Spark City

by Robert J Power

  “Well, at least I’m not a whore,” shouted Silvia suddenly.

  “You’re a little bit of a whore,” suggested Roja shrugging her shoulders.

  “Any whore is a little whore in comparison to you Roja,” spat the little blonde.

  “Oh go fuk yourself,” Roja muttered eyeing the doorway from whence they came. He knew she was done with this event. They all were. All they had left was bitterness and aggression. Lillium would light the way for the rest to follow. There would be no females come tomorrow. Was this even a bad thing?

  It was. It really, really was.

  “Shut up, both of you,” roared Lea, finally finding her voice and finding it louder than normal. A fine strong outburst and it suited her. It was the closest thing he could get to actually complimenting the little witch. “Can we please continue with the Cull?” she said and both females fell to an uneasy silence. Before Lea could steer the questions to safer shores, Silvia took the helm and ruined it for everyone.

  “Which of us do you find most appealing?” she asked suddenly.

  “Don’t answer that,” warned Lea loudly.

  It was a good warning and Erroh nodded at her.

  He answered the question.

  He favoured one girl above the rest. A girl on the very first day he could have imagined spending a little time with. He looked at her. Looked right into her beautiful eyes, but he just couldn’t bring himself to speak her name, so he lied and ruined his chances with all of the girls.

  “Lillium,” he replied quietly.

  “Oh,” said Roja. She hid her disappointment well. Or else she didn’t seem to care.

  “I see,” whispered Silvia, smiling sadly and Erroh almost felt hurt for her. She was quite the piece of work.

  “I think we would have all been happier had you held your tongue,” muttered Lea. Her face was pale and she was glaring at Silvia who knew well the misstep she had taken. In a moment of rage, she had asked a terrible question and now there was no coming back from this.

  “I think it would have been better had you lied,” said Roja coldly. She was up to something.

  “I think we’ve spoken enough for today,” said Lea. All strength lost from her voice. He’d winded her with his words and he felt elated about it. It was petty but it was the little things.

  Before she could wade through the formalities of his rejection, Roja interrupted her. “I have a question and it is my right to ask,” the redhead said quietly.

  Lea gestured to continue.

  “I would very much like to see your body Alphaline,” purred Roja seductively. Erroh wasn’t fooled though, the anger flared from her and she had him in her sights. The bow was taut, the arrow certain. He had sinned against her and now he was to be burned.

  “Remove your shirt,” she whispered loudly while biting her lip, feigning arousal.

  “Oh that’s a fine idea,” agreed Sylvia.

  Lea didn’t bother to dissuade him. She merely sighed and waited for him to do as he was told, like a good little cub.

  “Remove your shirt,” she roared a second time and Erroh jumped despite himself.

  It was this moment that the city crushed him. It wasn’t the brutality of the arena or the questions ridiculing his life. It was the simple order by a female to demean himself for their pleasure. It was their right apparently and he was in their world.

  Painfully and slowly, he unbuttoned each clasp. The gods that seemed to enjoy scripting his misery, showed little sign of ceasing the relentless harassment. He took a breath, removed the garment, and dropped it on the floor. He tried to stand proudly and display the mosaic of purple and black with pride but he was beaten. He couldn’t meet their eyes. He wanted to flee. He wanted the Cull to end. He wanted so many things.

  “He’s quite well built under those rags,” announced Roja.

  Lea nodded in agreement.

  “Hard to see with all the bruising though. You got a terrible kicking, did you not?” Silvia said. He had hurt their feelings and this was his penance.

  Silvia was not yet satisfied.

  “I would like to see a little more though. It is our right to see what he has hidden beneath his waist,” she said and he hated her. Maybe he hated them all; it was hard to decide while suffering such humiliation. He slumped his shoulders and his arms fell to his belt. He couldn’t be made do this, could he?

  “No one here has any serious interest in seeing his manhood,” said Lea.

  “I agree,” hissed Roja.

