The Land of Dragons

Chapter 31

An hour after Chapter 30

Seb looked around. The youngsters were starting to scatter around the cave. Charles, Tharion, Pierre and Tarasque were outside on the ledge. Alex and Lando were in the middle of a blanket war with Neptune and Helios. Max watched them from the sofa. Julunggul sat on his lap, not wanting to move around too much yet after her accident with the Devil. Carlos also sat there with Apalalo sleeping on his lap.

Seb glanced at Lewis and stood up. The Brit understood him and followed him farther away from the youngsters.

"It's time to go soon," Seb said. It was already past noon, and they had planned to return to the Earth in the afternoon.

Lewis nodded. "I'll get everything we need. Call them in." he gestured towards the ledge and the two youngsters standing outside.

Seb approached Charles and Pierre standing on the ledge.

"Come in!" he gestured to them. They followed him back to the sofa. Lewis had finished what he had been doing and joined them.

"We have to go back to the Earth soon." he said. "But first, it's time to officially make you Dragonriders - that is, if you decided you want to join us of course." he glanced around and told them the schedule of the ceremony.

"Basically that's it. It used to be a greater occassion, but there are too few of us for that now." he finished.

Lewis stood at the side of the ledge with Viserion and Seb stood with an overexcited Whiro on the other side, next to the stairs. The youngsters were assembled inside the cave. The rest of the Dragonriders used to watch from the clearing, but today the audience consisted of only a few butterflies and snails.

They began as soon as everyone was in place.

"Carlos and Apalalo, approach us, please!" Lewis began. The Spaniard and the reddish-brown dragon walked out of the cave and stopped in front of Lewis.

"Carlos, what is your decision? Do you accept Apalalo as your dragon?"

Carlos looked at Apalalo and nodded. "Yes." he said.

Viserion repeated the question to Apalalo, who also nodded.

"Carlos, do you swear that you will never, under any circumstances tell or let any outsiders know about the dragons, the Travelling Amulets or the Land of Dragons?

"I swear." the Spaniard said.

"All right. Carlos Sainz, you are from now on a member of the Dragonrider Order with your dragon Apalalo." Lewis announced.

Viserion repeated the sentence with some adjustments.

"Apalalo, you are from now on a member of the Dragonrider Order with your rider Carlos Sainz." the wording was.

Seb, Whiro and the youngsters inside clapped for them and the new rider and dragon walked across the stage to Seb, who gave Carlos his own Travelling Amulet, so he could visit the Land of Dragons anytime he wished. Whiro said something to Apalalo in the sacred language of the wild dragons, which no human understood.

Carlos and Apalalo walked down the stairs and stood on the clearing, "among the members of the Dragonrider Order", which meant they were the only ones there.

"Pierre and Tarasque, approach us, please." Lewis continued.

They repeated the ceremony, and Pierre also got his Travelling Amulet. He joined Carlos and Apalalo with Tarasque. After them came Alex and Neptune, then Max and Julunggul, Charles and Tharion and last but not least Lando and Helios. After the ceremony Lewis and Seb joined them on the clearing too. The youngsters formed a circle and Lewis showed them how to use their amulets.