Solv's House

A short story that acts as an exploration of my fantasy world, as well as some characters.

As night fell on the Silver Isle, the dragons curled up on rooftops and sat upon their perches far above the city. The emperor’s palace caught the last few rays of sunlight as shadow climbed up its western face. Lamplighters fanned out through the concrete streets, their feet in sandals as they went from post to post to refill oil and replace the wicks. Their small lamps followed along, and shared their fire with their far taller cousins.

Solv unlocked his door as the lamp before his house lit up. His long tan robe swept the ground as he stepped outside, and his wide face grinned at the lamplighter. “Evening,” he greeted them with a nod. “Interest you in anythin’?”

“No sir, far too busy.”

“Y’know, I think that some rum’ll burn brighter than your oil! Wanna buy a cask or ten?” He barked a laugh at his own joke. Solv had repeated that joke every night for as long as he could remember, and as usual the lamplighter walked away without so much as a grin.

It had been twelve years since Solv had opened the doors of his house to the public, but that was after his friends had constantly egged him on to share his rum recipe with the world. It’d just started as a batch to share with his neighbors, to get them to finally talk. Now the whole damn isle seemed to want in! Or at least, those who weren’t afraid to be seen in such company…

He returned inside and made sure everything was set. Three benches were arranged in the room; sometimes they formed an open square, other times they closed into a triangle. Thin wool blankets struggled to cover the seats and backs. Their red dyes had faded, and their thick crude weaves widened to expose holes. Spare chairs were scattered throughout the front room, and none of them matched. Several mismatching crates and tables lay between, again with none matching. The plain paved floor bore stains from visitors over the years. The walls fared better though, with a simple mural depicting a sunrise over the water. Solv worked on it off-and-on whenever he felt it could be improved, and now it almost looked like an eight-year-old had finished it �" a feat he took pride in.

There was a knock at his door, and it opened without an answer as a man come in. “Evening, Solv.”

“Evenin’ Mica.” He watched his first visitor of the evening sprawl over a bench.

“Can I get a glass of clear rum, Solv?” Mica’s dark skin reflected the flickering lamplight as he kicked his feet up on the far armrest of the bench.

“Can you get your feet off the furniture?” He grabbed a cloth from out of his robe and smacked at Mica’s legs. “I’ll have you chained and dragged to the emper’r.”

Mica grinned like an imp. “On what grounds?”

“You annoy me, there’re my grounds.” Solv went into the next room over. A table supported three large barrels, while the rest of the room was jam packed full of breads, cheese, fruits, and salted meats. He filled a clay cup full of today’s brew and delivered it to Mica. “I swear, one of these nights yer gonna make me snap.”

His friend’s teeth glinted white against the flickering lights. “Is it tonight?”

Solv rolled his eyes and turned away without an answer, leaving Mica with that huge grin. The door had opened again, and a couple more regulars came in along with a ruddy young man. Solv went to fetch three more rums; when he returned, four more had walked in. He had just been sent back for some strips of pork when he felt someone tug on the elbow of his robe. “Solv?” He recognized the voice, and turned to see a woman about his height wrapped in bright purple cloth. Her name was Tatia. Bright chalk lightened her face, and her lashes had been elegantly darkened. A gentle scent of saffron surrounded her. “Is tonight a good night?”

“Don’t make so much noise.” He gestured through a door on the other side of the room. “If anyon’ gives you trouble Tatia, ya got the knife under th’ pillow.” With that, he let her step inside, then went back to the kitchen to grab his sign. Solv hung it outside his front door: ‘TATIA IS IN’. The young woman came around fairly often to accept customers; Solv simply minded his own business, she minded hers. As a result her patrons often became his.

His usual eclectic medley of patrons came rambling in and stumbling out. A woman in the glittering robes of an imperial administrator cackled gleefully at a joke a streetsweeper had just concluded. Guards still clad in armor rubbed elbows with fishermen, trading sailing tips and fishing places. A game of dice had been initiated in the corner by the ruddy youth. He had brought his own dice, and by his constant cheers and the others’ groans he had a streak of beginner’s luck. Mica sauntered up and held up three goldweights, causing a renewed stir. Solv grinned before turning to another patron walking in. “Can I help ya?”

He was tan, with a worn face and frail structure. Tired eyes shifted about as he pinched at his own fingers. “I...I heard that I could buy some rum here?”

Solv had seen that look before. He grabbed at the man’s hands and turned them around. On the right hand, a dragon had been burned into the palm. “It’s illegal for slaves to buy drinks.”

“I-I know. I’m sorry, I’ll just�"”

“Sit down.” Solv motioned to an empty chair. The old man froze where he stood. Solv gestured again before going for a cup of rum, returning to find his new guest still standing. “Wha’s the point of leavin’ a chair empty? Sit down.”

Finally the man obliged, and accepted the cup. “But… but the law…”

“I’m not sellin’ it to you, I’m givin’ it to you. You return the favor with a donation after. Just don’t cause no trouble.”

“Sir, you are too kind. Thank you.”

“Kind? Peh,” Solv shook his head, “A silverweight’s a silverweight, and what the Guard doesn’t know won’t hurt ‘em. Now shut up and drink.”

“Ha, gotcha!” Another round of groans from the dice game. Solv turned to watch the ruddy young man laugh as he passed his empty cup around to collect his winnings. “Come on, who else wants to go, huh? Hey old man, get me another cup of rum!”

