Chapter 4 #2
I see some of the fire dancers Nikka mentioned, and I’m mesmerized by what they are able to do.
Rings and batons, lit on fire and thrown into the air, juggled back and forth between dancers without ever flinching or stumbling through their incredibly complicated dance routine.
How are they not covered in burns? The whole thing is pretty amazing.
As we walk together, I feel the leash occasionally brushing against my bare skin.
Given how close we’ve stayed tonight, wearing it seems almost pointless, like it’s just for show.
Which I guess it is. Soon I notice that we’re in a familiar part of the city, and sure enough, I see the shop of Khazak’s friend Brull coming up on our left.
If it’s possible, the streets are even busier here with lots of people coming in and out of Brull’s specifically.
Makes sense, given the kind of stuff Brull crafts and sells here.
“This weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for Brull.” Khazak reaches over to unclip my leash. “Because of the crowd, I do not want to risk you getting hurt.” I actually feel a little sad when he removes it, though I hide my frown. Don’t need him knowing that.
We walk inside, and the shop is wall-to-wall people.
The shelves are all half-empty, and the same goes for the wall racks, which normally are hung with all sorts of costumes and harnesses.
There’s even a couple of orcs squeezed into one corner trying things on.
Brull is behind the counter dealing with customers, two other orcs back there helping him.
I see him occasionally stepping into the back room and returning with what I’m assuming is a specially ordered item.
We move toward the counter to try to catch his eye.
“Khazak! Great to see you!” he calls when he finally has a chance to notice us, stepping to the side. “David, looking good in that harness.”
“Thank you, sir.” See? I remember my protocol.
“The festival bringing in the business as always?” Khazak asks.
“You know it. Glad I spent the last two weeks making extra stock.” He turns to look over the crowd. “Might have to stay up tonight making more if I wanna make it through the weekend.”
“We will let you get back to it. Just wanted to stop in and wish you a happy festival. Rumk’r Avon.” Khazak ends his sentence with the familiar Atasi saying.
“Rumcar Avon,” I repeat as best I can.
“Getting better.” Brull smirks at me then turns to Khazak. “Can I still count on the two of you for the demonstration tomorrow?”
“Of course. We would not miss it for the world.” I give both orcs a funny look but say nothing until we exit.
“So, you wanna tell me about this demonstration?” That sounded a little brazen. “Sir.” Better.
“Another surprise.” He chuckles when I roll my eyes. “Every year during the festival, Brull likes to do something to attract customers. A show, of sorts. Do you remember the first time we were there, and what happened?”
“You mean the ‘funishment?’” I assume he’s talking about the time he tied me down and paddled me in the middle of Brull’s shop while also giving me a handjob in front of some customers. That was an interesting day.
“I refuse to call it that, but yes.” I stick my tongue out at his denial of my new word. “It will be a bit like that, though not at all a punishment.”
“So you say.” Sounds suspicious.
“So I say,” he challenges with a smirk.
“What are we doing now?” I don’t think I’ll be getting any more answers on the previous subject.
“Meeting Ragnar and Nylan to get the rest of our evening started.”
We walk away from Brull’s, eventually coming upon one of the outdoor bars set up for the festival.
There is a band playing on a stage next to the dancefloor, complete with drums, flutes, and guitars—or at least that’s what the instruments resemble.
They sound different from what I’m used to, but there’s a steady bass line the people are dancing to.
We spot Ragnar and Nylan standing at a table off to the side.
Ragnar is dressed similarly to Khazak, though his outfit is all black.
I think it’s his elf half that makes him look a little slimmer and younger than my orc, but he’s still plenty muscular, and his leathers frame him no less impressively.
Nylan is as tall and skinny as ever, dressed in a harness similar to mine, along with a pair of very short shorts.
If he’s cold, he’s not showing it, smiling brightly with his dark hair perfectly coifed as always.
The couple waves us over when they see us.
“Have you been waiting long?” Khazak asks Ragnar after grabbing each other’s wrists and exchanging an orc-hug.
“Nah, still on our first drinks.” He picks up a mostly empty mug. Nylan has a glass too, but the liquid inside is pink. “Got out here as soon as we could. I traded patrol shifts with Tuskrunner two weeks ago, so I wouldn’t miss anything. Boy, why don’t you go get us another round?”
