Author's Blog:
I was not going to add Shamen or the island people into the series until the third book, but I got inspired and liked the idea of magic that the council did not understand. Okuurai and her people will be scarce but included in the second book. Here is my introduction to her character and a more photoshopped rendering
”A clacking noise followed by the ground rumbling stalled Knighton’s explanation as Victor galloped around the far tent, holding a petite grey-skinned woman in his arms. The woman slid gracefully from the half-horse’s grasp and landed on the ground silently. Her long, flowing white hair danced in the air without the assistance of a breeze. She wore a headdress made of wood that resembled a crown that morphed into perpetually falling leaves in the back.
As she made her way over to Knighton, she scrounged around the bag hanging from her waist. Victor introduced the island dweller, “This is Okuurai, the shaman priestess of the carnival.”
Okuurai made no sound with her movement or voice. Knighton was unaffected by her presence, but Aris was intrigued and leaned in to express his admiration to Knighton, “I stand corrected… she is stunning.”
Modesty was not in Knighton’s nor the shaman’s interest, and to Aris’s surprise, the examination took place out in the open. Without a word, she motioned to the wizard to remove his robes and hold a lump of coal under his chin while she mouthed an inaudible incantation. Her methods seemed more religious than medical to Aris, but Knighton did not protest and obeyed.
After taking several breaths, the foreign healer lined up her lips a finger’s length from Knighton’s mouth and inhaled deeply. Discolored air flowed between the two briefly before Okuurai blew out what she had collected. Knighton finally felt at full strength, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and relished in his health. Turning his attention back to the heavily tattooed shaman, he nodded and removed a blue gemstone from his robes as he dressed. Knighton handed the gem to Okuurai with a grateful nod. The beautiful woman accepted the mage’s payment without a sound, turned, and left for her tent, pausing momentarily to give Aris a subtle wink.”