That night, the young lad arrived on the outskirts of Cairo, he had walked further up the Nile to catch the riverboat. That way, if he was seen, it didn't matter, nobody would know where he had come from other than the point he boarded the boat. He had smiled at his findings, belief now strong in his heart as he peered into the shadows of a backstreet. Before long, he caught a glimpse of movement to his left and stepped boldly into the shadows. He stood for a few minutes until nobody was around and then whispered...

"Ez zayyak?"

the man smirked and answered the code...
"imbarih, en-nahar da, el-dahab bukra"

"mumken azur assli?" the boy asked softly

The shadowy figure nodded and replied
"intazir hena men fadlak!"

"shukran" said the boy and obeyed, marvelling at how swiftly the man disappeared so silently.

((ok am gonna post a fair bit later tonight, if you really want translations...I will add them at the end of each post :smile:

_________________
[b:0b14488bc4][i:0b14488bc4] "Be careful who you're talking to.....they might just have the upper hand" [/i:0b14488bc4][/b:0b14488bc4][url]http://sorenti.homestead.com/main.html[/url]

[ This Message was edited by: Sorenti on 2002-01-04 13:16 ]

((you bastard...when i read The Return by Sorenti i just about peed myself...now i see your little boy is just returning to town...humph! lol mysterious though :smile:

((LMAO, me too Gabe, I was all wtf!?!? He's back!!! WOO!! I guess that's what you wnated, huh ray? sheesh
oh, and btw, Like I was telling Gabe....U2 got Eight,count 'em, EIGHT Grammy nominations
:grin:oes the chandler bing dance:
oh, and translations would be fine...my egyptian or whatever it is is kinda rusty))

((lmao and sadly...no, not the return of Sorenti hehehe :P

ok translations...
Boy: "How are you?"

Man: "as yesterday, today and the golden tomorrow"

Boy: "May I visit "The Original"?" (The Original being a person as you'll find out)

Man nods: "Wait here please!"

Boy: "Thankyou"

see? simple really hehehe - and yes, I did go and learn Arabic and Egyptian variants so I could post this exactly the way I intended :P

Oh and btw...for the next posts...I'll just include the translations :smile:

_________________
[b:fed9973c14][i:fed9973c14] "Be careful who you're talking to.....they might just have the upper hand" [/i:fed9973c14][/b:fed9973c14][url]http://sorenti.homestead.com/main.html[/url]

[ This Message was edited by: Sorenti on 2002-01-04 14:05 ]

((Nice posts man :smile: ))

:smile:

The young boy, recovered from his amazement, pulled a bent and rough looking cigarette from his top pocket. Even though there was no wind, he shielded his lighter by habit and drew in the blue smoke, coughing slightly. He allowed his mind to drift back to how he had gotten into all of this as he smoked. He knew he was nothing before, yet now he was something, someone, he even had a little respect from some of the others, despite his age.

He eventually crunched the end of the cigarette underfoot and exhaled the last of the smoke.

"Shukran" (thankyou) came the voice from before "El-Assli ez marhaba Imo-rah" (The "Original" welcomes you Imo-rah) "henak yamin, Sharq Shari, hena el-meftah a-bab" (over there on the right, East Street, here is the key to the gate)

A hand with a sharp black tattoo on the back appeared out of the shadows, holding a small, red key. Imo-rah took it, nodded curtly and sauntered across the road in the direction he had been given. He didn't bother looking back, he knew the man was already gone, as elusive as a smoke-trail in fog. He found the tiny gate in the wall about halfway up the street, unmarked, but reinforced hidden very cleverly. Imo-rah took a deep breath to settle himself, checked about, making sure nobody saw him and unlocked the gate with the key.

He stepped inside, closing the gate which locked automatically and dropped the red key into a steel box a few steps along the path. Stepping carefully, he avoided the anti-intruder items and ducked under the heavy plantlife. After about 100 yards, he burst out of the undergrowth and before him stood an elaborate mansion, not in the best of repair, but still enough to inspire awe. Almost shrugging, he ignored the impressive building as though it were not there and calmly walked around it.

