Translations are provided by Skylar. 

“What Witches of?”

“I guess the Elves haven’t heard of them.”

Moon shook his head. “We of them hear, agreement, alas, feud of you both we to know not.”

Sir. Rustad pulled a knife from a sheath in his robe and sharpened it against a stone. “Those evil incarnates. Mark my words, if there’s a moment I could kill a Witch, I'd do it without thought. They’ve tormented us for years, maybe centuries, and I’d like to give them a quick death.”

“Of them all?”

“If it’s an option, then yes.”

He continued rambling on how he’d kill them while Moon drifted through his thoughts. Was the feud really that violent or was the Sir. thinking about it too much? He remembered some of the jokes the Elves had told each other around the table or the bar. They’d always thought that, one day, the Witches and Wizards would kill each other so the Elves and Giants could take the lands and restore them to their former glory. Were they just poking fun, or was that an actual possibility? Did everyone involved in the feud think this way?

Moon pretended to listen as Sir. Rustad continued talking, lost in his words to realize how violent his description of a decapitation was. Bile curled in his throat as he continued, but Moon held it down, not wanting to be disrespectful.

An idea came to mind and he began to kokh, remembering that Elven students would perform it to get out of going to night school.

“Sorry much so.” he said as Sir. Rustad finally stopped talking. “To go, I past may.”

“Oh, of course, boy. Tell Theodric to bring you to the schoolhouse sometime.”

Moon stood, but knew he couldn’t leave a question unanswered and sat down again on his toes. “The bird of bone. By name call-led is?”

“We call them firebirds, though bone-birds are more accurate. They fly in from the North, so we steer clear of them. They could be spies from Witches.”

He continued rambling about Witches and Moon blocked him out again, a tune catching in his head. It was an old song that the Elves had crafted to honor the Triplets, not aware they were among them. The trio had run out of that town not long after.

He remembered a few more Elven songs, finding the tunes comforting, until Sir. Rustad stopped talking, leaning against his torch, and sighed.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that, boy. I get quite worked up whenever Witches are mentioned.”

“Problem ne.” Moon stood. “To leave, I to have.”

“Of course, boy. If you’ll do one favor for me.”

He stared at him, beginning a prayer to his parents that it wouldn’t be anything evil-

“Can you help me stand?” he asked, holding up his hands. “These old bones don’t hold me like they used to.”

Moon grabbed his palms between his thumbs and forefingers and pulled him to his feet. The Sir. immediately grabbed his torch and pulled it out of the dirt, nodding for him to lead them through the wall.

They passed the space as Sir. Rustad pulled out a stick and whispered something in a language Moon hadn't spoken in centuries. The wall built itself back together to appear solid and the duo walked through the streets, the Sir. pointing out various buildings before they paused at a two story building with a slanted roof. Sir. Rustad faced him.

“It was kind to meet you, Arche.” he said, shaking his hand. “Tell Theodric about me, yes?”

“Course of, sir.” Moon dropped his wrinkled hand and pulled at the sides of his pants in a lady-like bow. “Meet nice of you.”

The Sir. waved his hand, dismissing him, and he ran down the street towards the dragon master's house.

He ran through the winding streets until he ducked, gasping for air and clutching his knees for support. He saw a fence next to him and looked up to see a herd of cattle grazing, munching on grass and anything in it. He continued around the property and saw another fenced-in space with another herd, this time of goats.

“Yael, Sayge, my parents, I apologize for my future actions.” Moon prayed as he turned his left hand to moonrays, sending a direct shot through a goat’s eye. He made the ray twist and wrap around its mouth as it fell and continued bleeding to death. Sacrificing a forearm, Moon expanded the ray into a set of hands and raised the corpse over the fence and above his head. He chipped off two fingers on his other hand and moved those to clean the blood on the ground, making sure it was spotless before Moon continued his walk.

He noticed Planet's footsteps where plants were beginning to form and followed them to the dragon master's shop, opening the door for himself. Moon used the rays carrying the goat and placed it in a room next to the door with many cabinets and storage spaces. He wasn't sure where to put it, so Moon dropped it on a rug and took the rays back into his arm.

Moon removed an eye and moved it to the door, pushing it through the wood with a trick of the light. He saw Planet sleeping on the hay next to Sol and pulled the eye back to its socket.

