Chapter 3: Luna

　　The best way to kill someone was when they least expected it. Luna knew that much from her past lives. In fact, she knew of nearly every way to end a human life. It was what she excelled at. However, it was almost impossible to kill someone who was always one step ahead of her.

　　And that was how Elena lived. She expected every outcome and always planned for it. So, it seemed impossible for Luna to kill her, right? Even so, she would love to plunge her dagger into her sister`s stupid face. Now more than ever.

　　There were many reasons she was plotting the murder of her elder sister. But the biggest one right now would be the satchel on the table before her. Elena had forced her to fetch it from the bottom of the ocean near the edge of the world. To sum it up, she almost died but eventually succeeded.

　　Luna sat across from her sister in the biggest hotspot in Belmire, Goran`s Tavern. On the table was a mess of scattered papers that cluttered up the entire counter. She couldn`t even place a drink down if she wanted to. Elena had left the place abandoned because of some meeting she was having that was so important. There were empty tables, pulled-out chairs,

　　broken glass on the floor, and no bartender working behind the counter. Elena reached into the satchel and pulled out a silver medallion tied to a necklace. She placed it down next to the scattered papers. Alarms in Luna`s mind started blaring at the existence of the item. She reached out and picked it up in her hands. It felt like a part of her, as if she could feel its presence.

　　"No," said Elena, "put it back."

　　Luna was overcome with a desire to obey. She bit the feeling down and spoke first, "It`s special. I feel it, you know; it`s something that -"

　　"I don`t care for your excuses," Elena said. She wouldn`t even look in Luna`s direction and just kept reading the paper in her hand. "Now, put it back."

　　The desire filled her head and made her feel foggy for a moment. She gave in and placed the necklace back on the table.

　　"I think it`s magic," Luna blurted out.

　　Elena looked up, "Yours or mine?"

　　"Mine. I think a past life used to have it or something."

　　"Which one? Was it Isabel?" Elena`s eyes widened. Her words were suddenly full of concern.

　　Whenever I mention my magic, she hammers me with questions about her. God, she`s annoying.

　　"I don`t know, but I can physically feel the presence of the necklace. I would assume so since Isabel had the satchel last, right?"

　　"Are you able to channel her? See what happened in the palace yet? Can you view her memories?" Elena interrogated her with these same questions again.

　　"Only the one," she said, "Maybe if I had the necklace I could -"

　　"Take it," she ordered. "Try."

　　Luna was filled with that same desire. Because Elena had asked her to, she didn`t even want to take it, but she was forced. Elena had this mysterious hold over her, something she couldn`t quite understand, but she listened. She always obeyed. Yet another reason to want her sister dead.

　　She grabbed the necklace and put it on.

　　"Well?" Elena asked, "Did you see her memories? Do you know what happened?"

　　"Hang on," Luna snapped, "let me channel her and see, just shut up a minute, won`t you?"

　　Elena was silent after that.

　　Luna closed her eyes. Deep within her mind lay dormant metaphorical statues. These were manifestations of her past lives. They were. . . sources of magical power she could access. When each was touched, she gained different magical abilities and felt their memories and emotions.

　　Yelzar was calm and collected.

　　Kellin was cunning and intelligent.

　　Renna was charismatic and brave.

　　And Isabel.

　　Each of her past lives helped her in some way. All but Isabel. Whenever Luna tried to channel her, she was overcome with rage.

　　In a few rare moments, she could channel Isabel, but it was only in times of near-death or extreme emotional stress. Even now, there was nothing. She was silent as Luna tried to pull on her memories for help. Only one memory of Isabel`s was accessible, one she had seen a thousand times.

　　"There`s nothing."

　　Elena sighed, "Then you`re useless."

　　Harsh, thought Luna. But she knew Elena was getting tired of asking her to channel Isabel when she obviously could not access her.

　　They might be sisters, but they were nothing alike - even in appearance. Elena wore fancy boy clothes, a dress shirt and tie; her sleeves were rolled up, and her overcoat was placed on the back of the booth. Her hair was tied back with a chunk of bangs swept to her left.

　　Luna, on the other hand, was elegant in her appearance. She wore puffy trousers and large leather boots. She had a leather breastplate underneath her tunic, leather gloves, and a navy blue cloak that covered most of her upper body. She wore her hood and a skull mask covering much of her face besides her mouth. This, of course, was a fa鏰de, a costume, a disguise against her own will and desires. She wore this outfit not to hide her from the world but to hide the world from ever finding her.

　　She was the Lady of the Stars. At least, that`s what Elena called her. And it was hell.

　　Luna crossed her arms and looked away.

