Chapter 27: Chapter 21

Travelling through the city of Aruk with the guidance of Istara, we made rapid progress through the maze of narrow alleys.  Her ability to navigate this city was astounding, not because I doubted her knowledge but that the layout of this city was absolutely labyrinthine.  I don’t know how anyone can understand where their going in this mess, and the place is packed, a never ending stream of people busily moving through what little space did exist.

What’s worse is that I can’t understand a word from any of them.  Almost everyone was speaking complete gibberish, Istara seemed to be the only one from this city that I could communicate with.

Walking alongside her I asked.  “How is it that I can’t understand the girls in this city?”

She casts me a mildly surprised look.  “I hardly find that surprising, most of the residents here would only now of their native Sin’yaran.  Few would even recognize Armari much less be fluent in it.”

“Umm, Armari?”  I asked puzzled. 

Istara looks at me curiously.  “Armari is the language we are currently speaking.  It is name for both the inhabitants of the mountains to the north, that you came from, and their tongue, you and your companions tongue.”

I turned towards Sarduna looking for an answer. 

She shrugged casually.  “It’s what foreigners call us, the name doesn’t really means anything to us.”

Oh, okay.  So it’s a blanket term for the people from a particular region.

It was then that Naira decided to open her mouth.  “Heh, you ignorant Sin’yarans waltz onto our land unwanted to extort resources from us, then you insult us by lumping us in with all of those treacherous clans that surround us.”

Aaannndddd… immediately pissed Istara off.  I can see her face scrunch up in anger as her eyes flicker towards Naira briefly.  The worker girls Istara brought along didn’t react, they must not be able this Armari language.

“We hardly ‘extort’, we bring goods to trade.”

“At the point of a spear, admit it you lot just want to stea…*COUGH*”

In annoyance I shoved my fingers inside Naira’s mouth causing her to choke while her eyes became watery.  I see no point in antagonizing the girl guiding us through these labyrinthine streets, so I forcefully shut her up.

I do have to admit that watching her gag pathetically while my fingers were shoved down her throat was… exciting.

Well, once satisfied with my punishment I pull her in close and whisper to her.  “What’s going on?  What are you talking about with ‘extortion’ and ‘treacherous clans?’”

She wheezed for a moment after I withdrew my fingers before answering.  “*COUGH* Hah… Sin… Sin’yarans don’t always send just merchants, sometimes they send armies to take what they want.  Sometimes the merchants are the harbingers of the armies.  Sometimes… it’s girls that they want.”

My mind returned to that market we had stopped at, where the slave trader was selling slave girls.

“So, they make slave raids into the mountains.”  Naira nodded quietly to my statement.

After that we walked in silence, despite the bustling atmosphere of the city around us.  

Luckily it wasn’t long before Istara stopped in front of an unremarkable looking building that blended in with the rest of the street.

It was a rather humble little place, made of the same mud bricks that the rest of the city was built out of.  A comfortably sized warehouse with a couple of small rooms in the front and the back being the storage space.  The interior felt snuggly warm, the heat radiating off the bricks made me want to curl up and doze off.  Catching a glimpse of a flight of stairs I suspect that they lead to some living quarters for Istara.  Rather obviously this place was likely Istara’s base from which she sold her products.  Seems unfortunate that she doesn’t have many goods to sell right now considering the backroom was looking a bit barren. 

But there was one thing off about it.

“Odd, I thought they would be here already.”  Istara commented on the absence of Aura and the others.

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“Should we be looking for them?”  I asked Istara cautiously.

“Maybe, but let’s get you girls settled in first.  If they don’t show up soon then we’ll search for then.”  She responded with soothing caution.

She then showed us to a spot inside; pulling out several cups made of pottery she began pouring some liquid into them.  she handed us a cup each, I took one and sniffed before sipping the liquid inside.

“Beer?”

“Yup, flavored with honey.  You’ll find that it’s very popular around here.”  Istara nodded affirmatively.

Well, I can see why it’s popular.  It’s not bad, sweet with a low after taste.  Sarduna and Naira slowly began to drink as well, soon we were sitting in a circle on the floor chatting about the day’s events so far.

“So what could have happened to Aura?”  I asked Istara after a few minutes.

“Oh, it’s likely nothing.  You’ve seen how these streets are like, they probably got lost like you did.”  She answered with a shrug.

Naira takes a deep gulp of her beer.  “She can take her time.  I wouldn’t be surprised if that slu… girl is merely running around forcing herself upon any pretty girls that she fancies.”

“She isn’t that bad, Aura should know when to control it when it counts.  Though, she… might be flirting with her existing lovers, she is basically alone with them right now, but I’m sure she’ll wander in any moment.”  I tried to defend Aura from Naira’s slander.  But what do you think of this city?

“Ugh, to thick, to crowded… to hot.  I’m feeling so thoroughly enclosed, all of these buildings bearing down on us obstructing the sky, I feel removed from Haous’s presence.  This place is so stifling that I can’t breathe.”  She takes another swig of beer.  “And how are all of these women expected to live or get food like this?”

“Well, the Sun Cult makes great effort to distribute supplies to the poor.  Just about every woman can count on a doll of bread from the priestesses of Helia if they have no other means.”

“Sun Cult?  Helia?”  My eyes narrowed momentarily upon hearing such noteworthy words.

“Yes, the favored patron of the Lugal.  We saw the ziggurat to great Helia’s temple when sailing into port, at the top that’s where the Unconquered Sun’s home resides.”  Istara spoke reverently, as though reciting a mantra she had been taught. 

Evidently Istara held a fondness for this sun goddess, while Naira was a devotee of Haous the Sky goddess.  And ‘unconquered sun,’ seriously, here in this city?  I really am in enemy territory, even my companions are worshippers of my ultimate enemies. 

Sarduna who had already completely downed her cup of beer, asked Istara for a second cupful and is downing that one in rapid succession spoke up.  “Like I care about any of that, what’s more important is when are you going to violate me, Y-Yuuuriii?”

I blinked impassively at Sarduna’s sudden lewd request.  “What?”  I asked simply, more out of surprise than anything else.

“Hah, Y-Yuri, I’m tired of waiting, rip my hymen, claim me and make me your w-wife.”  She slurred seductively, fiddling with her own clothes as though trying to peel them off.

I closed my eyes while pinching the bridge of my nose.  ‘Is she drunk already?’  The thought crossed my mind while I pondered an appropriate response… well, something more appropriate than to strip and pounce on to the vulnerable little vixen.

Suddenly I felt light headed… strange.  I can feel myself swaying about; turning towards Sarduna I could see that she had already fallen over and Naira is clutching her head, clearly nodding off.

As my eyelids grew increasingly heavy, the last thing I saw was Istara just standing in front of us, watching calmly before everything grew dark.

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