The Other Side: A Second Chance

Her eyes locked with mine, and her body stiffened as she held me tight against her body with just one healthy arm. Mother's mouth quivered, and her eyes glossed over as tears began to brim along the edges. I said nothing; instead, I smiled up at her happily as my heart rammed against my ribs as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" She asked as the group of prisoners threw the Rusivite woman to the ground and pinned her. The woman cackled and laughed manically before being silenced by a boot kicking her right in the face, knocking her out cold yet again.

She has to have had at least a severe concussion by this point. I thought idly as I looked at my mother.

"I came to save you," I said as I pushed myself up and turned to face her. "Both Isa and I came looking for you and the others, a-and we found—"

A sharp pain burned across my cheek, and my head snapped to the side as the cell echoed with the loud smack of my mother's palm against my cheek. Suddenly, I felt her hand grab me by the scruff of my dress, and she yanked me forward.

"Luna Ashflow, I told you to go with Isa to Johanneson!" My mother scowled, her eyes burning with fury as I looked at her, confused. "Do you have any idea how worried I am?! Why didn't you listen to me?!"

"I-I was told you were in danger—"

Gunshots erupted from the entrance once more, and I heard Isa shout. "As endearing as this family reunion is, I need help!"

Mother took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the rage that filled them had faded; instead, a firm and serious look took its place. "Slyran, Varis, are you okay?" She asked me as she released me.

I smoothed out my dress and watched her, confused, as she got up and moved over to the crowd, which parted. In the center, I could see my father cradling my sobbing brother. Father looked up at my mother and nodded before pausing and turning to me with a look of shock. I gulped and gave him a small wave.

He opened his mouth to speak, though my mother silenced him by holding a hand up. "We'll talk once we're out of here." She turned to me. "Luna, do you have a way out of here?"

I shook my head to regain focus and rubbed my still-stinging cheek. "I, uh, I think I do. I'll need everyone to back away from the glass there!" I pointed to the thick window at the front.

The couple of soldiers who had helped my father save Varis shouted, "Come on, people, back away; let the little savior work her magic!"

Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the crowd dispersed, giving me a clear passage toward the front glass panes. Smoothing out my skirt, I made my way over to the glass and pulled out my wand. I was all out of water in my canteen, so I couldn't cut a hole.

Yet, if memory serves me right, glass was much easier to melt than metal, I think. Maybe I could be wrong.

"Mithiral and glass have similar melting points," The voice chimed in as I stepped up to the glass. "You should be able to break through this without issue, but you must make it quick. Something large is coming your way."

I removed my wand, held it up to the glass, and began to focus on igniting the tip as I pressed it against the hardened material. What's up? I asked. What's coming? More machines outside?

"Possibly, but I am unsure. This is a new feeling," said the voice. "Whatever it is, it is vast and should be arriving within the half hour."

"Of course it is," I muttered to myself out loud as more gunfire came from the entrance. I could hear Isa curse loudly and shout something at the Rusivites in their language, which, to my surprise, they shouted back in a smarmy tone.

Oh great, they're resorting to shit-talking.

As I slowly used my magical plasma cutter to slice a square hole through the window, I could hear the people behind me muttering nervously to one another. The few Hein's Guards were audibly cracking their knuckles; one of them overhead said, "Gods, I can't wait to get out there and show these fuckers what's up."

"We don't even have weapons, though," said another.

"Hey!" The first soldier shouted to me.

"Shut up," I said trying not to lose focus. "I'm concentrating!"

To which I heard my mother say, "Do not bother my daughter, if she loses focus on that spell, we'll be fried." A few curious murmurs followed up after that, though I heard a couple of others whimper and shuffle away from me as if that'd help if I lost track of this burning star.

"Luna! Hurry!" Isa shouted, her tone nervous. I bit my lower lip and tried to concentrate more on the melting glass.

I shuffled my feet back as bits of molten glass dribbled onto the floor, and finally, after about a minute, I swiftly bopped the center pane with my fist and shoved the partially melted glass to the floor, which shattered. The crowd behind me cheered, though I swiftly raised a hand to stop them just as they began to rush forward.

"Stop! You'll burn yourselves!" I warned as I dropped concentration on what I was officially dubbing my plasma cutter and began to focus on cooling the edges and resolidifying the molten rim.

Once the edges of the hole were safe to climb through, I was the first to leap through the gap and quickly run up the small set of stairs towards the entrance, where Isa was reloading her last magazine into her rifle.

