Chapter 71 Kailin
KAILIN
"The stewardship of a great secret is never given outright.
It's earned, one quiet test at a time."
—Shaman Saphir Fatewever
Two weeks had passed since that first night with Alar—two weeks of rigorous training, exhausting conditioning runs, and nights spent in each other's arms whenever we could manage it.
I'd fallen into a rhythm at the academy, growing more confident in my abilities each day.
When the summons from Shaman Fatewever arrived again, I wasn't surprised, but the flutter of nervous anticipation that it produced was unexpected.
I'd been dutifully wearing the medallion nearly at all times, and yet my progress didn't seem to have gained any more momentum. I was getting better, but that was due to training and the infinite patience of Onyx and Commander Ravel.
Would Saphir ask me to give it back?
Climbing the never-ending stairs, I clutched the solid weight of the pendant over my shirt and tried not to work myself into a nervous frenzy.
This time I had no one accompanying me, which was a small mercy.
I took a small rest on the landing of the ninth floor, letting my protesting leg muscles rest for a moment.
I made this climb every day on the way to the roof of the Citadel for flight training, but even though it wasn't as difficult as it had been the first few times, it was still challenging.
I could almost hear Captain Odinah's derisive laughter at my feebleness. She'd probably say that she could run up and down these stairs a hundred times and not break a sweat.
Not that she would ever need to.
Those occupying the upper floors didn't have to use the stairs unless they were teaching or training in the weapons range. They were usually flown by their dragons to the landing of whichever level they needed to get to.
The same young cadet greeted me in the antechamber, his expression a bit friendlier than it had been the first time as he announced my arrival.
When I entered the shaman's office, I found Saphir standing by one of the massive windows, gazing out at the mountains beyond with Moki perched on his shoulder.
The moment I stepped into the room, though, the little guy's head swiveled toward me, and those large, luminous eyes fixed on me with unmistakable recognition.
"Hello," I said.
"Cadet Kailin Strom." Saphir turned to face me. "Thank you for coming. Please, sit down."
I took the same chair I'd occupied during my previous visit, noticing that this time tea had been set out on a small table beside it. The aroma was familiar, similar to the ceremonial tea from the Circle of Fate, herbal and slightly sweet.
I hoped the shaman wasn't planning on drugging me to open my inner ear or third eye or whatever else he believed would help my shamanic abilities to manifest. I had flight instruction following the meeting, and I didn't want to say or do something inappropriate to Onyx or Commander Ravel.
"How is your training progressing?" The shaman took his own seat behind the large desk.
"I'm learning a lot and growing stronger."
Saphir nodded, pouring tea into two delicate cups. "How about your training with Commander Ravel?"
"It's going well, I think." I accepted the cup he offered me. "I—"
Before I could continue, Moki suddenly leaped from Saphir's shoulder, sailing through the air to land in my lap with surprising delicacy given his energetic launch. The impact was gentle, but it still startled me enough that I nearly spilled my tea.
"Careful," Saphir cautioned, though there was amusement in his voice. "Moki has been quite eager to see you again."
"Hello to you, too, Moki," I said, setting my cup aside to properly greet the little guy. As I stroked his silky fur, I felt the now-familiar brush of his consciousness against mine.
Unlike the dragons' direct mental communication, Moki projected images and impressions rather than words. This time, I was flooded with a cascade of vibrant pictures of stone circles and strange symbols that reminded me of the ones carved on the floor of the Circle of Fate.
Come to think of it, they resembled the ones on the medallion I wore as well.
"Moki, please be patient," Saphir chided. "Both of us can't speak to Kailin at the same time."
The flow of images didn't stop right away, but it settled into a gentler stream that was easier to process.
I caught glimpses of what appeared to be Moki's memories: of him perched on Saphir's shoulder during some kind of ceremony, then the two of them strolling through a vast library filled with scrolls, and then Moki watching a tiny dragon hatchling emerging from its shell.
I gasped. "It's so small and cute."
"Moki loves the hatchlings," Saphir said. "And I have to admit that they are adorable for a couple of weeks, but they grow fast, and feeding them is not an easy chore." He leaned forward. "After bonding with your dragon, you will be introduced to the nursery and help take care of them."
