Maskull
08-17-2009, 02:51 PM
I was sauntering down the Internet boulevards one fine, electrically charged day when a tingling sensation warned me a Hand of Fate decision was about to be made. In between two cafes I spied a cowled figure brandishing a footlong wand emblazoned with writhing, arcane symbols. He beckoned with a gnarled and crooked finger. Glancing around, I pointed to myself and silently mouthed a "Me?" Nodding, the mysterious figure retreated deeper into the gloom of what to all appearances seemed a dead end alley. Undaunted but cautious, I followed in slowly.
"Want to be an editor?" He whispered. No doubt it was a man since if it was a woman he needed singing lessons badly.
"What do you mean?" I rejoined, raising an eyebrow.
Despite the fact I could not see his eyes beneath his darkened hood, his mouth formed a smirk as he continued, "You made an edit on the Sryth wiki lately. Want to be an editor?"
"Wiki?" I returned, chuckling lightly. "What's that?"
"It means 'fast'." He said, his tone betraying a mild hint of annoyance. "It's an online encyclopedia of the game, Sryth, that allows anyone to edit its content."
"Ah," I said loquaciouosly as memory reared its burdensome head, "I remember now. I saw something misspelled and changed it."
"Indeed. That marks you as one of the few."
"Few? Few what?" I asked in confusion.
His booted feet shifted nervously and I recalled as a child the last time I asked an elder the meaning of life. The traffic in the streets was unusually busy and made me eager to get back to my ambling aimlessly.
"The few!" He exclaimed unceremoniously, as if that explained everything. "All will be explained in time. Do you want to be one or not?"
"Well, what's in it for me?" I was quickly tiring of the conversation and fidgited uncomfortably as passerbys peered into the darkness at us and giggled.
Touching me lightly in a shoulder cross, he stared deeply into my eyes. "Nothing really. It's for the joy of it, the pleasure of leading others to understanding," he said solemnly, then quickly added, "and so I can bust your chops now and then if you mess up."
If pauses are really pregnant, ours must have gone on for the full nine months. I felt ages older afterwards. Then, without further prompting, and partially for being the risk taker that I am, I agreed, smiling innocently at my veiled sarcasm.
"Done, and done." He cried triumphantly, and before I could argue the point, he leapt into the air, clicked his oversized boots together, then dashed madly out into the waiting sunlight.
"Er..." was all I could muster.
"Want to be an editor?" He whispered. No doubt it was a man since if it was a woman he needed singing lessons badly.
"What do you mean?" I rejoined, raising an eyebrow.
Despite the fact I could not see his eyes beneath his darkened hood, his mouth formed a smirk as he continued, "You made an edit on the Sryth wiki lately. Want to be an editor?"
"Wiki?" I returned, chuckling lightly. "What's that?"
"It means 'fast'." He said, his tone betraying a mild hint of annoyance. "It's an online encyclopedia of the game, Sryth, that allows anyone to edit its content."
"Ah," I said loquaciouosly as memory reared its burdensome head, "I remember now. I saw something misspelled and changed it."
"Indeed. That marks you as one of the few."
"Few? Few what?" I asked in confusion.
His booted feet shifted nervously and I recalled as a child the last time I asked an elder the meaning of life. The traffic in the streets was unusually busy and made me eager to get back to my ambling aimlessly.
"The few!" He exclaimed unceremoniously, as if that explained everything. "All will be explained in time. Do you want to be one or not?"
"Well, what's in it for me?" I was quickly tiring of the conversation and fidgited uncomfortably as passerbys peered into the darkness at us and giggled.
Touching me lightly in a shoulder cross, he stared deeply into my eyes. "Nothing really. It's for the joy of it, the pleasure of leading others to understanding," he said solemnly, then quickly added, "and so I can bust your chops now and then if you mess up."
If pauses are really pregnant, ours must have gone on for the full nine months. I felt ages older afterwards. Then, without further prompting, and partially for being the risk taker that I am, I agreed, smiling innocently at my veiled sarcasm.
"Done, and done." He cried triumphantly, and before I could argue the point, he leapt into the air, clicked his oversized boots together, then dashed madly out into the waiting sunlight.
"Er..." was all I could muster.