Here's the next chapter of Moana: Dragon Adventure. I also made a Lycanwing concept design at my Deviantart. And thank you Sml123 for ideas on this story. And TheGreatGodzilla as well for the ideas of magic.
And the language I'm using is Hawaiian and I had to use google translate.
Back on the Island of Motunui, the villagers were enjoying the company of new dragons. Moana and her friends were able to find the right islands for the dragons, considering they used their instincts, they found their islands and nested themselves happily there. But few stayed at the Motunui and got their own human partner. The little kids played with the Terrible Terrors, finding them cute and playful. Though as the people of Motunui enjoyed their new companies, there was one stranger on the island that was a total mystery to everyone.
The girl that can turn into a Lycanwing.
The mysterious girl was currently inside the healer's hut. Her arms and legs covered in bandages along with her head and chest. She's wearing Moana's old dress since Moana is wearing her new chieftess's dress. It fit perfectly to the unconscious red-haired girl. Gil and Makala healed her up properly. But she lost a lot of energy and was currently resting on the hut. In the hut were Moana, Aliikai, and their friends. Cayden was outside of the hut, looking through the open window, looking at the sleeping girl with suspicion. Moana and Malie were sitting beside the unconscious girl while Gil and Makala finished patching her up while Coral fixed up the girl's old clothes.
"There, now all she needs is rest and some food to eat." Gil said, cleaning up his equipment.
Moana nodded. "Thanks Gil, Makala, you two are a big help." Moana said with a smile.
"No problem, Moana." Makala said with a smile before it vanished to look at the sleeping girl. "Malie, you said that this girl is a…Lycanwing, right?"
Malie nodded. "Yes, me, Moana, Cayden, and Aliikai saw her turn from a dragon into a human." She answered, looking at the sleeping girl.
"We heard about a Lycanwing!" Coral said with wide eyes.
"You do?" Keoni asked her.
Coral nodded while Gil explained the Lycanwing. "Jade showed us a book of rare creatures from different lands and places. And the Lycanwing is known to be a human that has the ability to turn into a dragon, which was dubbed the Lycanwing."
Everyone was impressed by this and Keoni commented. "Huh, I guess you're not the only shapeshifter around here, eh Maui?" There was no snarky remark from the Demigod as Keoni looked around for Maui and noticed that he wasn't here. "Maui?"
The others were confused too as they looked around for the Demigod, and to their surprise, they saw Maui outside, and was hiding behind a palm tree, far from the Healer's Hut. They were looking outside of the hut and the Demigod, who appears to be scared.
"Maui, what are you doing?!" Moana called out though the entrance.
"You know! Keeping watch, that's all!" Maui called out, clearly scared at something.
"What are you talking about?! There's nothing wrong...wait a minute...Are you scared of the girl?!" Moana called out to him, causing Aliikai to hold her laughter.
"No!" Maui yelled out. However, Mini Maui wasn't helping as he made scared poses which earned a glare from Maui. "Quiet you!"
"Why is Maui afraid of the girl? She's barely a threat." Keoni asked in confusion.
Luckily, Gil has the answer for that. "Well, there are some stories and legends that say a Lycanwing's bite can be lethal towards Demigods." He explained.
"Wait, are you saying that a Lycanwing's bite is like a deadly poison to a demigod?" Makala questions him in shock.
"More or less, there are many theories that if a Lycanwing bites a demigod, there could be major side effects like turning into an uncontrollable beast or their power becomes unstable or worsts...death." Gil explained, listing out all the symptoms. This earned looks from everyone, surprised how dangerous a Lycanwing bite can do to a demigod. "Well, that's what the historian of Aquatica says."
"And I'm not taking any chances!" Maui called out before hiding behind the palm tree.
"So, a Lycanwing's bite can be deadly to a Demigod, but to a human, it turns them to a Lycanwing, correct?" Makala asked Gil.
"Yes, but when we were treating her wounds, we didn't find any bite marks on her." Gil explains to them.
"But...how did she turn into a Lycanwing?" Keilani questioned.
"Well, there were stories that a Lycanwing's curse came from Loki, the Norse God of Mischief." Gil explained.
"Curse?" Keilani, Lanuola, and Makala asked in shock.
"That's right. Malie mentioned this when we were on the island." Moana said.
"Yup, and legend says that Loki did it as a cruel joke to an unexpected Viking." Coral added.
"I'll never understand jokes in the Norse Region. I can't tell if they are meant to be funny or not." Makala said.
"Neither do we." Gil said sheepishly.
"Well, we should prepare some food for her when she wakes up." Moana suggested. "Me and Aliikai will stay here and keep an eye on the mystery girl."
"Great idea, Moana." Malie said.
Keoni turns to Maui from a distance. "Maui, are you coming? We're getting food for the mystery girl!" He called out.
Hearing this, Maui made an okay sign. "Great! You guys do that while I'll be somewhere else. BYE!" Maui said before transforming into a giant hawk and flew away in full speed.
"Maui!" Keoni yelled in frustration when the Demigod flew off. Groaning in annoyance, Keoni faced the group. "Well then, I think we should have a change of plan."
"Don't worry." Moana said with an assuring smile. "Malie, Gil, and Coral will get the food while you drag Maui back here."
"We wish we could help too but we promise to help some villages getting used to having dragon companions." Keilani said.
"Understood." Moana said with a nod.
With that said, everyone got on their dragons and did their task. Pōkole went with Keoni and Makaio the Tide Glider. He can help them catch Maui with the Kakamora blow dart that will temporarily paralyze Maui and without Moana's permission. Hehehe…
Anyways, Pua and Mistral were outside of the hut, playing with the children along with the baby dragons. Some adult dragons were watching them, making sure they don't hurt themselves. Heihei, on the other hands, was wandering around the Healer's Hut for no reason. Moana and Aliikai were still tending to the unconscious girl, hoping that she would wake up soon.
"I wonder when she will wake up?" Moana asked her dragon sister as she put a wet cloth on the sleeping girl's forehead.
Aliikai made rumble sounds before gently placing her head on her human sister's lap. Aliikai was assuring Moana that this mysterious girl might wake up soon. This made Moana smile and gently stroke her Night Fury's head.
"Thanks, Aliikai, you're very assuring." Moana said softly.
Aliikai purrs at her sister with a smile as they continue taking care of the girl. Malie, Gil, and Coral came back with fruits and coconut juice. They left the bowl of fruits and the coconut juice at the hut before they left to collect some herbs for Gil's medicines since he was running low after he used it on the mystery girl. Aliikai was napping at Moana's lap while the young chieftess was stroking the Night Fury's head gently. Moana was getting worried about the girl, she hadn't woken up for hours, she feared that she wasn't going to wake up soon.
She didn't have to worry that long as the girl finally woke up at noon. Moana made a small gasp that woke up Aliikai from her slumber. The two sisters in bond watched as the mysterious girl started twitching her eyes and slowly opened them to reveal emerald green color.
"You're awake!" Moana smiled in relief.