　　"Don`t be cross when Erodan gets here," said Elena.

　　She offered her an angry glare.

　　"You will do as I say. You will look polite. You will not speak unless spoken to. Don`t fight them. Got it?"

　　Luna wouldn`t have been able to disobey even if she wanted to.

　　"Yes, big sister, whatever you say," Luna said sarcastically, a little too loud.

　　"Lower your squeaky voice," she snapped, "I`m trying to focus."

　　Luna sighed loudly, "What are you doing anyway?"

　　Elena groaned, "I`m reading. . . or trying to, it`s a different language. I can barely make sense of it. But at least I`m trying to do something. You`re over there doing God knows what."

　　"I`m thinking of all the best ways to kill you," Luna said with a cheeky smile.

　　"Well, do something plausible," she said, handing her a paper, "See if you can read this."

　　Luna snatched up the paper and studied it intently. It was full of odd shapes, like little pictures instead of letters. "Uh. . ."

　　This isn`t common or Belasy. . . what language is it? Luna thought.

　　Delica Glyphs, said Yelzar. He spoke from a memory.

　　Luna jumped. "Yelzar?"

　　"What?" Elena asked, "Can you read it or not?"

　　"Shh! Past life time," said Luna. She closed her eyes and focused intently on Yelzar`s statue.

　　Yelzar?

　　No response. She tried channeling him and felt the cool and calm emotions fill her mind as his memories washed over her. In days past, the Shrine Cleric of Rehysh used to be a predecessor of the Tigress. He was wise and knew how to forgive and let go of the past.

　　However, despite her channeling of him, despite how she felt connected to him, there were no answers about the glyphs.

　　Luna sighed and handed the papers back to Elena. "He said Delica Glyphs. I can`t read it, though. I thought I`d get some answers from them, but they are so eerily silent. It`s like, I can see their memories, but I`d have to sit and live their lives to know everything they do. I don`t have that kind of time."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

　　Elena sighed and leaned back, "Isabel could read it if she died getting it. . . she would know what to do. . ." she muttered.

　　Luna scowled. She stood up and placed her hands on the table. "Yeah? She would know, wouldn`t she? Too bad you`re stuck with little old Luna to do all your chores for ya! What do I do now? Tell me, big sister, what is your next command? Nearly dying at the edge of the world? Sure. Oh, I know, you want me to kill more Crown Knights for you!"

　　"Shut up, Luna!" Elena shouted. She towered over her when she stood, "You don`t understand the kind of situation we are in! I don`t need your back talk right now! Just go do something if you`re so bored! Go wait by the door and let me think."

　　Luna stomped away to the other side of the room and did as she was told. She obeyed; she always obeyed. Her entire life was obeying Elena`s every whim and order.

　　It`s your responsibility, Luna, it`s your duty, blah blah. But really, Elena had some kind of hold over her. Some sort of . . . magic. Then again, she`d been doing it for so long she`d never known anything else. Although she spent a few months with Freya long ago.

　　"So," Luna called across the room.

　　Elena glanced up, fury in her eyes.

　　She smiled, "You gonna tell me about this job you`ve been planning?"

　　Elena rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed so deeply that Luna thought she might try to hit her. "If this information is what I think it is," her voice disappeared, "The job I`ve been planning. . . well, let`s just say after this you won`t have to be the Lady of the Stars anymore," she paused, "we`ll be done."

　　The Lady of the Stars, that was what Elena called her. She spread rumors throughout the city of this vigilante who hunts the guilty and saves the innocent. Of course, almost none of it was true because the reality was that Elena gave her orders, and she was forced to follow them all.

　　After this new revelation, Luna was on her best behavior. "What do I have to do?"

　　"Stay over there by the door. Let them pass you when they arrive, then bind it shut," said Elena.

　　Normally, Luna would have asked questions. Why were we locking the door? Who else besides Erodan would be here? What was the purpose of the meeting? But she didn`t say anything.

　　Erodan showed up a moment later as if Elena had predicted the future. He opened the door, passing Luna as if he hadn`t even seen her. Five men tailed him, each wearing steel helmets and flimsy chainmail vests. They held spears and shields and looked ready for a fight. It seems one of her questions was answered.

　　They approached Elena immediately, and Luna shut the door behind them. She pulled on the magic within her mind, accessing her past life, Kellin. He said nothing to her, but his memories flowed over her like water. She smiled and felt the magic flow through her veins. She pooled her Moonlight - the magical life energy granted by her past lives - and bound the door shut. This was Kellin`s signature ability. When she channeled him, she could move quickly or bind doors shut. He was the best at running away, although he would call it a tactical retreat. After she cast the spell, a slight pressure in her chest appeared. This was the aftermath of using her magic and showed how much life energy - or Moonlight - she had left.

