The Return...

Promises, threats & propaganda

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Saladin
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The Return...

Post by Saladin » Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:53 am

Slowly, very slowly he pulled the hidden lever and stepped back when the piece of outside wall began to slide open. In a flash he let himself drop down to the ground as an crossbow bolt slammed in to a tree behind him. "Hmm...it seems they've installed some new booby traps, must have gotten a bit weary after somebody stole their prized possession from their library vault". The man stood up and padded the dust from his black clothes before he proceeded inside. He stood six foot six high, dressed in all black, his face bronzed by the unrelenting dessert sun and his long raven black hair tied together with a simple piece of string. As he slowly made his way up the dark narrow passage he moved with an elegance and ease that betrayed the self confidence (or arrogance as some might say) of a man who knows how to defend himself.

At the end of the passage he came to a dead end. "Now for some light" he said to himself as he took out a large emerald and rubbed it thrice. It began to give of a faint glow that grew in intensity until he could see as well as if he were standing in the burning sun of the Mojawa dessert. In front of him he saw another blank wall. "Now which Bryk was it again?" he chuckled to himself, "I should have paid more attention when they showed me the escape routes i guess...oh well i'll just try them all." After two minutes of pushing against random bricks he heard a soft click and a part of the wall slid open.

He glanced through the opening surveying the hallway to make sure there was nobody who could spot him. There was nobody in sight, so he quickly came in to the hallway, closing the 'door' behind him.

He quickly made his way past several closed doors till he came to the entrance to the main library. Loud voices were coming from inside. He risked a peek and saw three young men argueing over some trivial math problem. The one named Korexus was furiously writing down some calculations on the big black board that occupied the south wall of the library. But before he could finish one of the other two had wrestled the chalk from him and started to 'correct' his calculations. "Hehe, i doubt they'll finish before dawn" he chuckled, then he remembered the long nights he had spent at that very same black bord all those years ago and sighed. He willed himself to focus again. "No time for day dreaming, i've got a mission to fulfill".

Carefully he passed the entrance to the main library, but the three young Scholars were to pre-occupied to notice him. He moved quickly down the long gallery passing the room of the Librarian. A loud snoring came from inside. Good old Bryk, always up early and early to bed, reliable as a bryk. :)

A loud battle cry came from the room next door, fearing he had been spotted he drew his rapier and stood ready to defend himself. Though he had no wish to harm any of the inhabitants of the Scholar fortress, he would not let himself be caught and tortured like a comon spy. Another loud battle cry sounded, but no one emerged from the room. The warrior relaxed a bit and sheeted his sword again. The voice sounded like Raw's...He must be playing with his miniature soldiers again. "That boy likes his battles too much for his own good" he said with a smile, remembering the numerous times the Scholars Clan Head's thirst for battle had saved him from sure defeat. "For death and glory, my friend" the intruder whispered to the closed door and moved on.

Finally he came to the last door at the end of the hallway. It was closed, but undoubtedly not locked. Inch by inch he pushed the door open, afraid one of the old hinges would squeak and betray his presence. But the door didn't make a sound. He thanked his luck that good old Bryk made sure everything was in perfect order.

Slowly he entered the large chamber. A small fire was burning in the fire place and a large comfortable chair with a high back was placed right in front of it with it's back towards the door. The old man must have fallen asleep in front of the fire place reading some ancient book about spells. He slowly took out a piece of parchment and silently walked to the small table that stood near him placing it upon the table.

"Saladin why don't you come over here and give that letter to me personally. Then make us a fresh pot of coffee and pull up a chair and come sit by the fire. It's nice and warm and i feel you have something to tell me".

The proud warrior stood frozen in his spot, flabbergasted. "How does he always do that? It creeps me out.", he wispered to himself. A short chuckle from the comfortable chair was his reply.

The warrior took a chair and sat down next to the man he so admired. After an akward silence the warrior looked up at the old Scholar and said: "Egbert, i've come to ask permission to become a Scholar once more."

"Once a Scholar, always a Scholar my dear Sal. You're more than welcome to take your old room again. You'll find it is still as it was when you left."

"Now if you don't mind, it's late and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Korexus has prepared an analyses of our defeat by the hands of the Brotherhood in the Clan Champs and he wants us to attend his presentation early tomorrow morning and it will most likely last through most of the day. I don't think that boy ever sleeps", Egbert said with a smile.

Saladin walked to where his room was. Turning the corner he bumped in to Skarn. "Goodnight Skarn", Sal said and walked on. "Goodnight...Sal?", Skarn said with a confused look in his eyes. Then he too went about his business, slowly shaking his head in wonder.

Lying in his bed later that night Saladin was still confused and did not quite understand what had happened. All he knew was that he was a Scholar again and that was all that mattered.
"Never attribute to malice what can satisfactorily be explained away by stupidity."

"To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves."

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Egbert
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Re: The Return...

Post by Egbert » Wed Apr 28, 2004 11:20 am

Saladin wrote:All he knew was that he was a Scholar again and that was all that mattered.
Yes it is. :) Welcome home.
"Fairy tales can come true,
They can happen to you,
If you're young at heart."

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Underdog
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Re: The Return...

Post by Underdog » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:05 am

Saladin wrote:" You're more than welcome to take your old room again. You'll find it is still as it was when you left."
If that means my room is still the same, then someone had better go get that dead RAT out of the corner. :oops: I am sure he is done making the room stink but I don't want it left there. If I were to ever return I would certainly appreciate someone cleaning that up for me.
Let that new guy Parfait or whatever his name is do it. Probably isn't much left but the bones anyway. 8)

Thanks in advance.

UD
There's no need to fear...........
Underdog is here

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Post by Xarfei » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:26 am

I will remove that Rat from your room as soon as I have cleared up the mess that TK
has left in his room, i.e. empty beer cans and his collection of playboy magazines.
Also there is that huge pile of "Wok4/5 for dummies" books that he left behind.

Xarfei (aka Parfait, the Scholars part-time charwoman)

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Saladin
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Post by Saladin » Thu Apr 29, 2004 8:03 am

Hey i was wondering where my playboys had went!

Thanks for finding them for me Xarfei. :D
"Never attribute to malice what can satisfactorily be explained away by stupidity."

"To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves."

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Post by Duke » Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:58 am

Yes there is a lesson to learn here. If you dont have what it takes to be a Guard then you will be forced to leave and yet again mingle with geeks and skinny little men with small round glasses. :wink:
First one here, last one to leave.

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Post by Dameon » Thu Apr 29, 2004 2:22 pm

Xarfei wrote:I will remove that Rat from your room as soon as I have cleared up the mess that TK
has left in his room, i.e. empty beer cans and his collection of playboy magazines.
Also there is that huge pile of "Wok4/5 for dummies" books that he left behind.

Xarfei (aka Parfait, the Scholars part-time charwoman)
Look closer Xarfei, those are copies of playgirl, and they cans are actually Zima. :twisted:
"A Knight is sworn to valor, his heart knows only virtue, his blade defends the helpless, his might upholds the weak, his word speaks only truth, his wrath outdoes the wicked."

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Duke
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Post by Duke » Fri Apr 30, 2004 5:51 am

Hey, Zima is actually good. Saladin, you go girl!
First one here, last one to leave.

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