Moran was staring at the side of his face, her brows slightly furrowed.
“They had their reasons for leaving their home.”
“The World Devourer?” Kaylin asked.
“No, nothing so immediately deadly. You are aware that the Aerians’ flight is...improbable? They are, in build and general density, almost human. The activities that do not depend in any way on flight are not hampered by physical strength or build. Their wings, were they attached to the body of similarly weighted avian, could not achieve flight.”
Kaylin frowned. No, she hadn’t been aware of that, and she wasn’t in a great hurry to claim her ignorance.
“They are not magical creatures. In an absence of any magic, they will not cease to exist. They will, however, cease to fly.”
Moran wasreallystaring at the side of his face now, but the midnight of her blue eyes had drifted into an early shade of clear night sky while she listened.
“So...their world ran out of magic?” Kaylin asked.
“Yes.”
“And our world is more magic-rich?”
“Yes. Understand that in a world without magic, door wards and streetlights would not function. In order to utilize magical energies, there must be some sort of conduit—in most cases, training. But not in all.”
“And theIllumen—”
“Yes, the importance of thepraevoloin this escape was critical. It was the duty of the anointed to find a different world; the Aerian ancestors entered theetandewithout a compass.
“Thepraevolois said to have preserved the power of flight for the people, and thepraevolofollowed a trail that only they could see; it led to this world. It is here they arrived—a world of Dragons, Barrani, humans, Leontines.
“And here, too, there was Shadow.”
“Too?”
“I believe—although I am not certain, as the legends were somewhat garbled—”
“That it was Shadow that drove the Aerians from their first home,” Moran said quietly. “At least that is most of our tale. TheShadowsdeprived our wings of flight.”
“You are skeptical?” Nightshade asked her.
“Yes, actually. The Shadows seem a thing of magic, to me. But it’s possible that, to destroy Shadow, the ancestors found some way to destroy magic. I don’t think they understood what the cost would be, and I think that the Shadowsdidwane in that world. But the people could not survive—not as they had.”
“Ah. And so, indirectly, the necessities of war with Shadow did cause the death of flight.”
Moran nodded.
“So thepraevolowas born during that time?” Kaylin asked.
“It’s complicated,” Moran finally replied. “Understand that we have legends and tales; we’re not Dragons. We don’t have ancient Records to which we can refer. I’m not sure thatbornis the right word.” She hesitated. “It’s the word that’s been used. In theory, thepraevolois born to the Aerian people at a time of great need or great conflict. But I believe, even in the tales that are handed down, that the firstpraevolowas born then.”
“You don’t thinkbornis the right word?”
“Iwas born. I wasn’t created. There was no cabal of ancient, powerful mages standing beside my mother as she conceived me; there were none in the birthing rooms where I was born.” Her smile was wan. “When I first encountered Records in the Halls, I searched them. And I went outside of the Halls, searching. I wanted information.”
“Were you not told anything about your wings?”
“I was told a great deal,” Moran replied. “I heard times beyond count that I was unworthy of the gift I had been given. I was told constantly about humility, chief among the characteristics I was to develop tobeworthy.”
“Yes, of course, dear,” Helen said, although no one had spoken. She carried a drink—a hot drink, in a very mundane mug—to Moran, and set it in front of her, where lazy swirls of steam rose.
“I asked, in the beginning, what I was to be worthy of.”