　　She slowly crept up on Elena to eavesdrop.

　　"Why have you called me here?" Erodan spat.

　　"I told you, a proposition, I have a job for you." Elena gestured to the seat in front of her.

　　"But why did I want to come here."

　　"To earn a profit."

　　"Don`t play dumb with me!" He slammed his fist into the table.

　　He sat across from Elena, and she cleaned everything up in seconds. Now, she clutched the satchel and smirked confidently in Erodan`s direction.

　　He looked like a few of the Elite Luna had fought before. He was tall and intimidating but held this nervous aura. His leg kept bouncing up and down, and his gaze traveled around the room as if looking for someone.

　　"Here`s what I need from you, Windsor," Elena began. "I want your men to break into the Sanctuary Spires and retrieve someone for me. Do that, and I`ll pay for one hundred hovels to be marked for an entire year."

　　Erodan laughed, "You expect me to believe a lowly bartender has that kind of money?"

　　Elena pulled out a pouch of flint marks and handed it to him. "Consider this a down payment."

　　He reached for the bag, then scoffed. "Even so, we are not thieves. We are soldiers. How could one man be worth so much?"

　　"That one man is Solaris Fordaire," said Elena, "I`m sure you`ve heard of him."

　　Erodan gasped, his eyes widened, "He`s still. . . alive?"

　　"Alive and well in the sanctuary," Elena said. "Now, do we have a deal?"

　　Erodan threw the pouch back to Elena, and she caught it. "Your task is impossible. And to think I wasted all my time coming here." He got up from his seat and waddled to the door - his men trailing behind him. He tried to open it, but it didn`t budge. He shook it twice. Nothing. Finally, he pointed to one of his men, who slammed his shoulder into the door. Nothing.

　　You`d have to have the strength of 100 men to break that door down. Luna thought.

　　"Sorcery!" Erodan turned, pointing an angry finger at Elena.

　　"Please," she laughed, "you find one thing you can`t explain and think it`s sorcery? Maybe I did it with Pyromancy."

　　"Impossible," Erodan said. He took a few steps away from the door. "No Pyromancer spell does this."

　　"Really? You`re well-versed in magic, then?"

　　He flushed, "Well, no. . ."

　　"Good, now come back here, and let`s chat. You may leave after you hear my proposition."

　　Erodan began scanning the room for signs of danger, and his eyes landed on Luna. He took a few steps back and fell into one of his men. The soldier lifted him back to his feet. "Why is. . . why is. . ." he froze, shaking in fear. His guards surrounded her, holding their spears out. They each held nervous expressions.

　　"That is the Lady of the Stars," said Elena, "she works for me."

　　"Is that how this is going to go. . ." Erodan whispered, "Either we do as you say, or you kill us all?"

　　"Oh, hardly," said Elena, "She`s just here in case you attack me. I`m only a simple Pyromancer and can barely gather Heat as it is."

　　That was a lie, but if Luna excelled at killing, Elena excelled at lying.

　　"Alright, let`s talk terms. If we do this, we`ll need crown knight outfits."

　　"Done."

　　"And at least a month."

　　"You have two weeks."

　　"Bah!" Erodan charged her, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt. "You think we can do the impossible! You think us fools -"

　　Luna moved. She channeled Kellin for speed and drew her dagger from her belt. She nearly plunged it into the back of his neck.

　　He glanced her up and down, eyes wide in fear, "You move fast."

　　"I had practice," Luna smirked, "Now, let her go," she paused, channeling Renna for greater confidence, "before I spill your blood all over the tavern floor, not that it wouldn`t be fun. It would be quite a shame to clean it up, though."

　　"Silence," hissed Elena.

　　Luna obeyed. The desire thickened within her. Elena`s words had such power behind them.

　　"Put me down, heathen, I`ve not threatened you."

　　"Your pet has a knife to my neck."

　　The five soldiers had their spears pointed at Luna but didn`t attack.

　　Five? Luna thought. I can take five, right? She probably could, but it had been a while since she had faced so many opponents at once.

　　"Lady of the Stars," said Elena, "stand down."

　　Luna obeyed immediately. Elena`s voice was venomous. It coursed through her veins and moved her body. She had no choice but to obey.

　　Erodan shrugged, then dropped Elena back into the booth.

　　She adjusted her tie, "I have resources for you. Crown Knight outfits can be provided for five of your men. I need Solaris out as soon as possible. I have an informant who can provide inside information about the sanctuary."

　　"And why do you need him?"

