Chapter XIX: Community In Strife

“Chug! Chug! Chug! C’mon, drink!”

“I’m spinning! Woahhhh!”

“Hey! We need another round over here!”

“This belly knows no limits boys!”

Margrett stomps over to Alakar with a tray of mugs, and asks, “How much longer is this going to go on? This is the third day now of non-stop drinking!” and she narrows her eyes at Alakar’s mug.

Alakar takes a swig and says, “They’re dwarves, Hun, and it’s their booze. Not my problem if they pillage their own stockpile,” as he leans on a large barrel.

Margrett nearly drops the tray in frustration and says, “They better run out soon! I’m fed up being everyone's waitress! I could be spending time with my kids or working on my stitch work right now. Can’t you help me out a bit?” and her tray suddenly went empty with a passing group of high-bogs.

Alakar downs the rest of his mug and says, “I have my hands full right now. I’m constantly wrangling food for all these people. Plus, I have to keep trying to mingle with these drunks. And most of them still see me as their enemy… Why not have some of the girls help you out with the serving?” and he belches.

Margret waves the gasses away from her face and says, “That’s fucking disgusting! I’m done after tonight! And no, I can’t have the girls near the stuff… Most of them are pregnant, and I’m constantly having to take the drinks out of their hands. Ugh, I wish they knew better,” and she begins to fill more mugs.

Alakar fills his own mug at another tapped barrel and says, “Now that you say it, most of them do appear to be a ways along. How’d they all get pregnant so fast?” and he scratches his head with the bottom of his mug.

Margrett growls at him and yells, “Are you fucking stupid?! How do you think?! Ugh, I don’t have time for this. Go do something productive!” and she walks over to one of the picnic tables.

Yee and Rou then approached a dumbfounded Alakar. Together, they carried a gutted-horned deer on a pole. The deer corpse had been shot multiple times with arrows, and its pelt showed signs of significant scuffing, likely from the repeated hits of a club; it was clearly a botched kill.

“Boys, that’s the worst one yet. We can’t even salvage the pelt from that! I taught you better! Always aim for the heart or the head!” says Alakar as he slams his mug down.

Yee struggles to hold up his end up of the pole and says, “We knows fadder, but wes in ah hurrys,” and he moves towards one of the blazing fires.

Rou sets his end of the pole up on a post and says, “Father, cans we relax after dis? We’ves been hunting all days. We needs da breaks, please!”

“Yes, what brother saids! And cans we haves some of dat funny waters too?!” says Yee, as he sets his end of the pole down.

Alakar looks at the roasting horned deer and says, “Uh, fine, I don’t care. Just stay out of trouble,” and he watches his boys run off into the crowds.

Alakar then looks back at the unskinned catch and then to a crowd of high-bogs and yells, “Wait! You boys forgot to skin it!”

He tries to look over the many heads, but no one comes to him, so he says, “Bah, never mind, I’ll do it myself,” and he pulls a knife from his pants pocket.

Right as Alakar begins to lose himself in the art of skinning, Fundinn staggers to him and says, “You know, I really hate you,” and he spits at Alakar’s feet.

“Now that’s not a way to talk to your kinsmen,” says Alakar as he shears his knife against some flesh.

Fundinn grits his teeth and says, “Me and some followers are planning to leave this shit hole once we sober up. Will you hunt us down for doing so, huh, huh?!”

Alakar peels the skin up towards the back of the carcass and says, “No, I won’t. Anyone is free to leave, but I doubt a few of you from a simple mining company, outside yourself would survive in this area. Plus, that’d be against the current wishes of your father and clan head…”

Fundinn clinches his fist and yells, “Fuck you, I can make my own decisions!”

Alakar moves to the other side of the corpse and says, “I don’t doubt it, but your fate is sealed with mine. Your king will not accept you as you are, nor will any other nation. Your best bet is to stick it out with your family, I mean with our family,” and he then pulls a large flap skin over the head of the beast, like a blown over cape.

Fundinn stomps his foot and says, “Bah, you’re not my family, and no amount of liquor will make me think otherwise! I hate this body, I hate what you have done to me, and I despise you for turning my clan into these abominations!” and he shakes his fist at him.

Alakar begins to sever the caved-in head from the shoulders and says, “Would it surprise you if I said that I hate this body too?! It disgusts me, I dare say I hate myself, but regardless, I won’t abandon my ways... Do you see this pelt-to-be Fundinn? It’s a lot like you and me,” and with his forearm, he removes some blood from his face.

Fundinn then grumbles and says, “I am not like you or some piece of skin; what a shitty insult.”

