The silence that enveloped the square felt so tense that I could hear my own heartbeat. All eyes were still on the little lizard in my hand that was now sitting quietly, occasionally emitting thin golden smoke from its nose.
"Sol," I whispered softly, for some reason the name suddenly appeared in my mind. The little lizard turned and nodded, as if agreeing to the name I gave it. "Your name is Sol."
Reverend Wiranata was still standing with a pale face, the Familiar Encyclopedia still tightly gripped in his hand. He looked at me with a look that was difficult for me to interpret - a mixture of amazement, confusion, and maybe a little fear.
"Nova," Father's voice suddenly broke the silence. He walked closer with slightly faltering steps, his face full of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Father," I replied, standing up slowly. Sol remained perched on my hand quietly, his golden eyes observing the surroundings warily.
Indra suddenly laughed loudly, his voice echoing in the silent square. "Hahahaha! Look at that! Nova got a little lizard that's not even in the book!" His silver wolf growled lowly, as if imitating his master's arrogant attitude.
"At least I got a familiar," I replied in a calmer tone than I felt. "Joko and Rina still haven't gotten anything."
"But what's the use of getting an unknown familiar?" Indra stood up and stepped closer. "Strong familiars are already recorded in the encyclopedia. My Leader Wolf has proven its strength for hundreds of years. Your little lizard... is probably just a failed mutation."
Some people in the crowd began to murmur in agreement. I heard unpleasant whispers.
"Poor Nova... got a strange familiar."
"Maybe because her family is poor, so the familiars that come are cheap."
"What can a little lizard like that do? Biting people's feet?"
Sol in my hand suddenly straightened up. Her golden eyes flashed, and her body temperature rose slightly. I felt an emotion flowing from our bond - she was angry at the taunts.
"Calm down," I whispered while gently stroking his head. "Don't listen to them."
"Even his familiar didn't show any strength," Indra continued his taunting. "My wolf can give off a leadership aura that scares other familiars. Your little lizard... can only sit there like a toy."
Bayu, whose Smithing Fox familiar was busy checking the small hammer in his hand, chimed in.
"Maybe Nova's familiar is weak. Just look, Indra's wolf immediately looks dominant, my fox shows his forging skills by creating this small tool. But Nova's lizard... doesn't do anything."
Sari, who was usually kind, looked hesitant this time. "Maybe... maybe Nova's familiar is different. My Healing Cat also didn't immediately show his abilities when first summoned."
"Different because it's weak," Indra snapped in a mocking tone. "A strong familiar will immediately show its strength. This is the law of nature!"
I bit my lower lip, holding back the emotions that were starting to rise. The sole on my hand began to emit more golden smoke, and his body temperature rose even more. I felt something stirring inside him.
"Enough, Indra," Reverend Wiranata finally rebuked. "We don't know anything about Nova's familiar. Don't be too quick to judge."
"But Reverend," Indra still wouldn't give in. "There must be a reason for a familiar not being recorded in the encyclopedia. Maybe it's because it's not worth recording because it's too weak."
"Or maybe it's too rare," someone from the crowd said. I turned around and saw Grandpa Surya, an old man who used to be an adventurer. "There are some legendary familiars that aren't recorded in the common books."
Indra snorted. "Legendary? Just look at that little lizard. Where can a legendary familiar look so... ordinary?"
Sol suddenly jumped from my hand and landed on the ground. His small body stood straight, his golden eyes staring intently at Indra. The golden smoke coming out of his nose grew even thicker.
"Oh, now he wants to show off his strength?" Indra laughed again. "Come on, show me what you can do, little lizard!"
Indra's silver wolf took a step forward, letting out a low growl that made some of the other familiars retreat. His aura of leadership was indeed strong, and I even felt a little pressure from him.
But Sol didn't back down. Instead, he took small but confident steps forward. His thin wings spread slightly, and his tail moved with the tip glowing like fire.
"Sol, don't," I whispered worriedly. "He's bigger than you."
Sol glanced at me, his eyes gleaming with a look that seemed to say: "Trust me."
Then, the unexpected happened.
Sol opened his mouth and let out a small sound - not like a normal lizard's sound, but like a... mini roar. And from his mouth, not only golden smoke came out, but also small sparks of golden flames.
