Dawn broke over the mountains in shades of crimson and gold—as if the ancestors themselves were watching.
Alex woke to drums. Different rhythm this time—slow, ceremonial, the kind that made his bones vibrate with each beat.
[BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...]
[Translation: "Sacred trial begins. All witness. Ancestors attend."]
"That's dramatic," Alex muttered, carefully extracting himself from the nest without waking his mates.
[Bears love their ceremonies after all. HOST, you should probably attend the trial. Granite will expect it since you provided the stone.]
"I was planning to," Alex said, splashing water on his face. "I want to see how it works."
Naga stirred, coils shifting. "You're not going alone."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Alex said.
They dressed quickly—Leo insisting Alex wear the warmest cloak they had, Naga fussing over whether he'd eaten enough breakfast—and emerged into the pre-dawn cold.
