Chapter 20 Saphir
SAPHIR
"Prophecies do not dictate the future; they illuminate possibilities."
—Shaman Saphir Fatewever
Moki's silver-white fur was painted with touches of gold by the morning light streaming through my office windows. He was perched on my desk, chittering his disapproval as usual.
I'd explained my reasoning for the third time, and he still wasn't having it. "You are such a contrary creature, Moki. Why am I keeping you as my companion?"
The hurt expression on his small face tugged at my heartstrings.
"You are such a clever manipulator." I ran a finger along his spine, which usually pleased him enough to calm him.
"The prophecy must be revealed, and I need all five of them together to do it properly.
There is no better place to do it than in the labyrinth under the ruined temple. "
Moki's chittering intensified, his tiny paws gesturing emphatically.
"Summoning all of them to my office would look suspicious, Moki." I sighed, settling back in my chair. "I cannot do it, and as Kailin has pointed out, it is time to let the others know their destiny."
He chittered again, head tilting in that way that made him look impossibly clever.
"You're right," I admitted. "Isolating them during the field trip will also appear suspicious.
I'll need to be subtle about it." I tapped my fingers on the desk.
"Perhaps if I make it seem like a spontaneous discovery?
Yes, that could work. An unexplored chamber, something that requires a smaller group for safety reasons. .."
Moki made a different sound, shorter and sharper.
I laughed. "You're quite right, my friend. Thank you for reminding me. I nearly forgot to include Commander Ravel, and as an integral part of the prophesied seven, his attendance is mandatory."
The question of whether Moki truly understood my words or I simply projected meaning onto his reactions had entertained me for centuries.
The truth, I suspected, lay somewhere in between.
His intelligence was undeniable, but whether it manifested as language comprehension or something more primal and intuitive, I couldn't say.
It hardly mattered since we understood each other perfectly, and that was more than most people could claim, even those who communicated in the same language.
I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind, finding Nyxath's presence blazing like a star in my consciousness.
The bond we shared wasn't the same as a rider's bond with their dragon.
It ran deeper because I'd been there when she'd hatched, the first of the hidden eggs to crack open upon our return to Aurorys.
"Nyxath," I sent, wrapping the call with warmth. "I need a favor."
Her response came immediately. "Of course you do. Shouldn't you start by inquiring about my day, though?"
I chuckled. The differences in styles of communication between humans and dragons were a running joke between us. Dragons didn't engage in polite preambles. They went straight to the point.
"My apologies," I said. "How is your day going so far?"
"As usual. Sifting through dragon politics and dealing with all their enormous egos. Now you can ask for your favor. What is it?"
"I need you to convey a message through Onyx to Ravel. I'd like to see the commander in my office at his earliest convenience. In fact, tell him that I need to see him right away."
There was a pause. "Is this about the prophecy?"
I smiled to myself. "You know me better than I know myself."
She chuffed. "After a thousand years in your company, I should hope so."
"Indeed." I wondered if I knew her as well as she knew me. "I want to tell everyone involved today, and I almost forgot that Ravel is part of the prophesied group. The field trip provides the perfect opportunity to do so discreetly."
"You had doubts about Ravel being the sixth," Nyxath said.
"I still do. Ravel is a good tracker, but not exceptional. What made me think of him as the sixth member was his special connection to Kailin. She is the center of everything."
"Perhaps he's not the one," Nyxath said.
"It's possible, but he's the only one who fits the prophecy even remotely, so until I find a better candidate, Ravel it is."
Moki had been uncharacteristically quiet during my exchange with Nyxath, even though he could tap into our mental connection with ease.
"I'll have Onyx send Ravel to you." Her presence began to withdraw. "Let me know when you are ready to leave."
"I will."
After Nyxath's presence faded, I sat for a moment in the comfortable silence of my office.
Moki had settled into a tight ball on my desk, apparently satisfied that I'd included Ravel in the plans.
Outside the windows, dragons launched out of the aviary, and as always, I was mesmerized by the beauty and grace of their aerial dance.
