He was testing if I understood his language. Was he not one of us?
"Your idea of fun is to peep on a damsel cleaning herself?" I spoke using the boy's language.
His face lit up and he moved out of his defensive stance with a smile on his face, happy he found someone who understood him. I wondered where the black knives disappeared as he moved his hands behind his back. Maybe he had a pouch or something judging from the thin strap on his thigh I saw through the open cloak.
"Oh, thank God. I didn't intend to, I swear. I'm not a pervert."
The boy tried his best to defend himself and I believed him. His eyes were innocent. I walked up to him and his body tensed up again. I raised my hands and patted him on the shoulder inadvertently making him flinch.
"Don't worry, my friend. It is fun when you are not caught In the act!" I laughed at my own joke but the boy was too busy gazing at my beards. I bet those white-golden beards swayed everytime I laughed.
"Come friend, let us talk over a cup of Ale!" I yelled excitedly that I will once again drink ale with a new friend. The boy seemed a bit reluctant but he followed me anyway.
(Scene change: In a Bar.)
I gestured to my new friend, who was busy as always staring at everything, to take a seat. This time around, he was looking back and forth staring at everyone. He was a great contrast compared to us with his black cloak. I wish he wore something more formal or he could at least take off the cloak.
"My lord," My friend, and owner of the bar we were in, greeted me. He glanced at Naruto before he turned back to me. "I see you brought in a new friend," He said with a smile.
"Yeah, I met this guy in the market." I placed my hands on the blonde's shoulders drawing his attention. We spoke in my native tongue.
"Drink's on the house." Gardney, my friend, said.
"Oh no, I would not want to-" I tried to decline. I had enough money to buy the entire bar but Gardney always does this when I come in with a new friend. It's more of a tradition now.
"No my lord, it's all thanks to you that my bar turned into a great establishment like this. Your frequent visits made my bar very famous. This is but a small token of my appreciation, my lord." He said.
I smiled and he left to go grab a bottle of ale.
"You drink, my friend?" I asked, now using the language he understood.
"Drink? Um.." He looked like he considered it. "Why not?" He said.
I smiled with a raised eyebrow. He seemed a bit reluctant due to some reason best known to him.
"I don't have money on me." He finally admitted.
I made an 'o' with my mouth before I chuckled and told him the drinks were on the house.
Gardney dropped two cups filled to the brim with froth on the table. I chugged the contents of the cup down my throat in record time. I glanced at my friend who did the same without a grimace, and it looked like my friend could hold his liquor… Only one way to find out.
I nodded at Gardney who shook his head in return before he went into the storeroom.
"What would you like to eat?" I asked my companion.
"Anything. I'm not a fussy eater," He replied.
"OK then. I want the best selling menu today!" I yelled in my language.
"What did you say?" He asked me.
"I ordered something. Do not worry, you will like it." I told him.
Gardney sure took his time because my friend was already wolfing down the food I ordered with joy before he came in with four barrels of ale hefted on his shoulders. I smirked as I heard everyone hoot.
"Who's the unlucky one who challenged our lord to a drinking contest?!" A huge man asked, making everyone laugh.
In our home, my family is known to be great drinkers, especially my older brothers.
"It's his new mate," Gardney answered, letting a grunt of effort escape his mouth as he dropped the barrels.
"This lanky lad?" A fat man jeered.
Everyone laughed and gathered around us. My friend seemed a bit uncomfortable as he shifted in his seat. Of course he would, they were pointing at him and laughing.
"What are they saying?" My friend asked.
"You my friend, have been challenged to a drinking contest. There's no backing down now." I said to him with a smile.
A beautiful maiden poured me a drink with a smile and did the same with Naruto, winking at him before wishing him good luck.
"She wishes you good luck but I am afraid lady luck will not be of help to you today my friend. I remain undefeated in this bar!" I said drinking the entire contents of the wodden cup in a single gulp.
Well, I wasn't entirely truthful, the only ones capable of defeating me are my older brothers. The younger ones are nowhere near me, though.
"Oh it's on!" My friend replied with vigour and proceeded to drink everything in two gulps.
I smiled, placing my elbow on the table before resting my jaw on my fist raising a cup for a toast to friendship.
.
.
.
"Amazing. They've drunk ten barrels and the lanky blonde's still going." The fat man said in sheer surprise.
My friend glanced at him mid-gulp. I'm sure he's satisfied with the astonished look on the fat man's face as he doubled his efforts.
We have drunk fifteen barrels now now and i just finished the sixteenth barrel the same time my friend did.
"More!" I yelled.
32 barrels and my friend was still drinking. Now 64, 72, 86, 99th barrel, he was still up and going. The bar today was filled with screams. The fat man lay on the ground wasted. His last words were, "This one might be lanky on the outside but he's a beast on the inside."
My friend got up, opened the last barrel and brought it to his mouth.
"Ohhhhhh! Drink it, drink it. Chug it, chug it!" Everyone screamed out loud.
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