The girl suddenly turned to Moana in surprise and quickly sat up from the mat, backing away from her and Aliikai, but soon she released a sharp hiss of pain when she moved. She felt her body ache by the sudden adrenaline.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down! We're not going to hurt you!" Moana quickly assured her. The girl looks at Moana with suspicion, clearly not believing her. But then she notices a Night Fury beside Moana. Aliikai was looking at her suspiciously, ready to defend Moana with her life.
"I-Is that a Night Fury?" The girl spoke (Voice Actress: Jennette McCurdy).
Moana looks at Aliikai and makes a gentle smile as she gently pats her dragon's head. "Yeah, but don't worry. She won't hurt you." She assured her. Aliikai purrs in delight before Moana makes the introduction. "My name's Moana and this is my sister, Aliikai."
The girl looked at her in disbelief. "Your...sister?"
Moana nodded. "Yeah, it may sound weird, but me and Ali grew up together and we share a sisterly bond." She explained with a smile while Aliikai nuzzles her sister happily. Moana then looks back at the girl. "By the way, what's your name?"
The girl looked at them for a while, observing them if she should trust them, but seeing that they weren't even a threat. She answered the two sisters in bond. "Tara, my name is Tara."
Moana smiles at her. "Hello, Tara. I hope you're feeling well."
Tara looks at herself and realizes that she was covered in bandages and wearing a strange attire. "...What the heck am I wearing?"
"Oh, you're wearing my old clothes since yours were...kind of dirty." Moana explains to Tara. "I hope you don't mind."
"...It's...something." Tara said with hesitation.
Moana makes a small smile before she realizes that Tara hasn't eaten yet. She took the bowl of fruit and offered it to her. "Are you hungry?" She asked.
With that said, Tara's stomach began to growl when she saw the bowl of fruit. Though Tara was suspicious about the bowl of fruits. Thinking that Moana might have poisoned it. But Tara could smell that it wasn't poisonous. Accepting the bowl, Tara started devouring the fruits like no tomorrow, which surprised Moana and Aliikai.
"She must be really hungry." Moana whispers to her dragon, who nodded in agreement.
After Tara gulps down the coconut juice, she releases a heavy sigh and puts down the empty coconut shell on to the floor before using her arm to wipe off the juice off her lips. Tara looked at Moana and Aliikai with a grateful look in her eyes.
"…Thanks…" She mutters out, looking towards another direction.
Moana smiled at her kindly. "You're welcome, Tara."
Tara looks down at her hands, fiddling a bit as if she were nervous around Moana. Seeing this, Moana's smile vanished and gave Tara a concerned look. "Is there something wrong?" She asked.
Tara glanced at Moana briefly before resuming to her fiddling hands. "Did…did you see me change?" She mumbles.
"What?" Moana asked confused, didn't get what she said.
"Did you see me change?" Tara repeated, a bit louder.
It took Moana a few seconds to process her question before she realized that Tara was asking her if she saw her changed from a Lycanwing to a human. Aliikai croons at her sister as Moana gave her gentle pats on the head. She turned towards Tara and nodded her head.
"Yes, yes we did." Moana answered calmly, stroking her dragon's head gently.
Tara soon clutched her hands together. "Aren't you…aren't you afraid of what I am? That I turn into a monster?" She asked coldly as Tara glared at her hands.
Suddenly, a gentle hand was placed on top of hers. Tara looked up and saw Moana was giving her an assuring and kind look. "You're not a monster."
"What?" Tara whispers in shock. Clearly, she must be hallucinating by this. "You're joking, right?"
Moana shook her head. "No, I mean. Truth be told, it's kind of amazing to turn to a dragon. It's not every day that we brought someone new to the island."
This caught Tara's attention as she looked at Moana seriously. "Where am I, exactly?" Tara suddenly asked Moana.
"Oh, well...you're at the island of Motunui." Moana answered.
Tara froze and slowly turned towards Moana like a creaking door. "Come again?"
"Um...you're at the island of Motunui...far from the Norse Region…" Moana hesitated with the last part.
"It can't be." Tara mutters in shock as her eyes are wide as dinner plates.
Tara suddenly jumped off the mat, startling Moana and Aliikai in the process, before getting out of the hut. Tara ignored the pain in her body while ignoring Moana to tell her stop and take it easy. But Tara didn't pay attention as she got out of the hut and to the outside. Tara quickly shielded her eyes as they made contact to the bright sun. She soon adjusted them, and they became wide as dinner plates as she saw the world in front of her.
Around her were humans and dragons, living together as one. Tara saw a group of women, carrying baskets of coconuts, and two Deadly Nadders with baskets attached to them to help carry more coconuts. Children were playing with Terrible Terrors and some dragon hatchlings. She saw two Monstrous Nightmares helping farmers in hauling their fields. Hideous Zipplebacks were helping some villagers climbing on coconut trees and Gronckles catching fallen coconuts. Tara started at the scene with shock and amazement in her eyes. Her legs almost gave out if not for Aliika. The Night Fury caught her just in time before she could fall on the ground. Tara stared at her in surprise. She didn't expect this to happen. Aliikai made low rumbles, indicating that she was telling Tara to be careful. Tara looked at her briefly, surprised how fast Aliikai was, but seeing in the Night Fury's eyes, indicating that Aliikai cares about her wellbeing. Tara couldn't help but make a small smile as she gave the Night Fury gentle pats on her head.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful, ya big mother hen." Tara joked, earning a playful snort from Aliikai.
"Do you understand her?" Moana asked Tara as she made her way to her.
Tara nodded as Aliikai helped her stay in balance. "Yeah, it's part of the curse of the Lycanwing."
Moana looked at her with concern. She could tell that Tara had a pretty rough life back in the Norse Region. Suddenly, they heard Cayden's roar. Looking up, they saw Malie riding on Cayden while Gil and Coral were both riding on Shocker the Shockjaw. The two dragons land on the ground and their riders dismount from them. They were surprised to see Tara awake and was beside Aliikai and Moana. But Tara was more surprised to see them and their dragons.
"Tara, these are my friends Malie, Gil, and Coral, and their dragons Cayden and Shocker." Moana introduced Tara to her friends. "Everyone, this is Tara."
"Hello." Malie greeted with a kind smile.
"Nice to meet you." Gil greeted as well but awkwardly.
"Hi!" Coral waved at Tara cheerfully.
Tara stared at Gil and Coral with wide eyes and arch eyebrows. "You're friends…with Sea-People and a Vahlok?!" She almost exclaims in shock, holding up an arm as she gestured at the three.
Moana giggled a bit and rubbed her arm. "Pretty much."
"Don't forget mermaid~!" Coral sang, wrapping an arm around Malie.
Tara turned towards Malie in disbelief. "Come again?
"Malie is a mermaid." Moana answered with a smile. "We met her when we were saving Motunui from total darkness."
Tara looked at Moana with wide eyes. "Wait, the darkness that consumes the island? You stopped it?"
Moana and the others looked at her in surprise, wondering how she knew that. "Yes, we stopped it before it could destroy everything." Moana answered.
"And they help unite a forgotten friendship!" Coral added cheerfully.
