SORRY FOR THE WAIT OH MY AVO - Chai Harker

We began walking along together, the man in red next to me keeping his eyes forwards as we began to walk through the now empty and silent city, the feeling that was there before of happiness and colours now gone as the festival was done for the day. It was a strange feeling to walk through those streets now at nighttime, there was almost a frightening feeling to it. Perhaps it was because there really was not a sound in the night but some jingling of bells strung up and ribbons in the wind, but that was it. There was a light wind as darkness was completely fallen over the land. The men walking with me wasn't really smiling anymore, he was completely grimacing, this was clearly a different thing he hadn't seen before. He was in a clear form of distress to an extent, it was just the way his eyes were looking around – almost as if he was expecting someone to jump out at him at any moment. To be fair, he never seemed like the type of person to care about randomness and events that happened out of no-where, he almost seemed like the type to roll in that sort of idea with joy, but…there was something else there.

"You seem rather-…"

"Shook, dear?" He cut me off as he didn't even glance at me but kept his blue eyes forwards.

"Well, yes. I've always seen you as a person who's loving life and is quite happy." I said quite simple as my boots scuffing along the ground. He gave a slight sigh as the large building loomed that looked very similar to the library, but perhaps just a bit more extravagant, the marble building having all sorts of statues and details – it was breath taking and really not heavily guarded.

"It's not that I don't love life, dear," To an extent, I didn't like the way he called me 'dear'. "It's just that, for so long I've had Emily next to me telling me what's coming next, so without her I've been thrown off my feet a bit. The dear thing isn't even born yet at this point, and in our actual point in time…Well, I believe the young thing has died." He said as I looked down. I didn't even need to ask; he must've hurt her badly. There was clear remorse yet acceptance in his voice.

It was clear that Emily was as dear to him as we all thought so, me and the gangs, we were right.

"You two, hurry up!" We both suddenly heard, making us both jump as I even noticed Reaver slightly braced besides me, but as we approached the grounds, guards did emerge as they stood by the large door that was drawn up.

As we moved to the doors, those guards kept staring at us and Reaver slightly growled as he just walked into the structure that was completely dark but I took a slight moment to look up at everything.

"We said hurry!" A guard said as I was suddenly shoved forwards and I crashed to the ground with a panicked yelp and as I looked up I braced as I saw the guard was going to smack me again and I shut my eyes, but then, I heard a smack that wasn't on me.

I slowly opened up my eyes and I saw the man in red standing over me, holding the guards arm in his hand, standing completely strong over me.

"Stop." He simply said as the guard slowly drew his arm back as Reaver turned around and pulled me to my feet as I tried to shake off what had happened to me, and he man in red really kept a grip on me.

"Why did you help me? I thought you'd find it funny to see me get beat." I said as the man in red was still holding my arm as we walked along the hallways and it was clear that this was really a castle of some kind of true rich monarchy.

"It just wasn't right of those guards, that's all." He said as he pushed through double doors which showed some kind of throne room, and on the throne was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. She had olive coloured skin, bright green eyes and was dressed in gold and green clothing – It was a Queen.

"Sariah…" Reaver uttered to himself as he froze for a minute before the lady before he got down onto one knee in a bowing position and out of respect I too came to one knee. From the way he said the Queen's name, perhaps this wasn't the first time he'd met her as a person, but this just wasn't a memory of his.

"Welcome, Pirate and girl," I could go with not being called 'girl'again. "I have something to ask of the two of you if you do not mind. There are some people just off the coast of this country, more pirates, and I'd appreciate if you could do something about it as payment to waltz into our country uninvited." She said as Reaver looked up at her with squinted eyes – clearly, he really did have no idea what was going on an was as baffled as I was.

"Pirates?" He asked her as he slowly began to climb back to his feet as several guards almost seemed to jolt, as if to force him back into bowing over, but yet, the Queen put her hand out and they eased again, and with a dirty look, he came to his feet properly, waltzing over to her as I stayed on the ground.

"I think this is a mistake," Reaver uttered to the Queen as she gave him a skeptical look. "For I am not the pirate, but this girl! Force her to go to sea!" He said in a convincing manner as my mouth could've hit the floor. But still it was not the framing that made me feel shocked, it was the fact that he was going against the idea of going out and killing people – didn't he love doing that? Perhaps a memory in his head had clicked, something that frightened him and he was trying to get out of it. It was very unlike him.

"He's lying," I simply said as I too stood. "He's the pirate, I'm nothing more than a traveler whom is somewhat linked with him." I said with a shrug as the Queen nodded her head.

"Oh I'm well aware of you, Reaver," As she said his name he went somewhat pale as if he was indeed truly worried. "Now please, go, or be banished. Do this for your country that has shown you such kindness even when you've killed my men." She said with a grin to her as she stared at him with intent as the moon's glow flooded in through the windows.

He looked at her as if he could break her jaw, clearly, he was angered but still with a sigh he finally agreed and went to leave, but not before he pulled me off to the side.

"I wish you would've kept your mouth shut, then, maybe I could survive this!" He shouted at me in a forceful way as he folded his arms across his chest, leaning up against the marbled walls as the Queen was talking to her guards across the room as she sat in her throne.

"Earlier you looked as if you couldn't think of this memory, have you suddenly remembered?" I asked him as he froze for a moment, chuckling lightly to himself as he set his head back against the wall.

"You've heard the fables, haven't you? Oh Captain Dredd and his armada? You've also likely heard of the man that killed him, well, that was me – and let me tell you I narrowly escaped with my life, it was more luck that I didn't actually die. Now, I have to repeat that, but, at the wrong time. I mean, who's to say it is Captain Dredd? It could be any pirate, but, I have a strange feeling like this. As I said, luck saved my life last time," He paused and looked to me with heavy eyes. "Do you believe that lightening can strike the same place twice, dear?"