Badlands ♡ muke

11 ⋇ athena

please vote and comment or I will cry.

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Athena

The goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare.

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When Luke woke up Calum was still asleep.

He slept surprisingly well himself given that Michael wasn't near him.

After getting ready for the day, he walked out of the room and saw one of the men they fought the day before guarding their rooms. Luke could understand his language but didn't speak it so he smiled.

Nonverbal communication had grown on him since spending more time with Michael, he realized a lot could be said without speaking.

Luke motion towards the door and the guard nodded. Hopefully, he'll understand to keep an eye on Calum.

There were people on the street looking at him. Luckily it wasn't because they knew he was a son of a goddess but because he was an outsider.

He asked and received directions towards a library of sorts. The building was one decently sized room filled floor to ceiling with shelves and shelves of knowledge.

In the middle of the room, a woman was sitting on the floor transcribing.

Luke asked for a map. Soon he realized she knew more than he could learn from the words.

As he feared, the temple of Selene was in the opposite direction from the forest they were searching, hoping to heal Calum.

Luke didn't mind, waiting to visit the temple but he'd been dreaming about a temple for weeks. He didn't know what it was before but now he knew.

Temple of Selene was waiting for him.

"Luke?"

He must have been reading and looking at the maps for at least an hour before Ashton found him.

"You look rested," Luke smiled when they were walking back.

"It helps not sleeping in the middle of nowhere waiting to be attacked."

When Luke wasn't sleeping well, still having spider dreams, Ashton would wake up at least once an hour to check the surroundings and would walk around their camp once or twice per night.

Luke hummed happily. "Also helps sleeping next to someone who's almost always awake and watching over you." Remind the boy he slept in the same room as Michael.

"That's your thing, not mine," Ashton said but he didn't sound mad. It sounded like he was teasing Luke and he blushed, realized his comment backfired.

"Did you change Calum's bandages already?"

"Michael is helping him now."

When they walked back to the house they slept in, the room where they were bandaging their wound the day before was turned into a breakfast room.

"We'll need to repay them somehow," Luke furrowed his brows.

People here were living in the middle of the desert. They didn't have much and to think they were giving out to them made Luke feel uneasy.

"They won't take anything," Ashton said. "Some know who you are so they're convinced you'll bless them in a way."

Luke sighed. He would of course tell his mother about them. He just wasn't sure how many blessings from a goddess of wisdom would help.

Michael and Calum were already eating, Michael was smiling at something Calum said.

"You boys slept well?"

Unlike Ashton, Calum didn't look as rested.

"I know I shouldn't complain because I picked you as my roommate but you could have told me you talk in your sleep."

Luke frowned. "I don't talk- At least I'm not aware of it."

He looked at Michael. If anyone, the boy would know.

No.

The voice was clear in Luke's head. He knew that wasn't something he normally did.

Only then Michael shook his head and mimicked how Luke tosses around in his sleep but he doesn't talk.

"You kept repeating Selene."

Luke sat down. He wanted to keep this for himself but he might as well share his plans.

"When the snake dreams stopped the dreams about a temple appeared. At first, I thought it was a temple we'd seen on our way but the dreams kept getting weirder."

"Weird how?" Ashton asked.

"I don't know," Luke lied. "I just feel like I must go there."

"That's the plan, getting Calum fixed and-"

"No," He shook his head. "You know the prophecy. At least one will leave soon. I think you guys should go and find the fleece. And I need to follow the dreams."

"I found a photo in the library. The temple I've been dreaming about is the temple of Selene. And it can't be a coincidence.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Calum spoke up first. "You leaving."

Luke looked at Calum apologetically. "I know I promised to help you. I just-"

"No, it's not that," Calum argued. "I'd never be upset with you if you'd decide to go on your own. I just don't think it's safe. Especially if we are correct and you are the target."

Ashton nodded. "I agree, we still don't even know why you're the target. Our parents won't talk to us even if they know who and why."

"Okay," Luke lied again. "I'll think about a different plan. I found a map, according to a local we have three-day travel to the end of the desert and then we go into the forest."

But in Luke's head, he knew they'd be going without him.

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Thoughts??

Luke's dreams? Talking in his sleep?

Luke wanting to leave?

What do you think they should do?

Are you ready for muke content soon?

Love, Lucija ♡