Tara stared at them with arch eyebrows and a disbelief look, like she was processing the whole thing. She then turned towards Moana and gave her a blank look. "Okay, I need an explanation, now."
Moana nodded in understanding. They went inside the Healer's Hut while Cayden was outside, watching Heihei walking up to him and began pecking at the Vahlok. They sat down on the wooden floor as Moana explained to Tara about how she and her friends saved the Island Goddess, Te Fiti, and restored life through all the islands. And soon as they did, they were given a mission by Draco and Te Fiti to bring back the dragons back to their region, where they can be free from danger. And how they met the People of Aquatica and united a forgotten friendship. Tara listens to the story, finding it interesting, especially how they fought Te Kā, who was actually Te Fiti that was corrupted after her heart was stolen by a Demigod aka Maui. Speaking of Maui, Tara was curious about him and where he is.
"Sooo, where is this Maui guy?" Tara asked the group.
"Oh, he's hiding from you." Coral answered casually with a simple wave.
Tara stared at her in confusion. "What, why?"
"Maui's afraid you because of you being Lycanwing." Moana explained to her. "And since he is a demigod, he thought your bite might end him like end him, end him, no offense."
Tara waved at her. "None taken."
"So, you're not offended?" Malie asked her almost worriedly.
Tara simply shrugged at her. "Nah, it's kinda funny to think that my bite will end him, which it doesn't."
"Really?" Gil asked curiously.
Tara nodded her head. "Yeah, you see, if I bite a demigod, he or she will share the same effects when humans are bitten by a Lycanwing." Tara explained.
"Really? So, Maui shouldn't have a reason to fear you." Gil said.
"Oh, he should fear me." Tara said with a grin. "Otherwise, he'll end up being a Weredragon-Demigod."
Everyone laughed at this. They got to admit, they thought Tara was a total stranger to them, but she was actually a funny person. Aliikai, Shocker, and Cayden liked since she can turn into a dragon and doesn't oppose a threat to their riders, they trust her.
"That's something that we don't want." Moana said, between giggles.
Gil nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it is a fascinating information, but how do you know that a demigod has the same effect as a human does when Lycanwing bites them?" Gil questions her curiously.
This made Tara call into silence, like she was hesitant to answer, but with a small and yet awkward shrug, she replied. "I just...know."
The others looked at her with concern, wondering if there was something wrong. Though, Tara was hoping that they shouldn't be concerned about the reason why she knows this. Suddenly, they heard a girly scream coming from the outside. Turning towards the opening of the hut, they saw Maui being dragged by Keoni and Makaio. The two males were holding on to Maui's feet, dragging him to the hut where Tara and the others are. Maui was screaming at them to let him go as he dragged his fingers on to the ground, creating a trail in the process. His magical fish hook was being carried by a Monstrous Nightmare, and riding on its back was Pōkole. The little Kakamora got this Stoker Dragon to help them carry Maui's fish hook while Keoni and Makaio dragged Maui to the hut.
"No! Let me go! I don't wanna die!" Maui screamed.
"Maui! Stop acting like an overgrown baby!" Keoni ordered as he and Makaio put their backs to it in dragging him to the hut.
"Well, it looks like they found Maui." Malie said while cringing at the sight.
Coral giggles a bit. "Now that's funny." She complimented between giggles.
Moana glanced at Tara with an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. Maui can be…Maui."
Tara laughs at the sight. "Eh, it's okay. It's kinda nice to see something funny." She said before getting up from the floor. "Come on, I wanna meet you other friends."
"Are you sure?" Gil asked hesitantly before glancing at Maui's dragging form and then back to Tara. "I don't think he knows yet."
"Meh, I'm sure he'll figure it once I tell him." Tara said before walking out of the hut with the others.
Meanwhile, Maui was holding onto a rock with his dear life as Keoni and Makaio were pulling him towards the hut. But the stubborn demigod refused to cooperate as he holds on to the big rock with his dear life.
"Maui! She's probably sleeping!" Keoni said as he and Makaio were trying to make Maui let go.
"No! She'll probably sneak attack us and bite the first person she sees, and that person is me!" Maui screamed.
"She's not gonna bite you!"
"She will!"
"Hmmm…probably."
Maui froze at the new voice before turning to his right side to see Tara, giving him a mischievous smile as she was kneeling beside him. "Sup." She greeted him casually.
"AAAAHHHH!" Maui screamed, accidentally letting go of the rock.
And as he did, the demigod collided with Keoni and Makaio before they barrel-rolled over to Cayden, who stopped the three males from getting hurt. Moana and the others winced in sympathy while Tara snickered at the sight. They quickly went over to them while the three males groaned at the sudden collision. Maui was on the bottom while Makaio and Keoni were on top of him.
"Ugh, everything in my body hurts!" Maui groans in pain before looking up to see the others looking at him before his eyes turn towards Tara. In a few seconds, Maui screamed and jumped on his feet, sending Makaio and Keoni flying to the sky, who yelped in surprise, before Maui hid behind Cayden.
"Don't let her bite me!" Maui yelped in fear.
Makaio lands on the ground with Keoni his back. He was able to catch him before he fell to the ground. Keoni gets off his dragon's back, giving him some pats on the head, before walking over to his girlfriend.
"So, care for the introduction?" Keoni asked politely but his eyes at Tara suspiciously.
Moana placed an assuring hand on Keoni's shoulder. "Keoni, this is Tara. Tara, this Keoni and his Tide Glider, Makaio." She introduced them to Tara. Then Pōkole jumps off the Monstrous Nightmare and goes over to them while the Stoker Class dragon puts the hook down and then leaves to go fishing. "And this is Pōkole, a Kakamora."
"A Kaka-wha?"
"Kakamora is kinda like pirates in our region." Moana explains to Tara.
"Well, then. That's a cute pirate. Nice meet ya guys." Tara said with a small salute.
"Likewise." Keoni said as his suspicion slowly disappeared. "Sorry about the scene we made."
Tara waved him off. "Nah, no worries. It's funny that he doesn't know a Lycanwing's bite can turn him into a dragon instead of killing him."
"Hey! It's not-wait…what do you mean, not kill me?" Maui asked, peeking behind Cayden's front leg.
Gil was the one that explained the situation. "What Tara means, Maui. That a demigod has the same effects a human does when a Lycanwing bites them. So, basically, you don't have to be afraid of her."
"…How's that gonna make me feel better?!" Maui asked loudly in an annoyed tone. "It sounds even worse than being killed by a bite of a Lycanwing!"
Tara rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop whining you overgrown baby." Tara said.
"I am not a baby…anymore." Maui defended himself.
Tara rolled her eyes. "Sure, thing Mr. I bring darkness throughout the land." She stated to him.
Maui and Keoni looked at her in surprise, wondering if Moana and the others must've told her the story of how the darkness happened and ended. But Tara was able to beat them by raising her hand.
"Before you guys ask, yes: I know about the whole darkness legend. And two: No, I didn't know that you guys stopped it and saved the whole world…until now." Tara said.