Solv accepted the silverweight, but watched the young man pour his winnings into a pile on the ground. “Alright, new pot, new pot! Who wants in, huh?”

“Can you believe this kid?” Mica whispered as Solv handed off the cup. “Hasn’t lost yet. You don’t think…?”

“Come on, throw it in, throw it in!” The young man was slapping another guy on the back. He downed a swigful of drink. “Comeon, you gotta! What are ya, some kinda coward?”

“Here!” The man slammed a goldweight down, and there was a collective gasp of amazement. “Go ahead, take your best shot baby boy. Your luck can’t last forever!”

“Such confidence! Hahaha, let’s take a tumble, and�"” He cast the three dice along the ground. “Over ten! I win again!”

Again came the chorus of groans. Solv leaned on the back of Mica’s chair. “Alrigh’, I wan’ in.” Heads turned at his voice. Solv was stepping in! “I’ll put in a goldweight. Do it again.”

“Heheh, alright old man!” The young man readied the dice. Solv watched the way he gripped them, the way he tossed them to the ground. “Fifteen! Win again, sorry Pops!”

“Alright, gimme those things,” Mica held out his hand. “What kinda thing you got going on with the dice?”

“They’re just dice. Go ahead, give them a roll yourself!” The ruddy youth handed over his three dice. Mica gave them a couple rolls on the ground, and sure enough they came up seven, twelve, and four. “See, told you.”

“Damn, what’d you do for the Emperor for him to give ya that kinda luck?” Mica shook his head.

Solv blinked his eyes intently though. His thumb and finger rolled over his chubby cheeks as he thought. “Alright. You want a wager? Five-year keg of rum in the back. I charge a goldweight a cup. Is yours if you win next round.”

There was a communal “Oooooh…”, and all his guests muttered as the young man chuckled. “All right, but I’m afraid you’re gonna be out of luck, and out of some valuable�"”

“I only have one condition,” Solv interrupted. “You throw the dice with your other hand this time.”

The grin faltered. “Wha… what, do you think I’m cheating?”

“I did’n say that. Strange though, most people would simply brush it off as a joke, would’n you Mica?”

Mica nodded, and the ruddy boy looked around to see all eyes watching him intently. The color drained from his face. But, with a nervous thin smile he transferred the dice to his other hand. “You watch, my luck hasn’t run out yet!”

He tossed. They bounced against the wall and rolled back. A three. A two. And…

“...and a SIX! Ha!” The young man relished his victory. That is, he did until he realized nobody else was relishing with him. His smile melted off as he backed into the corner.

“Those were some great dice throwin’ skills there,” Solv kept leaning on Mica’s chair. “Musta takin’ you a long time to practice. Care to share your secrets with us?”

“Look, I won the dice roll. You can’t prove anything! Now where’s my rum?!”

Without a word Solv went outside and dug into his shed for the right barrel. As he rolled it back with his foot, he heard a commotion inside. Solv opened the door to find the young man in a headlock, with Mica trapping him.

“Geddoff! Geddoff me!”

“Oh no,” Solv spoke with no concern at all in his voice. “Wha’ happened?”

“Get this guy off of me!” He tried to twist around, but only succeeding in pushing himself more into Mica’s grip. “So help me, I’m gonna go get the Guard and tell them you had me assaulted!”

Solv’s brow rose, and he gestured at the two soldiers watching from their seats. “Go ahead. Tell them. By all means.”

“Rrrrr,” he gritted his teeth. “Do you know who I am? I’m gonna get this place burned to the ground, and you’ll be thrown in the arena to be torn apart!”

“Whoever you are, you’re appare’ly not too high t’ come in here and scam people outta their money.”

Everyone responded with a chuckle, excepting the young man who kept glaring daggers. “You think you’re so morally superior? Look what kinda place you got going here! So what if I came in here and tilted things in my favor?”

Solv gave a thin smile, but didn’t answer. “Now,” he motioned for Mica to back off. The ruddy youth stood back up and patted at his chest and neck. “You can stay, have a drink, maybe make amends? Or you can go home.”

The young man looked around. Everyone stared him down with hostility. With a visible shudder he shuffled toward the exit.

“Oh, by the way,” Solv called out, “if you do try to go tell on us, I’m sure your folks will be thrilled to hear about your night with Tatia.”

“What?! I didn’t even go in her room!”

“Oh, I think I can co’vince her to back me up on this,” he kept smiling. “Now get yer sorry hide outta here.”

The ruddy boy glared one last time, then he disappeared into the lit streets. Solv watched the door swing closed, before turning his attention to the corner. “Oh dear, don’ tell me he left his winnin’s?”

There was a round of laughter. Mica took the keg of precious rum and ran it into the kitchen, not even asking if Solv wanted it opened; he knew already. With that, Solv sat down with the slave who had come in. The man had watched everything unfold without any contribution, but seemed now a little more awed with Solv.

“I can turn a blind eye to many things,” Solv paused to accept a cup from Mica, and offered it to his newest guest, “but the one thing I won’ tolerate is a liar.” He took a great drink. “Now finish before the troops sober up.”

Author's Note

I'm looking especially at characterization and dialogue here. Any particular notes about those elements I'd be interested in hearing, although critiques are of course welcome!