Shizuru awakens with a start, sweating and gasping as memories of the gruesome images at Wirgnej's guild come to him in a frenzy whirl. He can recall, as it seems to have happened a few moments ago, that he was frozen in place, unable to move and speak as the shrieks of the Usor Sorcerers echo above his head and their pitiful wailing expressions flashes before his eyes. Despite feeling the burning warmth of his cheeks within his palms, Shizuru pulls the blankets up to his chin, hugging his knees close beneath it. Even as he looks around the room, nothing familiar registers in the Digma's mind, as memories of the slaughter are making him retch.
"Shizuru! What's wrong?!" Neviah's worried voice has made the Digma flinch and turn around so quickly that he bumped his forehead against Neviah, who was apparently leaning across him.
The two young men exclaim at the sudden surge of pain across their own skulls, exchanging raw shrieks of profanity as they blame the other for the misfortune.
"You were the one causing a scene upon waking up!" Neviah hollers as he cups one hand over his forehead, his eyes mildly watering from the impact.
"So what?! That doesn't give you any reason to peek at me so close!" Shizuru rebuts, almost whimpering behind gritted teeth.
Neviah sighs loudly, finding the situation to be futile if he pursues it any further. "Try not to wake up so distressed, then." he whispers as he crosses his arms.
The Digma growls questioningly, having barely heard the incoherent babbling. Shizuru's strange, puzzled expression, with his ember eyes almost disappearing beneath his deep frown and gritting teeth that highlights his puffy cheeks has officially made its way to Neviah's mental list of "Annoying Things I Tolerate".
Neviah masks his amused snicker in a big cough and turns to the door. "Forget it. Let's just grab something to eat, yes? Or a shower?"
Perhaps thanks to the suggestion, Shizuru has finally gotten a grip of himself and begins to look around the place finding solace in recognizing his skin knapsack reclining by the foot of the bed. That's right, he was in the room he and Mirano had rented in Macer's Panuluyan. The aftermath of the occurrences at Wirgnej was still visible in their eyes that time and must have had some assistance in settling down here. Shizuru rubs his face with a big, long sigh, looking out of the lone window in the room, his eyes meeting the blaring lamp posts outside. The shuffling of wagons and people registers in his ears, relief washing across him at the thought of their relative safety. Turning to Neviah, who is reclining by the doorway staring at him, Shizuru shoots another puzzled scrunch of his nose, his face immediately shifting upon realizing that he hasn't answered the Usor's initial inquiry. He scratches the nape of his head in reply, kicking the blanket off and joining Neviah by the doorway. "How long have we been asleep?"
Neviah shrugs his shoulders, beginning to walk along the hallway leading down to the lobby. "I recently woke up as well. Perhaps the Owner will know."
Shizuru strides faster to keep up with Neviah's pace. "What about Mirano?"
"He wasn't in the room when I woke up." Neviah replies.
It has taken the Digma a heartbeat to realize the stupidity of his recent inquiry and rushes past Neviah to be the first to the staircase, trying not to show his flushed cheeks to the Usor. He clears his throat upon coming to the wooden railings, trying to disregard the moment and putting on a straight face, however, as Shizuru begins down the stairs, he freezes upon seeing the leather attires and long weapons wielded by two figures loitering by the empty receptionist counter. He can hear his heart thumping out of his chest when one of them locks eyes with him. There is no doubt: these were some of the people who robbed him recently.
The stout bearded fellow nudges his companion's arms and points to the staircase where Shizuru has already begun descending in a slow waddle, as if metal weights are clamped on either of his ankles. They snicker among themselves, having recognized the runt and the problems they have caused him. Seeing his raging expression once more has brought the thugs joy.
"Looks like you still remember me." Shizuru says from behind gritted teeth.
The other thug, equally large and clad in mismatched colors of leather attires, turns around, comically bending down to Shizuru, blasting their horrible breath as they laugh. "My, how can we forget an adorable prey like you?! Perhaps fate has finally allowed us to skin you this time."
