Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 18
As if a sudden pain had taken him, Sekali came to, snapping out of the dream. The water lurched in the bath, sloshing over the sides. His hand shot into the water to his hip, where his sword should have been. Then he came to his senses. His almond-shaped eyes, wide with terror and deep regret darted back and forth, scanning the room. Then his expression eased. That was long ago, and it was ended. Now the pain of that encounter was a memory, but always fresh in the back of his mind. Banishing the thought, with difficulty, Sekali removed himself from the water, dried himself and dressed. Donning his armor and buckling his long sword, he went to find the common room to drink. He was thirsty.
It was noisy and smokey as he entered. For the second time, he immediately noticed the dwarf and the boy in the room; they were arm wrestling and had gathered half the room in a circle about them. The dwarf had a mug of liquor in his left hand as each pitted their strength against the other. The boy was laughing and making wisecracks to all those around him.
"I wager one black-gold piece against anyone who thinks they can beat . . .” he looked at the dwarf and pointed toward him, ". . . me!" With that he slammed the back of the dwarf’s hand down on the table so hard the wood plainly cracked. The dwarf bellowed out in rage as half his drink spilled out of the mug and onto the floor. The boy laughed and slapped him on the back, only making him spill his brew all the more.
"Come, Uther, let me buy you kohakk with your own money tonight.” Uther gruffed at him, his expression changing to half appreciation, half desire. Gruffly he accepted and quickly seated himself at the nearest empty table. He glared at the boy, as if he were a waitress who came around only once every half hour.
"Well? Do all Shallants offer fair promises and never deliver, or shall we drink?"
"We drink, Uther. We drink! Waitress, two kohakk for my friend and me." A waitress scurried across the room, among the hustle and bustle and bumping of shoulders, determined to speedily fill the order. Experience had taught her that to ignore a dwarf’s thirst was to invite trouble.
All the while, Sekali watched the two with interest. The Shallant was always laughing and cracking jokes, all the while Sekali noticed the searching look in his eyes, which seem to roam and search and probe everything in sight. The dwarf constantly grumbled about everything, and seemed to challenge all within his sight.
Sekali studied them for the evening as he sat in a corner table at the back of the hazy room. It interested him greatly to see the two converse; each never expressing anything of importance, and never really listening to what the other had to say.
All evening he watched and listened and studied the formalities of the living world. Not three hours had passed before he made up his mind that these folk were barbarians and liars. None of them were worthy of any further notice to him. He would leave and find another city. If nothing changed, he would explore the outer Living World and learn what he could learn.
As Sekali stood and began to leave the room, the Shallant stood and faced him. Sekali stopped and stared at him, cynically eyeing the half-sized Human. He noticed the nod of the Shallant his way, and this intrigued him somewhat. Walking over to the Shallant, Sekali critically looked him up and down. The Shallant spoke to Sekali in the Human tongue.
"Would you join us for a drink?" At that the Shallant sat back down at his table and called for a waitress to bring three mugs of dark ale. Sekali took an empty seat and stared at them both in critical silence.
"Well? Do you have a tongue by which to speak, or do you understand me at all, elf?" The dwarf raised an oversized mug to his lips and drank noisily. Then, slamming it down upon the table, belched long and loud.
"Ahhhhhh, but that is good! But what I need is more kohakk to fill my needs and wants." Uther glared at the Shallant and then at Sekali. When it was evident that neither would offer, he slammed his fist upon the table and became silent; almost sullen.
"So, do you have a name, sir? Mine is Finyat, and this is my traveling companion, Uther. We are in need of the keen vision of one such as yourself, if you would be willing. We need adventure, high adventure. Would you come with us, into the dangers of the wilds and partake of the spoils of our victories with us?" Finyat smiled eagerly at him, and Uther perked up at hearing of spoils, and victory.
"Yes, elf, we need someone like you to clean our cooking gear, and to clean and pack our supplies. You would be good for the job." Uther laughed heartily and punched the table a second time.
Sekali was repulsed. He quickly began to hate these fools, who seemed so bent on talking and hearing themselves. The dwarf especially annoyed him, and it crossed his mind to lay him in his grave. Sekali sighed quietly, banishing such murderous thoughts. He had not been raised to slaughter; merely to be victorious over those who would take away his freedom. His homelands had been a perfect tutor. Without excusing himself, Sekali stood and turned, silently leaving them to their vanity and pride.
Sekali stepped out onto the front porch of the inn, taking in the night air. He closed his eyes and meditated, attempting to find inner peace and calm. After a few moments, he subdued all his violent thoughts and stepped out into the street. He wandered the roads of Navan most of the night, and as the moon began its descent into the horizon he went back to the inn.