Seeing me, Isa visibly relaxed slightly. "Finally, you're here." She said and motioned with her head towards the hole in the door, "There's about four more guys down the hall. They've taken up defensive positions, and they're blocking us in here. From what I've heard, one of them said that we are trapped."

I bit my lower lip as more people behind me began to climb out of the cell. "I haven't seen any other exits here. Just the stairs leading up to the observation room."

Isa nodded as the Rusivites shouted taunts at us from the hallway. "That's what I assumed," she sighed.

I nodded and said, "Well, there are only four of them, right? I could just bubble us, and we can push through."

"We could," Isa nodded, then held up a finger. "But there may be others further back we're unaware of."

I shrugged. "Maybe but…" I gulped. "We won't know until we go."

Isa rolled her eyes and smirked a little. "Well, you aren't wrong there." She turned to the ever-growing crowd that was forming behind us. "Getting everyone out of here is going to be rough, though," she muttered softly. "We may need to change our plans and get them out of here."

"But what about the fighting machines outside," She whispered before jolting when another gunshot hit the metal door. Isa dropped to one knee, poked her rifle out, and fired two shots back before shouting something at the Rusivites.

"Fucking chundos." She growled.

"What?" I blinked.

Isa waved her hand. "Nevermind, and don't say it around your mother. But anyway, I don't know. It's not like we can get them deeper into the facility either, it'd be too dangerous and too crowded."

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew mine and Isa's attention back to the crowd, and standing in front of everyone were my mother and father. Mother's arms were crossed while Father smiled at us goofily, and it was here that I noticed Varis standing behind him, poking out from behind his leg. Like my parents, his outfit was torn to ribbons and dirty, and his eyes were puffy and still wet with tears.

Poor kid. I thought. I can't even begin to imagine what this hell has been like for him. Or any of them, for that matter.

"Don't forget, you two aren't alone anymore," My mother said as her hand reached up to grasp at a metallic collar around her neck. "My magic may be halted, but I can still shoot a gun."

"Exactly," Father said with a smirk, and he gestured to the soldiers behind him. "I and the lads here can assist where need be."

A few others in the crowd also stepped up. "Aye, let us help," said a rotund, bearded dwarf. "Let us all work together and kick these bastards in the teeth."

I smirked and nodded. "Thank you." I turned to my family. "How are you all feeling?" I stepped towards them, my eyes wandering towards my mother's right arm, which rested in a sling.

My mother glared at me for a second, then sighed and smiled a little. "I'm doing okay, my little star. I have aches and pains, but I can move." She adjusted her sling.

"I can fix this for you," I said to her before looking at everyone. "I can heal anyone who needs it. Please, step forward."

My mother's eyes widened as a few injured people began to hobble forward, their faces pained yet relieved to hear my offer. "Do you have scrolls?" She asked me.

I smiled at her and said, "Well, Momma, watch this."

As the crowd gathered around me, I clapped my hands together and began to concentrate once more on my well. The magic within me bubbled and churned delightfully as the radiant energy began to buzz outward, filling me with a slight tingling pleasure as I began the incantation.

“By the sacred springs, where life's currents entwine, in the heart of magic, where destinies align. With boundless grace, let healing waters flow, Mass Rejuvenation, in Slyondra's soft glow." I said rubbing my hands together before I held them out wide and continued, "From the depths of hurt, to the heights of hope, let the healing touch, by Slyondra's scope." My mother's eyes widened, and people around me gasped as my body began to glow green. Runic circles began to form on the metallic floor as glowing wisps began to revolve around me. "In the embrace of magic, where spirits thrive, Mass Rejuvenation, may Slyondra's blessings arrive. With each whispered word, with each flickering light, bring renewal forth, banish the night." I opened my glowing eyes and brought my hands together while motioning the signs before clasping them together and parting once more as a ball of swirling life energy began to form between my palms. "In the unity of souls, where life's currents strive, Mass Rejuvenation, in Slyondra's name, wounds revive. Mass Rejuvenation!” I shouted as I threw the green ball into the air which then burst into dozens of swirling particles that shot down at everyone. Penetrating their bodies and causing them to gasp with shock, wounds all around, including mine, began to heal.

Those around me straightened up, their bodies wiggling as if testing out new parts they never knew they had. I saw an elderly man, once hunched over, straighten his back with eyes as wide as saucers. My mother, whose arm was once in the sling, slowly removed it. Her eyes were wide with astonishment as she looked at me as if she were laying eyes on me for the first time.

