Sanctuary

Rychard Pyre was stood on one of the walls looking out into the darkness that awaited, just 200 metres away from the city border. He was deep in thought about what he had seen in the recovered tape from the journey through the darkness.

He had refused to let any one see what he saw. The horrors that now existed just beyond this small border of light. Twisted creatures, demonic beings, but worse than the twisted wildlife was the landscape, warped by the dark aether into something unrecognizable.

The vision of what was out there had left Rychard devoid of hope. Feeling as if they were losing, he had given into fear. Fear made him dangerous to those around him, he finally felt as if he had nothing to lose.

Had it all been for naught? He had helped Keegan's kidnapping take place, and now Keegan was the one responsible for the descending darkness. In effect, he had doomed Crystalla, for the chance to open his business in the now non-existent Empire.

In addition, he'd forced Roisin on a difficult path, a path that meant she would need to now give her lift to save the rest of the world. A secret that only a few knew. If Roisin had discovered this, she would lose that hope that gave her the power to continue on.

Rychard had also helped the Empire to commit genocide on the Hubuns who once lived on the very ground upon which he now stood. He wondered to himself, if he could ever be forgiven?

Footsteps approached, someone was coming! Rychard swung around to see Roisin, looking very angry.

"Roisin? What are you doing out here?" Rychard asked.

"Uncle Atlas told me what you did..." Roisin frowned. Rychard bowed his head.

"I regret my actions, but in times like these, we need to put the past behind us, you understand..." Rychard began, but in an instant, Roisin roared with anger as her eyes turned red, and she swung a sword at Rychard, slicing through his arm.

"Argh!" Rychard roared "You bitch!" He shouted.

"That's your first and last warning" Roisin growled.

"Ro... Roisin, this isn't like you" Rychard said through clenched teeth.

"You doomed this world, you set me on a path, that quite frankly, I know will lead to my eventual death, and on top of that, you stole my BROTHER away from me, denying us so many years together" Roisin yelled. "You're lucky it's just your arm, you evil, spiteful, slimy, deceitful man. At least Amanda owned her deeds, whereas you just deny then, place them blame on others. Stop pretending you ever had a conscience" She added.

Rychard stared up at Roisin.

"I made you into a monster..." Rychard sighed. Roisin roared and punched Rychard.

"No, I am not a monster..." Roisin shrugged. "You are" She said as she turned away, spotlights illuminated Rychard as the City Guard closed in on him, along with the medics. Roisin walked away into the blinding light as Rychard reached his hand toward her silhouette, a boot stamped on his hand, and he yelled in pain, before looking up to see Ariel.

She knelt down to him and smiled.

"Don't think me not telling Roisin about your other crime means that you got away with it" Ariel smiled. "The whole City Guard is aware. You WILL be tried for war crimes, on top of the whole kidnap, murder, extortion, and whatever else you got up to" She winked, before standing up and following Roisin.

Later that night...

Roisin was sat with Ariel at the Sanctuary Defence HQ. She was shaking, and crying, as Ariel held her.

"I don't know what came over me..." Roisin cried. "The anger just... took over" She added.

"Roisin, he stole so much from you..." Ariel sighed.

"I know... but he was a defenceless man..." Roisin said, as tears fell from her eyes. "What if I am losing myself to this power again?" She continued.

"He has the Crystalliam too, you know this, Roisin, if you didn't strike there could have been a chance he'd kill you, you did the right thing, he's alive, and in custody" Ariel smiled. "You are not losing yourself to anger. I nearly did something similar to my Mother, back in New Raryst" Ariel admitted.

"You did?" Roisin looked at Ariel's eyes, Ariel nodded.

"I found out something about her past... and Rychard's too, something few people are aware of" Ariel continued.

"Rychard again..." Roisin shook her head.

"Yeah, he helped the Imperials develop a bioweapon, a bioweapon that... was used on the very town that once stood where we are now" Ariel revealed.

"But this town is where..." Roisin began.

"Yes" Ariel nodded. Roisin gasped.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Roisin frowned.

"I... I'm sorry" Ariel sighed. "I was scared, I knew how heartbroken you would be, so I hid it from you" Ariel apologized and looked away from Roisin, only to be taken off guard by Roisin hugging her, she looked at Roisin and smiled.

"Ariel, you're not just a friend to me, you know" Roisin smiled, Ariel smiled back, as the two stood up and headed outside.

"You're also, to me, my sister" She added.