When Altan returned, the sun had begun its descent in a fierce red sky and the sweaty interior of The Dancing Wildebeest was booming with laughter and cheers. In the corner of the torch-lit space an older couple wielding dusty, warped fiddles strung wild tunes with squeaky bows. Every cracked wooden table was packed and filled edge to edge with jugs of frothy beer. Off in a corner, a group of people were tossing a pair of stone dice across the table and exchanging small, worn goods and pieces of dried foods as prizes. Nobody noticed as Altan slipped through the door, apologizing left and right as he bumped past people trying to shove his way towards the main bar.
      A swarm of villagers already deep in their drinks were crowding around The Prince and Kauri who were  stood on top of the actual bar itself, faces flush, teetering over a fresh barrel of drink. The dark plum liquid was being siphoned by several bar tenders into a line of large jugs in front of The Prince and Kauri who were taunting and chirping each other good-naturedly. Altan stood a few feet away, astounded by The Prince's sudden display of extroversion. Man, what is Kauri putting in these drinks? I wasn't out that long!
      Kauri scooped up a drink from the countertop, several large splatters of liquid flying from the lip as he swung his arms out dramatically. "Really think you can beat your father, huh, Griffin? Cuz' no matter how many times that man visited, he could never out-drink the Thundering Boar!"
        The tavern erupted into cheer as Kauri beat his chest with one hand, the other pumping his glass into the air.
       "That was a long time ago, old man! It would be wise not to underestimate me when you are more belly than brawn these days!" The Prince quipped back, eliciting a wave of 'ooohh!'s from the crowd.
       "The belly is where the key lies, my friend! Tell me, where do you think you'll store all this drink in that twig of a body?"
        From some frazzled barkeep a jug of the dark plum drink was shoved into Altan's hands, before she scurried away to serve more guests. Watching the brewing competition with amusement, Altan raised the pungent smelling liquid to his lips and took a hearty swig.
      Oh. Oh Altan was getting drunk drunk.
Instantaneously the alcohol seared in his esophagus as he swallowed, causing him to reel back abruptly as all the blood in his body rushed to his head. Within seconds a pleasant buzz encompassed his body from head to toe, and he started at the alcohol in amazement. This stuff was insane! Back home, it would be outlawed in every country. In fact, as he took another-smaller-sip, Altan guessed he'd never come so close to something this strong in his life. Sure, he'd had his fair share of moonshine and other high-proof concoctions but this was on a whole different level. Like somehow Kauri had harnessed the heat of the lava and infused it into the very drink itself.
       Finally, a row of drinks had been lined up at their feet and The Prince, too, bent and retrieved a glass. He turned with an uncharacteristically wide grin to the crowd. He gave a lavish bow, drink in hand.
      "A countdown, if you will!"
      "THREE!"
       "TWO!"
       "ONE!"
       "DRINK!"
Kauri and The Prince began to chug and in a matter of seconds Kauri had slammed back his first drink, alcohol dribbling down his square chin and thirsty gasps filling the air. The crowd cheered for Kauri, hollering as their champion was more than halfway into his second glass by the time The Prince, with a wobble, had stooped to hastily grab his second. Two, three, onto his fourth, it was apparent Kauri would win as he gulped back drinks with vigour. The Prince struggled to match his pace, face beet red and beads of sweat streaking down his face as he sloppily drank.
And then, nearing the end of this fourth drink, Kauri began to slow. Furrows darted through his brow as he sipped back the last of his drink, loosing his footing momentarily. The people below him surged to support his legs and keep him upright. The Prince, who up until this point was only just starting his third think and had seemed woozy and thoroughly beat, glanced at Kauri. His golden eyes flashed and his entire demeanour seemed to shift as The Prince steadied himself and began to down the drink in record time. Kauri gaped at The Prince momentarily before hurriedly snatching a fifth drink and, with a groan and a scrunched face, began to sip at it at a much slower pace.
Four, five, The Prince caught and surpassed Kauri in a flash, displaying an otherworldly constitution as he threw his fifth glass to the side and started easily on the sixth. The tavern erupted in joyous whoops and claps and in the spur of the moment Altan couldn't resist joining the clamour. The Prince momentarily lowered his drink and smirked at Kauri with a hiccup as the older man shakily grasped his drink, struggling to get even a quarter of it put away. More and more of the liquid seemed to be splattering over his shirt and the bar than landing in his mouth. His flushed face seemed to take on a green tinge as he wetly burped into his fist.
       "Had enuff, Kau?" The Prince slurred, swaying.
        Kauri's response was to nearly topple off the bar, hastily shouldering through the surging crowd and bursting through the front door with a nauseating groan. With a grin The Prince slammed back his sixth drink and then raised the empty jug triumphantly in the stuffy air.
       The tavern exploded with cheer. "GRIFFIN! GRIFFIN! GRIFFIN!"
         The Prince waved at the villagers, sporting a woozy smile. Amidst his own fuzzy reality Altan marvelled at the fact The Prince was still alive when he could barely handle a single glass, let alone six. His eyes shone in the dim interior and scanned the pulsing masses, alighting with recognition when he finally spotted Altan. The Prince bowed theatrically, then slid off the bar and stumbled towards Altan, politely waving away his clingy newfound fans.
"Helloo, servn't boy." The Prince greeted, stumbling towards him in such a way that it made Altan chuckle seeing this normally haughty taughty Prince so bubbly and loose.
       "Woah there, Goldilocke." Altan laughed, clasping a sticky hand around the tipsy Prince's shoulder to stabilize him. "When we're you gonna tell me you were such a heavyweight, eh? Naughty naughty, keeping secrets."
      The Prince shrugged, a sly and overtly proud smirk plastered to his face. "Mm I s'ppose thers a lot you dn't know abut mee."
They laughed.
A few moments later, reappearing just as fast as he'd left, Kauri burst back into the tavern with a wildly excited look in his eyes.
"Everybody! Come outside! Quickly quickly!" He announced, his voice booming throughout the room.
The chatter quickly died, curious glances were exchanged, and the crowd quickly filed towards the door. The Prince dragged Altan along, and together they emerged unsteadily with the last of the party to see everybody outside stood transfixed, their faces turned to the darkening sky.
        The sky was blanketed in swaths of blue-black colour, with very horizon of the night sky still bleeding vibrant reds and oranges in a gradient across the sky. Pinpricks of stars twinkled delicately above them, shining through large breaks in wispy clouds. But the brilliant galaxies and stunning sunset were outshone by the single, blazing orange streak flying across the sky, leaving a trail of flickering embers in its wake. With its fiery orange plume, powerful burning wings, and long trailing tail feathers, Altan didn't need to be native to Arcrose to recognize the magnificent Phoenix gliding through the night sky.
        Everybody, awestruck, watched the symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, a beacon, fly off through the volcanic reigon bordering them. The Prince and Altan shared a smile.
Maybe there was hope for them after all.