Luna

Prologue

Prologue: Attack on Etria

"Seek the One Passage, two worlds unite,

As last moon fades from citadel's sight,

Stand at the edge of Eternal Abyss,

As Etria's heroes and heavens kiss,

Bound to the humans, new strength you will find,

Betrayal awaits at the turn of the tide,

Find now the paradox, hidden within,

Dreamstalker's gift the beginning of end,

Darkness to face and seal to be broken,

All by the strength of the prophet who spoke it,

Destroy the Confines, save the light,

The Chosen Soul must end this fight."

Luna shuddered in midair as the words poured through her conscious. She had heard the Eldars speak of prophecy before. They said it was a holy gift; one to be regarded with great caution and reverence. Luna's father had been given a prophecy once, though few believed him. That was the problem with prophecies; they were given in secret.

Luna raised the tips of her wings, catching a current of wind. Her altitude increased as she flapped vigorously towards the great shield surrounding her planet. Beasts with dark leathery skin beat and clawed at the translucent dome, snarling with hate as they destroyed it. Hovering on black wings, the monsters piled on top of each other in a vicious attempt at breaking through the barrier. Luna came closer to the beasts and they spotted her, shrieking with bloodlust.

These creatures looked nothing like her race, the Etrians. There were many different types of Etrians, all majestic creatures. Some had wings like Luna. Some roamed the land. Some were as large as the citadel itself.

Luna was covered with deep blue and green scales that tapered out to feathers on the edges of her wings. Muscular legs and a spiked tale dangled below her as she flew. She bared her fangs at the monsters before her as they taunted and screeched. Fear was not an option at this point.

The shield would hold. It had to hold. It was designed by Aegis to withstand these attacks. Despite Luna's faith in Aegis, something felt wrong. She didn't doubt her deity, he was sworn to protect. But, why would he grant her with such a dark prophecy the same day an army of Soulless attacks her planet?

The prophecy also spoke of humans, but these were creatures of legend. It had been millennia since the humans helped in the first war against the Soulless. After the war, the humans returned to Earth to live in peace. There couldn't possibly be enough danger to alert the people of Earth. Luna hoped to Aegis that there wasn't.

If Luna's father knew that she had escaped the safety of the citadel he would be furious. That barely mattered to her now though. This prophecy spoke of some sort of darkness threatening her planet. The only way to prevent that darkness was to face it head on.

Luna hovered to a stop at the edge of the dome. Hordes of Soulless tore at the great shield, mangling themselves as they threw their bodies against it. Luna roared at the beasts, hating them for threatening her people; for threatening Aegis.

The barricade seemed to be holding. It was the work of a God after all. Was it possible that worry had gotten the best of Luna? She scolded herself for her lack of faith and turned to fly back to the citadel.

The shrieking stopped. The entire attack from the Soulless stopped in an instant. Luna turned to look at the creatures, hovering just beyond the dome. Glaring at her with too-dark eyes, the twisted beasts began to separate, making a path from the edge of the dome into the sky beyond.

Something had changed. Something was happening. She could feel it.

"I come," said a voice in the distance. It tore through Luna's conscious making her flinch in pain and surprise.

"I come," the voice whispered. "Fear me."

A dark mass began to form at the end of the path created by the Soulless. It seemed to warp the air around it as it grew, coming closer.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Luna said, terrified. She could barely form the thoughts as the darkness began to dim everything around it.

"I am the beginning," it replied. "I know your soul, Luna, and it will fail. Fear me."

Every inch of her being screamed at her to fly away; to retreat from this darkness. Terror made her limbs feel weak. Time seemed to slow.

"I come."

Before Luna could turn and fly to safety, the dark mass struck forth at the barrier like black lightning. By instinct, she quickly summoned forth a wall of fire in an attempt to protect herself. The planet itself shook, far below. The citadel groaned in the distance. As the wall of fire dissipated, Luna beheld a horrific sight.

The shield was gone. The great gift from Aegis himself; the barrier between Luna and the darkness, had disappeared.

Soulless poured through the atmosphere, shrieking in triumph. Luna retreated in a panic towards the citadel, summoning great gusts of wind to surge her forward.

She was too late. They were upon her.

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