Find the bridge. That was what her god had told her to do. He had told her mission. She just had to complete it. 

Luna turned out of her village, finally ready to set out. She looked back, resting her hand on base of the statue of Lunan just outside the gate as she contemplated her journey.

This will end well, won’t it? Luna asked herself. This is my destiny. I will find the bridge and what lies beyond. But what if I don’t? What if I…

Luna stopped before she finished that sentence.

“No…” she said aloud, putting her hand on her heart, “Lunan shall guide me.”

With those reassuring words, Luna took her first steps out into the unknown.

Luna walked for several hours down the stone laden path she’d walked many times before, but now with new goals. Journeying past the other villages as she did so often. She stopped in each village, buying fruit in one, another dress in another, and gathering any additional trinkets she might need in another.

Later that day, Luna walked into the brush after a long day of shopping. She stopped as she felt something hit her knee. Looking down, she saw it was a backpack worn by a small green creature. He looked up at her, grinning a yellow (but remarkably straight) toothed smile.

“Aaah! What are you?!” Luna exclaimed, jumping back a foot or two in delayed shock.

“Well, ma’am,” the creature said, “that would be me here gobbo. The name’s Scar’zak. And you would be?”

“L-luna. I’ve never met a goblin before. Just heard of you. Not very good things, mind you! Didn’t know you could speak. The elders used to say you’d eat us if we didn’t pray enough,” she said, stepping backward, just in case he did in fact want to eat her.

“Oh yes!” Scar’zak exclaimed, “Us gobbos are very smart. More smart than anyone gives us credit for!”

He paused for a moment, considering the second half of her statement.

“We don’t eat human girls, though. Not meaty enough”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Luna said, wiping her brow. “Do you want to come with me? I’m trying to find something. Have you ever heard of the…golden bridge?”

She paused before saying the last part—enhancing the dramatic effect. In response, Scar’zak reached into his backpack and pulled out a large map.

“I’d be happy to join you!” He said, unfolding—then looking at—the map. “Now…that bridge appears to be over that here way. West!”

Luna leaned over to peer over his shoulder. The upside down map was hand drawn and messy, but also surprisingly intricately detailed. “You’re pointing north?” She asked, checking the compass on the map to make sure she wasn’t crazy.

“Apologies. Us gobbos are no good with directions,” Scar’zak said, then they both turned west and journeyed onward. 

Together.

After many hours of wandering, wrong turns and rights, Luna and Scar’zak entered a small village. Around them, chaos was loose.

“Why is everybody here fighting?” Luna asked Scar’zak. “I can think of at least fourteen more civil things they could be doing…”

“Well, that’s your first problem,” Scar’zak responded. “Most fighters don’t think.”

Suddenly, a man came running toward the group of two, brandishing a spear in front of him like a child might brandish a very sharp stick they found in the woods.

“Woah there!” Luna said. “Calm down! We mean no harm!”

“RAgagAgHHH!” Yelled the villager.

“Scar’zak, can you translate?” Luna asked, turning backward to look at him, who was rummaging through his bag. “That sounded vaguely goblin-ish.”

“That is not goblin.” He responded. “That’s just pure, unfiltered rage. Ma’am.”

“Sorry!” Luna said to him (she hadn’t intended to insult her new friend, after all), taking a step back as the villager slowly advanced forward.

“RAHHHH! MOVE OR GET STABBED!”

Luna stepped to the side, avoiding a potential poke from the spear. The man, however, merely turned the spear, and continued poking in her direction.

“So…what exactly is happening here?” Luna asked, to nobody in particular.

“GET OUT OF HERE, LUNIE!” Another villager yelled at her. “Your cult isn’t welcome in this fight!”

Luna took another step back, offended by the insult. 

Scar’zak turned to her. “Wait, your name is Luna, and you worship Lunan? Smart parents.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Luna said, swinging her staff at nobody in particular. “Focus on the problem at hand, Scar!”

Luna stopped. She thought for a second, then asked the nearest villager a simple question.

“Wait…what are you even fighting about?

The villager’s eyes grew narrow and lunged at her. Luna walked into the fray, using her staff to push him and anyone else who got into her path out of the way.

“Woah! Luna! Wait for me!” Scar’zak exclaimed, running after her, jumping over the occasional crate or shoe.

In the middle of the village, Luna bent over, picking something off of a crate, and putting the notebook next to it in her bag. The observations of D.S. Smith, the title read.

“Well, who is this cutie?” Luna asked, examining the small, rotund creature in her hands.

“SHE HAS IT! GET HER!” A villager shouted, and all of the villagers around her immediately turned toward her.

“Stop for a second! You guys are fighting over…a potato?” Luna asked them, confused.

It was a Frogtato, in fact. So she was close.

The Frogtato looked into her eyes and stuck his tongue out, the tongue itself sticking out in a little “Blep!”

“Okay, I get it. This guy is to die for.” Luna said in a deadpan voice, hoisting the Frogtato onto her shoulder.

“So…what’s the plan?” Scar’zak asked, looking at the hordes of incoming villagers.

“Run!”