Closed Alefest [Riaris]

[Sybel]

11th Day of Summer, 513 AV

Sybel passed the gallon of Smokey Blue Ale to the raucous cries of the Akalak all around, a treat she’d so generously offered to her fellow patrons for the night. It’d been a long, hard day of work at the Sanctuary, and the heat of the sun had driven to her old favorite haunt – the Blue Bull. As always she sat amongst the men, pale blue eyes alight with humor. They’d just finished a joke-telling contest, the winner of which who was now pouring ale down his chest and singing loudly.

”I still say Erasil and Belar had the best one,” she said, receiving the gallon back at last, now half-empty. Many murmured in assent around her. ”So a night-lion walks into a bar..” They all laughed, already leagues ahead to the punch line. ”And he asks for a beer, but the bartender says –“ An older Aklak, weathered from sunlit toil jumped in. ”I’m sorry,” he intones in an outrageous Drykas accent, ”but we won’t serve beer to a lion.”

”But the lion replies,” Sybel cut back in smoothly, ”I ain’t a-lyin, give me a beer!”

Ruckus ensued once more, drunken mirth soaring through the air. ”You’re not half bad for a human girl,” Erasil said, grinning from ear to ear. ”Ey, she’s with that Drykas I heard. You better leave her be, lest you get your kneecaps broken!” They all laughed once more. ”So who’s gonna buy the next round?” She asked before draining her cup. There were a few nominations, but no one seemed to bite. ”Huh,” she said, mopping the beer from her chin. ”I tell you what. Whoever can out drink me, gets another round. If I beat them, they do the same.”

And of course, all of them took the bait. ”Out drink you, little girl? I’ve drunk whole ale kegs to myself!” And another, ”you’ve got guts, but you’ll be out back passed out in one of the waste bins before you finish your next drink!” They nearly cried with amusement from the thought of a lithe little Benshira outdrinking a fully-grown Akalak. ”What, you scared?”

One man simply shook his head with a smile. ”You’re asking for trouble.” But Sybel smiled earnestly. ”I’ve had nothing but trouble since the day I was born, so I might ask well ask for it. It’s only polite.” He chuckled. ”Whatever you say.”

”Well,” she prompted. ”Any takers?”

*Coin deducted!

[Riaris Dovukalis]

After finishing his patrol with the Kuvay'Nas, Riaris left the lodge and started towards home. However, the Akalak was still wide awake and filled with energy given that nothing of note had happened for a while, and his patrol was more like babysitting. Riaris thought for a moment about taking a trip to the Sanctuary, but decided that he would wait and go the following day just in case Kavala was already asleep.

Instead he went for a brisk walk to work off the rest of his energy before he would go home for the night. It was a busy night it seemed, and many people were still up and about in the city. This only recharged the Akalak and he knew then that he wouldn't be going home for a while. He continued on his walk and once he reached the area where the taverns were, it was only natural for him to stop in for a drink.

Riaris made his way into the Blue Bull ready for a good time, as he figured that he'd spot at least two of his Kuvay'Nas brothers amongst the crowds. The moment that he opened the door and entered, he was met with the usual smells of ale and smoke from the favorite items that were served at the tavern. It was another full crowd inside, and after scanning them all, Riaris made his way over to the bar and took a seat.

"Syliran Wheat."

That was all he said to the bartender who nodded and went to work at getting him his drink. In the mean time, the Akalak glanced over his shoulder to the crowd that were being very loud and joyful. It was a group of Akalak and one tiny human girl, and drinking and telling jokes. Riaria wondered for a moment, of what Akalak did she belong to or if they were all planning to have a go. He shook his head at the thought, just hoping the girl would serve the night if it were true.

A moment later his drink arrived and Riaris took the mug down easily. His pale eyes rose towards the bartender and he pushed the mug back to him and nodded his head. "Another..I didn't even get a tingle out of that." The bartender chuckled and poured the Akalak another. It wasn't surprising to hear what he said, or even how he said it. Riaris took the second mug and drank it down just as quickly as the first. It was going to take a lot to get him buzzing, and he wondered if he would be joyed or going it alone.

That was when he first heard the challenge and turned to glance over his shoulder a second time. The challenge came from the same group that he had noticed before, but it was from a very female voice....the tiny human girl. Riaris raised a brow at this, thinking the girl was insane to try and out drink Akalak, but there she was making the challenge. He was a bit surprised that no others had stepped up, and figured that they must have felt sorry for her and didn't want to see her over do it....he wasn't as nice.

