The storm is calming, I can barely hear the sound of the water crashing down on the roof above me. It’s dark in this room. Two candles sit on each side of the door behind me while a third makes its home on the table in front of me. Very little light shines in this room. The only objects in here are the candles, one table, and two chairs. One chair on each side of the table. I’m shackled to my chair. Arms pulled behind my back and shackled together. Each foot chained to the legs. They sure aren’t taking any chances of me escaping again. I've been sitting here for quite some time now. Alone with my thoughts. I still don’t know exactly what this place is, who runs it, or for what reason. My recent memory still fails me. The most recent thing I can remember is being stranded out in the ocean and then washing up on shore. That, and there is that weird dream I had.

I didn’t get very far before being captured. Stupid, how could you let yourself be captured like that? And then not even be able to escape. You’re better than that, Aero. You were trained to handle these situations and have dealt with far worse.

My mind is racing around a thousand different places right now but the one thing that keeps coming back to me is, Where are my friends? It’s been weeks since I have seen them. Do they think I am even still alive anymore? Have they given up hope of finding me? Maybe they have moved on. With no sign of me in weeks, I would probably do the same in their situation. Well, then, I guess I will just have to catch up with them. Sooner or later I will find a way out of here.

I sit here thinking of my next move. I've regained a lot of my strength back. It’s very possible that when they are transferring me back to my cell I could break free and outrun them. I’ve gotten a good layout of the area and know exactly where to go now. Dawn is almost here but there is still enough darkness to vanish into the forest surrounding this place. I will make it out of here, no doubt about that.

These guys don’t know who they’re dealing with. I come from the army of Lunis. Or, at least, I used to. I was raised on the battlefield and have known it my whole life. For better and for worse, I am a fighter. Much of what I learned from fighting for Lunis still rests inside me. Although I am no longer with them, it is still difficult to just abandon so much of who you were from birth.

Thump, thump, thump, the sound of footsteps approaches the door behind me. My attention quickly snaps away from my previous thoughts and focuses on what’s happening. I can hear not just one, but two separate sets of steps coming toward the door. One set is distinctly louder than the other. Now I can hear the doorknob begin to turn and the door creak open.

Someone in the hallway says, “Here you are, sir.”

A familiar voice responds, “Thank you, go ahead and wait outside in case I need anything.”

Thane has a voice you can’t very easily forget. Deep and gruff, it fits his size perfectly.

“Yes, of course, sir,” says the guard. Thump, thump, the boots send a soft rumble through the floor as Thane steps into the room. Behind him creaks the door as it shuts. I can hear the distinct click of the lock turning into place.

Thane walks in front of me and sits down in the other chair. Scoots in closer, cups his hands together and places them on the table. He looks directly at me and says, “I have to apologize for my men, I see they left you with a few extra bruises.” I look at him and say nothing, examining him intently. He continues, “They have been cooped up here for quite some time now and they get a little restless every now and then. It certainly doesn't help that you are from the Lunar Guard, or so they think.”

He’s peaked my interest. “So they think? Do you believe differently?”

A slight grin curls on the corner of his lips. “I know a runaway when I see one, boy.”

I haven’t said a word to anyone here, how could he possibly know I am no longer in the Lunar Guard? He raises up his forearm and slides his coat down to his elbow. The mark of Lunis rests on his wrist. A mark of a crescent and a sword. He must have sensed my confusion. There are no military bases that belong to Lunis out this far. He must not be with them.

I say to him, “Ex-Lunar Guard, huh? I’ve never heard of anyone else ever leaving before.”

He slightly shakes his head “No, I can’t say that I have either. Many attempts, but none had such luck.” He reaches over, fixes his coat, and places his hands back down on the table “It would appear to be just the two of us.” Five of us if you include my friends, but I keep that to myself. Hearing what he’s said makes me believe he isn’t a threat to me. At least not right now. I am still chained to this chair and it doesn't look as though he is going to just let me go any time soon.

He continues talking to me. “Enough about that, the reason you’re in here is I have a few questions for you.” He shifts his arms on the table. “My men found you in an interesting situation. They say they found you alone in the woods with a severe injury. In fact, if it wasn’t for them you would have died.” He pauses for a moment, letting that thought sink in, and keeps talking. “In the years we have been out here, no one has ever come this close to our base. It’s certainly not a place you just stumble upon. So that raises the question, what are you doing out here?”

All my recent memories rush and spiral through my mind, but I still can’t figure out what exactly I was doing. If my dream was to be believed then I was on Kheran and left behind an unsolved massacre. Nothing before that wants to come back to me. In frustration I can only respond with “I... don’t know.” And that’s the truth.

