Arrival of the Emissary

Telemus Gefen walked down the long hall made up of guillotines. Instead of his usual white robe he wore a deep blue one, and in his left hand he carried a tome.

This tome was slightly different than the ones he usually carried. It was much thinner for one, and it had leather binding, which was only used by the monks for documents of the utmost importance. Its cover had no writing on it. "Don't drop the tome. Don't drop the tome. Don't drop the tome" Telemus thought over and over as he walked down the hallway. Even though it was small, he felt as though it were the weight of the world due to its spiritual importance.

When he reached the end of the hall, he was confused to find nobody in the Death Room. "Lord Death? Are you there?" he called out.

Death appeared in the mirror, waving a hand. "Hey hey! How can I be of assistance?"

Telemus walked over to the mirror and knelt to Lord Death. He raised the tome above his head, offering it to Lord Death.

"I have traveled a long distance to speak with you. I am an emissary from a brotherhood of monks. I was told you would know I was coming. I have brought with me a report of all the kishin egg attacks that have happened near us over the last 200 years, and a tome of great spiritual import to us. Unfortunately, the only one among us who knew how to read it suddenly died a month ago. We have tried everything possible to figure out what it says, but our efforts were in vain. I humbly beg of you, please help us."

Lord Death looks suddenly serious, rubbing his chin. At the same moment, Sylas walks up the stairs onto the pedestal. Lord Death snaps his fingers. "Sylas, I've got a job for you. Go with....er...this one here, and help him." Sylas shrugs, pushing his glasses up. "Sure...what am I doing?"

Telemus stood up and walked over to the newcomer. "You are helping me find a place to store a holy tome for safety. My name is Telemus Gefen, and I'm a monk from-" Telemus stopped midsentence as he started coughing into his left arm, then extended his right hand.

Sylas furrows his brow a bit as he says his name but takes his hand nonetheless. "Understood. I'm Sylas Hammer, and I'll be happy to help."

Telemus was shocked. Sylas Hammer. "This is the guy my dad had so many stories about." he thought. "So, is it true that you and my dad out-annoyed Excalibur?" he asked, trying to act nonchalant about meeting somebody his father held in such high regard.

Sylas raised a brow. "Your...Father?" He looked stumped for a moment, holding a fist over his chin. Then it suddenly dawned on him. "Icarus? You're...Icarus's son?"

"Yeah. Here, hold these for a second." Telemus handed the tome and report over to Sylas, then transformed into his weapon form. "See. I even inherited his blades. Hey, is Legends Pizza still around?" he asked. Turning back into his human form, he took the tome and report back as he awaited a response.

Sylas nodded, smiling a bit. "Yeah, though I don't own it anymore. I turned it over to the School. Students work there to earn money, so...it's all good." He holds the books, smiling a bit. "How is your dad these days?"

Telemus sighed as he thought back to the last time he had seen his dad. "Not too well, actually. I've only seen him once since he dropped me off to train with the monks, and that was shortly before I left to come here. I had no clue where he was for a long, long time. I think he's starting to go insane. He said he's been getting spiritual healing, atonement, and vengeance, but I have no clue what for. I hate that he feels the need to push away those who are close to him,you know?"

Sylas nods, noting the abrupt disappearance of Lord Death. "It's been so long....too long. He never...came back..."

Telemus felt as though he was forgetting something and tried to search his brain to figure it out. Suddenly it dawned on him, and he burst out loudly, saying "I JUST REMEMBERED!!! My dad said that after he finishes whatever it was he is currently doing that he would travel here and consider becoming a teacher!!!" Gasping air in, he realized just how overexcited he was at the prospect of his father becoming a teacher. His father. A teacher.

Sylas smirked, pushing his glasses up to the top of his nose. "Well...It'd be interesting to work with him again..."

Putting aside his anxiety at the prospect of his dad becoming a teacher, Telemus started to ask Sylas questions to figure out a bit more about Death City. "So, does Legend's Pizza still have dorms for students?" he asked. He had no idea where he would stay otherwise.

Sylas nods once more, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, and the...err...penthouse, I guess, is unoccupied. You could probably stay there...Left it open...just in case he needed a place to stay."

"There's something you should know. After my father escaped, he was traumatized, scarred, and wanted. He chose not to come back because he didn't want to be a burden on you. He told me that as much as he wanted to, he knew it was for the best that he stayed away until things boiled over. He didn't want to endanger you. He barely survived."

Sylas frowns, shaking his head. "No offense, but he's an idiot...I would've been able to handle myself..."

Telemus sighed. "The reason he was so traumatized was because he wasn't the only captive. There were other ones, stronger ones. Their escape plan was coordinated, and he was the only one that survived. He said he watched some of them die. I lied before when I said I had no clue why he needed healing. I don't like to admit it, but if there really were people chasing him, my father was right in what he did." Realizing what Sylas had said about Icarus, Telemus started laughing like there was no tomorrow. "You're... still... right... though..." he managed to blurt out between laughs.
"Thank you. I have not felt this relaxed in a long time." he added after he had finished.

Sylas gave a mock bow, smiling. "A pleasure to help. Will you be enrolling in the academy?"

Telemus paused. "I guess so. Its not like I have much else to do with my time otherwise until I get further instructions from the brotherhood."

Sylas nods, offering the tome and report back to him. "C'mon, let's find a safe place for this..."

"Lead the way" Telemus told Sylas, deferring to him with a sweeping gesture of his arm.