The Final Strife

“She will sleep in here with me.”

“Indeed?”

“Yes, if you could set up a pallet while we dine, I’d be grateful, Gorn.”

Gorn looked at her coolly.

“Yes, Miss Elsari.” She spun on her heel and left.

Anoor shut the door.

“Well, she hates you,” Anoor said as Sylah came up behind her.

“It’s a very natural reaction to me.” Sylah pushed past Anoor and made her own way to the dining room. With the joba seeds no longer stealing her appetite, Sylah was hungry.

The dining room had the empty feeling of belonging to someone who normally dines alone. An oak table sat in the center of the room, cast in the spotlight of a runelamp above. There were six chairs, but only one with a worn cushion. A tall gold vase sat in the corner of the room filled with dried wheat and lavender. A taxidermy kori bird hung from a wall, its blue feathers spread wide as if in flight. Sylah felt the kori’s azure glass eyes follow her as she entered.

Sylah could not believe the array of food in front of her. Stuffed yams, dates drizzled in honey, roast lamb, quail eggs covered in goat’s curds, deep-fried plantain. There was enough to feed the entire Duster Quarter.

“Well, aren’t you going to dig in?” Anoor had moved past Sylah and was stacking her plate high. A scoop from here, a scoop from there, an extra scoop to top it all off.

“No.” Sylah pointed to the deep-fried plantain. “Nope.” Another dish was refused. “Definitely not.” The sugared plums stuffed with cheese were also condemned.

“Oh, you don’t like this food? I’m sure the cook can fry up something else.” Anoor, eager to please, opened her mouth to call back Gorn.

Sylah held out a hand to stop her. “You promised you’d do anything I said to get you through to the final of the Aktibar, right?”

Anoor didn’t hesitate. Her round head bobbed up and down like a joba fruit in a tidewind. “Call back Gorn, ask her to remove everything from this table other than the roast meat and vegetables. The ones that haven’t been fried.”

Anoor looked crestfallen. “But—”

“Fresh food will help you develop stronger muscles. It will give you the energy and nutrition to build a foundation of strength. You don’t see an eru eating fried plantain, and they’re all muscle.”

“But…but they’re lizards.” Anoor looked like she was going to cry.

Sylah nodded. “Well done, yes, they are. But think of them as your end goal. They are large, lithe creatures, built of muscle and power.”

Anoor said nothing for a second, then with sudden determination she called out.

“Gorn!”

The woman turned up a moment later.

“Please can you inform the cook of my change in diet. I will only require fresh vegetables and meat, simply cooked. Please remove these from the table.”

“Anoor? Are you quite sure?”

“Yes. Get rid of it.” Anoor looked away.

Gorn looked at Sylah, the plates, and back to Sylah.

“May I ask what Sylah’s duties will be?”

“She’s had a long trip, she will report to you tomorrow,” Anoor said, still steadfastly avoiding anyone’s eye.

Once Gorn had cleared the plates, Sylah rounded on her.

“Report to that sour plum? You didn’t tell me she’d be the one assigning my jobs.”