Clenching his jaw, Shizuru attempts to land an uppercut on the thug's sharp chin, which he barely got as they immediately lean away with another laugh.
"Ooh, can't clobber me like that!" they tease as Shizuru grunts in another attempt to punch their faces.
In a fit of frustration, Shizuru drives a forceful kick to one of the thugs' legs and they end up kneeling on the floor, cupping the throbbing skin while their companion loses their mocking tones and aims to punch the top of Shizuru's head.
"Rascal!" they growl.
Shizuru rolls on the side, dodging the incoming attack and hopping away to a good distance, planting his feet on the ground as the two now upset mercenaries wield their metal spears out.
Several people going to and fro the Panuluyan's facilities were rattled by the commotion in the lobby. Some stop on their initial tasks to watch the development, while others panic at the apparent brawl about to break out, running around in search of the Owner. Neviah was one with the former, frozen at the top of the staircase in bewilderment at the development of events: Who would have thought Digmas can get into fights with their own tribesmen?
Shizuru is not foreign to the idea of scuffles among Digmas. As a youngster, fighting has been commonplace in Mado, given that bad business-making and other misunderstandings are usually resolved by a duel. Spectators will surely flock to the intense moment despite being at risk of being caught in the crossfire. He is aware of the growing crowd around him and his opponents and does not intend to wield Flaskalf in front of many eyes. However, the spears his opponents wield pose a threat for him, whose physical features already prove to be a disadvantage even at close combat. Plus, it's not like these people will listen to him unless they get pummeled to the ground. He has yet to ask them for his Hi Elixir; the Flame Elixir missing from the bunch he has recovered.
Despite having the same weapon, both spears are distinctly different from the other: the stout one has a longer one, with its blade thinner and taking more than half of the weapon itself, while the one in the mismatched leather wields a shorter, thicker one, almost similar to that of a baton. Snickering as they slowly circle Shizuru, the two proceed to fake a charge or two, attempting to throw off the Digma and prevent him from guessing their next moves. Shizuru's frown deepens at the performative dominance frantically turning on his place, unable to decide who to follow. He grits his teeth upon reminiscing this tactic, one that their group did to him when they robbed him in the forest. Shizuru has abstained at that time to use Flaskalf, which has ultimately led to his misfortune. As much as he wishes to not succumb to the same fate, his worry weighs stronger. If he uses Pan's relic... What are the chances someone may recognize it? The strange dance continues, Shizuru persistently turns his head to each of the thugs, each bogus lunge is making him more antsy, much to the thugs' delight. He has to bring Flaskalf ou—!
SWOOSH!
With a great shriek, Shizuru leaps to his left as the long spear from in front of him rides dangerously past his right shoulder, rolling away towards the now parting crowd in the hopes the other thug was smart enough to predict his landing spot. Tumultuous gasps and shouts emerge from the crowd as the thugs attempt to give chase, but ultimately fail as a loud crash emerges in the space, the loud cracking of the wooden floor and a single wave of helpless grunts catches the spectators' attention. When the debris settled, the audience was shocked to see the other thug crying for help under the weight of... an unconscious young man?
Pictures of confusion and surprise paint on each bystander's face, as there is little opportunity for such an event to unfold in Macer; in the Panuluyan no less. Many have considered witnessing fights as the highlight of their mundane days, though this scuffle one evening is truly the strangest sight. Huddling close, the crowd peers down to the lanky thug in mismatched leather attire, whining, almost crying out of pain as he seemingly unable to haul the sleeping young man off of him.
"Please! H-Help me! Somebody get this... off of me!!" he wails.
The floorboards beneath him whimper and crack some more.
Pushing past the crowd, Neviah reaches the damage zone, gasping at first, Mirano's appearance, and second, the radius of the destruction. He immediately looks up, frowning in contemplation as to where Mirano came from. Finally seeing the silhouette of one wooden beam cutting across the dim ceiling, Neviah focuses back on the whimpering thug. It's not the best hypothesis, but he accepts it temporarily.
