A Half-Moon & Half-Heart

Six years ago

AFTER THEIR return from Throne’s Edge, Sirius and Lucien found that Pallethorpe Village no longer welcomed them with open arms. Whispers followed them through the markets, eyes turned away when they passed, and the space between them and others seemed to widen by the day. “Forsaken Ones”—a phrase once murmured in pity—now passed between lips like a curse hidden behind polite smiles. Even Sirius and Lucien’s families, their greatest comfort, spoke to them with thinly veiled unease. Behind closed doors came blunt scoldings and colder gazes, the kind that no apology could thaw. The warmth they’d grown up in was gone, replaced by the silence of people afraid to understand.

Only the Pallethorpe Village Class of 3015 AKD still tried to treat Sirius and Lucien as they once had. From occasionally checking in with them to speaking to them like it was just a normal day, they hadn’t forgotten their friends. For it was those two who had saved them during the last crusade. It was a selfless act that deserved gratitude, not scorn, for defying tradition. And so, beneath the weight of stares and unspoken fears, Sirius and Lucien clung to the only hope left to them: to prove their worth by fulfilling God-King Dajayatan’s request. Perhaps, in doing so, they might be redeemed and welcomed again into his light, and into the hearts of their community.

It was the night before Sirius and Lucien’s departure to the Lachian Mountains with the prospects of getting promoted there.

A girl sat on a bench in front of a pond while wearing a white shalwar kameez—an outfit with a tunic that extended down to her knees as the trousers tapered her ankles. Her wavy dark green hair hung freely beneath a transparent white veil. Under the light of a half-moon, she stared into the water in deep thought, sitting as still as a statue. When Sirius arrived to join Tahira, his dark hair and her veil gently blew in the breeze, her musings quieting.

“Peace and blessings to you,” he greeted.
“And upon you, blessings and peace,” she replied.

Small ripples in the water caused some lily pads to move slightly.

“Sorry for calling you out so late,” she said, her soft, melodious voice steady as her gaze met Sirius’s. “But I just needed to talk to you before you go.”

He tenderly held her right hand, which was marked with a white Bishop symbol on her light tan skin, and answered with collected understanding, “That’s alright, Tahira. I’m just glad we finally get some alone time.”

Alone time.

Ever since he’d returned home, her parents refused to let the two of them be by themselves. They allowed her to see him only when other friends were around.

Squeezing his hand back, Tahira carefully asked, “How have things been lately? Are you okay?”

Keeping calm, smiling when he had to, and pressing on had long been Sirius’s way of coping. Besides close friends, when he was with Tahira, he felt like he could be open and honest with her. “Oh, I’ve been… managing,” he began, though the tightness in his voice softened the words. “It’s… not so great at home right now, though. I’m kinda just going through the motions.” He gave a quiet, nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his medium-length hair. “Can’t say that I blame my family for being surprised. I mean—” He shrugged. “Who wouldn’t be, right?”

When she frowned, he noticed immediately.

“Don’t worry, they’re just trying to make sense of it,” he said quickly. “I know there’s a lot weighing on them now, especially my siblings.”

“Oh,” she replied softly, casting her eyes to the ground. “What’s happened to them?”
He took a deep breath. “Mirzam’s not sure if he’ll get accepted for the village council job. And Adhara—well, she’s still a little young to really understand how serious things are, but she’ll have questions. About me. About all of this. How things were handled.”

Tahira nodded, then spoke slowly. “Yeah, she’s pretty restless and will want to know. And then the Gearschron Cabinet would also be wary of your brother.”

Sirius clenched his jaw. “Plus, whether our beliefs will be called into question by the Rexarion—” He stopped himself, shaking his head. “It’s been a lot, Tahira. I’m just… just tired of trying to answer everything. Like I’m supposed to know why any of this happened. I don’t know what happened that day. I really don’t.”

