Misha And The Moon Mirror

Bogdota

It was early morning, three AM, when the wind train came to a stop in the train station of Bogdota. Maria already woke up Misha but both of them were having problems waking up Norman. Norman was sleeping like a rock, probably still feeling like he is in the air.

"Shall we leave him here," - said Maria, a bit too loudly, "what do you think, Misha?" Looking at her friend still asleep, while she was awake at this ungodly hour, Misha decided to pounce at him. "Wake Up, NORMAN! WAKE UP WAKE UP! GRANNY WANTS TO LEAVE YOU IN THE TRAIN!" Thinking that this won't wake the kid up, either, Maria was preparing her spine to hurt. She'll just lift the kid and carry him outside with her. Maria knew where the library of his grandparents was, although it is a long trek from the station. But she was a Knight, she still has some strength left in her.

Before she was able to lift him into her arms and instruct Misha to bring all of their bags with her, Norman's grandfather, Milo entered the train and was asking for his grandson. The conductor showed him where to go and he followed. They came upon a sight of his ex General lifting up his sleeping grandson from the train seat that he was sleeping on.

"General, mind if I take him from you?" Said Milo to Maria. He wondered how this short woman, even in her old age was able to display such strength. To say that Maria was surprised would be, for the lack of better word, an understatement. She didn't expect Milo to be here at this time. He was a notorious sleeping cat, as stated by his wife Fernanda. So to see the old man, who was supposed to be snoring up a storm right now, awake and picking up his grandson was, amusing for her.

"At ease, soldier. Are you sure your back can take it? You are far older than I am." Jested Maria. "Two years are not 'far older', good Gods, you never change. Give me that log and his baggage."

Maria handed Milo his grandson and called Misha over to help her with the bags. While Milo was struggling with positioning Norman from his arms and onto his back, Misha was watching amused. She wished she was able to sleep like him. At the same time, he didn't even wake up to her shouting, her dad would usually wake up then. Oh well she got to see something funny, she will remember this and make fun of Norman later, when he is awake.

The two old people exited the train first, one of them holding his grandson on his back and the other waiting for her granddaughter to bring all the bags.

"I'm off, General, I came here with my wind board at eight last night, that's when you were supposed to touch down, if I remember correctly." But he was wrong, actually. Maria smiled. "Just like in the old days, your memory is shit." Then she realised that her granddaughter is with her, sighed, turned to Misha and whispered; "Misha forget the word." She looked down at her granddaughter, who looked up at her grandmother innocently and said:"What word, granny?" Good, Misha was a smart kid, "Shit, I stepped in dog shit!" said Milo while looking down at his shoe. But Milo's intelligence can be questioned.

Bidding good night the grandparents separated, Milo and Norman went with Milo's wind board to the east side of the town, while Maria and Misha went to the west. While they were walking away the train was starting to raise to the skies again, going to its next destination.

Navigating her way in the dark was hard, mostly because Bogdota wasn't as lit as her birth town. Misha could vaguely discern buildings. They were made of big yellow brick, pushed and smooshed together, while the long road looked to go over the hills. There was a particularly big building with a very long name written in weird drawings.

Ⰲⰵⰾⰻⰽⰰ ⰽⱆⰼⰰ Ⰱⱁⰳⰴⱁⱅⱄⰽⰻⱈ Ⰲⰵⰾⰻⰽⰰⱀⰰ

Misha was amazed, these drawings looked fun, but she couldn't even imagine what they were. Wanting to know what this means she turned to her grandma.
"Granny", she asked with a mellow tone, "what is that building?"
Following her granddaughter's hand and finger pointing to the big red brick building with the golden plaque, Maria laughed.
"Hahahaha, oh doll, you can't read what it says, guess you need to learn more. But don't worry" said Maria "That is something called All tongue or All language, it's Fae language but simplified by old Fae leaders. It is taught at the Academy to all the pupils." Looking back at the building Maria points at the first word and translates it for Misha. "Big", pointing to the second word she says, "Office" pointing to the other words she translates the whole name of the building "Of Bogdotian Great Knights".

