The tomb of the dragon rider was a truly magnificent sight that even Joseph appreciated. It stood on a small hill above and outside of the village but not far from it. It wasn't exactly what any of the visitors had expected, though. Joseph had predicted a sort of catacombs-like structure, but it was more like a gazebo with two statues of dragons (not life-sized) flanking either side of the doorway in. Beneath its roof sat two sarcophagi. Joseph stopped short of the dragon guardians as if he didn't think he was worthy to enter. "This is truly moving," he finally spoke aloud, "I've seen monuments and memorials before, but there's something more special about this one than others."

Guinevere giggled softly. "Perhaps you feel a connection to your past life?" she proposed.

"Absolutely not," the boy firmly dismissed before becoming solemn again, "I think it's the obscure nature of it. It memorializes something so significant, but it's not nearly as famous as the Washington Monument or ruins of Pompeii. It's almost unjust, except that obscurity is probably by design and desire."

"Hmm." Kiloh took his favorite form, the black bear, for the trip to the tomb since he didn't have to worry about scaring anyone. He remarked, "That was actually quite beautiful, Joseph." The boy shied away from the compliment.

"You're quite the scholar!" Zubeida added. At that Joseph's cheeks turned a bit rosy, which Grey noticed and chuckled at. "You're also correct. The old tales live on by this place, but nobody who doesn't already believe them has any interest in them."

Joseph hesitated before asserting, "If I'm honest, I'm not sure I believe them myself. Not their existence, I mean!" Joseph added that to ward off a sour look from Grey, "Or all they've done. But when we start talking about things like prophecies and past lives, I have to admit that's where my suspension of disbelief ends." He adjusted his glasses uncomfortably then, sure his words were being poorly received even among those who didn't show it. "Maybe I just don't have that sense of wonder one needs for your line of work. Or hay one gets raised in such a family." That was a reference to Barnabas and Guinevere, and he looked to them to drive that home. "My parents are- I mean, they were just stuffy white collar workers."

Zubeida acknowledged that with a nod and led the party to an inscription in the wall that only she seemed to understand. "Well this is simply the truth: on his deathbed, the first dragon rider prophesied that he would return again as a boy with skin as pale as the moon. And indeed, this did happen. I suppose you're welcome to call that coincidence." Joseph knew she disagreed with that assessment and didn't need her to go on, but she did. "And I suppose you might be right; there's no proof Ben's life happened because of the prophecy. But I choose to believe some of these fantastic events were only destined to happen."

"As do I," Barnabas added.

"Of course," Zubeida redirected, "we are not here to argue philosophy, are we?"

"You tell us, Doctor," Grey agreed, "Why did you bring us here?"

Barnabas preempted, "I think I know," with a little smile.

"I do, too," Guinevere said.

"You are probably right," Zubeida confirmed to the Greenblooms. "You interest me, Joseph. Your story and the dragon rider's contain many parallels. That boy was a rather ordinary one in his early years, too, for example."

"That isn't exactly a rare quality," Joseph refuted, "In fact it's the antithesis of that." The boy didn't like where this was going. It seemed Zubeida would try and convince him he was the legendary dragon rider after all.

"No it isn't. Additionally, though, the boy and dragon met by what appeared to be pure chance - coincidence, if you will." Joseph didn't miss the emphasis on his own word. "And while neither dragon expected to meet a human, they did. In fact, that human helped them obtain something only a human could help them get: a map." Joseph frowned at that; Grey grinned. "Does that seem significant to you?"

Joseph was hesitant to confirm that concretely, but he didn't lie either. "You could say that."

"Of course, a brownie accompanied the boy to retrieve it." Grey seemed to get giddier with every word. "And soon after the boy was forced to flee his home - in Ben's case, his factory's demolition. He had already been homeless before." Now this was getting weird. Joseph exhaled rather loudly out of his nose. "At first the dragon was more than willing to take Ben, but the brownie was highly suspicious of him."

"Ha," Joseph falsely chuckled, "I had the opposite problem."

"And I'm glad I changed my mind."

Everybody outside the tomb jumped then in surprise. Barnabas even exclaimed, "My goodness!" For there stood a silver dragon.

"Shimmertail!" Grey greeted, "What are you doing out here?"

"I was curious," he answered simply, "I haven't visited this place in over a hundred years." The dragon swung his tail out from behind him then to reveal a six-year-old clinging to it. "I see little has changed." Zubeida spoke to the child in Urdu then, and those who didn't understand supposed she told the child to go home. In either case, she did.

"Barnabas, Guinevere, Doctor Ghalib," Joseph introduced, "Meet our ride and our friend, Shimmertail." Then he addressed Shimmertail. "I still haven't gotten used to either of those things, by the way."