"Challenge excepted.."

[Sybel]

Sybel turned, both amused and surprised.

”Ah,” she said, rising from her seat. ”You must be Riaris and Recoomas.” She gave him a shallow, respectful bow before returning to her chair. Kavala has told me a great deal about you.” The other Akalak seemed pleased. ”I am Sybel of the Tents of Alijah, Descendent of Malech.” She waved at a passing barmaid. ”Now, who would like to sponsor this little contest of will?”

The Akalak, eager to see her lose, began to discuss the matter openly. That was good. ”Well, while you gentlemen decide who is buying, I’d like to invite them to our table.” She waved Riaris over. ”I’ve known Kavala since she was a girl, living in Endrykas. We were both girls, then. I’ve since traveled the world. But I’ve found there is truly nowhere else like Riverfall in all of Mizahar, so here I sit.” Yerak and Deool laughed from across the table. ”You should tell him about Nyka. Recoomas might pack up and move tomorrow.”

”I think Riaris might have something to say about that,” someone else intoned. ”I think the Kuvay’nas might have something to say about that,” Sybel countered. They all chuckled at that one. ”Well? Have you all decided who is buying?” The crowd decided they’d turn their focus to the furniture. ”I’ll do it then. I’m not made of mizas, here.” Muttering to herself, she reached for her purse.

”I also know Vanator,” she said, ignoring the chuckling around her. ”I’ll bet,” Belar replied. Sybel gracefully bypassed the comment. ”I’m sure you’re familiar with the Sanctuary.” Small talk was not really her thing, but it was either that or silence. Sybel placed the coin on the table.

”So, what do you prefer? I only drink ale,” she said sternly.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris had little interest in who the woman was, he only looked to take on her challenge and give her the bellyache of a lifetime. That was however, until she mentioned his name, and that she knew Kavala. The Akalak turned in his seat and rose up to cross the floor. "Then you have me at a disadvantage, she's told me nothing of you. Sybel of the Tents of Alijah. But yes, Riaris and Recoomas at your service." The Akalak didn't perform the same shallow, respectful bow that the woman did, and instead settled for a nod of his head.

He was now curious to know of who this woman was, and just how many people Kavala knew. It seemed that the konti had no shortage of friends, and of many different races. "Somehow I doubt that Kavala told her as much as she claims. Although it doesn't matter, not to me." Recoomas' voice rang from within Riaris' mind, and he knew exactly what his darker brother was referring too. Still, he ignored the comment and walked across the floor once Sybel invited him over. "Riverfall seems to draw a lot of travelers, so how long are you staying?"

Riaris glanced around at the group as it appeared that some type of inside joke was going on. Whatever it was, everyone at the table seemed to have an opinion, and so the Akalak decided to see where they were going with it. "I assume that our fair friend here had some type of fun in Nyka? Care to share this exciting tale?" He waited to hear from her and to see if anyone else would chime in for the bill, but when they didn't he spoke up.

"I'll go in half.."

He listened to the buzz around him in one ear, and his conversation continued with the woman in the other. She knew Vanator, and going by the talk, she must have known the Drykas well. Then again, it seemed that she might have known those at the table just as much, it was hard to say. "I've been to the Sanctuary a few times. Is that where you're staying?" He was curious to know if she was staying with his Drykas friend, and if that were true, he'd be sure to give his friend a stiff pat on the back. "Ale it is then, best to keep this fair and simple." With a smirk, Riaris reached into his pocket and placed the coin on the table.

[Sybel]

Sybel noticed the shift in demeanor. It seemed she had their attention now. Everyone on Mizahar seemed to have a soft spot for storytellers, which helped her stay out of trouble and doubly so, when you considered her ties with the Sanctuary. ”Permanently,” she said with aplomb. ”Let’s just say I have some unfinished business that I’m hoping to take care of.” There was a collective snickering around the table. All of them had learned of her relationship with the Drykas armsmaster. She sagely ignored it.

