Chapter seven.

Apart no more.


Luna paced the room nervously. Lucifer had explained that she needed to partake in a ritual in order to free her sister. He had explained that it would require masses of energy to perform and almost certainly make the donor pass out or, in worse-case scenario, make them fall into an everlasting coma. Luna had asked if she could donate her energy but Lucifer had strongly denied her request.
"Bah! No! Do you wish to lie on a death-bed? You already have to waste enough energy on this girl just to perform the idiotic ritual. No. You will need a donor in order to perform it."
Jacob suddenly knelt down before her.
"Lady Rose, daughter of Astrid Rose, in honour of the land I serve I surrender myself to this cause. I hereby vowel to squeeze every drop of life out of myself and give it all to you, no matter how much pain or discomfort it may bring me. Head my pledge." He stood up proudly. Luna was mortified. She now had to choose between her best friend and her sister.
"I-I can't!" She spluttered through tears.
"Come here." Jacob said softly, sweeping her into a warm embrace. Her cheeks burned with warmth.
"Luna you have to trust me. It will be okay, I promise. I'll never leave you." He soothed. She burrowed into his chest, smiling at the familiar minty smell.
"I trust you".

"You will need to light the candles. I have set them up correctly, Luna just needs to light them using magic only." Lucifer said.
"How do I light them though? My magic is a sort of light, but it is not a flame. It is heat les- wait no it's not! If I summon a red colour it turns warm. I could try, I guess…" Luna wondered aloud. She summoned the warm ball of luminous light and began to think of things that required strength. She pictured an intense battle field. Bodies lying lifeless in filth, arrows piercing through chain armor, swords clashing wildly, horses riding against viscous wind. She was a soldier on the losing team. She watched her friends be swarmed with enemies. She knew that when the sun sets the war would be won by the enemy. Her heart was racing, but her mind was steady. She had to create a distraction, something that would turn the battle into complete confusion, an illusion of such. She quickly assessed the gear she was carrying. She noticed a leather bag tied to her shoulder. It had an array of arrows with different sized tips, she also carried a small pouch which contained a few drops of poisson. She also carried a heavy crossbow. In this story she was an archer, and had an impeccable aim. How did she know this? On her leather shirt she wore a stainless steel badge that had her name engraved in a dark purple. She knew from working as a lady of the court, that purple indicated power and status. It was a hard colour to harvest, therefore not many wore it. She positioned the smallest arrow into her crossbow. The end was fine and would fit between the small holes in chain armor. It was dipped in deadly poison, and if any wound that it cut was not treated instantly, it would kill. She stepped one foot forward, locked eyes with the lead enemy knight, who she assumed was a duke or king, she steadied her arms… and fired.

A trickle of sweat ran down Luna's forehead, as she watched the man fall off his horse, the arrow having pierced through the flesh directly above his heart. Suddenly, as she expected, the scene froze, time stopped in its tracks. She calmly rested her bag and the crossbow on the ground, knowing her time was over. She said an unspoken thank you to her magic, grateful she was able to use some of its power. Once she said her thanks, she picked up a piece of purple fabric that was torn from the knight's cloak. Everything she used her power there was a trial she had to face, a lesson to be leant. The trails were almost random, except for the fact that each one had a meaning. This was the hardest one she had ever faced. If, for example, she were to simply light up a room, the task would be as simple as putting a key into a lock. If she were to do something more complex like summon an eagle made of light, then the task would be harder. This particular challenge was hard, as anything to do with oaths or rituals required a trial of wit and strength. From each scenario there was a key object. She had only known who the leader was due to his lavish cloak. The purple fabric was the reason she had won, hence why it would bring her to the present. She shut her eyes and allowed energy to warm her with gentle glow.

When Luna opened her eyes she was standing before a beautiful girl. The girl's eyes were glowing and a flood of joyful tears was filling them. She wore a beaming smiling and through her clothes were torn and her hair unwashed, she looked serene and beyond happy. She ran to Luna and hugged her tightly.
"Ocean!" Luna gasped. Tears began to fall violently down her cheeks. Every effort, thought, wish was worth their reunion. Her heart swelled with relief and love. Her sister was a year older than her, but they were closer than twins. Ocean squeezed her hand.
"Thank you, all of you." She said, her smile thankful.
"Now out of me shop! All of ye!" Lucifer said as he shooed them out the door. Their joy was short lived...

