mentally.
Eventually, the others sat too. Sarlice was beaming and kept reaching out to stroke Thita’s fur. One of the horn-blowing dragons ceased his tune. Ciera broke the skyearl song with a low, rumbling howl and a series of growl-grunts. The singers fell silent, allowing Ciera’s skyearl words to echo from wall to wall. The skyearls and their whelps stood with rapt attention, heads pointing in his direction. He continued to growl-grunt.
Escotia, the interpreter from the worship meeting, was waiting at the front of the stage.
In a loud voice she repeated what Ciera was saying in the Telbion-Tanzan language. I already knew what he had said:
‘Welcome to this Bonding Ceremony of four new kin pairs. As you all know, Tanza has thrived for centuries with the blessing of Krii. We, the skyearls, are among the privileged protectors of His people, the Anzaii-kin, Sleffion-kin, Tolite-kin and Rada-kin. Together we are known as Astor-kin. The earliest of the Astor giftings was of course the Anzaii. Being an off-shoot of the original twenty’s inherent abilities, there have always been ‘Anzaii’. However, there were no Anzaii-kin till later. The first of the actual kin were us, the skyearls or Sleffion-kin.
‘Our ancestors were little more than wild animals—water chimera. So-named were they, by the original twenty. Along with the fire chimera or cavearls; beasts that seem part lion, part bull and part snake, we are the greatest of the chimeras. There are many other chimeras, like the platypus of Irin and the hippogryphs of Duuryn, but each is a unique kind in its own right. It is simply easier for scholars to refer to us all as chimera because we are all creatures that appear to be made up of other creatures.
‘We skyearls were made masters of the sky by Krii.
‘Before that our wings could barely lift us off the ground and were used mainly to help us float and swim between the islands of our original home out to sea. Our natural affinity for water was transformed into the wondrous ability to breathe out shrouds and the magical solid platforms we use to build kingdoms in the sky.
‘In return our ancestors agreed to guide and protect the Kriites. The very first bonding between a human and a skyearl was overseen by Krii himself and the miracle of the waves made as plain as it had been during ancient times.
‘It is our duty to continue a tradition of centuries of loyal service.
‘Today we welcome four new human beings into a bonded relationship with their Sleffion-kin. For most skyearls the death of their human-kin also brings about their own death, a sacrifice we are honoured to make. From this day on we will serve you, feel your emotions, hear your thoughts. We will carry you on the strength of our wings and our shrouds. We will defend you with our very lives for we are skyearls.’
When Ciera was finished, there were a few moments of silence.
Escotia announced, ‘I now present Devlan the Sleffion, bonded with Guardian Rinshock. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
A pair of red sashes was handed to the boy standing next to me. He slung one across his shoulder and beneath the other arm then approached Rinshock with the other. The black and silver skyearl bowed his head and allowed Devlan to tie the sash around his neck, a symbol of both his servitude and his ties to the human.
‘I now present Gieri the Sleffion, Tolite, bonded this day with Scout Annaseld. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
Gieri was given a pair of white sashes—white for the scouts, I presumed—and she donned hers as Devlan had.
Sarlice gave me a look of excitement as her turn approached. The boy waiting on the side of the stage had a pair of blue sashes and a pair of yellow. Judging by the sizes of the skyearl sashes the yellow one was for Thita and the blue for Ciera.
‘I now present Sarlice the Sleffion, Tolite, Rada,’ Escotia
Eventually, the others sat too. Sarlice was beaming and kept reaching out to stroke Thita’s fur. One of the horn-blowing dragons ceased his tune. Ciera broke the skyearl song with a low, rumbling howl and a series of growl-grunts. The singers fell silent, allowing Ciera’s skyearl words to echo from wall to wall. The skyearls and their whelps stood with rapt attention, heads pointing in his direction. He continued to growl-grunt.
Escotia, the interpreter from the worship meeting, was waiting at the front of the stage.
In a loud voice she repeated what Ciera was saying in the Telbion-Tanzan language. I already knew what he had said:
‘Welcome to this Bonding Ceremony of four new kin pairs. As you all know, Tanza has thrived for centuries with the blessing of Krii. We, the skyearls, are among the privileged protectors of His people, the Anzaii-kin, Sleffion-kin, Tolite-kin and Rada-kin. Together we are known as Astor-kin. The earliest of the Astor giftings was of course the Anzaii. Being an off-shoot of the original twenty’s inherent abilities, there have always been ‘Anzaii’. However, there were no Anzaii-kin till later. The first of the actual kin were us, the skyearls or Sleffion-kin.
‘Our ancestors were little more than wild animals—water chimera. So-named were they, by the original twenty. Along with the fire chimera or cavearls; beasts that seem part lion, part bull and part snake, we are the greatest of the chimeras. There are many other chimeras, like the platypus of Irin and the hippogryphs of Duuryn, but each is a unique kind in its own right. It is simply easier for scholars to refer to us all as chimera because we are all creatures that appear to be made up of other creatures.
‘We skyearls were made masters of the sky by Krii.
‘Before that our wings could barely lift us off the ground and were used mainly to help us float and swim between the islands of our original home out to sea. Our natural affinity for water was transformed into the wondrous ability to breathe out shrouds and the magical solid platforms we use to build kingdoms in the sky.
‘In return our ancestors agreed to guide and protect the Kriites. The very first bonding between a human and a skyearl was overseen by Krii himself and the miracle of the waves made as plain as it had been during ancient times.
‘It is our duty to continue a tradition of centuries of loyal service.
‘Today we welcome four new human beings into a bonded relationship with their Sleffion-kin. For most skyearls the death of their human-kin also brings about their own death, a sacrifice we are honoured to make. From this day on we will serve you, feel your emotions, hear your thoughts. We will carry you on the strength of our wings and our shrouds. We will defend you with our very lives for we are skyearls.’
When Ciera was finished, there were a few moments of silence.
Escotia announced, ‘I now present Devlan the Sleffion, bonded with Guardian Rinshock. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
A pair of red sashes was handed to the boy standing next to me. He slung one across his shoulder and beneath the other arm then approached Rinshock with the other. The black and silver skyearl bowed his head and allowed Devlan to tie the sash around his neck, a symbol of both his servitude and his ties to the human.
‘I now present Gieri the Sleffion, Tolite, bonded this day with Scout Annaseld. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
Gieri was given a pair of white sashes—white for the scouts, I presumed—and she donned hers as Devlan had.
Sarlice gave me a look of excitement as her turn approached. The boy waiting on the side of the stage had a pair of blue sashes and a pair of yellow. Judging by the sizes of the skyearl sashes the yellow one was for Thita and the blue for Ciera.
‘I now present Sarlice the Sleffion, Tolite, Rada,’ Escotia
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