A return?.....

[DoF Archive]

Date: 10/2/2001 10:49 PM Central Daylight Time
From: LordRannos


It was evening as Rannos rode into Rhydin. He hadn't really mean't to ride here. He had simply gotten onto his horse and rode.

Rhydin was familliar to him, and yet different. He had not ventured here in a long time. A few years at the least. Certainly not since Gemsa had left him.

Her departure hurt him deeply. More than she would ever know or understand.

Funny how his thoughts had drifted to her lately. He thought he had put her behind him. He thought he had moved on. He couldn't help but hink that she had been the "one". She was the "one".

But he knew she was gone and that she was never coming back to him.

Gemsa was not the only thing on Rann's mind this evening. His life was in a shambles. His wealth was gone. Recent events had forced him out of his chosen profession. He felt like he had nothing.

And so here he was. Wandering down a nameless Rhydin avenue. Head lowered. Not really looking where he was going.

When his horse stopped he finally looked up to see where he was. The building in front of him was familliar, but different than he remembered. The sign read, "The Outback".

A notice was tacked up. A Diamond Quest was going to be held.

He instinctively felt for the ring on his right index finger. But he knew it was not there. And had not been there for many years.

He had been an Emerald once. He had fought in several Diamond Quests. Had fought Shannon, Percy, and the orc, Jake, on many occasions. He looked down to his right hand and flexed it and smiled slightly. In one particular Diamond Quest he had broken his hand when he jabbed the orc in one of his tusks. He fought the rest of that match one-handed. Rannos had lost, but it had been a good duel.

Those had been good times. He'd been happy in those days. Had made many friends in the Outback. He wondered if any of his old friends still dueled in the rings.

He wondered what it would be like to duel again. Could he still compete? He wasn't 25 anymore.

He would give it some thought.

[DoF Archive]

Date: 10/4/2001 12:39 AM Central Daylight Time
From: JadedDeath

When a lone stranger arrived in the Outback that night, she hadn't given him much thought. When he supplied the name of "Rannos, " Janella paused. Did the name strike a chord? It had with Matt. The man's name was familiar because it suggested times from way back when, days past, earlier nights of the sport. Janella hadn't been there, during those times, but there were records of them, and the warrioress recalled having seen that name listed.

Idly, Janella wondered if the man, Rannos, would return.