Chapter 19

“I will not go in, I will not go in, I will not go in,” Ketso repeated to himself, standing in front of one of the crowded bars in the dilapidated town. He actually began twitching, trying desperately to stay away from the bars. He learned from his last incident that him and bars didn’t mix well. But why did the town have to have so many of them? Ketso finally gave up. “I’m going in!”

He trudged forward with his head held high. He knew Dimitri was going to be disappointed in him, maybe even snack him upside the head a bit. But it would be worth it in the end. At least to Ketso. He burst through the door, itching for a drink. He pulled the coins he had left out of his bow and arrow bag. He had enough money to buy one drink and some meat.

“The meat will help keep me sober,” Ketso decided as he headed over to the bar counter. Somewhere deep down inside him Ketso cursed his alcohol addiction. And somewhere else inside him, not as deep, he was thankful there was no age limit to drinking. “I need something to drink!” Ketso exclaimed, a demented look in his eye.

The bar tender eyed him suspiciously. “Aren’t you a little young to drink?” he questioned, not sounding like he was truly concerned.

“The water’s not clean enough to drink now is it?” Ketso snapped, becoming aggressive. He wanted a drink, and he wanted it now.

“I’m giving you a light beer,” the bar tender muttered as he turned his back on Ketso.

“I heard that!” the teen snapped.

As he waited for his drink he studied the bar. Loose women here, drunken men there. A few entertainers as well, all of them on the poorly built stage dancing. Ketso wasn’t sure if they were simply dancers or gypsies. Whatever they were, they weren’t the gypsy he was looking for. He watched the dancers, a guilty feeling sinking in. He felt bad for his best friend. Dimitri seemed desperate to find his weapon. Desperate enough to set foot in this town anyway. Ketso heard a thud and turned back to the counter. The bar tender set down a large mug in front of Ketso.

“We were out of light,” the bar tender sighed. Ketso’s eyes lit up.

“Yay!” Ketso grabbed the mug and almost immediately began chugging it down.

The bar tender sighed, shaking his head, and turned around. “Kids these days.”

Ketso looked at the coins in his hand, the alcohol not quite sinking in yet. He decided that if he didn’t buy the meat he would have enough for a couple more drinks. Ketso smiled slyly. He decided to go with that idea. He wanted more drinks rather than meat anyway. Ketso burped and slammed his empty mug down. The bar tender looked at him disgustingly. Ketso placed a few more coins in front of him.

“Gimme another one,” Ketso slightly slurred. He wasn’t drunk yet, but he was getting there.

“Are you trying to get yourself drunk?” the bar tender grunted as he took the coins and refilled Ketso’s mug.

“No!” the young boy snapped. He pulled the refilled mug towards himself greedily.

“You’re a violent alcoholic,” the bar tender mutter as he turned away from Ketso.

Ketso scowled at him. “I’m not an alcoholic.” He then chugged down the beer he bought.

The alcohol quickly went through Ketso’s body, making it difficult for him to think. Being a lightweight, the alcohol was able to quickly pass through Ketso’s body. He hiccupped, then looked around. His vision was blurry, and he barely made out the figures walking through the door. From what he was able to make out, whoever walked in were slender, raven-haired, and most likely gypsies.

“Yous gots lots a gypsies in dis here town,” Ketso hiccupped, turning back to the bar tender. He gave the burly bar tender a drunken smile.

The bar tender shook his head in disappointment while wiping down a mug. “Just two and a half drinks and already he’s drunk.”

Ketso laughed at apparently nothing. “Hey! I didn’t know ya hafs a twin brudduh!”

The bar tender looked at him oddly. “I don’t have a twin brother,” he told Ketso in a gruff voice.

Ketso giggled again. “Den who dat?” Ketso pointed at thin air, tilting from left to right.

“I knew I shouldn’t have given him the beer,” the bar tender grunted.

Ketso giggled and turned on his stool. His hazy eyes scanned the bar for no reason. An arm wrestling match was going on. The two muscular men seemed to be at a tie as they tried to slam down the other man’s arm. Some prostitutes were working, trying to make a business with several of the drunken men. The entertainers continued dancing. Ketso’s eyes landed on one particular table. Several young gypsies sat at this table, talking to a few young men. These men were probably the only ones in the bar that were sober. They looked like traveling merchants. A familiar looking gypsy laughed. She had black hair that reached her middle back. Ketso wasn’t sure, but she seemed to have emerald green eyes. He could tell, though, that her skin had a dark tan.

“I have a valuable piece of merchandise you might like to buy,” the familiar gypsy said, or so Ketso could make out. “I do need to feed my sisters after all. It’s a sword, a sword made out of pure silver. It looks to be in perfect condition – not a single dent or scratch on it! I’m selling it at a reasonable price too.”

The merchants looked interested, and leaned in to hear what else the gypsy had to say. Ketso’s drunken eyes widened in realization, his intoxication leaving him for a fraction of a second. He suddenly remembered why the gypsy looked familiar. She happened to be the thief from the forest. And she was trying to sell Dimitri’s sword. Ketso was outraged on two accounts: The gypsy was selling a sword she stole, and she was trying to sell the Salvation Sword for an incredibly cheap price. Surely the Salvation was worth much more than what she was selling it for.

“I know who you are!” Ketso shouted as he tried standing up. Instead he slipped off his stool and collapsed to the wooden floor in a drunken heap. The gypsy and several other people looked up in surprise. Ketso shot to his feet. The gypsy’s eyes widened from shock at the sight of Ketso. She seemed to recognize him too. “You’re dat gypsy who stole Dimitri’s sword!”

The gypsy jumped out of her seat and headed for the door. Ketso stumbled after her. She shot through the door and hurried down the street. As soon as Ketso stepped out the door he fell to the ground and fell asleep.