"Get him off me!" demands the thug.
As if the crowd has snapped out of their collective musing of the occurrence, the few in front begin to lift Mirano by the limbs. In Neviah's instructions, they attempt to haul him up in two, one... hup!
"What the hell?!" one exclaims.
"How can a lad like him be so heavy?!" another grunts.
Neviah attempts to push him from one side, but Mirano barely budges. "This isn't working! We need more help!"
At the assistance of another five or so men, they successfully carry Mirano off of the thug. As they begin to move him out of the lobby, the stout bearded thug has caught a glimpse of Mirano and the recognition was enough to send him bolting out of the establishment. Shizuru watches as a small group of patrons, mostly women in their mid-lives, chase after the thug, hurling boos and insults for abandoning his companion. Huffing, Shizuru shrugs his shoulders and moves towards Neviah. He'd rather question the injured one than join the women in torturing the poor thug.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"Did you have my Hi Elixir?" he asks, standing menacingly in front of the lanky thug.
The thug vigorously shakes his head, whimpering, "W-W-We split it among o-ourselves but... but!"
Shizuru fakes a charge towards the thug, gaining another whimper from him. Neviah, props one of his arms across the Digma, clicking his tongue at the unruly behavior.
"Give me a break, will you?!" Shizuru growls.
"I-It's the truth..!" the thug attempts to sit, whining at every aching joint. "W-We met somebody... then tried using one of it, but it got out of hand and... and we threw the remaining ones away... where we met... that man..!"
Unable to listen to the thug's strained speech upon his return to the lobby, Neviah offers one of his palms. "Allow me to heal you,"
The thug's expression immediately morphs to a disgusted look. "As if I'll let an Usor do that!"
Neviah's jaw tightens at the remark. Even though he has somehow redeemed himself to Shizuru, the realization that the majority of CANDEMARO are still unaccepting hit him like a horse kicking one's guts.
At the remark, Shizuru swoops the thug by the collar, shaking him. "Drop the farce, you rotten egg!" he points to Neviah. "You'll get yourself healed or I'll make you suffer some more. Choose!"
With the majority of his body aching at every move, the thug's eyes water some more at Shizuru's threat and he shakily turns to Neviah, who simply smiles as he takes out his spell book. Neviah's moonstone pulsates with a dim whitish glow upon beginning the chant,
Ailments
Suffering's cause
Begone at my behest!
Healing!
The thug reflexively shuts their eyes as the glow covers his body at the conclusion of the Chant. His expression soon softens as the light begins to relieve his body of all aches, even ones that he was sure he had prior to the incident. When the light disappears, Shizuru lets go of the thug's collar and watches him slowly stand and inspect every inch of his body.
"I'm cured! Even my sinuses–!" the thug whoops in joy, briefly avoiding Neviah's proud smile.
"Great, now I can get my revenge fair and square." Shizuru grins as he cracks his knuckles.
Neviah and the thug gasp at the sudden remark. This isn't the development either of them was expecting. Neviah watches as Shizuru, with his now menacing grin, attempts to corner the scared thug, going on a rant of how this was a necessary thing to do given that he has suffered twice because of them. As they begin another chase within the now almost empty lobby, Neviah wonders how the Digma is able to go around with little to no meal. Was it because of the adrenaline? Or is it due to their rather long slumber?
As he continues to ponder on the sentiment, the silhouette of the Owner brushes past him and the Usor watches as the man gracefully glides across the floor only to drive a fist atop Shizuru's head, hollering in a loud, booming voice: "THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH!"
Shizuru winces, cupping his head with both hands.
"I've only been out for a while and my attendants have informed me that a brawl occurred here?! In my beloved Panuluyan?!" he growls, much of his saliva flying past his mustache. He points to the door, looking at the thug. "Out! You're banned from entering this place ever!"
