Completed Pour Me Something Stronger Than Me [The Rearing Stallion]

[Kaie]

30th of Summer, 511 AV

Her soul was nothing but a void. Just a hollow abyss in which flames burned low under the assault of cold despair and dark gloominess. With every thought and mournful sigh, the ice in her heart spread to freeze her entire being. Cold and numb like the northern tundras was the inside of the Myrian woman. Her eyes were glazed and devoid of substantial life. Nothing more than deep, impenetrable pools of liquid amber that made her appear more detached than any of the Rearing Stallion guests surrounding her. The melancholy aura surrounding her gave off the feeling Dira herself was sitting in the room. As if the despondent figure was waiting for her soul to be reaped. Imploring the Goddess of Death in her silence.

The tavern was going on about its usual buzz that night. Not nearly as packed as it was its busiest nights, only half of the tables were taken. Other than the forlorn Myrian, only three other patrons occupied the counter. The lights were dimmed with the onset of Akajia's blanket of night and a characteristic musk filled the room. The ever prevalent aroma of stale alcohol and mediocre food quality permeated the bar's vicinity as usual. However, there was an odd hush about the place that night. Talk between patrons was intimate in nature, most voices maintaining a quieter tone. Only the occasional booming laugh or obscene drunk broke from the background noise. And unlike the others, the wildly foreign Myrian kept to herself.

"Another?" The bartender asked with minor trepidation, eyeing the mostly empty mug before him. He dared not pry it from her hands. As if it were the only sure thing in the world, Kaie had clutched the handle with a white knuckle grip. In response, the woman only nodded her head slowly. "A fourth ale it is."

Not long after the silhouette passed him another round of coin as payment, the mug was released and refilled. She never uttered a word to him. Instead she gripped the handle like a lifeline and tipped it back to her lips. Kaie let the drink flow down her throat, feeling the warmth of another round fill her body with artificial bliss. When she placed it back on the table before it, only half remained. Already was she thinking about reaching into her pocket to withdraw more coin. It was hardly thought anymore, though. Over time it had become a reflex. And as she had for the past hour or so, Kaie stared down blankly at the wood surface before her. Eyes deadened and glazed with the oncoming drunkenness she had set out to achieve.

"You...Wanna talk about it?"

Slowly, the Myrian blinked back into reality and lifted her head to eye the bartender. The moment he saw her expression, he immediately was sorry he offered. When one serves a tavern counter for a while, they begin to see the untold stories in the eyes of their guests. This one's in particular were something of the sort he never wanted to live. Within the void, he saw the extinguishing fury and exhausted anger being overcome by grief and perhaps self loathing. He didn't need her to speak to understand there was nothing she wished to say to him. All she did was place her palm down on the table, pulling it away to reveal the proper coin. A universal language he understood well. He took her payment and went on with his profession.

"Okay then. Some other time. Well, I'll be right back with that. Let me know if you want something to eat."

Finally she was left with a bit of silence. Sadly, silence was far more destructive than the presence of another. Kaie was utterly conflicted. Though she craved to be left alone with her alcohol, the noise in her head always filled the quiet. The voices were loud and malicious. They whispered curses and agonizing memories in her ears. They tormented her with accusations and mental images. Most of all, they broke her. Shattered her like a mirror. Kaie just wanted them to go away. She'd gladly make a pact with Dira to do it. Anything to escape them. There was little she wouldn't do. Why else was she there, shelling out what little money she had on cheap alcohol?

[Kaie]

It took a little bit of time for a new keg to be rolled out and set, but the bartender returned within acceptable time with another mug. By then she had finished the previous and let him take it away. Then she took a hearty sip from the fresh drink and let herself begin to drift again. To become lost in the madness of her own mind and pray that somehow more ale could liberate her. If not, maybe she'd just drink until it killed her.

"Myrian, right?"

Gods damn it! What now...?

Gradually she turned her head to the side to see a guest seated in the chair beside her. Somehow he managed to slip to her side unnoticed. It wasn't a feat considering her relatively low tolerance to alcohol. Sliding in under the nose of someone working toward blackout was nothing to applaud. Yet somehow he seemed a big smug with himself for whatever reason. There was something about the air of him that made her believe that smugness might've been more a part of his personality than anything else.

