[Flashback] Ale to Warm the Heart (Felakal)

[Sulavik]

54th Spring 497AV It was a very happening place, the Kulkukan Inn. At least, it was for the sailors and the more rowdy Akalaks amongst the race. Sulavik was as uncomfortable as all hell. He sat by himself, a rare enough position in the Inn. Most of the tables were swarming with Akalaks and visitors alike, the Inn a bustling place, loud, noisy, orders for drink and food joining the cacophony every so often. It was rare for Sulavik Vakarion, son of the immovable and propriety-focused Yasij to be found in such a decrepit place. But here he was, slowly drinking his way through his fourth tankard of ale, alone. If asked, Sulavik would say there was no particular reason, no reason at all he was getting drunk. People got drunk all the time without a reason. There was no reason that Sulavik himself could not. Of course, there was a reason. Not that he would ever admit it out loud. His friend, Harik, had gotten a Nakivak pregnant. Sulavik did not understand why he was so upset over it. It was just a pregnancy, it was not like Harik himself would become any less of a friend because of it. There was no reason in the world Sulavik should be upset. Nearly every other Akalak who knew was rejoicing, for another child of their race would join them. Another Akalak to the slowly dying race. It was good news. Sulavik knew it was good news. But if it was so good, why was he slowly drinking himself to drunkenness? He raised a hand for a fifth tankard, looking around. Being as tall and as built as he was, Sulavik was not yet drunk when a human might be. He needed at least two or three more tankards before he could be classified inerbriated. As he waited for someone to grant his silent plea, he spotted one other Akalak alone drinking - much the same as Sulavik was. He looked heartbroken. Unsteadily, not really knowing why, he stood, grabbing the last tankard and chugging down what ale was left. He made his way over to the table in the corner. It was a short walk, which was good for someone with such blurry ale-induced vision. "What's up kid?" he asked the Akalak before him, for a kid he was. Certainly still in his teens. It was depressing. No one should look that sad so early in life. OOC-16cm for the ale

[Felakal]

Tears were still streaming down his face. Felakal had no idea how they could still flow, they hadn't stopped all night. He heard the faintest voice as a large Akalak walked up to his empty table. He didn't respond, rather taking another large swig of his gallon of ale. Everything he knew, would end. His promising life, over. Felakal was perfectly capable of caring for himself, although he didn't want to have to yet. He wanted to be able to train with his father and to hug his mother. Instead, he sat alone drinking much too much for his size and age. His vision was already blurred and thoughts mingled. There were loud shuffles and shouts that filled the tavern as what seemed to be a fight begin to break out between some sailors. Maybe he would get involved. The sailors, both Akalak and Human, were much older than himself, like this Akalak that approached him. No matter, he continued to drink as the stranger stood, waiting for an answer that Felakal definitely wasn't going to give. The news of the night had already spread through the town, except for the tavern. It was late at night and nobody bothered telling the drunks. They would find out in the morning. OOC-2 SM for the Ale

[Sulavik]

Sulavik sighed at the kid. Either he was incredibly stubborn or he was too far drunk for him to even be aware of the tall blue presence beside him. The Akalak teenager would probably only reach to his bicep if he were to stand. Sulavik felt a wave of pity. He tried again. "Kid, are you alright? Should you really be drinking that?" Sulavik waited for a response, tapping his foot. He felt lightheaded. He was not drunk, just ... uncomfortably tipsy. He sat down opposite the kid. He was quite good looking, in that youthful way. He looked strong, too. His eyes though - they were red-rimmed, pouring tears and haunted. He looked as if he had seen far too much. Much more than a kid should ever have to see. Sulavik found he could not keep eye contact. He was too much of a coward to do so. Smiling awkwardly, Sulavik reached in toward the tankard of ale the boy had clutched in his hands. He was a teenager, he shouldn't be drinking that much so quickly. Using his superior strength, he tugged it out of his grip, hissing as the ale splashed out onto the table and down Sulavik's shirt. Sighing, he took his own shirt off quickly, wringing the liquid out of the soon to be stained white blouse. He sat, only in his trousers, waiting for a response. He did not know why he felt drawn to the boy. Perhaps it was that he felt sorry for him. He did not know what was wrong, and it supposed it didn't really matter. He could have lost his lucky charm or his entire world could have been torn apart, and Sulavik would still feel the same urge to help the boy. He didn't really know how, though. He sighed. As a child, he had been a bit of a loner, never really connecting with the other kids. Now that he was thirty three, he had no idea how to react to teenagers. He was a fish out of water. Awkwardly, he held his hand out, as if for a hand shake. Did kids do that? Too late if they didn't, the offer was already there. As he waited for the kid to either reject or accept the handshake, he introduced himself. It was a good place to start. No one would tell a complete stranger why they were crying. It made sense that Sulavik needed to get rid of that 'stranger' status first. "I'm Sulavik. Nice to meet you. Looks like you've had a rough night. What's your name, kiddo?"

