The fire of the hearth crackled, and popped. The winter winds blowing through the vents in the ceiling. The sound of scratching chalk on boards resounded throughout the room. Brian looked down at the test in front of him and sighed. He was never good at math, but here he was nonetheless. He picked up his chalk and wrote out his answers as his mind drifted through the activities of the week. Mostly about his new desk mate. She was around his age, maybe a year or so younger if he were to guess. She was some sort of Demi-human, they were rare in this part of the city. Many of the older generations and leaders of Blue Moon had a distaste for accepting R.E.A’s and their alterations. It was not the girl's fault that her parents had them, but it still made her somewhat of an anomaly.

  If he was honest with himself, he was more intrigued by her, than put off or her alterations. She arrived three days ago to the school, all alone. From what he had heard from his friends, she was an orphan of the southlands. Raven territory… Just thinking about it made him shudder. He had grown up with horror stories about their cult of death. Why anyone would willingly stay there, especially with a child, was beyond him. He had wanted to talk to her before, but this was his first time seeing her in class since she got here. He would have to fix that after this test. Hopefully it was not as hard for her as it was for him.

  Their allotted time ended thirty minutes later based on the time on the board. The teacher gave her mallet a good three thwacks on her table; indicating that time was up. “Alright, kids put your sticks down and bring your boards to the front of the class.” Miss Mary’s voice was stern as she watched the jumble of students get up from their desks. The room was only large enough for a group of twenty and was lit by lamps that sat in the corners along with a large window or the far side of the room.

  Brian stood up, gathering his nerves and picking up his board and stick. Checking over it one last time, over the bustle of the voices in the room. Now that the test was over, everyone could finally speak again. Brian never understood why grown-ups thought it was a good idea to keep them quiet for so long while giving them a boring test. He shook his head as he hurriedly wrote in his name. He had almost forgotten. Again.

  Brian looked over to the now standing form of his desk mate as she neatly gathered her own board. She was dressed a little poorly for most students at the academy, with an old brown shirt, and jeans that seemed to be cut crudely into shorts so they did not interfere with her bunny like legs. A comically oversized jacket, patched with a seemingly random assortment of fabric gave it an overly worn look, it hung loosely over her the sleeves rolled up over her elbows. Her amber hair was hastily brushed, and her two horns jutted up over it.

  She looked over at him, and he got a good look at her face. Her face of slightly rounded and her cheeks and eyes were puffy and red, like she had been crying all night. Eyes of a golden-green hue that seem to be somehow swirling stared back into his own, almost like she was sizing him up. Her ears stood slightly before they slumped back down. Brian watched as she walked off and could only feel sorry for her upbringing.

  Miss Mary dismissed them back to their desk for the remainder of class to mingle while she graded their tests. “So, what's your name?” Brian asked, sitting back into his chair, looking toward the Demi-human. She stared at him with a slightly lost expression before answering. “Terra.” She replied quietly, her voice sounded like she just sang for hours on end. Brian just nodded, committing it to memory. “When did you arrive at Blue Moon? I know you came to the school three days ago, but not much else.” Brian broached the topic with a little worry, not that he made his voice reflect any of that. She did not seem like the type to want pity.

  A range of emotions passed over Terra’s face, none too positive, before settling back to her normal lost look. “Only a week ago… I think.” She nodded to herself after adding that last bit. Like she had to convince herself. Brian waited a moment for her to elaborate, but after a minute it was clear she was not planning to. “Would you like me to show you around? I’m sure the orphanage showed you to all the essential building, but theirs more to Blue Moon than those.” Brian studied her as she thought. Her ears twitched constantly as she seemed to turn over his offer. After a moment, she gave a small nod, “thank you I… I would like that.” she muttered it, but that was all he needed. “Great!” Brian smiled at her. “Meet me after school, in the front lobby, by the food stalls. Terra just nodded.

  ***

  Brian sat on the floor of the lobby, fidgeting with an old watch, as one of his friends ran over to him. “BRIAN!” Bekka screamed at him, making him almost drop his watch. She slid down the wall next to him and leaned over his shoulder, staring at his project. “Whatcha doin’?” She said in a sing-song voice. Brian just sighed, putting the watch away and facing her. “Just a pass time.” He waved her off before looking at her outfit.

  Her red hair was put up in a ponytail, tied off with a golden yellow ribbon. She was wearing a puffy jacket of similar color and a pair of white jeans. “Why are you all dressed up?” He asked, confused. Bekka for her part just stared at him, mouth agape. “Maybe because you decided to take the new girl on a tour without inviting little ole’ me.” She said, fluttering her eyes, “So I decided to invite myself.” She just grinned at him. Brian just sighed and gave her a serious look. “She seems sad Bekky don’t scare her off.” She just waved him off dismissively, “Understood, captain.” Today was going to be a long day, Brian decided.

