"My mage book should be enough to prove who I am.  My absence was not of my will.  The rogues took me and made me a part of them against my will.  They even branded me with their insignia.  Goldenscale was gracious enough to help me and brought me here.  I am a citizen again and I got me other tattoo covered with this one." he said with a smile.

"We figured someone or something had grabbed you, but it's good to see you back. We would have went looking for you, but we could never get the permision to start a search," he said, opening the door for Ricken and Goldenscale, "You must have had Meden rework the tattoo, she's the only one in the cave who knows how to work the needle."

"Yeah, thank goodness.  And it didn't cost me anything.  She said it was good advertisement.  So the three of us have to take our classes again?" he asked.

"No, we only have to retake the final course. If we pass, then  that is all we need to do," he said, stopping beside the gong, "Right now, they all down below going through one of the sightless drills. If you wish to speak with the instructor now, Goldenscale will have to ring the gong. A barrier has been placed around it to prevent anyone but the council from ringing it."

"I'll have Goldenscale do it later.  We all have some catdhing up to you.  Where's Clair?" he asked.

"She's down there with them, keeping  up with training, and helping teach the newcomers. It's one of the hazy maze drills. Specifically, the one where flight is prohibited for the drill," he said, "So long as Goldenscale accompanies you, you can watch from the observatory."

"That would be wonderful." he said.  "It's good to be back.". He smiled wide.

"Excuse me, but what's your name,sir." Goldenscale asked.

"Name's Larai, but most people just end up calling me Ai," he said with a light bow, "If you'll fallow me, the observatory is this way." Patting Ricken on the back with a wing, Larai started towrads the back wall.

Goldenscale began to follow Ricken and Larai.  She had been walking on her hind legs for a while now, it seemed more natural for her since she always fought this way since she always had a handheld weapon.  

Once they were inside the observatory, Larai closed the door, putting them in complete darkness. Through the glass window, was a room filled with darkness, the only light coming from the spells the apprentices below in the maze and the one lit room in the center. "It's a test to check how well they can navigate in complete darkness without having the advantage of flight," he said, making a small ball of light, "There are several correct paths, but the goal is to reach the lit room as fast as possible. The excersize ends when someone reached the room."

Goldenscale's acute eyesight easily adjusted to the darkness and she watched the enforcers below with ease.  "You should come and train here, Goldenscale.  This would be wonderful practice." Ricken said, nudging her with his elbow.  "It would be.  But with being a council member, protecting the forest and being the Gryphon Champion, I don't know when I'd come.  But it would be interesting." sh said with a chuckle and a smile.

"The final test for any enforcer combines all twenty drills into one long course. We're required to finish the course in less than an hour to pass," he said, letting the ball of light fade as one of the enforcers closed in on the lit room. When the enforcer entered the room, she pressed a button in the middle causing the lights to come on, filling the chamber with light.

"Alright, time for a break. Everyone back to the barracks, training will resume after lunch," the instructor said, hitting a button to remove the glass cieling the covered the maze.

"Wow..." she said with amazement.  "I'll have to try that final course sometime.  I need something challenging." 

"Clair should be here soon." Ricken said with a smile.

"It would be thirty minutes, but there are sections to test one's patients that take up that much time," Larai said, stepping away from the window as the enforcers below started climbing the stairs back out, "The instructor will want to speak with you first before getting to Ricken. He always talks to the hieghest rank first to get the most important new across first."