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Two Moons (1)
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Moonlight's Deception Two Moons (2)
“Witch,” Willow called.“Can you stop calling me a witch? I am not.”Willow released a small wisp of sigh. “The Zephyrian council wouldn’t hold their tongue for too long. It’s only a matter of time before they bombard you with so many questions. How are you going to deal with that?”“Can’t you do something about it, Willow?” She tried to give the air spirit a puppy look even though she knew there wasn’t any soft spot in the Familiar’s heart.“Don’t try that on me. What happened to Princess Ariah isn’t something simple. They’ve been investigating the accident ever since, and now that they know she’s awake, they’ll be extracting answers from you in no time. The king and queen and the council had been generous to give you time when they thought you couldn’t remember.”She sighed. “Then I’ll just keep on pretending not to remember.”“And how long will you keep doing that? For all I know, they’re finding ways to help you remember. A divine healer will be coming from the south to treat you.”
Moonlight's Deception Placement Exam (1)
A morning unlike all others.Emi rested under the shade of a mushroom, her bright blue eyes turning their gaze to the palace servants who each carried a harvest basket. If this was like any normal day in the castle, their laughs and jokes would shower the garden as the trees gift them with fruits in delight. Her skin that was naturally green turned blue, expressing her somber mood. And the little fairy’s perky pointed ears drooped to the sides of her head.She closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath. Even nature had gotten silent this time. Their songs and melody turned into hushes of melancholy.Emi welcomed the cool and damp air, her face in the open and her delicate, transparent wings shivered. She could hear the silent cries of the trees, the flowers’ silent prayers which echoed the same wishes by the people of this kingdom.But when others saw gloom, she saw the world in silver blues. When there was freezing rain kissing the earth and grass, she saw coldness that brought her to a
Moonlight's Deception Placement Exam (2)
Maxwell looked at the prince, prompting him to continue. Alex raised an eyebrow in question then he simply shrugged before busying his eyes as if inspecting the whole place.“That’s what the initial investigation reported,” Maxwell answered in the prince’s stead.“And any student from here can actually pull that off?” Clara asked.“Actually, I…” Holly interrupted, wanting to say something. But she stopped herself, biting her lip. “Never mind. You’re probably right.”“Well, since that case is sort of closed... for now, on to a more important topic—the placement exam.” Maxwell nipped over to Holly and pulled her up by the arm from her seat. “Come on, Miss Vanders.”“Hey! Let go of me, twerp.” The pair exited the hall, their pointless bicker drowning behind the double doors.Then, someone’s hand obscured Clara’s view. Looking at its owner, Prince Alexander was looking somewhere else, refusing to face her.“What?” she asked. He whipped his head with a creased forehead, visibly annoyed.“Wh
Moonlight's Deception Placement Exam (3)
An impressive two-story A-frame cabin stood alone at the end of a gravel path. It had been built away from the greenhouse, in the middle of a shady pocket of redwoods, so its steep, triangular roof and the vast open lawn in front of it were covered with a blanket of fallen needles. There was a nice grassy patch with some picnic tables, but the main attraction was the cabin itself. More than half of it looked like it was made of glass, all wide, tinted windows, and open sliding doors.Clara, Alex, and Maxwell neared the grounds. Students huddled together in a circle around a huge floating diamond crystal, carved with intricacy and a lot of jagged corners. Bright energy was encased inside, it pulsed as if breathing in air. And in every beat was a wave of gentle push like how the sea wave gently lapped the shore.Next to Clara, a girl squealed. As she squeezed her friend by the shoulder and rambled words in a whisper, Clara traced the girl’s line of sight where she spotted an older man ne
Moonlight's Deception Placement Exam (4)
Professor Mabel’s gray hair shone brightly in the sunshine. Indeed she was old and Clara thought she might be weaker. Her age was surplus and people at her age generally began to wither. Wrinkles invaded her face with a few teeth on her mouth. But no, the beauty of her youth was left in wonder. There was something with the way she walked, confident and strong, that made her appear younger than her age.“What’s the point of hitting the diamond crystal? And with that?” Clara asked Alex beside her, she could feel her heart race and her palms grew damp.Alex sighed. “It feels like I’m really showing a new seedling around.” He pointed at the object floating in the center of the lawn, exactly where Professor Rhyb stood. “That huge floating crystal in the middle, it’s actually an energy meter. Each power varies in strength. It always is, depending on the user’s core. And that crystal meter will glow in every power that hits. The amount of glow depends on the intensity of the power; hence, the
Moonlight's Deception Ghastly Aftermath (1)
Clara knew the sun had gone behind the clouds. She could look up and see it for herself, but she couldn’t. And for some reason, she had to squint her eyes to see through the thick cloud of smoke that covered the lawn. The green grass had mixed with the billows of smoke, turning it into a shade of gray. A hollow ringing noise filled up her ears, and her knees began to tremble.Right after she fired that shot of moon magic, a loud ringing of an explosion resonated. A beastly tremor had knocked them off their feet. The crystal meter crumbled into nothing, not a sliver of sign it had been there.The silence screamed through every crevice it could find, freezing the breath they held in an attempt to digest the scene which unfolded. No one dared to ask a question. All they could ever do at the moment was to gape and purely wonder.Her fingers recovered and found their senses. It twitched and clutched tightly the damp grass below, collecting earth under her nails. Then her whole arms found th
Moonlight's Deception Ghastly Aftermath (2)
But alas, Professor Rhyb came back. The Alium was nowhere to be seen, but another man trailed behind him. His long-sleeved jacket covered him to just above his waist and was tightly tied with string slightly off-center. The sleeves of his jacket were wide and reached down to his wrists, decorated with a decorative band almost at the edges. Its narrow v-neck revealed part of the rather simple shirt worn below held together by a simple knot. His pants were loose and were reaching down to his leather boots made from uncommon leather, but were otherwise a design found commonly. And beside him was yet another man, a lot older and time was evident in every line on his face. He was dressed in a white-hooded cloak embellished with intricate swirling patterns.The three were quick to bow down their heads upon seeing the pair. It was Professor Rhyb who spoke. “Prince Alexander, Princess Ariannah, I have brought Elder Hayes and Healer Reed with me. It is best to take matters as quickly as we can.
