Chapter 20: Dreams Where Ur Murdered

Chapter 20: Dreams Where Ur Murdered

There was a buzz deep in my gut as we cut across the dance floor. Eve with something to prove, Bruno simply thrilled with himself for goading us out. Think the guy got off on our anger, but he was growing on me. Most of the crowd made way, and we carved out our own private spot on the smooth tiled floor.

My legs were a bit wobbly., and my face grew only more numb. Itd been a long time since Id last got myself screwed up on booze. Rumor was that the higher your cultivation the less itd hit. It was a shame. Youd get a longer life, and yeah that was good and all, but an inconvenience was still inconvenient.

Time blurred and I made a dumb ass of myself on the floor. Bruno didnt surprise me, the big guy had two left feet like me but the enthusiasm of an overgrown child, which made him redeemable, at least. His body jerking around like an over excited ape, and he goaded me into joining him. Eve watched and frowned, before making us stop to show us what she was capable of.

Eve buried us both in a minute, effortless with how she wove through space. As if she owned the floor. After handing both me and Bruno our asses, we conceded our loss to her. Not without a bit of self-shame. To my surprise, she didnt gloat, or anything like that. But drifted back into an easy dance, even going so far as to share a couple of moves and take delight in giving me pointers in how I'd fucked up a step or two.

The tension slipped away. The DJ swapped between euro-rock and some southern swing; Eve stole a guys watch after he got handsy with an unwilling partner. Sei-Shin beats took the floor, and the club thickened with the pop music.

Theres an honesty to dancing. Youre forced to let go of your reservations and discard embarrassment, booze helped the transition, that and the catchy tunes. I fell into a trance dancing with Eve. When she dropped the constant snide remarks, I was shocked to admit I actually had fun in her company, and maybe she wasn't all bad.

Too long passed before I noticed Bruno was just gone. I yelled out to Eve, straining to get my voice heard over the music. Wheres the big guy?!

She shrugged. Lets get more drinks! He probably did! We flowed away from the dance floor.

Kayson and Suzaki were holding down the spot near the bar, as promised. Our lieutenant flagged down a bartender for more drinks, predicting our intention. Finally noticed he vanished? Kayson asked.

He didnt come by? I sat on a stool, my tongue felt awful heavy. Another bright neon green drink appeared near me. Kayson smiled and shook his head.

So it begins, Kayson said. Ominous

There was a single chance. Sobering quickly from the attempted drowning, I managed to touch the side of my face before he forced my face back into the toilet bowl. I rolled the dicesparking my Soul Seed as a wild crack of blue lightning crashed into me.

I lashed out my leg in a spurt of luck-fueled desperation, slipping once more on the slick tiled floor. Only this time, my foot cracked into the priests heel, the sudden blow threw the squatting man off balance. He tried to adjust but the wet ground proved just as unstable for him as it was for me. The priest slid, and his grip on my hair loosened as he fell. With the strength of a man who didnt wanna fucking drown in a toilet, I burst free. I scrambled away from the bowl and threw myself onto the priest.

We tussled on the ground, throwing half-powered punches. Neither of us gained any advantage but got absolutely drenched in toilet water. Eventually, we broke apart.

Whoever got their feet first would have the advantage. I managed to beat the bastard by a half-second. Without hesitation, I threw myself on him. I was far too drunk for the precise movements of Romeos style. No. I had to rely on tried and true brawling. I grabbed his head, and smashed it against the tiled floor, barely able to see in the scuffle as wet hair flopped into my eyes.

I smashed his head into the ground once more, I took a fist to the jaw, and returned the fuckers blow with a knee to his groin. He managed to elbow me in the gut. Bile rose up my throat as vomit threatened to come up.

I puked all over the fucker, drenching him in brightly colored gut-rot, the priest squirmed out from under mestumbling away and reaching one of the sinks. Trying to use the support to climb to his feet. The muted sound of euro-rock and running water was the only sound other than our shaky breaths.

He was going to rush me again, I saw it in his eyes. I called upon Fickle Fate; blue sparks showered from the hand on my stomach. He gave an angry yell, his shoes squeaking across the ground as he ran at me. I ducked my head down, dodging a knee to my face. Hed overstepped and the weight of his body carried him as he tried to stop movingbut the ground was too wetI let him fly over my back. There was a loud bang as he tripped. His head smashed into the toilet, shattering the piss-stained porcelain. Then, nothing.

I looked at him, his mouth open and eyes closed with his head resting on a mixture of blood, vomit, and toilet water rapidly spreading on the bathroom floor. His skin seemed to boil away, transforming from the wrinkled guise of a priest to a kid a couple of years older than me. Wearing an ugly red Crimson Eagles jacket. Immortals-damned cultivators. I used the back of my hand to wipe my own puke from my lip.

What the fuck? Sure, hed hurt me. But worse than that hed wounded my fucking pride. He ruined my fucking hair. In a goddamn club of all places. I clambered to my feet, feeling far more sober now than five minutes ago.

Bruno!? Did this fucker get him too?

The bathroom door slammed open, and I turned ready for another fight. It was Eve, her face a pissed-off shade of red. Come quick dumbass, I found him she paused, looking me up and down, her eyes lingered on the unconscious Crimson Eagle. Fuck, Luca. What the hell happened here? Never mind, no time. Cmon, Brunos outside and needs help. At least she didnt make a stupid joke. She turned and ran out the door. I took one more look at the bastard whod attacked me before following her.