Much has been said about the mages of Moonveil around Iotarah. Some say that their way is the way of the future and that their advancements will help us forge a path away from dependency on the gods and help us make our destiny. Many say that the mages' meddling with the weave of magic and their experimentation with technologies will lead us down a path that will bring us ruin and doom upon all the world.

Darkness, there is only the unyielding shadow that surrounds and encompasses all the space he can see. Cinder feels around for anything that might tell him where he is. Darkness gives way to a dim light. Cinder looks around to see himself standing in his childhood home in Ashenstone Village. He sees no one around him, so he moves downstairs into the main living area of the wooden home. He still sees none of his family, continuing to investigate. Furthermore, he finds smoldering logs in the fireplace and looks up to see his father's sword missing from its mount.

Overcome with worry, Cinder makes his way out of the home. He stops a moment before opening the door and is sent into a panic when he catches the smell of burning wood. He throws the door open and runs out to see homes engulfed in purple-black flames. The sound of screams and chaos radiates from the distance.

Cinder sees the scene change before him, and suddenly he is standing in front of a line of bandits standing behind their leader, at his feet he sees the broken visage of his sister, black scorch marks dotting her skin, and the same blackness surrounding the cuts that span her torso and arms.

He falls to his knees, placing his hand on her cheek. "Ember, Ember, come on, We gotta get outta here."

An omnipresent laughter sounds around them. Ember wraps her hand around his forearm. "Cinder, please, don't let this be the end. Do what you have to do..."

Her words fall into silence as she draws her last breath. The omnipresent laughter grows louder and louder until all Cinder can hear is the sound of his mocking.

He takes up his father's sword and thinks back on all he learned from Ember. He takes his stance and charges the shadowy figure of Lennox. The shadow deepens until he is once again surrounded by darkness.

He tries to find his surroundings before he feels a hand clasp his shoulder.

‐--

He jolts awake, instinctively brandishing his long curved dagger.

The one who did the waking jumps back. "Woahhh, watch out there, killer." Cinder looks around to take inventory of his surroundings, and he sees himself sitting at his normal table in The Odd Knight Tavern and Inn. "Are you ok, Cinder?" Cinder looks up at the forest green eyes of his friend Tywin.

Cinder nods. "Just a dream. No shortage of those these days." he clears the rasp out of his voice before speaking again. "What's the time?"

Tywin thinks for a second. "Only 2 hours past sundown. You're in time for curfew, if there is one for you."

Cinder nods. "There isn't one, but thanks very much for your concern."

Tywin chuckles. "Well, this relationship has been a productive one so far, my dear commander."

Cinder rolls his eyes. "It's Lieutenant Colonel. If you're going to title me, at least get the title right. You still haven't told me what you get out of this."

Tywin stands up. "You know what you get out of it. Company, my magical talents, and of course the ever important dulcet tones of my musical genius."

Cinder stands as well. "Well, yes, but Ty, if I'm honest, if I have to hear Time of the World's Renewal one more time, I may just have to take that lute and whack you upside the head with it."

Tywin laughs heartily. "Well, my good friend, there are more than a thousand songs and ballads in this mind. I'll find one you can enjoy."

Cinder walks out of the tavern side-by-side with Tywin. "I have no understanding of how the hell you remember all that shit."

Tywin's face softens. "It's easy. One can do a great many things if it's for someone special."

After saying their goodbyes, Tywin turns off towards the apartment where he stays when he's in the city, and Cinder goes off to the garrison headquarters. Cinder walks into the barracks, nodding to a few of his comrades before heading for his room.

As he walks past the open door of the main office, he hears a clearing of someone's throat. He sighs and goes into the office to face Colonel McShane. The Colonel speaks up. "Cutting a little close, aren't we, my lad?"

Cinder holds back a roll of his eyes. "I got back, didn't I? I don't even have a curfew anyway."