Moonlight's Deception Suppressant (1)
Nothing could ever be more peaceful than a quiet afternoon. That was if one weren’t bound by any responsibilities. All there was to do was to relax, the mind free of worry and concern.Except that wasn’t the case for Prince Alexander at all.Here he was at the Zephyrus’ old greenhouse—abandoned for so long and never been reconstructed ever since Nivalon Empire went on a rampage. It was a mistake. Their own internal conflict sent a massive storm, ravaging nearby lands and kingdoms. The only remnants of the greenhouse were just an elevated circular platform. Piles of small rubble strewn around it. And the trees were the only ones left standing as if they hadn’t been ready to leave their soil.Perched on a sturdy branch of a tree, leaning against its trunk, Alex would watch Ariah get around her moon magic with the help of Elder Hayes. With the blanket of darkness smearing the glittering sky, the silver glisten of her power blended with the stars.A week had passed, and the rumors spread o
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Moonlight's Deception Charms and Kisses (2)
Together, they exited her temporary chamber inside the palace of the Castellans. The ceilings were high, reaching a thousand feet, decorated with thick thunder clouds that Clara couldn’t quite place if they were mere illusions or not. They navigated through silent halls, past numerous private chambers, until they reached the huge oak doors, leading to the grand ballroom. There were two guards stationed on both sides. As they bowed their heads, pulling the heavy doors open, Clara squeezed Alexander’s arm, her nails digging on the hand-tailored fabric. “Say, Prince Alexander,” she whispered beside him, barely opening her lips, “would you be so kind as to explain what that kiss five nights ago meant and the reason why you ran away as if I was a bee who stung your lips?”Clara could feel the tightening of his arm’s muscles under the layer of fabric. The prince’s jaw tightened and he looked at her narrowingly from the corner of his eyes. Oh, to be reminded of that night. Clara didn’t kno
Moonlight's Deception Charms and Kisses (1)
Grunts and heavy, shallow breathing pierced through the deafening silence of the room. Bullets of sweat traveled down past Clara’s chin as she gripped on tight at the edges of the mirror’s frame. She grimaced as the Castellan’s chambermaid tightened the laced corset around her body. “A little more tight, Princess?” “No, no, please. That’s enough. Thank you.”Clara blew a loud breath through her mouth. The cursed fabric was like a tight vice around her lungs, rendering her incapable to breathe. The chambermaid stepped back and bowed her head and Holly took her place, holding the burgundy and gold ball dress that Clara would wear at the prince’s party. At the mere thought of the fourth prince, Clara’s cheeks were painted red in an instant. There were a lot of things playing in her head. Would Alexander like how she’d look in that fancy gown? That kiss.She heard from Holly that the two royal families decided to order a matching pair of attires for them.That kiss. But wasn’t the g
Moonlight's Deception The Invitation (2)
The night arrived, and so did the masses, turning it into a lively place. Young and old filled the streets with laughter and joy.Caelholme at night was a sea of sparkling lantern lights, a luscious breeze of food delicacies, and a music of sizzling fryers and boiling soups. Food stalls and carts that were not there during the day were now parked at the sides of the square. Tents had been set up along with plastic chairs and tables. It wasn’t the usual picture of Caelholme with people just in for a stroll around the town’s twisting cobbled streets, or to buy and sightsee around the shops, or to have a pleasant chit-chat with friends among fancy tea shops. The scene Clara was witnessing right now was a picture of unwinding, a time for people to vent off. Everybody else was there to simply have fun or get wasted just to forget the rest of their horrible day. Dressed in coarsely woven linen and wool fabric, Clara, Alexander, Maxwell, and Holly blended with the crowd. With Holly’s backg
Moonlight's Deception The Invitation (1)
“A charm is similar to an incantation or a spell; a practice believed to have magic power. It is not something tangible, but any sort of charm can be stored in an enchanter’s possession, may it be precious jewelry or some old photograph. Hiestorans first learned the craft of charm-binding during the Light Age…”Ever since Clara attended Professor Kendrick’s Charms and Relics class this afternoon, her eyes could not set themselves on anything but the girl sitting two rows down from her seat.The rest of the First Class had moved on from their slight ruckus upon the transferee’s arrival and now had shown disinterest in the new girl’s presence. But not Clara. Not when her tiny and petite frame knocked on the doors of her memory. The girl’s paper-white skin and rose blush set Clara keen to know her more. A spark of recognition flickered, but a heavy dark curtain prevented her from remembering.She leaned further to the right, knocking Holly sideways so that she could have a better look at
