Having reached the apex of the giant hill, I looked up at the sky to brace myself for what laid below my glance. The stars were slightly visible now in the infinite stretching dark violet streak that was the sky. The sun was nearly down at this point, and the moon was reaching its own rise as the last bits of orange light faded. 

“The sky looks so beautiful,” I thought out loud. Perhaps my eyes were glimmering with the light of the stars but I felt a sense of hope the more I looked up. Even Cres seemed satisfied with the view ahead. He looked so peaceful in the gentle rays of moonlight; his dark eyes sparkled among the stars. No wonder the name Crescent resonated within me. 

Finally, I looked ahead. What unfolded in front of my vision appeared to be a large kingdom that encompassed the majority of the middle of the hill. The colossal, gray stone walls of the kingdom were split by a large gate that was fully lifted from the ground. The open gate, accompanied by two guards dressed from head-to-toe in silver armor, provided a welcoming entrance and exit for all travelers. 

Awaiting my approach, the guards stood patiently by the sides of the gate. They did not seem intimidating or troublesome, but I doubt I’d be able to just walk in as easily as I would like. 

Looking me up and down, the guards searched for any threats or unusuality that would pose turmoil to the kingdom. 

“All good. You can enter,” one of the guards said as the pair removed their lances, which were crossing each other to form a blockade, out of the way. 

Past the gate appeared to be a large civilization. Buildings and houses of various sizes and structures lined up most of the area within the walls. Street vendors were between nearly every building. The vast inventories of weapons and treasures laid across the cloths of the tables. In the middle of the kingdom lay an enormous castle. The kingdom was gently lit by many torches scattered across its domain. 

Lively, the kingdom was. It was full of small chattering, laughter, and joy among other sounds like the busy streets of trade. Walking civilians wandered the streets in wavering numbers all headed different ways. Negotiations could be heard between vendors and any townsfolk that were willing to engage. 

“25!” 

“No, 15!” 

Looking to my left, there was a vendor just ahead. In front of him was a man hunching over the small table. Items plated in gold, silver, or other materials were neatly displayed over the table. However, the display was thrown off by small rocks that were dark in color. In the man’s hand appeared to be one of those rocks. 

“25 copper coins for this?!” The man exclaimed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” His face twitched in annoyance. “And then there’s no chance that it’ll even hatch,” he said as he slammed his finger on the table. 

Hatch?, I thought. Getting closer, I realized I had mistaken the irregularly shaped eggs for rocks. Even then, the eggs seemed unfamiliar and strange. 

 “15 coins!” the man huffed as he folded his brawny arms over each other. “Take it or leave it.” 

“Perhaps I could offer you an item more to your liking,” the vendor said as he refused to budge. Reaching below his table, he pulled out a wooden box. “I think this would be more suitable for a big boy like you.” Opening the box, the vendor pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. 

“Hmm...” 

The man’s eyes slowly gravitated toward them. He slowly reached for the knuckles. Examining the touch of the knuckles, the man grabbed a pouch out of his pockets. “15 coins,” he said. 

“20,” the vendor said as he extended an open hand to the man. 

“Fine,” the man said. He dug into his pouch and poured an extra five coins into the vendor’s hand. 

“Pleasure doing business with you,” the vendor said. 

“I guess they have all types of weapons there,” I said to Cres as I pointed to the vendor. “It wouldn’t hurt to get a weapon.” 

Approaching the vendor, I scanned the table. Among the items, a small dagger caught my eye. It wasn’t as intriguing as the other weapons, but it was intriguing to me. 

“How much?” I asked. 

“This?” the vendor asked as he held up the dagger. “Twelve pieces of copper.” 

“I don’t have any money. I’ll just come back l—” 

“Oh,” the vendor rubbed his chin and smirked, “that’s fine.” He pointed at Cres. “I’ll give it to you for that flying monkey.” 

That would be nice. I thought, but I don’t think it’d be fair to trade Cres. 

“No thank you,” I responded. 

Walking away, my eyes had lingered before turning away. The vendor looked upset. It’d be best if I found somewhere to sleep before the sun rises.