Luna rubbed her wrist. Inspecting, the puncture marks were barely noticeable. She would have easily overlooked them if she didn’t know any better. She turned her attention to the knocked over carriage. Dread washed over her as she thought about how much this would extend their trip. Looking for Lyzal, she was back in the same spot, looking at who knows what, completely at ease. Luna looked back behind her, where Saros seemed completely satisfied. Annoyance bubbled low in her gut. She wanted to snap at them, but what was the point? They were both maiaaks. She knew that as far as they were concerned, this was her problem. But the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
“Are the two of you happy with all the damage you caused?”
“What damage?” Saros perked up, his question genuine and innocent.
“She’s just mad that she lost the horse.” Lyzal waved her hand carelessly.
“You lost Beau.”
“It irks me that I had to shove my name down your throat, but you’ll emphasize an animal’s name.”
Luna slapped both of her hands on her face, frustratingly pulling them down. “Really? That’s your problem?!”
Lyzal nodded with a smirk, pleased with her own frustration.
Meraki, give me patience.
With an annoyed huff, Luna threw her hands in the air and climbed into the turned over carriage. “You’re going to help me carry as much as we can.” Luna shouted from within.
“You wouldn’t need half of it if you just let me fly.” Lyzal retorted.
Luna poked her head out of the carriage, glare sharp enough to cut. “You will not deceive me, maiaak. I know you’ll just run away.”
“Whatever you say, Liora Luna.”
There it is again. The drawl of her title as if it was meaningless. Scrunching her nose, Luna looked down and grabbed the first thing she saw, an apple, and threw it at Lyzal’s head. Lyzal caught it with ease, with an arched eyebrow. Giving it a quick dust off, she took a slow bite out of the apple, dragging out the sound of the crunch. Luna could feel her eye twitch.
Of course she finds this amusing.
“Perhaps you should calm down, Liora Luna.” Saros re-announced himself. “Your beautiful pale skin is turning red.”
“What are you still doing here, leech?” Lyzal responded.
“I had a thought. Since I helped create this predicament, maybe I can help. At least until you get yourself situated.”
Luna tilted her head, surprised at the offer.
“Oh look, Luna. You fed a stray, and now he wants to go home with you.”
Spitting out flustered noises, Saros straightened himself out, insulted. “I beg your pardon. Just because I know how to take responsibility, unlike you.”
They argued, and all Luna could do was sigh. Ducking back into the carriage, she tried to pack everything she deemed necessary for the trip. Sadly, most of it was necessary, but now she had to prioritize. Leaning against the sideways seats, Luna thought about Saros’s offer. She instantly knocked her head against the side. Considering help from a maiaak was ludicrous. She already let him feed on her. No matter how she spun it, that was a sin against Meraki herself.
No. No way. There’s no way that I’m going to accept help from a maiaak.
Luna finished packing one large bag and a smaller bag. She was able to throw the smaller bag out of the carriage’s side easily enough. But the bigger bag was just too heavy. Letting out a huffed sigh, Luna pulled the bag until it was against the sideways floor. Lifting with her legs, she pushed the bag up with a grunt. Until it was up and over, sitting on the side. Climbing out herself, she used all of her upper strength to push it off the carriage entirely, leaving the bag to land with a loud thump. Letting out a huff, Luna then realized that it had gone quiet. Looking up, Lyzal was staring, clearly amused. And Saros was looking away with a hand over his mouth.
As she looked between the two, “I thought you two were arguing.”
“We were.” Lyzal’s grin grew wider with her response.
Luna gave a small, slow nod. Focusing back on Saros, he dropped his hand and folded both arms behind his back. However, he still refused to look up. And then, again, back at Lyzal, whose grin hadn’t faded in the slightest. Ignoring all plausible ideas, Luna looked past their behavior and promptly climbed off the carriage. Looking up, the sky turned orange and pink. The sun was starting to rise. Luna knew she wasn’t going to get any more sleep.
Looking back at the bags, with her back turned, she spoke, “Alright Lyzal, we better get going. Now that we don’t have Beau, the trip is going to be longer.”
Saros casually approached Luna as she went to pick up the large, overly packed bag.
As Saros reached for the bag, “No, no! I got it.”
“Are you… sure?” Saros wasn’t sure if he should point out the obvious.
“Meraki will give me strength and light my passage.”
Saros gave the area a quick scan; “Who?”
“What? Never heard of Meraki? Elysian’s radiant Goddess of order and life, who damns every maiaak back to the Nether?” Lyzal explained.
It remained silent for a moment before Luna could find her voice again after being surprised that Lyzal knew about her religion. “That’s not all our faith is about.”
“But that’s the gist of it.”
“Dare I ask how you know about it?” Saros asked.
“I listen to my surroundings. Unlike you men.”
Luna focused her attention back on the bag as she used all of her strength to lift it. Standing up straight, Luna tilted back because of the weight of the bag. Lyzal and Saros continued to watch from a short distance. Luna leaned forward to balance the bag on her back and to stop from falling backwards. Once balanced, she reached for the second bag, but she almost fell from leaning too much. Straightening back out, and stepping closer to the smaller bag, she was successful in picking it up.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
Luna started walking back toward the path’s opening. Lyzal stood next to Saros as they both watched her take baby steps forward. Then she started tipping over, falling into a bush. Lyzal’s smirk grew back, and Saros covered his mouth to hide his own smile. Both of the maiaaks walked up for a closer look. Only her boots showed, kicking helplessly beneath the leaves.
“Would you like some help now?” Saros asked.
The bush stopped moving. It was quiet for a moment. “No. I got it.”
Unseen by Luna, Lyzal’s smirk widened. Saros rubbed his temple as the bushes shook again. Lyzal leaned against a nearby tree. However, Luna’s struggle amused her for only so long. Looking up, the trees began to glow, washed in pale gold. Lyzal wondered how much daylight Luna was going to waste battling the wretched gravity and its leafy minion.
Eventually, the bush stopped moving again. “Saros?”
“Yes?” Saros responded in a velvety tone, drawing the word out.
After another moment of silence, “I can use that help.”
Saros only hummed, expression unchanged, grabbing the bag and pulling Luna out of the bush. Holding the bag long enough for her to take it off.
Luna whipped around and held a finger up. “But I’m watching you. I’ll know when you’re up to something.”
“Of course.” Saros gave his polite smile.
Lyzal rolled her eyes and folded her arms, just about out of patience. “Are we going now?”
“Yes, where were you headed?”
Luna pulled the small bag from the bush and started digging into the bag until she pulled out a folded piece of paper. Opening it up, not big, it revealed to be a minimalist map that had the Elysian’s sigil on it. Luna looked it over and then put it away.
“We have to keep heading north. We’ll come across a village called Lumevale. It follows the Elysian faith. The map says it’s a day’s journey.” Luna replied.
“By carriage.” Lyzal commented more than asked.
Luna gave a small nod as confirmation.
“I suggest we move before we burn any more daylight.” Saros slung the bag on and started north.
“Fine;” Luna adjusted her cloak then followed Saros with Lyzal close behind. “When we get there, you’ll have to get out of sight.”
Saros glanced over his shoulder, a faint smile touching his lips. “And if I don’t stay out of sight?”
“Then I’ll have to bond you.”
“Terrifying,” he said, voice low.
The three continued to follow the path north. By high noon, Luna could feel herself getting weary.
“Can we-”
“Help!”
“Did either of you hear that?” Luna asked, straightening.
Saros stopped walking, listening.
“Nope. Let’s keep going.” Lyzal nudged Luna forward.