The golden flames fell to the ground and... did not go out. Instead, the small flames began to spread slowly, creating a small circle around Sol. The ground that the golden flames touched did not burn, but turned into small, sparkling crystals.
Everyone fell silent. Even Indra stopped laughing, his eyes widening at the sight he had never seen before.
"What... what is that?" Sari whispered in a trembling voice.
Reverend Wiranata took a step back, his face growing pale. "Golden flames... I've read about this in ancient records. But it's just a legend..."
Sol raised his head and let out another small roar. This time, the golden flames that came out of his mouth were bigger, and the crystals on the ground began to resonate, making a sound like the tinkling of small bells.
"Impossible," Indra muttered, his voice no longer arrogant. "A fire familiar that can create crystals? That's impossible. Fire and crystals are opposing elements."
Grandpa Surya suddenly shouted from the crowd: "That kid! That familiar! I remember now! In my old adventure notes, there was a mention of a legendary creature that mastered golden flames!"
All eyes were immediately focused on Grandpa Surya. He walked over with hurried steps, his eyes sparkling.
"Golden flames are the highest flames," he said in a voice trembling with excitement. "Not only does it burn, but it also creates. A fire that can transform matter into mana crystals. The familiar that masters golden flames is..." he swallowed. "Is a descendant of an ancient dragon."
Complete silence once again enveloped the square. The word "dragon" was like a thunderbolt that struck everyone's consciousness.
"Dragon?" Reverend Wiranata almost whispered. "But dragons have been extinct for hundreds of years. And Nova's familiar form doesn't look like a dragon at all."
"Young dragon," corrected Grandpa Surya. "Newborn dragons are indeed shaped like winged lizards. They will change shape as they grow. But the golden fire ability will not change."
Sol, as if understanding our conversation, nodded slightly. He walked closer to the stone altar in the middle of the square - the place where ritual offerings were usually placed.
"Sol, don't go too far," I called worriedly.
But Sol had already arrived near the altar. He placed both front paws on the gray altar stone, then let out a long breath. Golden flames came out of his mouth in a larger form than before.
And what happened next made everyone retreat in fear.
The stone altar began to change color. From gray to bright red, like metal heated in a furnace. But that wasn't the most amazing thing. The surface of the altar stone began to sparkle, and slowly, small crystals began to grow from its surface.
The Summoning Stone - a sacred stone that had been used for rituals for hundreds of years - turned a sparkling red with gold crystals attached to its surface.
"It can't be," whispered Reverend Wiranata in a barely audible voice. "The Summoning Stone... he changed the Summoning Stone..."
The temperature around the altar rose drastically. Everyone backed away further, but I felt compelled to come closer. The bond between Sol and I felt stronger, and I felt a surge of energy flowing from the changing altar.
Sol turned to me, his golden eyes gleaming proudly. He jumped off the altar and back into my hand, his body feeling warmer than before.
"What just happened?" I asked Sol, knowing he couldn't answer with words.
Sol rubbed his head against my palm, and suddenly I felt something - like a voice inside my head, but not a real voice.
"I have marked this place. From now on, it will protect you."
I almost fell over in shock. Sol could communicate with me telepathically!
"You... you can talk?" I whispered.
"With you, yes. With the others, not yet."
Around us, everyone was still staring at the changing altar. The golden crystals on its surface continued to shimmer, emitting a warm, calming light.
Indra, who had been so arrogant, now looked pale. His silver wolf even hid behind his legs, not daring to look at Sol.
"This... this is impossible," Indra muttered. "A familiar that small... can't possibly have this much power."
"Size doesn't determine strength," Grandpa Surya said with a wide smile. "Nova's child, you are very lucky. The familiar you have is no ordinary familiar. He is a descendant of a dragon, and maybe... maybe he is the key to changing the fate of this village."
I looked at Sol who was still perched calmly on my hand. His golden eyes stared at me with a gaze filled with mystery and the promise of unimaginable adventure.
"Our adventure has only just begun," I whispered, repeating the words I felt from his gaze yesterday.
And for some reason, looking at the changing altar and the sparkling golden crystals on its surface, I felt that my life - and maybe the life of the entire village - would never be the same again.