Chapter 151: The New Day?
It was a lively evening at the Blue Moon Bar and Grill. They were a well-established restaurant that lies along the coast of Lake Trysl. Sailors and adventurers alike all flock to the bar and grill for their booze and morsels. It was such a large gathering of people that it became a well-known hub of information.
A large boar roasted over the open fire pit at the center of the establishment. The chef skillfully carved a piece out of it. The meat was carried by waiters and waitresses to the adventurers who ordered it.
On the far side of the tavern was a bar.
Crule sat on a swivel chair facing the bartender. Around three empty glasses that were still cold to the touch lined the counter in front of him.
It seemed to others that he was trying to get intoxicated.
“What the long face friend?” The bartender asked as he began his usual mingling with his patrons. “Something wrong?”
“Man, my wife is going to kill me,” Crule sighed.
The bartender shook his head. This kind of problem is very common. Folks tend to drink their marital problems away every night.
“Just let her cool down a bit and bring her some gifts,” The nearby drunken sailor laughed as he eavesdropped.
“A gift?”
“Something she can’t say no to,” The sailor replied. “Works with my wife every time!”
He laughed and went back to join his other sailor buddies.
“A gift…” Crule contemplated. Just what gift do you give a person after accidentally killing them?
The bartender kept cleaning the glasses and sighed.
“I mean that usually work but you gotta really think about what she wants.”
Crule was already lost in thought.
Ever since Ming died, a string of unfortunate events had been occurring around him. It was as if he had broken ten thousand mirrors, crossed the path of ten thousand black cats, and walked under ten thousand miles of ladders.
This morning he woke up to found the roof of his room at the guildhall destroyed by a freak meteor. Not only that, the meteor manage to hit the cabinet where he stored the clothes he was going to wear. Of course, with dragon skin being fire proof, it didn’t cause many problems, but then it started raining and his stuff got waterlogged.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Not only that, when he stepped out of bed, his foot managed to land in a hole created by a piece that broke off the meteor. It made him trip and fell flat on his face. The resulting shockwave caused the lamp that was hanging on the ceiling to crash onto him.
It didn’t end there, the guildhall blamed him for the damages, resulting in him paying an absorbent fee. That’s not all, the money he had saved up over the years seemed to have nearly all been spent by Ming. Just what did she buy in five years?!
Now Crule was hurt, defeated, and broke.
The following morning, he woke up on a bench outside the guildhall with a slight headache. His body creaked from the sturdy bench he slept on. The dew that gathered on his hair follicles gathered together and made his shirt all wet. It was generally an uncomfortable feeling.
Crule sighed. “Just what did I do to garner so much bad luck?”
Broke and hungry, he set off from Trysl in search of breakfast. Along the coast, he found some turtle eggs.
“Turtles taste like chickens right?” He reassured himself.
He sneaked quietly closer and closer to the disturbed sand pile. Suddenly, he fell. Someone had dug a pit in the sand and covered it with large palm leaves. Probably some mischievous kid who was playing on the beach yesterday.
Crule sighed deeply. Now he’s hungry, broke, and covered in sand.
He crawled out of the pit to realize the turtle eggs had been taken away by a hungry seagull. He stared at the seagull with hunger in his eyes.
“Come here you!” He pounced at the dining seagull catching it by its leg.
Of course the bird of frightened and proceeded to empty its bowels all over him.
Blinded by the jet spray of white, Crule let the bird go.
Now he was hungry, broke, covered in sand and bird poop.
He could hear laughing coming from inside his jacket.
“Shut up,” Crule grimed.
“But it’s just too funny,” The horseman laughed.
“This is all your fault.”
“Oh blame the dead guy huh?”
“Shut up or I’ll kill you.”
“Can’t, I’m already dead.”
Crule mumbled to himself as he walked around looking for a tide pool to wash off.
When he finally found a pool that looked relatively clean, there was already an inhabitant there. A large walrus monster rolled over and stared at Crule.
“Oh come on…” Before he could finish his sentence, the walrus pounced.
One may ask how a 50-ton walrus can pounce as agilely as a tiger. Let’s just say that blubber is very bouncy.
After a grueling battle with the bouncing walrus, Crule finally had access to the tide pool. He also acquired breakfast.
The walrus was cut open, its blubber was tossed aside (of course it bounced), and its delicious muscular flesh was exposed. Crule started a fire and started to roast the walrus. He took his clothes off and wadded into the tide pool for a wash.
Floating in the pool with the morning sun blaring down on him, Crule was lost in thought. How will he appease Ming’s ghostly curse of bad luck?
Suddenly, he heard a crunching sound. He stood up and saw a crazy looking old man eating the meat he spent so long to get.
He stood up quickly only to realize his underwear had been pulled off by a jagged piece of coral. He stared at the crazy old man whilst naked.
The old man looked down gave him a thumbs up with a creepy smile, then ran off with the stick of walrus meat.
“GOD DAMMIT!” Crule screamed to the heavens.