  After a few more minutes, Terra made her way down the hall, slowing as she got near them. She looked at Bekka for a moment before shifting her gaze to Brian. “This is Bekka, she decided to join us” Brian said, answering her unasked question, “If that's okay?” he added a moment later. Terra for her part just nodded. She was wearing the same outfit she had on during school, which made him curious, but Bekka asked before he could. “Are you not going to be cold?” She asked, it was not demeaning, just curious. “No, this is fine.” Terra said, shaking her head. Brian just shrugged, and Bekka gestured for her to follow as they made their way out of the school.

  “Sorry if we repeat anything you already know, but I'm not sure what information they gave you.” Brian said, walking down the steps of the school building and onto the winding street. Terra muttered an affirmation, looking at the people on the street. “Alright,” Brian continued., “Blue moon is the northwestern-most faction of this city. It also has a few villages outside of it, but this is the main capital of the area. We have a population of around one-hundred thousand, and ever-growing.” He pointed at the various communal buildings and shops on the street they were walking. “We have repaired and cleansed most of our portion of the city, as well as walling off the rest. That is one of the reasons that blue moon is so small compared to other factions in the area. We pride ourselves in safety from the wilderness.” He finished as they waited for a carriage to arrive at the station, a little pride in his voice.

  A small cabin car connected to a carriage for passengers arrived a little while later. It dropped its current occupants off as they climbed aboard. Terra just stared at it with the most emotions he has ever seen on her. Pure wonder… and greed? Need? He was not sure. Bekka just chuckled at her reaction before explaining. “The Moonlight Engineers have been able to recreate some old work technology, using manuals of the past. This carriage car is one of them. They do rides all throughout Blue Moon along set routes. With this, we may be able to show you most of the city and make it home in time for dinner.” She said cheerily, and laughing at her own joke. Terra just nodded and gave a few other quips as the carriage did its route, and Brian and Bekka told her what they passed. As the sun was dropping below the horizon and the orange glow of the sunset bloomed through the falling snow, they made their way to the dorms.

  After dropping off Terra, Brian and Bekka went their own respective ways. Terra watched them go with a weird feeling of excitement, and fear. Her father had talked about Blue Moon in the past, so she knew that they were one of the factions focused about reviving the way the world used to be. Though, hearing about the old wonders, and seeing them was something else entirely. Apparently they mostly used electricity and steam power instead of Heartcores. Terra personally felt that it was a waste of a good resource. Although, who was she to judge? She began her slow walk to the school's dorms, following the well manicured pathways. Trees and gardens were evenly spaced out, giving the campus an odd form of uniformity. Some parts of the school still had some damages, but for the most part it looked freshly repaired. The district that she resided in was newly expanded territory, so not everything was up to the “standards” of the residents.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Terra personally felt that it has been all a little overwhelming. She and her father used to be a part of small group for a while, when she was younger. They ended up going their separate ways after an accident that resulted in the death of the group leader. So Terra rather understandably in her opinion was star-struck at the sheer number of people that lived in Blue Moon. She walked up the oddly colored steps and entered the dorm building.

  It was a refurbished and remodeled apartment building that used to be here. They had fixed all the main supports and cleaned all the debris out. She took the flight of steps up to the third floor. The staircase echoed with each step, and threatened to bring back memories she would rather ignore. She felt bad walking on the carpeted rug that sat in front of the reception desk of this floor. Her shoes were still dirty.

  “Name and room number?” The receptionist asked curtly. She was a tall woman with blonde hair braided and wrapped into a bun that rested on the back of her head. She wore fairly normal clothes, but they were in school colors of blue and black. Terra told her and signed her name on the chalkboard. The school used this as a way to see which kids were in the dorms and to make sure they followed curfew. Every student staying here had to be home by sundown, per faction law.

  As she entered her room, she slumped, sliding her bag off her shoulder and setting it by the door. It was the same one her father had given her before he… Forcing down her sadness for the moment, she laid out her new school clothes. Every student was supposed to be wearing school colors, but since she had only a few pairs of clothes, they had to give her some after the school day. She quickly cropped the black pants into shorts using a pair of scissors. That done, she laid them out over her chair.

  Her dorm room was a simple room with white walls and wooden flooring. It was on the reconstructed sides of the building, so it was smaller than others, but she quite liked it. The room housed a twin sized bed, a dresser, desk and chair, and a blue rug with a black crescent moon. There was a door off to the side that also led to a small bathroom with a toilet and shower. It even had running water! It was so much different than she was used to, and seeing that they could just hand out these rooms made here feel like she used to live under a rock. Well, she supposed she did from a certain perspective.

  Looking over to the gun that lay against the wall, a smile crept onto her face. She had somehow managed to convince the guards at the gates and even the school staff that it was a family heirloom and not an extremely dangerous weapon. The students were allowed to carry a certain level of protection since not even Blue Moon could keep every monster out, but not something so destructive. She looked next to it, where a one-handed sword sat. The blade was wrapped in cloth, but its cross-guard and handle of ivory bone were still visible.

  Terra changed into her night gown and curled into the bed, wrapping herself in the blankets like a cocoon. So much had changed and in such a short period of time that she was hoping she would just wake up tomorrow and father would be knocking on her door, lecturing her on staying up too late. As soon as she thought of it, the dam she had placed on her feelings broke, and she cried until sleep took her.

