In the following eves to come, Astra’s little family soon found themselves joining a long line of similar carriages, whose owners consisted of merchants, tradesmen, and other farmers from all across the country. The dirt fields and bumpy, uneven plains were soon replaced by paved stretches of road that circled and split off and headed every which way in a manner that made Astra’s head a little dizzy. Papa Henry spoke of something called the ‘rules of the road’ in which colored lines separated the bigger more intimidating carts from the ramshackle wooden ones like the family’s own.

  There were many varieties of vehicles, some being pulled along by a bull like ol’ Betsy while others seemed to creak and groan in tons of little shifting gears as they powered through without a driver. They were thrice the size of a regular cart and made just as much noise, which thankfully Astra started to get used to after spending hours listening to their honking.

  Fortunately, they weren’t all that common, and for every hundred regular carts the boy saw there’d only be one or two fancy ones speeding down the road. Paw said the reason for this was because they were just too expensive, and Astra nearly fell flat on his back out of shock upon hearing that the family would have to work for decades just to afford a lesser model.

  “Only folks you’ll see ridin’ in those darn loud metal beasts are nobles and the fattest of hucksters,” Mama Edith said, side-eyeing a particularly reckless driver that zoomed by.

  “Huh? Doesn’t Aunt Caroline have one?” Astra asked, for in the rare times when Grandma Belle’s daughter would come visit home, she’d arrive whilst waving her hands out of a funny looking box that had no roofs or walls.

  “Well, she’s a Starblessed, Astra. They live in a much different world than we ever will—make a whole lot more money, too. That’s why she’s workin’ in Boulderbrigg.”

  “Do you think I’ll be blessed like her, momma?” Astra was raised to appreciate what he had, without a lick of greed. But he had to admit that money did make some things easier. If he had a fancy car like Aunt Caroline then the family wouldn’t need to take so long to travel between home and the capital. Plus he’d be able to buy as many snacks as he wanted! Now that sounded like good living.

  “Maybe, just… don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t happen, alright?” Edith said, giving her son a consoling hug. “Usually it only shows up in the nobles. Rare cases like Caroline pop up once in a blue moon, but just because you ain’t blessed with a Constellation’s mark doesn’t mean you can’t borrow their power. Look at your momma: I ain’t Starblessed, but I can still hop on walls and climb mountains just like any other Capricorn.”

  Astra’s mom was confident that her son’s affinity would take after her more. Papa Henry, on the other hand, chimed in with a different belief. “Ya sure ‘bout that, Edie? I think Astra’s more like a proper Taurus. He’s got the muscles for it, the energy, and the good looks, too. Just like me.” He finished that last part with a cocky grin.

  “Darling, you’re far from the model image of a bull,” Edith teased, squishing his cheeks in a loving manner. “But that’s why I like ya. Every man needs a fine balance between beef and cake.”

  Astra uttered a loud “ugh” in the exaggerated ways that young boys often did when subjected to the occasional corniness of a parent’s love, and he desperately tried to change the topic. “Momma, paw, why can’t I just learn both?”

  A Taurus and a Capricorn—he was a child of two, so it made sense that he’d be able to wield both powers, right? At least that’s what he thought in his head, but his parents’ reaction sadly put a stop to those hopes.

  “Sorry, stardew, but it’s hard enough stickin’ with just one branch,” Henry said. “To begin with it can’t be really taught. It’s more like a gut feeling, ya see? Something you sense. A warmth. Ah, gosh, how do I explain it…”

  Mama took over and replied in his place. “It’s a skill that develops naturally as ya get older, Astra. One day you’ll realize that you can just… do it, something ya couldn’t do before. For me it was when I was just shy of fourteen years. I suddenly found that I could tip-toe on walls right after that clumsy, honestly too pig-headed for her own good, sis of mine nearly spilled a whole pot o’ soup on my head. I jumped back and the rest is history.”

  “So… there’s still a chance?”

  Edith and Henry both crossed their arms, perplexed. On second thought it might be possible; there wasn’t really a restriction or anything of the sort stopping him. In the end though it boiled down to talent and affinity.

  “Come to think of it, I heard Caroline mention somethin’ similar during one of her academic rants or whatsit,” the boy’s father said. “Although it’s not really popular, since bein’ a kingdom of Taurus and all they’d want their people to be more, well, bull-like.”

  “How come momma’s a goat, then?”

  His mother shrugged. “Technically I ain’t a Taurus citizen, stardew. That’s why we live way out yonder. Back in ancient years, my grandma’s great great grandmother and her grandma’s great great grandmother came waddlin’ down from the Capricorn’s prairie, and we settled around the outskirts, away from the War of the Twelve. Luckily those Taurus folk didn’t mind havin’ us around so long that we stayed out of trouble.”

  “Eyup, we’re a lot more tolerable than other nations,” Henry said with a slight sad aftertrail. “We’ve all got the blood of the Constellations in us, some just happen to be a little more prominent than others. I’ve heard stories about an Aries showin’ up in a noble’s kid every now and then—can’t be helped. If all we did was care about which patron’s favor was pushed our way, we’d never get anythin’ done now, would we?”

