I'll come to thee by the moonlight,
though hell should bar the way
T
he ambience in the tavern was pleasant that night, as it was nearly every evening in Seamus’ Place.
A young would-be performer played a merry violin in the corner, his lavender skin and curved horns accompanied with a wide grin as he played quite animatedly. Tristan made a mental note to tip the youngster well for his hard practiced entertainment. The general din of discussion and wayward voices could hardly be made out over the jaunty tune, but drinks were flowing and spirits were bright, and all in all it appeared to be just the same as it was every evening.
Tristan reclined at his usual corner table, his usual drink in a cup just in front of him, mostly untouched. It was his second of the evening and he had no intention on overindulging. Merlin snoozed upon the worn tabletop, stretched out upon his back with his wings beneath him and tail hanging off the side of the table to twitch back and forth in slumber. The knight had been there for nearly an hour, perhaps a little more, but he had taken his table after engaging Seamus in their usual friendly conversation and teasing banter as the man poured him his first drink of the evening. The barman was a brilliant conversationalist and few knew the word on the streets quite like he did. They went far back, the two of them; it was one of the only rare perks of immortality.
Lifting his tankard of mead the knight took a drink, keen turquoise eyes scanning the scenery. The table he sat at was stationed so that he could see every exit and entrance into the tavern itself, a habit built from lifetimes of war, fighting, and bloodshed. It also allowed him a good vantage of the tavern itself, and he was content to watch patrons come and go as they pleased. Everyone knew to behave in Seamus’ bar, and rightly so; the enchanted walls would have no mercy if violence was struck up within these walls, and Tristan had no qualms in stepping in to help enforce the rules before things got too unruly.
A cool breeze swept across the interior of the tavern as another individual shuffled in from the streets outside and it was habit alone that had Tristan scanning him from across the room. Broad, tall, and looming, the knight recognized him immediately even though the memories were fuzzy simply from how long ago it had been.
General Kodarki.
A greyed brow raised in surprise. What in the world was he doing here…? Concern and curiosity fought for dominance within his breast, but he watched the General as he moved throughout the tavern, shuffling in. Perhaps it was by allure alone, the connection of their history alone and the inevitable magnetism that came with fighting side-by-side that caused their eyes to meet, and from behind the rim of his tankard did Tristan grin, turquoise eyes glittering in the low-lit lights as he held the General’s stare.
He motioned for the General to join him with a nod, but offered no word. Not yet.
The last few days of extreme summer heat had driven him from his Solterran homelands. Fall inched ever closer, and Galileo longed for the cooler days and longer nights, but it did not come quick enough. And so, in a strange turn of events, he found himself straying from the lands he knew to unknown places filled with promise -- and shade. He had fled south, every step taken revealing a cooler atmosphere, and for that he was glad. He wasn't sure why he kept walking for so long. Perhaps it was the will of the gods, for him to end up in the realm of the Night Court, or perhaps it was simply the lust of adventure that pulled him forward.
It was a long road, but not an unpleasant one. Strangers were numerable and friendly enough, tilting their heads his way as they passed by each other. He had been surprised to find that there were more leaving Denocte than going towards it, and he wondered if perhaps he had missed some notice about the kingdom.
It was evening when he eventually arrived -- fitting, seemingly, for his first time in the Night Court -- and the pitter patter of rain had just begun to sound on the road ahead. With no cloak to cover him, he peered through the foggy evening, the streets emptying of equines as the weather began to turn and the clouds opened up their heavens to pour thick storms above them. Ahead, the dim light of a swinging lamp hangs beside a tattered wooden sign, beaten by the blustering wind. He doesn't stop to read the name -- the smell and sound of a tavern is unforgettable when you have visited as many as he.
He enters, dripping wet but already warmed by the crackling fire and cosy, low ceilings.
His instant thought is of drink, and he nods to the barmaid as she questions what he would like. She brings her some sort of honeyed mead, and he nods thankfully, turning to find a place he can rest his weary legs. The tavern is bustling, but not overly full, and he takes a moment to absorb the faces.
Shockingly, his gaze lingers on a face that was truly a ghost of his past.
"Tristan?" He speaks out loud, the other patrons glancing at him only momentarily before returning to their conversations and booze.