　　"Solaris? He`s going to help me with my own job," Elena said, "So be sure to bring him with you to the next meeting."

　　"Next meeting?"

　　"Of course," she said, "I`ll need your influence for a separate job. This one is a real kicker."

　　"And what job is that?"

　　"A job that will have every vagrant in the city housed and comfortable," said Elena. "You plan to revolt, right? I`ve heard the stories. I`m here to offer my assistance, a better deal, flint marks to mark every unmarked hovel in the city, and the resources to build as many more tunnels and hovels as you want. You can build a whole city underground if you must."

　　Erodan laughed, "How could you possibly promise that?"

　　"I`m on your side, Erodan. I firmly believe in your revolution, but it would cause unnecessary bloodshed, which would not be good. So, I offer you this instead."

　　"Where would you get the money from?"

　　"I plan to lead a strike team into the palace. I need your help orchestrating part of it."

　　She`s going to raid the palace? Is she bloody insane? Luna thought, but she knew her sister was well past mad.

　　"And what will you have us do?"

　　"Ah ah," Elena said, waving a finger, "One job at a time. Bring Solaris to me, and we`ll discuss saving the vagrants."

　　He looked hopeful, with big, wide eyes, as if Elena would actually fulfill her promises.

　　"Very well," he said, "I agree to your terms, but you must give me your word."

　　"Of course," said Elena. "My word is all I have, so trust it as best you can."

　　The two shook hands.

　　"This next meeting will change all our lives, so please do be on time. Who knows, perhaps one day you`ll be called King of the vagrant militia."

　　Erodan beamed in happiness, obviously adoring the title.

　　"Will she be at the next meeting?" He pointed to Luna.

　　"Oh yes, of course. She has her own part to play."

　　He looked nervous and shook his head, "I`ll bring more guards then."

　　"Oh please, the Lady of the Stars is on our side. If I wanted you all dead, I could order it right now." Elena pointed a finger gun at all of them, closing one eye. "Just one word, all dead." She snickered. "But I need you all. For the vagrant`s freedom, right?"

　　Erodan and his men saluted her. "Yes, for the vagrants," he said, "Thank you for this opportunity to assist you."

　　"Great," Elena smiled, "Dismissed. I`ll see you at the next meeting. Now leave."

　　Erodan looked like he would protest more, but instead, he turned around and ordered his soldiers to follow. Luna released the seal on the door and channeled Kellin, then waved goodbye with a cheeky smile. She stopped after a second, realizing Kellin`s mannerisms had taken over her instinctually. Erodan left. The two girls were alone again.

　　"Luna."

　　She glanced at her sister.

　　"I`m disappointed in how you acted today."

　　Of course.

　　"You threatened a comrade. That was very stupid," she gave her a look, and Luna knew she would be punished.

　　"He attacked you!"

　　"He wasn`t going to hurt me," said Elena. "You need to learn to listen to me. Trust in me, and trust that I have your best interests at heart because I do . . . Now, be a good girl and do as I say."

　　Luna clenched her jaw; she would never trust her sister. "And what about this raid on the palace? Since when do you care about vagrants?"

　　"Oh, I don`t," she said with a wicked smirk. She got up and approached Luna, towering over her. "It`s called lying. You should learn a thing or two about it, baby sister. The only thing I care about is my job."

　　"Why would you lie?"

　　"That`s how the world works," she walked a few steps away, ducking under the bar. She rose and poured herself a drink. "You tell some of the truth, sprinkle in a little lie, and everything goes the way you want it. Nobody will ever listen to you if you just tell them the truth."

　　"You`re lying to me then," she said, "about my freedom."

　　Elena shook her head, "No, dear, I`m not lying to you. You`re my sister. They are just militia. It`s different."

　　"Fine," she snapped. "What now then?"

　　"Now? Lights out. You are going to bed; I need you tomorrow. I have a meeting, and you`ll be attending."

　　"Where?"

　　"Questions for later, now get some sleep." She downed the entire drink and strode from the tavern, leaving Luna alone.

　　Elena left her with more questions than answers. A job to set her free from being the Lady of the Stars? That would be everything she had ever wanted. But Elena had taken too much from her. She was angry, but she couldn`t lash out. That had never worked before. If she was going to kill her sister, she`d need to be more discrete.

　　Luna made her way to her bedroom and locked herself inside. Despite her desire to go out and escape this place, she could not leave. She was bound to Elena`s will. But how could she fight it? There was no sure way, and her past lives held no answers for her.

　　However, one thing Elena said was seared into her memory. Her freedom. Who would she be if Luna wasn`t the Lady of the Stars anymore? She had never been anything else.