In the sky above the city of Dion, home of the prison that held Sister Sun, there was a shimmer in the air amongst the clouds as Syl and her chosen appeared in a cloud of mist. The mist swirled and snaked in the air around them at first and then contracted into Syl.

“Okay everyone here we go.” Syl said.

The twelve chosen and Syl started their decent through the clouds.

*Leon’s Perspective*

Leon was on the tall side after a recent growth spurt with a lean athletic body. His dark curly hair was cut close to his head and he wore a plain blue tunic with sturdy sandals. He looked similar to many of the young men in Dion and like more than a few young adults now reaching adulthood he was up early exercising and training in the predawn light. A few hundred young men and women would compete for apprenticeships across the city in the coming spring, it was still more than a season away but competition was already fierce among his peers. He was determined to represent the interests of Dion in the future. He wanted to be chosen as a legate, an envoy and voice for his people.

Leon wiped the sweat from his brow with a trembling hand. This mornings training had been intervals of sprints and planks and he was finally done exercising. He felt good as he started his daily walk back home. It would be a short jaunt to the outer gate and then a quick walk through the morning crowds. There was just enough time for a trip to the public bath if he hurried so Leon put on the speed as he walked. He was making good time as he passed the outer gate when a man in front of him stopped without warning. Leon was going too fast for the unexpected stop and couldn’t completely stop himself in time. The other man didn’t seem to notice the fumble as the two lightly collided and the man was staring at something ahead of them.

“Hail and apologies sir!” Leon said.

The man said nothing and a stillness fell over the crowd around him, foot traffic stopped. Leon looked for around and tried to find a way to get back on schedule for his morning bath.

‘What is this! I’m in a hurry!’

He was still looking around when he caught sight of her, a mesmerizing beauty with exotic eyes and sun kissed skin, knelt down to help a collapsed woman. Air that some how caught light shimmered around her as she gently guided the fallen woman back to her feet.

“It’s okay, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She said, her quiet voice rang through the street and made his chest tighten. She released the woman and turned toward the growing crowd her brow scrunched and her lips pursed. The crowd waited, not daring to move.

“Hello everyone it is nice to meet you. You might know me as Sister Moon, I am looking for Sister Sun and we would really appreciate it if someone would show us the way to your prison.” Sister Moon said.

“Lady Syl! What about the all time we spent planning?! We were supposed to destroy buildings and blow stuff up!” A small woman with long white hair that was wearing a green dress said. The air also shimmered around her though much less than the other woman she seemed to be scolding.

“I don’t want to scare them or accidentally hurt them! It isn’t me.” Sister Moon or rather Lady Syl said as she pointed at a nearby building. “This looks really cool! I want to explore the area and see what’s here. They might have interesting foods! Seriously would someone here like to be our guide?”

“We already know the location of the prison! We know the location of everything!” The smaller woman was hoping up and down as she yelled.

“It might be a nice opportunity for someone to feel helpful?” Lady Syl said as she smiled. Leon’s heart raced as he pushed himself through the crowd towards them. The women didn’t seem to notice as he pushed past the circle that had formed of people watching them.

“Agh!” The small woman screeched as she threw her arms up.

“I… I am yours my lady… please let me escort you to the prison.” Leon said in a daze and dropped to one knee.

“See! My plan is adapting to new parameters already!” Lady Syl said as she turned towards him with a dazzling smile.

“This one just thinks you are pretty, he doesn’t respect you as a goddess, he sees you as a glowy girl or something since you act like this. You deserve these titles!” The shorter woman said with her arms crossed while turning her head away from Lady Syl.

There was a long pause as Lady Syl seemed to consider something. “I’M TOTALLY A GODDESS!” Lady Syl yelped.

“Says the glowy flirt pretending to need directions.” The small woman said still not looking back.

Lady Syl let out a long sigh. “Thank you for volunteering.” Lady Syl said to him as she beckoned him to stand.