"Never do," the dragon encouraged. "Zennith's tomb... it's been too long. I wonder what you would think if you had been watching me since?"

Barnabas shook his head. "Honor to meet you, my dear dragon. But I should tell you this tomb houses two now; we only thought it right that Benjamin rest with his predecessor." Joseph watched Barnabas wipe one of his eyes under his own glasses then.

"You thought correct," Shimmertail agreed before going off on a bit of a tangent. "I have so many memories and feelings from this place. Many happy, many tragic. It seems to be quite the active place for such a small settlement."

"Only on such special days," Zubeida countered. "Oh, I do hope Vita has done a good job occupying that Valentine! I would hate for him to be a bother to you."

"Is he here?"

Grey explained, "He got here a little before we did, and I'll give away my last cinnamon stick before that man misses you stomping around that little village!"

Joseph piped up, "You told me you were out!"

"Not the point!" the brownie covered, "We just need to make sure we do something about him before we leave."

"Oh, I think you can rely on my wife for that," Barnabas reassured, "She has much less love for him than I do. I am sure she will keep him in check."

"I would still rather know for myself," Joseph insisted.

"As would I," Shimmertail agreed.

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Guinevere promised.

"So Shimmertail," Joseph began explaining to him, "Dr. Ghalib seems to think I'm a dragon rider. And I mean the dragon rider. Sounds ridiculous to me, but..." Joseph hesitated. "...there are definitely some uncanny parallels to the story. Not that that indicates anything."

"Hmm." Joseph didn't like the look on Shimmertail's face, and he was right not to. He teased "I'm inclined to agree with the woman in that respect. Though you are certainly no legend reborn."

"I'll get back to you on whether that makes me feel better or worse."

Shimmertail spoke to everybody then. "Now excuse me. I didn't trudge up here in the middle of the day for a social visit, as nice as it is to meet you. I came to do something. Would you clear the way please?" Zubeida nodded and took Joseph to the side as if she knew what was about to happen. The rest all obeyed, too, but less readily. The boy thought about asking what Shimmertail could be after, but he supposed he would see it soon enough anyway.

Joseph was right. Shimmertail crouched and snaked his neck down to look inside the temple before opening his mouth and exhaling a stream of his bright blue fire. The boy's first panicked instinct was that Shimmertail was trying to burn down the tomb, but that was a silly thought. Besides, he knew from personal experience that dragonfire did not consume from all his hours sitting by a blue campfire, not to mention his snakebite. Thinking of it even made Joseph reach for his ankle, not that there was anything there to feel.

Shimmertail cut off his own stream then and looked very satisfied with his work. "When the first rider died, a dragon bathed these walls in fire. It was even said that any who touched them would find all their illnesses and injuries swiftly healed."

"That is a theory I can confirm," Zubeida insisted.

Joseph, for once, didn't dismiss that right away. Instead he curiously entered the tomb again and placed a hand on the white stone inside. "It's warm," he exclaimed softly in wonder. He even thought he felt a few of those little aches and pains he never even noticed slip away. The boy tried to attribute that to a placebo effect in his head. In any case, he at least recognized the ceremonial significance of it.

"Know what?" The brownie piped up. He clapped the boy on the back and announced to everyone else, "I'm convinced! We're all standing in the presence of the new dragon rider, everyone!" At first Joseph thought that was a joke, but Grey didn't laugh inappropriately at it like he did most of his other jokes. "And I don't care if Benny never prophesied his return; that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Joseph, you're a legend in the flesh!"

The boy pushed the brownie away gently and walked out of the tomb to meet the rest, who had all heard Grey's announcement. Of course, the brownie followed. "Hmm," Kiloh thought, "I suppose you are simply Joseph to me. A good boy for the most part. I see no need to label you as either the dragon rider or not."

"Thank you, Kiloh," Joseph expressed, gratefully patting the bear's snout.

"Well, I've known two dragon riders in my lifetime," Shimmertail concluded, "And I can say with some certainty that you are not one."

"I don't know about that, dear dragon!" Barnabas then began to insist, "I tend to agree with your brownie friend."

"OK, no, please stop," Joseph finally interrupted, "I really don't want to think about this. Dr. Ghalib, thank you for the moon dew. Professors Greenbloom, it's been a pleasure to meet you. The tomb is quite beautiful, too. I think we should best return to our own devices, though." The boy didn't wait to be excused, then: he power walked down the path from the tomb towards the village.

Grey slumped his shoulders and frowned. "I guess we shouldn't have pushed it," he admitted.

"I will go after him," the black bear volunteered, "I am sure he did not mean to be rude, but I apologize for him all the same."

