He was only asking Basel for eternal friendship.
"Is it... just me?"
Basel said in disbelief.
Elder Salas turned his head and nodded.
Basel felt somewhat uneasy,
and after hesitating for a moment, he decided to give his assent,
"I promise you, Elder Salas."
Compared to the secret of the power of Prophecy, what accounted for the friendship of one such as himself, a fallen Poet of no renown?
Elder Salas smiled sincerely,
"Basel, we have a saying here."
"Yes, what is it?"
Elder Salas looked out at the belly-white of the fish clustering toward the Temple, a new dawn was about to fall.
"The frankincense that we burn together,
before it turns to ash,
I will not leave you, my friend."
The saying of the Three-eyed Ape People echoed in Basel's ears and for some reason, the words lingered long in his mind.
Elder Salas stood up, and as a cool breeze blew by, he coughed loudly several times, his whole body shaking with it.