I must have lost track of time because it seemed like Ravel arrived mere minutes after I ended my talk with Nyxath.
After my assistant announced him, the commander walked into my office, his dark eyes, flecked with those curious golden traces, fixed on me with curiosity. "You wished to see me?"
"Yes. Please, sit." I motioned at the chair in front of my desk.
He did as I asked, sitting with his back straight and his hands on his knees, like the Dragon Force commander he was, and waited for me to proceed.
"I rescheduled the first-years' field trip to the temple ruins," I said. "It will take place this afternoon rather than next week, and I'd like you to accompany us."
His eyebrows rose. "Why is my presence required, if I may ask? I'm not one of the first years' regular instructors."
I leaned forward, leveling my gaze at his eyes. "Kailin's safety is paramount. Captain Odinah is excellent, but if there's trouble, she can't handle a dangerous situation while also managing two dozen first-years. After the assassination attempt, I don't want to take any chances with Kailin."
Something flickered across his face. "With all due respect, Shaman, Captain Odinah can ask any number of riders to accompany the cadets. My time is better served elsewhere."
"I have a feeling you'll be needed." I smiled. There were advantages to being a shaman. "I'm sure you agree that a shaman's instincts shouldn't be ignored, Commander."
His jaw tightened, and his expression darkened. "I hope this is not about Cadet Strom's relationship with the Elurian."
Ah. Interesting deflection. "Why would you think that?"
He lifted a brow. "Your matchmaking is legendary, Shaman, and having Elucia's best line of defense snatched by an Elurian must be rubbing you the wrong way."
I had great hopes for Alar, and I didn't mind the youthful romance between him and Kailin.
It was beneficial to them both. Still, Ravel wasn't entirely wrong.
I would have much preferred for Kailin to choose an Elucian, and if I had to make a list of likely candidates, the fearsome and handsome commander would have probably topped it.
But I was well aware that nothing of that nature could happen while Kailin was still a cadet and Ravel was still a commander.
Pretending innocence, I lifted my hands in the air. "I don't know where that rumor comes from. I'm not engaging in any matchmaking."
"Interesting." A hint of dry humor entered his tone. "Half the bonded pairs in the Dragon Force claim that you nudged them toward each other."
It might have been a little more than nudging, but those pairings were within the same ranks. Cadets with other cadets and riders with other riders.
"I have a good eye for things of that nature," I admitted. "I know which personalities fit well together, and I don't usually keep my opinions to myself, but I would never encourage inappropriate pairings. There is a time and a season for each love."
Ravel shifted in his chair, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "So, you want me to accompany the first years purely because of security concerns."
If I answered in the affirmative, it would be a lie, and I preferred not to transgress unless I absolutely had to.
"Security is a concern, but that's not the only reason I want you to be there. I can't say more right now, but all will be revealed in the Circle of Fate. We depart in two hours." I picked up my pen, making a show of returning to my work. "I appreciate your cooperation, Commander."
Two hours later, I stood on the roof with Moki perched on my shoulder, watching the departure preparations. Twenty-four first-year cadets were lined up against the back wall, waiting for their rides to arrive.
The truth was that the temple ruins' trip should be done at the end of the year, after the cadets bonded with dragons and could fly on their own. On the other hand, the more instruction they got before riding solo, the better.
Kailin stood with the rest of her quintet, looking a little better than she had the day before. Some color had returned to her cheeks, but the shadows under her eyes remained, and from afar she looked even thinner than she'd looked in my office.
"Something is wrong with the girl," Nyxath's voice entered my mind as she descended toward the platform, her sapphire scales brilliant in the midday sun.
"I know," I sent back. "I don't understand it. She should have recovered by now."
"Unless the depletion continues." Nyxath landed on the roof with her usual grace. "What if she opened a channel that won't close?"
The thought chilled me. "Connected to what?"
"To every creature that she touched during that dream," Nyxath said. "Part of her might still be scattered across many consciousnesses."
"Then we need to teach her how to gather herself back together." Not that I knew how to do that, but if I couldn't help Kailin figure that out, who could?