They Changed the World

                “Um-excuse me, sir?”

                Sorvar had been staring down at his mug, contemplating drinking from it. The high-pitched voice addressing him broke the liquid’s trance. He looked up through red-rimmed eyes to see a scrawny half-elf looking at him.

                “I got no spare change, kid. Scram.” He mumbled in a gruff voice, glancing back down at his mug.

                “I-don’t need money.” The kid stammered. “I was just wondering if I can sit at your table….all the other seats are taken.”

                Sorvar glanced up at the boy again, studying him for a moment, taking in the worn travel clothes and mussed blonde-brown hair. There was something familiar about this kid. As he studied, he met the boy’s eyes. The slate-grey eyes pierced through him. He had seen those eyes before. They were the reason he was here, drinking himself to unconsciousness…again.

                Even though he knew it was extremely unwise, he still couldn’t stop himself from whispering her name, “Faelynn…..”

                The kid gave him a shocked look, “What did you say?”

                “Nothin’.” Sorvar slurred. “Now go away.” The last thing he needed was Faelynn Stormbringer’s son (Faerin, wasn’t it?) asking questions he didn’t want to remember the answers to.

                The kid ignored his gruff request and sat down anyway. “You said ‘Faelynn.’” He exclaimed in a tone not quite a yell. “Were you referring to Faelynn Stormbringer?”

                The noise in the inn seemed to lessen as people took notice of the kid’s outburst.  People were staring at them. Many of those stares were not friendly.

“That’s not a name you want to be shouting in a place like this, kid.” Sorvar said, an edge of warning in his voice.

                The kid’s face turned a shade of red, and he seemed to shrink in on himself. “Sorry.” He mumbled. “I just….I know so little about her…I thought…..” he broke off as he lowered his gaze and began fiddle with an amulet he had pulled from under his shirt. They sat in silence for several minutes as the other patrons resumed their previous conversations.

                “She was beautiful, smart, and deadly, kid.” Sorvar grumbled finally. “There’s not much more to know. Even her closest friends couldn’t tell you more than that.”

The kid’s head shot up. “Wait. You knew her, didn’t you? Personally?” his eyes were lit up like bonfires.

“I knew all of them,” He murmured over the lip of his mug, pausing before drinking. “At least, I thought I did. Once.  A long time ago.”  Sorvar took a long drink from his mug and practically dropped back onto the table. It made a dull thud as it landed.

“What were they like?” the kid asked, curiosity and awe evident in his voice.

Some crumpled copy of a smile crossed his face. “They were going to change the world.”

Outside the inn, in kingdoms and cities near and far, the world burned.