THE THIRD REALM: YELLOW — The sheltering ceiba

She reached for Ernesto in her heart and sensed an invitation to approach a ceiba tree. It was lush, with a broad trunk and a sheltering crown. Its presence reminded her of a mother staying awake, waiting for someone who had not yet come home.

In the dragons’ land, ceiba trees were revered for their healing strength. No dragon made a home in one. They did not even dare evict the birds that settled there without the village’s permission. Skyblue thought Ernesto could not have chosen her a better refuge.

She asked permission to spend the night. The ceiba opened a welcoming space within itself, and the dragon entered reverently.

Before eating, she offered a little food to Mother Earth and to her host. She invoked the four elements—water, fire, earth, and air—and the four directions, as she had learned from the dwarves. She thanked the beings who had made this feast possible and savored every bite. Once she had eaten her fill, no more food appeared in the satchel.

That night, she met her blue family in her dreams again. They welcomed her with love, but this time their words also carried advice.

“Remember your center.”

“Act from innocence.”

“True power is within you. Don’t give it away to anyone or anything.”

When she woke, the words stayed with her. She tucked them away with all the other things she didn’t yet understand.

She rose at dawn and went to bathe in a nearby stream. She thanked the water, returned to the ceiba, and embraced it. There she felt Ernesto, and also the energy of the tree that had sheltered her through the night. She bowed to receive its blessing, filled her lungs, and crossed the border.