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#Post#: 1342--------------------------------------------------
The Sands of Truth
By: Samiel Sirocco Date: October 21, 2016, 1:44 pm
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Saddle Arabia. A nation torn apart by war over what most
believed to be a fight for equality. A nation that is now
recovering, with a new reformed leadership that promises
prosperity for its citizens. A prosperity that is already
beginning to bloom. The port city of Fao is an excellent example
of this. Docks that were once unusable and damaged, now harbor
some of the largest freight ships never before seen. Trade is
prosperous; and although there is still constriction in certain
areas, Fao is certainly a sight to behold.
In one of the larger office buildings overlooking the harbor. A
stallion sits back on his seat as he scans the papers on his
desk. Contracts, bills, and potential laws all rest by his
hoofs. In the corner are three juice boxes, two of them already
empty. Stretching, the pegasus gets up and adjusts his glasses
as he strolls to the wall high windows. It's a beautiful, sunny
day. Those below stride with a new sense of purpose; of pride he
hasn't seen before. A warm smile emerges on his face. There's
still much work to do to bring Saddle Arabia to where it needs
to be. But for now, one must enjoy the small victories along the
way.
#Post#: 1343--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Lina Moreau Date: October 21, 2016, 3:00 pm
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A grey pegasus stopped by the directory on the ground floor of
the office building, green eyes scanning it as she looked for
the correct name. She found it and started up the stairs. Her
strides were long and purposeful, her gaze hard. Once she found
the stallion she was looking for, once she procured the
necessary information, she’d be one step closer to her goal. She
reached the right floor and started down the hall, brushing her
fuchsia and pink mane out of her eyes. She wished she had the
familiar weight of her longsword on her back, but Saddle Arabia
was still healing after the war. One had to be careful carrying
weapons in the open. Soon she knocked on the correct door, and
took a deep breath before slowly opening it.
“Marhaba, Samiel. It's been awhile.”
#Post#: 1344--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Samiel Sirocco Date: October 21, 2016, 3:28 pm
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As soon as Samiel turns to see who it was, his eyes widen, his
jaw drops. A look of complete disbelief covers his face.
"L-Lina... is that really you?" He takes a few steps forward.
His wing reaches around to push his glasses back up his nose.
"It is..." Wasting no time, he rushes over to her, giving her a
tight embrace. "I thought you... You were," Stepping back,
Samiel shakes his head to focus. "Come on in. Take a seat, I
hope your travels weren't too exhausting."
#Post#: 1345--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Lina Moreau Date: October 21, 2016, 3:45 pm
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Lina tensed as Samiel hugged her, but she forced herself to
relax and return it. It had been seven years since someone had
embraced her, and it was an odd feeling. Samiel would notice
that Lina looked very different than her 16-year-old self. She
had chopped her luxurious mane and tail, and her previously
unmarred cutie marks were covered in several bad scars. The
biggest change, however, were her eyes. Gone were the sparkling,
carefree eyes akin to emeralds; now they were more like a
darkened forest, full of secrets.
Lina accepted Samiel’s offer, taking a seat in one of the chairs
in front of his desk. “My journey wasn’t too bad, I never left
Saddle Arabia, after all. I’ve just been… keeping to myself.” It
was odd, the Equestrian-born mare had a slight accent, one that
almost sounded Asian, though not Middle Eastern. Something she
certainly had not had back when she was sixteen. “And you,
Samiel, what have you been up to?”
#Post#: 1346--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Samiel Sirocco Date: October 21, 2016, 3:58 pm
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Samiel returns to his seat, listening to Lina as she spoke. She
had certainly changed, for better or worse he wasn't sure.
Regardless, if she has stayed in Saddle Arabia for this long,
she knows of the damage the country had inflicted on itself.
What was worse was the concept of her question. Looking back on
what he's done since he last saw her, most werent things need
like to bring up. "Rebuilding. Assisting the government worth
domestic policies, infrastructure, things of that nature. Since
the war's end, I've sought out those responsible for the whole
thing. With some assistance from unexpected sources, I was
successful."
#Post#: 1347--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Lina Moreau Date: October 21, 2016, 4:07 pm
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Lina was mulling over the problem of how to bring up her quest
for information without being too obvious, when, surprisingly,
Samiel brought it up. “That’s good to hear. The government needs
help from ponies like you, if it is to prevent history from
repeating itself.” From what she remembered, Samiel was a good
pony, and a good friend. “So you found who was truly
responsible? Care to share?” She said with a faint, tentative
smile. “There are a lot of rumors going around, and a mare can’t
be too careful with what she believes...”
#Post#: 1351--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Samiel Sirocco Date: October 21, 2016, 6:15 pm
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Samiel reaches over and picks up the last of his juice box,
popping the straw in and talking a sip. "The Hidden Daggers. A
group you may have heard of, were responsible for rallying the
masses and striking against the Saddle Arabian government. They
lied. They lied to the people, to those who wanted to help them.
They even lied to their own agents..."
#Post#: 1352--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Lina Moreau Date: October 21, 2016, 6:29 pm
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The Hidden Daggers… Starting a war didn’t mean that they were
the ones that killed Lina’s parents, but it was a starting
point. “I’ve never heard of them, I’ve been… isolated. But
that’s horrible. You should never lie to those who want to help
you…” Lina realized what she was saying, and her gaze darkened.
She studied Samiel thoughtfully for several long moments.
Finally she spoke, her voice quiet.
“Samiel, you undoubtedly know that my parents and I disappeared
on the way to leave Saddle Arabia. What you may not know is that
they've... passed away. They died in a car accident… Except it
was no accident,” her tone was dark, just daring Samiel to
contradict her. ‘“These Hidden Daggers, do you think they could
have…?” Lina trailed off, suddenly too full of emotion to finish
her question.
#Post#: 1362--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Samiel Sirocco Date: October 22, 2016, 10:41 am
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Hearing the news, Samiel finds it hard to resume drinking his
beverage. "I'm sorry Lina. You're parents were very kind,
respectful. I wouldn't dismiss the thought that they could've
been the target of The Hidden Daggers; several diplomats
throughout were killed in similar ways. They wanted the eyes of
the world upon them, to show just how damaged the nation was. I
discovered this a couple of days after it had happened. I
thought you were killed as well." He takes another sip. "The
Hidden Daggers supported the conflict for the first few years.
War was their art, and they exceeded at it. Within months they
took the capital and controlled 40% of Saddle Arabia's
territory. But all of a sudden, just as the people saw victory
in their grasp, they abandoned them. Their agents vanished,
their funding cut off, all without reason. The two ponies they
had allied with couldn't believe it. They attempted to finish
the war while they had the upper hoof; form a truce or a treaty,
but it was not the case. The Saddle Arabian government began to
push back, gain the towns and cities that they lost. Other
nations poured their support, through supplies, money, weapons.
I'm assuming this was their response to their diplomats being,"
Samiel trails off "targeted when it all started."
#Post#: 1365--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Sands of Truth
By: Lina Moreau Date: October 22, 2016, 11:15 am
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Lina just nodded hollowly at Samiel’s condolences. As she
listened, her anger slowly started to build. Not only had this
scum butchered her parents, they had been responsible for deaths
of thousands. WHY?! It was the stallion’s last comment that
broke Lina, and she suddenly stood. Letting out a wordless cry
of rage and grabbing her chair, she flung it across the room
into the wall with the sound of breaking wood. “And what was it
all for, Samiel?! What was the point?!” She yelled angrily, her
face filled with pure hatred, and looking very different than
the Lina Samiel knew.
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