Lune was so pretty.

  Teddie immediately fell in love with the city as soon as he set eyes on it. The carriage was slowly approaching, getting closer by the second. As it got closer, the surroundings got even prettier. He never thought a city could glimmer this much, as the moon glistened down onto the buildings in the distance.

  “That’s some pretty architecture,” Ed said, looking out of the carriage as well. “A lot of statues as well, that probably makes sense.”

  “I’m so excited!” Adelyn said, also pushing her head out of the window. This window was getting pretty crowded as they all tried to look outside of it. However, it was worth it to see the sight. If Pugna was a harsh red light, this was a cool and relaxing blue that was nice on the eyes. It felt like therapy to even look at.

  “Yeah, we get it,” Cozy said, still from inside the carriage. “Stop gawking, you’re drawing attention.”

  “Sorry!” Adelyn said, pulling her head back. Teddie and Ed also did so, returning to sitting in the carriage.

  “How are we even planning on getting approval, anyways?” Cozy asked. “I’d like to get out of here as fast as possible.”

  “Umm,” Adelyn opened her encyclopedia to check its entry on Lune. Teddie looked over her shoulder, and as far as he could see, there wasn’t anything useful. It was more of a detailed document on the festivals in Lune.

  “Is there a festival going on right now?” Ed asked.

  “Yeah, look. Ohh… it’s a big one,” Teddie pointed out. “The Festival of the Moon. That’s a huge title, isn’t it?”

  “You’re right, Teddie,” Adelyn said. “Look. It’s tradition for the governor to go around and enjoy the festivities with her constituents. That means we should be able to walk up to her and ask!”

  “Ask?” Cozy said. “And you think that’ll work?”

  “Well, not necessarily ask for approval. But if we can get a favor like we did with Custos, it should be fine,” Adelyn said. “I’m sure there’s always something we can do to help.”

  “Yeah, sure. Just… don’t get distracted,” Cozy replied. “We’re just here for approval and that’s it. We don’t want to stay too long.”

  “That’s what we’ve been doing ever since the start of this journey,” Ed said. “No reason to stop now, even if this place is nice.”

  “Right!” Teddie said. “Adelyn still has to meet someone, so we should move as fast as we can. Don’t worry Cozy!”

  Cozy let out a slightly relieved smile at the two’s reassurance. It wasn’t like they were going to try to keep her there. It was just necessary, and the city’s own personal beauty was a bonus they could enjoy.

  The carriage moved deeper in, as the moon basked upon them clearly in the night.

  The city looked even more beautiful from up close. Large spiral buildings, pointed up towards the sky surrounded them. Blue water lanterns lit up each of the streets, reflecting the moonlight as well. The roads themselves shone with a twinkle on every step. Teddie just could not stop staring at all of it. He loved the natural look of Verdant, but Lune’s beauty was something else.

  The entire city sparkled, and the people sparkled too. Teddie looked down at his hands, and noticed glitter on his arm as well. It must have been the light from the moon. They had just gotten out of the carriage, and into the streets. Music played throughout the streets, as various songs provided quite the jolly atmosphere.

  “Isn’t this so amazing?” Adelyn said, spinning around in the moonlight. “It’s like everyone here glows, like Rumia!”

  “This place really does glow in the moonlight,” Ed noted. “I guess it’s the City of the Moon for a reason.”

  “Right,” Cozy said, following behind them. “Where’s the governor? The sooner we can find her, the better.”

  “She should be around, we just need to look,” Adelyn said. The light made this city a lot brighter than they were used to, and the streets had quite a lot of people. It wasn’t crowded, like Pugna was, and it felt warmer than that city as well. Teddie felt safer, in this city at least.

  “Hello, miss,” he said, walking up to a woman who was shopping at a festival stall. “Do you know where the governor might be?”

  “The governor? Are you perhaps looking for a blessing?” The woman looked down at Teddie. “She’s doing those at the center statue.”

  “Eugh,” Cozy rolled her eyes. “We just need her approval.”

  “What do you mean by blessings?” Adelyn asked, a little bit curious.

  “They’re just small little rituals that the Governor gives during the festival to those who request. It brings good luck, I’ve heard,” the woman said.