"But--!"
"OUT!!!"
Terrified, the thug scurries out of the building, leaving behind his short spear.
"AND STAY OUT!" The Owner adds as he throws the spear mightily to the exiting fellow, their helpless shriek echoes in the lobby as the spear lands with a "thunk!" on the wall near the doorway.
As soon as the Owner turns to Shizuru and Neviah, both young men flinch at the sight of the Owner's furious glare and reflexively shut their eyes as he approaches them with thunderous steps. Between first meeting him and now, the two are most aware of the sudden change, almost as if a switch had been flipped. Neviah and Shizuru shriek as they feel the Owner's grip around their wrists, along with hearing his low cursing. Finding the predicament strange, Neviah quips to ask, but was immediately shut off by the Owner:
"I'm not talking to people who haven't had the gall to eat dinner first!"
Shaken by the remark, Neviah turns to Shizuru for any reaction, though it seems that the Digma has been more focused in keeping up with the Owner since his shorter limbs keep getting carried away. In a few strides, they're in the dining area, seated across from each other on an empty table. Looking up to the Owner, Neviah and Shizuru find him snapping a finger as he approaches the food counter, and the remaining workers around the area begin to work in the kitchen.
"This is the strangest thing," Neviah whispers as he leans to Shizuru.
"Not at all," Shizuru replies, gently running his fingers across his short waves. "Anything that happens in a Panuluyan is within any Owner's jurisdiction. A kind-hearted Owner has every right to get mad at any form of desecration of their business establishment."
"I see. But why offer you a meal as well?" Neviah laughs, waving his hand in dismissal upon seeing Shizuru's insulted look.
Lucky for Neviah, the servants arrive with multiple trays of piping hot food from the dinner menu earlier that night, sparing him from another of Shizuru's rage. Two bowls of lentil soups, a basket of reheated bread, and several platters of grilled meat and vegetable dishes. The familiar look of each meat dish immediately distracts Shizuru and has made the young Digma aware of his lack of nutrition at that moment. With beaming ember eyes and a watering mouth, Shizuru feasts inelegantly at the food before him, gorging at the large portions of smoked ribs that even the servants who witnessed it coos in amazement.
Much of the food presented before them isn't that familiar to Neviah. He has been out traveling for a while, but had made a mental note to only consume food that looked familiar to him or he made from recognizable ingredients. The mingling aroma of each delicacy is appetizing, no less and it continues to tease Neviah's appetite. Perhaps one of the servants notices his uneasiness, approaching his side of the table to give a few words about the lentil soup.
"No way! Bone broth stewed for two days?!" Neviah gasps at the revelation. "And ginger?! This will be a really good food to serve to those down with the coughs!"
The servant chuckles, nodding in amusement. "It seems you are equally knowledgeable of the ingredients' medicinal properties."
"Well, yes," Neviah replies after taking a spoonful of the soup. "I have studied a few branches of Sorcery for my own sake. I hope to be of service to others with it, too."
"That's a nice sentiment. Most Usor Sorcerers we meet are...well, not the down-to-earth ones like you are." The servant clears their throat.
"What they mean is that most Sorcerers swinging by Macer are only after the glory of completing an expedition." The Owner interjects, arriving at the table with his own tray of food. He gently smacks Shizuru's shoulder for eating so messily, then politely gestures the piling empty dishes to the servant, who immediately excuses themselves to carry it back to the kitchen.
Neviah notices that the Owner has taken a few seconds to glance at his still full food tray, then shrugging his shoulders before beginning on his own meal.
"Not going to eat?" the Owner asks.
"It's too much for me. Soup will be enough." Neviah replies, hoping the sentiment isn't insulting. "That's right, Mirano might want some food, too."
"He's fine. He just had a fine meal, from the looks of it." the Owner grunts, chewing his morsel harshly.
"Pardon?"
