But then you and Charlie show up again, and remind me I’m not alone. Is that why you came? To make an old man feel like going on?”

If only you knew the full truth, but I don’t think you’re ready for that. But we’ll get there.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.” Simon reminded Arnold. “But yeah, also because I didn’t want you to be alone here anymore. And you’re not going to be. I met some other people in my travels, and a few of them are here in Albany with me. We’re hoping we can turn this place into a haven for the living. I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that the undead don’t enter the city.”

“So I’m not imagining that.” Arnold stated. “There really is something that’s keeping them out.”

“There is.” Simon confirmed. “I don’t pretend to know how it works, but I know it does. I’ve only seen it here, and one other place: Mt. Weather, Virginia.”

“The government operations center?” Arnold asked.

“You know it?” Simon replied with his own question.

“Oh yeah, lot of rumors and wild theories about the place.” Arnold explained. “There was a time I would have entertained a theory saying that they had something to do with this, but… well, a year living by myself in the apocalypse kind of puts water on that fire.”

“There was a time?” Simon was beginning to wonder just who Arnold was.

“Yeah, I mean, you’d call them conspiracy theories, but to me they were stories.” Arnold explained. “Fuel for wild fiction and drama. I couldn’t get enough of it. Always tried to keep myself grounded, but it got real hard. Especially after… oh hell, I was going to say you’ll think I’m crazy for mentioning it, but I’m talking to a man and his wolf in a dead city with some kind of zombie repulsion field. What is crazy anymore?”

What is crazy indeed.

“Try me.” Simon put out the challenge.

Arnold considered Simon for a moment.

“Before the apocalypse, I did a lot of writing, like I said.” Arnold began. “Most of it fueled by those conspiracy theories. All sorts of stuff from black sites to aliens to bigfoot to the Illuminati. I never believed any of it of course, but it made for great stories. Then one night some years back, everything changed. I was out late, walking home through the sports park west of here, and I heard what sounded like fighting. Like big animals fighting, which was weird for the middle of the city. Against my better judgment I tried to find the source… and I did.”

Simon could feel that Amoc had tensed up where he was resting against his legs. This was going somewhere Simon hadn’t expected.

“I don’t know what I saw, but it was huge.” Arnold continued. “Eight or nine feet tall, standing upright. And it was fighting something even bigger. I only remember running like hell, and not when I started running. That has stuck with me ever since. It wasn’t human, it wasn’t an animal. I didn’t imagine it. It was like one of those wild myths I used to write about had come to life”

Arnold’s seen through the Veil.

“I believe you.” Simon stated. “I mean that. The world is a lot stranger than you know.”

The only irony was Arnold hadn’t seen anything beyond that since then. He clearly wasn’t sure what to make of Simon’s acceptance of his story. Arnold was also maybe reassessing who exactly they were. It took him a moment to say anything again.

“How much stranger?” Arnold asked.

“Quite a bit.” Simon replied. “But I think maybe we should start with just saying you’re not alone anymore. We’ll go from there.”

“Well.” Arnold stated. “I’ll definitely take the company.”

Simon felt Amoc relax again. Arnold had a lot of catching up to do.

“Think it was a Garou?” Simon asked Amoc, back in human form, back on the Argo.

“Without a doubt.” Amoc replied. “In the middle of the city, though? Something must have gone badly sideways for them. But that’s ancient history now.”

“Yeah.” Simon conceded. “Hey… maybe that’s why he’s still here. He experienced the Veil before the apocalypse.”

“Could be, yeah.” Amoc mused. “It would have made him a target for a Hunter, but… well, maybe that Garou was too distracted to pick up on him. Occasionally one would slip through the cracks. The myths didn’t start themselves, after all.”

“Right.” Simon realized what was left unspoken.

They both watched the sun set over Albany for a bit before Amoc spoke up again.

“We’ve got one more big trek to do, you know that right?” Amoc asked.

“Logan.”

“Yeah.” Amoc confirmed. “There’s only so long they can manage up there. He knows it, but at the time we didn’t have any options to offer. Now we do.”

“Winter’s not far off.” Simon reminded Amoc.

“I know, they’re going to have to manage one more up there.” Amoc conceded. “But in the meantime we can carve out a space in Albany, really start setting this place up for the long term. Start working on some of those ideas of yours.”

“There’s others out there too.” Simon thought back to what Ben had said about his radio contacts. “Which means we’re going to have to also figure out things like how to cover distance over land, in a world that doesn’t belong to the living.”

“Yeah.” Amoc conceded. “Got any ideas on that?”

“I do, but it’s going to take more people.” Simon replied.

The sun was dipping below the buildings now. It wasn’t an ending for them by any means. Albany and Mt. Weather were just the beginning. There was a lot of work in their future. But that work was for the living, and it was why they had to keep living. Amoc was also a reason to keep living.

“So…” Simon looked over at Amoc. “Was the belly rub everything you hoped it would be?”

Amoc laughed.

“Everything and then some.”