Time Never Stops

Night had fallen long ago, the streets of Levra painted dark grays and deep, dark blues under the light of the midnight moon; all except for the Silver Arrow. It had a lone torch hanging by its door, and on that night it was lit, its lonely flame casting a warm glow and dancing shadows as the flame flickered against a chilling wind. Inside, on the bottom floor, there was only a single table occupied; at the head of the table sat a young man in regal clothing, a crown sitting crookedly atop his head.

   "Will anybody show..?" King Emrik sighed as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. It had been so long since he had seen his friends, of whom had slowly, but steadily began to disappear from his beloved Kingdom of Corpavale. Daresay, he even got more of his kingly duties done without the distraction, not that he thought of them as a distraction; to the adventurous king, they were his purpose for being anything beyond a king. "Barkeep!" He tossed a bag full of golden nobles onto the bar. "Should anyone arrive tonight, give them all that they might ask for. As for me, bring me something sweet." It had been weeks since he had ordered fliers to be sent throughout his kingdom and those neighboring, asking in a cryptic message for his old friends to meet him in that tavern, and he worried that perhaps it may have been too cryptic.

   A frothy drink was placed in front of the king, who took a deep gulp. When the mug came back down with a clink! the foam had dispersed, and Emrik could see a clear reflection of his weary face. It had only been a few years, but the pure dedication he had put into the kingdom had taken its toll on the young man, aging him by a few years. He sighed and took another gulp. He was worried; if his visage had been changed so with darkened eyes, a few wrinkles, and a couple strands of gray, what might have become of his friends? Could they be happy in another kingdom, living the lives they had always dreamed of? Or could they be dead, be it expiring gloriously against a battle with a dragon, or pathetically with the arrow of a bandit sticking out of their backs? He grimaced at the thought and drowned it with yet another gulp, emptying his mug. He was brought a full one.

   He didn't expect to see everybody, but hoped to at least see one familiar face. He took another gulp. "Someone will come... Please..."

[[Time Never Stops initiates years after where we all last left off, equivalent to how long ago this forum died; approx 3 years. While 3 years is somewhat small in a long lifespan, a lot can happen in 3 years, and it can change people. So, should we all go along with this, we can use that as a justification to alter our characters. Higher or lower social class/position, changes in personality, etc; this can be a fresh start for us and our secret stories in our Kingdom of Corpavale.]]

A young woman walked quietly into the Silver Arrow. Blue hair peeked out from under the hood of her cloak, a streak of white contrasting with the natural color of her hair. Upon reaching the bar, she held out her right hand and twirled her little finger counterclockwise. The barkeep showed no indication of surprise as he was used to the strange mannerisms of the people that passed through his pride and joy. He instead started the process of making a drink he had handed out numerous times to a certain person.

The woman placed the appropriate amount of money onto the counter and nodded at the barkeep. He gently shook his head and pushed the money back towards her, nodding towards a man sitting by his lonesome. The cloaked woman turned her head in the man's direction, a feeling of recognition running through her as she laid eyes on him. She reached into the pocket of her breeches until her fingers touched a piece of parchment. There was no need to take it out, she already knew its contents by heart. An old spark of irritation struck her as she quickly scanned the area with her eyes but it quickly died away.

Letting out a wisp of air that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, she grabbed her drink from the counter and nodded again at the barkeep. Slowly, she approached the lonesome man.

Emrik had eyed the young woman the minute she walked in, her hooded cloak making it difficult for him to discern her identity. Finally, after a few moments of examination, he spotted a flash of blue hair coming out from her hood. "Is it..?" His heart had given off a cold wave of excitement that reached throughout his body, and he took another quick gulp to calm himself down. "Or is this drink stronger than I thought..?"

He decided not to act until he knew for certain who this woman was, even though he already had a good idea. For a few more short moments, turned into hours by his anticipation, he kept a steady gaze on her, not caring if he seemed suspicious. He nodded in approval as the barkeep returned to her her coins, just as he had ordered. The anxious king downed the last of his drink, and by the time he set his glass down the woman had started to approach him. He couldn't handle his restlessness any longer, and he quickly shot up from his seat and met her halfway with a hurried pace.

"Hey there..." He breathed, almost at a loss for words. A small smile grew on his face. "Champ."