"No, need! No need," the younger Greenbloom insisted as the bear trudged off after Joseph.

"I guess we'd better go, too," Grey realized, "I did kind of mess up, too."

But Barnabas intervened, "Oh, would you stay for a moment? My wife has a particular interest in brownies, and I'm sure she would love to talk with you more."

Grey wanted to say no, but Shimmertail answered for him: "I'll attend to him for you. Don't worry."

The brownie swallowed but supposed he wasn't giving a choice. "Tell him I'm sorry, then?"

"I'll tell him from us both."

Joseph's shoes and socks were off, and his jeans were rolled up to his knees so he could soak his feet and ankles in the Indus. He had gotten away from the village altogether for some peace and quiet, so while his feet soaked he lay back and just tried to forget everything. "I realize you snuck up on me last time we met at a river," Joseph spontaneously announced to apparently no one then, "But I feel the vibration on the ground from your heavy footsteps this time."

"Then it is fortunate that I never meant to hide," Kiloh retorted as he sat just behind the human's head and looked down on him. Under other circumstances Joseph would have thought his form was imposing even if not threatening, but perhaps not then. "I apologize for the others' behavior. I do not believe they meant to cause you stress."

"Neither do I," the boy agreed before pointing out, "But they still did. But I suppose I should find them later and say sorry to them, too."

Kiloh lay himself completely down then, but by nature of his bulk his head still hovered over Joseph's. "Would you like to enumerate the source of your distress? It seems you are quite reluctant to accept a title most would find an honor. I am curious regarding why."

Joseph shifted out from under Kiloh and sat up, looking over his shoulder for eye contact. "It's not the title or the prophecy or any of that," the boy explained, "It's the expectations and pressure that come with it. Like suddenly I'm a hero or legend or other person of repute - that stuff needs living up to." Kiloh huffed and circled to sit beside Joseph this time as he went on, "Let's not even talk about the obvious difficulty in doing that. I just can't live my life under that kind of pressure."

"I see." The bear leaned in and affectionately nuzzled Joseph's face then. "But what are the consequences of failing to be the dragon rider? What might you expect? Not abandonment, I hope."

"No, I never thought that," Joseph agreed, "But disappointment, probably. You saw the look on Grey's face, right? I think he expected me to sprout wings and fly myself, and he'll either wind up disillusioned... or awaiting exactly that as long as I know him. Zubeida and the Greenblooms are probably only so interested in me because I remind them of their Ben, too; I wonder what kind of reception we would have gotten if you and I came alone." He wrapped an arm around Kiloh, then. "But I appreciate you trying to stick up for me."

"I thought I knew why you were so adverse to the subject. Do not give me too much credit for a lucky guess."

Joseph was forced to smile a little. "Do me a favor and never lose that modesty. Sometimes I can't tell if it's real or for my sake, but I always appreciate it."

"Of course it's real," Kiloh defended, "Don't you remember sprites don't lie?"

"You also said your lies can serve a higher purpose, and I wouldn't put it past you to see sparing my feelings as one."

Shimmertail wasn't trying to sneak up on Joseph either, but he probably couldn't even if he had been trying; the boy had felt footsteps before he ever heard them, much less saw their source. When Joseph did, he asked, "Are they asking for me again?"

"No," the dragon denied, "Grey is being peppered with questions from one of the Greenblooms while the rest are trying to occupy that Valentine character." He stopped to scratch the scales around his neck with his hind leg then. "Are you accepting apologies now, or do you need some time first?"

"Apology accepted," Joseph supposed. "Wouldn't you rather be asleep right now? We do have somewhere to be."

"Do you sleep while there are matters of importance to attend to?" The dragon lay down then and curled up a little bit, only he was so close that Joseph may as well have been leaning back against Shimmertail's side.

"Please, Shimmertail," Joseph reiterated, "That's why I'm upset. I don't want everyone thinking that about me. And I don't want them thinking it's something I can't do either!"

"You misunderstand me." Joseph wasn't warned before one of the dragon' forelegs was thrown across his lap. For a moment Joseph feared the weight of it would hurt or even injure him, but it seemed Kiloh had spoken true when he claimed Shimmertail wasn't as heavy as he looked. Though far from weightless, the limb actually felt rather comfortable there. Or perhaps it had nothing to do with his mass, and he was just being gentle. "I wasn't talking about the dragon rider just now. I was talking about my friend." The dragon used the tip of his tail to tease the underside of Joseph's chin, then, but the boy gently held it at bay.

