Post by Raab on Jul 20, 2017 20:33:12 GMT -5
"Repent! Repent, for the Completion is almost upon us! A year has passed since the imprisonment of our savior the Prophet, and we have paid dearly for the Council's transgressions! Trade has slowed, work has become scarce, and wages have plummeted! Our continued sacrifices at the will of the Council have brought naught but misery to the land we hold so dear to our hearts! There is no prosperity in Completion, only despair! It is we, the good, hard-working people of the Silver Islands who continuously suffer by the hands of those that would see the Completion come to fruit-."
A clod of dirt and rubble soared through the air, striking the dirty old man square in the forehead. The crazed crier dropped to his knees like a sack of bricks, clutching his head with both hands as blood began streaming from the fresh wound. A small crowd of common folk had gathered around the scene that he was causing, taunting and scolding the rabble-rouser in an attempt to quiet his inflammatory call for justice.
"Shut it, wanker!"
"Nothing but trouble, he is."
"The police will round us all up if you don't quit your crying, old man."
The wounded crier slowly staggered to his feet, still clutching his forehead with one hand as he lifted the other to point an incredulous finger at those that would stop his fevered warning.
"You! It is you who will pay for your mockery! The Prophet, in his undying mercy, warned us of the tragedy that is to co-"
But before he could finish, someone from the crowd stepped forward and rocked the old man with a wide right hook, sending him sprawling to the pavement with one blow. Soon enough, a number of onlookers joined in the assault, and the cheering that followed completely drowned out the muffled suffering that took place at the crowd's center. Iskandar could only look on in disgust as he passed by the scene with his new comrades, shaking his head as he closed his eyes, expressing his clear contempt for the behavior he had just witnessed.
Savages...shameless savages, the lot of them.
This was one aspect of the Silver Islands Iskandar was not excited about dealing with on his return. Civil unrest had been common over the past few years, and it seemed that the relationship between the citizenry and the Council was becoming increasingly tense as the economy worsened. It was hard for Iskandar to completely empathize with the general public, for his position in life cushioned him from the impact of the disparity so many were facing. What frustrated him the most was that there didn't seem to be any clear-cut solution to the issues his homeland faced, which resulted in the senseless scapegoating and public violence they had just witnessed. Iskandar had always thought it best not to involve himself in the social and economic issues the Silver Islands faced, as was University policy. However, he couldn't help but feel that participation in the turmoil was inevitable, and that it might come sooner than he previously imagined.
A light tap on the arm ripped Iskandar from his silent pondering. He glanced to his right to see that his hired sword had been trying to get his attention. Wyatt shoved his thumb back over his shoulder in the direction of the crowd they had just passed, an inquisitive look plastered on his rugged face.
"The hell's that all about?"
Iskandar sighed and shrugged his shoulders, not willing to go into too much detail about the Silver Islands' state of affairs.
"Nothing that should concern you. As with any island, we have our fair share of problems to deal with. What's important is that we are approaching the library, and you should be excited for your reward...and to be done with me so you can go on your way."
It was true. The street they had been traipsing down suddenly opened up into a large square filled with the hustle and bustle that was common in the Silver City. High-born and working-stiff alike passed each other by as if they were cogs in a well-oiled machine. The struggles the island had been facing had hardly slowed the overall liveliness of the city, for even the jobless had places to go and people to see. That was a redeeming quality of the Silver Islands: its people never stopped persevering, even in the face of looming despair. Everyone fought to provide for themselves and their own, and they did so in whatever way they could...as long as it remained within the line of the law. Fortunately, the criminal activity that Iskandar experienced while doing business on Pirate's Market was few and far between his personal experiences. The Silver Police did a good job of keeping everyone on the straight and narrow; even the Unfinishistas kept their activity to the minimum, and even then, only in the shadows.
"Ahh...and here we are. Gentleman, I am proud to present to you: the University Library."