  “I do not think any of us are quite in the right frame of mind to question. I think we’re done for the day,” Lea said swiftly. “Thank you for your honesty, Erroh line of Magnus,” she took a little breath and looked across to the other two. “Has any girl made her choice?”

  It was a stupid question.

  Neither girl made the remotest effort to move. Roja shrugged away any disappointment and stood back from the balcony. He reached down and picked up his shirt, already leaving the room as Lea pronounced, “none had chosen him.” He stepped out of the door before she finished asking him to come back tomorrow.

  Females

  “Maybe they really do hate you?” suggested Wynn thoughtfully once Erroh had regaled him with his tale of woe. Little Alphalines were not supposed to speak about the Cull but after what had occurred, Erroh told him everything. It was his petty little act of defiance. The one little enjoyment was seeing his friend’s reaction upon hearing that Roja had found him pleasing enough to put herself forward. All morning they sat in the corner of the tavern away from prying eyes and griped on about their lot in life. Erroh chewed on some honey bread and washed each crusty bite down with a generous mouthful of ale. By his third gulp he’d come upon a little line of sediment at the bottom of his glass. Gesturing for the next round, he sloshed the last few drops and downed the awful brew in one bitter swallow. Ale was ale and he was not feeling terribly content with being sober.

  “It isn’t even noon,” suggested Wynn warily as Erroh gestured more obviously for another glass. He sipped at a cup of steaming black cofe sitting in the little ceramic mug. Wynn’s endearing bravado was somewhat subdued and tapped his foot underneath the varnished table subconsciously. He was nervous about his second day Culling.

  “I’ll only have one more,” Erroh lied.

  “Did you really like Lillium most?” Wynn asked, from the worry on his face it was evident he was thinking deeply on Erroh’s mistake.

  “No. It just seemed like the thing to say. I was just weary with everything,” muttered Erroh accepting the fresh tankard and attacking it mercilessly. This seemed to put Wynn at ease.

  “Who actually appeals to you most?” Wynn asked, daring a hopeful grin.

  “I liked Lea at first but maybe only Roja now. I don’t know,” said Erroh shrugging.

  “I haven’t seen Lea, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. It would have been nice if Roja had been in my Cull, she’s quite the lady,” admitted the ponytailed Alphaline.

  “A good match can be made on the second day,” said Erroh, returning to his drink.

  “Aye,” replied Wynn anxiously.

  “You’ll be fine, it could never be as bad as mine,” Erroh said reassuringly.

  “I believe your Cull will be written in the annals of time,” laughed Wynn weakly. They both knew Erroh had stirred quite a brew of trouble. They both knew he was leaving without a mate. But good friends don’t need to say such things aloud. Good friends make jests to ease the sadness.

  “Well yeah, I like to be memorable,” laughed Erroh.

  “When I’m done, I’ll come join you for a few fine beverages. We’ll have a fine old time of it,” Wynn said getting up from the table. He spent a nervous moment fixing his irritatingly perfect hair in a nearby mirror before disappearing out the door into the crowds of Spark City’s streets.

  The afternoon heat turned into an uncomfortably sweltering evening. With no cool breeze to breech the walls, the bitter stench of a thousand grubby bodies began to mat
ure nicely and Erroh with them. He didn’t notice though, he sat in the Pig in the Hole and slowly pocketed another cluster of tiny pieces. They chinked happily, as they met their new master and Erroh became a rich man. The final player stepped from the table and stormed off in anger towards the nearest friendly face to beg the price of a drink.

  Eventually the busy tavern’s door opened and a beaten young Alphaline appeared through and sought out his drunken friend. Erroh waved wildly and matched the smile on his friend’s face without noticing the terrified skip in his step. When he traversed the crowd, Wynn took a seat and ordered a drink. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall and waited patiently for it to arrive. When it did, he drank heartily. His hands shook and his feet tapped loudly under the table. It had been a rough Cull apparently.

  “Tough session?” asked Erroh chinking mugs with Wynn.

  “Long and interesting,” Wynn replied. Something had happened. The fear was evident as was the table shaking from his feet.