“Yes Sir!” Nylan chirps happily right before finishing the last of his drink and grabbing the empty mug.
“Pup, go with him and get some drinks of our own.” Khazak unclips my leash again. He reaches for his pouch, but Ragnar stops him.
“Hey, it’s your first Shatu Uzu’gor with your own avakesh. Drinks are on me tonight.” Ragnar flashes his best friend a grin.
“If you insist.” He turns to me. “A beer for me, David, and whatever you would like.”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you.” I walk with Nylan over to the busy outdoor bar where we wait for our turn with the bartender.
“So, what do you think?” Nylan gestures to everything.
“It’s...a lot, but so far it’s been fun.” Orcs sure know how to party.
“This is one of my favorite times of the year.” Nylan looks over the crowd happily. “So much dancing. So much drinking. So much public sex.”
“How many of these festivals have you been to?” They’ve been together a while now, I think.
“This is our sixth. I can still remember our first.” Nylan smiles, reminiscing. “Did I ever tell you how I became Ragnar’s avakesh?”
I shake my head no. He told me some of the story when I first met him, but I was a little preoccupied with my own shit to press him for more details.
“We had already been together for two years,” he starts.
“Traditionally, when a couple wants to go through with the Ritual of Steel & Thunder, the avakesh-to-be will commit some sort of “crime” against their would-be owner. Theft is the most popular choice, though I’ve heard of some real brats that decided to go with vandalism instead.
In any case, they’re ‘arrested’ in a big, over-the-top display, usually by a ranger or officer the couple is friends with.
Then the arrestee issues the ritual challenge, their lover accepts it, and the two are taken to the arena where… you know the rest.”
“That sounds kinda fun, at least hearing the way it’s supposed to go.” I try not to grumble the last part too much. I’m not upset about being in this situation with Khazak anymore, but sometimes I can’t help but feel a little raw thinking about how Redwish tricked us.
“I hope you know how terrible Khazak feels. I mean, we all do, but him...” Nylan leans his shoulder into me. “It really sucks that someone would take something that’s supposed to be fun and romantic like that and twist it.”
“It’s okay, it worked out in the end. It’s not like it’s your fault. It’s not even Khazak’s.” Still, the city should really consider doing something to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. “Alright, what did you do to Ragnar to get arrested then?”
“Alright, so like I said, we had been together for two years at that point,” Nylan continues his story.
“We’d been talking about moving in together for a while, but we kept getting into fights about where we were going to live.
He had this crappy little apartment over on the west side of the city, while I was living in a place that was bigger and closer to both of our jobs.
So, one day while he was at work, I went over to his apartment and took his stuff. ”
“You stole some of his things?” Seems simple enough.
“No, David. I took everything.” He opens his eyes wide for emphasis.
“I hired some people to clean the place out and cram all of it into my apartment. It was a mess, but I got it done all in one day. After Ragnar came home to empty rooms, he stormed right over to my place and arrested me himself. Then he made me wait almost a full day in a jail cell before he accepted my ritual challenge. I thought it was because he was busy moving all of his stuff back to his place, but when we got home after the match, I saw that he had spent the day organizing everything in mine, combining our things. I loved it…after some arguing over his furniture choices.”
“That sounds really sweet.” I’m almost kinda bummed I didn’t get to do something like that. “What about the match?” I noticed he completely skipped over that part.
“…He chased me screaming around the arena for fifteen minutes until he finally caught me.” It’s Ny’s turn to grumble. “Then he tickled me until I gave in and he fucked me in front of the crowd.”
“I would have loved to see that,” I tease.
After finishing our story, the bartender finally comes over to serve us, and Nylan starts to tell her our order. “Wait, do you want a beer, or one of what I’m having?”
“What are you having?” I gesture to his empty glass.
“Ooooo, you won’t be able to pronounce it, but you’ll love it. It’s sweet and very strong,” Nylan informs me happily.
“Alright, sure.” I’ve had a few beers since I’ve been here, but never in a situation where I could actually relax and enjoy them.
He finishes talking to the bartender, who leaves and returns a moment later with our drinks. Dropping some coins on the counter and thanking her, the two of us gather our glasses and return to our owners.
“Good boy.” I get a hand stroking down my back as Sir takes his beer from me.