Bathe With Vinegar

     The Kingdom of Havila. 

    "Get the fuck off me."

    Tzu said, meaning to hurl Jim away from him if twas possible. 

   Jim fought himself free. He started pressing his hands to his robe as though he had lost something. 

    Few of the market fellows took interest in them in the first place, but seemed to had lost it. 

   "Do they have a thing for strangers too?"

   Tzu asked Jim. Jim wore him out with the how-would-you-expect-me-to-know kinda ogle. 

     "Aiiieee"

     They heard from behind them. A man was pushing a wooden barrow behind them trying to pass through. They hopped off the road. 

   Jim to the right, Tzu to the left. 

    They had been standing in the middle of the road. They could see the huge gate of the city several metres away from them. 

    Then at once, Tzu seemed to had heard a voice. Twas hard to tell if the voice was from the depth of his consciousness or just some random words from the passerbys. 

    He didn't know why he was feeling that strangely. Why he felt like the words he was hearing were only meant for him. 

    As though some Spectre was trying to commune with him amidst the rowdy place. Quite hard to tell. 

    He looked at Jim who already was putting his hands to his ears.  

     He walked to meet him. Jim was standing before a woman who was making exchange of clothes. 

    At least that was what it seemed to be. He had observed briefly the woman giving a type of cloth to a man, and taking that which the man had brought. 

   Though the man who was making the exchange had added some Aureuses. 

    Jim turned immediately to face Tzu as Tzu got to him. 

    "Is it happening to you too?"

     Tzu nodded his head. He couldn't feign not to know what Jim was meaning to say. 

    "Get off my way. Fuck off if you'll stand here all day."

    The woman doing the exchange hurled. You could tell from the tone of her voice that she was ready to crush the head of whoever outsteps his bound. 

   She was feminine, but had the aura of a man. If you're not such a built man, you sure wouldn't want to get into a hassle with her. 

     Jim wanted to hold a fiery stance with the woman. Do what was close to turning her goods over, but Tzu hopped on. 

    "Just few moments, please."

    Tzu turned to Jim who eyed the woman. Tzu asked him as he looked away,

     "What did you hear?"

     Jim hesitated for a while. He seemed to be making an effort to snap outta the odds with the woman. 

     "Bathe with Vinegar."

     Jim said. Tzu was rather smothered than surprised. He pulled Jim and began to drag him through the market,

      "Buy  Vinegar. Yes! Buy Vinegar. That was what I heard. Let's get vinegar."

     Tzu kept munching as he pulled Jim with him.  Jim fought himself free. He wasn't a dog pulled about with a leash around his neck. 

   Tzu let go and hurried back to that woman exchanging clothes. 

      "Please do you know who sells Vinegar?"

     He asked, breathing heavily as he said to her.

    The enthusiasm of getting the work done. The enthusiasm of getting Lailah killed would not let him be. 

      "And why should I tell you?"

    The woman shot at him. Tzu felt someone pulling him. He turned to see Jim. 

   Jim didn't have the patience of pleading with the rude woman. That ugly thing, he had conceived. 

     Tzu wanted to fight himself free, but Jim's hold was stronger than his protest. 

    Most time Tzu loved to steer clear of physical combat with Jim. Ignoring the fact that he was the eldest, he knew that Jim had lots of advantages over him. Jim was lanky. 

   But why would he really want to get into a fight with Jim? He was his goddamn brother. 

     "Now what?"

   Tzu asked when they were very much far from the woman. 

     "Let's ask that woman."

   Jim proposed, hoping that the woman he was tossing his head at would have a response to give. Well, a sane response.

   "Lead the way. After all, twas all your idea."

    Tzu shot. Jim willingly took his turn. He had no idea why Tzu was jumpy. 

    They got to the woman. She was selling all types of birds. Jim had no qualms with birds. 

     "Does anyone sell Vinegar here? Point us there!"

    Jim reeled. The woman stared blankly at him. Probably trying to weigh his foolishness or something. 

    Tzu, who had been distracted by the multicolored Jay with woven tails noticed was going on. 

     "Made a mess again."

   He muttered as he pulled Jim back and took his position. 

      "Sorry please, ma'am. Please we need Vinegar. Who can you recommend to us please?"

    Tzu couldn't be sure if he could count the numbers of pleases, he had said. Didn't really matter. He only needed the Vinegar. 

    Though neither of them knew what they would do with it. But 'get it first' was all the argument. 

     The woman stood up abruptly. She waited for Tzu to leave the way for her. She walked past Tzu and began to walk back, towards the direction they had come from. Towards that other woman? 

      "Who would watch your birds?"

   Tzu called but the wierd woman didn't say at thing. As the woman walked on, Tzu noticed that she wasn't even wearing a footwear. But the back of her leg was so neat. 

    That was wierder. Tzu hadn't seen it all. 

    The lady led them to the woman who was exchanging clothes and pointed at her. Then the wierd woman walked back to her own station. 

   Jim had caught up with Tzu, though the other woman almost knocked him out of the way. 

   As soon as the two of them got there, the woman doing the exchange of clothes said,

     "I'll give you a drum of Vinegar if he puts my back down."

     She said pointing at Jim. Tzu didn't know what to say. 

    "Now you see what you've got yourself into."

    Tzu said to the indifferent Jim. 

     "Are your serious right now? Imma break this lady's bone. Be scared for yourself, bro."

    Jim hurled. Tzu knew what kinda brother he had. He turned to the woman and asked,

     "And if he doesn't?"

   The woman stood up and walked to the back of her station. There was space for such task there. 

   People noticed and ignored. Only the rompers came closer to them. Jim looked at Tzu and smiled,

     "This is jolly good. I'll keep the remaining coins to myself. Maybe be high on booze when all is done."

   The woman stood before him as he swayed his body to the rhythm in his head. 

   Then at once, the woman rushed to him in great rage. Twas quite easy for Jim. He held the woman by the left arm in the run and spun her in the air for a while, then threw her down, few steps away from himself. 

    The woman fell on her face. Jim chuckled and looked at Tzu,

      "Bro, this is an abuse of power. I can't believe I'm doing this."

    The woman stood up finally and stared at Jim for a while. 

     "Come baby."

   He called at her. Baby did begin to run towards him. 

   But Jim was shocked at what happened. The woman ran and walked through him, marching his legs, his balls, chest then finally, sitting on his shoulder. Her pussy in his face. 

   Like she climbed through him. 

     "Is that all you've got, boy?"

    She whispered and elbowed his forehead. She jumped off him and he made a thud on the floor. Fell on his back. 

    Tzu ran to him. For a while,he thought Jim passed out. 

     "Come for the Vinegar now."

   He ordered Tzu. Jim coughed and tried to stand up. Now he knew why the people didn't show interest in the first place. 

   The rompers began to cheer. 

   Tzu helped Jim up and they began to follow the lady to the gate of the kingdom. 

   Past the gate, a cart came by and bore them to the house of the woman. 

   She offered Tzu a place and made Jim bathe in the open with the vinegar. 

   Then she set them on the cart which would lead them to the palace of the King of Havila. 

   As soon as they got there, they stepped off the cart and walked to the gate of castle. 

    They were interrogated because of the way they stunk, the stench of the vinegar. 

   The head guard noticed that they weren't drunk and let them in. 

    As they were led into the palace, they saw Ja Lia sitting on a chair, opposite the throne. 

     Lailah was seated on the throne. 

    For some moments, they couldn't make a decision. They only stood there until they would be noticed. 

   Before Tzu could make move, Jim had hurried towards Lailah. 

   Tzu called him back in vain.