44th Trial of Saun, 720
Scalvoris Town
Scalvoris Town
It was a lovely day, one which Isodol deemed worthy of taking a walk through town. But it wasn’t a day where she didn’t first throw back a few shots of liquor from her flask.
The amber liquid ran down her throat. It warmed her insides, but burned the back of her tongue as it went. A slow stream of liquor that hadn’t quite made it into her mouth trailed down the side of her chin. She wiped at it with so much vigor, she just about clocked herself in the jaw.
After stowing the flask in her satchel and bringing the satchel’s strap up and over her shoulders, she headed out to enjoy the summer’s afternoon. She disliked the sunlight. It often blinded her more than she would have liked, and she was partial to being burned after fifteen minutes of standing out in the stark rays. She never knew she had received a sun burn until the following day when the slightest touch to her skin made her howl in pain. She preferred the dark, the night life of the city where taverns were at their peak in business and shadows told stories of other worlds. But today was a special day. There was nothing significant about it; it was an arbitrary day, but the temperature outside was surprisingly tolerable, and she had awakened to the smell of honeysuckles. This had put her in a good mood, and thus inspired her to go out and catch some well needed fresh air. She had plucked one of the honeysuckles from just outside her tent and stashed it in her satchel for safe keeping. Perhaps it would be a calming scent for her to use in the future.
She strode past a brick building, it’s roof thickly thatched with straw. The windows were tiny and offered little to no light to the inside. A couple was sitting outside the house with cups in their hands. Isodol judged they were probably drinking black coffee and mindlessly adoring the summer sky such as she.
Just watching them drink gave her an idea. She delicately plucked her flask from out her bag and took a swift swig before placing it back in. Idea completed. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she squinted her eyes. Maybe the sun was beginning to be a bit too much for her. Maybe she had made a mistake by going on this walk.
She sauntered through a multitude of stands, each selling unique items to the bustling crowd that had begun to coalesce around her. But Isodol wanted none of it. What little money she possessed had other purposes. Like being used to buy a drink or gamble on a lengthy game of poker. She couldn’t trifle with mementos or crafts from vendors even if it did help them survive. She had to survive herself. So she nimbly continued her path, ignoring the baubles that taunted her with their need for attention.
Isodol pulled a wild strand of hair behind her ear and focused on her gait. The alcohol was hitting her now, and it was hitting her hard. She started to wobble, her vision doubling. She saw six small children playing on the side of one of the less busy streets, but was certain there were only three. It was curious what they were doing. One of the children acted as a master of three opaque cups. He was moving them around one another vigorously until stopping them in a line. A second child, who Isodol reckoned was the player, was contemplating something. As the young woman neared, the inquisitive child pointed to one of the cups. The master lifted the selection to reveal a small, round pebble hiding beneath it. Squeals of laughter erupted amongst the three, for the one playing had just won the round.
“Whatcha kids doing there?” Isodol asked with a slight slur to her words.
“Just a game,” replied one of the children. She was the shortest out of the bunch with fiery red hair and gorgeous blue eyes. They oddly reminded Isodol of her own- icy and cold, but unlike hers, they were innocent.
“You think I could play a round?” The young woman asked, parking her rear on the stoney ground beside the children.
“Sure!” Exclaimed the blue-eyed girl with much excitement. The others simply shrugged and prepared for the next game.
“How much are you willing to bet that I guess the right cup on my first turn?” Isodol’s eyes twinkled. Her breath smelled foul.
“Hmm…” the boy said. It was he who had been the master during the previous round. “I don’t think you’re that lucky.”
Isodol frowned. The game didn’t seem like too much of a challenge! She had bet on more difficult things. Besides, luck had a decent relationship with her, or so she liked to think.
She reached inside her bag and extracted the honeysuckle, throwing it in the middle of the circle of sitting kids.
“I’ll give this to you if I lose. But if I win, you’ll have to give me something of yours. Sound fair?”
The shortest girl’s eyes lit up in amazement. The flower was so beautiful to her, she just had to have it. She couldn’t have been much older than six.
“C’mon guys. Let her play,” she whined, flashing them her innocent, puppy eyes.
The boy who had been the master and the one who had been the player rolled their eyes simultaneously but smirked.
“Why not,” said the master. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Isodol readied herself, her eyes glued to the cups. The master showed her the pebble, it’s iridescent sheen glowing in the summer sun. He placed it under the middle cup and began to quickly rearrange their order.
Isodol’s eyes were a blur. She tried with all she had to follow the cup that held the pebble, but instead of three cups, there were five… and a half? Just watching the fast movement jarred her stomach.
“Alright,” the master said, stopping the cups in a perfectly straight line. “Which one has the pebble?”
Isodol bit her lip and scanned all three of the cups. She wondered if she looked hard enough, she would be able to see through their opaqueness. She hadn’t a clue which one held the pebble. She hesitantly pointed to the cup on the left, a complete guess. However, when the boy lifted it, there was nothing underneath.
“Damn it!” Isodol exclaimed. Her frown was a chasm, it was down turned so deep it was plausible she might never be able to escape from the disappointment.
The shorter girl gasped. “That’s a bad word!” She shouted in utter horror. Isodol saw an imaginary darkening in her eyes. A sliver of her innocence had just vanished.
The young woman was fuming, and with the alcohol’s effects ever prominent, wasn’t thinking clearly. “You’re a bad word,” she deadpanned. It was petty and it made no sense, but she had said it and there were no take-backs. it was clear the children thought her retort was dumb.
“What does that even mean?” Inquired the one who had been the player. She was a tall girl with braided brown hair that reminded Isodol of pretzels.
The shorter girl snatched the flower up for fear Isodol would come back on her word. She held its stem delicately between her stubby fingers and took in its glorious smell.
“You’re just a sore loser,” said the master.
Isodol crossed her arms and leant back. Oh, how she loathed losing. Especially when the loss was to children! What did that do to her dignity, eh?
“Let me show you how it’s done,” said the taller girl. She signaled something to the master and he dutifully showed her the pebble before placing it under one of the cups.
Isodol tried again to watch as the cups were scrambled, but again lost sight of the cup she could have sworn held the pebble. The game had barely started when her vision crapped out on her. Stupid alcohol.
Once the master had them all lined up again, the taller girl pointed to the center cup. The boy lifted the cup to reveal the pebble, shining in all its glory under the sun’s beams.
Isodol blew a raspberry, unamused.
“You know one thing you could do to make sure your player never guesses the correct cup is to flip the pebble up into your shirt sleeve as you scramble them. Then at the last second, jiggle your arm so it falls back down into a different cup.”
Why was Isodol teaching these kids how to swindle? She hadn’t a clue. Her mind wasn’t working properly, but at least her frustration had dissipated. She felt a thrill in teaching the children bad mannerisms. It was almost like a gamble in itself. ‘Quick, before the parents find out that you’re condemning they’re children’ was a thought that briefly passed through her unorganized mind.
“But isn’t that cheating?” Asked the girl who now held Isodol’s precious honeysuckle.
Isodol eyed her prize with longing. It was only a flower, but they had been through so much together. Seeing that old brick building, almost being trampled by a horde of hungry buyers, strolling through the town…
“It’s only cheating if you’re found out about,” she clarified with a slur.
“Here let me show you…”
Of course, her dexterity was exceptionally diminished due to her drunken state, but that didn’t stop her from spending the next hour with a group of children that oddly reminded her of herself.
She’d have to pick more flowers next time.
