After they returned to Culilonia, Keirian worked late one night in the library with Carson. They were putting away all of the data they had collected from the sites in the islands.
"Has Dr. Sykes ever told you about the Prophesy?" Keirian asked Carson, desperate to break the long silence between them.
"Of course," Carson answered. "He talks about it all the time. He's obsessed."
"Yeah, that's what is sounds like. So what do you think of it all?"
"You mean do I think its for real? That its true?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"I don't know what to believe. I guess from working with the professor for so long, I just took it for granted that it has to be true. He wants to be the one to do it you know."
"What do you mean?"
"To lead the expedition. That's what he's hoping for. He wants to be one of the twelve that leave Ionia. To represent Culilonia. That's his goal in life."
"So why hasn't he done it yet?" Keirian asked, "If he's studied it his whole life, why hasn't he ever just set out to do it?"
"He's waiting for the 'time to be right' or something. Waiting for some sort of appointed time," Carson explained, "But he's been preparing for the journey for a long time. He's always trying to educate the cities about the Prophesy so that they can prepare to send someone when the time comes. A lot of people think he's whacked, that he's out of his mind. Others think he's brilliant. I don't know that he'll actually do it though, he always puts it off. But I think he really wants to."
"He's kind of getting old though," Keirian threw in.
"I know. That's why I don't think it will happen. Not in our time anyways. But I could be wrong. He may make his goal yet."
Carson then went silent again for the rest of the night. Keirian however was satisfied. It was pretty much the longest conversation he had ever had with Carson. And he also managed to learn something of his new mentor's motives.
Keirian thought about his mentor's dreams of this journey as he sat in the seaside pub with his friends. He had met them around the academic hall. It was nice for him to have friends in this strange city. Carson had never befriended him, and until he met Elace, there was no one else around. So after a couple of months living in Culilonia he finally branched out and made new friends. They were all students as well, all taking different interesting fields, and Keirian loved hearing about all of them. Although now he found it hard to pay attention.
"Keirian? Keirian!" his friend Lex called to him, snapping his fingers in front of his face. The others around the table laughed as Keirian shook himself out of his daze. "What's been with you lately? You haven't really been with it."
"Huh? Oh sorry, just thinking'" he said as he went back to his ale.
"Thinking about what? That new girl we've been hearing about?"
"Yeah Keirian, what's the deal?" his friend Liss asked, "Who is she?"
"Alright, alright," he confessed, "She's Carson's sister. I met her when we went to the islands."
"Oh right, Carson," Liss said, rolling her eyes. The others never had much fondness for him either. He did seem rather arrogant around the hall.
"Carson's sister?! I've seen her around!" shouted Saiden, "She's a looker, there's no doubt about it!" The others laughed and ordered more ale.
Keirian had spent his months loving the moments like this, sitting around the pubs with his friends, without a care in the world. Now, however, he began thinking of bigger things. He thought about Dr. Sykes, and his great journey.
