The new moon of the new year

Click for Part 1

The dragon flew over the house near a mountain, by a river, not far from a city. He called to the boy. "Ryn..."

The light of Ryn's soul floated gently upward from the bed where he slept, and lit on the dragon's broad neck. The dragon sensed the boy's expectation in a kind of "Where are we going today?" feeling that infused his soul.

They flew west, toward the northern coastline of the great southern land, and then along the Indonesian archipelago. With the sun getting lower in the afternoon they flew along the coast of a small island with a very long beach, where people with white and brown skins worked and played in the sunshine. Still they flew further, over rice paddies and small villages, with peaks of volcanoes in the distance, surrounded by wisps of cloud. 

As the sun began to set, the dragon followed the sound of a Balinese gamelan. People were singing and dancing in front of a beautiful Hindu temple covered in flowers and brightly coloured cloth, in the middle of lush greenery and waterways.

The dragon felt a change in the boy's spirit, with a kind of "What are they doing?" feeling this time. 
He spoke to Ryn, unsure if he would understand. "Tonight we will not see the moon in the sky. The new moon of the new year. Tonight begins the year of the dragon..."
The dragon felt a change again, something like understanding. They continued to circle over the celebration below, as the people danced and sang and prayed and paid respects to the gods of the new year. The gamelan music crescendoed as the sun set on the horizon, to a seemingly moonless night.

Not able to see so much below, the dragon flew higher, and the night lights of Bali glowed peacefully below. They flew still higher, and could see Sumatra and many more islands. The dragon turned in a great swoop so the boy could take it all in, then stopped to face the new moon. 

After paying his respects to the moon, a grin appeared on the dragon's face. "They say this year is my year! What do you think about that, my wonderful little friend?"
He felt a little change in Ryn again, a feeling like excitement and anticipation to keep going. The dragon flew him home again with only the light of the stars, back to the house near a mountain, by a river, not far from a city.

(Chenggu, Bali.)

Chapter 12: To the dragon from the mother.