(author\'s note: a look into the decades hence future of ps.)
the roughly twenty ylaiki gathered in the tavern. they represented, as best their number could, a cross section of the species of yliakium. their age did not, dispite their appearence. something about their eyes, the way they moved, their very presence evidence indicated great age. but some were younger then the others, some vastly so. they also had the feeling of great power, both collectively and individually. power wielded with equally great, if not greater skill.
the barmaids move easily among them, delivering drinks and picking up empty glasses and mugs. the bartender watches the assembled yliaki. each was a legend, a warrior, mage, or smith of great renown.
one last ylaiki walks through the doors.
\"finally you arrive,\" one shouts from from the assembly.
\"sorry. had a few things to clear up back home.\"
\"no worries. you aren\'t too late.\"
the newly arraived ylaik walks up to the bar. the bartender nods and laddles out a steaming mixture into a clay mug. it smells of spices, citrus, alchol. he takes a sip of it.
\"everytime i drink it, i\'m thankful he introduced me to this stuff. how\'s he doing?\"
\"well. he sends his regards... and his regrets.\"
one of the members nods at the bartender. the bartender gestures the barmaids to him. after a brief disscusion the barmaids leave. the bartender places his towel on the counter. he pauses at the doorway. he looks around the tavern apprehensively. he closes the door behind him.
\"you didn\'t need to do that,\" another voice says.
\"i\'ll feel better discussing this without them here,\" says the one who nodded.
the first shrugs. \"not that we really have anything to discuss.\"
\"do we really need to do this?\" a third voice asks.
\"yes, we do.\"
\"we could just leave it,\" the third says.
\"we could,\" the late comer says. \"but should we?\" he sits down. \"we\'re all that\'s left.\" he looks around the room. \"and we\'re getting fewer.\" he looks into the mug. \"some of us don\'t want to be the last.\"
the assembly dissolves into the oft repeated arguments. the latecomer drains his mug. he gets up and fills it behind the bar. he takes a couple of swallows from the mug. he catches the words \"glorious ylaikium.\"
\"oh, enough,\" he shouts. the other stop and look at him.
\"this isn\'t the glorious ylaikium. we all remember it. it was once more then what is outside that door. \" he gestures to the doors. \"this is a ghost. lingering. we must let it go.\"
\"it\'s just that...\" the first protester trails off.
\"we\'ll still have the memories here,\" he taps his forehead. \"and here,\" he taps his chest. \"but, this lingering ghost is no way to respect them.\"
he comes out from behind the bar, and sits down.
\"to the memory,\" he says as he raises the mug.
\"the memory,\" the others respond.
they all drain their glasses. they sit still for a moment.
\"it is time,\" someone says. she makes a simple gesture. everything freezes. the sound stops and there is complete silence. gradually items begin to disappear. soon only the late comer is sitting in blackness on a chair. then even that disappears. he sits motionless in the blackness.
eventually a voice comes through the blackness.
\"i heard what you said.\"
he nods in the darkness.
\"they were good.\"
\"doesn\'t make it any easier,\" he responds.
\"there will be other places.\"
\"but, never there. not again.\"
\"true. but there are other places.\"
he nods. eventually unseeingly, he raises his hands to his eyes. he raises them as if uncovering his face. a bright new world springs into focus.
