Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-24736819-20141208164428/@comment-5583506-20141212222913

"I see", she said, slightly disgusted by the fact that she had to start cutting herself on a regular basis. But it was either that or lose control of her new hand.

She rose up on unsteady legs. "Are we ready to head out, Zen?"

-

Ran'Jinro's coughing had gotten worse. Almost to the point where he had to break up entire lessons to calm his nerves. Whenever his pupils asked if there was something serious, he simply told them that it was nothing. But it was a lie... and most of the students knew it. He was dying and he was fully aware of it. The blood on the rags he used to dampen his cough spoke for themselves. He would not live through the year and it saddened him, because he felt that there was so many things that needed to be prepared in the times to come. He sat by his desk and filled in the last gaps in the book he was writing, the one he kept safe from all.

"Master?" asked a voice through his chamber door.

"Who..." His reply broke when it was interrupted by the maddening coughing. "Who is it?"

"It is Kyrie, can't you tell by my voice?"

''Her voice? By the Light, I can't even remember her voice. Am I going senile as well? Is this what it feels like to be dying?''

He opened the door. "Come..." He coughed. "Come in, my dear."

Kyrie gave him a worrying look. "Are you... alright?"

He feigned a smile. "Never been better, my dear. Come, there is something I want to show you." He guided her to his desk where showed her the book. "This, my dear, is a history about all the great Masters, Knights and Apprentices. Few are worthy to be named within its pages."

Kyrie examined the pages further. There were some names she had no idea of who they could have been and then there were some which she recognised.

"Master Rashka the Betrayer. Murdered by Gregorius Tenebrae", she murmured. "Shabhira the Vigilant. Dead by childbirth."

Ran'Jinro lowered his head. "She was the spitting image of Kashmira. Beautiful and talented, yet with a hot temper. But at least she had the heart to know that the Sanctum was the place where she truly belonged. Rashka was... well, he was curious by nature and had a knack for making friends in the wrong places without knowing what repercussions their friendship would bring. And he paid dearly for it."

It felt rather uneasy for her to listen to Ran'Jinro's laments, but she endured. "Jah'Rakal. Lost at the hands of the Vul." She raised an eyebrow. There was something which didn't quite fit the pattern of the description in comparison to all the other entries about the Masters, but she couldn't find it just yet. "Do you...?"

She didn't get much further before Ran'Jinro put a hand on her shoulder. "Kyrie, you are the most talented and brilliant student I have ever had the pleasure of teaching and therefore it would do me great honour, if you were to take over the role as the keeper of this book when I am gone."

She looked him in the eyes. "Gone? But... but, you aren't dying yet are you?!"

He shook his head even though he felt terrible for lying to her. "Of course not, silly girl. What could possibly kill me?" He smiled and then looked at the book. "There are some pages at the end of the book which should be read by the newly instated keeper, but for now they are off limits. I am not dead yet."

"I... I accept, Master. Thank you."

"Don't thank me", he said. "I would say it is actually more of a burden than an honour, but then again you are young and might appreciate the service more than this old cat."

She snickered. "Not that old." She gave him a quick kiss on one of his furry cheeks before she scurried off.

Ran'Jinro stood still and stroke his cheek even minutes after she had left. "Bless you, child", he whispered. "And I really hope you took my words for it. Read those last pages..."