Scratching his head, the Owner sighs, as if finding it difficult where to begin. He looks up to the Panuluyan's open ceiling, where its signature wooden beams cut across each wall, staring at each with a wistful purse of his lips. After a moment of silence, the Owner brings down his head with a determined nod, grabbing one rib from his tray and gnaws on it as he urges Shizuru to finish eating.
"Hurry now. We still have something important to talk about!" the Owner hastens.
Neviah and Shizuru look at each other, their cheeks flushing with anticipation.
"But why not here? We haven't had company, after all." Neviah gestures to the empty dining hall.
The Owner meets his eyes with an indifferent glare. "As someone who has the ability to cast a spell to my beloved Panuluyan, I expect that you will be more knowledgeable as to why."
Neviah flinches, events of that fateful evening return to his mind and fill him with immense guilt.
The Owner continues, eyeing the old attendant, who initially catered to Shizuru and Mirano, eating among the premises . "I cherish this establishment, as well as the people I employ within it. They have my trust and I have theirs, as per the brotherhood that binds us as Halli's children. However, I cannot risk their welfare for what I am about to impart. Even they are vulnerable to malicious influences from outsiders. Follow me. " he cocks his head towards the lobby.
Leaving their half-finished meal, the two promptly followed, with Shizuru wiping away the last of the crumbs from his lips. They follow the Owner as he climbs the staircase and turns towards the communal bathroom. As Shizuru, being the last in line, takes a glance at the other end of the hallway, gasping upon seeing Mirano slumped on the wall by their room door.
"Braganda, Neviah! I thought you assisted Mirano back to our room?!" he exclaims as he storms towards the other end of the hallway.
Mildly insulted at the unsolicited curse, Neviah follows Shizuru, hollering, "I haven't had the time to ask you for the key to our room! You better be thankful those kind patrons left him reclining there!"
Stooping in front of the sleeping Mirano, Shizuru continues to growl as he tries to carry him out of the miserable sleeping position. "Way to shift the blame!"
Puffing his cheeks at the unfair wave of reprimands, Neviah bends down next to Shizuru, taking one of Mirano's arms in an attempt to move him. "Then let me move him now! It's my fault he's in this situation, right?" he remarks.
"Nuh-uh!" Shizuru shakes his head, pulling on one of Mirano's arms. "I'll do it! So I can ensure you'll never make the same mistake again!"
The two continue to banter, pulling against Mirano's arms as their insistence of the task continues. Despite the frivolous fight, Mirano does not stir from his sleep. In fact, his shoulders hang low as Neviah and Shizuru continue their tug-of-war, as if his torso is still as heavy as earlier.
In the middle of the ruckus, the Owner races to their spot, a finger across his lips, warning the two to keep their voices low as many of the occupants of the Panuluyan are already asleep. However, the growing tension only drowns the Owner's words and Neviah and Shizuru are on each other's nerves now. Behind gritted teeth, each mentally regretting that they have mildly tolerated the other before this moment. As they stare angrily over each other, a somber chuckle interrupts their thoughts. Looking at Mirano, thinking he was the one who did that, their jaws drop upon realizing that Mirano was still asleep.
Shizuru is the first to shake his head, as if denying what he had just heard a few moments ago. His attention is now at the top of Mirnao's head, boring holes in it in an attempt to understand what is happening. The chuckle reverberates once more and this time, it is clear that he isn't hearing it with his ears, but it sounds as if it was coming from the recesses of his mind, like a distant echo. The dissonance has made Shizuru look at Neviah, the same realization of which, has also stricken the Usor with surprise.
The two immediately let go of Mirano's arms and peer into his sleeping profile, to which the mysterious voice replies,
"Stop staring. You'll make me blush."
At its immediate recognition of the situation, Neviah and Shizuru flinch and they turn to the Panuluyan Owner, hoping he may shed light on the strange occurrence. The satisfied smile on the Owner's face, however, has given them more questions than answers.
—
To be Continued...