The stallion beckoned to him, his aged face welcoming and eyes ever-kind. There had always been something ethereal about Tristan, something Galileo had never been able to put his finger on... perhaps this was one of the so-called chosen ones, plucked from the stars by the gods to do their bidding.
He pauses in front of his fellow warrior's table, a smirk playing on his jaw. "Well, well, well. It really is you. What brings an old man like you to these parts?" Setting his drink down on the table, he allows himself to get comfortable, before turning back to his long-lost comrade. "It's truly been years, friend."
I'll come to thee by the moonlight,
though hell should bar the way
A
s the General joined him at the table, Tristan eyed him over with a curious stare. The man had hardly changed since the last time they had met. A bit more seasoned with age, perhaps, but General Kodarki’s jaw remained set in a determined way and his golden eyes burned with the same brilliant flame that they always had.
As strange as it was to find a familiar face in the Seamus’ Place, it was beyond welcome, especially when Tristan had so few ‘familiar faces’ in his life.
Tipping his head in a nod when the striped man settled, the knight spoke up softly. “Hello, General.” His smile softened, soothing his aged and greying features and his eyes glittered in mischievous kindness. Tristan truly was thrilled by this surprise. What were the odds that Kodarki was now in Novus? How long had he been in Novus? What had brought him there in the first place? So many questions, but as they now were, seated across from each other with drinks in hand, perhaps the answers would come within the next few minutes.
“What brings me to these parts? Tempus’ beard Kodarki, I live here. I’ve called Novus home since I was but a gangly thing.” He chuckled, warm and mirthful and so, so pleased. Why could the Fates not have such mercy on him more often? “But it is very good to see you as well. What brings you to these parts, friend?”
Settled between them upon the table and sprawled out, Merlin stirred from his evening nap, awakened by their soft chatter. The wyvern gave a mighty stretch as he rolled over, blinking beady black eyes at the General before a wide, toothy grin stretched upon his draconic features. The black wyvern looked to Tristan and gave him a knowing look, amused despite being interrupted from his doze.
’Tell him I’m happy to see him.’
Tristan’s keen turquoise eyes glanced down to the black wyvern with a thoughtful frown and then he chuckled, meeting the General’s golden eyes once more. “Merlin wishes for me to tell you that he is happy to see you here as well.”
The small wyvern went on, amused. ’Also tell him that he needs to drag you around because staying cooped up isn’t good for you.’
That, Tristan promptly ignored, and instead sipped the liquid from his cup.
The beer to his lips was refreshing, just as his reunion with Tristan had been. This was a stallion he had allowed himself to be close to, in a sense -- they shared the same principles, had seen the same horrendous things (Tristan more so, he had no doubts). It took a lot for Galileo to be impressed, but this horse had never failed to let him down. Seeing him was nostalgic more than anything, but in a good way, for once.
As their gazes met, Tristan's wizened pools blinking up at him in the darkness, he let out a chuckle. It was at the silliness of the situation, to be here in such a place and to run into each other. He was a ghost from a past life, and he shook his head, still in disbelief.
The stallion called him general, and he paused momentarily, for he had not been called that in a long time. But to hear it from the chestnut equine's lip did not affect him as others had done, using the term. Plus, he was pretty sure the tavern was full of drunkards and fools (present company excluded), and not spies preparing to drag his sorry ass back to Creygaul.
Nodding softly along as he spoke, a grin played across his soft maw. The hints of an accent, tamed down to hide his identity, came crawling out as he relaxed. "So this was the country you so talked about, hmm? Well, it's certainly something. Sorry I forgot -- my mind isn't what it used to, as I'm sure yours is the same." The stallion teased his old friend. "I suppose what I meant to ask, is why are you back? What calls you to these parts, other than your past? A special someone, perhaps...?"
Drinking more alcohol loosened the stallion's tongue. "Why am I here? Now that is a long story... and one that doesn't really have an end, as of yet." With a shrug, he glanced around the room again. "Running away from things has become something I'm rather good at, believe it or not."
In the shadows, he eventually noticed a obsidian wyvern peering up at him. "Merlin!" He exclaimed cheerfully. "Glad you're still around. Keeping the old man in check, I should hope?" He laughed.
A sombre moment hits him as he remembers the occasion for Tristan and his own meeting. "We've come a long way since the days we would drink and laugh in the taverns of Creygaul, haven't we?"