  Astra nodded sagely to his paw’s words. In the end, for all their talks of bulls or goats or rams, everyone was still human. Some were just a bit different from others, that’s all. The boy himself often wished he could make more friends with others his age since, being born in such a rural area, there wasn’t much choice of meeting folks other than those who were nearby. He was simply unlucky to be the youngest amongst a family already getting on in years.

  “We’ll find out for certain which Constellation likes ya once we get yer aptitude tested,” Mama Edith said. “Lucky for us, the kingdom does it for free when you’re of age, so just one more year of waitin’ and then we’ll come back to the capital for the annual confirmation.”

  Before Astra could ask any more questions, the carriage suddenly screeched, coming to a halt and sending the poor family in a confused jumble as they pulled themselves back up and looked outside.

  “Looks like we’ve made it!” Papa Henry said with a laugh, before gently hoisting Astra up on his shoulders. “Take a good look, son. That, right there, is the royal capital of Tauramere: Boulderbrigg Gorge.”

  Young little Astra at that moment was speechless. His eyes widened in awe and his jaw hung open, for far out in the distance he beheld a massive citadel, so wide and all-encompassing in its giant spires and outlooks of stone that it made Clearbrook look like but an insignificant speck in comparison, and even larger in size were the two mountains that it sat between right in the center of a deep, cragged valley. Northward he saw the once twisting roads now steadily convene into a single line at the hefty gates where hundreds upon thousands of would-be visitors gathered, their luggage and cart meticulously inspected by the Knights of Greyhorn Siege before finally being allowed entry.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  It wasn’t just by road from which travelers arrived. Astra leaned his head all the way back, and he gasped while looking at the sky. Normally it should be filled with clouds, maybe some fog on a cold day, but what he saw then were downright miracles: ships, flying ships! He saw them sailing through the air while leaving behind trails of light grey smoke, and there were all kinds of them, some of which looked like long, stretchy balloons, metal structures in the shape of birds, and there was even a fancy one that seemed big enough to hold an entire city inside it. Odd engravings Astra had never seen before were boldly flaunted on their sides. There was a lion, a scorpion, something that resembled a woman with a staff, and many others. Each of their designs differed drastically in appearance, but the boy was a bit too overwhelmed at the moment to fully take in just how diverse and busy this hub was.

  Astra and his family were just one of many, many others, and poor ol’ Betsy found herself squeezed into a traffic jam as they slowly shuffled forward one creak at a time. It was in the morning when they arrived, yet by the time they finally drew close to the entrance it had already passed the noon’s peak. The actual inspection process itself wasn’t too difficult. The knights quickly combed through their produce and made sure they weren’t carrying any prohibited contraband, before asking Papa Henry some questions, such as where he was coming from and the purpose of his visit.

  “Just here for the upcoming farmer’s market,” he said as the guards jotted down his response. “Name’s Henry from Bovine Farms. There should be a record of my previous visits, and Caroline from the Astral Tower can vouch for my identity. My folks are stayin’ at her house while we’re here as well.”

  “One moment, Mister Henry,” they replied, flipping through a weighty pile of papers. “It says in my documents that you typically come alone. Am I correct in assuming those two passengers are your family?”

  “Yesiree, my lovely wife and child. Is there a problem?”

  “Oh no, just getting your statement. As it is their first time in the capital I will need to record their image into the memory vault. Do you consent to the procedures?”

  “Go on ahead.”

  Mama Edith and Astra hopped out of the cart, where a few knights then came up to them while holding a peculiar mirror. According to them it could remember information and save it to their general archives. What that meant Astra had not a clue, but it sure sounded neat.

  “Please state your name, affiliation, and associated Constellations if capable,” they directed.

  Mama went first. “Edith of Bovine Farms, Capricorn.”

  “Are you a Starblessed?”

  “Nope. Don’t got any of the Stars’ marks on me.”

  “Very well. Your response has been saved.”

  The guard turned to Astra and held the mirror to his face. “Don’t be afraid, kid. This is just standard procedure. Take a deep breath, and then answer naturally.”

  Astra did as they said, before copying his mother’s confident tone. “Astra of Bovine Farms. Um, I don’t know what my Constellations are yet.”

  “That’s just fine, Astra. I assume you’ve yet to have your confirmation?”

  “Yep! I just turned ten a couple weeks ago.”

  The guard nodded, before turning toward the mirror and fiddling with the bottom of it for a bit until the glass started glaring in a bright light, which eventually dimmed back to normal.

  “You’re all set,” they said, giving Astra the go-ahead to get back in the cart. “It’s a good thing you got yourself registered ahead of time. The roads here get a lot busier during the fall season, what with all the kids coming to get their aptitude tested. Saving your records now will make your next visit a lot faster.”

  The boy smiled and shouted goodbye to the nice knights as the family moseyed along and finally entered the city. “Thank you!” he said, to which the knights replied with a warm wave in turn.