McShane looks up from some papers he was scanning. "That may be so, but, you have to understand, if you're going to lead this squadron some day you need to show our superiors that you have the responsibility and maturity that should come with someone of your station. You may be the youngest man in history to reach an officer's rank, but that only comes with stiffer expectations. I want you to be ready for when you take my place."

Cinder takes a seat after McShane gestures to the chair. "What are they promoting you tomorrow?"

McShane shakes his head. "No, but I don't plan on being in the army until I'm old and gray." He looks to the side and smirks. "Well, any more old and gray."

Cinder chuckles. "I don't know how much non-gray is left, old man."

McShane feigns seriousness. "You know I can still get you thrown out, ya little shit."

They both share a chuckle before Cinder stands. "Well, I think that's my cue to get some sleep. I wanna have some energy left over for when you throw me to the street."

McShane. "Sweet dreams, my boy." He hesitates before saying. "I just want you to know, I'm proud of the man you've become, and I can't wait to see where this life takes you. Goodnight."

Cinder nods and leaves for his room.

--

The boundless darkness Cinder has become accustomed to surrounds him before a small light breaks the solid landscape. The small circle of lightgrows closer and brighter. the orb stops right in front of him. A still small voice whispers in the back of his mind. The voice is omnipresent, yet gentle. "Child of fire. Child of ruin. Child of vengeful justice. You know what must be done."

Cinder backs up a couple of steps. "Who the hells are you. What the hells..." His voice trails off

The entity speaks again. "I am one who offers help."

Cinder rolls his eyes. "How delightfully vague. I have no interest in a deal with devils or fallen gods or whatever you are."

The entity interrupts. "I am an angel. Hadriel is my name. I offer not trickery, only help." The angel's voice takes on a melodic air as it speaks.

Cinder scoffs. "Don't the gods detest vengeance and believe that it is one of the most corrosive forces mankind has ever produced?"

The angel chuckles. "Who do you think first took vengeance in this world? Why, it was the one whom i serve. Avlir himself took righteous vengeance on his brother Cynos when he had taken so many Avliran lives. whole battle fields full of bodies avenged in one swoop when Cynos was forever confined to his prison in the deepest level of the nine hells."

Cinder pulls a blank face. "Fine, but that doesn't explain why you're wasting your time talking to me."

Hadriel forms into a human-like silhouette of light and places his arm around Cinder. "I am a being who is drawn to feelings of righteous vengeance. You are ,what is called, a conduit. Those who destiny has chosen to carry the great weight and burden of these feelings. Those like you are shown more and more of those who can not avenge themselves and are given the power to do something about it. you have, but to agree to take the responsibility, and you will receive the power to avenge those who who have not what you do, starting with the one called Lennox."

Cinder breathes a shallow breath before speaking. "How?"

Hadriel turns to face him. "It is simply a matter of paperwork."

Cinder lets out a laugh. "Even in the Celestial world. paperwork, always the paperwork."

Hadriel chuckles along with him before conjuring up a scroll of paper. Cinder knows the lettering is not common, but he is able to read it as if it were. The angel smiles. "The working is a special enchantment that makes it so that few others than us can read it."

Cinder reads through trying to understand the wording and even gets lost in places, but finds his way to the end. Finding nothing, to his knowledge, out of place, he takes the quill in his fingers and signs his name across the line at the bottom of the text.

Hadriel nods. "Take the scroll in your hand and the pact is sealed."

Cinder wraps his hand around the scroll and feels a burning running up and down his arm. a deep feeling of pain similar to the pain felt on the day he lost everything. a pain thay transcends all understanding. The feeling consolidates into the palm of his hand, a white hot gem imbedded into his hand as an eternal reminder of his pact and his responsibility."

He wakes up in a cold sweat. The warm feeling of pain still settled in his palm. He clenches his fist and notices the feeling of holding something in his hand. a small stone. He looks at his palm to see that a Small opalescent gem stone sits embedded into the palm of his hand.

He consentrates and looks within himself. The Gem glows as he finds the energies of the world swirling in his chest.

He goes back to sleep and has no nightmares thinking of what may come in the future.