Chapter 62 Kailin #3
As I stroked his head, I felt a gentle, probing sensation at the edges of my consciousness, like a soft knock on a door, asking permission to enter.
It wasn't like the dragons' mental voices, which had a certain imperious quality to them.
This was gentler, more curious than commanding, and I instinctively knew it was Moki.
"I think he's trying to communicate with me." I shifted my gaze to Saphir. "Can he talk?"
The shaman's eyes shone with excitement. "Well, yes, in his own way. He shows me pictures that convey what he wants to communicate, and I have to interpret them."
"What about his chattering?"
Saphir waved a dismissive hand. "Those are just sounds of excitement." The shaman looked at his companion fondly. "Let him in if you can. He's harmless. Opinionated, incessant, but well-meaning."
I couldn't imagine how someone could communicate all that with just visuals, but I was curious to find out.
Cautiously, I lowered the mental barriers, opening my mind to the gentle presence I felt hovering there, and immediately I was flooded with a cascade of impressions—colors, scents, textures, emotions. It was dizzying, like standing in the center of a kaleidoscope of sensations.
Curiosity. Recognition. Joy.
The emotions weren't mine, but I felt them as if they were, washing through me in warm waves. There was an underlying sense of familiarity, as if Moki somehow knew me, though we'd never interacted before.
"It's the connection," Saphir said, answering my unspoken thought. "Moki and I have our own bond, so I can sense the general nature of his response to you." The shaman smiled. "He's quite taken with you, and he's an excellent judge of character."
The creature in my lap made a purring sound, nuzzling against my hand. I continued to pet him, feeling strangely calm despite the extraordinary situation.
I wished I had a Moki of my own, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I felt like I was betraying Chicha and pushed it aside.
Moki must have felt the change in my mood and leaped off my lap and onto the desk, chattering as he leaped again and landed on Saphir's shoulder.
"Go ahead," Saphir said, and I assumed he was talking to Moki.
The cat-monkey reached with his tiny hands and removed the medallion hanging around Saphir's neck with the shaman's active cooperation.
"He wants you to have it," Saphir said.
I lifted my hands in the air. "I can't take it. It's the property of the head shaman."
"It's not a gift. It's a loaner."
Moki leaped onto the desk, from there onto my lap, and then to my shoulder. He lifted my braid with one hand and draped the fabric string around my neck with the other, dropping the medallion so it rested against my chest over my uniform.
With that done, he settled in my lap again and projected an image of me holding the medallion in my hand.
"Can I take it off so I can look at it?" I asked.
"Of course," Saphir said.
It was a replica of the effigy on the double doors to Saphir's office, or maybe it was the other way around, and the artist who had carved the door had copied the design from the amulet.
Beautifully done in silver, with a blue sapphire for Elu's eye on his compassionate and creative side, and a ruby for the one on his destructive and punishing side.
There was power in the amulet. I could feel the subtle energy emanating from it. There was only one reason for Saphir to loan me this incredible artifact, and it was that he believed I was a shaman and wanted to test me with the help of the sacred object.
"So, it's true then?" I asked. "I might be a shaman?"
"Becoming a shaman is not merely about having certain gifts—it's a calling, a path of service to both dragons and humans."
"I'm not well suited for such a position," I said. "I'm not a people person like you, Shaman Saphir. I'm not inspiring or charismatic. I'm not even all that likable because I spend too much time in my own head instead of interacting with others."
"I disagree." He motioned toward Moki. "He thinks that you are very likable."
"I'm not the kind of person others gravitate toward. Shovia and Codric are charming, Morek is heroic, and Alar is commanding, and so is Commander Ravel. I'm accommodating and sensible, which are good traits but not the kind that inspire a following."
Shaman Saphir didn't dismiss my observations offhand, and for a long moment, he just watched me stroke Moki's tiny head.
"Yes, I see what you mean," he said. "But you are still very young, Kailin, and you might discover that those traits you admire so much in your friends are already part of you.
They might just need a little nurturing and coaxing to bloom.
However, if that's not the case, perhaps getting help from your friends might be the solution. "
I liked the second option better, but I couldn't imagine for the life of me fulfilling a role like Saphir's even with my friends' help.
I continued stroking Moki's fur, drawing comfort from the soothing tactile sensation. "So, what happens now?"
"You need to continue training with Onyx to learn how to shield your mind.
An open channel to dragons is dangerous—not because they would harm you intentionally, but because their thoughts and emotions might overwhelm you.
And if you are indeed developing shamanic gifts, there may be other abilities that will start manifesting as well. "
"Like what?"
"That varies from shaman to shaman. Some can only sense emotions and not read thoughts like I can, others can perceive intentions or even glimpse fragments of possible futures.
I've heard of one who could absorb information from objects.
" He looked pointedly at the amulet. "Maybe that's the reason Moki wants you to have it. "
Then his expression darkened. "A potential shaman would be a high-value target for the Shedun, putting you in grave danger. Hence the need for secrecy."
The gravity of his words sent a chill through me. I'd already witnessed the Shedun's brutality firsthand during the attack on my village. The thought of being specifically targeted by them was terrifying.
Moki must have sensed my distress and looked up at me with those large, luminous eyes of his. A wave of reassurance flowed from him into my mind.
"Thank you," I whispered to the small creature, not entirely sure if he could understand words but certain he could sense my gratitude. "You are very helpful."
"Moki is a great companion," Saphir said with a fond smile. "If not for him, I would have probably gone completely mad."
I nodded. "He has a calming presence."
"He does," Saphir agreed. "Now, back to the need for secrecy. You shouldn't tell anyone about your abilities, not even your closest friends. The more people who know, the greater the risk of the information reaching our enemies."
I understood the logic, but the thought of keeping more secrets from Alar and Shovia unsettled me, especially after I'd seen how my secrecy about Commander Ravel had affected Alar. Still, the safety of Elucia had to come before my personal relationships.
"For how long?" I asked. "I can't keep this from my friends forever."
He smoothed his hand over his long beard. "Not forever, but I'm not a seer, so I can't tell you for how long. When the time comes, it will be obvious."
He couldn't have sounded more vague if he'd tried.
"Thank you, Shaman," I said for lack of anything more profound to say.
Moki, apparently sensing that our meeting was drawing to a close, stretched lazily in my lap before hopping back onto Saphir's desk. He gave me one last long look, projecting a sense of farewell-but-not-goodbye, then returned to his perch on the back of the shaman's chair.
"Well, Cadet Strom," Saphir said, rising to his feet. "I look forward to working with you. I suspect that you have much more to offer Elucia than just your ability to communicate with dragons, which is in itself a tremendous gift."
I stood as well, feeling light-headed.
In the span of a single audience, my entire future had shifted on its axis. I wasn't just a cadet anymore or even just a potential rider. I was something rare and coveted by friends and foes alike, and it was terrifying.
"Thank you for your guidance, Shaman." I inclined my head and turned to leave.
"One more thing, Kailin," Saphir called after me.
I paused, looking back over my shoulder.
"The path of a shaman can be lonely at times, but you are fortunate to have a group of good friends. Nurture those relationships."
With all the secrets that I was being forced to keep, that was easier said than done.