After buying Ocean some new clothes, they began to venture back home. The journey was long and several weeks had passed since they left. Luna had turned fourteen and Jacob was nearly sixteen. Luna dreaded going home as her mother would be awaiting her presence. She also wanted to talk to Jacob. His sixteenth birthday was coming up which meant he would be eligible to join the military. Luckily she didn't have to ask.
"Luna can we talk… later today, alone?" He asked, his hands fidgeting nervously. She just nodded, a large knot forming in her stomach.

Day turned to dusk, and Luna awaited nervously for Amber, Ocean and Andrew to fall asleep. The woods were not particularly safe at nightfall so they took night shifts. Jacob approached her quietly.
"Want to go for a walk?" He offered.
"Indeed", Luna agreed.
They walked in silence for a little while until they reached a shallow stream. The grass around it was lit with tiny lights, and when Luna looked closer she saw they were tiny fireflies. Moonlight reflected off the stream. The air was cold and misty. The trees around them smelt like a mix of rosemary and fresh pine. The only sound to be heard was their own breaths.

"I wanted to take you here because I just found it pretty", Jacob whispered shyly.
"It's beautiful." Luna agreed.
"What is it you wished to tell me?"
They sidled up next to each other on the soft grass.
"A war is coming… It will commence in seven months and I will be sixteen, trained with one year of military training, have a good enough body shape and in general, eligible for war with the necessary requirements for my city. So you already know where this is going…".
"You will have to leave, in order to fulfil your chosen ambitions." She said understandingly. She had tears blocking her vision and was determined to not let them fall. This was his dream, she wasn't going to stop him.
"I'm sorry".
"Don't be. I wish you luck for the future."
She was about to walk away in hopes he wouldn't see her cry when he grabbed her arm.
"I'm not finished. I'll make you a promise if you make one to? I promise that if I come back from the war I will propose to you, I will bond myself to you and if you are too young, then I shall wait till you are older. You can reject me of course and I ask that you do not promise yourself to me. It will be your decision and yours alone. In return I ask that if I fall in the battle field, you forget that I ever existed, and find someone who will love you just as much as I do. Promise me?". His look was determined.
"I-i promise!" Tears of confusion, sadness but overall joy broke free on both their faces.
"Luna, I love you. I'm an idiot for not realising it sooner, but I hope I still counts for something", his grine could be seen from a mile away.
"I love you too." Her smile was brighter than the brightest star in the sky.
"I would kiss you, but I want that to be my ambition for the war. If I do not survive, I am not worthy of your first kiss." She was disappointed, but didn't argue. Instead he extended a hand to her. She shot him a confused look.
"There is no music, no fancy attire, no ball room, but may I have this dance?" He asked.
She didn't have anything better to do and the night was still young.
"You may, though I must warn you, I'm a shocking dancer", she giggled.
"You're still better than me", he shrugged.
Jacob bowed to her and they began dancing under the light of a full moon.

There was no timing, rhythm or even vague dancing skills, but Luna found herself giddy with joy. They started with a calm slow dance then transitioned into a lively frantic mess of a dance. Jacob grabbed her waist and lifted her into the air spinning her around. She gasped from the feeling. No court dance would dare do something so informal, which made it even more fun. After hours of made-up dances, they both collapsed onto the grass heaving for breath from the dancing and constant laughter. It would be among her fondest memories and she would cherish it forever. They watched the stars for a while. Hugging his chest tightly, she gently shut her eyes, savouring the moment, awaiting the next day's arrival.
"Good night", Jacob said as he planted a kiss in her hair.
"Good night", she said back, savouring the warmth of his touch.
"I love you", he whispered into her ear.
"I love you more", she whispered back.


Dearest Luna,

I have known you almost my entire life. I still remember how I met you. I was running around the streets for whatever reason, then I accidentally ran into a lady, knocking her over. I apologised, but she just muttered under her breath then began to scold me. A young girl was standing with her, Ocean. Ocean told the lady, Astrid, to not waste her time on him and continue walking. I was grateful to the Ocean, as she had stopped the yelling, and asked her if she wanted to be friends. She said not yet, and motioned for me to follow her. Ocean told her mother she was going home and we began to walk. When I arrived at the Manner Ocean introduced herself and her little sister. That was the beginning of our friendship. After years passed, I fell in love with Jessica and made countless attempts to win her heart. I had never even considered loving you until the fateful day when I caught her attempting to leave home. As our journey went on, I found myself caring more and more about you with each passing day. My feelings for you have blossomed over time. Now I can't imagine a world without you. So my dear Luna, these are the thoughts in my head. I have written this as I know I will be away for a while, but I want you to remember that I will love you for eternity and beyond. That night we spent together touched my heart greatly and I shall treasure it always. Luna, I love you with all my heart.

With eternal love,

Jacob Forster.

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