Finally he spoke. “This ball…did it have strange grooves and markings? About this size?” he used his hands to give an example.
“Yeah…yeah it did. How did you…?”
“The keep it was kept in. Do you still remember where it was? And the room it was stored in?”
His frown deepened. “Yes…”
Malik was quiet for a long time, his face drawn in deep thought.
“What city was it?”
“It was...Tyre..." he answered, "But that was a year ago.”
“Even if it is no longer there, they may still have information about it, and where it was moved.”
“Wait…you want it? The ball?”
“Yes.”
"Why?"
Malik flicked his eyes up at him before sliding them to look at something outside. Naji followed his gaze to see the eagle flying in low sweeps, as though patrolling, and his brow furrowed, looking back to Malik.
"To be free," he said finally, softly, "The orb...took something from me. And I must get it back, no matter the cost."
Cryptic. And confusing. "What does that mean?"
Malik's face suddenly took on a calm edge and he turned back to his meal. "I will explain later."
Great.
Time crept by as Malik busied himself with a number of menial tasks, packing his things and rearranging them, occasionally pulling out documents and jotting something down, feeding and grooming his horse. At one point he climbed up into the loft and left something there, though Naji didn’t see what it was. He then settled down with a book and began to write in it, while Naji sat bored and restless across from him. It wasn’t like he could go anywhere, and even if he wanted to, he had nowhere to go. Malik was obviously no longer in the mood for conversation, which left him picking at the straw on the floor and desperately wishing for something to do.
He cursed himself for getting into this mess. What had his mother once said? If you can help it, never be indebted to someone.
Well, obviously he had failed to heed that advice.
A Long Time in Coming- Favorable Chance Encounters 16/?
“Yeah…yeah it did. How did you…?”
“The keep it was kept in. Do you still remember where it was? And the room it was stored in?”
His frown deepened. “Yes…”
Malik was quiet for a long time, his face drawn in deep thought.
“What city was it?”
“It was...Tyre..." he answered, "But that was a year ago.”
“Even if it is no longer there, they may still have information about it, and where it was moved.”
“Wait…you want it? The ball?”
“Yes.”
"Why?"
Malik flicked his eyes up at him before sliding them to look at something outside. Naji followed his gaze to see the eagle flying in low sweeps, as though patrolling, and his brow furrowed, looking back to Malik.
"To be free," he said finally, softly, "The orb...took something from me. And I must get it back, no matter the cost."
Cryptic. And confusing. "What does that mean?"
Malik's face suddenly took on a calm edge and he turned back to his meal. "I will explain later."
Great.
Time crept by as Malik busied himself with a number of menial tasks, packing his things and rearranging them, occasionally pulling out documents and jotting something down, feeding and grooming his horse. At one point he climbed up into the loft and left something there, though Naji didn’t see what it was. He then settled down with a book and began to write in it, while Naji sat bored and restless across from him. It wasn’t like he could go anywhere, and even if he wanted to, he had nowhere to go. Malik was obviously no longer in the mood for conversation, which left him picking at the straw on the floor and desperately wishing for something to do.
He cursed himself for getting into this mess. What had his mother once said? If you can help it, never be indebted to someone.
Well, obviously he had failed to heed that advice.