"What was you first clue?" Kaie returned dully after making brief eye contact to identify the individual, her accent harsh and brutal in her broken Common. Her tongue probed the inside of her cheek impatiently before she took another sip of her mug.

"Other than your appearance and your attitude? Not too much," The mysterious man replied with a laugh. His hand reached up to rub at his clean shaven chin in amusement. Much to the Myrian's annoyance, he didn't seem to get the hint. "So what brings you here?"

"I come to get drunk. Alone," She returned bitterly in a monotone. At least when she crossed Cyphrus she learned to use "I" instead of "Kaie" whenever she tried to talk about herself.

"Naturally, but that's not quite what I meant. Falyndar is a long way away from Syliras."

"Know what you meant. Not inter-rested," She finally growled back meaningfully, free hand clenching into a fist. There were few worse things she could do with her night than get herself thrown into the tank. The more the man pressed her only made the idea more desirable.

"My apologies. Getting into your personal life wasn't quite what I was trying to achieve. I knew a scholar in Zeltiva when I used to attend the University there. He studied different cultures and people across Mizahar. Your race was one he spoke often about," He backtracked suddenly with a repentant tone to his voice. Kaie was not interested in forgiveness. She just wanted him gone.

Holy shyke. Here we petching go. If he starts to try to tell me about his life story and claim to be some big time expert on us, I'm going to crack open his petching skull!

The Myrian downed the rest of her drink as he spoke and raised a finger in the bartender's direction, coaxing him over. She still had a small pile to rid herself of before the night was over. Spending every last one was the best plan she had. At least she managed to tune out majority of what he was saying.

"And that's why I've found Myrians so fascinating. Forgive me for being so forward. I'm sure you can understand that encountering your kind is a rare occurrence."

The petch was he even implying?

[Kaie]

Now the grief and self torment was easing out of the way to allow for a fiery rage to bubble upward. The man had been pushing her too far. She was in a fragile state, and dealing with whatever bull shyke he was offering was beyond her. She did not care who studied her world and whether he was "fascinated" by her people. It was none of his business who she was and where she had gone. To her, the thin man with only several inches on her was a stranger. They owed each other nothing. Not even a name. It was time for the conversation to be extinguished.

"Look. I not know what you want from me? But you will get nothing," Kaie growled her promise in his direction, turning in her chair to face him suddenly. If there was any question in her seriousness before, it was gone. The man merely eyed her and smoothed back his slicked back hair. Then he did something she didn't expect. He called over the bartender and bought her another drink.

"Let me make an assumption, Myrian. You haven't been here long. You do not know the social norms of this city. Most importantly, I'll bet you have no idea what you're going to do to earn the kind of coin you're spending right now. I want to make you an offer," He said just as the bar keep placed the drink before Kaie, immediately capturing her attention. There was no guarantee she cared for whatever he was trying to sell, but he had bribed her to listen with alcohol. When he was finished with his pitch, she could see to it that he got going.

"Say you right? What deal you want to make me?" Kaie asked uncertainly, her eyes narrowing with distrust. The man leaned in toward her and folded his hands together in a pragmatic fashion. His dark green eyes bored into hers all the way.

"My name is Drexel. Drexel Winslow. I'm a businessman, Miss. I make enough Mizas to spare and I'm willing to hire. What I'm saying is I'm willing to pay you."

"If what?"

"If you're willing to do what I ask."

"I will never have master," Kaie growled low at him, turning in her chair to sip at her ale. If he hadn't laughed quietly to himself, she might've forgotten him all together.

"I don't plan to enslave you. That's barbaric! I want to offer you a position if you'll accept it. However, it requires patience and cooperation," Drexel explained simply with animated hands. The Myrian just sighed and ran a hand down her tired face.

"You're dancing around. Get to point. What do you want me to do?"