Alakar severs more flesh, along with a neck bone, and says, “Ah, but you and I are the same, at least in the eyes of most. Much like us, this skin is unwanted, mangled, and irredeemable, yet it deserves more than what it may seem. Even though it is damaged, it’s still not worth throwing away, it could be useful, maybe even serve a greater purpose that has yet to be found.”

Fundinn shouts, “We’re just monsters waiting to be culled, and nothing more! I hate your analogy; you make no sense!”

Alakar then rips the head from the body, throws it to the ground, and says, “A couple of months ago, I would have agreed with you, but you’re wrong. My point is that we are a lot like this pelt-to-be. We think the value of it is diminished by the altered appearance, yet that isn’t true. We all have passions, families, and desires which cannot be abandoned… If you choose to leave, you’ll live your days out in the sticks and abandon everything.”

Fundinn then says, “That body is dead; it has none of those things which you speak of. And are you expecting me to create my old life here? No way!” and he grimaces at the head.

Alakar looks down at the decaying head too and says, “It’s better than the alternative… And you’re wrong again, this flesh once harbored all of the things that I spoke of. So, if wish to rot and become truly irredeemable, then please leave tomorrow morning. I won’t tolerate any sort of mutiny or infighting,” and he pulls the entire skin from the body.

*Rrrrrrrip*

Fundinn waves dismissively at him and says, “Whatever, I’m gone,” as he walks away.

Alakar pays no heed to Fundinn and says, “Ugh, this was a shit job,” as he rests his hands on his hips.

He then points to a boggart dressed in a loincloth and says, “Hey you, come here!” and the boggart points at herself in confusion.

Alakar yells, “Yeah, you, catch! I want it cleaned, washed, salted, and stretched. If you don't know how to do that, then take it to someone who does. I have to piss!” and the boggart topples over underneath a sheet of skin.

From there, Alakar weaved his way through the many newly crafted picnic tables. He waved and made his presence known as he made his way through, yet no one approached him for conversation. The lack of conversation made him ponder everyone’s transformations; the barrel shape of the dwarves was gone, and in their place were taller, slimmer, greener men. He wondered why their transformations were so different from his and his wife’s, yet those thoughts disappeared upon a newfound revilement.

*Pizzzzzzzzzz*

Alakar whispers, “Ahhh, yes, finally, much better,” and he buttons up his pants.

*Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap*

Alakar looks around the tree in front of him and whispers, “What in the world is that? Is that red thing over there, my son?” and he sniffs the air while stalking closer.

*Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap* *Snap* Crack*

Rou looks over his shoulder and says, “Go aways Yee, dis female is mines,” and he goes back to the task at hand.

*Fwap* *Fwap* *Fwap*

Alakar approaches the two figures lying down within the marshy woodlands, only to seize one of them by the back of the neck and say, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Ahhhhh!”

Rou struggles against his dad’s grip and yells, “Nooos! I wasn’t finished! Comes back beautifuls!” as he attempts to pull up his pants.

Alakar sets him down and says, “So you’re the reason why all the girls are pregnant around here. I guess we never did have the talk,” as he watches the female boggart scream off into the forest.

Rou prostrates himself before Alakar and says, “Wha-, whys, why yous bothers mes?! I was matings with da female!” and he digs his nails into his head.

Alakar folds his arms, looks down at him, and says, “I know… My eyes are still burning from the sight. I just want to remind you that you have to take care of my grandchildren and daughter-in-law. I want them well fed, clothed, and sheltered, at the very least. You understand me?!”

Rou looks up at him and says, “I don’ts… What are ‘grandchildren,’ and whats dis ‘daughter-in-law’ you speaks of?”

Alakar pulls him up by the collar, stares into his eyes, and says, “Are you kidding me? It’s your mate and offspring. Is that more clear?!”

Rou looks at the ground and mutters, “Buts, I don’t knows which one’s are mines…”

Alakar shakes him by the shoulders and shouts, “Unacceptable! Can’t you tell by the smell?! Figure it out and go tell your brothers too!” and he shoves him in the direction of the camp.

Alakar then collapsed between the roots of a large grove tree and sat in his indifference; he wasn’t sure if he had been a good father thus far, and doubt riddled his mind. The thoughts engrossed his head for nearly an hour until a slithering breeze of death rolled under his nose. He immediately stood up and ran in the direction of the winds, only to find himself halted by a disturbing sight; it left him speechless.

The situation before him was a difficult one, and he believed it would split the community. However, his heart told him that he must show Dolstran, so he traveled back towards the lights of the camp.

Alakar approaches one of the picnic tables to sit down, and he says, “Dolstran may we speak for a moment?” and the entire picnic table clears in an instant.

Dolstran hands him a beer and says, “I apologize for them leaving like that. Most of them still hold a grudge against you or believe you to be a lier…”

“And what do you think?” asks Alakar as he sits down across from Dolstran.