Pulling back some of the elegant shrubbery at the side of the house, he lifted the lid of the drains and dropped inside, letting the lid fall back into place. As quietly as possible, Imo-rah jumped down into the rather large sewer-like drain, landing squarely with ease. He walked for exactly 58 paces and then searched the wall with his fingers. Finally he found the minute needle between the rough bricks, he pulled it out and pushed it back in. About 20 seconds later, a soft scraping noise began and a portion of the wall opposite slid back to reveal a heavily armoured, tungsten door.

Counting the seconds in his head before the wall closed again, Imo-rah rushed to the metal door and placed his hand on the panel. "Five"....the palm read was accepted..."Four"...the retinal scan began..."Three"...the scan completed..."Two" the door opened and Imo-rah jumped inside as the soft scraping noise started again. He always had and probably always would hate that thing, but at least it could only let one enemy in at a time if security was ever breached and that made defence far easier.

Once inside, he casually walked over to the guards window and beckoned to them,

"Meftah, men fadlak" (Open up please) he said clearly and smiled as the voice recognition blip went green. The guard nodded and pushed the button, making the almost invisible, armoured glass door slide back until Imo-rah was safely through. The boy waved his hand in thanks and walked down the passageway. It looked similar to a modern airport gateway, huge and airy, yet also confining as though being herded like cattle. The passageways reputedly led all over Cairo and every outlying place of dwellings, even as far as the Nile itself, but Imo-rah took the third turning on his left, walked as far as the next bend and stepped onto the conveyor belt, actually purchased from Cairo Airport.

He sat cross-legged in the middle of the belt and relaxed into meditation, knowing the conveyor would carry for him for a good 5 miles underground.

:smile:

The conditioned air grew slightly warmer as the conveyor whirred along its journey and the boy stirred from his trance. He opened his eyes and looked up, he could see the end of the belt about 150 yards ahead, so stood up and began brushing himself off. Imo-rah stepped smartly from the belt and picked up a steady pace back down the long corridor, in the direction from where he had just come. A mere 20 feet or so, he pushed aside a revolving section of the wall and almost jogged up the stairs behind it.

At the top, he came to a similar guard house, nodding to the heavily armed guards as he passed, all of them knowing him by sight as was required. He stepped into a plain, metal elevator and pushed the topmost button, looking up at the cameras, knowing the metal detector was scanning him for weapons. The elevator slowed to a halt and the sand-covered, wall-like outer doors slid back, revealing 4 very well built guards in priest dress. He smiled at them, but they didn't return it, too well trained to even breath out of place.

Imo-rah walked out of the elevator and stopped by an air shaft, breathing its fresh night air, he lit a cigarette and looked around at the burial rooms of the Temple of Amon, near Karnak. He wondered what the men who had built this had used to create such squareness, that would last so long. Hurriedly, he finished his cigarette, stubbed it out and made his way along the short passageway and into the first of the rooms. As he entered the room, he could immediately hear the low buzz of many voices somewhere near, the council had obviously been grouped.

Quietly but proudly, he made his way past the few in the outer rooms and into the main hall. Here he stood in awe, never had he seen the entire council in one place, hundreds of men and women sat in ampitheatre like rows. A stage had been built around the central altar and he could clearly see the higher Elders sat around a long table in the middle. A disturbing hush fell over the gathered as Imo-rah walked in, whispers rushed everywhere and the higher Elders rose as one. He puffed up his chest with pride and made his way down the aisle and right up to the centre stage itself.

