Dragon Prince: The Storm's Heart

Chapter Five: The Moon Nexus

As the sun rose from the horizon, everyone woke up and gotten ready in the Moon Nexus. But Lujanne had generously offered to make breakfast for everyone with the most tantalizing dishes to be seen.
"Elves and humans over here." Lujanne pointed to the garland-covered table. "And those with three or more legs can sit there, with Phoe-Phoe." Lujanne gestured to a nearby clearing with her pet moon phoenix was standing. Phoe-Phoe guarded four large bowls with her spread feathers, but Shira could see that the dishes were healed with squiggling worms. Ava, Zym, and Bait hopped over to Phoe-Phoe and immediately began eating.
"You named your pet 'Phoe-Phoe'?" Ellis asked Lujanne in her eager voice.
"She's a moon phoenix," Lujanne said. "Her name is short for Phoenix-Phoenix."
Phoe-Phoe squawked and flapped her brilliant blue wings when she heard her own name.
"Can we try whatever we want?" Callum asked as he greedily eyeing an iced chocolate cake. Ezran had already helped himself to a plate of cookies, but Callum didn't want to be rude.
"Of course, dear," Lujanne said sweetly. "The choice is all yours."
"You have amazing food up here." Ezran's mouth was full and he clutched pastries in both hands. "What's your secret?"
"Well..." Lujanne started. She tapped her fingernail on her tan cheek. Her lip twitched. "My secret is... that it's a fake."
"Fake?" Shira echoed suspiciously, her arms crossed over her chest and slight amusement has started to creep up. She had finished drinking moonberry broth, thanks to Rayla.
"You're actually eating grubs," Lujanne said, smiling sweetly.
Callum and Ezran both froze in midbite, and then placed their food on the table. Callum tried to stay focused on the flaky goodness, but now that he knew it was spell, he was starting to detect the writhing larvae that were apparently being disguised by the illusion.
"Oh, you must mean 'grub'?" Ezran asked as he brushed a few dark curls from his eyes. "Like as in, 'Wow, this is some good grub!'"
"Umm... I don't think that's what she meant, Ez." Shira looked somewhat amused at their predicament and a little sympathetic for them to accidentally slipping into the illusions again. "Have you've seen what our animal friends are eating?" Everyone looked at the animals who were all eating grubs. "Those are the same grubs that you all are eating right now."
Ezran clutched his stomach. Shira looked amused at the situation. Nearby, Ellis continued to chew what appeared to be a slice of blueberry chocolate pie.
"I don't care," Ellis said as she cut herself another slice as Ezran quietly vomited onto the grass. "Worms. Flies. Yesterday's garbage. This illusion pie is the best I've ever had."
Shira bursted out laughing at their disgusted expressions, earning a few grumpy glares from her friends.
"Thanks for letting us stay here, Lujanne," said Shira to the Moon mage.
"Of course my dear." Lujanne smiled at Shira warmly.
"We'll stay here for one more day, but we must keep an eye out for danger," Rayla said. "Everyone stay on your feet." She looked intently at each member of the group. Rayla's violet eyes landed on Zym and said, "You work on getting off those feet!" Zym whimpered nervously and seemed to be trying to flap his wings.
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By that afternoon, Shira accompanied Lujanne to a place called Moonhenge.
"Not impressed?" Lujanne said.
The two of them have both climbed a huge number of stairs to see amazing sighting. Shimmering pools of water surrounded a collection of ruins — the remains of structures that had clearly once formed the perimeter of a moon-shaped building. A gushing, marvelous waterfall reflected the light of a faintly visible daytime moon. It was peaceful and supernatural.
"It's beautiful," whispered Shira. "Thanks for showing me around, Lujanne." Learning from a real Moon mage felt authentic, like she was a true apprentice.
Lujanne smiled at Shira's curiosity of moon magic and said, "Come on, this way." Shira picked up the pace with her. "This is the Moonhenge." The Moon mage gestured towards the ruins around them. "It's a special place that magically connects with the Moon Nexus at the top of the caldera." Shira smiled at Lujanne as she continued explaining. "Thousands of years of ago, when Xadia was one land, this place physically embodied a very deep magic. The architecture, the design, every aspect of this place was itself a magical symbol, like a massive intricate rune. The ancient ancestors of Moonshadow elves performed fantastic rituals here. Would you care to take a peek?" Shira nodded eagerly, her eyes bright with excitement and curiosity.
Lujanne chanted a spell: "Historia viventem." She traced a rune in the air as she spoke the ancient words and made a sweeping gesture with her arm.
Sudden, Shira felt an ice-cold wave run through her body. When she blinked, she was staring at the back of an ancient elf — it seemed like a ghost had just passed through her! Then the cracked ruins began to glow electric blue. Before Shira's eyes, the cracked ruins resealed themselves, and the ancient structures grew into their grandeur, though they were made of only faint ghostly light. Two moonlit chapels reached high into a dark sky. It was as if Shira was looking into the distant past, a spectator at an event that had occurred over a thousand years ago. Dozens of translucent elf ghosts walked through the phantom Moonhenge, lost in their own world.