She absorbed his words, feeling a weight settle between them as she brushed her thumb over his knuckles. “I’m sorry you’re going through all of that, Sirius. It must feel awful not knowing where you stand with them.”

He nodded, his eyes lost upon the waters of the pond.

“Did they at least… say anything comforting? Anything that made you feel like they still believe in you?”

Sirius grumbled before answering, “Besides my sister, they all say I’m a disappointment… but I reluctantly understand where they’re coming from. They don’t need to scold me or treat me differently just because they can’t make sense of what’s happening.”

She tightened her grip on his hand, agreeing. “It’s just not fair.”

“On the other hand,” he continued, “I tried telling them that it could be fate. It could genuinely be something of an honor to carry out an errand of the god-king, don’t you think?”

Tahira tilted her head to one side. “I suppose, but it’s just so different from what they and everyone else is used to.”

“Which I totally understand. I don’t want my parents to have these feelings. Like, not knowing whether or not their son had truly been forsaken by the god-king. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. Lucien and I can only hope that journeying to this Primorigial Sanctuary will help our chances.”

“And what are you expecting the outcome to be?” she wondered. “That you’ll get promoted like normal and everyone will forget about this?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, isn’t that the whole point of this journey? To get promoted and be able to move on with our lives?”

“I believe realistically, it’ll take time, Sirius. And what if your marks stay black?”

Sirius looked down at his Pawns.

They were undoubtedly real with no sign of changing or going away.

He sighed, then answered honestly, “I don’t know, Tahira. But like you said, the situation is so unique and new, no one knows what to make of it. At the same time, there could be a greater focus—something King Dajayatan will have to tell us when we complete this journey.”

The couple sat quietly to let things simmer down while they took in the ambiance of their tranquil surroundings. The pond they sat by was in a park with surrounding trees and gardens planted by the community.

There were rubble-covered paths and park amenities like picnic tables, benches, and even grills for cooking.

But the pond was the centerpiece of this serene setting.

Sirius soon gulped and worked up the courage to ask, “So what do your parents think about all this?”

Tahira pursed her lips, then carefully answered, “They’re… not taking it too well either, to be honest. But I’m sure it’s for the same reason as your family. They just don’t know what to make of this whole thing, and that they’re worried for me.”

Sirius admitted, exhaling, “Yeah, I get it. It’s all too new to them. I can only hope that they’ll understand one day.”

“Me too, but you know some people are just set in their ways.” Tahira felt something tighten in her chest before muttering, “They’d rather live comfortably than in truth.”

“Only time will tell, I suppose,” Sirius replied as he lowered his head, and then perked up after taking another deep breath. “But that’s okay. One day at a time, and I’m sure this’ll all clear up.”

Tahira remained quiet, even more unwilling to say what was really on her mind—the true purpose of meeting Sirius before he departed in the morning. He glanced at her and asked if she was okay. And she replied that she was, swallowing her desire. She stated, “I think we should go home now, Sirius. It’s getting late, and you guys are leaving pretty early.”

He tensed up, reluctantly agreeing. “I don’t know how long it’ll be before we see each other again, but I wanted to give you something before I go.”

She raised her eyebrows with intrigue as he dug into his pants pocket to pull out her present.

Clutching the small item in his right hand away from her sight, Sirius spoke slowly. “Listen, Tahira, I know that this isn’t the best time with everything that’s going on about my failed promotion and the village’s unrest towards Lucien and me. It’s just been very hectic lately.”

As he spoke, Tahira patiently listened, her heart hammering in her chest. Her blue eyes locked into his.

“But I know one thing for certain, and I wanted to do this now while it’s just the two of us,” he continued.

The young woman stuttered as her left knee started bouncing with anticipation, “O-Okay.”

