Dragon Prince: Warrior (Re-Write)

Chapter Seventeen: The Moon's Secret

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 Sierra 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 fake."
"Fake?" Sierra echoed suspiciously, her arms crossed over her chest and slight amusement has started to enter her eyes. She had finished drinking moonberry broth, thanks to Rayla.
"You're actually eating grubs," Lujanne said, smiling sweetly.
Callum and Ezran both froze in mid-bite, 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." Sierra 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. Sierra 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."
Sierra bursted out laughing at their disgusted expressions, earning a few grumpy glares from her friends.
"Thanks for letting us stay here, Lujanne," said Sierra to the Moon mage.
"Of course my dear." Lujanne smiled at Sierra 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.
"Sierra?" Everyone looked at Lujanne, who is watching them with a serious expression and her teal eyes were unfathomable like the ocean. "Can you meet me in the Moon Temple tonight?"
Sierra blinked in surprise and glanced at the others, who also looked confused. She soon looked back at Lujanne. "Umm... Sure."

When night has fallen upon the Cursed Caldera, Sierra headed towards the Moon Temple, knowing that Lujanne will be there. The building was all silver, with a half dozen sparkling spires and grand gazebos nestled into the grounds. Everything was surrounded by a moat and waterfalls.
She went up hundreds of shimmering stairs, across the moat. She entered the temple through central atrium, where light shone through moon-shaped windows illuminating green garlanded archways. Butterflies glided gently along. The towering walls of the atrium were made of granite, and hundreds of runes had been etched into them.
The ethereal beauty astonishes her, and she slowed down her pace at the beautiful sight of the temple she's inside.
Sierra soon found Lujanne sitting in the atrium, mediating. Sierra may be restless at times, but she learned how to slow down and calm herself with the nature around her.
"Umm... Lujanne?" Sierra looked at the Moon mage uncertainly. "I'm sorry for interrupting you."
"If wisdom is what you seek, I shall do my best to fake it," said Lujanne. Then she giggled and stood up. "That's an old illusionist joke."
"Right." Sierra felt a little confused by the joke. "You told me to come and meet you. But why?"
"Sierra, look at the moon," Lujanne said.
Obediently, Sierra gazed out a window at the partially covered moon.
"Light only falls on half its face right now, but that doesn't mean the other half isn't there," said Lujanne. "And it is the same with — there are parts you keep hidden."
"But why would I have to stop hiding the truth?" asked Sierra.
"Real trust is about accepting even the dark parts we will never know," Lujanne replied.
Sierra looked down. "No, I don't think that's right. Lying and hiding the truth aren't different. Strong bonds needed honesty — the complete truth."
Lujanne chuckled. "Oh, now you sound like my first four husbands." She looked at Sierra in the eye, bathed in the moonlight. "I'm glad my wisdom helped." Lujanne gave her playful wink. But the Moon mage's expression became serious as she gazed at the girl. "But now, I think it's time for me to reveal the truth to you."
Sierra perked up. "The truth?"
Lujanne has gotten up and placed a gentle hand on Sierra's shoulder. "Come with me."
Lujanne led Sierra away from the temple and to the caldera spread out in front of them. It's an enormous circular crater filled with sparkling blue water. 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 Sierra of the moon.
But when she looked up, Sierra soon saw something astonishing in the sky.
It was so beautiful. She could count more hues and shades than in the box of paints and watercolors that she had bought a few years ago. Shades of sapphire, violet, magenta, and amber shimmered and shined, like a giant rainbow had blanketed the sky and stretched out over the land. It was barely evening, but the stars started to sparkle brightly in the night sky like distant diamonds, while the sky is like deep sapphire blue velvet overhead. As the clouds cleared, a silver circle of the full moon had also appeared in the night sky and had casted its soft silvery beams of light over the land.
"Sierra." She blinked back into focus and looked at Lujanne curiously. "Do you know what beings could perform magic?"
