After three hours of walking Dimitri, Atreus, and Tara were exhausted.
"You said it wasn't that far, my legs are killing me" Atreus complained.
Dimitri added on, "This is quite the journey Luna, why were you so far from your people"
Luna sighed, they'd only gone four miles. The average oldlander could travel two times that in three hours. Astoria was still five miles away and at this pace, the moonies would have passed out before reaching the campsite.
"We should at least stop to get some water" Tara said to Dimitri, her tone careful but strained. Luna noticed her gloved hands trembled slightly as she adjusted her cloak, maybe from exhaustion.
Dimitri nodded. "Agreed. We'll rest for a moment." They stumbled under an old rusted sign, it's shade giving a nice respite from the burning sun. Atreus unstrapped his leather flask, the hide patterned from some creature foreign to Earth. He raised it above his mouth, waiting for the water to plunge into his throat quenching his thirst. Nothing came.
He frowned, shaking the flask. Not even a drop.
"Empty," he muttered.
The others had the same experience. They hadn't rationed, not like they were supposed to for the trip's duration.
Dimitri exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seems like it's a no on that water break Tara." he said his voice low, guilt seeping through. "I'm sorry, I should've requested emergency rations before we left New Athens for the world-bridge"
Atreus waved him off. "Oh, shut up. It's not your fault, Dimitri." He tried to grin, but his cracked lips ruined the effect. "We're Kindred—'a Trinity inseparable,' remember? That goes for the blame too."
Tara smirked faintly from beneath her hood. "Funny. You never say that when things go right."
"Of course not," Atreus shot back, "I prefer taking credit for those."
Luna stood at a distance, watching them. Through the laughter she thought, these weren't the noble heroes who had saved her. They were just kids—laughing, tired, and lost in a world they didn't understand.
For the first time, she realized how human the Moonies really were. And how lazy.
"Alright, you guys have had your break, how about we keep moving?" Luna said with false enthusiasm. The group's laughter fell to a hush giving their attention Luna whom they seemed to forget was there. "We haven't even found Gorchid yet and—" she paused, her eyes noticing their chapped lips and tired bodies. She knew this look. They were dehydrated. It reminded her of her brother, back in Wyoming. When the water there dried up not everyone made it.
"You guys are thirsty huh?" she said empathetic in tone.
Dimitri sighed, embarrassed to vent to an outsider "We…haven't had water in two days Luna, and the gravity here is taking it's toll, I do apologize if we've become more of a burden than a blessing if you want to continue without us—"
Atreus cut him off "No! We can't just leave her out here all alone Dimitri, they're beasts out here" His eyes locked on Luna's, his gaze making her nervous. "Luna we will take you home parched or not, that is my promise" Atreus stuck his hand out towards Luna bowing his head as a flamboyant gesture of respect.
Luna giggled, "Okay, okay, I believe you." She shook his hand, mostly so he'd stop bowing like that.
Dimitri's tone shifted as he looked at Atreus, a silent heat burning behind his eyes. He tried his best to hide it. Tara noticed.
"Luna, you're from here. Do you know of a pond where we could fill out flasks?" Tara said, attempting to shift the conversation.
Luna nodded, "Well maybe not a pond, open water is risky" she said. Her eyes landed on a crooked metal silhouette in the distance—an old water tower, half-collapsed but still standing proud against the orange sky.
"I know a place," she said, pointing at the tall tower behind them. "Those towers usually have rainwater in them"
The group exchanged weary, hopeful glances. Dimitri gave a short nod.
"Then lead the way, Luna. Let's pray the Oldlands are kind to us today." They followed Luna back into the sweltering sun towards the tower–a rusted monument that stood as a testament to the old-worlds ingenuity. Their short detour gave Luna a moment to satisfy her growing curiosity.
"So… Akrinn," she began, glancing toward Dimitri. "You never did tell me what it was like" Tara's eyes drifted to Luna, a small smile growing on her face.
"Always the inquisitive one, she would make a good Olympian scholar" Tara's admitted her words sounding close to praise.
"She would," Dimitri added, his eyes locked with Luna's, blush apparent on both their faces. "So you want to know about Akrinn huh, I can't speak for the other holds but–"
Before he could finish Luna cut in, "Other Holds? What's a Hold"
"The Holds are the nations of Akrinn, they're seven of them. We're from Olympus." Dimitri continued, Luna's attention unfaltering. "And Olympus is…" Dimitri's voice softened, almost reverent.
"Beautiful. It sits high above the rest of Akrinn—even higher than the tallest summits. The islands all floating amongst the clouds, held aloft by veins of Korral crackling beneath it, keeping it suspended above the world."
The mention of Korral drew Luna's eyes to Dimitri's belt. An entire nodule of the shimmering mineral hung there—she'd noticed it before but hadn't let herself stare. That much Korral was unheard of in the Oldlands. It could buy fifty Gorchids.
