Cursed by the Gods

Chapter 12

I took off, weaving through the sky-high columns, toward the sound of tinkling music and conversation. There were mini-columns set beneath the taller ones, acting as plant-stands to cradle vine-like things that were snaking out to try and smother everything in their path. They had even spilled from the columns to spread over the marble beneath my feet. Eventually, I began to see other people: robot-servers in similar, bare coverings, and then ...

Gods.

They all seemed so big, wrapped in robes that dragged along the marble. Even the females seemed larger-than-life, with tall and willowy frames, their hair left free and flowing, dragging down their backs in a shining display of immaculate colour.

Last time they had, had a massive fire pit in the center of the room. Some kind of party I'm guessing. This time there was streams of water falling from the marble ceiling and through gaps in the floor. I had the strange urge to run my hands through the water but that would only make me look suspicious.

Hopefully Coen hadn't lied to me, because there was only one man wearing purple that I could see. He stood right beside a massive buffet table, every dish of food imaginable spread over it, the purple robes draping over his massive shoulders to pool on the marble. There was a cord around his waist, and there was a cup hanging off the cord. It looked more like a trophy, complete with a golden sheen and everything. I made my way over to him, grabbing a knife from the buffet table as I passed, and then up-ending a basket of bread and pulling out the little cloth sack that the bread had been sitting in.

"Excuse me, Sacred One," I muttered, bumping into D.O.D., slicing the knife through the cord and catching the falling cup into my sack, which I quickly hid behind my back.

"Watch yourself," he growled, spinning around. "Or I'll push you off the damn platform, useless thing."

Wow. Rude much?

"Apologies, Sacred One," I muttered, bowing just like Jeffrey had, backing a few steps away.

I should have known better. 'Backing away without looking' was never a thing that had worked for me before. I backed right into one of the willowy god-women, who fell forward, also knocking over the man who had been standing next to her. I toppled toward the woman and she pushed me away, sending me sprawling onto the man, instead.

I tossed out my hands to catch myself, forgetting that I was holding the knife ...

And that was how I stabbed a God in Topia.

The man looked down at the knife protruding from his stomach, his eyes wide. I also stared at the knife protruding from his stomach, my own eyes wide. Nobody said anything. The whole platform had fallen into a heavy, shocked silence. I spun around about to run and stabbed another God in the chest. Blood spattered onto the tight outfit I was wearing and all over my face. I spat out a good portion of it not bothering to look at any of the gods because I knew there was no point.

I was done fore.

Someone grabbed me by the back of my measly covering, hauling me to my feet and spinning me around.