Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
Dabuk waited impatiently for Mesik to arrive at the entrance to the guild labyrinth. He knew the old hairfoot was late just to unsettle him. Dabuk would have none of it, however. He was positive that he had it right this time.
“This better be good,” Wheezy complained. “I have nearly a dozen baskets of potatoes to peel before dinner, and I’m going to be at it all afternoon.”
“Stop you’re whining, Wheezy. If Dabuk has it right and we are all there when he reveals the truth, then we won’t have to figure it out ourselves.” Bella often stood up for Dabuk, which made the teenage half-elf more irritated than embarrassed.
“He hasn’t been right before, Bella. What makes you think he’s right this time?” Minx was Bella’s roommate and the two of them were two of the oldest trainees in the group.
“At least he’s trying to figure it out.” Bella sniffed. “That's more than the rest of us can say. When was the last time we tried to figure it out without him? Out of all of us, he’s the only one coming up with new ideas.”
Dabuk was sure Bella (and maybe Minx as well) was put with the group of boys to keep an eye on them in order to make sure that the group stayed out of real trouble. Most of the others deferred to the two girls' suggestions, not because either of them were great leaders but because they were pretty, especially Bella.
All Bella was to Dabuk was “pretty” annoying. He didn’t have time for girls or the games that went along with adolescence. Sure, he respected Bella’s strength and speed and Minx’s sharp wit and guile, but he didn’t see either or them as intoxicating beauties. Besides, his father had always taught him to be suspicious of a beautiful face that always smiled and winked.
“You cannot trust such a face,” Dabuk mumbled the words under his breath. None of the others heard what he said or if they had, then they said nothing.
“Where is he?” Snyder paced back and forth. “I can’t wait here all day! They give us so many chores to do and not enough time to do them!”
“If you didn’t take the extra hour of sleep they allow us, then you’d have time to finish most of the hard chores before breakfast.” Dabuk hated the human boy. Snyder was lazy and opinionated. He grew up in a noble family and hadn’t done a real day’s work in his life before his father forced him to try to win a place in the Tiger Guild. “You can leave if you want, Snyder. I’m staying right here until Mesik arrives. Remember, if I’m right, then our initial training ends today and full apprenticeship starts tomorrow.”
“Dabuk’s right,” Lyle spoke up. “If we finish this, then no more low-end chores. That is why we’re all here together, and why we should have started out working together in the first place. Even if Dabuk is wrong, then, at the very least, his idea might help generate some new concepts none of us have considered before.”
“I still say you should tell us now,” Minx didn’t mind Dabuk as a fellow trainee, but she often tried to manipulate him into helping her. “If we all know your idea now, then we can plan better. You’re being very tight-lipped about this.”
“No. You have to wait and see. It’s too good to give away just like that.” Dabuk’s catlike grin made Minx squirm.
“All right,” Mesik appeared out of nowhere. “Let’s get this over with. I have more important things to do with my time than cater to your prattling tongues.”
All but Dabuk and Minx jumped out of their skin at Mesik’s arrival. Dabuk had become use to Mesik’s stealthy footfalls and low voice. To the point that Mesik rarely startled him anymore when the hairfoot walked out of the shadows. Minx, however, had turned before Mesik had even spoke. She has ears like a cat and had heard him coming.
Mesik looked the trainees over with a mixture of pride and disapproval. They were the best candidates for membership in the Tiger Guild in over a year yet most of them lacked focus and discipline. Minx and Dabuk would likely make it through to apprenticeship without too much difficulty, and the others might make it if the group stuck together. Mesik knew that Dabuk suspected Bella of being a spy and did nothing but smile inwardly at the boy’s lack of perception.
Bella was indeed spying on Dabuk but not for the Tiger Guild. Bella suspected that Dabuk was the plant placed by the guild amongst the trainees. Mesik could tell that she despised the boy for his heritage and his birthright. She stood up for him so often because she wished to undermine his authority with the others.
She wanted to be where he was now. He had the respect of the others and not because of who his grandfather is but in spite of that. She’d never get it, however, she was too cold and calculating. She’d likely wash out before her apprenticeship ended.
“This is your show, boy.” Mesik pointed at Dabuk. “It better be good this time or you’ll be pulling double duty in the kitchen with Snyder.”
Dabuk grinned again knowing that spending time with Snyder would be a suitable punishment if he failed and wasted Mesik’s time in the process. Yet, he was as confident as ever that he knew the secret of the guild labyrinth.
