The Island With No Parallel

A Game of Saahd'man

Yunara sighed, knowing that she had to let go and let him play. At least it was gathering a lot of patrons to watch. She wondered if the scholar they were looking for was among them. It was very possible. "Do it," she conceded.

Kailu patted her on the back. "Attagirl, Yunara! You may get the hand of this yet!"

Yunara severely doubted that, but kept her silence, holding her breath as Manuel threw the ball again.

The bowl teetered with the weight of the ball on its walls, but once again held the ball in place in a high slot on the bowl.

The sour face of the dealer was unnoticed by Yunara and Kailu as they hugged and squealed like little girls, the both of them shocked that Manuel was proving to be so good at the game.

Once again, Manuel shoved his winnings right back at the dealer, and even added some this time.

Yunara knew she couldn't object, but instead swallowed her protests and bit hard into her lower lip. Kailu grasped her forearm and shook it vigorously as she did little hops in excitement. "You can do it, Manuel!"

He smiled at the two of them, winking at Yunara as he threw the ball into the bowl again.

Yunara squeezed her eyes shut. She just knew he was getting cocky. There was no way he was going to win for a third time. And he was acting so calm about it all as if it were no big deal.

But the next thing she knew, Kailu was screaming in her ear and shocked remarks rippled through the crowd of people that were watching. Yunara opened her eyes and saw the ball in its place, high in the bowl, and Manuel smiling and pumping his fists in the air.

The dealer disgruntledly gave Manuel his winnings. "Would you like to play again?"

"No," Manuel said, laughing. "I've tried fate enough for one night. What's say we cash in our chips now?"

"Oh, heavens, please." Yunara breathed out and released the pressure that was in her chest from the moment they stepped into this place.

Kailu chuckled. "You did good, Yunara. I'm proud."

Manuel took them both to the entrance and began the process to trade in their chips.

"You're brave trying your hand at Saahd'man if you've never played before."

A woman dressed in an exquisite robe approached them, a man by her side that Yunara assumed was her husband. Her dress was a ruby-red wrap that was complemented by intricate patterns of flowers and vines all along the edges. Her neck was covered in gold and gems that jingled when she moved her head. As she approached them, Yunara was met by a pleasant smell of vanilla and oak that washed over her immediately. Her jet black hair was tied in a bun above her head with a few locks of wavy hair allowed to curl in front of her face, accentuating the woman's almond shaped eyes and full lips.

Her husband looked quite plain in comparison to his awe-striking wife. His robe was a blander tan color with nothing notable about it other than a silver brooch that clasped his cloak. Though what did stand out about him was the age difference between the two. Yunara might have guessed the woman to be in her forties, but this man had all white hairs and could have easily been seventy. Yunara might have thought him to be her father weren't it for the fact that they held hands as they approached them.

"I'm Jahlro Fas," the woman introduced herself. "And this is my husband, Kindi Fas."

"Manuel Cunning," Manuel said, accepting the hand Kindi offered and shaking it. "This is my wife, Yunara, and her sister, Kailu Hemsway."

"Delighted to make your acquaintance. If you don't mind my asking, what brings such an adventurous and exotic people here to Gaiza?"

"Actually, we're looking to completely immerse ourselves in the culture here. We heard about the great knowledge seekers and scholars here and wanted the experience of speaking to one in person."

"Really? Well, as I'm sure you already know, it can be quite difficult to seek an audience with one of our scholars or philosophers. The royalty of our great nation prefers to keep their wisdom all to themselves. But perhaps I can aid you in your quest. You're obviously not like the common people that typically angers the knowledge seekers with their ignorance, but surely of great renown in your homeland. But if you really want to experience the local culture here, you absolutely can't miss a night at a Qundi. It's a kind of show with spectacular performances. You just have to see it. Kindi and I are attending tomorrow evening. Say you'll come? It starts at around 8, so you can show up to our place a half hour before hand and we'll go together. Afterwards I can help you get in contact with a good scholar. What do you say?"

"We'd love to come."

"Perfect. I'll see you in the morning, then."

Once Lady Fas and her husband was out of earshot, Kailu said, "We did it! You see, Yunara? This is how the wealthy make friends. By impressing one another."

The three of them made their way back to the carriage they rented and Yunara took a sigh of relief to finally be out of the Golden Ram.

"I have a newfound respect for Princess Cadri. This is exhausting. This isn't a friendship. It's people meeting other people because they deemed us important enough."

"For them, that's a friend. Ask Manuel, he's haughty enough to know. Is that not the truth?"

He nodded solemnly, then chuckled. "My father had the same opinion, apparently. He detested the society he lived in for that very reason. The relationship he had with my mother was the first relationship he ever had that was built on something real."

He was looking for Yunara's eyes, but she wouldn't let him find them. However, his words made Yunara appreciate the friendship she had with Cadri and understand why she always insisted that she speak frankly with her. It was a friendship that wasn't full of pretenses or using one another. No pretending or make-believe admiration. And it made her miss the princess terribly. She only hoped she was alright, wherever she was.

Kailu whistled as she looked over their winnings. "I can't believe we won so much money. What do you think we'll do with it all?"

Yunara groaned, leaning into the back of her seat and throwing her head back. "Spend it all in less than a week, most likely."

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I would actually love to play a game like Saahd'man XD

Anyway, tell me what you think about the chapter, and don't forget to vote and share with friends if you liked it!