This big building was a building full of names. Names of dead knights or knights lost in action. That is a building with the most knights in the whole world and an escape for the General of Gray Owl. In the sixth year of her being the General, happened a very, very bad war with Artitia Kingdom. Artitia Kingdom was to the east of Sotra Empire, it is not too bad, that said it is no more, but during the war Gray Owl Knights, White Eagle Archers and Silver Panther Knights were the ones to suffer the most losses. One hundred and fourty eight Knights of Maria's Gray Owl have lost their lives in this war. And she still remembered every face and name, young and old.

Coming out of her remembrance she looked down at Misha and pulled her with her, so they could continue the walk back home.
The walk continued for ten minutes more, until they came upon a row of houses with plants on their walls.
While Misha was admiring them, Maria was already entering the house with fairy lights intertwined with the plants. The house looked to be two levels in height. With yellow bricks and big wooden red door.
"Get in, Malena. This is your new home. Your room will be upstairs, I'm sorry that I couldn't furnish it properly at least you have a bed." Maria said, shrugging her discomfort. Following her grandma up the stairs, Misha noticed the red and very soft and stringy carpet on the stairs, it tickled her ankles and she felt bad for walking on it in her flats.

That was all forgotten the moment she saw the door to her new room open. The striking yellow walls of the room and pictures of flowers and weird old men and women without shirts were everywhere.
"Sooo," - started Maria, "the room might need a bit more work, but we could start tomorrow with new clothes and bedding, what do you say, Misha?" Asked Maria.
Still stunned at seeing weird naked people, Misha shivered.
"Can we get them clothes first, they look cold." Maria turned around and cursed her daughter for the decor. The pictures on the wall were mostly posters of the, back in the day, popular wicca band "Goli Vazduh" and they lived up to their name. They would all be up on stage, fully or half naked singing some weird songs about mages being the best people to live. Her daughter fell in love with them when she was thirteen and she never stopped loving them.

Well, now those pictures were a bit too naked for this room's new resident. So with a small wave of Maria's right index finger, all of them burst into shreds.
"There, no more naked people. Now off you go to sleep and we will talk about everything tomorrow. Good night, Malena."
Maria left the room and closed the door, while Misha was ogling the bed. It looked soft, and it had all the yellow bedding. Misha didn't like the colour yellow, it never felt right. There were a lot of pillows with flowers and stars on them, and a lot of bright orange ribbons.
'I like the ribbons, they look nice, wonder if the bed is soft, so many pillows, no toys, my bed had toys. I'll ask granny to buy toys.' Pumping her first in the air Misha suddenly said " Yes, let's do that, but tomorrow- yawn- yes, tomorrow."

While Bogdota was slowly waking for an early morning of training and chores, our tiny child was climbing the bed and snuggling under the atrocious yellow covers. For the first time, since her parents untimely demise, she was able to fall asleep immediately.
Maria came not even five minutes later, to check on Misha. The resemblance to her own daughter was uncanny, except the eyes, she remembered, she will become a great knight. Looking around the room, Maria saw the shredded posters and leftover dust, also she noticed, Misha sleeping in her flats.
"Oh, child, you can't wear outside shoes inside." Whispered Maria and went to take those off, Misha's feet, knowing that she will have to teach the kid manners and not only knightly basics.

After she took Misha's flats off, Maria went to start her day. It was already past four in the morning, no time for sleep. So she made a list of things to buys. Food, bedding, cleaning supplies, clothes, books, a wooden sword, magic cloth armour, shoes, house slippers and bathroom slippers for Misha. There was a lot. After the list she started on a breakfast for herself, figuring that Misha will sleep through it. She made herself have work, because if she didn't, she will start thinking and thinking lead to her daughter, to her son in law, to their death. Thinking of their death lead to thinking of the death of her husband. And thinking of his death always put her in a very depressing mood. So she kept herself from thinking. And focused on how to make Misha fall in love with Bogdota and introduce Misha to people like her own granddaughter.

Yes lamenting the dead shall have to wait, Maria had a lot of work to do.