  “Would you kindly stop spilling my drink?” muttered Erroh, lifting his goblet before the contents spilled out. As he did, his companion kicked hard at the table. It was a narrow escape.

  “I was chosen,” Wynn said suddenly.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah.”

  It took Erroh a few seconds to rise above the sudden melancholy, to rise above the anger and the jealousy but he did. He sighed theatrically and raised an unsteady glass to his friend’s good fortune.

  “Congratulations and fuk you,” he cried out warmly.

  “I knew you’d be thrilled,” laughed Wynn in relief.

  “The poor girl, I fear for her happiness,” Erroh said and gripped his own mug as if it were the only thing keeping him afloat. Perhaps he was destined for other things. Perhaps he could live a solitary drunken life, happy in taverns such as this, listening to word from the road. He looked around the bar and tried not to be put off by how stained the old brown walls were.

  “I make every female happy, she will be no different,” Wynn declared pompously but he was still shaken.

  “Was it the girl you favoured?” Erroh asked and signalled for many more rounds with the skill of a man that planned to spend the rest of his life a drunkard.

  “Aye,” he admitted, returning the smile guiltily.

  “She will join us presently. Afterwards, I thought I would walk with her along the wall,” he said and looked at Erroh for reassurance.

  “You have the rest of your lives to get it right Wynn. A walk sounds perfect for now,” Erroh said.

  Lillium glided gracefully through the tables of the bar and sat on the last remaining seat beside her man. She was dressed extravagantly in a deep green gown of silk, which made her stand out even more in a place like this. Erroh blinked rapidly and his stomach turned, but he concealed his dismay almost perfectly by looking down at the table. He caught a faint aroma of sweet flowers and his hands began to shake so he put them to good use by ordering a round for the happy couple and for himself.

  “Hi Erroh,” she mumbled, playing with her perfect blue hair and sneaking brief glances at her mate. It was better than staring at the male she had so gloriously rejected. He suddenly didn’t want to be at this table anymore and he ignored his anger of Wynn never telling him. In truth, could he have said or done anything differently where the roles reversed? Their shared Cull had been a disaster. Why should he punish either one?

  “You know, he’ll never let me live this down,” declared Erroh weakly, feigning a smile. It was his way of giving his blessing. It was all he could do and though his jest was hollow, her sad smile illuminated the table. Easy come, easy go.

  “Just remind Wynn he isn’t nearly as good a fighter as you,” she said before looking down at the table herself. He wanted the embarrassment to pass. He also wanted the ale in his stomach to settle. Throwing up in front of them both would just add credence to her decision to slip from his ungrateful grasp into another. I could have had her first Wynn, remember that.

  “That’s why I want a rematch!” bellowed Wynn. He slammed his fist down on the table a little too loudly trying to emphasise the point. He was excited; he had a female.

  A few patrons looked up from their cards and drinks at the sudden outbursts. The innkeeper carried a worried expression. Alphalines with alcohol were always an accident waiting to happen. They were laughing now but the atmosphere always turned nasty. Such nastiness often brought bruising. He thought about packing it all in. He thought about a wonderful retirement, away from Alphalines, away from Dia, and away from her exorbitant taxes. He watched the group in the corner and poured himself a glass of sine. There was a long night ahead.

  “Wynn beat me. He’s the finer fighter,” said Erroh, playing the submissive friend. Making him look good somehow made Erroh feel better. Maybe it was the grateful smile on his friend’s face.

  “No Erroh, you almost bested him despite a broken rib and a concussion. I know who I favour,” she said gently, her eyes were sad but there was another smile growing on her lips. Her rather nice lips. Perhaps had she smiled more, things could have been different.

  Let it go, Erroh.

  “It’s easier to speak comfortably in this place,” Erroh said, receiving the drinks and paying with a few coins from his ill-gotten winnings. “To friends,” he said and raised a glass.

