A tavern out of the way.

Once I stopped to study the area, I actually realized quickly where I was. I remembered this stretch of road pretty clearly. Granted, it was a segment of the main road, but I knew a little ways north it became dirt, and led to the farmlands. A little farther north still was a tavern I knew perhaps a little too well. It was right before the border between the main kingdom, Opulentia, and the cold lands of Ödemark. Thus, though it was rarely packed, the people and NPCs there were almost always interesting.

It would normally take me an hour or so's walk from here to there. But if I was right, then I should have a mount. I was pretty sure I just had to... "Wheeee!"

I whistled loudly, one of those things I probably should be able to do in real life, but still couldn't. Sure enough, without a moment's notice, a reptile of deep red a good deal larger than a horse touched down next to me. Holy... Shit... Yes! The beast I had spent months grinding for years ago. The wyvern of the fiery island of Nevonaar. "Yolstrum! Ohhh, you magnificent -! Come here, boy!"

He excitedly nuzzled up to me, letting me hug his head and grumbling contentedly. After a few quick pats, I rushed around and clambered onto the saddle on his back. Despite some initial hesitance, I was filled with pure joy as I felt the wind rush through my hair. Yolstrum didn't need any instruction, he just flew where I wanted him to fly. I enjoyed the few minutes we spent flying, waving down to other players on the road, probably all off doing quests or meeting with old guild mates.

I was off for something else. I wanted a drink. Or, so I told myself. Thing is, this particular tavern was a place I never frequented alone. I guess I felt bad about me and my friends. I had kind of stormed out on them after Abby broke the news. I wanted to, if not apologize to them, have some kind of nostalgic rush of better times.

After Yolstrum dropped me off and took to the sky again, I studied the old worn down building. I seriously felt pained, thinking of the times I'd stopped here. The sudden warmth as I opened the doors helped alleviate that a bit. What followed destroyed my depressed nostalgia entirely.

"I mean, there I was, me and the guys, and this absolutely massive storm hydra rises out of the ocean. We didn't know, but this was like a world-level boss. And there we were, only three ships and twenty players. Doomed, right? Fuck no! We pull right up alongside it, our ships swirling around the thing, caught in the vortex. Broadside after broadside, heads and writhing tentacles slamming onto our ships. But hours later - real ones, I mean - the hydra slams back into the water. There was only five of us left alive. Leaving me one of the handful of players to have this!"

I looked at one of the tables a few feet from the door. There, a tall and muscular elf in silver armor with a flowing blue cape a few shades lighter than his hair held a glaive that crackled with lightning above his head. Stian (Tobias) held up his thunder glaive with pride. So that's where he got that thing.

Next to him was the long pink hair and white robes of Imari (Abby). Across from them both, on the other side of the table, is a dark skinned wizard with sharp, golden eyes. Raistlynn (Darien) chuckled at the story, before our eyes met. His smile dropped, but out of surprise. It quickly returned.

Stian sighed after downing his tankard. "Damn! Feels good to be back. Wish Scott would've hung around... It just feels wrong with him not bein' here."

Imari tilted their head, looking at Raistlynn probably, before turning around. She - well, he in this case - was looking confusedly, but upon seeing me his eyes lit up. "I... Scott?!"

Stian spun around. Seeing me, his smile was ear to ear. "By the Light! Nameya! You made it! Come on, come on, take a seat!" He waved me over, and despite the embarrassment at the noisy scene I was now a part of, I hurried to them. I smiled to them all, me and Imari acting perhaps a bit too awkward. We never really commented on us each playing the other sex. I didn't plan on asking why she decided on Imari to return to the game, as I felt her reasoning would probably match my own.

After getting a few sips of my own swiftly delivered drink, Stian straightened up a bit. "Now, where was I? So, hydra defeated, we're still down a ship and with barely any crew."

We spend a while just recounting our adventures from before our little unit formed. Some we've heard before, but some are secrets we've either kept hidden or never felt the need to share. But we were famously restless. Stian was the first to rise from the table. "Right then. You know what we need? A quest! Some good ole monster slaying! Or bandit fighting. Just something where I can crush some skull."

Raistlynn laughed. "Yes, I suppose. We could really use a story, then." Expectantly, we all turn to stare at the door to the tavern. On cue, Storyteller provides us a hook. A woman breathing harshly and with tears streaking down her face bursts through.

"Light above, someone help! They took him! They took my son!"

We rushed up to her, and I took her hands in mine. "What's wrong, miss? What happened?"

She shuddered, calming her sobs. "Light... They... He was taken by pirates! I don't know where! The Queen of Gallows took my son!"

I tilted my head. "The Queen of Gallows?" Why did that sound familiar. These quests were always newly created, but they'd sometimes have recurring characters. Did I know this chara - Oh... Oh shit.

"Fuuuuuuuu - Secretum. Okay guys, so, this is my b."

Raistlynn glanced from the woman to me. "Paladine. Alright Scott, what did you do?"

Stian looked like we were doing something weird. "Uh... Guys, what the fu - OH! Right! Duck Tales! So, what's that look about Scott?"

"Ba - Wait, Duck Tales? Really? That's what you chose?" Imari laughed at Stian. He shot a dirty look of his own back at her.

"Oh yeah? And what's yours then?"

Imari's glare didn't fade. "... Batman. Alright, spill."