Aftermath

I know what all is going on, but Durth has to wait to find out, and thus you guys have to wait. The fact that Omphre doesn't know the name of the constellation but knows the back story is impressive. Most people know the name but not the backstory.

Ayan's focused on something else so he's not upset. For the moment.

Read, Review and Enjoy.





Ayan was halfway through his second drink by the time Durth caught up to him. The young man offered the half full mug to Durth, who politely declined even as a bosomy woman smiled suggestively and pressed a full mug into his hand. Durth sipped the apricot brandy and winced at the burn. He hadn’t thought making high alcohol content drinks was possible after the end of the world.

Or maybe it was just because he hadn’t had a drink in so long.

“That’s. Uhm. Different,” Durth said.

“If you don’t drink the first one fast, it’s an insult to their brewer,” Ayan said, stuffing a roll of bread into his mouth. The young man continued on around the bread, something about traditions and rights and being polite.

Durth downed the brandy as fast has he could, choking and sputtering. The woman was back instantly to replace his glass and ‘reward’ him with a salty bun. Salty buns, as rewards for drinking, were a very bad idea. The buns were delicious. But salty.

Which meant Durth downed two more drinks before he realised that if he continued to do that, he would be flat on his back too quickly. He had told Ayan no drinking.

“Put that down,” Durth groaned, putting down his brandy and standing from the drinking table.

Every drunk down the table put down their drink and gave Durth a morose look. Ayan simply smiled innocently and put his mug down, “I think you might be the drunk one,” Ayan said sympathetically, coming around the table as he spoke, “come on, I’ll take you to Una. Come on, what, you want a salty bun? Here, have mine.”

“How many have you have?” Durth asked Ayan, “you’re wobbling.”

“You’re the one who can’t walk straight,” Ayan reminded Durth, to which Durth straightened and tried to walk normally, “I must remember never to drink with you again.”

“They side wiped me. Didn’t expect it,” Durth bit into the bun and groaned, “so good. Salt, I not have salt in fourteen years.”

“Fifteen,” Ayan muttered under his breath.

“Is very good.”

“You said that already.”

“I’m drunk.”

“I know.”

“Are you drunk?”

“No.”

“’Cause I’m drunk.”

“You said that already.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Look, there’s Raya!”

“You,” Durth shook a finger at Ayan as the young man pulled to a stop and dropped Durth to the ground, “you said we were finding Una. I don’t want to talk to Raya.”

Raya leaned over Durth, frowning first at Durth, then up at Ayan, “what did you do to him?”

Ayan said something so quickly Durth thought it was in another language. Or. Maybe it was in another language. Raya sighed and pulled Durth to his feet, helping him into the torch light and onto the bedroll Raya had laid out. Which made Durth wonder why Raya had been planning on sleeping in a circle of torches but he didn’t waste much time pondering.

It hurt to think.

Durth rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. Omphre came to sit by him, glancing over at him and smiling knowingly, “apricot brandy. It’ll knock you flat on your back if you’re not careful.”

There was a thump. Durth frowned and turned towards the sound just in time to see Raya roll on his side and spit up blood. The Brother made an unimpressed sound, looked pissed and wiped at his bottom lip with a hand. One of Omphre’s friends reached to yank Raya up. Raya pushed off the ground, slamming into the hand that was reaching for him, spun, grabbed the other man around the neck and gave a little squeeze. The man went limp and Raya dropped him.

“Thought you were Deaths,” Raya muttered, “you’re hardly a challenge.”

“If you want such a challenge, fight the little one,” Omphre growled.

“No.” Raya and Ayan said as one. With Raya adding, “I’m supposed to be fighting Deaths, not… young boys.”

“I think,” Durth whispered to Omphre, “Raya likes Ayan. Reminds him of someone. But Ayan’s too young. So he’s taking his sexual frustrations out on you guys.”

Omphre made a sound at the back of his throat, “just wait ‘til Tanek joins us.”

“You never said the Death Master was joining us,” Raya said, diverting his attention from his opponent and to Ayan.

The third man took the opening and swept the young man’s feet out from under him.

“Death Masters are Deaths as well,” Ayan murmured, “Hullo, we were just talking about you.”

“Look,” Omphre said, prodding Durth and pointing upward, “see the circle? Six stars around one. It represents the Death. See that one in the middle was there, is representative of the first Master. The others, the six stars, are the souls of the first Death group. Given the ultimate gift, they live in the heavens and never want for anything.”

“Why is the middle one a representation?” Durth slurred, “why do the students get to go, but not the Master?”

“Because the Master was Aniege,” Tanek snapped, leaning over Durth, “why is he drunk? I thought you wanted me to test the new one’s abilities.”

“Not that new one, Tanek,” Ayan said, “The one behind you. Raya.”

Tanek stiffened. Even in Durth’s drunken state, he saw the look in the older man’s eyes, the predatory look as he turned from Durth and to Raya.

“Raya.”

“Tanek?” Raya squeaked, “Ayan, you didn’t say it was Tanek.”

“Why?” Ayan asked, completely oblivious, “have you and Tanek met before? Don’t tell me, it’s another life thing.”

“And he didn’t tell me that I would be sparring Raya,” Tanek murmured, sliding out of his shirt, “but I will do it, because the little one asks.”

Durth jabbed Omphre several times in the leg, “Why are we sparing each other?”

“Sparring,” Omphre corrected, “is when two warriors fight each other and test the abilities of the others. We’ve done this on several occasions for various people Una brings through. Test their capabilities. Those found able are reported to Una and he sweeps them off to another village. We’ve heard from a few since then, they’ve become masters and teachers for Deaths.”

“So this, is normal.”

There were several thumps and a groan. Raya’s head bounced right by Durth’s hand. The Brother hopped up quickly and went back towards Tanek. The older man grabbed Raya by the throat and frowned.

“He’s not fighting fair.” Tanek muttered, eyeing Raya.

“Nothing that I can feel for,” Ayan responded.

“I’ve got not control over that,” Raya said, pawing at Tanek’s hand about his neck, “let me go.”

Tanek shook Raya like a rag doll with one hand. The older man batted at his ear, shooing away a bug. Tanek let Raya crumple to the ground and stepped over the young man, towards Ayan.

“I find him lacking,” Tanek muttered, “like an adult stomping on a child.”

“Good, I have the information I need.”

“Why am I here?” Durth asked, raising a hand, giggling as the torchlight made his fingers seem to sparkle.

“Ayan. You did give him apricot brandy, right?”

“I’m tingly.” Durth said, laughing.

“Ayan. What was in that brandy?”



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