Interview with a Dreamer: Sage

Plucked from his reality, Sage enters the room dressed head to toe in priestly attire. His cloak is bright white, almost glowing. The embroidery, multiple ropes, and stole are pastel blue or slate gray. His leather sandals seem new, and his nails are recently trimmed. Despite all this, his hair is unkempt and his bright blue eyes are surrounded by dark circles. He’s obviously sleep-deprived, but somehow, his bright blue eyes shine with optimism.

“Good morning!” the interviewer says, gesturing toward a chair a few feet away.

“Please, Have a seat,”

Sage obeys. Though confused, the room’s Adeaus Kingdom motif makes him feel at home. Behind the interviewer is a large, silver, Divineist symbol. To some, it looks like a strange flower rising from the rim of a pot. Others see a snake, rising from its coiled body. To a few, the image depicts a winged serpent or dragon bound to a ring. To Sage, however, it’s a calming reminder that everything will work out in accordance with The Divine’s Will.

Content with Sage’s reaction, the interviewer offers a glass of water, then begins their line of questions. “You seem busy these days. Burning the candle from both ends?”

Sage smiles and accepts the offered glass. “Well, I’ve been diligently writing. Among my priestly duties, ‘scribe’ is the most taxing. But it’s okay! Thanks, Divine, I just finished my latest copy of The Chosen Scrolls! Once I deliver it, I’ll be free for more than a month!”

The interviewer can’t help but be affected by Sage’s genuine smile. As the teen drinks from his glass, the interview readies their next question. “Do you see yourself as a do-er, try-er, or a dreamer, predominantly?”

Sage nods with his brow raised. “That’s a good question.” He takes another sip, then whirls the water in the glass, carefully allowing the water to rise near the top without spilling out. “We all have dreams, don’t we? Mine are just… well… I try to be a do-er!” he replies with an awkward chuckle. “I’ll say it this way… The Divine is the do-er. I just try to allow His Will to be done through me. Calling myself a do-er because of my accomplishments would diminish The Divine’s role in my achievements.”

Content with that response, the interviewer moves to the next, asking “What harmful behavior have you witnessed from the people you love?”

“That’s kind of a mean question, don’t you think?”

“Sorry,” the interviewer responds. “Want me to move on?”

“No… I guess I can try to answer it.” After another sip, his eyes return to the whirling water in his borrowed glass. “I honestly can’t think of a single thing for my mom and father. As for my best friends, Kain’s biggest flaw is that he just loves a challenge. I mean, way too much. He never backs down from a fight. I’ve never seen him lose, but I do worry that one day he might bite off more than he can chew. Even worse, he might lose to someone he can beat because he gave himself a handicap.”

“Gave himself a handicap?”

“Yes. You know,” Sage deepens his voice and says “This axe murderer seems wimpy. I guess I’ll fight him barehanded and blindfolded cuz I’m so cool.”

The interviewer tilts their head and squints. “Was that supposed to be a Kain impersonation?”

Sage shrugs, then nervously drinks more water. “I thought it was adequate.”

After a few emotionless blinks, the interviewer clears their throat. “Okay. Any other friends?”

“My other best friend is LaTao!” His eyes somehow brighten when he says her name. “She’s pretty amazing, to be honest. Hmmm… harmful behavior?” The young priest looks about the room as if searching for the answer between the bricks in the walls. “Gosh… it’s hard to say.” He bites his bottom lip and scrunches his brow, overthinking the question as he tends to do. “The tough thing about this is that all of the negatives are positives, to me. One could call her overly ambitious, but all that does is make Kain and I strive to greater heights as well. She’s pugnacious, but it’s always to put someone in their place if they are sexist or disrespectful to someone that deserves our protection. She can possibly get herself or others in hot water by being brash, but I don’t know if it’s the answer you’re looking for.”

“Why is that?”

“Because most people would say that the person she’d attack will have deserved it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Sage drinks the last of his water and places the glass on a coaster. He adjusts the cork disk to be further from the edge of the small, wooden coffee table. “The only harmful thing I can think of is her tendency to study alone. I understand that she’s– no offense to the other Mage Apprentices, but LaTao is leagues above them in every category.” Sage looks about, hoping nobody else can hear him say that, “calling any other teenager her peer would be an insult to Tao. She felt, for years, that in order to truly grow and reach her potential, she needed to learn unhampered by the rigid curriculums of the school in K’Laie. Prestigious as it is, they won’t devote a single teacher to a single student no matter who they are. I get it… I do… however, I feel that there were students that could’ve benefitted from her presence. Instead of leaving them behind, I do believe that she could’ve elevated those around her and possibly learned from them as well.”

“Ah… and do you think this tendency is a net negative? Do you intend to voice this opinion to her? Perhaps the kingdom can benefit from her curbing this habit.”

“Perhaps,” Sage replies, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well… If she passes her Mage test this week, then I’m sure she’ll see that as a vindicating sign that her sacrifice and tactics were correct.”

“And that will be that? You can’t change her mind?”

“Well, I believe the youngest person to pass the Mage exam was almost nineteen and male. Setting a record would probably make you feel like you know what you’re doing as well. right?”

The interviewer nods. I guess you can’t argue with those kinds of results. “So… last question: What kind of person would you die for?”

“My kingdom. Our citizens. I would sacrifice myself for the less fortunate as would The Divine. The Divine Sacrifice is my aspiration. As His ambassador, I can only do my best to emulate His love for all of his children.”

“Thank you for your time.”

“My pleasure... but is that all you wanted to know?”

The interviewer puts their paper down and thinks for a moment. With a smile, they ask "What is it with you guys, anyway? Why do you three go off and do these crazy things?"

Sage laughs, turning away from the asker.

"Seriously! You're the son of High Priest Thaddeus! You can live the good life and rub elbows with the elite! Why hang with LaTao and Kain to fight bandits and monsters? Why risk your life taking guild jobs and going dangerous places? Why are you laughing?"

Still chuckling, Sage waves his hand, trying to stop the interviewer from asking more. His other arm is wrapped around his belly. "Because I have to!" he says with a shining smile. "To be honest, I do get a bit of a thrill from adventures. I also enjoy being myself without having to be on a podium. My friends treat me like a friend, and not like the next guy they must impress to befriend the king. They don't pretend to be my religion or act like I'm better than them! I love them for that."

The interviewer nods. "I can see how that would be appealing."

"Most of all, I think that if I don't go, they'll go without me. If someone needs saving, LaTao is going to go with or without me. If Kain sees a challenge, he's going to take it head-on. If I don't go with them... they can get hurt, or worse. I have to be there so they can do their best. Both of them are amazing, but the three of us together..." Sage looks at the interviewer, allowing a little bit of pride in his smile. "... we can do anything."