And each of the Moonies had one, wearing it like it was nothing.
"You guys seem to have a lot of Korral, what type of things do you guys buy with it"
Atreus and Tara exchanged a quick glance, then chuckled.
"It isn't currency," Dimitri explained. "We keep Korral on us as a source of Manea when we cross the World-Bridge. It's a very potent mineral." he continued, "Y'know it's also used to power the mechanism that keeps Olympus in the sky"
"But like I said, we don't really know, much of the rest of Akrinn" Dimitri admitted. "Other than our expedition training in New Athens, we've never left Olympus. Olympian scholars spend most of their lives mastering Veil Manea, coding enchantments, and studying alchemy long before they ever get to set foot anywhere else."
"We did spend a night in the First Colony, Dimitri," Tara corrected. "We had to pass through it to reach the World-Bridge."
Dimitri laughed softly. "Aye, how could I forget—the golden towers and crowded markets of the First."
"Weird feeling in that place," Atreus said, his voice lower now. "So many forms of Manea in one area—it isn't natural. Feels like chaos."
Luna tilted her head. "Forms of Manea?" she echoed. "You mean… there's more than one kind?"
"Of course some people can shoot fire from their hands while others command the tides," Atreus said proudly. "We Veil Manea wielders are the best, though—we control Manea in its raw form. Radiant, potent… and deadly."
Luna smiled, teasing lightly. "I don't know—shooting fire from my hands sounds pretty cool. Especially when the snowfall comes."
Atreus smirked. "Well, like you said—you don't know."
Before she could ask any more questions the sun's light was interrupted by a towering structure ahead of them. They had arrived at the water tower and didn't even notice. They circled around the base of the rusted structure searching for a ladder. They had no luck. Luna watched as they scrambled for a way to the top.
Dimitri's eyes slowly turned to Luna in a quiet shame. "Uhh…how do we get to the summit of this…contraption"
Luna laughed teasingly at the three moonies. They all resembled the wide-eyed children in her tribe. Always lost but too afraid to admit it.
She reached into her cloak landing on a long rope, made out of vine and thatch. At the end of it was a bone hook carved out of the jaw of an animal.
The Moonies watched as she spun the rope above her head in a wide circle, then launched it upward. The hook clanged against the tower's frame before catching on a divot near the top. Luna gripped the rope and tugged hard—once, twice—until it held firm, her breath coming fast.
"There," she said, panting. "Your stairs."
For a moment, none of them spoke. The three Moonies just stared at her, wide-eyed and amazed.
"Well, start climbing," she said, cutting through the silence. Dimitri went first, testing the rope's strength before trusting it. His movements were steady and calm, each pull deliberate. Atreus followed, then Tara after him, her hood fluttering lightly in the breeze.
Luna waited until they'd all reached the top before starting her own ascent. She balled the rope in her hands, hauling herself upward inch by inch. When she reached the summit, she unhooked the rope and clipped it back to her belt with practiced ease.
" Why not just leave it" Atreus asked. "We still need to get down."
"I don't want anyone following us," Luna answered. "Besides, leaving it hanging might cause the wind to take it, and then we'd be stuck up here" She began circling the curved hull of the tower. Faded blue letters loomed above them: ASTORIA, the name towering over the group like a ghost of the old world.
"Looks like no one's cut in yet," Luna observed. The others exchanged disappointed glances, but she smiled. "That's a good sign. It means the water's still there."
Pulling out her tanto, the runes along the blade glowed faintly, drawing the Moonies' attention. Luna pressed the edge to the metal and began to carve. A sharp screech tore through the air with every stroke. The hull was tougher than she'd expected—sturdy, even after a century of decay. Sweat beaded on her brow as she forced the blade through the steel.
"Let me help," Tara said gently. She summoned a pink ethereal blade emitting from her fist. Luna searched for its origin this time, the Korral on her belt shimmered as its energy transferred to the hooded girl's hand.
Shing!
The blade sliced through the metal like butter, leaving a perfect circular opening wide enough for someone to crawl through.
"Lead the way," Tara said, stepping aside and gesturing toward the fresh cut.
Luna gave a breathless laugh. "Show-off." She stepped into the tower first, the light spilling in behind her and scattering blue ripples across the still water inside.
"There you have it—water—"
Before she could finish, Atreus dove straight in, splashing hard, with no regard for his pristine garb.
"Atreus!" Dimitri shouted, exasperated. A second later, Tara leapt after him.
"Ahh… water," she sighed, soaking in its cool embrace.
Dimitri's cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment. "I'm sorry about them, Luna, I—"
"It's fine," Luna said, smiling. "They seem really thirsty."