He stood and her smell, an atmospheric crackle in the air the day of a storm, washed over him and it reminded him that his own current smell, sweaty man without a bath, was her first impression. Leon ran a nervous hand through his curly hair and tried to sneak a sniff of himself. About that time a snort came from the direction of the small woman.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“This way to the prison my lady.” Leon said a little embarrassed as he gestured in the direction of the prison. More glowing figures landed around them and Lady Syl stepped closer to him. His morning plans forgotten, he walked with them to the older part of the city. They received many stares and people generally got out of the way as they walked through the city. The group followed an aqueduct that brought water from the newer part of the city towards the city center. Most of the buildings were plaster and brick and the occasional stone though public buildings were sprawling structures made of large engineered pieces and stone columns.

“My grandfather and father helped design and build that trading house over there my lady. It has the strength to stand for generations.” Leon said as he pointed to a well crafted sturdy looking structure on their left.

“Do you also wish to be a builder?” Lady Syl asked as they continued to walk.

“No. It is not my passion to build a legacy with houses, I hope to look towards the future another way. I wish to be a legate my lady. If I might be so bold, did you and your vassals arrive from the sky?” Leon said.

“Ah.. yes and no. We came from my realm to the sky above Dion, so both from the sky and not. When I discovered Sister Sun was in your prison, I thought to punish the people responsible; though, I changed my mind when we arrived.” Lady Syl said.

“I’m grateful we met and glad to have missed your punishment. I didn’t believe those stories were true. Why did you change your mind?” Leon said and he hoped it would be a long walk.

“All the people responsible for putting her in that place are long gone. It would be awkward to taste local cuisine if there was a lot of smiting.” Lady Syl said while giving him a smirk. Leon was considering her words when he noticed the crowd shifting ahead of them. Maybe she would eat with him if he asked later.

“Halt!” A soldier shouted as a group came into view. It was a large group of soldiers blocking the street. The soldiers wore the red warrior tunics and had on Dion’s traditional battle garb: chest armor, helmets, leg, and arm guards. Each of the men also had a short sword on their hip and held a thick short spear that were sometimes used during events for crowd control. Lady Syl held up a slender hand and their group stopped. A man wearing more ornate armor with a helmet adorned with horse hair, an officer, came forward out of the bunch. He held a sealed scroll case which he opened and read.

“Fools are the Sister Goddesses. We the proud people of Dion do not fear or respect your kind. Your unwelcome arrival at our fine city has placed a great burden on our strong and able citizens. We offer you our thanks for the small part you played in our history though we find you a repulsive reminder that we are better served by your absence. We accept this responsibility and show you mercy, surrender and end the interference on the lives of your betters. So says the esteemed councilman Ledos.” The officer finished reading and returned the scroll to the case.

Lady Syl opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted. “Do not dare speak vile creature!” The officer said with a face twisted in disgust. “Do as your told! We care not for your words!” The officer practically spat as he spoke. There was a look of compassion on Lady Syl’s face and she started to walk towards the officer. He watched her walk towards him and then snickered seemingly bored. “What are you waiting for men, bind that witch!” Leon could feel heat on his face and his jaw tightened. The soldiers present leered at Lady Syl as they closed in on her. She was ethereal, how could someone see her and think to hurt this young woman. He didn’t have a sword and against so many trained soldiers his chances were slim to none. It didn’t matter, defending her was the right thing to do. Ropes and chains came out from somewhere and Leon knew he had to act as his eyes locked with Lady Syl.

Stay back, stay safe, trust me

Her unspoken words echoed in his skull and he trembled in rage as they cruelly bound her hands with rope. Her kind eyes stayed locked with his and watched him. Leon forced himself to return her gaze and clenched teeth as they bound her arms and torso with chains. With her arms and hands bound they gagged her and tightened a sack over her head. His chest burned and he remembered to breathe. She stood there passive not resisting and he watched in horror as the group of soldiers grew emboldened. They jeered as they prodded her forward with their spears and caned her for good measure as she walked hooting and cheering all the while.

He followed them unable to do anything else, a solemn witness to the horror unfolding before him. If she fell they dragged and stabbed her, if she stumbled they struck her legs with the sides of their spears. She didn’t bleed though he had no doubt that the treatment would have likely killed another person. They eventually made it the rest of the way to the prison named the Tomb with a large cheering crowd in tow.

