World of Taroo

by Jimmy Eriksson

  She looked at the muscular and pretty girls with surprise. She became a little shy and looked down to the ground. One of them grabbed her chin and lifted it up. She had a nice voice and asked her if it was true she knew how to mix the herbs. Senji said yes and showed a brand only given to those that had passed the test sent from the mixology masters. The young women had seen the same brand in the shop and knew it was given only to those that mastered certain ways of mixtures. They looked at each other, and the girl in front of Senji introduced herself as Thura. The other two let her know their names were Luan and Alivia.

  Thura said that if she needed a job then they could hire her. Senji was uncertain what the job would be and asked what she would be doing. The girls said they were sisters and told her about the tournament they would attend. Alivia said that the shop owner was the only one in the city of Shetana that sold what they needed but because of this, he charged the girls too much and even asked them for indecent favours. They had heard her talk to the shop owner and had left to go after her. They asked her to think about it and told her where they were living. Senji thanked them for offering her work and promised to give them an answer soon. She took the map Luan give her and then left to meet the boys.

  In the other part of the city, Jay was finding himself in the middle of a fight after a man walked in to him and then having the same man accuse him of hitting him. The man, who was a little intimidating, looked like he had influence and was wearing nice clothes. The company he was with had an angry look to them as they waited for Jay’s reply. Jay had no interest in fighting with him and tried to avoid him in the crowd. They chased him down an alley which gave him some memories. He thought to himself that it felt like the first time he got chased by the man in the town when he stole oranges. But with a door being open, he could disappear away from them and perhaps slipped away without a trace. The door he went in went to one of the biggest bars and gambling facilities. Where he was standing, there were a lot of empty barrels and wooden boxes.

  Jay was standing inside for a while and was waiting for the other guys outside to walk away. It was light in the room thanks to the cracks of the floor above him so he could see around himself. There was a light coming from the wall behind one of the boxes as well. It looked like a cracked board from the wall, and he looked inside and saw another room that seemed to be part of the storage room under the bar. He entered the room through the broken wall and looked upon wine and other various equipment from the big bar. There was an old sign that said Judobo bar, and then he knew the name of it. This was surely not a good place to be found, so he tried to find a way out. But after checking the room, it was clear that the only way out was up.

  He decided to go back into the other room and backed the same way out, but as soon as he was at the cracked wall, the men that were looking for him opened the door, and he changed his mind and chose to sneak up the stairs instead. Lucky for him, there were a lot of sounds and movement upstairs so he was able to sneak out from the store room. As he was walking out, he overheard from one of the tables that one of the workers had quit, and they then would be overrun when the big crowd came at the evening. One of the men said they would be even more so when the tournament started in a few weeks.

  Jay thought about it and decided to take this opportunity that he had been presented with. He walked up to the men sitting and talking as well as writing in a big book. He apologised for interrupting but that he had the solution to their problem and offered to work for them. The two men looked at the young man standing in front of them and seemed impressed by him when he offered to help. Having such a confidence was always appreciated, and the two men looked at each other while nodding. One of them said to the other that usually the people working in the bars were a little ruff and not so young, but this man was not only young, said another and continued with that he also had a pretty face.

  Both smiled while Jay waited for the response he hoped for. They immediately said to each other that he would be great in the private rooms where the gambling was being held. ‘Gambling,’ said Jay who thought he would be serving drinks from the bar. They asked Jay to take a seat and introduced themselves. Yanburu and Dorin were their names and they ran the Judobo bar. After talking about what they had in mind, Jay believed he was in for something interesting. They finished off with discussion of pay, and Jay knew he should not overdue his expectation about how much he should get. But he told them that he would work hard and expected to be paid for it. They were fair and promised he would be looked after assuming he delivered what they wanted.

  Jay then left the big facility to return the same evening for work. It would be hard since he won’t get much sleep, but he didn’t care, since he then, for the first time, had gotten a proper job. The three friends met at the wagon they travelled on and sat down to tell each other about what they had found. Gon brought some of the food back with him and was asked to come early in the morning to work. They ate the food, and Jay told them about his encounter with the men that were chasing him and how he got away and at the same time got a job. He didn’t really know what he was supposed to do but got the feeling he was to be a runner for the wealthy gamblers. Most likely, he would be getting drinks and food as well as helping out with various other work.

  Senji sat quietly and listened but when Jay asked if she found something, she told them about the girls she met. Both boys were very interested and wondered if she wanted them to accompany her to the fighter girls. Senji knew the boys only wished to see some pretty girls and said she wanted to do this on her own. She said it would be good for her to try to have courage, then punched both boys on their chests and told them no peeking for them.

  They finished the food and walked together to the part of the city where the strong girls were supposed to be and wished Senji luck with the young women. The boys continued on towards Jay’s work talking about what they thought Jay would do. Senji was studying the map and name of the facility the girls had marked on it. She arrived to several little nicer buildings that were all painted in white colour. She walked around and asked a couple if they know where the sisters lived, but they shook their heads and didn’t seem to want to talk to her. They, in fact, seemed surprised she even talked to them, and Senji felt that they were stuck-up. But some others were nicer and did give her some useful information. They said there were some young ladies in another house and pointed to one of the nicer buildings.

