We are honored to have you meet with us today, could you please introduce yourself?
I am Saba, High Priest of Tav’res, the realm of water.
Thank you, Saba. You delayed this interview for several weeks, would you mind telling us why?
Yes. Yes, of course. My apologies. You see, I wasn’t convinced this is a good idea, with everything that’s going on. We can never be too careful, you know.
What is it you were concerned about?
Well, the Tav’res people, they are…are you certain Lord Faeran will not be reading this interview?
I swear it on my life. Please, go on.
Very well then. The Tav’res people are vulnerable at the moment, and all this business with the return of the missing King and the Jax attacking homes and such has made them nervous. To make matters worse, Lord Faeran has sent Jax to the Tav’res Trah’ez Fortress, as well.
What makes them so vulnerable right now?
I’m sorry, I’m really not comfortable sharing that information. It is too dangerous.
I see. Well then, can you tell us a little about Tav’res?
I would be happy to. Tav’res is a wonderful place. It’s the realm of water, you know, and this planet has far more water than land. Here in the great sea, there are wondrous places to visit and the creatures that live here are marvelous. Simply marvelous. When Lord Faeran sent me here to be Umi’s right hand man, I had no idea. In fact, I thought I was being punished. After all, Z’lea is a place of warmth and Tav’res is so cold. But this place…changed me.
In what way?
The ebb and flow of the tides is very soothing, the sound of the water is hypnotic, and the people…well, you would need to spend some time with them to understand, but they are so calm. They seem to have this inner peace that’s hard to describe, they are so gentle and kind.
Is that what makes them vulnerable?
You misunderstand me, they are not weak. Indeed, they are quite courageous and would give their lives without hesitation to save the lives of others. That is not the difficulty.
But you’re not going to tell us what is the difficulty?
No, I cannot. But I will tell you this…I have taken steps to resolve the problem and I have high hopes it will all be sorted out soon. But until then, secrecy is imperative to our safety.
Very well then, let’s move on. You were Umi’s right hand man, but now you are the High Priest. Can you tell us how that happened?
Oh, yes of course. When Umi drowned, Lord Faeran commanded me to take his place. It was a bit irregular, I admit. But with everything else going on, he just didn’t have time to select a new High Priest, so I was promoted instead of appointed.
How did you feel about that?
It’s a big responsibility, but I will do my best to make wise choices for the people of Tav’res. And, just between you and me, I rather enjoyed the look on Ansa’s face when he learned the news. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a grown man look more miffed.
S.R. Olson—Author 