The Stones of David

  How can I call myself a knight? Look at me. I have no brotherhood of comrades, to aid and encourage me through my hard trials. There is no damsel to save. My armor is not shiny and bright, sealed with the symbol of a great nation. Rather, I am encased in a mixture of armors that I have picked up from those who crossed my path. I do not have a great stallion; I use only my feet to travel across this land. I have not been sworn as the guardian of any queen, and I have no squire to assist me. Look! I do not even carry a sword! My weapon of choice is a five-foot long steel chain, with a coating of leather on one end for a grip. My name is not renown in this land of Avalece. Not many people have heard of David son of Jacob. No one has heard the sad story of a commoner who fulfilled his life long goal to be a Knight of Avalece at 18, and lost his hard-earned title a year later. But I am still a knight at heart, even if I am unlucky, lost, and alone. These obstacles that are before me, these giant stones, must move in the name of justice. Justice, for me...

You think of these things during a time of weakness in the night, while laying inside the cheapest room the Fairville Inn has to offer. You don’t like to think of these uncomfortable truths, and you are usually able to put them aside. But every now and then, thoughts like these creep up on you out of no where. You don’t like to feel sorry for yourself, although it is true that life has not been fair to you. It was because of jealousy that you were forced into the circumstances that you live with now. It was because of the way you were born that you could not resist the evil desires of those ranked above you. It was because you were so good at what you did ... enough of these thoughts! It is time to get up and have a day!

You open your watery eyes, your vision blurry from your tears. Angrily, you wipe the salty droplets away, and now you can see the ceiling with its dry and crackily white paint. This room is crap. You get up and stand on your feet, quickly washing yourself with the water and rag in the clay bowl near your floor-bed. The wooden floor is full of splinters, and your feet seem to be extra sensitive to the unpleasant feeling this morning. Next, you begin to put on your leather pants and boots, underwear, and white shirt underneath your one breasted chest armor. You place your steel shoulder pad on your left side, opposite the side the chest armor covers. You grab your black hair and tie it back with small string. In the corner, you find your large, thick-clothed brown bag. This bag is full of different armors, dried fruits and vegetables, and accessories that you have picked up along the way. You placed your chain next to the window adjacent to the bed last night, and that is where you found it, coiled like a deadly snake. Placing the chain around one shoulder, and holding your large bag with one arm, you begin to leave the bland and empty room. And then you remembered.

I forgot to pray! Shoot! Instantly you drop your bag and chain, making a loud CLUNK that was sure to be heard through these thin walls. Dropping down to your knees, you begin to say a prayer to the Creator up above, hoping in your heart that you are not blaming Him for your trials. You ask for safety and guidance on your journey, and that you may find a purpose for your life one day. After the prayer is over, you quickly turn around while on your knees to rummage through your bag. Shin guard, no ... healing balm, no ... package of water dates, no ...Book of Life, yes! You flip through the pages of this holy book, and read a few verses that speak of praise towards the Creator. The Creator obviously performed some great deeds for the writer, for him to record such things. A small part of you begins to feel comfort after your hellish night...

Soon, you are leaving the inn all together, after paying the owner who is truly a nice man despite his garbage residence. You rise early this morning, early enough so that the fog makes the young sun look like a glowing smudge in the sky. Besides yourself, you only notice one other man quickly walking down the road. Though it is a bit cool now, you know that today is going to be a very warm day. And amidst all of that heat, what will you be doing? Truthfully, you really did not have much planned today. In the next town, Darg, there is supposed to be some kind of a carnival that you were thinking of attending. The journey there will take most of the day, and you should make it to see at least the evening portion of the show. If nothing else comes up, you suppose that you may as well head there after picking up something to eat at the tavern ... now that’s strange.

A strange sight indeed. This small town of Ino is rather drab, and there usually is not much going on. So why is this fancily dressed noble walking among the alleyways? And there he is-a middle-aged man, with a silk uniform along with a red cape. He looks very well built, with a nice sword within a scabbard at his side. You watch down the road, as he pokes his head in and out of the alleys, obviously looking for something. You cannot help but be interested in what he is doing. Eventually, he looks at you. You see his eyes squint, as if he were wondering if you were what he was looking for. He then begins to walk briskly towards you, looking relieved to find someone beside himself awake and on the streets this early in the morning. You stand still, letting the man come to you.

"Young man," he says eloquently when he is close enough to talk, "I am looking for a thief who has stolen one of my belongings. He snatched my daughter’s goblet right out of her hands while I was away, and I am trying to find a man who fits her description of him. Have you seen a large man this morning, carrying a golden goblet?"

You don’t remember the golden goblet, but you do remember seeing a man walking this morning. Come to think of it, he was walking quickly as if he were escaping something. Tracking the man will be easy on this dusty ground. Though the rich looking man is dressed like a knight, he was certainly not trained as one, or he would know the basic tracking skills every knight has. You don’t even have to ask the rich man if he would like your help. The answer will be a quick “yes”. After finding the thief, you are sure to receive some kind of reward. But do you want to do this? Your past with nobles has left you in the condition that you are now, and you almost feel pleasure at the sight of this man sweating over a “goblet”. You can easily tell this man to find the cup on his own, and head to the tavern to follow your original plan. What will you do? The rich man looks at you expectantly, waiting an answer ...