The prison was aptly named, long ago when the city was still being settled, it was a massive quarry supplying much needed stone for the city of Dion’s development. As the city expanded the quarry was swallowed up by the growth and abandoned when demands for other materials rendered the quarry obsolete. Over time the the quarries manufactured cave system was seen as an ideal prison and was used that way for many years until the city of Dion locked away its most infamous prisoner, Sister Sun. Many decades later the city council fearing retaliation sealed and abandoned the entrance to the prison, though they did not forget. Like the crowd around Sister Moon over time the people of the city of Dion stopped fearing the wraith of Sister Sun and grew prideful.

Leon looked across the crowd and felt rage. People around him growing up had said terrible things that he dismissed as just talk. A goddess buried in the cities prison all but forgotten to time, it was a story, something that couldn’t be true. They were stories to empower his people to help them achieve their greatest feats, or so he thought. He saw the truth of the deed now as insane hubris. How could anyone dare do such a thing to a goddess. Part of why he had written the story off was that it seemed like an impossible feat; but, now he knew. Sister Moon wasn’t chained up because she couldn’t overpower them or because she was somehow captured with no way out. The idea that these people, her people, could do such things to her was an emotional wound and they had struck it while laughing at her pain.

He retched and the unpleasantness of it comforted him. A small hand, he noticed, was on his back comforting him. “You see the truth of it master Leon.” Said the small woman in the green dress she still glowed but now had a sadness about her. He wiped his mouth and looked at her.

“Where were you?!” Leon said his rage began to burn as he looked at her.

“I’m Luna and Lady Syl told us not to interfere. She also asked me to look after you. I may tease her though her will is law, please don’t tell her that.” Luna said and gave him a short hug then she sat on the ground beside him. He lowered himself the rest of the way and shifted to sit down next to her, too upset to bother with being farther away from his mess.

“She desperately wants to do the right and fears messing up... thats why she let them hurt her.” Luna said quietly. Her hands and brow were clenched as she looked down at her dress. She was in pain too he realized so he awkwardly put his arm around her. She leaned towards him and sobbed burying her face in his chest.

“She has been gone for so long… and we finally get her back and this happens.” Luna said as she sobbed.

“I’m so sorry and angry that this happened Luna, is there anything I can do?” Leon said still holding the sobbing Luna.

“Yes.” Luna said abruptly looking up at him. “Do you vow yourself to our Lady Syl and help her when she needs you?” She had an intensity in her eyes now, tears completely forgotten. He was stunned for a moment, this was abrupt and surprising though somehow it felt right.

“I vow to serve the Lady Syl and be there whenever she may need me.” Leon said and it was strange to make such a vow, but felt better than spending his future on a city that would hurt her, his goddess.

Luna stood then and still looked at him with a fierce intensity. “Do you swear to seek truth no matter how painful it might be?” She said passion filling her voice.

Leon stood and put his fist to his chest. “I swear to seek the truth no matter how painful or where it might lead.” Leon said and he was committed.

Luna’s eyes began to glow. “Do you swear to live a life of courage to do what is right through any fear.” Luna said as mist started to swell around her.

“I swear to live a life of courage to always do what is right even when afraid.” Leon said his heart racing as he spoke.

Luna’s glow seemed to be spreading through the mist around her obscuring all but her eyes. Those eyes were so bright they could almost be flames. “Do you swear to live a life of duty and fulfill your obligations no matter the personal cost.” Luna said as she seemed to look through him with those burning eyes and his spirit felt bare.

“I swear to live a life of duty and to fulfill my obligations no matter the cost.” Leon said and was slammed into the ground by mist. The air was knocked from his lungs and mist poured into him through his skin, mouth, and face. It was an overwhelming pain that felt like liquid fire while the world around him disappeared in the mist that seemed determined to drown him. He lost track of time as he screamed. Some time later as he lay on the ground barely alive and barely aware he heard Luna’s voice.

“You survived, well done, first paladin of the silver moon. Welcome to Mist Vale.” Luna said and he lost consciousness.