"The stairs," I admitted, sinking into the offered chair. "It's the second time I've had to climb them today."
"Ah, yes, I keep forgetting that you are not bonded to a dragon yet and have to climb to get here instead of just flying up." He pushed a plate toward me. "Eat. These sandwiches are delicious. Goat cheese with pickled onions and a sauce made from fermented peppers. Moki loves them."
That didn't sound particularly appetizing to me, but I was on a mission to recover my strength, so I reached for one.
Moki, who was seated on a thick cushion so he could reach the table, chittered excitedly and pointed at the bowl of noodles as if to say that these were his favorite, not the sandwiches.
"Thank you." I took a bite from the sandwich, not expecting the combination of flavors to be so delicious. It was spicy and savory with a hint of sweetness from the herbs.
The next few minutes were spent eating, and I enjoyed watching Moki scooping up noodles with the help of two sticks instead of a fork. I wanted him to teach me how to do that, but that would waste precious time that I didn't have.
"You are probably wondering why I asked to see you," I said.
Saphir settled back in his chair. "I assumed you had more questions for me."
"I do, but that comes second. What's more urgent is my friends being told about the prophecy. How can they save the world when they don't even know that's expected of them?"
Saphir's eyebrows rose. "I thought you'd already told them."
"You didn't give me explicit permission to tell them, and I wasn't sure what I was allowed to share."
That was a roundabout way of stating the truth without revealing that I wasn't bound by his compulsion, as he probably assumed.
"Ah." He looked surprised. "My apologies. I didn't realize that. Yes, of course you can tell them. But they should keep it a secret from others. At least for now."
He had made such a big deal out of the prophecy when he'd told me about it, and now he was treating it as something trivial. Dealing with the shaman was frustrating.
"Shouldn't you be the one telling them? I mean, the prophecy is a huge deal. Saving the world, opening portals to recover lost dragon eggs, and the shamans guarding them. I'm not sure my friends would even believe it coming from me."
He laughed. "Oh, they'll believe you. You are the Hero of Elucia, the savior, the dream prophet, but I see your point. I'll tell the other three tomorrow, during the field trip."
I wasn't even surprised that he'd figured out I had already told Alar, but I had no idea what he was talking about in regard to the field trip.
"Where are we going?" No one had said anything about going anywhere. I was sure that our instructors would have told us if we were going on a field trip tomorrow.
"We are going to visit the temple ruins at Mount Hope," Saphir said in a tone that made it sound like I should have known that.
"Are you sure it's tomorrow? It's not on the schedule."
"Oh, you are right." He looked sheepish. "It's supposed to be next week, but I can move the trip up. The temple ruins are the perfect spot for telling your friends about the prophecy, and since you are eager for them to be in the know, it needs to happen tomorrow."
I hadn't said anything about the timing, only that it needed to happen soon, but if he could do that tomorrow, I wasn't going to argue.
"Will you take just the five of us? Or the entire class?"
He pursed his lips. "I would have preferred to take just you and your friends, but that would look odd, and your classmates would wonder why the five of you are getting special treatment. But don't worry. I'll find a way to sneak the group off somewhere private."
I studied him, once again wondering about his mental state. He seemed scattered at times, and I wondered if it was an act or if the long centuries of life had actually affected his mind.
Moki finished his noodles, wiped his mouth and paws with a napkin, and then surprised me by jumping into my lap. I stroked his silver-white fur automatically, and he purred like a cat.
"I miss my dog," I said. "Chicha would have loved it here, and I have a feeling she and Moki would have gotten along splendidly."
"Ah, your little dog. She also deserves a medal. She saved a lot of people at the square that day, preventing a much worse disaster by sounding the alarm."
I was surprised that he knew that, but then Shaman Saphir Fatewever seemed to know everything. Did he also know about Chicha saving my village five years ago?
"Yes, my dear Kailin. I know about that as well."