”Fair is a generous assessment,” she said crisply. Self-deprecating humor was her trademark. ”And so is the word ‘fun,’ for that matter.” Sybel put forth her half of the coin. ”Smokey Blue again, please.” Their server flashed the ghost of a smile before departing. ”Anyway, Nyka is blessed with four Alvina that run the city.” The term ‘blessed’ practically dripped with sarcasm. “It’s split into four districts, in accordance to each. The minute I strolled through the gate, I witnessed my very first street brawl.” She smiled. ”People aren’t allowed out at night due to the giant petching crack through the center of the city, a black pit they call the Aperture. Monsters have a tendency to snatch people up and drag them into it, you see.”

She paused. ”People like me.” With a grimace, she pushed the memory from her head. ”There’s a reason I worship Ovek.” Wysar and Yahal, too. Luck, discipline and faith made a potent combination. ”Anyway, I barely escaped with my life. You can imagine the collective shock when I hauled myself up and out of it in broad daylight. I have a bit of a reputation there.” She coughed. ”They were at a loss whether or not to hire me or kill me. Let’s just say I didn’t care to find out.”

”The real attraction is the fighting. ‘Monks’ do battle openly and just about everywhere. You could build your strength practically overnight.” The server arrived with their ale. ”Fantastic, thank you.” Discreetly, she slipped her a miza. The woman smiled, unaccustomed to being treated so well. ”Of course,” she replied distantly, wandering back to the bar.

”I’m staying there, yes.” She grinned. ”I’m working closely with Kavala on a few things.” She preferred to be enigmatic in company. They would know she spoke of the Cytali, anyway. ”Where do you work?” It’d be good to know his industry. If she were to stay in Riverfall, she’d forge ties as often as she could.

”Ready?” She poured their glasses as the men began to count.
*BAM, deducted.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

The collective snickering gave the Akalak cause to believe that the whispers were about Vanator. It was interesting how some men seemed to gossip just as much as the women did, though Riaris wouldn't be counted amongst them, and defiantly not Recoomas. He allowed a smirk to cross his lips, but said nothing further. He wouldn't pry into her personal business with Vanator as long as she didn't pry into his with Kavala. "Riverfall is a wonderful place and mysterious to those who aren't from these parts. But I'm sure the Drykus will take good care of you."

Riaris took a moment to examine the woman's figure as she spoke and continued with the humor. This one liked to talk an awful lot, which from his experience was the exact opposite of Vanator. The Drykas seemed the strong silent type, and although he had shared a few drinks and chat with the human, he couldn't imagine that he could out talk this woman. Her story about Nyka and the giant crack through the center of the city, was very interesting, and enough to get Recoomas talking again. "This place sounds interesting...I'll need to see it for myself. Heh, I'll even provide the bait to lure the creatures to the surface."

Riaris didn't respond, his idea of adventure was very different from that of his darker brother, still the woman's story was interesting. "A reputation? And what exactly would this reputation be?" He could imagine, he could see the looks on the faces of those around to see the bronzed skinned vixen crawling out of a pit. That image alone was enough for a surprise, not to mention the creatures that lied in way. "And so you traveled all the way to Riverfall and found yourself in the embrace of a Drykas warrior? You weave a fine tale Sybel of the Tents of Alijah."

Hearing about the all out brawls that happened so openly put a smile on his face. The Akalak would like nothing better than to wake up and thrash heads and break bodies. Doing so would please his Goddess easily and perhaps she would show him more favor. "Sounds like an interesting place, maybe I will visit some day if I'm in the area." The drinks arrived then, and Riaris nodded to the woman who brought them.

After hearing that she worked closely with Kavala, the Akalak nodded silently. As far as he knew everyone that lived there worked closely with her. It was how she liked it, the control and knowledge of how things were to go and how she wanted them to. When Sybel asked about his work, there were a few chuckles and howls of approval from the men at the table. They knew of the bold and very outspoken member of the Kuvay'Nas and how he was making a name for himself in the city. "I'm a member of the Kuvay'Nas, we are the protectors of the city." He looked to the glasses they she poured the ale into and took one into his meaty hand. "Ready."

[Sybel]

He seemed to catch on quickly in reference to Vanator. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks, just a light dusting of peach. ”I had a companion. A Konti, in fact. I find Akalak and Konti to make good company.” The men lined up the pints, one by one. Five pints lined the table. The object of the game was to drink all five and finish what remained of the gallon before the other. ”Let’s put that Kuvay’nas fortitude to the test.” She smiled earnestly, gripping the first handle.

