Granite streets stretched ahead, sparkling like silvery stars under his feet, making it feel like he was walking on bits of the night sky. Zorn paused just to enjoy the ground sparkling with every step.

"Khor! Check this out! this is crazy!" he shouted.

Khor tossed a glance over his shoulder. "Have you really never seen light before? What’s wrong with you?"

"Not like this. The sun doesn't shine where I am from, and the ground doesn't capture the moon's light, either,” Zorn said.

Khor rose an eyebrow slightly surprised. "Tiny rocks in the concrete absorb the sun's light throughout the day, then are activated by the lunar glow at night, giving the walkway this sparkly effect."

Khor stepped closer, a flash of curiosity breaking through his usual mask. His voice softened.

"What world do you come from, Zorn?"

The question hung heavy in the air. He had an idea, but he needed to hear it from Zorn himself. Zorn wasn't ready to trust this team yet, though. What if Khor reacted like Sabrina had? 

"What if I said..." Zorn let the words dangle, shrugging instead of finishing.

Khor stared blankly, humming with sheer disbelief. The moment for vulnerability passed. His eyes hardened, all softness stripped away. He let out a sharp breath and grasped Zorn's hand like he was a wayward child.

"Let's go already."

Zorn stumbled as Khor tugged him along.

"Ah! Okay, jeez."

The buildings weren't just wood and stone, they exhaled magic. Weathered timbers held aloft pale stone walls, while ivy spilled from wooden balconies in ghostly, glowing flowers that swirled in the breeze. Lanterns hung from metal posts, their fires contained in crescent-shaped covers that cast a misty light over the streets. Every railing and door was carved with moon phase etchings, as if the moon herself had touched them all.

"I've never seen so much beauty in my life," Zorn muttered. 

Arches spanned high between towers, blotting out the stars. Their foundations were shored up with iron, pennants of constellations waving overhead. Slate roofs sloped precariously upward, shining darkly as if the tiles remembered the sky. Trees bloomed in courtyards and street-side recesses, their leaves whispering secrets in the wind. 

And the scent, jasmine and loam. It clung to the air, layered over the buzz of voices in bazaars under tent tops, where merchants peddled talismans, herbs, and strange foods that glowed softly in bowls.

Then he saw it, the palace.

It rose from the city's heart, more fortress than ornament, but breathtakingly beautiful. Granite walls supported by black iron ribs stretched toward the sky, their terraces overflowing with moon-flowers and cascading vines. A silver dome crowned it all, polished so perfectly it reflected the moon like a second, glacial sky.

The sight stole the breath from Zorn's lungs. He wasn't sure if he'd stumbled into a kingdom or another world entirely.

Khor's voice shook him out of his daze.

"Watch where you're going. I can't keep guiding you, Zorn."

"Oh. Sorry. I bet this place is gorgeous in the morning!"

"Can you even stomach morning? Mr. I-Have-Never-Seen-The-Light," Khor retorted.

Zorn furrowed his brows.

"Screw you, I can handle it."

Khor stopped so suddenly that Zorn collided with his back. Khor didn't even flinch. His silence was heavier than anger.

"Khor...? Sorry, did I make you angry?" Zorn asked.

But Khor wasn't looking at him. His gaze was locked on something ahead.

"...Khor?"

Zorn followed his stare. Donal was walking their way. And with him, Sabrina.

"Don! Sabrina!" Zorn exclaimed.

Donal chuckled and shrugged, pointing at Sabrina's bare feet.

"No shoes, no service."

"Ugh, and they made it so obvious to the other guests in there. It was humiliating," she groaned. "What? Is there a vibe check, too? Such a stupid policy." 

"That policy is kind of a common standard anywhere, Sabrina. Why are you barefooted anyway?" Zorn asked flatly.

Her face flushed.

"I left them behind at the beach so that I could run faster when I was under attack."

Zorn's eyes widened for a moment. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. 

"Oh," he muttered. 

Donal nodded with folded arms.

"Nice."

Zorn glanced at Donal with a confused look. 

"Then wait outside," Khor said gruffly.

Donal brushed him off.

"I'll get you shoes."

His look at Khor contained a silent "shut up."

Sabrina laughed.

"No, Don, it's alright. I can wait out here."

He grinned.

"And then you'll be waiting outside for shopping, eating, everything."

"Don, stop! I get it. I'll stick to my word."

He gave her arm a pat as he softly chuckled, but his tone hardened.

"No."

Khor and Zorn watched as the two of them bickered; Donal waved out into the street.

