Watcha' Looking At

"Get out o' ere you drunk."

I was tossed onto the cobble streets in a town whose name escapes me. Everything was swimming and I could barely keep my balance. I wanted to puke, but I left everything in my stomach on the nice lady's red dress who sat by the bar.

"Oh that's right!"

I tried to make my way back into the bar. She wanted to see what was in my trousers. She had a keen eye that one. We were playing dice at one of the tables. She saw me paw one and replace it with a loaded dice.

But of course, I really just wanted to show her my jewels.

Like the necklace of emeralds I slipped off the merchant's wife. She was ever the fancy one. And the ring I wiggled free from the butcher's pinky. He belonged to some occult group that carried this signet. Should fetch a fair price.

I continued to stumble my way through the abandoned streets. The firefly lanterns glowing faintly against the encroaching shadows that wish to swallow me whole.

Not wanting any fear get to me, I began to whistle a simple tune.

Cast away, my beloved.

On this day, I've coveted.

A morrows bring

A bellows sing

Of a woman sailing in

But a man awaiting in the din

To come, take you away again

What am I to do

But sing this tune to you

Hmm... That didn't quite rhyme as well as I'd hoped.

A sign swung loosely in the wind. It read "Docks." But I couldn't read a damn thing in the state I was in. But no matter I'm sure this is the way to my inn.

A hook bent around the corner. I didn't notice how red the hook was. The scarlet blood painted across the cobble stones warned me of danger, but what danger could their be here in this small city.

I rounded the corner and stopped. Something caught my attention. A smell in the air. Bourbon, Whisky, Wine or Moonshine. I couldn't tell. All I knew was there was a bottle with my name on it.

The smell lead me down an alley way. Severed limbs and bloody corpses lay against the walls. To me they seemed simply urchins resting quietly, readying themselves for a peddling's a morrow.

Speaking of which I should be near my room, I assume.

At the end of the alleyway, was a small fire. And lots of stock goods. Boxes all around from ports beyond. Someone seemed to be hoarding this. And for a moment, I felt sober as the thought of riches reached deep into my mind to pull me out of my drunkenness.

"Well rub my ass, and grant me all my wishes, who do we have here strolling in."

The voice sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn't quite tell why. I turn around and see a set of red eyes glowing in the darkness. Five figures step out.

"Look guys, it was a fair game," I bided. "You roll some, you lose some. What can I tell yas."

"Hahahaha, you don't even recognize me do you?"

Recognize you? I look closer. The five creatures become three.

"I recognize the left one, but the other two. You have me there. They look nothing like anything I'd ever seen."

Their skin dark reddish, body scaled. They wore tattered clothes. And she was holding to a club.

"You left me to them, Amric. They tore me up. They took my eye. They morphed me into this monstrosity."

A sinister smile began to crease this creature's lips.

"Now it's time I repay you in kind, old partner."

She began to step forward. Her knees bent the other way like a lizards.

"Hey, hey. calm yourself friends." Amric put up his hands looking to each of the three lizard ladies. "I don't hold debts to ol' partners, you don't need to repay me anything at all."

That set her off.

She swung heavily forward with her club. Amric swiftly ducked beneath but his footing was like noodles and he tumbled onto the ground.

Crawling backwards on his back. He threw up his hands.

"Please Cas."

Cas turned around slowly. Without an ounce of remorse in her eye. The three triply terrifying him as he tried to rise but fell again.

"I'm going to take quite some pleasure in this Riki boy."

She said taking one step over him.

"I'm going to bash in your legs, then your arms and wail on your head to finish you off."

Taking another step almost upon him.

"And then when I'm done. You'll be nothing but a pile of mush on cobblestone streets. No one will ever lose anything to you again."

I looked up at her. And smiled the dumbest smile. When you're looking death in the face. You can really only do one thing. Realize how comical it all is.

Here I am looking at the one girl I regretted betraying. She was the love of my life. She had the same sort of hate for world. Same passion for stealing shit. And the same flaw. Falling easily in love.

The first crack on my knee shot up so much pain that I could almost feel every bit of bone breaking. I thought I screamed but I wasn't sure.

"Cas, you bitch, you know why I left you there!" I yelled out.

The second hit my opposite leg. This one hurt less because she missed. She stepped on my calf and broke me a knew one.

"Hahaha, aaaaah..." I was nearly hysterical. Thank god I was drunk. "I know he was our inside man, but you didn't have to let him get inside you."

This grabbed her attention.

She grabbed my face with her talons and lifted me to my feet.

"I loved you Rik. Who gave a shit about me messing with a sorcerer. You blew your load on beer, wine and whisky. If you didn't leave me on that island with those maniacs, we could've been living like royalty."

If I could puke, I would. But then she'd just start hitting me again. I can barely keep myself aloft at the moment. My right leg was good, but my left was a bust.

"Look darling, you don't need to kill me. We were both at fault here."

The nose of her club smacked against my own. And then everything was swimming in multiple images.

"Good night, Rik. Maybe in the next life you'll be a kinder person."

Then my life flashed before my eyes.

A golden scarab from a desert king. Running away from chariots firing arrows ablaze.

My arms get tenderized by several swings. I look up at Cas, with pleading eyes.

My sister's olive dress with a pendant on it, given to her by our late grandmother. Me pawning it for a dagger to cut purses.

Tears start pouring down my face as I look up at her red eyes.

They turn auburn and she is mounted a top me. I smell orchids and feel her sweet sweat upon me. Her hair long as she whips her head to the side to allow it to fall length wise down upon her breast. I reach up to kiss her.

A club smacks down on my lips shattering all my front teeth and bouncing my skull against the pavement. Blood is pouring down my mouth. I slur the words, she was waiting to hear that I never said.

"Mmm Hhhorry."

"Yes, Amric. I know you're horny."

From behind you see the Draconian girl lifting up the bat repeatedly smacking down onto the cobble street. It rings out with ever strike.

My shade looks upon her finishing me off. Beside me is a tall dark figure with a scythe in his hands.

"Is this it?" I ask the dark God, Zinrex. The ruler of time and death.

"No, it is not."

"Thank, God."

"I wouldn't just yet..." Zin lays a hand on my shoulder and presses down. While I sink into hell.