Promise

19 years ago, at Ishtall Central Hospital maternity ward, at 3am...

Ruby was fast asleep after having given birth to her baby twins, Roisin and Keegan Luna, Darenth was asleep in a chair beside her, the nurse who was looking after the two twins looked at Ruby and Darenth asleep in the chair, and then looked through the window to see Atlas and his wife both asleep too.

The nurse sighed deeply and looked at baby Keegan, she frowned and picked him up, then quietly carried him out of the room and down the hallway, towards the fire exit, despite it being 3am there was plenty of nurses running back and forth, since it was a maternity ward. The nurse dodged the attention of various staff as she neared the exit.

When she reached the door, she opened it, outside was a man in a long black leather trench coat, with spiked red and black hair, he was smoking a cigarette.

"You're the guy?" The nurse asked.

"No, just thought I'd come out here for a ciggie" The man shrugged. "Of course I'm the man" He growled.

"So, you will let my family go now?" The nurse frowned as she handed over baby Keegan.

"Your work is not yet complete" The man shook his head.

"But I did everything you asked!" The nurse whispered in a louder tone.

"Not everything yet" The man smirked. "You gotta stage this little one's death, or there will be questions" He added.

"What?! How?" The nurse asked.

"Up to you, just make it believeable" The man shrugged as he began walking down the staircase. The nurse headed back inside as the man quickly descended the fire escape, Keegan didn't awaken on the way down. He finally reached the parking lot and headed over to his car.

When he reached the car, he got inside, in the backseat an Imperial Legatus was sat in the darkness. He was wearing a heavy helmet that concealed his face, and full Imperial Armour.

"Drive" The Legatus commanded. As the car drove away, an explosion blew the fire door of the maternity ward open.

"What the?!" The spiked hair man shouted.

"You really trusted that the nurse would never speak of this?" The Legatus asked.

"I... guess not... but by the Gods, this wasn't needed" The spiked hair man frowned.

"Do not be so concerned, the explosion was only enough to kill the nurse" The Legatus sighed deeply, irritated by the man.

"It blew the fire door off..." The spiked haired man said as he drove on that lead out of Ishtall.

"It doesn't concern you" The Legatus grunted. "Now take the next exit, to the gas station on the road to Rivenlake" He added.

The spiked haired man remained silent, he did as commanded and took the car to the gas station. The Legatus got out, it was at that moment, the spiked haired man noticed the airship parked in the field nearby, that the Legatus was walking toward.

Instantly the man realised what was about to happen, but it was already too late, as the gas station exploded, the explosion could be seen from Ishtall itself, the Legatus climbed aboard the airship, where an Imperial Nurse was waiting, he handed the baby to the nurse.

The Nurse knew better than to ask where the baby came from, or who they were. The Legatus headed into the cockpit and set a direct course toward Aranei. The airship was of a stealth design, it was almost undetectable, and moved faster than even the Black Vulture would many years later.

Within hours, the stealth ship had arrived at a facility outside Aranei. The facility was top secret and the only people awaiting the airship was the Legatus' wife, Amaris, Emperor Vulturus and a young Rychard Pyre.

The Legatus exited the ship with the nurse and towards the Emperor.

"Your radiance" The Legatus and nurse knelt before Emperor Vulturus.

"Pyre, this is the child, yes?" Vulturus asked.

Rychard scanned the baby with a small device and nodded.

"Good, your part in this is over, I thank you for tracking down the descendants of the moon and helping this mission come to fruition. You may now begin your plans to operate here in Aranei" The Emperor commended Rychard.

"Thank you, your Radiance" Rychard bowed to the Emperor and began to walk toward the main facility.

"Oh, and Rychard?" The Emperor spoke.

"Yes, your Radiance?" He said, turning to look at Vulturus.

"Speak of this, ever, and you will be a dead man" Emperor Vulturus frowned, Rychard nodded and walked away. The Emperor turned to Amaris, the Legatus and the nurse.

"You shall care for this child as if he was your own, he will be given all the privileges of a trueborn Imperial, and when the time comes, he will lead us to the light, like the prophecy fortold" Vulturus commanded.

"Yes, your Radiance" The Legatus nodded and smiled.

"A word of this, and you will be put to death. Understood?" Vulturus asked. "I cannot have the Dark Crow finding out about this, if he discovers what I am up to, he will take this Empire from our hands" Vulturus explained.

"Understood" Amaris bowed.

"Dismissed" Emperor Vulturus stated, as the group left, Vulturus looked around, as if checking every corner, every building.

"If Andre finds out about this, I'm a dead man..." He whispered to himself