"I can get you a pair, easy. Come on."

Zorn snorted.

"This is going on like one of those stupid 'No, you hang up first' fights."

Khor growled, striding ahead in a different direction. 

"I'm two seconds from hanging myself instead."

"I heard that!" Zorn yelled after him.

"I know," Khor shot back over his shoulder without a glance.

He didn't let up, abandoning Donal and a flustered Sabrina to their standoff. Zorn sprinted to catch up, the entrancing sheen of the streets forgotten.

"Hey, slow down. Are you actually mad?"

Khor shot him a sidelong glance, his stride unwavering.

"I'm not angry. I'm effective. We have a destination. They have a dilemma. The two are presently incompatible."

Zorn couldn't help but laugh.

"So we're just leaving them?"

"It's multitasking. They'll get around to it. Or they won't. The end result is footwear either way," he said as his gaze fell to Zorn’s feet, noting how the leather was frayed and worn thin by a lifetime of hardship.

Good thing we are on a shoe shopping spree, this kid is roughed up, Khor thought to himself.

They turned a corner into a narrower alley where the scent of spiced meat, and the baked bread made Zorn's stomach clench with hunger. Stalls lined the path, awnings glowing with lantern light.

"First," Khor stated, pausing before a stand loaded with sturdy boots.

"Practicality."

An older gentleman with glasses perched on his nose looked up from fixing a sole. His cat-slit eyes gleamed gold. Zorn found them sort of awesome. 

Khor wasted no time on greetings.

"Something for him. He walks like he has never had to do it in his life, and his current shoes are an abomination."

"Hey!" Zorn grumbled.

The vendor chuckled, eyeing Zorn's feet with a professional severity. 

"A typical abomination. Let's see if we can make it better." He stepped out with a tape measure.

While the man worked, Zorn glanced back.

"Shouldn't we wait for—

"No," Khor interrupted, folding his arms and surveying the goods. "The lecture will take longer than the fitting. You'll see."

He was right. As the vendor finished lacing a surprisingly comfortable pair of dark leather boots onto Zorn's feet, Donal's voice carried over the market din.

"—and you're being stubborn for the sake of it. Haha!"

"I'm being stubborn? You're the one who half-dragged me here by the elbow!"

Zorn looked up to see Donal guiding a now-shod Sabrina toward them. She wore a pair of sensible flat-heeled white boots, her arms crossed hard over her chest in misery.

Khor didn't look at them. He just placed a handful of coins on the vendor's counter.

Clink.

"These will do."

Donal strode in, triumphant.

"See? Problem solved."

Khor finally turned. His stare swept over Sabrina's new shoes with a nod of approval before landing on her outraged face. She scowled, her pout deepening, her cheeks flushing red.

Khor was desperate to call them trash but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He just covered his mouth to stifle a grin and turned away.

"Good. Now we're all capable of entering a building without being refused entry."

"...or judged for wearing frayed rags, hehe," Donal added. 

Zorn's eyes widened.

Did Khor just suppress a smile? Was he laughing?! He can do that?!

He started walking again, the others falling in behind him. 

Sabrina groaned, shrugging deeper into her crossed arms.

Donal patted Zorn on the back.

"Nice boots," he grinned as he passed.

Sabrina just sighed, the fight draining out of her. 

"Let's just... get this over with."

The four of them, a reluctant quartet finally on the same path, continued toward the tavern.

Zorn broke the silence.

"I thought I was getting gloves? Why did I get new shoes?"

Donal hummed.

"Your old ones were begging for death, buddy. Don't worry. I can send Plush to get you gloves. He has a great sense of style or something."

Khor responded bluntly. 

"Leather will protect him."

Donal's brows rose.

 "Aha. I see now."

Zorn frowned. 

"What does that mean?"

Sabrina snorted. 

"I think Plush prefers you." She rolled her eyes.

"Repeat that," Khor's voice was a knife of ice, "and your tongue will be cut out. That's a promise."

He turned his glacial gaze on her.

"You will call me Khor. You have not earned the right to use another name. Do I make myself clear, Convert?"

Sabrina's spine stiffened.

 "Yes."

Khor slowly shifted his gaze forward again.

Zorn and Sabrina stared, shocked by the brutal threat. 

Khor actually would not tolerate the nickname from her. Jeez, Zorn thought.

He looked over at Donal to gauge his reaction, but the guy was unaffected, a smile still relaxed on his face as he walked.

Does he condone Khor's harsh feelings?