"Yes." Sierra sat up and looked at the mage in confusion. "Elves and dragons, right?"
"Not exactly," said Lujanne. "Flenimu were born from the union of a human and an elf, with traits of both. In the old days when Xadia was united, there were almost as many of them as elves, but today there are only a handful left."
"And what do they look like and why have I never met any?" Sierra asked curiously. "They are half human, I guess some should live here too?"
"Your mother's name is Astra." Lujanne looked at Sierra mysteriously.
"Astra. You knew her?" Sierra never felt so confused and curious before. "Why?"
Lujanne stepped towards the lake. "As you know once, Xadia was one country, but then people discovered cruelty, dark magic. The Dragon King ordered them to abandon these practices, but they refused, blinded by greed. A war followed, which ancient mages almost lost. But thanks to the help of Flenimus, the elves managed, the ancestors have won. As a reward for the sacrifice they made, they were allowed to stay in Xadia."
"What do they look like?" asked Sierra, burning with curiosity.
"Well, a lot are like humans at times and many look like elves. Though, at times, there can be a mix of both," Lujanne explained. "But the best part is that they are connected to the original source."
"Why haven't I've ever heard of them?" Sierra stepped next to Lujanne.
"The answer is very simple and sad at the same time," continued Lujanne. "For a flenimu to be born, one parent must be an elf and the other human, or both parents are flenimu. If, on the other hand, a flenimu bonds with an elf, there is a very slim chance that a flenimu will be born, usually an elf is born. After the division of Xadia, unions between humans and elves were forbidden and severely punished by the Dragon King himself. That's why there are so few of them left."
"Okay?" Sierra tilted her head slightly as she gazed at the Moon mage. "But why are you telling me this?" Sierra felt as if she stepped into forbidden waters by chance.
"We are just getting to the part of the story that concerns you, Sierra," said Lujanne.
"Me?" Sierra looked at Lujanne, completely lost.
"Fifteen years ago, a woman have came to me and introduced herself as Astra," Lujanne started to explain.
Sierra's eyes widened. "That was my mother!"
"She was?" Sierra bowed her head and looked at the shimmering waters mournfully, not answering the Moon mage's question regarding her fallen mother. Lujanne placed her hand gently on Sierra's shoulder. She gave it a little squeeze, hoping to provide a sense of comfort. "I'm so sorry."
Sierra let out a rough sigh and gazed at Lujanne. "Why did she come here?"
"She had a baby in her arms, she asked me to put an illusion on her," explained Lujanne.
Sierra was stunned with realization. "That baby was me?"
Lujanne nodded. "I've enchanted the moonstone bracelet to hold the spell."
"Can you remove the illusion spell?" asked Sierra desperately. "I want to see the part of me that has been hidden from me for too long. I want to accept that unknown part of myself."
Lujanne smiled at Sierra. "Of course my dear. It won't hurt you, I promise."
Lujanne started tracing a shimmering rune shape in the air. As her fingertips moved, arcs of light formed, creating the silvery glowing curves of the ancient, powerful symbol over Sierra's bracelet.
"Removere Speciem."
All at once, the shiny rune disappeared and the spell happened. Sierra narrowed her eyes at the gentle silvery light shining from her bracelet and the silvery glow vanished as the bracelet slipped off of Sierra's wrist, she saw herself glowing in a silvery light and felt her human illusion vanishing before her eyes.
Sierra looked down at the lake and was stunned by the face that she was staring at. If she wasn't wearing the same clothes she had on, she could of sworn she was staring at a completely different person. Sierra's human features remained, but new elven features has been added to her. Her skin has patches of dark blue and white runic tattoos decorated her face and arms. A pair of curvy blueish-white horns have appeared on both sides of her head, though her ears have become sharp and slightly curvy, almost like elven ears.
