Chapter 11: The Truth And A Lie

Selemene was here!

I know she was. I could almost feel her eyes on me.

I desperately wanted to open my own eyes and gaze back at her. I wanted to cut my Postlude Prayer of the Forsworn short and call out her name with my blessed voice. I also wanted to change position. The final pose of the Dance of the Forsworn had me balancing on my bad foot and I was reaching the limit of what my prayer scars could do without a Prayer of Novan Sacrifice.

My scars had started flickering around two hours ago. Every time they dimmed, I felt a spasm of dizzying pain that started at my right foot and shot upward like I had accidentally stepped into boiling soup. To make the pain stop, I had to reaffirm my prayer for strength in my head since my blessed voice was still straining to continue chanting the postlude. Even so, I still caught the soft sound of leaves being crushed as she drew nearer to me.

I hid a smile as each step brought her closer, and closer, and closer, and then…

She passed me by.

My heart sank and my foot throbbed as she drifted away.

I could feel tears forming.

She had been so close.

If only…

No.

I could do this.

I squeezed my eyelids extra tight, kept my chant going, and prayed for strength once more. Re-centered, I strained my ears and for a time that seemed to go on into eternity, I couldn't hear anything.

Then I was blessed with the sound of a footstep, yards away, and then another!

She was coming back!

I beat away another spike of pain and waited as patiently as I could.

My diligence was rewarded.

Cool fingers streaked down my hair and brushed across my face, neck, shoulders, hips, and right ankle.

I shivered with happiness.

But it didn't last.

The goddess withdrew her hands and murmured low and deep, "So, this be High Priestess Marci, the greatest warrior of the Dark Moon Order, humbled, naked, and crying in these woods, ready prey for any Keen daring enough to venture out in this cold night?"

Yes!

I wanted to respond, but I did not dare. I was too certain that I needed to continue my penitence until dawn, unless my goddess told me otherwise as the ritual stated. Even if that meant I never got to lay eyes on her tonight.

It was far more important that Selemene see that I had learned the lesson she was trying to instill in me. I understood that I had lost the right to just be her High Priestess. Nothing was to be taken for granted while I sought redemption.

"Open thy eyes and be silent, girl," my goddess ordered. "I have no time for thy petty prayers."

With pleasure.

I closed my mouth, allowing my blessed voice to wither away as it had been trying to do for hours. Then I opened my eyes to behold the goddess's chosen form.

I stared at her in wonder. I had not expected Selemene to appear to me as a man. She was stout and strong, clothed in an indigo sleeveless shirt, dark pants, and an ethereal scarf that shimmered around her eyes.

This was a rare honor and no doubt meant to be a reminder of the mistakes I had made in my past and present.

I could see a resemblance to…my first indiscretion in the goddess's thick ponytail, prayer scars, and clothes. However, the scarf was new and the goddess's hair was lavender, not pink. Her prayer scars were different too, thick and blocky.

Whereas the maleness of her and all that tan skin had to be an allusion to the Dragon Knight. Though her arm and shoulder muscles were not as im…but of course, the goddess's chosen body was very nice in its own way.

And who cared that the goddess's muscles were a bit veiny or that she looked a lot like…my former lover?

It didn't matter what form my goddess took.

The only thing that mattered was that Selemene was here.

She had come for me at last!

"Unhand me!" my goddess bellowed.

I immediately stopped hugging her.

"Now is not the time for merrymaking, girl," she reprimanded. "Do thou hath the faintest notion of the trouble thou hath caused my people?"

I looked down at the ground.

Selemene was speaking in that traditional way she sometimes used when she was upset. My goddess was angry. Of course, she was angry. She had every right to be.

Every right.

I tried my best to look repentant. I was repentant. Seeing her had just made me so happy!

I stared harder at the ground and made myself remember all my many many sins.

"I suppose thou being what thou art, thy trite silence is the best I can hope for," my goddess relented. "Hurry and clothe thyself. Fetch thy slumbering companion as well. And be quick about it, girl. I do not wish to linger in this place for long."

I nodded. Then I threw on my clothes and grabbed the pagan as my goddess bid me. The Dragon Knight felt especially heavy, probably because one in ten of my steps was laced with pain. It didn't matter though.

We were saved!

I followed Selemene through the forest and the night and hopefully forever in my heart. During our journey together, she explained that her people had been searching for me for the entire Dark Moon. Many had been lost in Keen attacks until she had seen fit to seek me out herself.

I listened in awe.

It was so rare for Selemene to act in this way. She had barely raised her voice nor had she marked me or demanded a great boon. The few touches she had given me were gentle and though she was obviously displeased, she was doing more than merely visiting me. She was rescuing me and in this unusual form too!

Such particular attention was truly an honor! I had to resist breaking out in a huge grin as I walked despite my pain and Selemene's serious mood. I just kept thinking about how blessed I was.

Selemene had come for me!

She loved me!

I would never take her love and attention for granted again. This was too precious, too good!

I swear the only thing keeping me from floating away with happiness was the fact that our time together was limited. Sunrise was coming.