"Daughters on this side of the world are supposed to have a certain gentleness and class. Fathers are required to raise them to be ladies. That's all to be expected but my Marla has this obsession with the Knighthood. She wants to be a squire, you see," Drexel began to tell her, leaning back in his chair against the counter. He lifted his own drink and took a swig before continuing. "Her mother isn't so fond of the idea of our little girl running off to be a squire. Neither am I. The problem is I hate to see her unhappy. I have a theory that if I humor her little fantasies for a while, she'll grow bored of them. And that's where you come in if you accept."

"What in it for me?"

"I knew you'd ask that. Let me enlighten you. I'm saying I can give you what you need to get onto your feet. I can teach you the language, how we expect you to behave, what you can and cannot do. Myrian, I'm saying I'll buy you all the ale you need if you still want to head down this suicide trail when we're through. So what do you think? We have a deal?" He eyed her expectantly, well aware he had her in a vice she couldn't easily escape. Drexel was exploiting her needs. How could she possibly say no?

"I will think," Kaie said reluctantly, nodding her head slowly to stare back down at the table. "I make no promise."

"Fair enough. Well when you're sober, find me in the Stone Gardens by midday. Until then Miss?"

"Kaie. My name is Kaie."

"Fabulous. Until then Miss Kaie."

And then he was gone, leaving the Myrian alone again with no one but her drink. She was dumbfounded by the turn of events, but in her current state, she couldn't bother to care. Not yet. The world was still a blurry haze.

[Kaie]

Now there was a choice to make. Two paths to walk. She could refuse the man's offer and stand him up or she could accept. She could make an effort to make a life for herself, to survive, and perhaps find a foundation to level herself. Maybe this was the way she could go home. That led to another question: Did she want to?

Of course she had to go home. She needed to. Serving the Goddess Queen in Taloba was her duty. Protecting her people, her clan, and thriving in their jungle home was part of the package. It was expected of her. It was the way of life. Myri had blessed her and she was to prove her undying loyalty by heeding to her wishes. Yet there was a fear that struck her heart at the very notion of the return. If she did succeed in her journey back to Falyndar, there was still the question of reuniting with her family. How would they receive her when they found her father was not at her side? When they discovered that under her watch Keritan had fallen to protect her? That had she been more skilled, had she been adequate, they might've both survived?

Kaie's hands clenched into fists and she brought them to her temples. She bit her lip, closing her eyes as if she could ward off her own thoughts by will alone. And that's when it all came back to her. Like she was there living it all over again. She heard the whinny of the horses and the shrieking of winged enemies. Kaie recalled the sound of clashing swords and the yowl of a Drykas who once rode by her side. Then she heard the cry. His cry. And then the Myrian could take it no longer.

A few pieces of coin were thrust upon the table and the drink was finished as if it was expected to be her last. She slammed the mug back down and shot out from her chair toward the door. A few shoulders were bumped during her escape, but she was too far gone to care. She was blinded by memories and saw nothing else. The closest thing to liberation was the moment she thrust open the door into the night air.

Just...Stop! Leave me alone!

"But it's your fault. You let him die."

No!

Kaie slipped into the alley flanking the tavern with a sense of urgency. Disturbed by her sudden, hostile entrance, the current couple making use of the darkness whispered and disappeared elsewhere. The Myrian didn't care where they went. Seconds later she had her back against the wall, slowly slipping down it until she sat on the ground. Her head went into her hands, lips murmuring empty prayers to her Mother. Begging the Goddess Queen to free her from her torture. Liberation never came. She sat like that for most of the night, fingers grasping her hair. It was only when sleep finally found her that she was released from her punishment. However, when she awoke she was gifted with a pounding headache and a light pocket. Alive to suffer through another day. Perhaps she would decide to find Drexel after all...

[Radiant]

Kaie :

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+2 XP
Socialization	+2 XP
Rhetoric	+1 XP

Lores

Lore Earned

A 'Fan' In The Rearing Stallion

Drexel Winslow: Businessman

Loots

Notes :

Intriguing thread! I'm interested to see where this would be going, Kaie.

My radiance is not bright enough?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.