[🎶 Come Early Mornin' – Don Williams.]
Graduation Day dawned as the most sunny morn the island had ever seen. The birds twittered about in the fresh sky and few dolphins skated with green waves in the open sea. High calls of golden kites pierced the mornings serenity, or perhaps added to it.
Israfel opened his yellow eyes to the smell of sweet bread baking. He took a long sniff and pulled out from under the sheets. The events of the previous night poured like warm honey in his head while he was in the baths.
He was still in Bolta's Aerium—that much was clear; when he gazed out through the little light-window over the shower tap he could see the low rises of midsummer clouds. Her house's perch was so high up sometimes you had to ride on dragon's back down. The gods really did love their pride. Rafel wasn't complaining. He liked it.
