What was this place called? Red…something…? Ah, no matter. It’s a tavern that demons like to frequent, hidden beneath a beautiful field of bluebell flowers. A rather unsuspecting place for such an establishment; no one would ever think that the creatures humanity despises gather so close to their homes. That something so beautiful could hold something much more sinister. Not that I dislike demons or think them evil. I’ve seen way too much to pair them with darkness. I just associate taverns with the riffraff, the lowest of the low who have nothing better to do than drink their cares away.
This one is….different that what you would expect though. The last time I saw it, there wasn’t much drinking. It was much more festive, with plenty of song and dance, delicious food, a cozy atmosphere, and plenty of merriment to be had. The effect this place had was almost dizzying. One could get drunk not on alcohol, but the sheer delight this place offered. It’s no wonder Kaiya chooses this place as a hangout.
Plenty of unfortunate things have happened to her in such a short time. Things were going in a downward spiral when I first starting viewing her memories. Living in constant fear of humans rushing in and taking away the only thing that mattered to her must have driven her to the edge. And when it actually happened…she snapped. Fighting starvation, moving to somewhere new only to struggle there as well… She deserved some happiness in her life. Could this place offer her happiness, even if it was fleeting? After all that has happened to her, could this merriment lift her spirits?
The tavern isn’t quite as festive when I last saw it. There are no performers on the stage. It is empty, with chairs piled on top of it. The lack of music leaves a loud silence, the worst kind of music in my opinion. What is life without sweet melodies and their matching harmonies?
Few patrons are here. The only people in the room are several feline demons sharing a meat dish, Marco the bartender, and Kaiya. She looks thoroughly worn out. The spark, the fire that was within her before seems to have dimmed. Her unkempt hair is longer, which means time has passed. I find it strange, seeing her with hair that falls a bit past her shoulders. This is a simple change, but it makes her look so different. It seems as though she has conformed somewhat to living at the Hold. After all, she’s in a dress and she had to have ran all the way here.
Marco seems a bit concerned for her. He is busy at the rear counter, wiping glasses clean with a white cloth. As he does so, he keeps an eye trained on the wolf demon sitting at the bar. Her head is down on the table, resting on one arm. Her free hand is holding an empty glass. Since when did Kaiya drink?
The room is silent, save for the sound of clinking dishes as Marco finishes up his work. Those felines are awfully quiet eaters. They lap up their meal somewhat daintily, paying no mind to anyone around them.
“Give me some more,” Kaiya mutters, breaking the silence for a moment. Without looking up, she holds the glass up in the air. Marco lets out a sigh as he sets down a clean bowl.
“Kai, that’s your third. Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
“I don’t care.”
He only shakes his head as he snatches the cup from her. He steps over to a large barrel resting beside the counter and fills it up with some yellow-orange liquid. I know this drink. That old man Rogan down by the docks keeps some. During special occasions, he always brings it and people drink it greedily. I’ve never had it myself, as I stay away from such beverages, but it smells heavenly. One can get intoxicated on the scent itself. Sunglow, it’s called. It’s supposed to make things brighter when you drink a lot of it, hence the name.
Marco sets the glass in front of Kaiya with a look of disapproval. “Kai, you gotta quit workin’ there. Look at what it’s reducin’ you to!”
Her body starts to shake and emits an empty laugh. “And go where? My real home is dead. Talyyn hates me. Fen hates me. Can’t stay with you ‘cause you can’t afford it. I’ve got nowhere else.”
“I…I could try to make it work, Kai. These days, all you do is come down here lookin’ exhausted and drink all your sorrows away. I hate seein’ you like this.” I knew staying at the Hold would be bad for her. She’s struggling and it’s a fight she is losing. She’s cracking as she racks up all of these failures.
“Good luck with that.”
“Listen to me. You don’t belong there. How many times have you gotten in trouble, now?”
“Fifty-nine…But I lost count there. Probably more like sixty somethin’. Oh, more like fifty-eight, if you don’t count the time Kain forgot to tell Iza I couldn’t read.” By the spirits! If those numbers aren’t proof, then I don’t know what is. I hope he didn’t get too angry with her. After all, that nobleman did enjoy her…strange system of organization.
“And what happens after every time you mess somethin’ up there?”
“Iza scolds me like I’m a pup, then Fuchsia ‘n Kren start to worry ‘bout me, and Kain gets really pissed. He looks stupid when he’s angry. It’s fun. He gets really mad when I don’t call ‘im ‘Lord’ Pretty sure he hates my guts now. Don’t know why he hasn’t kicked me out.” With that, she lets out a drunken laugh. Oh boy…she has definitely sunk to the bottom.
“You see? You can’t stay there.”
“I’ll stay until I can find somewhere else. Or maybe when Kain dies because I’ll have made him so mad, his head exploded.”
“Then try to stay out of trouble, Kai! What are they makin’ you do next? It’s not laundry again, is it?”
“Nah, ‘course not. I’m banned from that. Last time my claws ripped up a few shirts,” she mutters, not sounding mischievous at all. In fact, it sounded as though it was completely unintentional. What can she do there without causing an accident? “No. I managed to be good enough that they’re makin’ me serve at some stupid party.”
Marco frowns. “A party? You? Kai, you better not screw this one up. I’ll have to hide my best Sunglow from you.”
Kaiya slams her glass down on the counter, half empty. “I-I know. I’ll…manage…somehow. I’m sick of everyone gettin’ mad at me. Maybe…just this once…I’d like to see ‘im…smile at me…”
As if she just realized what she is doing, she stares at the Sunglow in her cup with a disgusted expression. With a frown she pushes it down the counter, seeming to gag a little bit. “I…don’t want anymore.”
“Good. Now go home and rest, Kai. I want to see ya back here with that old smile on your face.”
Reluctantly, she slides down from her chair, having to steady herself a little bit. She looks very drowsy, as if all the energy she used to possess is burnt out. She draws her cloak close to her for warmth and steps out the door in a very sleepy manner. Marco watches her go as he dumps out the remaining Sunglow and tosses the glass into a wash basin. He is very concerned for her, as am I. I truly hope things start looking up for her. No matter who it is, I hate bearing witness to such suffering.
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A/N: Okay, I'm a bit of a cheater. The real theme #39 is 'jungle green'. Hear me out. I have officially decided that I will not be doing all 100 themes. As much as I would like to have the satisfaction of completing all of 'em, it's just not possible for this story. In fact, the story is getting close to the end! James's tale is almost over, and Kaiya's just has a little bit more to go. So, for story purposes, I picked a theme from the list that fit this best and that was 'sunglow'. You know, you don't HAVE to do all the themes in order...
Dedicated to AnnaMS for being awesome and supportive! :D
BẠN ĐANG ĐỌC
Every Little Memory
Siêu nhiênImagine being given the gift of sight; the ability to peer into the world beyond, where the souls of the dead walk. Lingering in the very place you live, roaming amongst the streets of your hometown...Shades of a time long past and only you can see...