"You know the story of the darkness?" Malie asked curiously.
Tara nodded. "Yeah, the dragons know about the story or the darkness. It was passed down from generation to generation." She explained.
"They did?" Malie asked in shock.
"Yup, dragons knew that the Norse Region wasn't their real home." Tara said as she began the tale. "They used to live here, in a tropical region where the humans are kind and dragons could fly free."
"Wow, that's some story." Keoni commented impressively.
Tara nodded. "Yeah, an old dragon told me this story many times when I was a kid. It made me believe that there is a safe haven for dragons and me to live in peace." She explained to her.
"Wait a minute…" Maui cuts her off as he moves away from Cayden. "You were raised by a dragon?"
"Not at first, I once had a human mom." Tara said with hesitation.
"Had?" Moana asked with a hint of worry in her tone.
Tara didn't respond as he looked down at the ground. "It's…complicated."
The others looked at her with concern, wondering if something happened to her mom that they needed to know about. But seeing her like this, they decided not to push it until she feels like talking. Moana sighs gently and suddenly gets an idea. She decided that since Tara is new here, maybe she wants to have a tour around the island of Motunui.
"Hey, Tara? Since you're new here. How about we give you a personal tour around Motunui." Moana suggested. They all looked at her in surprise, especially Tara. I mean, she didn't expect to have a tour around the island.
"Really?" Tara asked in surprise.
Moana nodded with a smile. "Yeah, if…you want."
Tara thinks about it for a while. Motunui sounds interesting. I mean, she doesn't want to miss out on this awesome tour. And besides, this place sounds better than the islands that she visited, except the part where she was almost killed by a group of hunters. Tara shivered at the thought before looking at Moana with a grin.
"Lead the way." Tara said.
Moana smiles and starts the tour. The others joined in since they wanted to see Tara's reaction in Motunui. Pōkole sat on Keoni's shoulder as they showed Tara the village and how the people work together in their daily lives. Their first destination was the dance lesson hut. And Tara witnessed young children learning how to dance their traditional dance while some dragons watched them curiously, mostly Changewings. Tara always knew that these Mystery Class Dragons have a strong curiosity like manner and would copy anything new and interesting. Which was adorable since some Changewings were trying to learn how to dance, much to the children's amusement. The children waved at Moana and her friends, happy to see the ones that brought the dragons here. They waved back while Tara hesitantly followed since it was her first time being greeted like that.
They soon walked over to the village square and Tara was greeted by kind villagers. It was weird for Tara since it's been long for her to have a warm greeting in her life. They soon saw Mavia and his Changewing named Pahuole were standing at the new stable hut for the dragons.
"Hey, Mavia!" Moana greeted them as they made their way to Mavia and Pahuole.
"Oh, hey!" Mavia greeted with a wave.
"Tara, I want you to meet Mavia and his dragon, Pahuole." Moana introduced Tara to them.
"Nice to meet you." Mavia greeted her as well as Pahuole. Aliikai went over to Pahuole before the two dragons started playing around. Tara was busy looking at the dragon hut stable.
"So, what's that?" Tara points at the stable hut.
"Oh, since there are some dragons living with us, we decided to build a home for them. We're going to make more on the East side and at the Keahi Clan." Mavia explained.
"The what?" Tara asked in confusion.
"The Keahi Clan is a warrior clan." Moana explains to Tara. "They're experienced in hand to hand combat and weaponry. They protect the island from invaders. Keoni here is one of the members and the future leader."
Tara looked at Keoni in surprise. "Wow, big responsibility you got there." Tara complimented him.
Keoni shrugged. "It is, since I am the only son of the Keahi leader."
"Only son? So, no brothers?" Tara asked as they all started walking.
Keoni shook his head. "No, I only have three older sisters." He answered.
"Three older sisters? Haha! Sounds like a handful." Tara said with a grin.
Keoni laughed a bit. "They can be like that, but I can assure you, they are very caring."
"And terrifying." Maui mutters that part, earning a light slap from Malie. "What? You know it's true."
"Maui." Moana scolded at him silently.
"What did he mean by terrifying?" Tara asked.
"Maui's afraid of Keoni's mom and sisters." Coral answered cheerfully while skipping through the path.
Tara, for the first time, burst into a fist of laughter, finding it hilarious to hear that. "Oh, by the Gods! You're afraid of his mom and sisters?! Hahaha!"
"Hey! It's not funny!" Maui said in annoyance as they made their way to the Keahi Clan.
"It kinda is." Tara said, still laughing.
As they reached the clan, they saw trainees were at the field, practicing hand to hand combat. Tara was impressed by this and noticed younger kids were learning the basic defenses by a combat teacher, who was almost the same size as Maui.
"That big guy training the kids is Manu." Moana pointed out to Tara, who was observing them. "He teaches Keahi children basic combat."
"Not bad." Tara complemented before she noticed something on the field. "Hmmm…"
Tara walked away from the group as she went towards a big field to see three females-aka Keoni's sisters-were teaching Keahi warriors on properly being friends with the dragons.
"Who are they?" Tara asked curiously.
"They are my sisters." Keoni explains to her as he pointed out to each of his sisters. "The oldest one is Keilani, the second is Lanuola, and the third is Makala. They each have different personalities like Keilani is the warrior sister, Lanuola is the hunter sister, and Makala is the healer sister."
"Okay, your sisters' sound awesome." Tara said with a grin.
After the three sisters finish their lecture, the new riders start bonding with their dragons, Moana and her friends make their way to them. Keilani, Lanuola, and Makala became delighted to see them as they came to greet the group.
"Aloha!" The three girls greeted them with a smile.
"A what-what?" Tara asked in confusion.
Moana giggled along with Malie and Coral. "It's our way of saying hello or goodbye." Moana said with a smile.
"Oh...um...Aloha to you too…I guess." Tara said with hesitation.
"Not much of a talker, aren't you?" Keilani said with a smile.
"Yeeaahhh...I've been by myself for a looong time." Tara answered, rubbing her arm awkwardly.
Just then, Triple Stryke, Grapple Grounder, and a Snaptrapper came and landed behind Keoni's sisters. The Triple Stryke went to Keilani, the Grapple Grounder went to Lanuola, and Snaptrapper went to Makala. Tara guessed that these dragons belong to the three sisters.
"I take it that these dragons are yours?"
Keilani nodded proudly and pats the Triple Stryke's side gently. "Yup! This is Malo, my Triple Stryke and great combat partner."
"My Grapple Grounder is named after an ancestor of ours named Honua. She helps me in hunting and teaching me new wrestling moves." Lanuola said, earning a nuzzle from her Grapple Grounder.
"And my dragon's name is Plumeria, Hibiscus, Pikake, and Naupaka." Makala said, earning a look from Tara, wondering how she can call out to them like that. "But if we're in a hurry, I call them Bouquet."
"Ah." Tara said before noticing something on Malo's back. "What's on his back?"
Hearing this, Malo lowered his back, and something slid off. It revealed to be a sea-turtle with a squid on its back. The sea-turtle crawled over to Gil slowly with the squid on its back. Tara watched as the turtle made its way to Gil as the Amphibian man picked it up while Coral grabbed the Squid happily.
