As Luna and Finn approached the village, they could hear screams and shouts in the distance. The smell of smoke filled the air, and they knew that something was very wrong.

As they got closer, they saw the cause of the commotion. A group of fire drakes had descended upon the village, breathing flames and causing chaos. It was just as the boy had said. The villagers were running for their lives, trying to escape the fiery onslaught.

Luna and Finn looked at each other, determination in their eyes. They knew they had to do something to help.

Without a word, they sprang into action. Luna called upon her water magic, conjuring a torrent of water from a nearby well that doused the flames and created a protective barrier around the fleeing villagers. This took all of her concentration. She was frozen, unable to do anything else. All she could think about was keeping the dragons away from the innocent people.

Finn, in his fox form, darted outside the water barrier between the fire drakes, biting and scratching at their scaled skin to distract them from trying to break through the wall of water.

This was ineffective as Finn’s sharp teeth were no match for the Fire Drakes thick, scaly skin. The Fire Drake’s were determined to get through, almost like they were after something. Was there something in the village that they wanted? He had no way of knowing.

He circled back to Luna who was still deeply concentrating on her wall of water. Finn knew that they needed a new strategy, and fast. Luna was paler than usual, her little body trembling as she focused on her task.

Suddenly Luna spoke and opened her eyes. She looked at Finn.

"What can we do?" Luna asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

Finn's eyes gleamed with determination. "We need to lure them away from the village," he said. "If we can get them to follow us, we can lead them away and give the villagers time to escape."

Luna nodded, understanding the plan. "But how do we lure them?" she asked.

Finn went to the villagers who stood mesmerized by Luna’s magic. “Why are they here, Finn asked?”

A middle aged man came forth, frowning. “We may have accidentally taken something of theirs.” He looked into the crowd of people, directly at a small child, not much more than 8 years old. It was the boy they had found running from the village. “Evan here ventured into the mountains this morning, and came home with this.” The man held out a small crystal. It sparkled in the light.

“I didn’t know they would come after me,” he sobbed. He handed the crystal over to Finn. “I just thought it was pretty. I didn’t know this would happen.”

Finn examined the stone. He had an idea.

”Luna.” Finn spoke sternly to snap her out of her trance. “You are immune to fire. Maybe you can take this crystal back to where it belongs without getting hurt.” He hated the thought of it, but didn’t know what else to do. Soon they would all be incinerated if they didn’t do something.

Luna stopped using the water and exhaled. She breathed deeply for a minute. “You’re right.” She said.

She thought back to her dream where she had walked through the flames. Her skin burning yet bearing no mark of the flame. She took the crystal and ran from the village. Her amulet flowed and trembled against her skin.

Finn watched as Luna purposefully ran away. He wondered if he made a mistake. What if she gets hurt? He questioned their choice. All of the villagers watched in anticipation as Luna led the fire drakes away from the village.

Luna and led them through the plains, the sound of the fire drakes' roars echoing through the trees. They breathed fire down all around her but she felt nothing. She almost felt like they sensed this as they stopped roaring. When she was a safe distance away from the village she stopped. The Fire Drakes seemed to hover in the air around her, waiting.

She placed the crystal down on the ground in front of her, beckoning for them to come. A dragon flew down inches from where she stood. It was so beautiful. It’s scales shimmered in the light of the fire. The dragon looked deeply into her, she could feel the dragon’s thoughts.

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“We know you.” They said.

Luna reached out and placed her hand on the dragon, she was in disbelief. She was Dracornian, did they know?

Suddenly the dragon took the crystal from the ground and flew off, with all of the Fire Drakes following in tow.

Finn ran out to Luna and watched as she collapsed onto the ground, panting and exhausted. They had succeeded in saving the village. But how did Luna do that? Finn couldn’t believe what he, what they all witnessed. Somehow Luna had communicated with the Fire Drakes.

But he couldn't worry about that now, Luna and Finn allowed themselves a moment of rest, basking in the knowledge that they had done all they could to protect the villagers.