Dimitri kneeled near the pristine water, unhooking his flask and dipping it gently in the water.
"You're not going to get in?" Tara asked, floating lazily. "Quit being a leader for once."
Dimitri smiled at her, shaking his head. "I'm good. I prefer my boots dry—and squeakless."
"Your loss," Atreus added. Luna slipped out of the tower quietly, leaving them to enjoy their manmade pond. Once outside she walked against the curve of the water tower looking out at the horizon. The ancient skyline of Astoria's skyscrapers scattered against the blue backdrop.
Luna rested her arms on the tower's railing and let her head sink into her hands. A long breath slipped through her nose. She didn't want to admit what she felt—not even to herself.
She missed her mother.
She'd never been away this long, and though she knew the scolding that awaited her, all she wanted now was to be home again. Her hands brushed against a hollowed out bone hanging from her belt. Her mother gave it to her in case she ever got lost.
"Call home my beautiful Moons" was engraved on the side. Luna's eyes went over it, she was considering using it. Maybe if her mother thought she was lost, her pity would drown out her fury.
A sudden voice cut through the silence. "What's that?" Dimitri asked, his tone curious.
Luna jumped, startled—the horn slipped from her hands and fell.
"No!" she cried, reaching for it.
The bone struck the ground with a dull thud but didn't break. Luna froze, her heart hammering. "What the hell," she whispered, breath shaking.
"I'm sorry," Dimitri stammered. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Luna just stared at the ground, the horn distant, as it laid framed by the dead grass that broke its fall.
"I never got to thank you–for getting us water" Dimitri said ashamed. "We would've died from thirst if it wasn't for you"
Luna listened, though her eyes stayed fixed on the horn she had dropped, her expression still somber.
"You're welcome," she murmured. "Now we're even"
Dimitri lowered his head, trying to catch her gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked gently. "I can get your horn for you."
"It's fine," Luna said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's just… that was given to me and my brother. He's gone now, and my mother's been protective of me ever since we went west from Wyoming."
Dimitri watched her, unsure what to say. Everything she shared felt so personal, like it wasn't meant for him. Still, he listened.
"She's going to kill me for being gone this long" she dropped her head, in despair.
"Maybe not," he said softly, a faint smile contrasting her tears.
He unhooked the Korral from his belt and held it out toward her. "In the small chance we don't find your bull, I hope this will make up for it and maybe ease your mothers punishment."
Luna stared, astonished. Why would he give her that? They were even—he owed her nothing.
"I can't take this," she said, shaking her head. "It's worth too much!" She tried to push it back into his hands, but he wouldn't take it.
"Keep it," Dimitri insisted gently. "I've plenty more back home—in my barracks."
She took the luminescent crystal, its Manea hum stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. She stared at it in awe, its beauty as captivating as it was valuable. When her eyes met Dimitri's, gratitude shimmered there.
Without thinking, Luna stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a sudden, compassionate embrace.
Dimitri froze, his cheeks flushing red. Her closeness—her warmth—caught him completely off guard. He wasn't even sure why he'd given her the Korral in the first place; he knew it would earn him ridicule from Atreus and Tara. But as Luna held him, he realized it had been worth it.
A heartbeat later, Luna seemed to realize what she'd done. She stepped back quickly, embarrassment burning across her face.
"I'm so sorry, Dimitri, I—"
He raised a hand to stop her. "Don't be. It caused me no harm," he said, the red in his cheeks stubbornly refusing to fade.
"Listen, Luna," he said wistfully. "I'd love to take you all the way back to your tribe, but—" he paused, choosing his words carefully. "I think we'd only be a burden to you. You seem to know what you're doing out here… we're just weighing you down."
Luna faltered. His words sounded polite—too polite, like an attempt to smooth over the awkwardness between them.
"Oh… yeah, sure. I'm okay with that," she said, stumbling through every syllable. Her gaze drifted back to the horn lying in the grass. She didn't dare look up again.
Dimitri reached out, placing a hand over hers. "On my word, I wish I could keep our agreement," he said, sorrow threading through his voice. "But I think it's best if we go our separate ways—at least for now."
They both fell silent, their eyes lingering on the horn as the wind swept through the field, filling the space their voices couldn't. They sat together as they had when they first met—quiet, uncertain, yet oddly at peace. Their eyes stayed on the tall, sharp grass, but their thoughts were on each other.
They wished it could last. But they knew better.
Movement broke the stillness.
"What's that?" Dimitri said, instantly alert.
A brown, spotted snout peeked out from the bushes. Luna's heart leapt.
"Gorchid!" she cried, excitement bursting from her lungs.
A figure followed the bull, stumbling from the shadows.
"Luna!?" The voice cracked with pain. Luna froze—the sound was unmistakable.
"Mother!?" she gasped, her voice a trembling mix of relief and horror.