Selemene seemed to be thinking along the same lines for just then, she moved out to the end of a cliff we had found and was surveying the horizon. "Thou moveth too slow," she concluded. "The hour has grown late. Now I shall have to ask for aid to take thee back to the temple."

The temple?

Here?

I trudged up to where Selemene stood and peered down. There I was surprised to see a river flowing out of the red and yellow woods below into a steep-sloped valley rimmed in familiar white-leaved Nightsilver Trees.

Suddenly, I understood. Everything from my and Mirana's slow healing to Davion's illness and even the Keen all made sense. I had not recognized the pagan nickname for this place, but at last, it was clear where we were.

I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid.

This was Selum, the place where the mother goddess Mene crashed down to earth and took her new name, life, and cause.

Selemene's voice cut through my revelry. "Back away from the ledge, girl!" she barked. "Thou hath wasted enough time."

I quickly obeyed.

After I had stepped back, Selemene let out two high-pitched whistles. Then she said, "Now be still and wait."

I did as she bid me to and was once again rewarded, this time by the sight of our rides swooping down upon our cliff to join us.

They were Felmoths!

I knew that Luna used them to fight Keen here. The steeds were a cross between Lunar Tigri and Lunar Moths with fuzzy Tigri bodies and giant moth wings.

I couldn't stop staring at the male Felmoth in particular. This was the first time I'd seen one fully grown. He was just like Luna described: smaller than a female Felmoth and more colorful with a sheen to his dark fur and wings that seemed to contain every hue of magenta from starlight pink to midnight indigo.

The colors swirled and shimmered as he moved toward the goddess like a liquid rainbow.

"Tarry no longer, girl," Selemene chided before she climbed onto the male Felmoth. "We would not have need of these creatures if thou were quicker in step."

Oops!

I gave the goddess a quick curtsey of apology and then turned my attention to the female Felmoth, petting her gently. She was similar to the Felmoths I'd seen in Aiushtha's grove stables with the typical dark fur and indigo wings. Though this Felmoth wasn't pregnant with a litter of kitten larvae right now which meant she could carry us and fly.

I plopped Davion down onto the saddle of the nice Felmoth and I climbed on in behind the Dragon Knight. Then I strapped us both in like I'd seen the goddess do. Once I was finished with securing the last strap, the goddess shouted, "Fly!"

Her Felmoth turned and leapt off the cliff. Without a command from me, my Felmoth followed. We dove down towards the valley. I caught sight of the dark chasm at the valley's center where I knew the manifestation of the goddess's anguish lived.

Then the Felmoths open their wings and we started to soar upward. It only took a few flaps for me to be hit with pure awe again.

I was flying a Felmoth in Selum about to visit its infamous Dark Moon Order temple.

It was…Amazing!

I couldn't begin to count the number of times I had begged Luna to tell me about her adventures here and now I was seeing the floating temple city of Selum with my very own eyes.

Just like Luna had told me, the city bobbed up and down in the sky high above the valley. Its buildings and floor were made of bleached Keen skin and Nightsilver wood supports. The entire settlement was like a giant air-stuffed sack made of Keen leather that was continuously patched and growing.

But now that I was really here in Selum, I saw something else that Luna had never told me about:

From up above on my Felmoth steed, the circular temple city looked just like a full moon.

It was shaped like our goddess.

It was so beautiful!

"Prepare thyself for landing," Selemene called, pulling me from my thoughts.

In the next moment, the Felmoths began their descent. As air and tears of joy whooshed past my face, I opened my mouth in a soundless laugh. I couldn't help it.

I was so happy!

The Felmoths didn't slow down until we were feet from the temple city floor.

When they did, they spread out their wings again. We glided sedately into a waiting crowd which presented me with another thing Luna had never mentioned:

A lot of the people here looked like child-sized versions of her with their white hair and pink eyes. They even spoke the same. I could hear the familiar accent in their excited whispers as they rushed in to help unstrap me and Davion. I caught words like "High Priestess", "Savior", and "Luna". It almost felt like Luna was here with me, telling me another story.

Then someone said, "Selemene," and my eyes found my goddess again.

She was talking with an old man. He was about my height and had a long mustache and goatee that looked like they were made of hanging white noodle squash.

The old man noticed me staring and came up to me with what I assumed was a friendly grin. "Praise be the goddess for helping us find you," he rasped at me. "Welcome, at last, to Selum, High Priestess Marci."

I nodded, glancing at Davion. The poor Dragon Knight had slept through our incredible Felmoth ride. Even now as he was being carried by several of the Selum people who couldn't be more than half his size, the Dragon Knight remained unconscious.

Thus, my secret was still safe.

"I know you must be tired," the old man continued. "Please, come with me and I will show you to your quarters."

The crowd parted for us, but the goddess was moving in the other direction and was somehow already quite far away.

Not good.

I still needed to speak to her about my quest and Mirana.

Running after her wasn't an option. Pain now laced every other step I took.

I knew it would be rude to whistle at my goddess and throwing something to get her attention would be risky in this thick crowd. I could clap at her or…

Of course!

