Cyrena Fallen (in Brevity)

The final clash of arms was over. Emperor Tyran, the Overlord, and the Black Knight were long since gone into prison of a timeless dimension. Without her father's rule, the cruel and cunning Princess Lundra could only lead the remainder of the forces of evil for so long.

The Dark Tower Guards fell first to the Knights of Cyrena, champions of the planet's free populous. The lesser underlings surrendered quickly to armed citizens whom they had once tried to take the rights from.

Cyrena was a free world; now was the hour to celebrate.

A dark vortex eclipsed the moon for only a moment. Blink; and the anomaly would have passed. There came no storms, no desolation, no harbinger of danger; only a darkened moon for a moment's time...

Oran, leader of the Knights of Cyrena, was proud. He was an astronaut of Earth, stranded on an alien world and given a new responsibility to its free people. He tried to feign his only pride being in his fellow Knights or in the people who had finally learned to stand up for themselves; the tiniest bit of pride in his own works still remained.

Oran rose from his slumber and prepared to step out and face a perfectly free Cyrena where the Knights now could serve as civilians until a new threat should arise. He entered Kyra's chambers to see if his young apprentice might join him. She was gone.

Naro, the Native Knight; his powers derived from nature. Surely, he wanted to see it again. Naro was gone as well; as were his animal allies, Kiva, the she-wolf, and Flitterquick, the Falcon. T'Shen, the Samurai Knight and Naro's closest friend, was gone as well.

Itor, the Alien Knight. Mayce, the Giant Knight and Blacksmith of Stele. Calin, the Android Knight. All had vanished. Oran had reached out with his telepathy each time he couldn't find one of his fellow Knights in their sleeping chambers. His telepathy yielded nothing.

The stables. Steeg, the Iron Horse. Oran's desire for a slow jaunt out into a new world had just turned into the need for a brisk ride to survey the surrounding situation. Oran entered the stables and, sure enough, Steeg was gone too. Tempa, Kyra's horse, and Wilan, T'Shen's steed, were likewise missing.

Oran absently grabbed his armor, helmet, and Energy Sword. Someone on Cyrena, a grateful free citizen, no doubt, had to have seen one of Oran's allies. He left the Palace of Levathan on foot and swiftly made his way across the lands.

Levathan was empty. Heffelm was sparse. No one remained in Elberon. Hindel was an empty and barren shadow of the foresaken agricultural community the the Knights had successfully defended in turning back the enemies less than twelve hours before. Castle Darkhelm and its towers had fallen so as to leave the villains with no safe haven; its prisons were gone as well to prevent the capture of free citizens ever again.

Oran and the Knights of Cyrena had gone to bed in victory. Only Oran had woken up the next morning to a Cyrena "reborn" out of a lonely man's worst nightmares...