[Felakal]

Looking up at Sulavik as he put out his hand he glared. Who was he to take his ale? He didn't know him. Felakal let out a growl. "Yes I have had a rough night." He grumbled. "Which is why I would appreciate it if you handed my gallon back. He knew that the strange man was just trying to be friendly and helpful, but he didn't care. He just hoped that maybe he could drink himself into a sleep. And maybe never wake up... Felakal's father had always taught him to show courtesy to strangers, but he didn't care. He just wanted to drink before everyone in town began to pity him. But it looked as if it was too late. He already had complete strangers sitting near him just because of the way he looked. It would only get worse as people learned of why he was in the tavern in the first place. Burping slightly, he shook the Akalak's hand. "Felakal." He put down Sulavik's hand, but keepin his up, obviously waiting for the older male to hand him what was his. The man stayed silent for a short period. "Look, you've already spilled my ale, just let me finish what I've paid for." Felakal said with a low growl.

[Sulavik]

He shook his head as the boy burped, sighing. It was really just grotty. There was an excuse for being sad, being drunk, being upset, but never for being uncouth. The Akalaks were renowned for discipline. There was always a limit as to how far you could let your propriety sink in their society. Of course, Sulavik had no idea just what it was that had happened to the boy that night. He had no idea that he had lost both his parents at once. He could not even begin to guess that. Gingerly, Sulavik shook Felakal's hand, eyeing the tear streaks once again. "Lovely to meet you," he murmured, more sarcastic than anything. Perhaps it seemed cruel, but he had no sympathy for the overly drunk. Sulavik himself was drinking that night, but he knew when to stop. This boy didn't. Sulavik racked his brains for something to say, in the few seconds of silence where Felakal glared at him. But there was no need, for Felakal broke the silence himself. Sulavik sighed, shaking his head. "Look, kiddo. You can't be more than twenty. You may have had a helluva night, but you'll wake up and all the problems will still be there - there'll just be a splitting headache to accompany it." Sulavik held out a hand with the ale in it, and a waiter walked by and took both of the tankards - both Sulavik's and Felakal's. Leaning back in his chair, he looked Felakal right in the eyes. He did not flinch this time at the tears. "So why don't you tell me what's wrong, kiddo? I'm not going anywhere." He folded his arms and waited. He would wait until he got the story from the boy. He had time.

[Felakal]

Growling, he dropped his head onto the table with a loud thud. His head was spinning. Not from the alcohol, but from all that had happened that night. It was so much to take in. And it was so unexpected. He just wanted to forget it all. "What do you care?" He said, mumbled through the table. Felakal didn't understand why this stranger Sulavik was trying to help. He didn't know him. He was just a strange kid in a tavern. Who cares? "Who cares if I wake up with a headache?" He tried not to cry anymore. "Maybe it will distract me from the pain I already feel. Felakal watched as the waiter took the tankards of ale away. Lifting his head back up. He have Sulavik a hard stare, he was a very large man. But he didn't care. Maybe if someone killed him, the pain would be gone.

[Sulavik]

Sulavik watched with raised eyebrows as the boy slumped down onto the table, bashing his head on the wood. Really now. There was a point where you just had to pick yourself up and move on. It was just sad. The boy needed to mature. He shouldn't be sitting here drinking himself to oblivion. Of course, there was no way Sulavik could have known just what the poot bloke had gone through. Sulavik crossed his arms, his foot tapping, waiting for the boy to finish moaning into the table. When he finally looked up, he spoke, his voiced laced with sarcasm and impatience. "The self pity party is over? Good." He was impervious to the boy's stare. Sulavik got up abruptly. He moved quickly over to the side of the table Felakal was sitting, and slinked an arm underneath his. Heaving, he pulled the shorter Akalak boy to his feet. "You've had way too much to drink. Come on, where do you live? Where's your father, kid? I'll walk you home."