  He had presumed it would be one of the more uncomfortable nights in his life, but he was wrong, and much of it was down to the company. He thought he had the measure of Lillium but outside of the Cull, she was a different type of beast altogether. She was warmer now and not just in her radiant smile. Her words were laced with a delicate kindness he’d not heard since he’d begun battle with her. Perhaps in another life, they could have been friends. Perhaps they would still be. But love? Well, she had made her choice, had she not? And as the hours passed and the conversations came easier, a wonderful cheer filled their table. He almost felt like himself, charming, witty, and confident. And he made her laugh. He thought it a wonderful sound, which couldn’t but bring a levity to the most dreary of moods. But that wasn’t all. He quickly learned that she was equally witty and more than once caused both Wynn and himself to spill their drinks from laughter as she regaled them both with ridiculous tales of the city, seen through the eyes of the entitled. She was wonderful. She was a goddess. She was spoken for and the victor was quite taken with her. From the nervous glances she stole, Erroh suspected that she too was quite besotted herself. They would be a fine pairing and such thoughts offered a little comfort. When he felt Wynn had used him as a mediator for a long enough period, Erroh suggested they leave him for the night, early as it was for young lovers. The unease immediately returned to them both but Erroh cast them aside by calling out to the innkeeper for “just one drink.” Perhaps Wynn could bring her for a walk down by the river.

  Before they left, Lillium turned and took Erroh’s hand. It was warm and it gripped tightly. A fine hand in truth, Wynn had done well.

  “I’m sorry Erroh,” she whispered in his ear. They were a few simple words that cut through him. “You are a fine man, you will be chosen and you will make her happy,” she said as though she regretted how things had been. It’s a little fuken late to say such things, he thought and anger suddenly blazed in his stomach. Biting retorts almost surfaced to wreak a great and terrible revenge. Instead of screaming, he smiled weakly. He did it for Wynn but in truth, he also did it for her.

  “Everyone kept telling me that I would be chosen, but there is no coming back from these last few days,” Erroh said. He tried not to sound as feeble as he felt but she still looked away in shame. “I’m sure they’ll soon share the same sense as you,” he said and sipped at his drink as if its bitterness was an ambrosia required for happiness. For tonight, it was. He took a second swig and drained the glass. He hoped the innkeeper was already on the way.

  She had more words to offer but she could probably read his stubbornness and possibly the anger so instead of ar
guing any further Lillium leant down and kissed Erroh on the lips. A fine kiss and it was all she could offer. He fought the shock of her being so close. He also fought the glorious pleasure of her taste. Drawing away after a wonderful moment too long, her smile had turned from sadness to tragedy.

  What might have been dear Erroh?

  “A last kiss, I hope?” muttered Wynn from behind. Erroh grinned and she looked deeply into his eyes one more time, before her chosen mate took her hand gently and led her from the tavern into the clear night. Erroh allowed her taste to remain on his lips for a few breaths more, before deciding to forget about her forever. Besides, he had alcohol to consume and dark hateful thoughts to consume him. To his dismay the innkeeper was distracted, delayed, and finally defeated by an argument between two city farmers along the way. Not to be undone, Erroh downed what remained of his companions’ beverages and gave up on himself completely. Without his companions at his side declaring their silent love for each other, he found it far easier to mutter curses under his breath and think distasteful thoughts about the Cull, the females and the city as a whole. It was far easier to blame the entire world for his woe instead of looking to his own shortcomings. He struggled to his feet and gracelessly thundered passed each table, stumbling and tripping over every possible obstruction that his awkward feet could find. No one argued. They knew their place. He’d lost count the hours he’d spent drinking but his body remembered. He reached the edge of the bar and spilled a large handful of coins loudly cross its surface. A few pieces rolled off the top and bounced happily on the floor. The crowds of revellers around him fell silent though none dared to pick up the Alpha’s fallen riches and Erroh didn’t bother to pick them up either. He was busy gripping the counter for support while the room ceased its spinning. He was no stranger to alcohol but he suspected he might have taken more than he could handle. Not that it worried him in the slightest though. In fact, he liked a challenge.