"Well I wish I could be just that." Joseph finally relented then and actually leaned back on Shimmertail before making eye contact. "Without there being some debate about a prophecy or legend and how I might fit in." He sighed then and nervously adjusted his glasses. "Guess I might still be clinging to my old life. No dragons, no legends, no- well, some responsibility. But not nearly as much. Not quite so many secrets and so much danger either." Since the tail wouldn't get across Joseph's chin, Shimmertail splayed it across the boy's abdomen. Joseph supposed he would tolerate that.

"Shimmertail!" Joseph didn't recognize that female voice, and he couldn't see its source either; it was behind the dragon on which he was leaning.

Apparently Kiloh didn't recognize it either, because he asked it, "May we help you?"

"The dragon there. He's my friend," the voice answered, "But what are you doing here? I thought you were out scrutinizing the world."

"Indeed I had been," Shimmertail confirmed, "I suppose the timing of my return was a coincidence. But I thought the same of you; what brings you here?"

"No coincidence for us," she told him, "You know how he is. He never would have missed this. Believe me, I tried, too!" Joseph couldn't quite place the accent, but it didn't sound native. He thought he might have heard some Brit in there, but there was also something else he didn't get. He stood then and walked around the dragon to peer over his tail. "Who's the sprite then? Least I think you're a sprite; I've never seen a bear that looks like you in these parts. Death caps, you must be sweltering in this heat! Then she noticed Joseph peering up at her cautiously, and that was what seemed to surprise her the most. "And who's that little titch?"

"This-" Shimmertail used his tail then to push the boy out from behind him and into plain view. "-is my new friend Joseph." Perhaps Joseph had only met one brownie before, but he knew one when he saw one. There were some obvious differences to Grey, though, like her fur color: it was bright orange and spotted instead.

"Joseph," Shimmertail went on, "I believe we have told you about this brownie. Her name is Sorrel."

"You've never mixed with humans before, Shimmertail! Even in other visits you've always stayed by the tomb, never going down the hill! Suddenly you show up with one who, by the looks of him, you brought some distance!"

"I don't know why you're surprised. You did the exact same thing."

"Touché." Sorrel studied Joseph then like she was trying to figure out everything about him in a few seconds. She seemed to think she could do it, too. "I guess you can't be all bad if even this grumpy dragon likes you," she concluded, "But you know it's hard to tell with humans. Strange how a few are good, but a whole mass of them isn't."

Joseph frowned and crossed his arms. "I've seen baseball bats that were less blunt than you. I thought a personal friend of the dragon rider would be a bit more sympathetic to humanity."

"Hmmph. So you know about that, huh?" The orange brownie bemused, "Well like I said, maybe you're not a bad human."

Joseph supposed that was the best he could hope for. It didn't seem the brownie was keen to make friends at the moment. "What are you doing here, anyway? How'd you get here? I'd assume you're with a dragon, but I never heard wing flaps or saw any suspicious birds."

Sorrel didn't answer. Instead she looked to Shimmertail as if telepathically asking him whether it was alright to tell. So Shimmertail informed him, "It seems I lost track of the days. Every five years for the last fifteen, the dragons have been gathering at the tomb of the dragon rider for Ben, the boy who saved the dragons from our stone prisons - and worse."

Boy, Joseph thought, I didn't realize the village was that friendly to dragons.

"Well it's not a big gathering this time," Sorrel informed Shimmertail, "Seems you and Firedrake inspired the other dragons to go. Heaven knows where they are now, but there aren't many left back home. Today it's just the four of us, Maia and Firedrake. They just landed at the tomb an hour ago." Joseph's eyes flickered recognition, and the brownie didn't miss it. "Sound familiar?"

"A bit," Joseph confirmed. Then he spoke to Shimmertail. "You wanted me to meet Firedrake, didn't you? When did you know about all this anyway?"

Shimmertail explained then, "Just now, seeing Sorrel." Shimmertail rose up then. "Let us return to the tomb; perhaps you don't want to go back there right now, but I think someone there would like to meet you. Especially today."

Vita couldn't occupy Kenneth and and simultaneously talk to Grey, but she thought she may as well bring the clueless man along for that. At least it kept him away from the dragons and, more importantly, she could keep her eye on him. She was especially suspicious of Kenneth, though, demanding no cameras or recording devices be on his person or in the room.

Kenneth submitted and turned out all his pockets for Vita's inspection before sitting down with her and Grey. The woman didn't trust how obediently Kenneth did so, but she had no evidence to convict him of wrongdoing. If only she had searched the phone that Kenneth had been forced to leave in Zubeida's guest room, though, she would have found several long-distance and hastily taken photos of brownies and dragons on a cliff side far in the distance. Perhaps they had to be taken stealthily and in a rush, but a few were plenty distinguishable enough. As soon as Kenneth found a moment to get free, he intended to make his name among his community known.