”Go!”

With breakneck speed she pulled up the glass, bitter warmth rushing between her lips. She disengaged the urge to swallow. Sybel focused only on the sensation of the cool glass flush against her skin. She’d been in just such a contest many moons before, with a rotund old Drykas by the name of Elzad. Needless to say, she won. It would be a very interesting battle indeed.

The pint gave a dull thud as she set it on the table. She snatched up the next and spilled a bit in the process, but nothing too severe. The cries and jeers of the Akalak were a steady drone in the background, nothing but white noise as she continued the fight. There was a vague awareness of Riaris and Recoomas across the way, seemingly matching her drink for drink. But there was no room for fear in a contest of champions. Sybel continued the rapid guzzling, nothing but thoughts of victory in mind.

They went through two, three, four... The alcohol slowly crept to her head, fighting gravity as it snaked upward. She’d built quite a tolerance in days previous, a remarkable trait for an otherwise unremarkable woman. Was he gaining on her? The thought made her choke just a bit, but it was but a small stumbling block. The crowd laughed but she made it through, moving to their final pint. She swore he was right with her, but the fact was – she didn’t care anymore.

Sybel nearly poured the ale onto her face as she drank it down. Her whole chest was aflame. She nearly threw the damn glass in her reach for the gallon. But if they reached it together… What would they do? Eyes brimming with desperation, fingers yearning toward the jug, she found purchase.

So what would it be?

[Riaris Dovukalis]

"Agreed."Riaris nodded to her thoughts on the Akalak-Konti paring. It was the best of parings, the best of races as well. The Akalak could easily express his pride that he was able to find himself a konti mate just as his father had before him. "However I do fine comfort in the companionship of humans." He said only humans because he wasn't that familiar with Benshirans. "Let's hope that you can hold as least two glasses." he said with a smirk and waited for the word.

"Hah.."

The race was on, the Akalak tossed back his drink, collecting the full amount into his mouth, before swallowing it down in one loud gulp. the bitter sweat taste only tingled mildly as it coursed down his throat. Drinking contest weren't something he did often, but the Akalak could put away ale for sure. It seemed by the challenge that this woman was used to doing so, and must have had skill to show, Riaris wanted to see it.

He slammed the glass down on the table, the force of the move creating a tiny pocketed crack at the very bottle of the glass. He lifted another, and without waiting drank it down quickly, working his throat muscles to open up and allow the liquid to go down unhindered. The noise of the Akalak's around him only played to amp him up even more to win the battle. His pale eyes lowered, blinked a glance at the woman to see how she was fairing, before turning to focus on his own.

"She's trying to match you. She has guts, sadly those guts will be puked out soon enough. Do go easy on her bother, who knows...she may even be willing to thank you for letting her win." Riaris could hear Recooms' voice inside him, but he didn't answer and continued on. It was an incredible rush, and by this time the Akalak had started to feel the burn from the amount of ale he was drinking. But he had to continued, he had to finish, and in a adrenaline fused explosion, Riaris lifted the last two glasses and drank from both at the same time.

The crowd went wild, some even slamming their fist into the table in approval of his bold act. But the act was not without it's fault, the double batch of ale going down at the same time was more than he expected. He had to breathe out, constrict his throat to hold the rest of the rushing liquid within his mouth until he was able to take more down. The cool ale splashed, and some of it raced down his chin and soaked into his shirt as a result.

Riaris gave a loud hardy gasp of joy and relief after he had down them both, and his now red eyes shifted to the rest of the gallon. He could see her through his glassy gaze, her tiny arm reaching for his gallon. He acted suddenly without thought, moving his body a bit closer to hers. His arm reached out for the gallon, and the other found it's home around the woman's slender hips. His fingers clasped the glass as hers did, and as they lifted the gallon, he pulled her closer to him and lifted the gallon over their heads. With a chuckle, Riaris opened wide to try and drink in more than she could.

[Sybel]

She was startled by the unexpected intimacy, his hand suddenly on hers, the other pulling her close. It was met with no resistance, as Sybel was far too eager to win. His height advantage did him good but the liquid more or less rained upon them both, allowing her catch a great deal of it before it cascaded to the ground. By the time it was done, her front was complete soaked. The emerald fabric clung wetly, revealing her hidden curves.

