DiDi's Adventure: The City of Dalia

Chapter 3

DiDi observed the duel from a distance, the green drink swirling in her shiny glass. She never understood what the commotion was about arm wrestling, a simple game built on strength. But it was a much better alternative for fighting than shedding blood with weapons. The injuries in a competitive arm wrestling match were minor, ranging from splinters due to wooden tables or the accidental crushing of an arm from too much excitement. She only hoped for the best for Lionel, but then again he didn't need it. His opponent did. 
Excitement shook the tavern like an earthquake, howls of encouragement shrilling the air, breaths held for as long as they could. Women were fanning themselves because of the humid weather and the heated duel between the two parties. Men roared like dragons, cheering for the man who spent the entire day collecting wagers and coins from every triumphant match. He was undefeatable. The music in the background had grown more energetic and combative, getting louder each note.
And instantaneously, all of it fell to a flustering hush. The crowd ceased their shouts, frozen to their spots as their eyes bulged with shock. Women gasped, their faces hidden behind their feathery fans. A band member's instrument played an off-key note, their string snapping in half and silencing. Lionel's adversary was petrified in his position, uncertain of how to react with his own arm pinned against the table. He had lost. Defeated after so much egotistical chatter. The prize he bid on with the wager, was all the money he had earned from the wrestling matches from his current "henchmen". All of which was now in Lionel's grasp. 
"Looks like the prize is mine." Lionel smirked, leaning over the table as he hauled the sack of coins towards himself. But before he could even get it to his side of the table, his rival set his hand on the bag and held it back. There was a glare burning in his eyes, a malicious scowl creasing over his mouth. "I want a rematch." He snarled. "What?" Lionel asked, in need of confirmation even after hearing it loud and clear. "I said I want a rematch."
Lionel was unsure of what to reply. Was the man breaking a wager that they both agreed on with a handshake? A wager that HE insisted on having!? Lionel scoffed. The flock of bystanders said nothing but move a few steps away from the man whose face was that of a wild dog.
"Why? You suspect something?" Asked Lionel again.
"I suspect that you're a cheater!" He barked. Lionel looked to the crowd, his gaze scanning from one face to the next. "You all saw me win fair and square, right?" A murmur of agreement replied. Lionel was getting impatient, not expecting an adversary who didn't know about the Code Of Promises.
The Code Of Promises consisted of strict rules that had to be followed strictly without hesitation. To break the rules was to break the code! And to break the code was to break trust which would bring karma in some sort of form. The rules were written exactly as so:

1. One shall never break the promises one has created with another party.

2. One shall never raise hopes of another individual, only to fail to succeed their expectations.

3. To break one's promises is to bring karma's wrath upon thee in the least expected form.

-Written by Lionel Lykes 

Strict rules indeed.
Lionel took a side glance to DiDi who was still watching from afar. She took a sip from her green drink but spewed it out again after sucking the eyeball into her mouth. A lingering taste of green apples aroused her tongue but the eyeball in her hand was revolting. She looked to the man sitting beside her, his attention towards a woman sitting to his right. He had no drink on the counter but he wore a mucky brown cloak with its hood down. She looked from left to right to see if anyone was watching and gently plopped the eyeball into his hat. And as though she had done nothing suspicious, she looked away and changed seats. The sight made Lionel snicker, making him forget about the situation he was in. Kuzu, on the other hand, was huddled up against the flickering fireplace that made his fur glisten like white flames. His head was low, resting on his paws as his crystal eyes soulfully stared into the fire as though it were whispering tales to him. Lionel didn't want to keep DiDi waiting any longer. He was supposed to be helping her find what she needed to find but instead, he was rattling a two-headed snake in need of being rid of. 
"I'll wrestle you one more time." Said Lionel, one finger pointing up. "After that, you give me my prize. Deal?"
"Fine! Deal!" The man bellowed, his voice toppling over the tavern music which had a hint of off-key notes. In their wrestling positions the referee assembled the same ritual as earlier. At the count of three, both parties commenced with the brawl. Lionel was still unmovable past the midpoint, hardly breaking a sweat. The crowd was no longer urging the man onward but was now inspiriting Lionel with great enthusiasm. They had seen him win once and were now betting their money on him as though they were attending a horse race and Lionel was one of the horses. And with a SLAM, the man lost again. His arm remained pinned under Lionel's, basking in horror from his defeat. "Impossible..." He mumbled, his eyes jumping in all directions as though a magnet was pulling on them. Unable to accept the truth he made another outraged stand, his hands banging on the table's surface.
"You cheated! I know you did!" He screamed at Lionel, saliva flying out of his mouth.
"How are you so sure?" Replied Lionel, leaning back into his chair with confidence.
"Because I know!"
"How?"
"Because-!"
"Because what?" Lionel pushed, adding oil to the flame.
"Because I've been using magic!"
A slip of the tongue. A mistake that should not have been spurted aloud to the gasping assembly. His Herculean Henchmen, who were standing against the wall with their heads low, took heed after hearing the blood-boiling words surge out of his mouth. For weeks they were serving the man, doing all his chores and dirty work because they had lost a gamble with him. A gamble that had been tainted with magic. An awkward silence pervaded the air as everyone took a long moment to process what had been said.
To quicken the process so he could get his hands on his prize, Lionel remarked, "Did you hear that boys? He's been using magic the entire time! He's been scamming you all!" He pointed at the man, rallying as many angry people he could. And it worked. With vicious growls, they cracked their knuckles and approached the man in a menacing manner. They bared their rotten teeth, a snarl curving their chapped lips. "Keep away! You're my servants! You lost to ME!" The man roared, fighting off the men who snatched him away and out of the tavern to who-knows-where. Lionel, however, had his eyes set on the untouched sack of coins. He yanked it off its feet with ease, a grin glued to his face. "DRINKS ARE ON ME!" He shouted, the entire tavern switching back to its lively form. Taking a few handful of the coins he tossed it into the air as people danced and laughed, grabbing what they could.
He approached DiDi, storing the hefty sack beneath his robes. Beckoning the bartender to come closer he ordered the strongest booze the tavern had to offer. After receiving it, he poured a glass for DiDi and one for himself. "To victory!" He exclaimed, clinking DiDi's glass and chugging it all down in an instant. She didn't have the nerve to finish all of it at once and it wasn't DiDi's taste in alcohol. She preferred sweet liquor with a strong kick to it, such as Honey Mead or fermented wine that had a lingering taste of flowers and herbs. Nonetheless, she took nips from the booze in her glass before leaning in close to Lionel's ear. "You cheated, didn't you?" She smirked as though she knew something so sinister it couldn't be said aloud. Lionel glanced from both ways, shushing her before whispering into her ear. "What can I say? The art of gravitational manipulation is quite useful." He cackled, his head tilting backwards and his chair leaning so far back that he almost fell.
There was a screech in the tavern, one that sounded familiar and vexed. Lionel and DiDi looked towards the back of the room concurrently, rubbing their eyes in disbelief of the sight before them. The table of crones shuffling cards held another member- one that oddly stood out. Kenny screeched, his arms flailing in the air as he threw his cards down and chucked his money at one of the elders. He grasped a monkey-sized satchel at his waist that jingled with each of his violent movements. Lionel gaped, a choke in the back of his throat. He wasn't sure if the booze had already kicked in or if this was really Kenny in his gambles. He turned to DiDi for confirmation if she could see what he was seeing. She returned with a laugh so wild that her face turned scarlet. "At least now we know where he spends his money." Lionel's eye twitched, observing Kenny from a distance until he decided to take action immediately. "I-I'll be back." He mumbled, stomping towards the monkey who took no notice of him until Lionel growled, "KENNY!". With a terrified screech, the monkey's fur stood on its very fringes and he soared across the table, startling the gasping old women. "Come back here you rotten monkey!" Lionel pounced after, chasing the creature in disorienting circles around the table until he finally had enough.
The gravity in the area began to shift, cards floating midair and chairs levitating off the ground. Liquor drifted out of their glasses, the table lifting from the floor and crones flying an inch above their seats. Kenny was across from Lionel who remained stationary on the ground. The monkey was drifting towards the ceiling, a coo emitting from him as he tried to swim away frantically in the air. But under Lionel's magic, no one escaped. With a snatch by the tail, the gravity resumed its normal levels, the elders plopping down on their chairs with a thunk. The liquor spilled over the playing cards and stained the table which shook as it settled back on the floor. One of the ancient crones, angered by the ruined playing table, selected a random glass half full of remaining liquor and splashed it into Lionel's chest. Under the flickering lights, his chest glistened as it merged with his sweat but he was too distracted by Kenny's vicious babbling and fist shaking to clean himself up.
"You rotten monkey! You've been using my money for gambling!?" Lionel shrieked, his voice cracking midway. More babbling from Kenny.
"Don't change the topic! You have an entire satchel full of coins!" Lionel shook the creature up and down, a handful of coins clattering to the floor.
"What do you have to say for yourself!?"
BABBLE! BABBLE!
"What do you mean it's my fault you got addicted to gambling!?"
BAAAAABBLE! BABBLE! Babble babble, babble babble! BABBLE! Babble.
"That was one time! ONCE!"
There was a huff between both of them, both of their arms crossed.
Babble, babble... babble?
"No I won't give you any more money!" 

And just like before, the both of them bitterly bickered over eachother. They fought. Lionel yanking Kenny upwards as Kenny gnawed on his fingers. The scene they caused was humiliating, catching eyes from the tavern customers who stopped their tasks and watched. DiDi was glad they didn't involve her this time because she could feel her own cheeks flush red out of embarrassment for them- but then again it was too late to speak for herself.
"DiDi!"
BABBLE!
The both of them shouted simultaneously, looking straight at her. The observers turned towards DiDi, their eyebrows raised as they pondered on what she would do to resolve their conflict.   
"E-Eh...?" That was all DiDi managed to say, a sweat breaking on her brow. She too was unsure of how to solve a conflict between two stubborn beings who fought each second they spent together. The only solution was to whack the senses out of them but even that took too much work. She looked in the opposite direction in hopes that the two of them could solve their own problems. She slipped on her cloak, wanting to step outside for fresh air after waiting too long for her mysterious "ally" to arrive. That is, if they were even planning to come. As DiDi spun back and stepped down from her stool, she bumped into a dark figure and apologized before continuing onward. But a silvery voice slithered into her ears. It sounded like a slick blade was gliding across another sword, a metallic gruff that tinkled into the silent air. "What way does the flower blow?" DiDi halted in her steps, enchanted by the delicate tone that reminded her of a single drop of water in a silent pond. Without having to think much of it, her tongue replied for her as though hypnotized by the voice. "Wherever the wind goes." She turned herself by the heels towards the same direction she had left. And with cold-gazing eyes, she took a good look at who the figure was.