"Hey, Sheldon. Did you and Inka have fun with the dragons?" Gil asked the sea-turtle. Sheldon simply nods his head while Inka wiggles her arms happily.
"Sheldon? Inka?" Tara asked in confusion.
"Is the name we gave for our pets." Coral answered, hugging Inka happily. "Sheldon is a kind sea-turtle and Inka is a helpful friend. She keeps Sheldon from falling off from the dragon's back."
"…Smart." Tara said before she notices the three sisters getting on their dragons. "Where are you girls goin'?"
"Checking the trainees," Keilani began as Malo readied himself to take off. "We have to make sure they don't get hurt since they're still new in riding dragons."
"Good idea." Moana said with a nod.
"It was nice meeting you Tara!" Makala said kindly before the dragons took off to the sky.
"Same!" Tara called out to them as they took off. Tara then looked over to Maui. "They don't seem terrifying."
Maui laughs dryly at her while the rest hold their laughter. Tara has a funny sense of humor. They soon left the Keahi Clan and went back to the village and led Tara to a hut where she saw some villagers cooking. Pua was there with Mistral as they were getting treats from the village children. They soon saw Moana and the group and quickly went to them. Moana picks up Pua and hugs him happily while Mistral lands on Aliikai's back. Tara didn't bother to look at them as she was looking at two women inside the hut, mashing a pale, purplish-grey looking paste on a wooden tray. They were using stone pestles to mash it.
"What are they doing?" Tara points in the direction of the women, who were cooking.
Everyone followed her gaze and saw what she meant. Moana smiled at Tara. "They're pounding Taro."
"Taro?" Tara questioned.
"It's a type of root." Moana said with a giggle. "They're making it into a unique food that we like to call Poi."
"Sounds weird." Tara said.
"But it tastes good. Speaking of which, Maui needs to eat." Maui said as he walked over to the hut.
"Wanna try one?" Moana asked Tara.
"I don't know…I never actually ate something that I don't know yet." Tara confessed.
Moana then grabbed Tara's hand, surprising her in the process. "Come on, you'll like it." She said kindly before dragging Tara to the hut.
When they reached the hut, they saw Moana's mom, Sina, handing Maui a wooden bowl that had a banana leaf inside and Poi. Maui licked his lips and rubbed his hands before accepting the bowl from Sina and gulped down the food. Sina then smiles at Moana and her friends.
"Oh! Our guest has finally woken up." Sina said towards Tara.
"Yup. And we're showing her around the island." Moana said to her mom. "Tara, this is my mom, Sina. She helps the people with the harvest, weaving, and cooking."
"Hey." Tara greeted her with a simple wave.
"Aloha, do you want to try some Poi?" Sina asked, offering Tara a bowl.
At first, Tara was hesitant as she took the bowl and held it in her hands. She looked at the strange looking paste like food. She glanced at Moana and her friends as they gave an encouraging smile and thumbs up while Maui was having seconds. With a gulp, Tara placed two fingers at the center of the bowl, scoping the Poi with a twist, before bringing it up to her mouth and swallowing it. And once she tasted it, her eyes widened in delight as a satisfied smile spread to her face. She gulps down the rest like no tomorrow, surprising everyone, including Maui. Pua and Mistral were on Aliikai's back, watching Tara gulping down the dish. After Tara finished eating, she licked her lips and let out a loud burp, surprising everyone yet again. She placed the bowl down and gave Sina a sheepish grin.
"S'cuse me."
"No worries." Sina said kindly with a smile. "I'm just glad you liked it."
"It's really delicious." Tara admitted. "It has a sweet, smooth, creamy texture."
"Yup, it has that." Sina said with a smile.
"So, why are you making these?" Tara asked.
"Well, since the dragons are returning to our region, we decided to make a festival in honor of their return and their dragon god, Draco." Sina said with a smile. "And we call it, the Dragon Festival."
"You made a holiday for the dragons? That's a first, back in my region, the Vikings there would kill a dragon on sight." Tara answered, shocking some of the locals.
"Why in the name of ancient ancestors did they do that?" Asked a male farmer.
"Vikings are known to have…stubbornness issues and occupational hazard." Tara answered as she looked at the shock crowd. "They don't often listen to reason; they just attack first and ask questions later."
"Yeesh and I thought the monsters at Lalotai were bad." Maui said as he eats another bowl of Poi.
"Lalotai?" Tara questions that word.
"Lalotai is known to be the Realm of Monsters. No human or magical being dared enter that realm." Gil explained to Tara, remembering it from a book that he read.
"Monsters, gods, legends of the paradise, your region has more to offer than the Norse." Tara complimented.
Moana smiles at her. "Yeah, it does."
"By the way, when does the festival of dragons start?" Tara asked curiously.
"In three days." Moana said with a smile. "We're still preparing the decoration, dance, and the food."
"That's a lot of preparation." Tara commented.
"It is, but when working together, we accomplish anything." Moana said. "Come on, we'll show you where the fishing area is."
Tara nodded and followed the group while they waved at Sina and the others. They went to a different path that leads to the beach and Tara saw fishermen coming back from the sea with Tidal Class dragons. They set down their catch while giving some to the dragons as a thank you. Tara was impressed how the people of Motunui are working together with the dragons so easily. They were greeted by the fishermen as they gave the dragons raw fishes, which they enjoyed. Tara caught the extra fish before surprising everyone as she ate it raw. Tara told them that due to her being a Lycanwing, she can eat raw fish or meat in her human form. Maui finds it disgusting but others find it interesting. They continued their tour through the island, and they went over to a stone floor to see two males were twirling poles of fire. Tara was amazed by this as they twirled them around with ease without getting burned.
"Woah! That's new! I didn't know you guys can do that!" Tara exclaims at the two males.
"They're doing a fire dance." Keoni explains to Tara. "Since the festival is about dragons, we decided to honor them with this dance."
"Heh, impressive, but you know there's water dragons here, right?"
"We know, that's why we contacted the merfolks and the sea people of the Dragon Festival, and they're going to perform too!" Coral said cheerfully.
"How'd you manage that?" Tara asked them.
"Well, considering Malie is not only a mermaid, she's also the daughter King Seaton and Queen Vivia, Prince Nereus and Prince Jethro." Gil explains to Tara.
Tara looked at him dumbfounded and then towards Malie, who was laughing nervously. "Oh, shut up! You're telling me that Mal here is a princess!"
Everyone shrugged their shoulders, including the dragons. "What's next? Moana being the chief of this island!?"
"She is."
Tara turned around to see Tui standing beside her with a smile on his face. "My daughter, Moana, is the new Chief of Motunui."
Tara made a blank look at Tui before slowly turning towards Moana. "Anymore surprises?" She asked dryly.
Everyone laughed at this while Tui went over to Moana and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I see our guest has woken up from her sleep." He said.
Moana nodded and looked at her dad. "Dad, this is Tara, the girl we've told you about. Tara, this is my dad, Tui."