Dolstran takes a long drink from his mug, slams it down, and says, “Hm, your origin story is certainly strange, yet unlike the others, I believe it... Your hospitality these last few days has proven to me that you're at least not a savage. However, there is still the lingering decision of what my people will do from here on,” and he looks down into his mug.

“I know. It is your choice what happens to your people… But I didn’t come to greet you now to ask for an immediate decision. I need you to come with me to see something that I found in the woods,” says Alakar.

Dolstran raises an eyebrow at him and asks, “What’s in the woods that’s so important?”

“I will not speak of it here. You have to come see it for yourself,” says Alakar.

Dolstran sizes up Alakar and says, “You don’t plan to off me in the middle of the forest, do you?”

Alakar snorts and says, “No, I consider you to be part of my family now, and I would never kill one of my own. Bring a few of your most trusted guards, if you wish,” and he takes a swig of his own mug.

“Hm, no need for the guards, I was just testing you. Let’s go. Show me what you found,” says Dolstran as he slides his mug to the center of the table.

The two walked through the camp together towards a tree line. They turned many heads, yet Dolstran waved off their concerned looks. Everyone’s laughing and cheering followed their backs as they made their way deeper into the forest. However, by the time they made it to the previous site, there was only silence.

“Are you okay, Dolstran?” says Alakar, as he witnesses Dolstran’s face crunch up.

“...”

Alakar scratches the back of his neck and says, “I’m sorry for this, and I want you to know that I did not cause their deaths. I would hav-”

“I know you had nothing to do with it… These lads struggled with their woes since their change, and instead of searching for their answer at the bottom of a mug, they chose the noose,” says Dolstran as he wipes tears from his face.

Alakar asks, “What would you like to do?”

Dolstran cuts one of the bodies down from the tree and says, “I want to give them a stone burial, even though they don’t deserve it…”

The two cut the remaining bodies down from the tree and then proceeded to carry them in silence towards the base of the plateau. Alakar put a dead high-bog over each of his shoulders and followed Dolstran, who had the other. It was an eerie journey in the night, and neither of them spoke till all three bodies were completely buried under a pile of stones.

“May you all find peace with Malcor beneath this mountain,” says Dolstran as he stands up from a long prayer.

“So, what happens now?” asks Alakar.

Dolstran grimaces at the stone piles and says, “It was right of you to show me this. If word had gone out that some of our kinsmen committed suicide, then a great shame fall upon our clan. Please, never speak of this.”

“You have my word. I swear upon my name,” says Alakar.

Dolstran looks at Alakar and says, “You are a good person, far from any abomination. Now, let's hurry back before my absence becomes worrisome.”

They both quickly marched back to the camp and made sure to return from the way they came to avoid suspicion. Once they entered the camp, all eyes went on to them until they sat back down at their previous table. The two let out a large sigh at once as they grabbed their respected mugs.

Dolstran chugs the last of his drink and then says, “I’m sorry that I have to do this to you, Alakar, but I can’t see any other way to reach a decision.”

“Wha- What are you talking about?” says Alakar as he chokes on his drink.

Dolstran stands up onto the picnic table and shouts, “It’s a drink-off! Everyone gather around!”

Well over a hundred bodies stood up and moved away from their fires and tables in an instant to crowd around the two. They all started to cheer and raise their mugs with great enthusiasm. Their voices as a whole were deafening, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement.

Dolstran points down to Alakar and yells, “Alakar! I challenge you to a drink off! If I win, we leave, and if I lose, then this clan will claim you as our new king! No person of true dwarven culture will refute the results of this challenge! Now, brings us the drink!” and he sits back down.

“Woah, ‘king?’ I’m not sure about this… I don’t even know the rules,” says Alakar as tens of beers land on the table in front of him.

Dolstran grabs the handle of a mug and says, “It’s simple, the first who stops drinking or falls out of their seat losses!”

A high-bog with a fake beard suddenly appears at the head of the table, slaps it, and yells, “Begin! Chug!” and the crowd goes wild.

Both Alakar and Dolstran began to slam the beers down as fast they could. More and more mugs were added to the table as they finished off tens of beers. It became clear that no one was counting, or maybe no one present was sober enough to count.

“Chug, chug, chug, don’t stop!”

“C’mon on, Dolstran! I know can drink more than that!”

“More, more, more, more!”

The drinking ensued for half an hour, and it became apparent that both participants were holding onto the table for dear life. Their heads spun, and their green skin turned flush red.

*Plop* *Thud*

There was a moment of silence amongst the crowd, yet it didn’t last long, as everyone soon after cheered and screamed at the top of their lungs.

*Plop* *Thud*

“Oug, whos wons?” asks Alakar.