  She arrived to the house and found the courage to knock on the door. A small girl opened up the door and asked who she was. Senji bent down and asked the child if there were three young women living there, and she said yes then called to her mother. A woman came to the door and before Senji could ask again, the woman welcomed her in and said to Senji that she must be the mixologist. She was shown in the house and saw the very pretty decorations around the house. There were many beautiful things in the rooms. She was shown out in the backyard where it was filled with training equipment, and it looked a little like if it would be part of the arena.

  The woman asked her to wait there and walked in another part of the house. Senji was touching one of the bags that was made to look like a person but was filled with hay. Alivia, who she had met by the herb shop, came out and greeted her. She had different clothes on and looked like a well-educated young woman. Alivia then welcomed Senji to her home, and after her came Luan and Thura from the other part of the house, but they were still dressed in their fighting clothes. Thura asked Senji if it was hard to find the house but Senji said it was fine and some people were more helpful than others. Luan said there were some boring people around and not all of them knew that they were about to enter the competition. They were trying to keep a low profile about it, then smiled and asked her to come inside.

  They were all then in the house, and Senji thought it was a very strange situation that they were all sitting in the nice room drinking tea and nice treats. But also the girls were sitting in the revealing clothes, except for Alivia, and they were all speaking
very nicely. The sisters said they lived in a more sophisticated area, and when others in the area found out, it might be embarrassing for their parents. They had lived a life of luxury and had been taught from childbirth how to behave, but they wished to still fight in the arena. The maid came in with the little girl and served them some more tea before leaving again. Senji wondered about the little girl and if it was a younger sister but they told her no. ‘The small girl was the maid’s daughter and came over sometimes,’ Luan said. When asked if they were not afraid the maid would say something to their parents, all the girls shook their heads. She then said that their parents were traders and had left towards the Darcolia kingdom to sell minerals and wood. They would be away for some time so they could walk around the house without hiding. The maid had also promised to be quiet as she also had a son who wanted to fight in the arena.

  Senji learnt that their parents had good relations with the king in Darcolia. And Luan had met King Arobe two times before when she came to Darcolia as a child. The topic went into what the girls wanted to achieve, and Senji listened well. After they finished talking, Senji had an idea of what the girls expected of her, and she was confident she could help them. The young women showed Senji what they had in herbs in their storage and what was in the garden. Senji was impressed, and Alivia told her they stocked up on whatever they could get a hold of so they didn’t have to see the man at the mixing store. With the night getting closer, all the girls talked and had fun. Senji found out that the sisters left with different clothes to blend in and changed when coming to the arena. They knew they might be found out but would try to keep it a secret as long as possible.

  Senji appreciated the fact that she got to hang out with some nice young women. Usually the ones she spent time with had all been from the temple and not all were as nice as these young women. The girls were in their early 20’s and had a goal of what they wanted to achieve. Senji had several ideas and wrote down in a book a couple of mixes that she thought could help the girls. And at the end of the evening, the young women escorted Senji back to the wagon where Gon was waiting for her. They all introduced themselves and told each other about what they wanted to do in the arena. The sisters returned home and Senji was telling him about what they were doing. She would tell Jay who would be jealous that only Gon got to see the girls and they both laughed.

  Days of Work

  Gon and Jay were walking around the city and trying on different small food and looked at the small street shows around them. They talked and reflected on the time that had been and could not believe what they had been through and then they were at Shetana where the biggest arena fights were held. After Gon had accompanied Jay to the bar for his second day of work, he said, ‘See you,’ and walked back home through the streets again.

  Jay went in to the Judobo bar and was welcomed by the owner, Yanburu. The previous day was more of an introduction, and he only did a few lighter things. That day, the real work began and his first job was to help them with filling up the drinks that was already running low. He ran to the basement and grabbed more, and Yanburu asked how he knew where they held all the drinks. But Jay said he just guessed, not willing to say he had to hide from the other men chasing him the day before. After they were under control, Yanburu sent Jay upstairs where Dorin was waiting for him. He told Jay that since this was his first day to actually work in the private rooms, he would be tough on Jay. The previous day was only a taste to prepare him for whatever he would encounter in the establishment so Jay felt a little nervous.

  Jay had been given different clothes and felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. He still went in also excited for what was to happen. Immediately, when he entered in, he got busy with orders from the royal gambling room, and all through the night, Jay brought drinks and food to the gamblers. He became instantly popular with the older ladies that gave him tips and talked to him. The job turned out to be very hard work but also fun, and he thought he was fortunate to get it. The first night was very busy, and when Yanburu sat down with Jay, he told him how happy he was. The Judobo bar owner asked how much his tip was during the night, and Jay counted the money. After he had done so, he thought maybe he would have to pay some to Yanburu, but before he said anything, Yanburu told him it was his to take home. Yanburu turned out to be a generous man, and Dorin had told him how hard he worked. He told him that he got to keep everything he made in the room for himself as long as he kept the good job up. This made Jay almost tear up and told them he would be their greatest asset in the business. They laughed and told him he would be fine while raising a glass for his first day.