  “Oh… maybe we could use one, I’d like some good luck,” Teddie said.

  “Don’t… get distracted, please. We’re moving to the statue, I hope the line isn’t too long,” Cozy said, a little bit exasperated.

  “We should probably sell the meat that we butchered too,” Ed said. “I don’t want to keep lugging it around everywhere.”

  “You know what, I’ll go do that and meet you all by the statue,” Cozy then suggested. “You guys can… enjoy yourself a bit while I handle that.”

  “Oh sweet!” Adelyn said. “Thanks so much, Cozy!”

  “I don’t want to take away from your fun. This place can be enjoyable, just remember that we don’t want to waste too much time. You have Rumia and all,” Cozy explained. She grabbed the container holding all of their meat and began to walk off.

  “Let’s do a little bit of shopping then, and then we can go to the statue,” Ed said. “Maybe there’s some new gear or something here. There are a lot of places to look through, at the very least.”

  The three of them had bought a few things. Some snacks, and some trinkets. None were all too particularly notable, but the moon cake that they bought tasted delicious. Teddie was still eating his as they reached the center statue.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The statue seemed to be of a man in a cloak, his eyes glowed and his figure seemed to be quite… strong. He held a long sword in one hand and had his other into the sky. Under it, there seemed to be a massive line.

  “Woah, is this the governor?” Adelyn asked. The line was so long that they couldn’t see the front. Teddie scooted around the line to see past the massive amount of people and saw a lady at the front. A rather distinct look, she sparkled like everyone else in the city. She was around thirty or so years old, and a form-fitting blue dress that matched her hair color. There was also a pretty cloak over her dress, with the symbol of the moon embroidered onto it. She seemed to be performing some magic on the table, moving across the line one at a time.

  “Is that the governor?” Teddie asked a person in line.

  “Yes,” the man in front of them said. “Are you here for a blessing? She grants one minor wish, in accordance to Midnas. It depends on your divine aptitude.”

  “Oh, maybe our wish is her acceptance!” Adelyn suggested. “That could work.”

  “So does that mean we’re waiting forever in this line?” Ed complained. “Fine, I should have brought a book to read in the meantime.”

  “You can read the encyclopedia while we wait,” Adelyn suggested.

  “I already read it, you don’t think I’ve been bored enough times on this trip?” Ed said. Despite what he said, he still snatched the encyclopedia and began reading through it regardless. Meanwhile, they all got into the line and began to wait. And wait. And wait. And wait a bit more.

  “It feels like we’ve been waiting forever…” Ed complained. They had almost reached the front of the line, so they were at the point of no return.

  Teddie kept himself busy by talking to the bugs on the floor that occasionally passed by. They had a few interesting stories, though this city wasn’t as integrated with nature like Verdant was. The free food that dropped on the ground for them was enjoyable, at least.

  “Also, where is Cozy?” Adelyn asked. “It didn’t take that long to sell the meat before Verdant. Did she get caught up in something?”

  “Knowing her, she’s probably trying to bug town hall for a better price,” Ed answered. “She might take even longer.”

  As Adelyn and Ed discussed, Teddie looked forward to the man in front of them. He could hear the governor speaking to him.

  “I don’t know if I could perform a miracle to revive your cat… that seems out of Midnas’ calling. I can provide a soothing ritual to make the difficult times easier, though,” the lady said. She seems to perform some magic on a trinket, before handing it to the man.

  “Thank you so much, governor Luan!” he said, before heading off. They had reached the front of the line, finally. The lady sparkled in the moonlight as they met her.

  “What can I do for you three, then? A blessing of luck? Education?” Luan said, with a bright smile. Adelyn decided to walk up to make introductions.

  “Hello, I’m Adelyn. This is Teddie, and Edward. We’re here for a… request, really. Not necessarily a blessing,” she said.

  “We’d like permission to access the capital. We’ve already gotten the approval of Governor Knox and Governor Custos,” Ed added. “We now need yours.”

  Luan looked at them with an unchanging smile. As if she was not moved by their words at all.

  “I need to get into the capital city to find my friend, Rumia,” Adelyn said. “It’s urgent, can you please let us in?”