There he knelt and the Elders sat as he did so, except one. The man walked forward slowly, until he was right in front of Imo-rah, his voice like thunder in the acoustic room,
"Masa el-kheir, Imo-rah" (Good evening Imo-rah)

"Ziada Mayya!" (very sweet water)the boy exclaimed proudly,

"Ziada nebite" (very sweet wine)the man replied with a smile

Imo-rah looked up and said "Masa el-kheir el-Assli, ez a-salam" (Good evening "Original", peace be with you)

"Shukran Imo-rah, shukran" (thankyou) the man bade him rise, as he did so, the man said "and now perhaps English, for we are safe here"

"Of course, sir, as you wish" Imo-rah replied

El-Assli nodded and bent low to listen attentively to Imo-rah's brief account of what happened. A quiet murmuring rippled through the assembled, impatient to know what was being said, but a hand held up from El-Assli commanded instant silence. When Imo-rah had finished, El-Assli nodded slowly, motioned him to his seat at the high table and then faced the crowd of eager listeners...

((*almost wet herself too when she read that* DAMMIT RAY STOP GETTING OUR HOPES UP

((hehe no way jose lol....next part will be posted tonight mwuhahahahaha :lol:

((ok was gonna post tonight, but since I cannot get into Vamp at all now...I am gonna go reinstall....then I'll continue posting :(

((Don't make me come over the puddle and beat you up for not posting

(wheres the rest?
;) ;) (i know your busy.) ;) ;)
:smile: :P

The crowded hall was so quiet, it could have been the sanctum hermits seek as El-Assli collected his thoughts and then began to speak...

"Distinguished members of our noble Society of the Alf Asuad Sheta (thousand black winters). Tonight as you are all aware, is a very special night indeed. For tonight is the thousandth night of the thousandth winter!"

El-Assli paused to let the excited murmurs settle, then continued...

"Tonight is the night that all our beliefs, all our hard work and all our studying come together!"

He paused again,

"Please, please, this indeed truly exciting, but we do not have infinite time. Thankyou. Throughout the years, decades and centuries of our existence, we have worked for, studied and believed in the writings of the Ahmar Kitab (Red Book/Scroll). Everything written here has come to pass and so shall it be tonight!"

El-Assli lifted the scrolls up high to raucous cheers and applause. As he lowered them, the great hall fell silent once more...

"One of our most promising and worthy members, young Imo-rah, carried out the preparations for tonight and I tell you now....exactly what is written in the Ahmar Kitab is exactly what happened. We have found the sacred Poinciana tree and soon shall "The Great One" be among us!"

Again he was forced to stop by the hall erupting into cheers and screams of delight.

"As the Ahmar Kitab foretells, tonight we shall raise "The Great One" from his resting place and he shall walk among us, invincible and immortal. He shall protect all of our brethren across the world and see to it we need never worry again. He will walk in the blood of our enemies, growing ever more powerful as he does so. He will make our society powerful among men, more than politicians, as Gods for our service unto him. He has been entombed for thousands of years, crying out at the injustices done to our ancestors and now he waits to repay their misfortunes!"

"Let us proceed up to the Temple itself where it is written that he will be brought to us from whence he lays. All priests, superiors and attendants please take your places....time is not waiting. Onward people, to success, forever!"

The cheers and applause seemed to swallow up the hall, huge as it was, the very air seemed alive with electricity as the masses headed for tunnels and exits up to the Temple and their fate. Imo-rah stopped his applause and tried to retain a look of composure, not wanting to look too excited in front of the Elders. Patiently, he allowed the Elders to go first and then followed closely, trying not to lose his place with them in the rush for exits.

In the Temple of Amon itself, people were beginning to congregate in long lines down either side. The priests stood around the altar, the attendants all bearing items for the ritual behind them and the superiors forming a linked circle around them all. The spectators were hushed to mere whispers as El-Assli appeared wearing a gruesome looking cape, seemingly of flesh. As they watched on in awe, El-Assli and the priests began the ritual, chanting, dropping some blood here and there, lighting incense, scraping pieces of bone around and screaming at times with unnatural voices.

