Reminisce
This is a story that had surfaced when I had met up with old guildmates from my old Ragnarok server, after stopping the game for several years. Be it in real life or in an MMO, close friends are never something that we can forget, even after forever :)
Kane walked slowly through the streets of Prontera, looking at the various vendors trying to sell their goods. It had been a while since he had last seen the capital city of Midgard, so busy were they with all that were going on with the battles in the front lines.
The Assassin Cross stopped beside the large statue that marked the center of the city. A girl sat on the side of the road surrounded with various vases of flowers, some common enough to be seen in the fields around the city; others, the cross was sure, he had only seen once or twice when his old comrades had braved the ruins of Odin's Temple looking for rare armaments.
His attention was caught by a familiar looking figure exiting the blacksmith's shop. The Stalker weaved through the crowd easily, stopping to look at a weapons vendor's goods. Kane found himself smiling as he called his old friend's name. Startled, Linnus turned and scanned the square with sharp eyes, which widened in surprise when they fell on the cross.
They pushed their way through the steady stream of people on the streets, and pulled each other into a rough hug. Linnus did not say much, choosing to drag the assassin towards the Prontera tavern instead. Their old table still stood at the same corner, slightly more stained and definitely emptier than it had once been. He sat down, watching the Stalker plant himself onto the seat closest to the bar. There were no words exchanged, the two of them simply stared at the remaining unoccupied seats.
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Theo always sat at the seat closest to the door. They teased him about his slight claustrophobic habits, but always saved the seat for him. Judi and Yui fought to sit beside Cole every time, clamouring for the Whitesmith's attention. Norman got the seat on the other side of Cole; none of the girls dared to fight with the stoic High Priest for the prized seat between Kane and Cole. Linnus sat closest to the bar, Moulder beside him. Lyra simply waited for the two other girls to finish fighting before taking the remaining seat.
There were precious memories; of exploring, hunting. Learning to fight and then patching each other up. They were young and eager, running across Midgard like fledglings that had just learnt to fly. Together they fought monsters, demons; challenged other adventurers, explored the deepest of caves and the tallest of towers. There were games, duels and mock fights. Yelling and sniping at each other when Theo accidentally blasted one of them with his new spells, or when Linnus sneaked his way into the girls' tent again.
Kane found himself sighing at the images that surfaced unbidden in his mind. It had been so long since any of them had seen each other as life and obligations had pulled them all apart. Lyra was the only one who had been close enough to keep in contact. The rest of the group had scattered far across the many lands of Rune Midgard. Five years, they had promised each other. Five years from the day Kane received his order to step into the nightmare in the middle of his home city; they would be back in the tavern, at that old table, in their old seats, and share their war stories.
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The dull creak of the wooden door caused both of them to turn and promptly stared at the tall High Wizard who entered. Theo had grown so much more than either of them; the man was clad in regal looking robes and held himself with an air of importance so different from the scrawny spellcaster he used to be. When he caught sight of them, however, the familiar sheepish grin slide right back into place and the younger man literally bounced towards their table.
Old man Henry, with hair almost completely white now, placed three full mugs of Pronteran Stout on the table with an extra side of Geffenian Chedder for Linnus. The stalker gave their barkeep a sloppy salute; to think that the man had remembered their usual orders after so many years.
Moulder and Yui arrived together, the latter with a rounded tummy; the sight of which cause Linnus to almost choke on his cheese. They had come by carriage from their home in Payon, because the unborn child was absolutely disagreeable with Moulder's warp portals. The champion sat down beside the still gaping stalker and gave his old friend a friendly, monk-powered slap on the back. Mom-to-be Yui laughed at the pained expression that Linnus made and sat down beside her husband.
The door opened twice more as Lyra and Judi arrived almost at the same time. The girls exchanged hugs while Linnus started lavishing praises on how much prettier they had become and how much he had missed them. The Stalker received a kiss on his cheek for his efforts, causing him to grin stupidly at his food while the newcomers sat down at the table. Further attempts on flirting by the Stalker were thwarted when another man entered the building, walking towards them.
Kane stared at the face of the man who was once his second-in-command. Everyone looked equally shocked by the large scar that ran down the right side of Norman's once handsome face. The High Priest tilted his head a little, giving his ex-guildleader a small smile. The Assassin Cross stood from the table and caught his best friend in a tight hug; there were so many questions, so much that they had missed about each other.
They talked about their life after they left each other. They asked if the child is going to be a girl or a boy. Linnus' multiple misadventures were laughed at. Theo had become one of the masters at Geffen's Mage Guild. They learnt that Norman had lost his eye during an attack by the monstrous undead of the Cursed Abbey, when he had stood to aid in placing the barrier that sealed Beelzebub in the unholy grounds. Kane shared his stories about the darkness in Morroc, the cursed people, the grisly monsters that prowled in the dead fields brought about by the Satan Morroc. Slowly, the topic shifted to the old times, their old guild, and the silly things that they had done together.
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The sun was setting when a young boy peered into the tavern, looking around curiously. Emerald green eyes met Kane's own, and the child gave him a big smile before turning outside to wave, presumably at someone. A lady in her mid-thirties stepped in behind the kid, turning in the direction that he was pointing to see the group gathered around the table.
An old pocket watch was placed on their table, and Kane felt the clench in his heart. Cole never, ever parted willingly with his treasured watch. He lifted his view to the gentle gaze of the female who had brought the trinket.
Their Whitesmith would not be turning up. Not anymore.
.
.
End.
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