Tara looked at Tui with a hint of curiosity. "So, you're Moana's dad? Wouldn't that make you the chief?"
Tui chuckled. "Formally, but since Moana has taken the role as the chief, I became her advisor." He explains to her.
Tara slowly nodded before asking with hesitation. "When Moana said that she told you about me, does that mean…"
"Yes, we know about your dragon transformation." Tui said.
"And…neither of you guys are freaked out about this?" Tara asked.
"Why? We saw Maui can transform into different varieties of animals before." Keoni explained.
"So, true." Maui said, drinking a coconut.
Tara looked at them in surprise. She thought that they might freak out because of her Lycanwing gift, but instead, they were more impressed. All her life, Tara remembered to keep herself distant from Viking community after she activated her Lycanwing ability, she steered clear from any Vikings or humans, staying in forest or abandoned villages. Tara always felt alone there, but she had to. It was to keep herself safe. But here in Motunui, they don't fear her. Instead, they welcomed her with open arms and didn't judge by her ability. It felt…nice.
"Tara? Are you okay?" Moana asked in concern. Tara looked at her confusion before Moana pointed out. "You're crying."
Upon hearing this, Tara placed a hand on her face and sure enough, she felt a tear. She was so lost in thoughts that she didn't know she was crying. Wiping her eyes with her head, Tara looked at the group in a hidden expression.
"Sorry, I guess I'm not used to having people to understand my…Lycanwing ability." Tara confessed. "I mean, it is a curse."
"To them." Tui said as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, surprising Tara in the process. "But to us, it's more of a magical ability."
Tara scoffed a bit, almost hiding her laughter, as Tui withdrew his hand from her shoulder. "I never knew my curse can be such a 'magical gift'."
"Hey, shapeshifting is not a curse, watch!" Maui said as he gave his coconut to Gil.
Realizing what he means, Keoni tries to stop him. "Maui, don't you-"
"Cheehoo!"
With that battle cry, Maui uses his hook to transform into multiple animals like a fish, bug, shark, and then giant hawk before turning back to his human form with a grin on his face. There was applause by some villagers, finding it amazing to see him transform. Mini-Maui shook his head while Keoni did a facepalm and Moana & Aliikai gave Maui an annoyed look.
"Really, Maui?" Moana asked in annoyance.
"What? I'm just showing her, that's all." Maui said.
"By showing her, you mean, showing off again." Keoni sated as he removed his hand from his face.
Maui pointed it out to him. "Pretty much."
Tara snorts her laughter. "Now I see why you carry around that hook." She said.
"Yup! Given to me by the gods and is the strength of my powers." Maui said with a grin before looking at Tara. "Since I did mine, let's see do yours."
This got Tara off guard as she looked at the group. She never uses her ability in front of others, let alone humans. Tara wasn't sure if she could do it. Seeing her uncomfortable state, Moana decided to step in.
"If it's personal, we won't try to force you." Moana said, getting Tara's attention. "If you're ready show us, just let us know."
Tara looked at her with suspicion and curiosity. She always wonders why she and the others were being nice to her. Is it out of fear or curiosity? Or they were lying to her? But by the look like they were lying. And they did save her life and fed her food that was not poisonous. They were welcoming and made her feel comfortable. Tara's dragon instinct was telling her that she should trust, and she always trusted her instincts.
"It's fine." Tara said to Moana. "I can show you how to turn into a Lycanwing, but I need a big space."
At the beach, the villagers and dragons were gathered behind the undergrowth as they watched Tara getting ready to transform. Tara was standing at the sand while Moana and her friends were at a safe distance. Cayden was there to keep watch while Pua, Mistral, Sheldon, Inka, and Pōkole were hiding behind him. Aliikai, Makaio, and Shocker were beside the Vahlok with their riders and Maui by their side. The sun was going down. And her body started to tense. Closing her eyes, Tara takes a deep breath and releases a deep growl. Finally, after seems like forever, Tara snaps opened her eyes, to reveal dragon eyes. Her body started to grow and slowly grow scales. Her head morphed into a wolf like features. Her teeth were turning into fangs. She soon started to grow wings in her arms. And soon, standing there was no longer Tara, but a red dragon with emerald green eyes.
The Lycanwing.
The crowd gaped at her in shock, especially Maui. The Demigod dropped his hook on the ground and stared at Tara's Lycanwing's form. Cayden was the only one that kept a stern face as Tara adjusted her body. Moana looked at her in amazement and wonder, she saw Maui transform, but Tara…Tara takes the cake in transformation. Moana slowly made her way to Tara, but Aliikai came to her, letting out worried croons. Moana pats her gently.
"It's okay, Ali. I'll be fine." Moana said with assurance.
Aliikai was still worried as she allowed her sister to go forward to Tara. Moana looks at Tara as the human now dragon looks down at Moana as she approaches her. Moana stops a few feet from Tara as the red dragoness lowers her massive head at Moana. They both looked at each other in the eyes.
"T-Tara?" Moana spoke hesitantly. "Are you…okay?"
Tara nodded her dragon head slowly before she did something that shocked Moana. "Never better."
Moana gasped as she heard Tara from her head. She didn't speak through her mouth. No, she spoke through her mind.
"T-Tara!? D-Did y-you…you speak through my head?!" Moana asked in shock.
Tara made a dragon laugh. "Yup, another perk of being a Lycanwing, I can communicate with humans through my mind."
"You can!" Gil exclaims as he and the others made their way to her.
"Yeah, I only do it with my mom but since I trust you guys, I think you should know my ability." Tara said with a dragon grin.
Soon, the children came running over to her with cheers of excitement and awe. They were touching her scales and her tail while some were climbing on her. Of course, their parents came and scolded them for being rude. Tara assured them that she didn't mind, although she was getting uncomfortable since she was getting used to strange climbing on her Lycanwing form. As the kids calm down, Aliikia bounced over to Tara, her fears disappeared and her curiosity has grown, as she lets out joyful roars and grunts.
"Wow! Easy girl! What's gone into you?" Moana asked her dragon sister.
"She's saying that she wants to fly." Tara translated with a challenging grin. "Wanting to see how fast a Lycanwing can go."
"Really girl? You want to race with Tara?" Moana asked her Night Fury, earning happy roars from Aliikai. "Okay, okay, easy now!"
"You know, I always wanted to race a Night Fury." Tara said with a grin.
Moana gave a challenging smile. "Let's find out."
Soon afterwards, Aliikai hoists her human sister on her back as she and Tara prepare themselves to take off. Soon, the others decided to join in the race as they got on their dragons while Maui turned to a giant hawk. Pua, Mistral, Sheldon, Inka, and Pōkole cheered for them as they were ready to race. The villagers and the other dragons cheered as well, wanting to see them race.
"Are you ready?" Moana asked Tara with a grin.
Tara grins back and looks at the sky with determination. "Ready as I'll ever be!"
"Let's go!" Moana cheered before Aliikai let out a roar before she and the others took off in full speed.
