Dawn light peaked above the rugged mountain horizon, a twilight blue against the shadows of the earth. It shot through the sky like fatal arrows in a fight between day and night, fading into a velvet blanket studded with stars. Beneath the warring sky rolled a land of green, decorated with patches of towns and sparkling streetlights, dense forests and empty plains. The earth slept soundly without noise or conflict, contrasting to the ever-changing sky.

Oblivious to the macro world, and perhaps the only spark of life glimpsing the sun’s pre-birth wonder, a lone girl stood perfectly awake. Zooming into perhaps the largest city still in darkness, it was seen that she was leaning against the yellow wall of a stucco building. There was an odd look of sadness and apprehension on her shadowed face; she was staring out above a distant great wall that was known to surround the city, keeping it from intruders—and, in her mind, extruders. Her striking golden eyes reflected the image of the wall, but she suddenly blinked it out of focus. Turning her head away, she began to walk down a deserted street toward her previous destination before having been sidetracked.

Although it was a large city in which she walked, it gave the image of a small and humble town. A stranger observing only a quarter would assume it was called the country, before he found himself lost in the confusing cobblestone streets or, much more likely, catching a glimpse of the massive palace-like Temple. Indeed, the Temple of the Three Moons was the center of the city. Stretching out at about a five-mile radius from it, cute cottages evenly adorned the area full of uneven hills and narrow alleys, the streets winding around and around until reaching the focal point. The city, Ceraton, was split into four sections representing directions north, south, east, and west of the Temple. Residents therefore rarely lost themselves here, easily able to find their neighborhood: the Merchant Quarter, the Militia Quarter, the Middle Quarter, or the Aristocrat Quarter.

The young woman was most clearly a denizen of the impressive city, navigating her way flawlessly and without much attention. She directed herself down tiny streets that would normally have been invisible in the darkness. She easily skipped over uneven footing in the stone, not ever really noticing, and watching the brightening sky above instead of the world ahead. A billowing white robe was wound around her body as a simple loose dress with a V-shaped neck, and the bottom layers grazed against the tops of her bare feet. A stray wind blew down the street, scattering fallen leaves, and causing the girl to hug her naked arms—broken from her reverie, she was suddenly aware of how very little clothing she was wearing, and that the sun was surely rising. The townspeople would be awake soon.

“I need to hurry,” she thought aloud to herself, picking up her pace.

Indeed, the priestesses would be very displeased if the bride-to-be was seen before the official wedding ceremony.