Thane inhales and lets out an uncomfortable sigh. After a brief pause he says, “You don’t know? I’m sure you can see how that’s not an acceptable answer. I run an operation here that I cannot put in danger.” He continues, “You have to give me something to work with here. If you don’t talk, then I have no choice but to see you as an enemy. Something tells me it isn’t that simple, so it would be in your best interest to enlighten me on what you were doing.”

With nothing to say I get a little defensive and show my frustration. “Enlighten you? I’ve done nothing wrong here. You’re the one who is holding me captive. If anything I should be asking you what’s going on here. This place has been nothing but dense forest for as long as I can remember. Very few people inhabit the surrounding area, but yet you’re raising an army here with enough men and weapons to take over Moorhall.” I started getting a little heated, I’ve had nothing but troubles the past few weeks and this doesn’t make it any easier. I continue, all the while raising my voice, “So the real question here, Thane, is where are you planning on pointing this big weapon you’ve crafted here. People certainly don’t spend years building a small empire just for fun.”

He shifts back in his chair, putting a little more distance between us. “I can’t answer that.”

Silence engulfs the air around us as we both wait for the other to make the next move. It’s not long before I begin talking again. “Look, I am telling you the truth. I have no idea why I am out here. I washed up on shore with very little memory. It wasn’t long after that your men found me and took me in.”

Again silence fills the air. Thane sits back in his chair barely moving, just analyzing me. Seconds feel like hours in this uncomfortable quiet. My own heartbeat is the loudest noise I can hear right now. Each beat awaits his response until finally he shifts his arms up and scratches at his beard followed by a calm, “Okay”.

Not sure how to take that I respond, “Okay?”

He nods in reply. “I believe you”

I feel relieved upon hearing this, but I’m not out of the fire just yet.

Thane wastes little time before continuing, “I still need something, though. You really need to give me anything you can remember.”

I look down at my arms chained to the chair and back up at him. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything I can remember.” He leans in slightly, listening closely. I continue on, “In exchange for my freedom, and I want to know what you’re planning here”.

He takes a moment before responding, “Deal.”

The longer I'm in the room with this man, the more I begin to trust him. I can’t tell you exactly what it is about him that draws me in. He keeps a calm demeanor that is something I can respect. This entire time he has been patient with me. I’ve attacked and injured some of his men yet he still is giving me a chance.

Here goes nothing. Over a long period of time I explain to him everything I know of recent events. Being stranded in the ocean, my dream, and how I’ve been separated from my friends. The entire time he listens closely, not saying a single word, allowing me to tell my story uninterrupted. The lone candle on the table gets shorter and shorter as time passes by. I don’t leave out a single detail. Part of me hopes maybe he knows something that can answer my many questions. When I’ve finished and let out everything I know, the candle is now half of its original size. He silently takes it all in for a few moments. Scratching at his chin, he finally speaks to me, “Wow, that’s quite the story.”

I blink a couple times. “So, you believe me then?”

He responds, “Yes, your dream wasn’t just a dream. From time to time I like to check in on any nearby towns and villages, scouting for potential recruits and also just helping out anywhere I can. We live in dark times and a little bit of sunshine can help someone go on.” He looks down and appears disturbed by something. “Upon visiting Kheran I discovered everything you just described. Something tragic happened there. I spent some time investigating and discovered something.” He reaches into his front coat pocket and pulls out a small blue gem. He lets it slide off his palm and onto the table. It’s crescent shaped and when the light from the candle hits it, it gives off a faint sparkle.

I have seen it many times before. Immediately I shift my focus from the gem up to Thane and say, “Lunis…” The gem could be found on any standard issue sword of the Lunar Guard. They vary in color depending on rank, but the shape and sparkle are always the same. Blue isn’t the highest rank you could achieve but still a respected position.

He nods his head with a disgusted look on his face. “Yes, those tyrants are behind this. I am sure of that. I am still working on why, though.” Not saying anything I allow him to continue, “I took a few weeks and paid a visit to Moorhall. I knew the trade capital of the world would have some answers. While I was there I kept a low profile and heard stories about how Lunis wiped out an entire island because they couldn’t pay their taxes. They claimed it was to make an example out of those who didn’t share in their part of the greater good.”

He shook his head. “That didn’t sit well with me. I had been to Kheren plenty of times. I knew they didn’t have very much money, but still enough to pay. I left Moorhall and went back to Kheran, went inside the small town hall, and looked inside the treasury.” A brief pause, then, “It was full, the money was never touched. I knew something was wrong with that story.

“Shortly after making this discovery I noticed I wasn’t alone. I could hear someone outside moving. I went out to investigate and found a man burying a woman. He was startled to see me, but I assured him I wasn’t of any threat. He explained to me that he wasn’t here when everyone was attacked and returned to find his home, friends, and family dead. The woman he was burying was his wife. I told him he was welcome here with us and made my leave. He stayed behind to finish the burial and spend his last few moments with her.”