After a few moments though, Luna began to feel ill. With each passing minute she felt more and more drained. Her energy was rapidly depleting, leaving her feeling weak and exhausted. Her head was pounding, and her limbs felt heavy as if they were made of lead. The Fire Drakes had been powerful, and she was so new at using her magic, she thought she may have overdone it.

All of the sudden Luna collapsed to the ground, her body trembling with exhaustion.

Finn rushed to her side, concern etched on his face. "Luna, are you okay?" he asked, helping her to sit up.

Luna shook her head, feeling like she was about to be sick. "I'm so tired," she said weakly. "I don't think I can move."

Finn helped her to her feet and supported her as they made their way to back to the village and to a nearby building. Luna could feel her body protesting with every step, but she pushed through the pain, knowing that she needed to rest.

As soon as they entered the building, Luna collapsed onto the nearest bed. She felt cold, even though she was sweating, and her head was throbbing with pain.

Finn tried to help her by giving her water, but she couldn't even muster the energy to drink it. She fell into a deep sleep, her body too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

Finn lay down beside her, overwhelmed with concern. In the Enchanted Forest, they were always able to heal due to the magical properties they were surrounded by. But how could she heal here, in this foreign land? Finn didn't know what to do and he was scared. He put his arms around Luna and held her tight. Willing her to feel better.

Over the next few days, Luna's condition didn't improve. She was feverish and delirious, her body wracked with pain. She was too weak to even move, let alone use her magic.

Finn stayed by her side, worried about her condition. He tried to keep her comfortable, feeding her broth and water, and trying to keep her fever under control.

Finn also took this time to explore the village and try and gather information about where they would go next, and how they could ultimately reach their goal of finding Luna's kin. The people in this village were more familiar with magic and did not seem so scared of Luna after seeing her use her powers. Finn went in search of the eldest member of the village.

"Hi, I'm Finn. I'm not sure if you remember me, but we helped with the Fire Drakes the other day." The old man just stared at Finn. Finn continued. "Well, I'm hoping you could help me with something. I don't know if you noticed, but my friend is Dracornian and has been separated from her people. We are hoping to find them. Do you have any idea where we should go next?"

The old man nodded, his eyes filled with compassion. "Yes, I remember you. You and your friend saved us from certain destruction," he said. "As for your friend's people, I may be able to help you. There is a Dracornian settlement in the Crystal Mountains, on the other side of the valley." Finn considered this. This was exactly where Luna had sent the Fire Drakes back to.

Finn's heart leapt with excitement. "Thank you, sir. Do you know how we can get there?"

The old man nodded. "There is a path that leads through the valley, but it is treacherous and dangerous. The Fire Drakes have made it their home, and they will not be happy to see intruders again, especially after what happened."

Finn nodded, understanding the risk. "We will do whatever it takes to reach Luna's people."

"There are only two of you." said the old man. "You may need help. What you confronted here at our village is nothing compared to what you will face as you travel through the heart of Fire Drake territory. I have heard that the Merfolk south of here have ways of dealing with the Fire Drakes. Maybe you should seek out more members to your party. I am too old to make the journey, or I would join you myself." The old man smiled. He had been on many journeys in his youth around the world of Evanescent.

He continued and smiled at Finn. "I have faith in you. You and your friend have shown great courage and bravery. I will give you a map to the Dracornian settlement and some supplies to help you on your journey."

Finn thanked the old man, feeling grateful for his help. He knew that the journey ahead would not be easy, but he was determined to do whatever it took to reunite Luna with her kin and help her find out about her destiny.

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As Finn made his way back to Luna, he couldn't help but worry about her. She was still sleeping, her body wracked with fever and pain. He knew that they had to leave soon, but he couldn't leave her alone in this condition. He thought about what the old man had said, and looked at Luna who obviously could not face the Fire Drakes again alone. Even if her magic grew stronger, she would not be strong enough to face even more.

Finn's rubbed his aching head. This is something that he and Luna would need to figure out. He was feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that had happened.

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Finally, after several days, Luna's fever broke, and she started to feel a little better. But she was weak and tired, and it was clear that she needed more time to recover.

Finn and Luna stayed in the village for several more days, waiting for Luna to regain her strength. Then it was time to go.