  ***

  One Month Earlier

  Terra awoke from her position on the dusty mattress. When had she fallen asleep? She was not sure. Then it all came rushing back. “Dad!” She screamed into the surrounding darkness, but no answer returned. Terra fumbled about around her. Maybe her dad was just injured? Nothing. Terra’s fear redoubled, and she shook a light bladder that was in the bag. The room slowly grew into clarity. The concrete walls were rounded, with either end of the sewer blocked off. A few boxes and bedrolls lay against the walls, but no Seth. She hurriedly got up her belongings and, still shaking, clambered up the ladder to the surface.

  The sun was almost to the horizon. How long was I asleep! She could not help the thought. She looked at the surrounding area quickly for any sign of Seth. The wildlife was still wary of the area. It was like a dead zone of sound to Terra's hearing. She had to find him.

  Terra eventually found a trail of footsteps leading into an alley a few hundred yards away. She held the gun at the ready as she followed them. She would only be able to get one shot off, and there was a high chance the Marshall would come for her if she did. Upon exiting the alley, she turned to the right where a hole in the ground lay, surrounded with debris. She dropped her attempt at going quietly and sprinted in that direction. Her ears, and eyes, were constantly scanning the area, but she heard, nor saw, any signs of her father or anything else out of the ordinary.

  She became stock still as she saw the sword on the ground. It rested in a bed of moss, splatters of blood scattered around it. Terra dropped to the floor beside it, tears welling up in her eyes, blurring her vision. After an unknown amount of time, Terra picked up the sword and wrapped it in cloth bandages. After placing it in her bag, she gave a half-hearted search of the area. A hunter never willingly drops his weapon, Seth had always repeated it during their hunts. After the light of the sun was starting to take on its orange-pink hue, Terra decided to go home. Maybe he would be there?

  Two weeks past as Terra waited for Seth to return, but still nothing. The house had become a mess, and she had eaten almost all the prepared non-emergency rations. As the days past, she became more and more sure he was gone, but she could not bring herself to leave yet. Now winter would be approaching, and this area was still too dangerous for Terra to hunt alone. She looked down and the note in her hand and nodded to herself. It was a letter indicating where she should go during an emergency or dad’s death. A map indicated a place called Blue Moon at the end.

  As Terra began her journey, she remembered some of the things her dad had told her about this place. It was the place that Seth was born and exiled from. He was the son of one of the important people; he never did say who. I wonder if that would make them my grandparent? Terra idly mused, walking down the broken street.

  He had been exiled for illegal R.E.A experimentation. Seth had stated that he was framed for it and used as a scapegoat by a fellow researcher. Terra was not sure what it all meant in the bigger picture, but she hoped her appearance and connection to him would not cause any problems. She would just have to avoid mentioning it for as long as she could, although she disliked the idea of it.

  Terra was walking through one of the wrecked buildings that blocked this section of road. Normally her dad would take them around, but she did not feel she had the time. She was also more than a little curious. The space was a mess of broken desks and electronics, they most likely did not work, any that did would not still be here. She waded through the debris and came to a stop as her ears twitched.

  She threw herself to the side an instant before the wolf snapped its jaws in the empty air. Clambering up, sword braced in front of her, she faced it. It had one large eye that sat in the middle of its head, two large pupils shared it. It snarled, its jaw and fur covered in old blood. The moment it pounced, she leaped up as high as she could. She turned midair, keeping her eyes on the monster. The moment she landed she lunged forward, thrusting the blade into its exposed flank.

  Blood sprayed as she tore the sword back out. The beast yowled in pain as it spun around, already leaping, jaws wide, for her throat. Terra used one foot to doge to the side, but she was a second too slow. The wolf caught the side of her loose jacket and tore a gash in it, the force as it snagged throwing off her balance. She tumbled midair, crashing through a rotted desk. Her head was spinning, but she stood regardless. She could not die yet, blood ran down her left eye, and it felt like her head was splitting in two, not until the Ravens’ were nothing but a pile of ash.

  She faced the wolf and bared her own teeth at it. It roared as it leapt for her throat, both of its pupils locked onto her own. Terra let out a rage filled scream of her own as she charged forward. She bent low and jumped. She reached the wolf in an instant, letting the wolves own momentum skewer itself in the stomach, as she held it firm. Terra went flying again as it crashed into her with all of its weight. The wolf, and her, crashed into the ground as it let out a mournful whimper. It weakly thrashed on top of her, the last of its life leaving it. For her part, Terra just laid there panting.

  Terra laughed painfully as she tried to get the wolf’s carcass off of her. With a final effort of will, she heaved and threw it to the side, and just stared at the doors on the roof above her. She was hurt, sure, but she had won. She tried to stand, but it was futile, she was out of energy. And the pain in her head seemed to redouble, as if feeling forgotten. Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes. Despite everything, a grin never left her face.

  She would live.