Tara roared in delight as she enjoyed the wind in her scales. She and Aliikai were neck and neck since they were faster bult. Behind them were Cayden, Makaio, Shocker, and Maui. They were trying to catch up to them but Aliikai and Tara were proven to be too fast for them. They race around the island while the villagers cheered on. And in the end, both Aliikai and Tara were proven to be fast. They and the others all headed home after the race. Tara, now in her human form, stayed with Moana and her parents. Malie was living with them since it was also her home too. They all went to sleep but one was still awake. Tara didn't sleep yet as she lay down on the mat with both her arms resting on her head. She was looking at the ceiling with mixed emotions of happiness, worry, sadness, and confusion. Tara couldn't understand what was wrong but decided to have a nightly stroll to ease her mind. Getting up from her mat, Tara walks out of the room silently and heads out without making a sound. She sneaks past Cayden as she makes her way down to the dirt path. The moonlight was her source of light as she made her way towards the beach. She sat there on the sand, her arms hugging her legs, as she looked at the dark ocean. She sat there for a while until she heard something.
"I know you guys are there." Tara said, not turning around.
Standing behind Tara were Moana, Malie, and their dragons along with Pua and Mistral on Cayden's back. They came here after Aliikai woke up to find out that Tara was gone. Concern, they secretly followed her here to check on her if she was okay. But for some reason Tara felt like she wanted to be alone.
"Sorry if we were bothering you." Moana said as she and Malie went over to her. "We were worried that you suddenly disappeared in the middle of the night."
Tara sighs a bit and looks at them as they sit between her. Moana on her right and Malie on her left. Aliikai lay down her head on Moana's lap while Cayden sat behind them with Pua and Mistral on his back. "I just…I just not used to be with people, let alone humans yet."
"We understand, it'll take time for you to adjust this new lifestyle." Moana said kindly.
Tara chuckles a bit. "I bet…" Tara said before trailing off as she looked at the moon with a sad expression. "You know…it's nice to have people to talk to for once. I'm always used to being alone, but now…now I feel strange."
This caught everyone's attention as they looked at Tara in confusion. "What do you mean?" Moana asked.
"I mean…I still can't shake the feeling of being accepted. I always thought being alone makes me safe but here…here I feel accepted, happy, and…and…"
"Free?" Moana added.
"Yes! I just never felt like this in years since…since…since I lost my family, my human family." Tara said sadly as she looked at Moana. "They were the only ones I could trust, to keep me safe."
Moana and Malie looked at her worriedly. "What happened to them? If you don't mind." Moana said softly.
Tara sighs through her mouth and looks at her hands sadly. "They died a long time ago."
"WHAT?!" They heard Maui's voice.
They, and the dragons, turned around to see Maui. The Demigod was hiding behind a tree, but he's not alone. With him were Keoni, Coral, Gil, and their dragons along with Pōkole, Sheldon, and Inka. Keoni and Makaio were glaring at Maui in annoyance while Coral and Gil were giving the group a nervous smile.
"Hi…sorry for eavesdropping." Coral apologized.
Tara simply waves them off. "No need. I think you guys should know about my messed-up life." She said.
"How messed up we're talking about?" Maui asked as he and the others joined in and sat close to Tara.
Tara sighs with hesitation before looking at them seriously. "Remember I told you guys I used to have a human mother?" Tara asked, earning nods from the group. "Well, before I knew I had the Lycanwing curse, I was a daughter of a trader."
"Just your mom? No dad?" Coral asked in wonder.
Tara shook her head. "No dad, it was just us. You see, my mom's trader. She sails off throughout the archipelago, trading rare and unknown goods. I didn't know my dad until my mom told me when I turned eight."
"What do you mean?" Keoni asked Tara.
"As it turns out, the reason why I never met my dad is because he's...a god." Tara answered almost annoyed.
…
…
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock, especially Maui.
"Your dad is a god!?" Maui asked in shock.
"Really!?" Moana suddenly exclaims.
"Wait a second, if your mom is a human and is a god, wouldn't that make you…" Gil trailed off and Coral was the one who finished for him.
"-A demigod!?"
"Bingo." Tara answered them as she sighs.
"So, that's why you know that a demigod has the same effects as humans when bitten by a Lycanwing, because you're a demigod!" Gil said in realization.
"…Yeah." Tara said before lowering her head.
"Hold on, when Moana and I found you, you didn't have any bite mark on you." Malie explained to her.
"That's because I was born with the curse thanks to my good-for-nothing dad who gave it to me." Tara said in anger when she mentioned her dad.
Her words got Gil's mind to click in realization, figuring out who her dad was and because there was one god that did a Lycanwing curse. Malie and Coral knew this as they looked at each other worriedly and then to Tara, who was glaring the fire.
"Your dad…he's Loki, isn't he?" Gil asked her worriedly.
Tara's response was a nod as she continued glaring at the fire.
"Loki?" Maui suddenly asked. "Isn't he that Norse God of Mischief that I heard from our gods?"
"Yup, that's him." Gil said with a nod.
"Yeah, and you know what else? He thinks it's funny to curse his OWN daughter to be a Lycanwing to scare people!" Tara exclaims to them.
"He did that?" Moana asked in shock.
"He did! It was hard to carry the Lycanwing curse because of him. My mom keeps telling me to keep it a secret and I shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me."
"That's why you stray away from humans, so you won't transform into a Lycanwing, correct?" Gil theorized.
"Yes, and due to my mom being a trader, we travel a lot. I rarely had any human friends. And my mom was my only friend." Tara explains to them sadly.
The group looked at each other worriedly, feeling terrible about Tara's life, but then they began to wonder. How did Tara's mom and dad even meet?
"How did your mom and dad…you know…met?" Moana suddenly or dared to ask.
Tara sighs again and looks at the moon. "During one of her journeys, she met my dad on a trading island. They had one-nightstand. And before my mom could leave, my dad revealed himself to her and told her that she will bear his Lycanwing child aka me." Tara sarcastically points to herself with her thumb.
"That bad?" Maui asked.
"Yeah, that bad!" Tara exclaims as she gets up on her feet and spreads her arms in anger. "And then he took off without a care in the world! My mom had to take care of me on her own, thanks to my good for nothing, selfish, horrible, son of a-"
The ocean's waves crashed to cover up Tara's swearing storm while the others looked at her with wide eyes and jaws dropped at Tara's sudden ranting. Cayden was staring at her with a blank expression, not pleased by her sudden outburst. Moana and Aliikai looked at each other and then back to a silent ranting Tara, whose voice was covered up by the ocean's waves. After a few seconds of her mute ranting, Tara was able to come down while the group, minus Cayden, stared at her awkwardly. She was panting a bit after releasing her anger towards her dad.
"…You good?" Moana asked nervously.
Tara soon lets out a heavy sigh as she calmed herself down. "Yeah, I'm good."
"So, what happens next?" Coral asked curiously.