Even though the ritual took almost 2 hours, the crowd were held in patient silence by the expectation of what was to come. As the ritual came to its immense climax, the priests were shreaking and throwing themselves on the ground, when abruptly, everything stopped, even the wind itself seemed to halt. Not a sound could be heard as the entire congregation turned as one to face the entranceway, hopes and faces raised to the heavens.

A little way away, a dream of former lovers was interrupted by a sensation of being gripped in an immense hand and pulled upwards roughly. The rough sand tore at Sorenti's face, scratching him deeply as he travelled upwards at speed. As his body broke the surface, sand was exploded in every direction, yet he continued to rise. Sorenti swam through the darkest depths of consciousness, his mind unable to grasp anything. He felt like he was flying, he could see the ground underneath him fly past, yet his eyes were shut. Gradually he could feel the speed relent and slow until he was falling, no longer moving forwards, but straight down.

His body hit the stone floor of the Temple hard, bounced and then settled in a heap, leaving a trail in the sandy, desert dust on the floor. The people were too overawed to speak, some of them unable to take their eyes from this promised saviour. The attendants rushed in and scooped up Sorenti's body, hastily laying him on the altar, backing away for the priests to finish.

El-Assli and the priests circled in on Sorenti, smoothing his hair and clothes, seeing the foretold marks of righteousness on Sorenti's face and hands. El-Assli lifted a golden, jewel-encrusted, goblet to Sorenti's lips and bade him drink. Consciousness slowly forced it's way in on Sorenti and he tried to sit up, as he did, the blood mixture in the goblet sloshed into his mouth. The beast in him rose and he drank greedily from the cup, till he had drained its contents entirely.

Feeling the vitae course through his veins, Sorenti knew strength again, his marks healed on their own and he shook with the potency of the blood. He whipped his head round to see people, mortals, men, women, Kindred, everywhere he looked, faces watching him and then his eyes found Imo-rah...children? What the..? Oh no...Los Requis...Gabe...Oh God! his mind screamed at him. But almost simultaneously, every vein in his body felt like it was on fire, his body writhed from side to side uncontrollably as the magic took over.

"Yes" El-Assli said, "do not worry Great One, it is merely so you will not have to relive the milennia of your sleep in your mind or soul. Your faithful followers have learned much to aid you in every way. All your nightmares and bad memories will be washed away...it will cease soon."

Sorenti heard the words, but it might just as well have been in a language he did not understand. After what seemed an eternity, the pain subsided and Sorenti felt strong again, he looked up at El-Assli...

"So what now sir?" he asked

"Oh no, Great One, it is I who call YOU sir, Oh master of our lives!" El-Assli replied as he turned and clapped twice.

Two of the attendants scurried off and ran back with a large and beautiful sword on a velvet cushion. El-Assli took La Magra, on it's cushion and held it out to Sorenti...

"This is your legendary sword, with which you will slay our enemies. It is protected so that only you may use it, it burns all of us who have tried to lift it unaided by protection. It came to us by our endeavours on your behalf my liege. It is written that only you can wield it unharmed."

Sorenti looked at La Magra on its velvet bed, he studied the blade and hilt, somehow it looked familiar, but he didn't really recognise it. Tentatively he put out a hand towards it and touched the hilt, a spark of life seemed to go through him, but no pain. Gently, almost cradling the sword, he slowly lifted in in his right hand. It had a good weight, felt evenly balanced and the surge of strength that went through him made him gasp. "wow, what a sword" he thought looking longingly at it.

"And this sword is mine now correct?" he asked

"But of course sire" El-Assli replied, "It was always yours and only yours, as was written in the Ahmar Kitab"

Sorenti nodded and lifted La Magra higher, testing its manoeuverability, as he did so, the crowd began to cheer, for this must be the Great One indeed. Sorenti looked around surprised at the applause, he had only lifted it up a bit and who on earth were all these people and what was he to them? he thought. Slowly he smiled and allowed El-Assli to lead him down into the depths of the Temple.