The building was massive, commanding the attention of any newcomer not familiar with its impressive construction and design. It resembled something of a medieval cathedral, made completely of silver marble that reflected the sun magnificently whenever it managed to peek through the thick layer of clouds that seemed to eternally loom over the archipelago. Two enormous silver doors marked the entrance of the edifice, each marked with an engraving of a Silver Owl, one of the signature fauna of the Silver Islands. Iskandar quickly led his troupe up the small flight of steps that separated the entrance from the rest of the square, placing his hand on a small handle near the crack where the two doors met. As Iskandar turned the handle, a smaller door opened inward apart from the rest of the structure. Iskandar turned back to his comrades and shot them a sly grin.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?"
With that, Iskandar stepped inside, beckoning his accomplices to enter as he made his way past the first few rows of bookshelves toward the front desk. The interior of the library was as impressive as the exterior, boasting a formidably-sized catalogue that seemed infinite to those that did their business here. The shelves and cases that littered every inch of the floor created a labyrinth of books and scrolls alike, making it common for newcomers to get lost in the overwhelming volume of information that surrounded them on all sides. Looking towards the ceiling, one could see that the library had multiple levels that seemed to go upward and onward for eternity. All in all, it was a magnificent piece of the Silver City that Iskandar took much pride in maintaining.
"Madame Almonte! Madame! I've returned...and not empty handed!"
As the group approached the front desk, an older looking woman rounded a stack of aged scrolls to meet them. She carried herself quite properly, with her shoulders back and arms folded across her chest. Her icy gaze met the rag-tag bunch without a hint of excitement or curiosity, and she studied each member of the troupe carefully and without interruption. Several moments had passed before she let out a brief sigh, extending a pale hand toward her ward as she did so.
"The books?"
Iskandar hurriedly reached back toward his burlap sack and removed the texts from within, placing them on the desk with a clumsy thud before addressing his guardian once again.
"Yo-...you will never believe what we went through to get the-"
But before he could finish, Madame Almonte took one of the three books from the pile and began leafing through it, cutting off Iskandar in order to address the two gentleman that accompanied him.
"And I suppose you both will be looking for some kind of compensation for aiding the boy?"
She remained expressionless, seeming more annoyed than anything due to the fact that she had to waste her precious time fraternizing with the likes of Wyatt and Kinnatoa. Her eyes rose from the yellowed pages of the book for a moment, looking to the two men in an effort to force a response to her simple question.
A clod of dirt and rubble soared through the air, striking the dirty old man square in the forehead. The crazed crier dropped to his knees like a sack of bricks, clutching his head with both hands as blood began streaming from the fresh wound. A small crowd of common folk had gathered around the scene that he was causing, taunting and scolding the rabble-rouser in an attempt to quiet his inflammatory call for justice.
"Shut it, wanker!"
"Nothing but trouble, he is."
"The police will round us all up if you don't quit your crying, old man."
The wounded crier slowly staggered to his feet, still clutching his forehead with one hand as he lifted the other to point an incredulous finger at those that would stop his fevered warning.
"You! It is you who will pay for your mockery! The Prophet, in his undying mercy, warned us of the tragedy that is to co-"
But before he could finish, someone from the crowd stepped forward and rocked the old man with a wide right hook, sending him sprawling to the pavement with one blow. Soon enough, a number of onlookers joined in the assault, and the cheering that followed completely drowned out the muffled suffering that took place at the crowd's center. Iskandar could only look on in disgust as he passed by the scene with his new comrades, shaking his head as he closed his eyes, expressing his clear contempt for the behavior he had just witnessed.
Savages...shameless savages, the lot of them.
This was one aspect of the Silver Islands Iskandar was not excited about dealing with on his return. Civil unrest had been common over the past few years, and it seemed that the relationship between the citizenry and the Council was becoming increasingly tense as the economy worsened. It was hard for Iskandar to completely empathize with the general public, for his position in life cushioned him from the impact of the disparity so many were facing. What frustrated him the most was that there didn't seem to be any clear-cut solution to the issues his homeland faced, which resulted in the senseless scapegoating and public violence they had just witnessed. Iskandar had always thought it best not to involve himself in the social and economic issues the Silver Islands faced, as was University policy. However, he couldn't help but feel that participation in the turmoil was inevitable, and that it might come sooner than he previously imagined.