I can tell talking about this bothers him. Not in a way that causes him to struggle speaking or get choked up. You can hear it in his voice, it’s not the same voice he uses to give commands. It’s more gentle and weary.

“That’s terrible,” I say. “I once believed in our rulers, I was foolish to ever believe they were doing what’s right.”

Thane lets out a small grunt in agreement.

“That’s all you know?”

He nods his head and says, “I’m afraid so.” Taking a moment before continuing he says, “Now it’s my turn to hold up my end of the deal.” He sits up straight. “Everything you see here is known as the Red Heart. All of us make up a resistance group sworn to fight against Lunis. We haven’t quite grown to the size needed to make a successful attack against the throne yet. One day, though, we will. Every month we get more and more recruits and our chances of success rise higher.”

I look at him in confusion and say, “The Red Heart? I thought they were stomped out years ago.” As I think back to the last time I saw them, Thane starts to seem a little more familiar, as if I have seen him before. I say to him, “Last time they were seen was when they attempted an attack on Lunis. I was there, they fought hard and made it to the palace steps. It was my squad that eventually cleared you all out. There were no survivors.”

Thane clears his throat and says “Well, none that you knew of. Only three of us made it out--Ric, Horace, and me.”

Surprised to hear this, I say, “Horace? Isn’t he the butcher that hit me square in the gut?”

Thane laughs, “Yeah, he's always been a little quick to violence. He used to be one of my best fighters. Unfortunately, the attack on Lunis left him with some injuries that he could never recover from. You wouldn’t know it by looking at him but his right leg is fake.”

Ashamed at hearing this, I avert my eyes away from him and say, “Sorry. If it wasn’t for us a lot of your friends would still be alive right now and the world might be a different place.”

Thane shakes his head “There’s no need for that. I too was once in your position. Right and wrong are not painted in a clear picture when it comes to war. We both fought for a misguided nation just as my men fight for me and our cause.”

Still not looking at him I respond, “It’s still something I have to live with. If only I could have seen the signs before things got bad.”

I look back up at him and he says to me, “It’s odd. You look very familiar to me yet I don’t remember seeing you there that day.”

I respond to him, “In our full suits of armor we wouldn’t be recognizable. It completely covers from head to toe.”

Thane goes silent, then, “Unbelievable, that was you? I’ve never seen men fight like that before. It was almost unnatural that way you guys moved.”

Before anyone has a chance to say anything else, there is a knock at the door followed by a muffled voice. “Thane, he’s here. Erik arrived just moments ago.”

Thane shouts out, “Go ahead and come on in, Ric. I am just about done here.”

The door opens and Ric enters the room, he looks at me and then at Thane. “From the way things look I would say you were right earlier.”

Thane assures him, “Yes, he’s no threat to us.”

Ric gives a slight nod. “That’s good to hear.”

Thane pushes his chair out and stands up, facing Ric. “Go ahead and send Erik this way. I’ll show him around.” He reaches at his belt and grabs a ring holding several keys. Picking out one in particular, he moves behind my chair.

It’s at this time Ric responds back to Thane, “I’ll bring him in now.” He walks out the door and leaves.

Thane frees me of my shackles and says to me, “I have to apologize. I never even asked for your name before.”

I stand up next to this man, who is at least a foot taller than me, and say, “The name’s Aero.”

He reaches out and we shake hands. “Aero, it’s an honor to meet you. Now, being a man of my word, you are free to go, although I do have an offer.” He hasn’t let go of his grip on my hand yet. “Why not stay and get the tour? We could use someone of your skill and knowledge.”

I quickly shake my head. “No, my friends are out there somewhere. I still plan on finding them.”

Thane releases his grip. “Well, when you do find them, just know you are all welcome here. The Red Heart is always searching for new recruits.”

Just then Ric escorts someone into the room. He gets one look at me and his eyes open wide, followed quickly by his brow dropping in anger. He springs forward, pushing the first chair out of the way and flipping over the table. His hands reach out and grab the second chair and he lifts it above his shoulders. In what looks like every ounce of strength he has, he swings the chair at me. I quickly turn and absorb most of the blow with my shoulder and upper back. The chair flies out of his hands and hits the wall. He tackles me to the ground and both of his hands reach for my neck. Now he’s on top of me, but I push him back and stop him from getting his fingers around my throat.

Before he is able to take any more actions, Thane reaches down, grabbing him and throwing his back against the wall. In anger he shouts at him, “What are you doing?!”. Erik, so angry he is barely able to speak, manages to let out, “That’s the man that killed my wife!” Everyone looks at me and the room is engulfed in silence.