"I know. Onyx told me. I'm looking forward to it."
The shaman nodded and then pointed a finger at Moki. "Last image, and then you leave Kailin alone so I can talk to her."
Moki chattered something that sounded like a protest and projected an image of me standing in a circle surrounded by dragons.
In the vision, I appeared to be speaking, though I couldn't hear the words.
With one last chirp in Saphir's direction, Moki left my mind and settled into my lap exactly like Chicha used to do, curling up and closing his eyes.
"What did he mean by that?" I looked up at Saphir.
"A possibility," he said. "One of many potential futures, my dear Kailin."
I wanted to ask more, but Moki began to purr, or at least make a sound reminiscent of purring, though slightly more melodic.
"Now that we can finally talk, tell me about your progress in communicating with dragons."
I was sure Commander Ravel had kept the shaman informed, but perhaps he wanted my perspective.
I took a sip of tea to gather my thoughts.
"I'm completely comfortable flying with Onyx now.
My fear of heights is almost gone, at least when I'm in the air.
Oddly, I still get vertigo sometimes when looking down a steep ravine when on solid ground, which doesn't make sense.
I should be much more afraid when I'm higher up in the air. "
Saphir smoothed his hand over his beard. "That's great progress, and I'm happy to hear it. Now, what about your ability to communicate with dragons other than Onyx?"
"I can speak to any dragon as long as I have visual contact with them.
But Onyx is the only one I can communicate with from a distance.
He can reach out to me from quite far, and I can both respond and initiate a connection to him from anywhere as well, it seems." I hesitated, then added, "Is that normal?
To have a stronger connection with one specific dragon who isn't bonded to me? "
Saphir considered this, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Not entirely unusual, but certainly noteworthy. Perhaps it has to do with you meeting Onyx for the first time under traumatic circumstances. You might have been more receptive because of what you'd just experienced."
"I was sixteen. The ability to communicate with dragons is not supposed to manifest before the age of twenty."
That was why pilgrims had to be at least twenty but no older than twenty-four.
"That is true for most," Saphir said. "But you are also a shaman, so the rules are different for you."
My gut clenched. "You are saying that as if it's a fact rather than a possibility."
He gave me a kind smile. "I know it's hard to accept, but just the fact that you can communicate with dragons you are not bonded with is enough to indicate that you are more than a rider. You should accept it."
"I don't want to be a shaman." I sounded like a petulant child in my own ears.
"There are many upsides to the position," Saphir said. "I've been looking for a new shaman for a very long time. Elucia will be safer with multiple shamans instead of just one."
Now he was making me sound unpatriotic.
"I'll serve Elucia in any capacity, of course. It doesn't matter what I want. I'll learn to live with it."
Saphir chuckled. "As long as you have a good man by your side who loves you and supports you, anything is doable, which brings me to my next question. How are things between you and Cadet Tekum?"
The sudden shift in topic caught me off guard, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Great. We're doing great. He's quite wonderful, in fact."
There was no point in playing coy.
Saphir knew.
I had no doubt that he had heard all about it already, and he could also read my mind, even though I was trying to block him.
A smile played at the corners of the shaman's mouth. "I see. That's very good. I'm happy for you both. Love is a powerful force, Kailin. It can provide strength and stability during challenging times, particularly for those with gifts like yours."
It was a relief to hear him say that, but the truth was that Saphir looked a little too happy about it. Why did he care about Alar and me becoming a couple? Did it have anything to do with Alar having been summoned to see him the day after we'd arrived here? Even before me?
"How is your blocking ability?" Saphir asked out of the blue.
"It's good. I can block Onyx most of the time and other dragons at will."
"Excellent." Saphir leaned back. "Now tell me about the medallion I gave you. Has it enhanced your abilities in any way?"
I touched the silver disc that hung around my neck, hidden beneath my uniform. The truth was that I hadn't noticed any particular effect from wearing it. My ability to shield my thoughts had improved through practice, and I couldn't attribute that specifically to the medallion.
"I've been wearing it every day, but I can't say that I've noticed it helping me in any significant way. My mental shields have gotten stronger, but that seems more a result of practice than anything else."