“Then let’s begin for the last time.”
* * *
“This better be good,” Wheezy complained. “I have nearly a dozen baskets of potatoes to peel before dinner, and I’m going to be at it all afternoon.”
“Stop you’re whining, Wheezy. If Dabuk has it right and we are all there when he reveals the truth, then we won’t have to figure it out ourselves.” Bella often stood up for Dabuk, which made the teenage half-elf more irritated than embarrassed.
“He hasn’t been right before, Bella. What makes you think he’s right this time?” Minx was Bella’s roommate and the two of them were two of the oldest trainees in the group.
“At least he’s trying to figure it out.” Bella sniffed. “That's more than the rest of us can say. When was the last time we tried to figure it out without him? Out of all of us, he’s the only one coming up with new ideas.”
Dabuk was sure Bella (and maybe Minx as well) was put with the group of boys to keep an eye on them in order to make sure that the group stayed out of real trouble. Most of the others deferred to the two girls' suggestions, not because either of them were great leaders but because they were pretty, especially Bella.
All Bella was to Dabuk was “pretty” annoying. He didn’t have time for girls or the games that went along with adolescence. Sure, he respected Bella’s strength and speed and Minx’s sharp wit and guile, but he didn’t see either or them as intoxicating beauties. Besides, his father had always taught him to be suspicious of a beautiful face that always smiled and winked.
“You cannot trust such a face,” Dabuk mumbled the words under his breath. None of the others heard what he said or if they had, then they said nothing.
“Where is he?” Snyder paced back and forth. “I can’t wait here all day! They give us so many chores to do and not enough time to do them!”
“If you didn’t take the extra hour of sleep they allow us, then you’d have time to finish most of the hard chores before breakfast.” Dabuk hated the human boy. Snyder was lazy and opinionated. He grew up in a noble family and hadn’t done a real day’s work in his life before his father forced him to try to win a place in the Tiger Guild. “You can leave if you want, Snyder. I’m staying right here until Mesik arrives. Remember, if I’m right, then our initial training ends today and full apprenticeship starts tomorrow.”
“Dabuk’s right,” Lyle spoke up. “If we finish this, then no more low-end chores. That is why we’re all here together, and why we should have started out working together in the first place. Even if Dabuk is wrong, then, at the very least, his idea might help generate some new concepts none of us have considered before.”
“I still say you should tell us now,” Minx didn’t mind Dabuk as a fellow trainee, but she often tried to manipulate him into helping her. “If we all know your idea now, then we can plan better. You’re being very tight-lipped about this.”
“No. You have to wait and see. It’s too good to give away just like that.” Dabuk’s catlike grin made Minx squirm.
“All right,” Mesik appeared out of nowhere. “Let’s get this over with. I have more important things to do with my time than cater to your prattling tongues.”
All but Dabuk and Minx jumped out of their skin at Mesik’s arrival. Dabuk had become use to Mesik’s stealthy footfalls and low voice. To the point that Mesik rarely startled him anymore when the hairfoot walked out of the shadows. Minx, however, had turned before Mesik had even spoke. She has ears like a cat and had heard him coming.
Mesik looked the trainees over with a mixture of pride and disapproval. They were the best candidates for membership in the Tiger Guild in over a year yet most of them lacked focus and discipline. Minx and Dabuk would likely make it through to apprenticeship without too much difficulty, and the others might make it if the group stuck together. Mesik knew that Dabuk suspected Bella of being a spy and did nothing but smile inwardly at the boy’s lack of perception.
Bella was indeed spying on Dabuk but not for the Tiger Guild. Bella suspected that Dabuk was the plant placed by the guild amongst the trainees. Mesik could tell that she despised the boy for his heritage and his birthright. She stood up for him so often because she wished to undermine his authority with the others.
She wanted to be where he was now. He had the respect of the others and not because of who his grandfather is but in spite of that. She’d never get it, however, she was too cold and calculating. She’d likely wash out before her apprenticeship ended.
“This is your show, boy.” Mesik pointed at Dabuk. “It better be good this time or you’ll be pulling double duty in the kitchen with Snyder.”
Dabuk grinned again knowing that spending time with Snyder would be a suitable punishment if he failed and wasted Mesik’s time in the process. Yet, he was as confident as ever that he knew the secret of the guild labyrinth.
“Then let’s begin for the last time.”
* * *
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