Irru looked skeptical. "Your great-great-grandmother's blood has been greatly diluted over the generations, so even if she had been touched by Elu, it's doubtful that you two have the ability to bond with dragons. I'm surprised that your request to join the pilgrimage was approved."
She was right, of course.
I leaned forward. "Our Elucian blood might be diluted, but our passion for becoming dragon riders burns intensely in our veins. The guy who approved our request must have been impressed by our test scores and our desire to defend Elucia from its enemies."
He had also been impressed with our generous donation to the Elucian registry. They were trying to find descendants of exiled Elucians who had married Elurians, and the effort required funds.
Elucians were impossible to bribe, but they wouldn't say no to a legitimate contribution. In contrast, an Elurian clerk would have gleefully skimmed from the top to make his life a little more enjoyable in the lovely and costly capital of Eluria, and I would have gladly paid to make the process smoother.
Greasing the wheels made them move faster. But with Elucians, it was less likely to work. They adhered strictly to the Precepts of Truth and were much less flexible than Elurians. Not a good quality in my opinion.
As the saying went, truth without wisdom was like a blade without a hilt. It was as dangerous to the bearer as it was to the opponent.
"The pilgrimage itself is a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual experience," Codric said, having learned from our previous exchange with the other proud and rigid Elucian guard. "Even if we don't make the cut, just meeting the famous Elucian Shaman and hearing him declare our destinies is worth the great sacrifices we have made to get this far, as well as enduring the trek."
I nodded in agreement.
Irru seemed impressed, but not enough to just stamp our papers and let us through. "Tell me about your Elucian great-great-grandmother."
"Ah, now that's a tale." Codric leaned in conspiratorially. "Our great-great-grandfather was quite the ladies' man in his day, and he seduced an Elucian maiden that he met on one of his business trips."
As Codric spun his tale, embellishing the truth with just enough detail to make it believable, I marveled at his ability to captivate an audience. Irru tried to maintain her professional demeanor, but she couldn't hide her fascination with his animated storytelling.
"The maiden conceived, but our great-great-grandfather was a married man, and he couldn't leave his wife. The maiden could not raise the child on her own, so he offered to do so, and his wife, out of the kindness of her heart and her love for the scoundrel, adopted the girl," Codric finished with a flourish. "A scandal was averted, the family remained intact, and a drop of Elucian blood was introduced into our line."
Irru laughed. "That's certainly a colorful family history, provided that it is factual." She immediately looked embarrassed by her suggestion that Codric had lied, which would have been a great offense to an Elucian. "I suppose details tend to blur over time, and eventually, the story morphs so drastically that it becomes a mere echo of its original form."
"Oh, it is definitely true, and there is much more to it." Codric winked. "I could tell you stories that would make your hair curl."
"I'm sure you could," Irru said. "But I think I've heard enough for now."
She turned her attention to our documents, and after a few more moments of scrutiny, she looked up at us. "Everything seems to be in order." She reached for her stamp. "I wish you the best of luck. The pilgrimage is not for the faint of heart, and the trials you'll face will test you in ways you can't imagine."
"We're prepared for the challenge," I said.
Irru held my gaze for a long moment, as if searching for something in my eyes. Whatever she saw there must have satisfied her, and she lifted her stamp. "Very well." She brought it down on our papers with a satisfyingthunk. "Welcome to Elucia. May Elu guide your steps and keep you safe."
"Thank you." I pocketed my papers.
As we turned toward the line for the cable car, Codric cast one last charming smile at Irru. "It's been a pleasure. Will we see you up top?"
Irru shook her head, but I could see the hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I'm stationed down here for a while longer, but I might see you on your way back." She waved her hand at the cable car. "Good luck, Codric. You too, Alar."
If she expected to see us again down here soon, she didn't believe we would become riders.
The Elucian military did not recruit Elurians other than for the Dragon Force, so if we didn't make it, we would be sent home.
The only reason that some of us with proven Elucian ancestry were allowed to join the pilgrimage was the severe shortage of potential riders. The ability to communicate with dragons had always been rare, and after most Elucians had been massacred in the Second Extinction War and the survivors escaped to Eluria, it had almost died out.
Codric and I were incredibly lucky to have even a sliver of a chance to become riders or unlucky in the opinion of far too many.
Dragon riders were admired and envied but also despised.
3
KAILIN
Present time.
