Tranquil Waters

Water

I stood on my tiptoes to get a better view of the source of attention, but was unable to find out what it was.

I heard glass shattering as the crowd erupted into cheers. If I had to guess, it would've been a drinking contest. As I reached the outer edge of the crowd, a meaty, tall man wearing a tiger mantle grabbed me by the back of the shirt, lifted me up, and announced in a booming voice.

"Our next contestant has arrived! From the outskirts of town, traveling very far from..." He whispered in my ear,"Where are ya from?"

"The Alk," I replied, confused.

"... from the Alk Mountain Range!"

The crowd cheered once again, parting to create a path for me to enter the circle. The tiger man put me down, and ushered me along the path.

There stood a wooden table covered by hundreds of beer mugs. Next to the table, on the floor lay several muscular men without shirts on. Still confused, I walked toward the table as the Tiger guy pushed me. Behind the stack of mugs, I noticed a woman with long, jet black hair, with a long katana strapped to her waist. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail by a white ribbon, exposing a face of beauty that would make the average man awestruck. A pale face with defined cheekbones, large black eyes that seemed to be an endless void that sucked the lives of everyone. She was holding a mug in her left and, and another in her right hand she was drinking from.

"And now, the final battle of the day..."

Tiger man placed a beer in each of my hands.

"This beer, is the strongest beer in existence, which is known to knock out even the strongest fighters with just a small sip!"

"If this young man is able to down it, he will automatically win!"

Getting nervous, I shifted my feet. Some crazy shit I'm getting myself into, although it's my first day in town.

Oh well. I might as well have fun since I was planning to anyways.

I lifted the drink up to my lips, smelling a familiar aroma. I seem to have recalled the smell of this drink, but I don't remember where.

"Bottom's up!" I said.

I chugged the entire jug, and to my surprise, it tasted like water! It tasted exactly like the water I had been drinking for years back home.

There must have been some kind of mistake with the drink the Tiger guy gave me. Might as well try some more to be sure.

I held the drink towards the Tiger man, gesturing for more.

"You got any more?"

For some reason, the crowd began to go crazy, crazier than they were when I got here.

My hand was still holding the drink up towards the Tiger guy, who had a face of marvel and surprise. Seems like he still hadn't refilled it.

"Are you sure there isn't anything wrong with the beer? Tastes quite bland to me..."

The beautiful woman sitting at the bench looked at me - that calm, monotonous face trying to pierce through my soul. She abruptly stood up and walked over to me.

"Your... Name..."

"W-What? My name?"

"What... is... it..."

She blandly tried to state.

"----" As I said my name, a large gust of wind blew the sound away so the reader was unable know my name.

"You... are... strong..."

The monotone lady slipped something into my hand.

It seems that everybody nowadays wants to give me something special...

Weird...