The Past

What Will be Kerta

The port was located in a quite old city called Lask, at the very tip of the opposite side of our continent.
The day we landed, the first thing I did was take a few of my gold and silver marks and head to the nearest pub with Paves.

"A fresh meal that isn't fish is all I've wanted for weeks," I said to her as we walked on the dusty sand paths of the city.

On either side of the street were sandstone structures, up to three stories tall, endowed with perfectly squared windows carved with precision into the golden walls of the houses and markets. We followed how the throng of locals moved, and entered the first building from which we heard joyous music and laughter.

The workday must be over at this point, I presumed as I saw how many people were enjoying drinks and sharing snacks.

"Could I have one of those?" I asked a waiting man, pointing to the drink in a tall woman's hand, at the table nearest to the one Paves and I had just sat at. "And whatever the chef has prepared for food?" I fished a few silver marks out of my coin purse and handed them to the man.

"Vesh khala ar kern aka?" He responded, almost yelling, and refusing to take my money.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak-"

"Don't worry, Kinheal. I speak all languages."

Athern had followed Paves and I to the pub, directly contrary to the instructions I had given him. I couldn't help but be a bit grateful, and I was even more so as I saw Remor and Teirr follow him through the doorframe.

"Orin ve khala qar bhier berinvet ezandu kla parvan, ghun jir qari," Athern said, and gestured to our entire group.

"Ekun va," the darkskinned man grunted, pursing his full lips, then nodded back at Athern after receiving a shout from the kitchen. He headed off after swiping the coins I had offered him off the table.

"What did you say?" I asked Athern as the men pulled more of the oddly low wooden chairs to the table.

"I told him we wanted the bheir and a traditional portion of food for each."

"Thank you," I muttered, and sunk into my chair, hungrily awaiting the flatbread I had seen someone eating.

After a few minutes, someone brought us the beer, and after fifteen more minutes, we asked for another round.

By the time the well-adorned platters arrived at our table, we were all laughing quite a bit.

"And we've heard a few more things than we would've liked to from your cabin, Teirr," Remor commented lightly, glancing from him to Paves. This earned a shout of agreement from Athern and myself,  and abashed denial from Paves.

"Wait wait, clear the mugs," I laughed as I saw the man holding two large platters, unable to place them on our crowded table.

"My gods, I am prepared to ravish this," Teirr commented as the man set down the first platter.

On one edge of the platter, in a small basket, were several steaming flatbreads, fresh from the fire. Beside was an array of an unfamiliar, teardrop shaped fruit that Athern told us were called figs, with several opened pomegranates.

A jar of honey sat beside the bread as well, and beside it was vegetables meant to be eaten with the bread. Grilled onions, with cabbage, cooked leeks, all seasoned with small bits of something I was unfamiliar with, and paired with a hot bean broth.

It all looked amazing, and we were starving for something that wasn't fish.

And my gods, this non fish was amazing!

"I need garlic on everything now," I said with a full mouth, after Athern had told us the name of the seasoning they used.

As we stuffed ourselves with this deliciously fresh meal, I didn't even want to think about the task at hand. I glanced between Paves and Teirr, reminding myself how important it was that we found the Mirror. Paves and Teirr could never be together, not in out Realm.

In our Realm, our parents would find us eventually, wherever we went. His duty was the same as mine: to further the royal line by marrying a diety. If either of us got caught shirking it, Alarithe would find us eventually.

I didn't know if she'd ever forgive me for forsaking the gift she gave our families.

The serving man came up to us again a bit later, and after a brief exchange with Athern, accepted a few more coins from me.

"Echten ak mensa Al'Dora, Arke'th, ver Zalta."

"What did he say?" Paves asked Athern.

"He wished a journey to you three, people of Doran, Arke, and Zalta."

"He said Aldora, Arketh, and Zalta," I countered.

"No, he said 'Of Doran' and 'Belonging to Arketh'," he explained.

"Still, Aldora has a nice ring to it." Teirr shoved a fig in his mouth as he spoke. Somehow he still wasn't stuffed.

"I quite like Arketh, too." Of course, Paves agreed with everything Teirr said.

"Zalta will always be Zalta." I raised my last mug of beer, for a toast. "To the Three Kingdoms: Aldora, Arketh, and Zalta."

"Aldora, Arketh, and Zalta!" The rest of the group cheered, then downed their drinks.

"Well, we ought to get food for the journey," Remor remarked as we all walked through the city a few moments later, and soon we were purchasing bits of food from the markets to take on our journey.

I looked down at the bag of food I held. Flatbread wouldn't last very long, but it would stay good for at least a week, but the dried beef and the cheeses we bought would last much longer.

"Think you could call in Deftre to preserve us some figs?" Teirr joked, poking Remor in the shoulder. He very much enjoyed teasing him and Athern, acting as though all of the gods were friends.

"I think not."

Remor's replies had become rather curt lately, and I didn't quite know what was the matter with him.

"Tonight we sleep on the ship," I said to the group, "and tomorrow we will go to the caverns. Athern excepted."

We followed the path back to the boat after exploring the city, and I stole Paves away from Teirr for the rest of the evening.

Aldora, Arketh, and Zalta, I thought once more.