THRANDAL: The Phoenix and the Siren [UNDER EDIT]

LOST MOON

CHAPTER 10 : Lost Moon

Kitara and Nero stood in silence as they watched Galen tie up the stallions. As soon as they exited the forest, the Undeads stopped chasing them. What they did not expect was to be met by a green field very much like Thrandal. It was a complete opposite of the environment back in the forest where everything looked dark and dead.

"How did you end up here?", Kitara asked as Galen approached them.

"What do you mean?", he asked as he eyed Kitara with curious look.

"I mean, was this your mission? Did they send you here?"

"What? What mission? Nobody sent me here, this is where I grew up. Are you two feeling alright?"

The two Thrans looked at each other in shock. What was going on? What happened to this guy?

"Galen, what is wrong with you?", Nero said as he placed a hand on the Lunar's shoulder.

"Who in the world is Galen? You must mistake me for someone else", the man gently shoved Nero's hand from his shoulder.

But there was no mistake. Both Nero and Kitara knew that this man was Galen Bane, last year's Warfare champion; he was a mutual friend of the two. They both knew him too much to ever mistake him for someone else.

It was Kitara's turn to place both her hands on his shoulder. "Listen to me. You are Galen Bane, you are a born Lunar of the four nations of Thrandal. You are the first in the top four, together with me and Nero. When you won last year, they sent you on a mission. Galen, you know me! Please try to remember!", Kitara voice rose as she gently shook the surprised Galen.

"Kitara, come on", Nero pulled her away from the confused Lunar.

They both walked away from the hut creating enough distance for them to talk in private.

"Kitara, he clearly lost his memories. Give him time to process things, don't scare him like that", he said as she calmed down.

"I didn't mean to either. But what if we never came here? He'd be stuck here for eternity. I mean that's Galen Bane for Thrandal's sake, whoever did that to him-", she paused when she realized something.

"That's right. He must've come across the Black Cloud during his mission and he brainwashed him. I mean, who else is strong enough to go against Galen?", she said.

"That makes sense. But what do we do with him?", he said as he eyed the hut.

"I don't know. How did he end up like that? It's just so surreal", she said.

"But we have to keep moving"

Kitara eyes lowered when she remembered their true mission. As much as she would want to help Galen, there was a bigger issue at hand. She wasn't as close to Galen as Nero. But the fact that the words came from Nero's mouth, it pushed her to do what needed to be done. It was more painful for Nero for she knew that Galen was one of his close friends. She always saw him with Nero before. As much as the decision hurts her, it was more painful for Nero's part.

She closed her eyes and breathed out. "Yes, we have to keep moving."

Nero glanced behind him as they walked forward. He watched as Galen, or the person they thought was Galen, turn back and return to his hut. It hurt him to see his friend like this. He knew Galen since he was still living in the Island of Moons and it was painful that he couldn't do anything about his situation

"When all of this is over, we will come back for him", he said to Kitara who was silent as they continued their journey.

"I used to have my eyes for Galen", she suddenly confessed.

Nero's eyes widened at what he heard. He wanted to say something but no words came out of his mouth. That would explain why she was acting that way. As far as he knew, Kitara and Galen only met in the battlefield and nowhere else. They crossed blades in the top four twice but that was all he knew.

Kitara turned her head to see Nero in shock so she let out a laugh.

"That was a long time ago. You and I were fifteen that time, during our first warfare. At the final four, he was the one I fought with. He's three years older than us so I thought he'd be one of those arrogant grown-ups, but he wasn't. He was kind and good-hearted", she said.

"I was young and my mind wasn't always like this; I couldn't help but notice his charming personality. I lost to him of course and I was disheartened. But after the fight, he talked to me and lifted my spirits. 'You'll never taste the true sweetness of victory if you never experienced the bitterness of losing', he said. He was the first friend I made who wasn't of the Fire Nation", she smiled at the memory.

"The next year, it was still him I fought with. It wasn't much of a fight, rather, it was a more of a training. Of course, I still lost, but the lesson I learned was enough to make me feel victorious", she stopped when they reached a lake.

When they told Galen that they had to continue their journey, the unfortunate Lunar gave them a charm that can keep the Undead away: the Stone of Life. It was a legendary tool that can only be found at the Isle of the Dead and only appears to those who were deemed worthy of its power.

"Is that why you were almost willing to kidnap him just to take him back to Thrandal?", he said with a low laugh.

Kitara gave him a glare. "No, that was a long time ago. He is a great person and he does not deserve to end up that way. I grew up and realized that I only felt for him that way because no one has ever treated me the way he did. Aside from my group of friends, he was the first to break down the walls I built after Mother left. Then I saw a bigger world and he became more of a brother to me. And then it all became clear to me when I lost all contact with him when he was sent on a mission. He means a lot to me just as he means a lot to you", she said.

"And I'd very much like to kill the person who turned him that way."