The bottle hissed faintly when I pulled the cork. The sound reverberated through the echoing room as Cedric's eyes were staring at the bottle like a hungry stares at the bread.
I poured.
The drink was copper dark in color glittering through the ice as it was poured to. Before the drink even settled, his gauntlet hands wrapped around the small glass.
He gulped half of it down in one strike, slamming it on the counter, and exhaled like a man who looked like it was not just "thirst" that he was trying to get rid of.
"Again," Cedric said. His voice rang with command, but the edges were rougher now, ragged. "Show me again."
It is the nature of human beings.
Things they do, things they are proud of, if ever comes a time that its credibility is in danger, they will do anything possible just to prove their point.
I didn't move to refill.
My hand stayed on the bottle, my silver bracelet was shining beautifully because of the lantern's light. The broken clock-hand dangling from my left ear clicked slightly when I tilted my head.
"Not yet," I said. "We haven't talked."
His eyes narrowed. "Talk? I already told you who I am. What more do you need?"
I leaned across the counter, vest tightening over my chest, the snow gray hair tied behind me slipped forward over my right eye. I caught his attention and started twisting it.
"You talked about battles," I said. "I heard victories. I heard cheers. But I didn't hear the quiet parts. The nights after. The mornings when the blood dried. The faces of the ones who weren't cheering. The overall aftermath."
His mouth twitched.
He went for a smirk but it shattered halfway. "You want to hear misery, is that it? Shall I paint myself tragic so you can nod and pretend you are above me?"
"It is a beautiful place isn't it?" I asked.
He blinked. "What? Out of nowhere?"
"Don't spoil it," I said, my tone was dry and half-hearted. "This bar… it means a lot to me. I don't want to ruin its beauty with lies. Just give me the truth."
means a lot my ass.
This guy…I was wondering why I only saw his bright and polished side from the very start.
Classic cognitive distortion. He doesn't even register the wrongs he's done as wrong but rather an obvious plan of action.
He snorted, but his fingers betrayed him. The gauntlet tapped against the glass as his nervousness slipped out. His gaze looked past me, staring at the shelves instead as if facing the bottles was safer than looking at me.
"There was… a feast once," he muttered. The words sounded heavy, like he was dragging them up from somewhere he'd buried deep. "After Duskvale. The villagers insisted. They gave up their last cattle just to honor us. The hall was filled with song… laughter."
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but it didn't last long. "I sat at the center table, crown of laurels on my head. They looked at me like I was chosen by the gods. The men clapped my back. The women…" His voice caught. He shook his head, as if to push the memory away.
"They were… generous with their admiration."
He raised the glass and emptied it. The liquid shimmered as it slid down his throat, and for a moment the air around us shifted.
The bar disappeared.
It was a hall of rough stone. torchlight flickering against beams of wood. Long tables were stacked with food, fresh loaves, roasted meat, and steaming bowls of stew.
"On this auspicious day, I would like to present our savior with a small but a token of appreciation." A whole pig spun on the spit, its skin was golden and crisp, its surface sizzling as it was grilled over the fire. "This is the meat of the rare young boar found at Belushi mountain ranges. It may look insignificant for your grand self but this is all we could think of, to match your grandiose." Kalikant, the village chief greeted Cedric and Lamine as he presented the food to them.
The villagers filled every seat. Laughter rang out, mugs clashed together, and the smell of wine mixed with roasted herbs. Music overlapped with the chatter among the soldiers and the villagers as the celebration progressed.
Cedric sat at the head, his armor was unfastened at the chest, golden hair crowned with fresh laurels. He threw his head back and laughed.
Raising his cup, he shouted over the noise.
"Sing! Sing out loud tonight! No one should be sober tonight."
Lamine who was sitting alongside him looked at him with a smile as he raised his cup as well.
The crowd cheered, and the bard obeyed the command of the knight.
The bard's fingers moved across the strings smoothly and in a beautiful rhythm. His song praised Cedric and his divine sword that helped the village get rid of the darkness they were all suffering for a long time.
The villagers clapped along, stomping their feet against the stone floor. Some started dancing to the beat of the music. Some started singing along, turning the hall into one loud, living chorus.
Cedric grinned wide, drinking it all in as he shook his head to regain his balance.
At his side, a young lady poured wine into his cup. Nineteen, maybe. Her hands shook so nervously that drops spilled across the table.
He caught her wrist, smiling, "Careful, little dove. Do not waste such fine drink." He said as he put his hand around her waist to help her stand up.
Her lips curved into a smile that looked shy and uncertain, but her cheeks flushed red under the torchlight. She lowered her gaze, nodding quickly, as she went towards the other side while the villagers around them only laughed louder, cheering their lord's good mood.
Cedric's eyes, half hazy, looked at her back with a smirk, "Lamine."
"Hmm? Whats up?" Lamine asked as he set his mug down and followed Cedric's gaze.
"Oh, she?" he asked after a glance. "That's Kalikant's daughter, Aliyah or something."
"Ouhhh?"
"What are you grinning about like an idiot?"
Cedric patted Lamine's shoulder with his right hand and with a possessed grin continued,
"Didn't you see? She just invited me."
"Huh? Are you-"
Lamine's words cut short. His eyes widened as he met Cedric's gaze. There was hunger there, raw and gluttonous, a part of him that never surfaced sober.
"Is this how they show gratitude to their savior? Hahaha… I don't mind. Not one bit."
He raised his mug and drank deep, spilling laughter along with the wine. On the far side of the table, Kalikant's face had turned pale. His hollow eyes burned with fear… and barely contained rage. Murder sat in his stare.
*
I, behind my counter in the present, watched Cedric's jaw harden. His voice broke through the memory.
"She wanted me," he said. The words weren't an opinion. They were law. "They all did. Their eyes lit when I looked at them. Their hearts raced. They admired me."
I tilted my head, the silver chain at my wrist clinking softly. "Did she say that?"
His teeth clenched tightly as he was silenced once again.
And the scene re-enacted once again.