A light tap on the arm ripped Iskandar from his silent pondering. He glanced to his right to see that his hired sword had been trying to get his attention. Wyatt shoved his thumb back over his shoulder in the direction of the crowd they had just passed, an inquisitive look plastered on his rugged face.
"The hell's that all about?"
Iskandar sighed and shrugged his shoulders, not willing to go into too much detail about the Silver Islands' state of affairs.
"Nothing that should concern you. As with any island, we have our fair share of problems to deal with. What's important is that we are approaching the library, and you should be excited for your reward...and to be done with me so you can go on your way."
It was true. The street they had been traipsing down suddenly opened up into a large square filled with the hustle and bustle that was common in the Silver City. High-born and working-stiff alike passed each other by as if they were cogs in a well-oiled machine. The struggles the island had been facing had hardly slowed the overall liveliness of the city, for even the jobless had places to go and people to see. That was a redeeming quality of the Silver Islands: its people never stopped persevering, even in the face of looming despair. Everyone fought to provide for themselves and their own, and they did so in whatever way they could...as long as it remained within the line of the law. Fortunately, the criminal activity that Iskandar experienced while doing business on Pirate's Market was few and far between his personal experiences. The Silver Police did a good job of keeping everyone on the straight and narrow; even the Unfinishistas kept their activity to the minimum, and even then, only in the shadows.
"Ahh...and here we are. Gentleman, I am proud to present to you: the University Library."
The building was massive, commanding the attention of any newcomer not familiar with its impressive construction and design. It resembled something of a medieval cathedral, made completely of silver marble that reflected the sun magnificently whenever it managed to peek through the thick layer of clouds that seemed to eternally loom over the archipelago. Two enormous silver doors marked the entrance of the edifice, each marked with an engraving of a Silver Owl, one of the signature fauna of the Silver Islands. Iskandar quickly led his troupe up the small flight of steps that separated the entrance from the rest of the square, placing his hand on a small handle near the crack where the two doors met. As Iskandar turned the handle, a smaller door opened inward apart from the rest of the structure. Iskandar turned back to his comrades and shot them a sly grin.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?"
With that, Iskandar stepped inside, beckoning his accomplices to enter as he made his way past the first few rows of bookshelves toward the front desk. The interior of the library was as impressive as the exterior, boasting a formidably-sized catalogue that seemed infinite to those that did their business here. The shelves and cases that littered every inch of the floor created a labyrinth of books and scrolls alike, making it common for newcomers to get lost in the overwhelming volume of information that surrounded them on all sides. Looking towards the ceiling, one could see that the library had multiple levels that seemed to go upward and onward for eternity. All in all, it was a magnificent piece of the Silver City that Iskandar took much pride in maintaining.
"Madame Almonte! Madame! I've returned...and not empty handed!"
As the group approached the front desk, an older looking woman rounded a stack of aged scrolls to meet them. She carried herself quite properly, with her shoulders back and arms folded across her chest. Her icy gaze met the rag-tag bunch without a hint of excitement or curiosity, and she studied each member of the troupe carefully and without interruption. Several moments had passed before she let out a brief sigh, extending a pale hand toward her ward as she did so.
"The books?"
Iskandar hurriedly reached back toward his burlap sack and removed the texts from within, placing them on the desk with a clumsy thud before addressing his guardian once again.
"Yo-...you will never believe what we went through to get the-"
But before he could finish, Madame Almonte took one of the three books from the pile and began leafing through it, cutting off Iskandar in order to address the two gentleman that accompanied him.
"And I suppose you both will be looking for some kind of compensation for aiding the boy?"
She remained expressionless, seeming more annoyed than anything due to the fact that she had to waste her precious time fraternizing with the likes of Wyatt and Kinnatoa. Her eyes rose from the yellowed pages of the book for a moment, looking to the two men in an effort to force a response to her simple question.