This was Selemene.

Goddess

Make me whole!

I opened my mouth, urging my reawakened blessed voice to reach her.

But nothing happened.

My body only produced air and another spasm of pain.

Instead, the old man screeched, "Murdoch!"

Selemene turned and I expected her to explain she was not truly Murdoch, but the goddess in disguise. I'd lost count of how many times Selemene had done such a thing, especially during a dark moon. However, the goddess's response was merely, "Yes, Deacon Ish'Kafel."

"Do not play dumb, Brother," the old man hissed angrily. "Come back here. The High Priestess wishes for your presence."

"I have done my part, Deacon," the goddess replied grimly. "I leave fraternization to thee."

With that, the goddess strode away, dismissing us both.

I stepped towards the goddess and tried once more to summon my blessed voice.

She couldn't leave.

Not yet.

There was so much I wanted to explain to her, so much I wanted to ask!

But I remained mute as ever.

"High Priestess," a claw-like hand landed on my shoulder right as my scars flickered again.

I barely manage to stop myself from falling.

"Please ignore Brother Murdoch's rudeness," the old man said over my newest bout of pain. "I promise you I shall speak with him, but for now, I beg for you to allow me to show you to your quarters. I can see by the state of your prayer scars that you are in great need of rest. Once you have recovered, we can talk about the message the goddess left you."

That last sentence stopped all my attempts to get away from the old man.

The goddess had left a message for me?

Of course! She had been speaking with the old man earlier!

I would have preferred to receive her message personally, but I'm sure she had her reasons.

The mother goddess always had reasons for everything.

I looked at the old man…this Deacon person curiously.

Deacon gave me another slightly unsettling smile. "Indeed, High Priestess." He took my arm in his. Then he started to guide me away from the goddess.

I glanced back at her one more time, though I might have just been looking at Murdoch. With it being early morning now, it was possible Selemene had gone from this place completely. Or she might have taken a new form when I wasn't looking. It was hard to be sure. She might even be Deacon.

I returned my attention to my escort. He had not stopped talking. Now he was going on about, "—the largest tent and our best cooks have prepared a hot meal of…"

I didn't hear the rest.

The thought of real seasoned FOOD had my stomach growling at the exact same moment my prayer scars started to dim. The combination felt like a hammer to my foot and middle.

I cringed with pain. My right leg failed me and I crumpled to the floor.

People gasped and there were a few shrill screams.

I wanted to tell them I was fine. I would show them I was alright after the pain went away. Except it didn't go away after my prayer for strength.

The pain just grew, engulfing my whole body like a hungry fire.

Deacon shouted over the noise of the crowd. He was kneeling in front of me, his blurry face inches from mine. I saw his mouth and mustache moving. His achingly loud words made no sense, but I didn't need them.

I knew what to do.

Everything was going to be alright.

I let my franticly flickering prayer scars go out completely and faced the onslaught of repressed pain and fatigue from too many sleepless days of travel on my bad foot.

Even as I was overwhelmed by it all, I managed a hazy smile because my faith had been rekindled.

I knew the truth.

The love between me and Selemene was the only thing I needed to be happy and whole.

A/N: One year ago, I began what I thought would be a no-name AU fic in a small fandom that would be seen by only me and my dearest friend, march4fun. I thought (or at least hoped) it would be an easy fic, just a simple re-tred of the plot of Book 1 ignoring all of the perspective shifts and focusing on my favorite character, Marci. I gave her a promotion to High Priestess and the main character and I drafted a chapter. Y'all know it well. I was feeling cheeky, so I left you guys with the challenge for reviews in exchange for more chapters quick since 5 fics is a lot to balance. Now you all know the story of what happened next for this fic, so let me tell you a different story.

One year ago, I was feeling lost, lonely, and a bit dissatisfied with my fanfiction career. I had managed to receive semi-consistent reviews for one of my fics, Sue's Curse, but I was creatively stumped on all my other fics to some degree and I was wondering why I was working so hard on niche stuff people didn't read when I could be working on my original works or doing literally anything else? After all, I had a real career to figure out and a wedding to plan. It didn't seem like the best time to publish a new fic...I'd done it before and mostly my new fics led to more trouble but Book 2 was coming out. It was the correct time to publish a Dragon's Blood fic. Little did I know that my choice would change my life. I can't say I never feel lost, lonely, or dissatisfied with my writing, but my life has seriously improved and it is thanks to this fic and the friends it brought me.

So, yes, I'm very proud to publish another chapter and that we've made it through another arc of HP Marci. I have tons of cool (or should I say hot ;) things planned.

But more than anything, I'm happy to have two new writing buddies via BarrissOffee99 and ErrantTalisman. Thank you for helping me brainstorm Selum's floating city and thank you for being my friends. You two and march4fun make writing fanfiction so much fun! This year has been such a wonderful experience, so truly thank you.

To my other readers, I haven't forgotten about you. Thank you as well. We have a long way to go, but I look forward to making this journey with you. Cheers to another year of Marci, Davion, and Mirana...I guess.

See you all later!