  “We also have a friend that would like to be let in too, her name is Cosette…” Teddie said. “We’re here to help Adelyn with her mission as much as possible…”

  “If you need us to do anything, that’s fine. We just need your approval-!” Adelyn finished.

  Luan, after all three of them spoke, raised her hand. “Whether you need to do anything to earn my approval is dependent on one thing.”

  “What is it?” Adelyn asked.

  “Is your essence divine enough to overwrite the approval of the entire country?” Luan responded.

  That was a confusing statement. Nobody in the trio knew what that meant, as they looked at each other.

  “The what now?” Ed asked.

  “In Lune, we believe truly in the divine essence of Midnas. The deity of the moon that has given us all the land we live on thousands of years ago. He is the reason we exist, thus I believe that a truly divine essence can override any order from the government. He is the highest authority of our land, after all,” the governor said.

  “I don’t understand…” Teddie said. He just heard a lot of lore and talk, without exactly understanding why it was being said to him.

  “So,” Adelyn said. “You aren’t going to give it to us?”

  “Some people are divine, like myself. It is truly how close to god you are. I have a test that I perform to confirm the sanctity of your blood,” the governor performed a little bit of magic with a wave of her hand. From the eyes of the statue above her, water flowed from them and into a cup she summoned.

  “They say that rain under the direct moonlight is Midnas’ tears. I have collected a few, and it seems to hold true. To determine your divinity, your blood will be dripped in Midnas’ tears. If it lasts for sixty seconds, then your blood is sufficiently divine for my approval. That is all.”

  “Hm,” Ed said. “So, it’s all down to luck?”

  “You may earn your divinity. Though it is not my place for me to tell you how,” Luan smiled. “Do you wish to test?”

  Teddie was pretty uncomfortable with this idea. He wasn’t a huge fan of hurting himself just to prove something. But if this was their only option he might have to do so. He would at least try to assist the other two with their wounds if they took the test as well.

  Adelyn took a deep breath, she seemed just as conflicted as Teddie was. However, she relented. The girl took off one of her gloves, and bit her own hand just enough to draw some blood. A few drops dripped into the cup, before instantly disappearing.

  “Huh?” Adelyn asked, surprised at the incredibly fast erasure. Teddie sang a small song to heal the bleeding that Adelyn inflicted onto herself. “Does that mean I’m not…”

  “Let me try,” Ed said. He put on his mask and summoned a sword. He took off one of his gauntlets and cut open his hand. The wound was bigger than Adelyn’s, and a lot more blood dripped out. Teddie quickly repaired it soon after.

  After fifteen seconds, his blood disappeared as well. It lasted longer than Adelyn, but not enough for the full timer.

  “Shoot,” Ed said. “Teddie, you try.”

  Teddie was still nervous, but he had to try. For the group’s sake, at least.

  “Ed… can you cut my hand for me,” Teddie said. Ed nodded, summoning a sword and cutting into Teddie’s hand. It hurt, quite a bit. He didn’t like the feeling of blood dripping down his hand, and the sight made him queasy. He healed his hand as soon as he could with a song, as the blood mixed with the tears.

  Thirty seconds. The longest out of the three, yet… not enough. Still short of the requirement.

  “Impressive,” Luan said. “Though, it is unfortunately not enough to grant you permission to enter. You may return when you believe you are more sufficiently divine.”

  “And how are we supposed to do that?” Ed demanded. “That’s such a vague term.”

  “It is up to you to figure out,” Luan said. “I am no architect, I am simply his speaker.”

  That was a frustrating final sentiment, as that gave them no clear goal to head towards. Just a vague thought that lingered in their mind.

  “Ah,” Adelyn said. “Alright. We’ll think about it. Come on guys, let’s go find Cozy.”

  Adelyn began to head off. It looked like she was trying to hide her disappointment, but it was clear that she was a little bit sad. Ed followed behind her, and Teddie behind him. The beautiful city surrounded them, but their goal now felt a little bit more aimless.

  The trio left the line, and went to the streets of Lune. People were enjoying the festival around them, with wonderful smells surrounding them everywhere they went. However, they were already faced with a major challenge. One they did not know how to beat.

  Teddie hoped that they could get back on track soon.