  As they left the outside waiting area and passed through the overhead gate, a scenery of wonder unveiled before Astra, and he found himself smack dab in the middle of a roaring, rushing crowd so dense that he could hardly see the ground below him. Giant buildings were smushed side by side in a maze of workshops, restaurants, forges and a ton of other businesses which all sort of blurred together as some passages led to a steep incline while others descended lower to different districts.

  The folks here were also dressed much more… fashionably than Astra. The boy felt a little out of place with his simple overalls and plain white shirt. Everyone else was wearing neatly-pattered suits, long trailing robes that gave off a smart appearance, and big fluffy hats that Astra could easily stuff himself inside if he wanted. No single person had the same outfit, and there were also unique designs that clashed quite distinctly with the homely valley of Boulderbrigg, like giant fur coats worn by some who gave off the majesty of a lion. Astra’s favorite was a tall blue woman who flew around in a water bubble.

  “Careful there, stardew. Looks like your brain’s starting to fry,” Papa Henry laughed as he looked at Astra’s dumbstruck expression. “Let’s get settled down first, and then you’ll have time to explore all ya want. Speakin’ of which… I think I see our host over there!”

  Papa Henry brought Betsy to a slow stop and jumped out to greet a young woman by the side of the street. She wore a light green cloak and had a thin pointy hat which covered her curly hair that resembled his mother’s style a bit, except rather than being red her locks were of a pale blonde. What distinguished herself most from the others in the crowd however was the icon of a bull plastered beneath her right ear. Astra had seen it sometimes during the moments Papa Henry called upon the Constellation’s power, but what separated him and the woman in the pointy hat was that the mark was always present. It never disappeared as if the favor of Taurus was always with her no matter the time of day.

  “Aw gosh, it’s been so long!” she squealed, running up and squishing Astra’s cheeks. “Now aren’t you a handsome young man? I bet in a few years you’ll be taller than even me!”

  Astra blushed bright red and did his best to escape from the cheerful woman’s loving hold. “Hi, Aunt Caroline! I missed you a lot. We didn’t get to play last time you came, but I still remember that trick ya taught me on raisin’ puppies. Since then Meatball’s been a lot better with controllin’ his temper. He doesn’t even try to eat the chocobulls anymore!”

  Aunt Caroline smugly crossed her arms and then gave Astra a thumb’s up for a job well done. “Glad to see my research being put to good use! The other nerds of the Astral Tower don’t see much use in beast wrangling, but as a former farmer’s daughter myself I know just how important it is to get along with nature.”

  After the two shared a friendly reunion, Mama Edith gave Caroline a surprise hug from behind and giggled. “How ‘bout you stop stickin’ to my kid and tell me about yours? Been a long while since you visited with those scamps. They’re, what, around five now? I remember always bein’ in a right dizzy chasing after Astra when he was that young—must be even harder havin’ twins at that age.”

  “Oh, it isn’t all that bad! They’re real sweethearts, mostly too busy sleeping the day away to get into trouble.”

  “Is that right?” Mama Edith seemed oddly disappointed by Caroline’s relaxed demeanor. “Guess not all kids are, haha, free-spirited like my boy…”

  Astra tugged at his mother’s shirt and looked up at her with big, pitiful eyes. “Did I do somethin’ wrong, Momma?”

  Edith sighed and crouched down, wiping the boy’s face. “Stardew, oh stardew. I love you more than anythin’ else in the world, but just remember I saved ya from a goshdarn cuckoobird of all critters—coulda swallowed me whole if I weren’t careful! I’m holdin’ that over your head for the rest of your life, so you better take care of your ol’ momma when she’s old and grey.”

  Astra lips curled into a playful smile, and he ran away, pulling Caroline along with him. “I’ll buy you a big house just like Aunt Caroline’s to laze in!”

  With the four of them enveloped in a happy, festive mood, they took off and made their way to a higher section of the city, where Aunt Caroline lived with her own family. Eventually they arrived at a quaint house with red bricks for walls and a slanted green roof. Unlike the other buildings Astra had seen they also had a small yard, though it paled in comparison to the land around the farm. Which was weird. Shouldn’t she have even more space to run around in considering she made as much as paw’s yearly profits in just a month? When the boy asked her that, she merely replied that living in the capital was much more expensive than living in the countryside, but in return there was a lot more to do—a lot more to visit.

  The farmer’s market wasn’t due for another few days, so Caroline promised to take Astra out on a field trip to visit all the city’s landmarks. Meanwhile Henry and Edith would be busy preparing their spot at the city’s square, where they’d set up shop and sell their farm’s speciality: round, juicy kvela melons. Astra could personally attest to their deliciousness.

  Thus came a close to the day, with a promise made and an eager little boy excited for what tomorrow would bring. He closed his eyes, wrapped himself snug in his blanket, and then drifted off to the land of dreams.

  Perhaps soon, Astra would find the answer he’d been searching for.