"Legends say those ancient elves could use the power of the Moonhenge to open a portal through the Moon Nexus to another plane," Lujanne said. "It was a shimmering world beyond life and death. Or perhaps it was a plane between life and death? Beyond or between, either way, this was one strange plane, and very dangerous."
Shira didn't care which description was correct; this place captured imagination. A world on the other side of life and death sounded like the type of place where she might be reunited with her mother.
She watched the sparkling elf illusions dance. Some were playing beautiful stringed instruments.
"But what happened here?" Shira asked.
Lujanne released the spell and the illusions evaporated, leaving only rubble, and said, "The Moon druids destroyed it themselves — when Xadia was divided in two. The Moon Nexus happened to be in the side of the continent that was designated for humans. So the Moon druids decided it was safer to disable this magical place."
The more Shira heard about fighting and war, the less sense it made to her. Now, because of the fighting, no one could enjoy this special place. It wasn't even worth thinking about reuniting wither her mother — this portal is closed forever.
As the sun started to set, the pair walked along a path that led up from the Moonhenge to the edge of the caldera. Lujanne's energy was boundless — Shira had trouble keeping up.
The two of them walked side-by-side, so Lujanne could could start to her. "Through primal magic is everywhere, it may be weaker or stronger at different times and places. The Ocean is strongest at a high tide. The Sky is strongest in a storm. And the Moon is the strongest when it's full. But there's more. There are six special places where the magic of primal energies is most pure and powerful in this world. Such a place is called a Nexus."
She gestures to the caldera spread out in front of them. It's an enormous circular crater filled with sparkling blue water. Shira gasped. The caldera was a miracle of nature. The clear blue water shimmered in pink and orange in the waning afternoon light. Something about it reminded Shira of the moon.
"The Moon Nexus reflects the moon perfectly," Lujanne continued. "When the moon is full, its light completely fills the lake. Moonlight is already a reflection, each and every ray of light reflected off the moon itself. Moon reflects sun, as death reflects life." Lujanne closed her eyes as if lost in deep thought.
Shira smiled softly at Lujanne and she said, "Thank you for telling me about the Moon Nexus."
"Of course my dear," said Lujanne with a smile.
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Much farther down the hillsides of the Cursed Caldera, Ezran geared up to give Zym a lecture on flying. Callum and Ellis had joined to watch the practice. Bait was there, a stern expression on his face, as was Ava, a panting grin on her face.
Ezran placed Zym on top of a small boulder and readied himself to give the baby dragon with some firm, but kind words.
Zym looked down at the crowd, wide-eyed and innocent.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ez?" Callum asked him. "I mean, he's only a few days old."
"I'm sure." Ezran gave him a determined smile, but Callum looked concerned still. "Okay, Zym. It's time to buckle down and get to work." Ezran put his hands on his hips.
"Flying is a natural and beautiful thing," Ezran said. "Now, that doesn't mean it's going to be easy." Bait grumbled in agreement. "Ready, Zym?" The baby dragon watched on curiously. "Wings out! And... FLAP!" Ezran stretched his arms out and demonstrated flapping as best as a human could. "Come on! You have to flap those wings." He jumped up and down, but Zym didn't seem to be catching on.
The little dragon tilted his head to the side... and toppled over from the weight of his own head!
Ezran flinched. Callum stepped forward. Ellis laughed at the sight.
"Oh no — are you okay?" Ezran asked as Zym pulled himself up into a standing position and his head was being held up straight. "One more time. We'll try it nice and slow. Flaaaa...aaap." Ezran raised and lowered his arms in response as a demonstration, while Callum joined his side.
Zym slowly unfolded his wings and jumped onto Callum with eager yipping, he started licking him eagerly and making him laugh. Ezran and Ellis laughed at the sight of it.
"That was a good try!" Ellis yelled.
A few minutes later, they returned to the flight practice boulder. Since Ezran didn't know how to fly himself, he thought he should find someone with real-life experience to guide Zym.
Ezran stepped forward with a smile and said, "And... we're back. This time we're here here with a special guest. She's mystical, magical, Moon-powered, and she knows how to fly. Please welcome: Phoe-Phoe!"
Ellis clapped and Callum watched as Lujanne's moon phoenix stepped forward regally.
"Ready, Phoe-Phoe?" Ezran said. "Show him how it's done."
Phoe-Phoe spread her enormous blue wings and flapped. Almost effortlessly, she took flight.
"See?" Ezran said. "It's pretty easy." He felt a little bad saying that, not having any idea how to do it himself. But Zym tentatively opened his wings in imitation of Phoe-Phoe. He soon jumped off of the boulder and onto Callum with eager yipping again, he started licking his dad eagerly and making him laugh.
"Easy son." Callum chuckled as he placed Zym over his shoulders. "I think that's enough flight practice for today. We can figure it out later. It's getting late."
Callum was right. It was clearly evening, but the stars started to sparkle brightly in the night sky.