Moonlight's Deception The Essence (2)
‘Did she just shut me out of the Royal Residence… where I have the right to go in and out?’ The two guards stared at him, both torn apart from letting him in to keeping the doors closed. Alex could barely process that the princess, who was head over heels for him, denied him entrance. “Alex, you princely prick!” The voice rang like a gong in Alex’s ears and that, too, made everyone stop to see who was mad enough to call such a name to the prince. Seeing it was only Maxwell, Prince Alexander’s right-hand man and royal advisor, the onlookers went about their ways.“Where have you been? I was looking for you,” Maxwell said as soon as he skidded to a stop in front of him. With the way he was breathing so heavily, he must have run a mile. Or he might be walking for hours and hours under the glare of the early morning sun.“And you know better not to worry about me.” Alex bit back a scoff. “It doesn’t matter. What do you have for me?”“King Lucian, your father, had sent his Orin this morn
Moonlight's Deception The Essence (1)
Clara had barely squeezed herself inside the office when Professor Rhyb hastily banged the door shut. His fast-paced steps, sweating forehead, and shaking hands struck suspicion to the princess. Whatever it was which made him lock all the doors, shut the windows and block every possible exit, she wanted to know; she won’t take just a simple shrug to the topic as an answer.The woody scent and minty breath of lemons and herbal plants wafted around the closed quarters. Various healing instruments were filed inside the wooden cabinets, apart from pots of plants hanging around the hollow walls and littering the floor. His office was so much like the one found in Terralis, the home of earth-wielders like her. She had been in their palace’s Healers’ quarters before, and being in the sage’s office resembled it so much. Professor Rhyb was a satyr, a creature of the earth, but it was no surprise that Blaire would hire a non-air wielder like him. Their kind had mastered the practice of medicin
Moonlight's Deception Ill Omens (2)
“Alexander! The rock… where is it?”The prince raised an eyebrow in question, nonetheless, he took the stone in his hand, which sat idly beside him all this time. “This? You were holding this before you fainted. I have to have this investigated.”Clara snatched the red rock, much to Alex’s surprise, and enclosed her hands around it, afraid that it might disappear. She waited for something to happen; she was patient. She rid her mind of unnecessary things and focused on what she really wanted: the truth. But much to her dismay, it did nothing and it remained like any ordinary rock.“Why won’t it let me see?” she said on the verge of crying, biting her lip in frustration.“Let you see what?”“The past.” A short breathy laugh that was so unusual of her escaped her lips. Her fingers tensed around the red rock. By now, it was not hard for Clara to tell the expression on the prince’s face. Perhaps, he thought she was being crazy. “Do you know what this rock is? W-When you touched it, has som
Moonlight's Deception Ill Omens (1)
It was hell. That was the only thing she could describe the sensation assaulting her head. And the distasteful stink of rancidity was so oppressive for her sensitive nose.Clara stirred in her sleeping position. Her body screamed of soreness from the hard ground she slept on. As she skimmed her hands over the fabric serving as her cushion, she felt the grease clung to her skin. She sat up with a start, looked around through her half-opened eyes, and realized that her makeshift bed was from the pile of unwashed musty clothes from the wooden chair in the corner. Clara grimaced. She was already on her knees, about to stand up, when she spotted the prince slumped back against the wall, his head lolling to the side. The memory of what unfolded last night came rushing back and it only worsened the pounding in her head. She closed her eyes for a minute, took a deep breath, and picked up a rangy cloth in an attempt to cover him with it. As she was about to drape it over his body like a blan
Moonlight's Deception Vision (2)
Alex strode without delay towards it and up he climbed the tunnel. Clara waited apprehensively at the bottom. Seconds turned to minutes and each time, Clara wanted to go up and follow him. She could only hear Alex’s grunt and the sound of struggling, and that alone sent a relief that at least she knew he was alive.Clara took a few steps back when Alex came back, sliding down the tunnel. His eyes held danger and he was clearly annoyed as he brushed off the dirt from his black dress robe. And this expression alone made Clara worried.“What is that noise?” “We’re trapped.” Alex huffed. He ambled towards the desk, ancient and frail-looking, but he managed to sit on it, arms and ankles crossed. Through the small curtain of hair that covered his midnight eyes, he looked at Clara with the kind of stare which held a power to render someone as stiff as a stone.“Trapped?” she asked and Alex gave one swift nod. “You looked rather… calm. What trapped us here?”“A boulder was jammed in the entra
