Chapter 5: Foreign and fear

When I come to the gate, two guards stop me. As they see me as a merchant with desert clothing and a strange thunderstick behind me. After they check me, they see nothing malicious.

The first place I should go is a tavern since Marshan Himdaril mentioned something about drinking.

*****

The bar is kinda big and white yellowish from outside. It seems like it is made of strange woods.

*****

This is what I expect from a place where people are often drunk. Bar fight, noisy and vomiting. When I see that muscle head, I wave my hand like a greeting.

- Jehidas the sand magician, what took you so long?

- I lost my way here

- That was a lie, isn't it?

- Okay, I was waiting for my new weapons. After all, a father can't leave his son alone in the big world without proper preparation, right?

- I see. What is that gun?

- This is not a gun. It is a thunderstick. We traded with a dwarf.

- What is with that staff?

- Just another random merchandise on our way. It is kinda cheap

- A knife huh?

- Just for self defense, after all, it takes a lot of time to feed the beast ,right?

- Hmph. Time to drink I guess. Hey, owner, another round and something for this lad.

- Maybe something like Bitear.

....

- Okay for you, my regular. But I am sorry, Bitear is a lost drink from 200 years ago. No one can make that anymore.

- I guess the same with my drink buddy then.

- If you are able to stand a drop from it.

This is new. It is bubbling and reeking a strong smell.

Take a drink then

- How does it taste, Jehidas?

- It is weak, compared to things I have drunk before.

As the one who has lived as a dwarf, I drank a lot of stronger alcohol than this thing.

- That was unexpected. This is the strongest we could offer.

- It is fine. Can we have another?

The owner seems somewhat confused.

- What kind of people would go to this bar?

- Mercenaries, guards, adventurers, explorers, merchants, gladiators, duelists and even jesters.

- Who is sitting in the corner over there alone?

- Kiltan Maltir the legendary Serpent King. The man who beat a giant eldritch is kinda hard to get close.

-What kind of eldritch was that?

- He said It had five mouths and three heads, somewhat resembling a goat.

- What did he bring back?

- A bunch of bones, they were carried by many snakes. Like a flood of snakes just carries bones

- Where are those bones now?

- They are here

- I don't see any

- This bar was built from those bones from foundation.

- It kinda explains why it is kinda strange from first glance.

- Newcomers often ask what kind of wood. We gently answer it is made of bones

- Should I greet that man?

- He is a sadist, he is twisted and many people fear him unless you are as strong as Miwra Ulthorm.

- Who?

- She is the best vanguard around here. Uey, another round

- Is she pretty?

- More like a brat than an adult

- …

- Her appearance and personality are similar.

- That is not my type.

- Good luck finding good lover

- I hope so

In reality, I don't give a care about another romance. I once sang for a wind fairy as a jester before. She was beautiful but sadly, our fate was just cruel, She loved me but she had a duty as a royal guard. I had sworn not to love anyone else again beside her and I kinda miss her already.

*****

After all 15 rounds, Marshan just gives up and walks out in a drunkard way. We wave at each other. Tonight, the moon sure is full and bright.

I walk randomly to find an inn to sleep. I can feel a murderous intent piercing through my back. I just go to the arena alone after walking and finding it for the time being.

Well, from this perspective, the moon is even more romantic and just who is stalking me the whole time?

I turn my back.

Serpent King.

- Why would you follow me?

- An outsider like you should be questioned.

- I am just a regular harmless merchant

- Non-human

- I am a human

- What are you?

- I have told you, I am …

He advanced before I could notice.

- One more time. What are you?

- As you can see, I can't fight w…

He swings his pole horizontally. I dance to dodge the strike. I back out and pull out my staff

- Strange creature, in this moon light. Let's dance a round shall we?

He charges me. The motion of the pole, it seems like… a snake. Restraining my staff, I swiftly move with the flow of the pole so I can free myself. Biting me, his left is open so I go to his left and spin my back to his back. Something is bulky.

It is just his wearing or hidden weapon.

He moves his pole to his back, making a defensive pose. He charges me again. The same tactic won't work again. He successfully restrains my staff and my arm. He is a human so he will exhaust quickly.

Thump!

A snake bites me on my arm. Fortunately, that arm is made of sand so the snake just bite nothing but sand.

I retract my sand back to me. Not a big surprise that this staff returns to me as soon as I drop it.

- My trump card is foiled, strange creature. I know something is wrong with your body core temperature. There isn't any but an orb shaped heat signature.

- Alright, it was a great duel. I am a sand folk. the type of people who are made of sand and souls.

- Interesting folks. Why didn't you just go all out against me?

- Simple, you didn't go all out with me. You just tested me whether I have ill intent or not.

- Let's meet again. Next morning, wait for me at the same bar you just drank with that brawn head. We will have a good stroll on a quest to kill wolves. It seems it is breeding too many and too fast