Commander Ravel looked at Saphir with worry in his dark eyes. "That's the most outrageous story I've ever heard."
He'd chosen the least offensive way to say what the others probably thought, that Saphir had lost his mind.
"If that's true," Shovia said. "Then where are the other shamans with the eggs they fled with? Why didn't they return as you did?"
"Good question." Saphir nodded approvingly. "The portals can be opened only from Aurorys, and to return, they need to remain open. We closed all the other portals to prevent the Shedun from crossing over to the other worlds and killing the shamans and the eggs they were trying to save. Mine was the last one, and my dragonia died protecting my escape." He extended his hand to Moki. "My companion comes from the world that sheltered me and the eggs I took with me. I know that all of you have wondered what he is and how he came to be."
"Is your portal still open?" Morek asked.
Saphir shrugged. "It must be since no dragon has closed it, but the location is lost to me. I tried to find the spot again, but I couldn't."
I wondered if he was telling us the truth. How could he have failed to mark the location? Even Elucians were allowed to lie to save lives, so perhaps Saphir believed that revealing the location might endanger Moki's people.
"Does anyone else know about the portals?" Shovia asked. "The generals? The council?"
"Very few. Nyxath, of course, knows, and I told a handful of senior commanders whom I trust. But the fewer who know, the safer you all are. The Shedun aren't the only threat. Power attracts those who fear it or wish to control it. Dragon eggs are the most valuable asset of Elucia, and there are many who'd like to put their hands on them." He looked pointedly at Alar. "The Elurians would love to have a dragon force of their own."
Tension thrummed through Alar. "Please don't accuse the Elurian Federation of nefarious intent. We've always supported Elucia."
"That's true," Saphir said. "Because we are the buffer between you and the Sitorians. But that's perfectly understandable. Each nation needs to look after its own interests and protect its own citizens. Cooperation between our nations exists because it is beneficial to both."
23
RAVEL
"The greatest danger to a nation is not the enemy at its gates, but the complacency and cowardice within its walls."
—General Harven Blackrock
Ididn't believe in prophecies.
I believed in training, strategy, weapons, and the indomitable will of Elucian forces. I believed in what I could see, measure, and verify.
But sitting in that sealed chamber, listening to Saphir recite ancient words about seven people destined to save the world, I couldn't deny the small cold knot forming in my gut.
Not belief, just uncertainty.
The quintet fit the description of the saviors too well to be coincidental. Kailin's ability to connect with dragons wasunprecedented. Morek's speed was extraordinary. The others had their talents too, even if they hadn't fully manifested yet.
But me? The tracker?
I was good at my job. Excellent, even. Thirty years of service had taught me how to read terrain, predict enemy movements, and understand human behavior patterns. I could find a missing patrol or track the Shedun forces through mountain passes better than most.
But that was skill and experience, not supernatural ability. And if the prophecy required me to track lost shamans and dragon eggs across the universe, as Saphir seemed to believe, then the whole thing fell apart.
I wasn't the sixth. Which meant that either the prophecy was wrong, or Saphir had made an error in interpretation and had chosen the wrong man.
"Who's the seventh?" I asked, breaking the silence that had fallen after Saphir's comment about the Elurians wanting their own dragon force.
The shaman turned to me. "The seventh is shrouded. They are still to arrive. I assume it will be a new cadet from a future pilgrimage."
"How convenient," I said before I could stop myself. "A missing seventh member whose identity is unknown is a built-in excuse for when the prophecy doesn't work."
Alar shifted uncomfortably, and Kailin glared at me, but Saphir just smiled.
"Skepticism is healthy, Commander. I'd worry if you accepted all of this without question."
That wasn't an answer, but I left it at that. I didn't imagine he could give me a better one. Even those who believed in prophecies admitted that they were vague and hard to interpret and that their true meaning was discovered only in retrospect, which was why I wasn't one of them. I could come up withsomething as vague as the prophecy of the seven saviors, and eventually, some people would fit the descriptions, especially if they were obscure enough.
