Chapter The Best Offence
The rain had started to pour down in Ishtall, Andre and Syl walked into an old warehouse near the docks, it had sat empty for years. Syl walked in first, he saw a chair in the middle of the room with what looked like some medical equipment. Andre walked behind Syl, keeping an eye out for any shifts, in case Lumina assumed control.
Out of the shadows on the far side of the warehouse, Ember and the Dark Female Knight that Rory had fought in the battle at Crystech walked out of the shadows. Syl neared the chair and sat down, Andre looked over to Ember and the Knight, they both walked over, two dark chains appeared across Syl's hands and body, securing him to the chair.
"Huh? What is this?!" Syl panicked, still struggling to talk.
"It's just a precaution, when we start this procedure, it is likely Lumina will fight back against our control." Ember explained. Syl relaxed slightly, Ember attached a small tube to Syl's arm, the Knight took off their glove, their hand was almost pure pitch darkness. Ember attached the tube to the Knight's hand, and her black blood began flowing into Syl.
Syl shook violently as the black blood began to mix with the white blood, his eyes began to glow, and he began shouting out, Ember quickly covered his mouth. Andre monitored Syl's condition on a nearby machine. After a few minutes, Syl's blood between black and white before slowly turning red again.
Syl had passed out in the chair.
"Right, pick him up, we return to Avadey tonight" Andre commanded, the two women nodded and picked Syl up by his arms, the took him out of the back entrance to the warehouse, where a car was waiting.
In the old Hubun village, Rory was in the old smithy's shop, he was working on forging a new weapon. Footsteps approached, Rory grabbed his dagger.
"Come and closer and I will kill you" Rory shouted, swing around to face the direction of the footsteps.
"Brother dearest" Ariel smiled
"You're not really here! I am not falling for this foolish display" Rory growled, Ariel suddenly transformed into Roisin.
"Stop this!" Rory shouted, smashing the smithy's hammer against the nearby wall.
The figure changed once more, it was Lumina.
"Have it your way, Little Prince" Lumina smiled, she walked closer to Rory.
"My, my, my, they did make quite a mess of you, didn't they?" Lumina grinned as she looked at Rory's various injuries.
"Whatever you want of me, I'm not interested" Rory seethed with anger.
"Oh, you don't want to kill your sister and her little pals, you don't want to tear those ridiculous bunny ears off the boy who took your eye?" Lumina grinned, devilishly.
Rory remained silent, but he managed a small smirk.
"I thought that would grab your attention, I will grant you a weapon of pure light, a sword beyond compare, a gift from the halls of Lumina Academy itself." Lumina smiled as she drew a weapon of blinding light, Rory grinned and held out his hand.
Lumina drove the weapon into Rory's palm, where it disappeared on impact, leaving a small glowing scar on his palm. Rory didn't even wince from the pain, he closed his palm.
"Thank you" He nodded to Lumina.
"Don't thank me, it is in our mutual interest" Lumina said, before turning and leaving the old smithy's shack. Rory laughed, he summoned the blade of light and split both the blade he had been working on, and the work table in two.
The Imperial Academy glowed as the full moons light reflected on the dark steel panelling. Amanda was in throne room. Deep down in the old dungeons below, Victoria was sat in the dark. By now she had become accustomed to living in the constant darkness.
Though she sat up when she heard footsteps approaching, the door swung open, and a woman holding a flash light opened the door.
"Your Radiance?" Victoria asked as she blocked the blinding light from her eyes.
"Not quite" A familiar female voice chuckled. Lumina walked into the room, despite being in the Hubun Village mere seconds earlier.
"Who are you?" Victoria asked, as Lumina placed the torch on a nearby table.
"An ally. Tell me, do you know why Amanda placed you down here?" Lumina smiled as she took a seat.
"For ransom I presume?" Victoria asked.
"I'm sorry, it was not for something so simple. She placed you down here so her daughter could wear your looks as a glamour" Lumina feigned concern for Victoria.
Victoria gasped.
"Although, that little plan backfired on her, and her daughter is now opposing her." Lumina grinned, while examining her nails.
"People didn't know I was missing?" Tears welled up in Victoria's eyes, realizing how all her suffering will have gone unnoticed.
"Until a few months ago no one knew you were missing, but Ariel, Amanda's daughter threw off her glamour and switched sides." Lumina explained.
"Can you free me?" Victoria looked in Lumina's eyes, pleading.
"Why do you think I am here, my child?" Lumina smiled "I do have a small favour to ask in return" she added.
"Anything" Victoria pleaded.
"I will cast upon you, the glamour of Ariel Ferras, the girl who stole your identity..." Lumina grinned "and I want you to cause as much trouble as you can for the Empire, destabilize it, bring it to its knees" Lumina laughed maniacally.
"But... I've gotten weak in here, they'll kill me in no time" Victoria sighed.
"I will give you a slither of my strength, you will be able to cut down foes and survive many battles without a single scratch" Lumina smiled, as if offering a perfect gift.
"I'll do it" Victoria nodded, Lumina opened the jail door and unlocked Victoria's restraints.
Roisin and Dex were sat on the large lawn outside Wynd Academy, Roisin was snuggled up to Dex as the two stared up at the moonlight.
"Roisin, I'm so glad we met" Dex smiled.
"Me too, without you... I don't think I'd have handled this past year as well as I have done" Roisin hugged Dex tightly.
"You are so much stronger than you think you are, Roisin, you give me the strength I need" Dex kissed Roisin on the forehead and looked up at the large moon in the sky.