Sirius took a deep breath, and stated, “I love you, Tahira al-Badawi. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So…I was wondering….” He trailed off, kneeling in front of her on his right knee, his right hand outstretched towards her and closed until he uttered, “Will you marry me?” He unfurled his fist to reveal a simple silver ring with stamped leaves around the band. It was hand-forged, polished, and smoothed by his own hands—a small piece of his heart made tangible—the last fragile thing he could offer. It was a symbol of the very thing he was desperately trying to hold together as everything felt like it was slipping away.

Tahira’s eyes glittered in the moonlight, fixated on her lover’s golden gaze. Her medium-sized chest heaved as her tan face blemished to a light pink. She placed both hands over her face to cover her nose and lips while her eyes began tearing up. When they started trickling down, she covered her face completely.

Sirius kept his eyes upon her with a soft smile. His heart also rapidly beat in his chest as he patiently waited for her answer. It was like he was floating and his body was going to collapse, yet he remained firm in his stance.

For another tender moment, Tahira felt butterflies in her stomach, while her body trembled slightly and her knee kept bouncing. When she removed her hands from her face to wipe her tears and try to shake away the nerves in her hands, she stood up and spun in place. Her veil and long hair kicked up slightly. The leaves in the nearby trees rustled softly, as if waiting for her answer. Tahira took a deep breath, steadying herself as she gathered the courage she’d been delaying. “Sirius, I… I don’t know what to say! My mind is just swimming right now. You’re very sweet, and this means so much to me.”

His face lifted into a wider smile.

“But… I… I’m sorry. I can’t marry you. I just can’t… I’m really sorry.”

Shattered. That’s all there was to describe his heart.

Absolutely shattered.

Sirius’s eyes were searching for an answer for what felt like eternity. But he couldn’t find it. “Well, y-you know we’re not gonna get married right away,” he clarified, desperately keeping his composure. His inner self was barely grasping the last thread of hope that kept him grounded after everything changed. “We’d be engaged for now, and with time as we go on with our lives pursuing careers and stuff, then, yeah, at some point.”

“Did you talk to my parents?”

He nodded. “I asked them before we set out on the pilgrimage. They said that if you felt the same way after we returned home, we could see about getting engaged.”

Tahira was quiet as she lowered her head and sat down again.

Sirius felt a heavy weight press down on him as he slowly stood up, a cold pressure forming behind his ribs. “Do you still love me, Tahira?” His voice cracked slightly.

She pursed her lips, gripping the folds of her white kameez.

“Or rather, maybe I should’ve spoken to your parents again,” he continued, trying to make the rejection palpable for himself. “You said they’re not sure about me now, but maybe that can change.”

She clenched her jaw and stood up again before finally expressing, “I think, if I’m being honest with you, Sirius, we should wait until you get back before we make any commitments, okay? I just want all of this to clear up first.”

His face defaulted to a flat expression as he hesitated, “Okay… If that’s what you want, then okay.” He clenched the ring in his fist as he pocketed it again. “But could you let me know if you’re having doubts because of what’s happening with my promotion right now? It would mean a lot to me if I understood more.”

She sighed and calmly implored, “Sirius… it’s too much to take on right now. Let’s let things calm down here first. And then when you return, we can talk about it again and handle it together.”

He felt his chest fold. He knew she wasn’t wrong, because pressuring her now would only pull her into a storm she never asked for.

But accepting it felt like swallowing shards.

Ultimately, Sirius just kept his expression calm and offered her the steadiness he didn’t have the luxury of feeling. “I understand,” he said, the words collected but empty at the same time.

Tahira drew closer to him and proceeded to hug him. “Thank you,” she said with relief as he instinctively returned the gesture. But while he hugged her, she only had her arms wrapped around him.

Even as he held her, Sirius knew deep down in his heart that everything—everything this time—would change forever. But he didn’t want to believe it.

Not that night, nor for the next six years.

He had a vise grip on one of the last things that could offer him the answers he wanted—the answers he needed: the god-king’s task. If he could prove himself, maybe all of this could still be mended.

Maybe this was just another trial.

Maybe.