"That's me?" Sierra felt stunned when she saw the reflection of herself. She felt her heart become full when she saw herself. She finally found the missing part of herself that she had no idea that was missing from her and she finally felt herself become completed. Sierra felt the heavy burden of fear wearing down from her and she felt relief wash over her. She looked at Lujanne, tears of joy and relief streaked down from her face. "Thank you Lujanne." Sierra bowed her head to the Moon mage gratefully. "Thank you."
"You're must welcome Sierra." Lujanne placed some moon pieces on the bracelet and gave it to Sierra. "You don't need the illusion anymore. But hold on to it in your time of need."
"Thank you Lujanne." Sierra bowed her head to the Moon mage gratefully and slipped her bracelet away into her pocket.
"You're most welcome my dear." Lujanne smiled at Sierra warmly. "Before you take off, your mother told me to give this to you." Sierra was given a parchment scroll by Lujanne. Shira turned the scroll over carefully. It was stamped with a blue seal of the Sky symbol and tied by a blue ribbon. "I was asked to give this to you by your mother in case you ever did come up here."
"Thank you." Sierra smiled at the Moon Mage, feeling grateful that she helped her and her mother.
When they both returned to the others, they were amazed by Sierra's new appearance. Especially Zym. Zym tackled the girl with affection, giving her zappy kisses and jumped onto her shoulders, nuzzling her happily and making Sierra laughed at the adorable baby dragon.
"Wow Sierra." Ezran was marveling Sierra's true form. "Sierra, you look good as...?" Ezran scratched his head and looked at Lujanne in confusion.
"Sierra is a Flenimu, a combination of an elf and a human," explained Lujanne.
"But her mom was a human." Ezran couldn't stop looking at Sierra's new form in amazement.
"Yes, but you can see Sierra's father is a Skywing elf," said Lujanne.
"That's amazing!" exclaimed Callum, his eyes wide with amazement.
"You could say that again," Rayla agreed with an amused smile. "At least that explains why Zym likes you."
"Hey, about I braid your hair?" Sierra blinked in surprise and glanced at Ellis uncertainly. Her expression is generous towards Sierra.
"Umm... Okay?" The two girls sat down on a stool, while Ava have rested her head on Sierra's lap and the girl was petting the wolf's head. "Just a sidelong braid."
Ellis nodded and gotten to work on Sierra's hair. She gently started tying Sierra's left bang into a neat, sidelong braid. Sierra watched as Ellis used her light blue hair tier to seal the deal on her braid.
"Sierra." The two girls turned to see Lujanne approaching them. She was gently carrying a black feather that's shining dark blue in the light. "This was your father's feather. Your mother wanted me to give this to you too."
Sierra bowed her head to Lujanne and Ellis. "Thank you. Both of you." She watched as Lujanne gently placed the Skywing elf's feather into the Sky Flenimu girl's braid, making Sierra smile softly at the sight of the feather.
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Through the sparse canopy of leaves, the light of the full moon shone through in soft rays of silver. Torrents of rain poured down onto the woods of the west. The raindrops sounded like pebbles beating the ground. Dark storm clouds swirled in the sky, flickering with silent lightning and rumbling with powerful thunder. The air was humid, that some of the clouds that hung in the sky. All the animals were huddled in their nests and dens, sleeping through the night with hopes that tomorrow's sun will bring back the warmth to the world. The only creatures that dared be out tonight were the fuzzy rabbits that munched on the leaves, not worrying about predators that might snatch them away, and a few skittering field mice, searching desperately for spare shriveled berries on the forest floor.
In some shadowy area of the woods, something was stirring. The creature rose from it's slumber, shaking off whatever had covered it during its sleep.
The creature let out a yawn and looked around to get its bearings. Once it was fully aware, it sniffed the air, and surprisingly, found a distant scent that it's familiar with. The creature was a little confused as the scent seemed older than when it first encountered it.
Still, it began to follow scent, a primal urge to find the owner of that scent and protect them at all costs.