A Paladin's Promise

Chapter 14: Cecil's Legacy

Landing on the surface of the Moon, we slowly step off the Lunar Whale. Surprisingly, we can breathe normally here. Cold air and eerie silence cause a shiver to travel down my spine. I look out across the barren landscape. Creatures of all shapes and sizes lurk down below. A pair of voices echo in my head.

One of them is monstrous.

Come to me, Adrienne. We shall control everything.

One of them is human, with a slightly ethereal tone.

Ah, Adrienne. Welcome to the Moon. I have been expecting you.

Most of the others notice my thousand-yard stare.

"Adrienne?" Cecil asks.

"Yes? What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Somehow, I... I remember this place."

Everyone turns to look at me.

"How is that possible?"

"I can't say. All I remember are dreams..."

"Where do we go?" Rosa asks. I point.

"Over there. The temple."

"Lead the way!" Edge says.

We walk away from the Lunar Whale, descending the surprisingly shallow cliffside, and navigate the Moon's unfamiliar terrain. Here, the caves are much different than their Earthly counterparts. Unlike the ones we'd become familiar with, these caves glow with light and are made of what I believe to be moonstone. We open a few chests and fight some monsters along our way. As we draw closer to the temple, my head throbs with pain. Rydia, who has been holding my hand this whole time, tugs on my sleeve.

"Adrienne?" Rydia asks. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I... I think my senses are flaring up. I have a splitting headache."

"Oh." We stop walking and she hugs me. "I'm sorry."

I wrap my arms around her.

"It's okay, Rydia. I'm sure the feeling will subside eventually."

Once we reach the temple, I open the menu and save the game. We've fought so many enemies that we are all quite leveled up. After I finish checking all of our stats, I gaze upon the temple for the first time. A trio of massive crystalline spires reaches high into the shadow veil of stars we call night. Warm light shines from inside the open entrance.

Here goes nothing.

Everyone looks at me.

"Shall we proceed?" Cecil asks.

"Yes. Let's go."

The rest of the party follows me inside. Just like I remember from my cryptic dream, I lead everyone to the restoration pots on either side of the main room. We recover all of our health and all of our magic before returning to the middle room with the crystal pedestal inside. A familiar, ethereal voice calls out to us.

"Welcome!"

Colorful lights flash and glow around us. Suddenly a droplet of sunlight falls onto the pedestal and from it emerges an ancient man with long white hair and an equally long white beard dressed in blue and purple robes. My eyes widen at the sight of him.

It's you!

Cecil steps forward.

"Who are you?"

"I am FuSoYa, the guardian of Lunarian slumber."

"Lunarians?" Rosa asks.

"Yes. Millennia ago, the planet between Mars and Jupiter was about to be shattered. The people who survived this calamity escaped by ship and headed for the Blue Planet."