Varis rushed out from behind his father and ran towards me, and before I could do anything, he threw his arms around me in a tight embrace. Father came over as well and knelt, his face wrinkled with a wide smile as he tussled my hair.

"When the heck did you learn to do all these tricks?" He asked me as people around me began to cheer and morale began to soar.

I hugged Varis tightly, looked at my father, and said, "A…" I paused, then said, "It started with a nice man teaching me."

Father nodded and said, "Well, I'd like to meet this nice man some day."

Mother hesitantly stepped forward, her wounds now fully healed, she got onto her knees and, without a word, hugged both Varis and I.

Yet as lovely as this exchange was. It was short-lived by another bout of gunfire, and Isa was cursed. "What's the game plan?" She asked as she returned fire.

"We stay put," Father said as many others looked at him confused, including myself. "Look at us," he continued, "only a handful of us can properly fight, and from what I overheard, you said it yourself. There's fighting machines out there."

"But what about mother, and her magic?" I suggested as I looked at her.

Mother pulled back from the embrace and said, "I'm stifled right now." She tapped the collar. "This Well Siphon has me drained, which means no magic."

"Can we take it off?" I asked, and my mother took a deep breath.

"We could, and we will, but it won't help. It'd take at least a few days before I can properly perform again." She gritted her teeth and glared at the unconscious Rusivite on the ground, who, by this point, was bound and gagged by rags. "She's the one who did this to me, and most likely she has the key on her person. Or so I hope."

My father turned to Isa. "Do you have a plan for disabling the machines outside?"

Isa pulled the charger back on her rifle to examine her ammunition and glanced at Father. "We have an idea, as to whether that idea will work, we don't know."

Father shrugged. "Better than no idea." He smirked. "Any of you got a spare gun?" Before Father could even finish the question, Isa was already unholstering her sidearm and tossing it to him.

Catching it with ease, he whistled and examined the weapon. "Fancy, a bit too heavy for my liking, but I can make it work." He turned to the soldiers and said, "You lot, stay here and look over the citizens. Cailynn, I want you to stay with them."

"Slyran, I can fight." She growled, and he shook his head.

"Love, as skilled as you are. Without your spells, I'll be honest in saying that you'd do better here." He pointed to the floor.

Mother scowled and opened her mouth to protest, but stopped before turning away. "Fine." she hissed.

"Papa, I want to fight too—" Varis started but was silenced by our father raising a hand to dismiss him.

"Out of the question," he said. "I need you here to protect your mother," he said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just like I said all those days before, Protect her as best you can."

Varis bit his lower lip. "But, what about Luna?" He asked.

Father frowned as well and looked at me. I could see on his face that he didn't want me out there, fighting like I had. A series of conflicts ran through him before, finally, the logic seemed to pull through and he said, "Luna, is going to come with Isa and I."

"Slyran!" Mother hissed.

"It makes sense, Cailynn!" Father snapped as he turned to her and gestured to the destroyed claw and then to her arm. "You saw what she did! Luna, is capable."

"But she's our daughter, she's a child," my mother said pleadingly.

"And that hasn't stopped her," he said turning to me. "What do you say? Any suggestions, Luna?"

I gulped nervously and fidgeted. The thought of going back out there and into danger despite being so close to my goal, was frightening. I didn't want to split up, what if something happened while we were out? Yet it made sense. We couldn't all run around here, and we couldn't just leave.

"The behemoth is drawing near." The voice said it coldly. "Twenty minutes until its arrival."

Of course. My blood ran cold, and I took a shaky breath. "I-I say we do this, father. You, Isa, me," I said knowing that any longer would be pointless. Whatever's coming, I'll tell them once we're out of here. I don't want to risk a panic.

Father nodded slowly and stood up. "Then it's settled. Cailynn…" He turned to his mother. "I love you, I love all of you." He tussled both mine and Varis's hair. "After this, let's go get something to eat in Johanneson." He chuckled.

A loud shout came from the corridor outside as the thundering of boots echoed from outside as Rusivites charged the door. Cries were quickly cut short as Isa fired the last remaining rounds of her rifle down the hall.

"Shit! Out of ammo!" She hissed. "If any more come charging, they'll get in here."

"Then we better get moving now," Father said as he gripped my shoulder. "Are you ready?" He asked me.

"As ready as I can be," I responded.