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"That was easy!" cried Patys, as soon as the boys stepped inside. They stood gawking at several female Sanduls in alluring dresses dancing on the circular stage that occupied the central part of the pillared cellar.

"Patys, looks like your brother did not exaggerate," shouted Visakis above the music and the humming noise. Crowded tables dotted the floor like mushrooms, leaving barely any space to pass through.

A female Sandul appeared before them.

She was the most beautiful woman the boys had ever seen. Her hair, flaming red shot with bright yellow, made her look like a flame. Her copper skin was covered with fine red lines that formed a delicate pattern the Sanduls had been created with. It ran from the woman's forehead, down her cheeks, neck and arms, interweaving playfully. The pattern continued on her chest, like a beautiful painting, disappearing between her breasts. The boys gaped at her gown, which was made of light fabric, almost see-through.

"I'm Shacha," she said with a very soft voice. It sounded like music to their ears. "A table for four?"

The boys nodded, too overwhelmed by her beauty to say more.

The air in the cellar was pregnant with the salty smell of sweat and ancient mold. Yet, the sweet intoxicating smell of the Sandul woman seemed like a fresh morning breeze to the boys. Visakis did not make any attempt to hide his infatuation.

Shacha only raised a brow and smiled knowingly. "Follow me."

She led the boys across the room through the narrow alleys between the tables. The guests were mostly Veilys from Leivrat. The boys could tell it from the way they were dressed.

They recognized a few Aleutan guards, and were relieved to see that they were not paying the new-comers any attention. Yet, among them were also tables where wealthy Voltris were clustered together. They were big and dressed warmly, most had coarse red-brown beards that hid their double chins. The hair on their heads was heavy with oil and rolled into long thick tresses. None of the boys had ever seen a Voltris before either. Their peculiar looks amused the boys more than they conveyed fear. Some Voltris gave the boys lazy looks before returning back to shouting, drinking and gambling.

"A round of Pearly Fire," blurted out Jule, as soon as the boys were seated.

"Pearly Fire? Well, well, well," said Shacha amused. "Let me see your coin first."

Jule shrugged and leaned back in his chair. In one of his hands a coin appeared and he threw it to her with an arrogant, condescending smile

She caught it easily and smirked at him unimpressed.

"Spending father's money, pup?" she teased him as if he was a small child. "As you wish." Amused, she walked away.

"What a woman!" said Visakis, his eyes never leaving her back. The Sandul looked almost divine to him.

"Nobody will ever believe we made it!" Luykan shouted across the table.

"Nobody must ever know about it," Patys told his friends, eyeing each one of them. They nodded and averted their gazes. Of course they planned to tell it to all their other friends. No harm in that and the envy will kill them!

"Don't worry, Patys. Leave it all up to me," said Jule studying the crowd. Every folk sat clustered together, all in the same drinking den, yet divided by nature. Orvats here, Votris there. Sanduls in between. Leivratans and Aleutans, each their own corner.

"Ah, there she comes," said Visakis at the beautiful Sandul's approach. Shacha carried with her four small wooden mugs and placed them in front of the four friends.

"It only hurts the first time," she told the boys, the smile never leaving her lips. The guests who were close enough to hear her, turned to look at the boys.

"Can't be that bad, right?" asked her Visakis with his most charming smile, his chest put forward and flirting mode on. His hand rose to touch her as if she was a doll made out of colourful glass. A small dagger appeared in Shacha's hand and she crooked a brow daring him to proceed.

That blew the wind out of Visaki's sails and he backed away from her in fear.

"Not a hero after all," she said hiding the dagger underneath the folds of her dress. "Show us what you are made of, pups. Drink up."

The boys raised their mugs filled with reddish liquid.

"On the count of three. One, two..." counted Jule, but the three never came. The boys downed their drinks and their faces convulsed in pain. Their tongues and throats burned with fire. Tears ran down their cheeks from choking. Tears ran down everyone else's cheeks from laughter.

The crowd closest to them roared!

Taking pity at last, Shacha pulled out green leaves from a small pouch that hang on her wrist. She offered those to the boys.

"Here, bite this. It will help."

The boys shook their heads at her, which made Shacha laugh again. She added as an explanation, "The leaves will stop the burning and... the weeping."

At that, the boys jumped to get the leaves and stuffed them in their months. They chewed as if it was the first meal of their lives.

"You green beaks never fail to entertain us," said Shacha.

The leaves gave the boys immediate relief, and they fell back into their seats. Their eyes shot red from tears and their faces flashed.

Jule was not used to being made fun of and ridiculed. Having fun at the cost of others – anytime! If they were in Aleuta, it would have been the last time anyone from the crowd had a laugh. Yet, Jule sensed that this was the wrong place for him to demand respect that he felt entitled to. If anyone even suspected that he was the prince, they would happily slit his throat and continue drinking as if nothing had occurred.

"Another round!" commanded Jule, giving the crowd a murderous look.

"What? No!" His friends protested. It was the last thing they wanted.

"I said, another round!" growled Jule and slammed the palm of his hand on the table. Shacha eyed him with curiosity.

"As you wish, foolish one!" She bowed slightly and disappeared again in the crowd.

"It was the most disgusting thing I have ever tried. Let's not do this again," Patys attempted to reason with Jule.

"We should leave. I had a bad feeling about this all along," meanwhile whined Luykan

"Leave? After we made fools out of ourselves in front of all these inferior creatures? We stay!" commanded Jule, anger burning like fever in his eyes.

Jule's friends looked at each other in mutual understanding - the Prince must have gone mad! But they did not dare to contradict him when he in a state of fury and his mind was set.

"She said only the first one hurts..." Luykan tried to reassure himself more than anyone.

"Ready?" asked Shacha as soon as she appeared again. This time she brought a whole bottle.

Jule nodded determined. His friends dropped their heads and wished to be anywhere else but here. Reddish liquid filled their mugs anew.

"Could we have one of those leaves..." began Luykan, but Jule's stare was enough to shut him up. He sighed instead and reached resigned for his mug.

The boys downed the reddish liquid for a second time, expecting the worst and hoping for the best. The look of surprise brightened their faces. The drink still burned, but much less than the first time. Quite tolerable, they concluded.

Jule banged the mug on the table and waved Shacha to come closer.

"Now, tell us where we can smoke Doovy Jizz," he told her. At that, the beautiful Sandul gave him her most seductive smile and Jule foolishly confused anger in her eyes with the desire to oblige.

She was going to make the boy regret he ever set foot into the den!

But it was not to be then a voice behind her made them all jump.

"I don't think so!" it thundered. Shacha squeaked and whirled around. Recognizing the man, she quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Jule heard the breath go out of his friends as a large figure emerged before them, dressed unmistakably as an Aleutan guard.

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Note from the autor:

Thank you very much for reading. This was fun and a pleasure to write. Let me know your thoughts. What did you like? Where did you get confused or bored? Let me know and I will make it better! :)

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