by Zoey Rivera
She took the bag and stuffed it away into her inventory then went to her closing routine of wiping down the tables and flipping the stools up on them for the night. When she finished she looked around The Pale Pixel Pub one last time before departing.
“Goodnight, Mister Lorcan,” she said with a soft smile.
“Goodnight, Emily. And once again thank you for your work here and best of luck to you on your journey through Eden,” Lorcan said.
“Thank you, sir.”
It was hard to think that so much time had passed since then. Nearly three years since he shut down The Pale Pixel Pub. Three years since Catherine. Five years since Anna. But he worked hard to make himself into the better man that he hoped he was today. He sat outside in the scouring heat with four other men who were on patrol that day.
Braydon had grown into a strong fighter but still too enthusiastic and excited for his own good. Maybe it was just a personal coping method for him. After all, everyone has to do something to keep from going completely insane in Eden.
“We’ve seen nothing all day, Lorcan. I’m just saying is it really the best use of our resources to have all five of us out here on patrol? I think three or two of us could manage staring at trees for six to eight hours before switching with group two who, again, stares for six to eight hours, so on and so forth,” Braydon whined.
Ryan whacked Braydon on the back of the head. He was getting spoiled. But that was probably because Lorcan was getting soft. He would have never let his beard grow out this long while he was on The Willow with Chris and the crew.
And a remark like that could warrant a severe beating. He thought back to many cabin boys thrown off board to their deaths solely based on comments like that alone. Maybe not murder but Lorcan would have brought him very close and then given him a potion to heal him up before gut punching him again.
“You’re such a brat, we ought to throw you into the Mir for a couple weeks and have you survive on your own out there,” Paul said teasingly.
Lorcan lifted a brow under his helmet, “That’s not too bad of an idea. How does two weeks in the Mir sound as an adequate punishment from now on for whoever complains about this completely voluntary work that I am paying you to do for the protection of yourself and your city.”
Everyone hushed and Ryan nudged his elbow into Braydon. Braydon elbowed him back quietly. Ryan gave him a hard jab in the arm. The impact actually managed to crack Ryan’s knuckles.
“Ow, what was that for?” Braydon whispered.
“For getting us a new punishment, brat,” Ryan hissed.
Braydon glared back at him, “Wouldn’t be an issue even if I was the cause of a thousand new punishments if you stopped getting yourself in trouble.”
“Brat.”
“Loser.”
The two glared at each other. Looked over back at Lorcan. Then returned their gaze back to each other. The two had never quite gotten along but the last week or so had been bickering nonstop like an old married couple.
Lorcan was getting a little annoyed with it but it was practically routine at this point. He figured, no matter how torturous it is now, he would adapt to it at some point. He sighed and scanned the tree line once over. Save for a few rare instances, ever since Lorcan had managed to build up Hallifax’s army, there haven’t been many if any attacks on the small town. Giving it a chance to thrive and strive.
Lorcan was incredibly hopeful for the future of Hallifax since the decline of major attacks on the city. With this much of a decline in activity in Halli, maybe he could consider opening up the pub on his own again.
Granted, he already knew that he was no good at running it, despite his best efforts. It wasn’t only his attitude but the amount of effort that it took to maintain an establishment he didn’t understand. It wasn’t even like he was the one running it at this point. But if he were to be the one to keep it, he would have to find a lot of workers willing and able to stop him from punching patrons in the face.
“I’ll send you both into the Mir for a month, if you don’t knock it off right now. And I’ll have Paul tracking and hunting you down repeatedly just to make things harder on the both of you,” Lorcan threatened.
The more he thought about it, the more interesting the idea sounded. He would have to note it down as potential training for some newer recruits and he would have these guys lead as instructors for the lesson.
It was getting light and the changing of the guards should be soon. He took a glance back into the streets to see if any of the guardsmen were making their way up to the post yet.
Of course not.
He couldn’t blame them, he wasn’t the most diligent when it came to arriving on time either. And he refused to hold his men to any standards that he couldn’t maintain himself. It was how they established respect amongst himself and the troops.
Although he didn’t know if he particularly wanted to spend a month in the Mir being hunted by his men just to prove it was possible. He was sure he could do it and survive but he wasn’t sure he wanted to waste resources proving that it was possible.
“Lorcan, look. North west corner of the tree line —” Ryan pointed out the location and Lorcan looked over. The gates of Hallifax were only about five miles away from the beginning of the Mir. But it was a clear line of sight into the tree line.
Two men and a horse emerged from the shadows of the Mir. The other four men tensed and sat up in attention as Lorcan rose to greet the newcomers. He towered over the two men. They were clearly no threat to him in his full steel armor plating.
The younger looking of the two seemed to be the one that was escorting the other man with the crimson hair. Lorcan removed his helmet to reveal nearly shoulder length, wavy unkempt blond locks and his stormy blue eyes to them. He smiled welcomingly through a thick beard to the weary travelers.
“Welcome to Hallifax, lads. Where you traveling from? Don’t think you’re one of our registered monster hunters,” Lorcan’s voice was almost melodic with its light-hearted questioning. His presence was both comforting and intimidating all at once but the brunette boy didn’t seem to mind. He could have used one like that on The Willow.
The other boy seemed to hang back, clearly afraid of the potential confrontation with Lorcan. It was fair enough of him to be worried. Even if Lorcan’s heart had softened, his fists hadn’t. Alone he could easily take both these children. Not that he would have to, but he could.
“We’re from Gwintin. I’m escorting my friend here, Johnny. He is a shopkeeper from our city. With the recent attacks on the town, he is seeking refuge up here in hopes to set up a new shop,” the boy explained, motioning over to the red haired boy, Johnny, stumbling to dismount the horse. Lorcan smiled, took out the key to The Pale Pixel Pub, and presented it to them.
“A shopkeeper, aye? Any experience running a pub?” Lorcan smiled wide to the groans of his fellow troops.
He knew they were sick of him asking but he was determined to find someone to bring back their little pub. To bring Catherine’s memory back to life in some small way. To give Anna a home to rest her heart in. He needed someone to keep the pub going. At least for the while until he could trust the guard to run itself. Then he could retire. Move completely into the pub. Have time to really think about his life and what he plans to do with it next.
He was at one of those rare crossroads in life where the choices aren’t labeled but you have to keep moving forward. For better or for worse, you had to make a decision that would make or break the labeled choices of the future.
He chatted up the two young travelers. There was so much of Catherine in the both of them. But the younger boy’s eyes, it had that look of Catherine and Anna. So unmistakable and pure, he was determined and adventurous. Undoubtedly leading them down a road to trouble, but it was a road that Lorcan was going to take.
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Special Thanks
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About the Author
*****
Zoey Rivera is a writer from Honolulu, Hawaii stranded in the East Coast of the United States. Living out in the middle of nowhere, where it's just quiet enough to get her imagination rolling. Possibly a bit too much. When she's finished downing her eighteenth cup of coffee for warmth and sanity, Zoey enjoys curling up with her two dogs, attempting to snuggle with her cat, and a good story. Some of her favorite sci-fi and fantasy works are Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and Joss Whedon's tragically short-lived series Firefly, among many others in a list far too long to continue. She's been writing for fun since she could hold a pencil.