After Loki left my mom, she went to a village called Blackwood. It's known for its black trees, she had me and took care of me until I was old enough to travel with her." Tara explained before she sat back down with a sad and yet happy expression on her face. "It was fun growing up with her when we traveled together, trading many materials, hearing some interesting stories from other traders. And when I was five, I was able to activate my Lycanwing ability. I had to keep it hidden, though I did have help in combat and weaponry training thanks to some warriors that we stayed on their islands for a few days. I was able to control my power without any problems. Life with her was great until…"
Tara suddenly cuts herself off as memories come flashing back to her mind. The group saw this and began to worry, wondering what was wrong.
"Did something happen to her?" Moana asked worriedly.
Tara was silent at first, like she didn't want to talk about it. "It's okay, Tara." Malie suddenly said, "Take your time."
Tara glanced at Malie and then sigh as she told her the story. "When I was thirteen, my mom and I were sailing through the ocean, we were heading towards an island called Berk when suddenly a storm came out of nowhere and capsized our boat. I was able to survive the capsized but my mom…my mom didn't make it."
"What?" They all asked in shock.
"I tried to find her, screaming her name, searching through the dark waters but…I couldn't find her, she was gone, I was alone."
Everyone looked at her with shock and pity, realizing that her mother must have died during a terrible storm. It must've traumatized Tara to lose her mother like that. She tried to save her, but she couldn't, she couldn't save her mother and blamed herself for her mother's loss.
"Soon, I was saved by a Deadly Nadder mother. She took care of me when I was able to get on my feet. I spent time with her and some dragons on the island I stayed. But I had to leave to explore the archipelago. I traveled alone for four years. Avoiding humans, surviving, and fighting off any hunters that try and capture me." Tara explained to them sadly.
"Hunters?" Keoni questions.
"Dragons Hunters hunt dragons as sport. They take their teeth, hides, and bones as trophies." Gil explains to them grimly.
"That's horrible!" Moana exclaimed in shock and horror, who would've done such a thing like that?
"It was, I barely escaped their attack a few days ago. But I was lucky that Moana and Malie were able to save me from my injuries, I'm grateful for that." Tara said.
Hearing this, Moana and Malie smiled at her. "You're welcome, Tara. That's what friends are for." Moana said kindly.
Tara snorts a bit with a small smile. "Friends, huh? It's the first time I ever had any friends." She said softly.
"And now you do, and we won't ever let you be alone ever again." Moana assured. "Right guys?"
"Yes." Keoni agreed.
"Right!" Malie said with a smile.
"You bet!" Coral chirps happily.
"Mm-hmm." Gil nodded with a smile.
Aliikai and the other dragons agreed with her as well.
"Maybe." Maui said, earning deadpan looks from the group. "What? Still have trust issues with her."
Mini-Maui faced palms at Maui while the rest rolled their eyes or shook their heads at him. Tara snorts and holds her laughter a bit. She admitted, it was funny to have friends. She grew up with dragons, barely interacting with them.
"You know, this is gonna be an interesting life for me here." Tara said with a smile. "Though I wish I could learn more about my Lycanwing ability."
"Tara, I'm curious." Gil began. "How did your dad, I mean, Loki made the Lycanwing curse anyway?"
"How should I know? I haven't seen him anywhere after he ditched my mom."
Suddenly, Cayden made a small growl, getting everyone's attention. "Really? He did that?" Malie asked in surprise.
"What did he say?" Moana questions her mermaid friend.
"Cayden said that the Lycanwing…was actually one of Lord Draco's creations!" Malie said in shock.
"What?!" Everyone, including Tara, exclaimed in shock as they all got on their feet.
"What do you mean, Cayden?"
Cayden began his explanation while Malie translated for him. Apparently, the Dragon God, Draco, created the Lycanwing as a guardian dragon. He was making this dragon as a gift for the people of the Polynesian Region, so it can protect villagers from danger. However, Draco was at the Norse Region for a while as he was making some dragons for the Norse Region, Loki somehow snuck at his workplace and stole Draco's Lycanwing creation. The God of Mischief decided to use it for HIS personal amusement and cursed an unexpected Viking to turn into the first Lycanwing. It was a cruel prank from the Trickster God. However, his act didn't go unnoticed as the other gods found out about his trickery. Draco was furious about what Loki had done and wanted to end him for stealing his Lycanwing creation. But Odin was the one who punished his adopted son dearly. Draco never forgave Loki for stealing his Lycanwing creation. So, the Dragon God left the Norse Region and stayed at the Polynesian Region, where he could have some peace and quiet, plus being away from Loki and his schemes.
"Wow, now that's heavy." Maui commented.
"So, that's how Loki made the Lycanwing curse." Gil said in shock. "He stole it from Lord Draco!"
"Huh, guessed that explains why he dislikes Maui so much, he reminds him of Loki." Keoni said.
"Hey!" Maui exclaims, feeling offended.
"You know it's true." Keoni said, earning a huff from Maui.
"Great, not only my dad's a jerk, but he's also a thief." Tara said in annoyance. "Just when he couldn't get any worse as it is."
"Do you know who was the first Lycanwing?" Moana suddenly asked. "It can help us find out more about this to help Tara."
Sadly, Cayden shook his head, indicating that he doesn't know much about the first Lycanwing. He and his brothers were tasked to patrol this region for any danger. Lord Draco didn't send them to find the Lycanwing because it went into hiding and didn't want to be found. The others sigh in defeat, disappointed that they couldn't get much information about this. Suddenly, Gil's head shot up in realization.
"Jade!" Gil suddenly exclaims, startling the group.
"…Jade?" Tara asked in confusion.
Gil suddenly blushed at his sudden outburst and sheepishly laughed. "S-Sorry, what I meant to say, we have a mermaid friend named Jade. She knows a lot of things, maybe she knows about the first Lycanwing."
"Gil's maybe on to something." Moana said to everyone. "I mean, she knows the mystery of the past, maybe she can help us figure out more about the Lycanwing."
"Great, but there's some questions I want to know." Tara said to the group. "Where does this Jade person live, exactly?"
"Oh, right. Sorry." Gil said sheepishly. "She lives at Aquatica."
"The kingdom of the sea people?" Tara questions them in surprise.
"Yup! But she lives at the outskirts of the kingdom." Coral added happily. "Me and Gil visit her every day! She's the best."
"And pretty." Maui mutters out dreamily, earning an elbow from Mini-Maui while the others shook their heads.
"So, this Jade is a mermaid that knows everything?" Jade asked them.
"Yup, Jade's a mage. She'll help us figure out more about the Lycanwing." Keoni added.
"A mage! Okay, you guys are more interesting than the people back at the Norse." Tara said with a grin.
Moana smiles at her. "It settled then, tomorrow morning, we set off to the Aquatica to meet up with Jade." She planned.
Everyone agreed to this plan. They had to go to Aquatica to see Jade. Maybe she could help them find the answers they need about Tara and her Lycanwing ability. This is a new start for Tara. She made friends that understand her and will help her learn about her ability to find out the secret of the Lycanwing.
And for the first time in Tara's life, she felt whole again.
Sorry it took so long; I was busy with a test at school and didn't have time to write. Again, I want to thank the ones that helped me with the ideas. The Next chapter will be there soon.
Stay safe and healthy.