Laughing, she pulled gently away. Her vision was a haze and her heart pounded from the rush. ”What’s the verdict?” She half-asked of the cheering crowd. The men roared with approval. It seemed to be a tie. ”You can sure put it away!” The fog of alcohol made her bold. She warmly clasped his shoulder, beaming like a child. It felt suddenly like she’d known him for a good long while.

”Nothing like a good drink to start off a long friendship.” She went to sit back down, but teetered slightly in the act. ”I do believe my seat was somewhere around here.” She groped for the bench, finally finding purchase before lowering slowly down. The drunken rush had her off-balance. Her blue eyes were slightly unfocused, brighter in contrast to the red.

”I do believe you broke the table,” she said wryly, gesturing to small fissures beneath each glass. The wood split ever so slightly beneath the force of the thick pints. ”Impressive. You must throw quite a punch.” Sybel continued to smile, shaking her head. Akalak were all strength and pride, but he was a good man for Kavala. ”I approve.” But was he gentle, too? The question stuck in her mind.

”So tell me why you became Kuvay’nas. There are many reasons why a man wields his sword. Some do it for honor, others for prestige. Tell me, Riaris and Recoomas. What sort of men are you?” She was sure to include his darker half, for the answer would be telling. Did he have a good balance or had he not yet come to that understanding? He’d unabashedly held her in his arms. But the real question was, should she be afraid? She was drunk, vulnerable. Easy prey. Would he violate trust with those he claimed allegiance to?

She sneezed suddenly, wavering a bit. Perhaps if she put on an act, pretended she was hammered, he'd show his true colors.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

She was a frail little thing, easily pulled into his arms and against his chest. Riaris delighted in the fact that, even for woman who had been around Akalak, that he could still surprise them. He was surprised himself that she stayed around instead of pulling away as some might. It seemed that even though he surprised her, she was all for the game and drank down as much as she could along side him. The Akalak drank it down like a true brute, caring nothing for his clothing that was soaked during the process. When it was done, Riaris smiled and held up his arms towards the guys at the table.

He turned back and noticed that the ale had soaked his opponent even more than it had him. It was a pleasing sight for more than one reason. She pulled away then, and he had to wonder if she would fall flat on the floor with the way she moved. Riaris watched her for a moment with one arm slightly extended just in case. Beyond that he did nothing, couldn't have her thinking that he was getting cheeky with her after all.

The crowd was still cheering, going on as if they had been watching something more than a simple drinking contest. Riaris smiled and waited to hear the verdict, and was surprised to hear that it was a tie. He chuckled anyway, and lightly hugged the woman as she clasped his shoulder. "I agree, and someone who can really put them away is always a plus." He watched her as she went to sit, and was sure that he would be picking her up off the floor in a moment. But she made it to her seat and it was his turn now. Riaris had felt fine the whole time, until he started to walk. It felt like he had been hit with an invisible blow that caused him to stagger and his mind to wander.

Finally sitting down without leaning too far onto either side, Riaris turned his focus to the men that lightly patted his shoulders. The Akalak looked towards the Benshiran who was looking more attractive by the moment. "Hmm? What was that?" He asked leaning forward to look at the table. "I suppose I'll have to pay for that.." He shrugged and leaned back into his seat, which felt a lot better than leaning forward now that the alcohol had set in. "My dear, there are a lot of things I do that are impressive." If she was impressive by his strength, he could think of a few ways that he could show her beyond cracking a table top.

Finally the questions came, and the woman had to be fishing for something, or either really adventurous to start asking questions after getting drunk. Who knows where this would lead. But the Akalak rubbed at his chin and decided to answer honestly. "Joining the Kuvay’nas, was the next step in our lives after the rite was completed. Becoming a man was about more than showing it in strength, it was about showing it in character as well. With the Kuvay’nas, I have found that calling." Suddenly, there was a change in his features, and a more focused look grew over his eyes. The look of someone who had been watching and planning for a while, before they spoke.

"I'm a different sort of animal than he. I was born a warrior, a hunter. It is a part of my being, as it is with all true Akalaks. I am the kind of man that prides himself on the taming of savages." The others became silent as he spoke, Recoomas always seemed to have intent when he spoke, as if he was leading them all somewhere. "I wonder now, what kind of woman are you Sybel, and why are you seated next to them. Come closer, we are friends now, no need to be shy."