[Felakal]

Felakal's eyes widened as Sulavik mentioned his father. The gruesome scene flashed across his memory. The sights, the scents, the sounds. The blood. So much blood. What could he say? "My father?" He swayed a little as he stood next to the towering Akalak. "I- I- he's... gone." He wiped his face as more tears fell. "He's not coming back." As he stood, Sulavik had a better view of the blood on his face and arms. But he wasn't cut anywhere. "Forgive me." Felakal's stomach growled loudly. "I'm normally not like this." He swayed back and forth. "He taught me better..." He said to himself more than to Sulavik, not specifying who he was talking about. "No. I'm not going home... I can't." Felakal shook his head vigorously. "Na- Naturii's waiting outside." His father's eagle. He remembered that she waited outside somewhere in the darkness. An eagle isn't a night hunter but she had had just as rough night as he had.

[Sulavik]

Sulavik's eyes widened, his mouth dropped, and his jaw moved, as if trying to say something but he could not think what. The teenager was covered in blood. But he was not bleeding. And the way he spoke about his father, swaying, affected by the drink ... it clicked. Sulavik felt terrible. How had he missed that? How on EARTH did he think that it was something small, like a lost dog or an angry parent? The child would not be sitting in the tavern drinking his way into a drunken depression if it were something as small as that! How had he been so blind, so... so ARROGANT to think it was something small? Just because he was young did not mean he had a smaller capacity for emotion. Sulavik felt horrible, awful, and a total bastard. "K-kiddo..." he stuttered, shocked. And then he paused. What could he say to the poor kid? "I'm sorry"? It seemed so trite. What did you say to someone who lost their father? He could not imagine losing his, even though Yasij and he were not extremely close. "I... I don't know what to say." At least he was honest. He would not say "I'm sorry". "I'm sorry" did not even cover it. He didn't know who Naturii was. His mother? If it was his mother, he would be with her. But he didn't want to pry. He sighed, running a hand over his face, feeling the stubble there. He shut his eyes tightly, willing the vestiges of drunkenness away. He needed to be alert with this kid. Uncle and Father would not mind. "Come on, kid." He reached out, and wrapped an arm around Felakal's shoulder, supporting the drunk teenager. "You can come to mine, for tonight. My uncle and father are there. We'll look after ya." He began walking Felakal out of the Inn. "Where's this Naturii? I'll bring you both home for the night."

[Felakal]

He wasn't sure what to say. This man obviously felt sorry for him. The look on his face told Felakal that he figured out what happened. So not knowing what to say, he walked with Sulavik towards the door, showing he would go. "Naturii... she's heartbroken too. She's probably flying waiting for me." Felakal's feet shuffled a bit as his drunkenness became more noticeable. It wasn't all from being drunk though. It had been a long and gruesome night. He could barely lift his feet as he stumbled under the tall Akalak's shoulder. Felakal could see why Sulavik would feel sorry for him, but why was he going out of his way to help? Felakal was a complete stranger. He could see why others would offer a hand, many in Riverfall knew who his father was and would honor him by helping his only son. And Felakal was a little popular among his peers. But he didn't know Sulavik and Sulavid didn't know him. Normally able to keep his thoughts to himself, he wasn't as good with the alcohol induced dizziness. "Why are you helping me?" He stumbled as Sulavik opened the door. "I don't know you." The cool night breeze blew into the inn as the door swung open. The air tasted sweet and refreshing but made Felakal want to vomit, after spending so much time in the stuffy, sweat smelling inn. It was still dark our but it was morning outside. Yet the sailors and drunkards were still making a commotion inside. Felakal thought that he heard something about a pregnancy. A new child on it's way to Riverfall. It seemed almost like an insult from the gods. His mother and father dead, yet the inn was still happy about a life that might live through it's mother's pregnancy. Felakal always respected the gods and goddesses. But how could he worship them if they took everything that he knew and loved away?