So yeah… this is my first fanfiction (I decided that I should start writing it too since I read so much of it XD that and there just isn't enough LS fanfiction XDD) Please tell me your thoughts!

I don't own The Last Story or its Characters. If I did then you'd see Lowell and Syrenne get married XD

Its rated M for what I plan in later chapters

Duty Bound

Chapter One: Bonds

"Wake up! It's time for breakfast and mom is getting impatient!"

The nagging voice wouldn't go away; it was like some kind of banshee, the bane to my dreams existence.

"Ugh, just let me sleep for 5 more minutes Mana." I groaned and curled deeper into my bed. I knew I needed to get up, but the warmth of my bed called for me. It was like this every morning in the winter but today was worse than usually.

"Today is an important day! You can't just stay asleep all day! Mom would have your hide!" It was the truth. Our mom was always very strict about getting up on time when there was a ceremony or festival. And today was the biggest one: The Fire Flower Festival. Try saying that five times fast! It was a festival to honor the dragon god that our small village worshipped. I pulled off my sheets and stepped onto the cold floor.

"I hate winter so much. It's too cold" I muttered to myself. "Ashlya hurry up!" I began brush my cocoa colored hair out at a slow pace. I did it to simply irritate my little sister Mana. She was a high paced type of person who always insisted on being on time for everything, a trait she inherited from our mom along with our mom's looks. Mana had beautiful cyan hair, violet eyes, and milky skin, a spitting image of our mom. Whereas I took after our dad, who was more of the go with the flow type and I took after his looks, with dark hair and tan skin from spending my days outdoors. He was the type to be late to his own party (which he was late to his wedding according to our mom). I pulled my hair into a simple bun and put a red dress on at the same time Mana ran into my room.

"Is that what you're wearing? Whatever, it'll have to do. We don't have time for you to change into something else." She said while grabbing my hand and dragging me out of my room.

"Why was it taking you so long to get up and ready?" Our mom, with a stern look on her elegant face, asked as we came barreling down the stairs.

"It was cold?" It was a tentative question to answer her question. In truth the only time I felt alive was when I was asleep, where fantasy and reality mixed. I was having a vivid dream before I was yanked back to the real world, and now it was just a fleeting memory.

"Well whatever, as long as you're awake now. Here's breakfast." She handed me a bowl of porridge and some eggs.

"Hey mom…? Do you think it'd be ok if I went with dad to Lazulis Island? I really want to go." I had been begging for weeks when I learned that my dad was to go be the general for the knights and I received another stern look from her for asking again.

"You know you can't go. It's too dangerous." That's what she said every time. It's too dangerous, you'll be a burden on your father, there's no place for you to live, excuses she would say to keep me close. The truth was she wanted me to stay in the village and get married to our neighbor's son, a stuck up boy with a violent history, but a high up family by the name of Colon. We couldn't get along to save our lives and I was far more likely to beat him with a stick till he was bloody than to marry him.

"I'd rather kill him the let him put his dick in me…" I grumbled lowly. My mom didn't hear, but Mana did and she started sniggering. We shared the same hatred towards him after he punched her in the face. Our mom overlooked the incident, saying the boy had done it on accident, but our father refused to rest until he made sure that Colon wouldn't hurt his daughters again. Colon refused to sit down for a week, so if I had to guess he got the belt to the bum. I chuckled at the thought just as our dad came in. Asthar, general of the knights in the empire, walked in with a grin on his face. His spirits were high today with the jovial atmosphere in the village rubbing off on him.

"Are you prepared for the festival, daddy?" Mana asked him, almost bouncing off her seat in the kitchen. When it came to our dad the 19 year old girl became a toddler. I was no better though. It was one of the rare times that father would be home long enough for us to spend time with him before he was sent to the island to work under Count Arganan, a rising power in the empire. I was happy for my father since traveling and teaching knights was his love, second only to his wife. But my gut feeling was to not let him leave, that something tragic would happen. I brushed the feeling of half-heartily.

