The ground trembled slightly as she landed, and I grabbed Alar's arm without thinking. He covered my hand with his, squeezing gently.
The dragonia had landed with surprising delicacy and grace for her size, mindful of the crowd gathered below, and as Saphir dismounted, he did it with the ease of a young man, not someone whose true age no one knew.
The bond with his dragonia extended his life indefinitely, and he had been choosing riders for longer than anyone could remember. The only sign of his age was the whiteness of his hair and beard, which seemed to glow in the aurora's light. On second thought, his eyes betrayed his age as well, holding wisdom that had been earned through centuries in the service of Elu.
25
ALAR
"A wise man may play the fool, but the fool cannot feign wisdom."
—Elurian Proverb
My first impression of Saphir Fatewever wasn't what I'd expected. Instead of a solemn spiritual leader, the legendary shaman looked like a good-natured fellow. His white hair and beard were neatly trimmed rather than flowing wildly as depicted in the artwork I'd seen, and his eyes were sharp and full of warmth.
Most surprising, though, was the creature perched on his shoulder. It was about the size of a house cat but with longer limbs and a prehensile tail that wrapped casually around the shaman's neck. Its fur was varying shades of silver and white.Its face was oddly expressive, more monkey than cat, with large human-looking eyes with elongated black pupils and golden irises. His ears were small and pointy, more like a cat's than a monkey's.
I had never seen anything like it in all my studies of Aurorysian fauna.
"What is that?" I whispered to Kailin.
"Moki," she whispered back. "Saphir's pet. No one knows exactly what he is or where the shaman found him. Some say he came from across the Addolian Ocean."
Right. And how had the little thing crossed the ocean? Had he swum it?
The cat-monkey chattered animatedly into Saphir's ear, one tiny hand gesturing expressively in a very human-like manner.
The shaman nodded solemnly, as if they were having a serious conversation.
"Not now, Moki," Saphir admonished. "We have serious business to take care of first." He patted the creature's head.
The shaman's expression turned grave. "Yesterday, our enemies sought to destroy not just our people but hope itself. They failed." His voice carried easily across the gathering without seeming to rise. "Seven of our brothers and sisters have begun their journey to Dolis, leaving behind grieving parents and siblings and entire communities. But we will not let their sacrifice be in vain. We continue our traditions, our ceremonies, our way of life, and we do that with joy and love to spite those who deal only in misery and death."
Moki's tail tightened around the shaman's neck, and the creature's expressive face seemed to mirror Saphir's solemnity. Even the great blue dragonia behind them lowered her head in what appeared to be a gesture of respect for the dead.
"Pilgrims," his voice carried clearly across the gathering without need for amplification. "We stand here in defiance ofthose who would destroy our way of life. Yesterday, they sought to prevent this ceremony through violence and terror. Today, we show them that the spirit of Elucia cannot be broken."
As a cheer went up from the crowd, I tightened my hand over Kailin's, offering her as much support as I could while surrounded by over a thousand fellow pilgrims.
Saphir raised a hand for silence. "The trek will test your bodies, minds, and spirits. A few of you carry the dragon gift in your blood; most of you do not, but you will serve Elucia in equally vital ways. She needs each one of you to honor her with your courage and dedication."
The dragonia lowered her massive head, bringing it level with Saphir's neck, where the little creature was perched, and nudged it with her snout. When Moki responded by patting her enormous head, I nearly choked on my own saliva.
Perhaps my idea of bringing Chicha along wasn't as ludicrous as Kailin thought. If the shaman's dragon could be friends with the cat-monkey, then why not a dog?
Above us, the other dragons watched with their predatory eyes that seemed to see straight through to our souls, and I returned their gaze in a show of confidence that was only skin deep.
They were terrifying creatures, and I was very glad that they were on our side.
Saphir turned to his dragonia, and after a moment of silent communication, she took a step back. Moki disappeared behind Saphir's back, but since I didn't see him on the ground, I assumed the shaman had a hiding place for the creature somewhere on the back of his robe.
The shaman lifted his arms. "Pilgrims of Elucia and honored guests," his voice carried across the gathering. "Stand and raise your faces to the eternal lights above."
The crowd did as commanded, faces tilting toward the shimmering auroras.
"The path before you is both physical and spiritual. The mountain's challenges will test your bodies and your minds by the thinning air and your souls by the truths you discover about yourselves and your fellow pilgrims."
His dragonia spread her magnificent wings, creating a canopy of shimmering blue scales above him.
