"Who are you?" A chán man narrowed his eyes, but even the members of the seer clan looked at him suspiciously.
"The Clan Leader of the Seer Clan." The stranger shrugged.
"That's impossible." The one who spoke first shook his head.
"Are you saying it's impossible?" He tilted his head to the side, then looked at the hegins and his eyes turned white. "From the west over the west,
In barrack high up in the air
Even there at the highest point,
The inferno of glory will blaze,
And the demon comes to life, the fire burns everything,
If the sun does not see the new year with the great seven there." He said in a timeless voice, then shook himself. "Good, that's all, the bazaar is closed." He clapped.
"You really are the leader of the seer clan." One of the cháns said.
"Then you have to choose!" Enthused another while the white haired man rolled his eyes.
"I said it's not my job to choose." The man narrowed his eyes.
"But..." One of the younger chán leaders began.
"Don't start telling me that you think this would be the smartest, because according to your opinion, the oldest should be the Grand Leader. I'm the oldest, but I don't think I can be a great leader." The white-haired one put his hands on his hips.
"Then at least predict who will be the next one!" Another clan leader put his hands together in a pleading manner.
"In your dreams! For what? You have just received a prophecy from the born seer." He motioned to Rahul. "There is no need for me to force myself if you have already received a prediction. Mo Ching will choose the next Grand Leader for you." He shrugged. A great silence settled over the clearing.
"Am I the only one who got stuck when he called Rahul a born seer thingy?" Citar finally spoke, and all the Athamanas looked at him in surprise and even the cháns turned to him. "What now?"
"Did you understand what they said?" Wandi asked the question.
"Yes?" Citar looked suspiciously at the team. "Why wouldn't I have understood?" He frowned, but in the next moment the white-haired one came in front of his face and tilted his head to the side, grinning. He just stood there in silence for a few seconds, then with a nod he stepped back.
"He may be a born seer." The white-haired man pointed at Rahul. "But as for you, someone opened your third eye." At this statement, Citar raised both eyebrows and slowly blinked a couple, then turned to the team.
"Guys, these are idiots. I don't even have three eyes." He rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Bolacsuk, you didn't say that you understood what the cháns were saying." Benkó said upset.
"Maybe because I don't understand them." Citar announced. "I mean the fact that I can read what is written on that rock is another thing, but I don't know what they are talking about." He shrugged.
"You can read it too?" Rahul blinked at his friend.
"Yes, it's not that hard." Citar shook his head.
"How can you read our writing?" Master Mo asked the question.
"Well, if you see something enough, you will learn it." The boy scratched his neck. "Let's just say that I had to copy the book that the tribe stole from Master Mo quite a few times." He muttered under his breath, which made the said chán's face darken for a moment.
"I don't even know why I'm surprised. You always steal everything." He shook his head.
"Excuse me, could we switch back to the common language? There are a few of us here who have no idea what is going on!" Suk raised his hand.
"But we speak the common language." Citar blinked.
"You do, but the cháns doesn't." Suk pulled his mouth in a grimace.
"I said that I don't understand the chán's speech." Citar said confused.
"You do." A voice was suddenly heard out of nowhere. "Sorry, I think that's my fault." As this sentence was spoken, in the company of a flash of light, a bird blessed with golden reddish feathers appeared on the ground in front of Citar. The bird was so big that it reached up to the boy's waist and it was as if small jets of flame rose from its wings. "What are you staring at now?"
"Good spirits! It's talking!" Citar pointed to the bird with wide eyes, the animal's radiance changed in an instant, the flames on its wings doubled in size.
"I'll give you an "it's" you idiot of a hegin!" The sounds of a language that left the bird's beak, only one member of the audience understood. Citar even opened his mouth when he heard the dialect of the Bolacsuks. "If you don't pull yourself together, you idiot, I swear I'll bite your face like when you were ten years old!" To prove its words, it even raised its wings.
"Lynx?!" Citar snorted.
"Who else would I be, you madman?!" The answer came, at which even the Athamanas began to blink.
"Citar, wasn't your soul creature a lynx last time?" Wandi asked, and the boy in question nodded slowly.
"Because that is the greatest supernatural being with energy from people's faith in your region." The bird shook itself. "This is my original shape, but if we were on another part of earth, I would adapt it to the beliefs of the place." It poked its feathers with its beak. "It's not appropriate to stare!" It growled at the cháns, who all looked at him with open mouths. "So basically what they say about you is because of me. The soul bond is two-sided. You are my master and I give you my skills. Since I have to be able to make myself understood everywhere, then you can do too." It pressed its head to Citar's hand, and the boy stroked its head out of sheer habit.
"Hey Rahul, I know I said that the dragon is the coolest soul creature I have ever seen." The boy started. "But you know what? I take it back. I have the coolest soul creature." The boy grinned as he knelt before the bird.
"You are lucky, young hegin. It is rare to see such an animal. I thought they were extinct." The white-haired chán shrugged. "So back to the problem. A-Ching, have you decided who will be the Grand Leader?" He looked at Mo Ching.
"No. After all, who would be crazy enough to volunteer for such a task?" The questioned rolled his eyes.
"I'll take it if no one wants it!" At the sudden sound, everyone looked in one direction in surprise. The speaker was none other than She Tao, who stood with folded hands and a faint smile on his lips, watching the strange events unfolding before his eyes.
"You?" One of the chán clan leaders blinked.
"Yes. It doesn't seem that complicated. A little bit of tactics, a little bit of democracy, a little bit of development. Best of all, I have some ideas that I would like to see put into practice." He grabbed his chin.
"Well, if you think so, so be it. She Tao, I choose you as the next Grand Leader!" Mo Ching announced.
"Here you go!" The white-haired man clapped. "It's settled, you have your Grand Leader, I am leaving." He announced and started towards the Athamana, but stopped next to Rahul and spoke so quietly that only the boy could hear him with a smile on his lips. "I expected nothing less from my best student."
"He was the clan leader!" The members of the seer clan spoke at the same time, when Rahul turned after the white-haired chán with a confused face.
"Hmm... I guess I'll have to get used to this." She Tao shook his head.
"A child..." One of the clan leaders began.
"It's not his age, but his abilities that matter. He is one of my most skilled students. I know he will be able to complete the tasks." Mo Ching interrupted.
"Thank you for your trust Mo shizuin!" She Tao bowed.
"Long live the new Grand Leader!" One of the cháns called out suddenly.
"Long live the Grand Leader!" Several people repeated the exclamation, which made the mentioned boy blush up to the tip of his ears.