"I'm most excited to be able to go, my dear Mana!" He bellowed happily to her while ruffling my hair that I worked oh so hard on. I pouted and redid my bun and he laughed and my attempts to look civilized. "Now what's this here? Ashlya in a dress instead of gear? And sporting a bun instead of a sword? What sorcery is this?" My pout increased as he teased me more. If he was in a teasing mood then he better be prepared to get what he deserves.

"Well sir, I am a lady and should be treated as such. I have accepted Sir Colon's marriage proposal. I do hope you'll be able to make it to the wedding." I flashed him a lady's smile and had to refrain from laughing on the spot when his eyes got big with surprise.

"W-what? I thought you hated the boy! He's not good enough for you!" Anything that involved Colon got him riled up. I'm surprised he didn't try to kill him when my mom mentioned he wanted my hand in marriage. I decided to tell him I was joking before the boy got his head ripped off, as funny as that'd be. I began laughing.

"Not so fun being teased is it?" I stuck my tongue out and Mana was laughing so hard sound wasn't coming out. "So dad, change of subject, can I go with you to Lazulis Island?" It was an instant mood kill.

"You know your mom doesn't want you to come." He went into "general mood", as I call it, where arguing wouldn't do shit. I dropped the subject again. At this rate I'll just have to sneak out, I mused to myself. The rest of breakfast continued without conversation and we headed to the festival. This was one of the few outings that we got to go with our dad so we spent it by his side the whole time. The town square was the main area of the festival and that's where the food stands and games were. It was there I saw the one food that I would literally kill someone for: cotton candy. That's right. I'm 22 and horribly addicted to cotton candy. I hurried over to the vendor and gave him enough money for one along with a tip. I went back to the group to find Mana laughing heartily with our dad.

"Still obsessed with that sugar gunk sis?" "It's not gunk!" I shot back. "It's the ambrosia of the gods." I began to munch on my sugary snack.

"So dad, when are you leaving to go to the Island?" I turn my attention on our dad when Mana asked the question on both of our minds.

"Hhmmm… I wanted to tell you later tonight…" "Just tell us!" Mana was losing her patience, something that happened more often than not. "I leave after the festival." The bluntness of the statement hit me like a ton of bricks. "Why so soon?" I was in shock. It was unlike him to wait until the last minute to tell us when he was leaving.

The rest of the festival passed with me in a shocked state. Fireworks broke me out of my confusion, a signal that the festival was over. A signal that my father was about to leave us for an unknown amount of time. A signal that made me realize that I needed to do something quick. I decided was to be done and by the time we got in eye sight of our house I had the plan ironed out. I was going to pack my bags and follow my dad. No ifs, ors, or buts. As we entered the house I feigned fatigue and said a teary farewell then headed to my room. As I opened my door I looked around. It was a simply and cute room with what you'd normally find: a dresser with a vase of flowers, a vanity set with a large mirror decorated with carvings of angels, and a bed with soft sheets and treasured stuffed toys. I grabbed a bag out of my closet and began to stuff clothes into it of all varieties. Long sleeve shirts and shorts, dresses, tank tops, a warm cloak for traveling. I was so engrossed that I didn't hear my door open.

"Shit!" I jumped from my spot on the floor where I was shoving clothes into my bag. "Mana! What did I tell you about coming into my room without knocking?! You scared the life out of me!" "I want to go with you." Now Mana was never one to beat around the bush with what she wanted, but she was also never one to disobey our mom. That was my job. I gave her a look of confusion.

"How did you know I was planning on leaving? Maybe I was just trying to decide what to throw out" I challenged her assumption.

"You'd never throw out half the stuff in that bag. Those are your favorite things." Damn, she was good. "I already have my bag packed and ready to go. If we want to follow dad we have to hurry so get your things packed. I have toiletries and food prepared. It'll take us about a week to get to Lazulis city so hurry up." Always with her schedules that girl. I huffed. Pushing the rest of my things into my bag and grabbing my sword along with sharpening stones I strapped everything one. Since I was young my father insisted that one of his daughters be able to defend the family in his absence.

"Well then let's be off." Together we left our home started to walk on the path that would lead us to our destiny.