The Luna Legacy

Lumina could feel it, the other half of herself was drawing on his power. Was it against her? It seemed likely. Lumina was sat in Amanda's dark cell, Amanda herself was behind bar.

"What do you want from me?" Amanda sighed.

"Nothing, I just came to let you know, Rory died" Lumina said, with a small grin on her face.

Amanda screamed in anger. Lumina sat back.

"To be honest, you had it coming, and I'm not even on his side" Lumina shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Amanda scowled at Lumina.

"Atlas Luna killed your son, like you killed his sister" Lumina replied.

Amanda thought back to how she had relished in the news that Atlas' sister Ruby had been successfully assassinated, how she revelled in the misery that followed, her joy at knowing the great hero of Ishtall spent his time drinking himself into oblivion.

Those days of power were long gone, now she was just here for Lumina's amusement. Her son was dead, her daughter hated her, and she had killed her own husband, Amanda knew who to blame for all her suffering, and it wasn't Lumina.

Amanda sighed, finally feeling regret at what she had sacrificed to become Empress. Her reign had been short and her legacy was but dust.

"You know, I regret many things, Lumina" Amanda said, looking into Lumina's silver eyes.

"Oh?" Lumina smiled, as she examined her nails.

"But I don't regret betraying you" Amanda grinned.

"You will" Lumina chuckled.

"My son is dead, my daughter disowned me, my Empire is yours. I have nothing left to lose" Amanda grinned.

"Tell me, do you still feel anything for Ariel?" Lumina said, standing and walking closer to the bars.

"You know I don't" Amanda growled looking away.

"I know you lie" Lumina laughed. "I could kill her right now if I wanted, it'd be as simple as clicking my fingers."

"Then do it" Amanda shouted, throwing a rock at Lumina.

"No, then I would have no hold over you at all" Lumina smiled, she headed toward the heavy door and left the room.

Roisin and the others arrived in Rosefall at last, the trees around the edges of the city were similar to cherry blossoms but with rose-red leaves. The city itself was decently sized with over half of the city dedicated to a futuristic looking harbour, with a huge 'Crystech' logo emblazoned on the side. From the hill above town, a huge ferry was visible, this would be the ferry that headed to the western continent, where Pyre Academy was located.

Roisin sighed, she was still worried about her Uncle Atlas, and also what Shien had said about her brother, could he still be alive? Dex held her hand reassuringly, knowing what was going on inside her mind.

"He'll be okay, he's the hero of Ishtall, some random Samurai isn't going to be able to stop him" Dex comforted Roisin. Roisin smiled slightly, she knew Dex was trying his best, and would put on a brave face for him.

Ashe and Ariel walked ahead, Ashe noticed a news-stand outside a shop that read 'Wynd Falls - Wynd Academy falls from the sky'.

"Um" She nudged Ariel, "what is that?" she asked, worried.

Ariel looked over to the sign and frowned, the two headed over to the man selling the newspapers. Ashe handed the man some money and picked up a paper, Roisin and Dex walked over.

"What is it?" Roisin asked.

"Something has happened back at Wynd..." Ariel said, as she began to read the article.

"What?! When?" Dex asked.

"Over a week ago apparently" Ashe said as she kept reading the article.

"Is that why were heading to Pyre?" Roisin wondered.

"That would mean your Uncle knew and didn't tell us..." Ashe frowned, she handed the article over for Dex and Roisin to read.

"It sounds like Ishtall itself still stands, but Wynd is apparently gone, along with most of its students. The four bowed their heads as they thought of their fellow classmates.

"Lets get a room here in the city, we can head out tomorrow... I think we all need a little time to process this" Dex said, the others nodded.

Crickets chirped in the swamplands of the western continent, a hut sat on the edge of a marsh, in the hut was a man asleep in a bed, he had several scars on his face, and long black hair, with a long beard.

Also in the room was a Mystic, they administered a potion to the man, and he slowly awoke.

"Wh...where am I?" The man coughed as he awoke.

"Back in the land of the living" The mystic smiled.

"It's been so long since I heard a voice that was not my own" The man replied.

"It has actually only been around a week, my lord" The mystic knelt before the man in the bed.

"Lord?" The man looked confused.

"You do not remember who you are, my lord?" The mystic asked.

"No, I am sorry, I do not" The man sighed as he shook his head.

"You are... or were the Crown Prince of a far off land, you were killed in your poorly thought out plan of revenge" The mystic explained.

"Crown... Prince?" The man wondered.

"Rory Ferras, I believe was your name" The mystic smiled.

Memories began to trickle back into the man's mind, he remembered he was indeed Rory, and he recalled the face of a greying man being the last thing he saw.

"Hmm... the fires of revenge, it's been so long that they now burn so dim" Rory sighed. Rory looked at the man. "Who are you and why did you bring me back?" Rory asked the man, raising his eyebrow.

"The Luna family are soon to arrive in this land, hunt them and kill them for good" The mystic replied.

"Why do you hate them so?" Rory asked, feeling only a modicum of hatred now, for Roisin and the others, the time he spent in that... other place, it had felt like decades, yet here he was, back merely a week later.

"I don't hate them, but like certain others on this star, they think they can dictate the future of mankind, we need to take our fate back into our own hands" The mystic replied.

"Hmm, I gotta say, I'm not interested" Rory shrugged.

The mystic clicked his fingers, and Rory relived the battle outside the compound in the desert of light. Everything from the smell to the heat. As Roisin cornered him, he felt the hatred slowly start to grow again.

"No!" Rory shouted, shaking awake, he was lying in the bed in the same shack, but there was no sign of the mystic.

Rory thought back again to his battle again, maybe it was worth settling his score. This time though, he'd have to play it slow, instead launching a direct attack. This time, they wouldn't see him coming.