  Jay left the bar in the morning and thanked the owner for hiring him and headed home. He had been drinking a little but not as much to show that he was affected by it. He walked the street in the dawn as the sun was about to rise, and there were less people than during the day. Jay had an easy walk back and went to bed without waking Senji who slept behind a sheet that they hanged up in the wagon. But Gon turned around with closed eyes and asked how everything went. After only a few minutes of talking, both boys were sound asleep. The morning came and just a couple of hours from when Jay had come home, Gon left to go to work. And there were more people on the street then than when Jay had left. And as he get to the restaurant, the rumour had already spread about the nice food that Gon made yesterday.

  There were some people from previous day that were back that he recognised. When he came in, he got greeted by Kuun who gave him a hat and apron and Gon was free to start cooking. He seemed very happy to see Gon who also told him he had heard people talking about his food. Kuun had been cooking for a long time by himself and had to do so because his previous chef left for another competitor. Kuun, who was also the owner, was good, but he could easily see the talent that Gon had and knew he was better at cooking even at his young age. Gon was glad to hear it and promised he would make sure everyone left with a full stomach.

  There was no question on who was the overseer in the kitchen. Kuun made sure the other people in the kitchen knew to do whatever Gon needed and give him what he wanted. A good thing, thought Gon as he could concentrate his skills more on cooking what he believed the customer would want to eat rather than compete for the space in the kitchen. He did still feel like some of the people working with him were not too happy someone new had just walked into their kitchen. Throughout the whole day, buns were made, sold and eaten as well as soups and other dishes. It was a good line of people so it was not too much. They were able to keep up with the demand that had been sudden. The restaurant closed for an hour which was good for it had been a busy morning.

  During the break, Gon sat on the roof of the restaurant and looked out of the city. He saw people walking around and carriages coming and going. He thought to himself that he might possibly stay for longer in Shetana even after the great tournaments. He had not thought about what to do after the tournaments, but perhaps he might stay, he thought. He was joined on the roof by Kuun that pulled up a chair next to Gon. They talked about the city and why Gon came here. Gon also learnt that Kuun was born in Shetana and had seen many of the biggest fights. He said a few names and who he believed were the best fighters.

  After the break and the second part of the day had started, Gon got a taste of what the city could offer other than fun. When one of the dishes came out to the table, it was served to a person that had had an eye on the new chef. The new guest had a big hat on and slowly tasted the food that he had just received. After he finished, he stood up and left the restaurant. The restaurant was about to close but it still had some guests inside. In the kitchen, Gon took the last order for a soup when, in through the door, three men came in. Kuun recognised one of them and he didn’t like him. He told them they were closing. The man looked around the restaurant and saw Gon working in the kitchen.

  The man was working for one of the other restaurants and was known to the owner. He had come once before and took his previous head chef away from him. Kuun once again said they wo
uld be closing and there was no more food. The situation changed as the man grabbed the owner and slapped him then pushed him towards the other two men that held him. Gon saw what was happening and left the kitchen. The guests left almost immediately as Gon came out from the kitchen with a wooden spoon in hand. He told the men to let go of the owner but they didn’t. The man said he wanted to look upon who was making the food. Gon said to him that he had then seen him and he could leave now.

  The man introduced himself as Mr Chien and he liked Gon’s food. Chien wondered where Gon learned to cook and told him his employer wanted him to work for his restaurants instead. Gon smiled and said to the men to let the owner go unless they wanted trouble. The smile disappeared from Chien, and he made a gesture to the other two men who pushed Kuun into a bunch of chairs where he stayed. Mr Chien said to Gon that if he didn’t come with them, he would have to beat him up and trash the restaurant. Gon kept smiling and stood where he was while one of the men turned over one of the tables as a sign of meaning what Chien said. Gon told them to leave then by themselves or get thrown out. He tightened the grip on the wooden spoon.

  ‘Very well,’ said Chien and waved his hand. One of the men then ran up to Gon with his fist ready. He swung and missed as Gon moved easily away. The man got a smack with the wooden spoon as Gon stepped to the side and the man fell on the floor. Mr Chien was not happy and then grimaced and waved his hand again. Gon walked up to the other trouble maker that moved towards him. Gon let him strike towards him but without any trouble, Gon could put his leg behind the man’s knee. And with a quick move, brought him to the floor and slapped him on the head with the spoon. Not too hard but enough to be uncomfortable. The first man had got up and ran towards Gon, ready to hit him behind his head. But with a high kick towards the chest, Gon brought the man to the ground that also walked to Chien. Mr Chien stood then eye to eye with Gon and his face had changed a little.