He sat at the wooden table, feeling dishonorable towards Yael and saw a stack of books across him with a note on top in sharp handwriting: “For Moon.” The titles were all in Modern, as was the text, which he understood a decent amount conversationally, but still needed a chart to understand it.

He pulled his left leg onto the chair, keeping his heel off the edge, and dug through his calf pocket, producing a small notebook similar to Sol’s, but his was bound in grey-dyed leather. Planet had called it “funny” when she had bought it.

Moon flipped through the book, remembering words as he did so and found the chart of the Modern alphabet. Sol had copied it from a textbook and Moon had copied her notes, and both contained the sounds of each character under it.

He cracked open the first book and began reading, whispering the words under his breath and referencing the notebook often. He'd just started a page called “Chapter Five” when the Sir. walked out of a room, yawning.

“You got back safe.” He announced. “Oh, whom am I kidding? I need a drink.”

He moved into the kitchen and stared at the goat carcass as Moon realized the first sentence was getting easier to read.

“Um, Moon? Did you…actually…kill this goat?”

“You to tell me to do.” he said, flipping between pages of the notebook to be sure he said that correctly.

“I did. That's right.” He scrubbed a hand across his face and pulled out a bottle from a cabinet. “This'll make sense when I'm not sober.” he muttered, taking a swig from the bottle. Jumping as the alcohol entered his body, he splashed pail water on his face and pushed it through his hair before he turned to Moon again.

“Good morning, then.” Sir. Theodric sighed.

“No.” Moon said, sliding off the seat. “To wake I am, so now Sol to sleep. No mourn until to start to wake of Sol.”

“All-right.” Sir. Theodric took another swig of wine. “Can you wake Planet, then?”

Moon stepped towards the door and turned his right hand to a ball of light to shine his surroundings. The moonlight in the window was dimmer than before, limiting his time awake.

Planet’s forearm had vanished into the hay, making duplicates, but her outline was still obvious.

“Planet. Zikiete. Wake up.”

“Mmm.”

“Get up.”

“Ne.”

“Ta. Bring Sol.” Yes.

“Ne. Uveri.” No. Fuck you.

Moon turned his other hand to a ball of light and merged them, spreading it over her eyes. She yelled and covered her eyes, swearing profusely.

He kicked her leg, rolling her on her back as the balls of light became his hands again. “Xli e zirtad ali. Dlegetir uya.” The Sir. is waiting. Bring Sol.

“Ete kørii yus oz ipal, kletti-benzi yus.” Do it yourself, you bird.

He saw her sit up before he left the room, keeping the door cracked.

“Ne zarcka ipal!” Moon yelled back. Don’t be slow!

“Etiervi! Edokriz!” I know! I'm going!

The Sir. had drained a third of the bottle as Moon sat at the table again. “Is everything alright?”

“Fine is. No Planet early to wake used to.”

The Sir. capped the bottle and put it on the counter. “I have some news, but I’ll wait until Planet arrives.”

Moon yelled to the cracked door again. “Boliki unorii ipal? Kor ludrii!” Do you hear that? Hurry up!

“Enorii rei, zerki yus!” Planet said, kicking the door open with her foot, Sol on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” I'm here, you ass!

“Wonderful.” Sir. Theodric clapped his hands as Planet set Sol into a chair and let his head flop onto the table. “I’ve to talk to a friend soon, not one of the ones you had met last night, but a new one. He’s a tutor and he can help you study whatever you need during your time here. I can bring him around before or after Sol wakes.”

“That to work plural.” Moon said, nodding.

Sir. Theodric sighed, squeezing the skin between his eyes. “I know one thing he can teach you.” he grumbled as he turned to his room.

Planet glared at him. “Ne uikinâr kisk linâx toukirâ mi e kal nørll zirta râiko?” You couldn't have allowed me to sleep for a few more minutes?

Moon shrugged, sitting back down with the books. “Me tewoulyiet yus hzerven, kir leipal.” He told me to wake you, so I did.

“Ne luipal kisk zerki e mâynni amni ete.” You didn't have to be an ass about it.

“E zikiete swoultyed.” Says the Planet.

She covered her mouth in disgust as she realized the smell wafting through the room. “Why is there a dead goat?”

“You can tell that from the smell?”