A shimmer on the horizon (Sancest multiship) [Discontinued]

Chapter 14 - Drunkies and blame

Third's PoV.:

"Hay, John! Haw drunk 're ya?"

"Dunno Mark, doooon't care, buuuut pretty much~. Ya remember how many drinks ya had?"

A rusty laugh was heard in the bar as John responded: "As if! Ya really think I would count?"

Mark laughed too: "Nah, but for real now-"

"Ooooh, we're gettin serious!", another of the fisher yelled.

"Shut up Max, let him end", came a muttered response from one of the guys with the head on the table.

Max looked at the two men, who always were just drank and talked a bit but never to a point in which they beat each other and his blurry gaze switched between them. One was Karl and the other was named Hector. But when Max thought back, he's never heard the seconds voice after he was drunk, he just sat there, had his drink and watched the others fight. Nothing more, nothing less and that was enough.

Karl sometimes spoke, but only at the beginning, later he just cried about how his wife took the children and left him to die on this table. But still, he stayed and drank his problems away, not realizing that exactly that was the cause of his miserable.

"What waz dat?", Max growled, instantly hoping to start a fight.

"Dat was juss a suggess- suggestis- suggestion for ya to shat yar damn mouth and let the king speak!", one of them yelled, probably Mark.

"Hah, su-ure and king of what?", Max replied.

"Of alcohol of cose!", Mark yelled and raised his mug. "Hey barkeeper, gimme more!"

Paul was annoyed by the alcoholics and thought a bit about to just refuse the request, but in the end he sighed and did his job. He took a fresh mug, filled it with booze and slammed it so hard at the counter that the liquid almost spilled out of the glas. Paul whisked it along the table, right into the costumers hand, who immediately took a sip.

Paul took the mug he'd been polishing and looked at the five from the corner of his eye.

Today was actually one of the better, it was nearly 4am and they were still in a condition in which they could joke around. Normally they just mumbled , insulted Cross and beat each other. Maybe this one night they could make it to not fight because of the stupidest things.

"He-ey! I don't accept that
someo-one dumb as you is a king!"

"Who do ya call dumb?", Mark growled and took John by his collar, raising him from the chair. John replied with a punch in the others face. The worthless fight began and Max joined, happy to have finally a bit of action.

Had Paul really hoped that this night would go smoothly?
Well, never mind.

He rolled his eyes and sighed again, placing the clean mug at the counter and taking one another.

He remembered the old days, when they were younger, the men no alcoholics, just a few inhabitants who wanted to enjoy a drink after a long day of work. The bar had more costumers, the atmosphere was relaxed and everyone enjoyed their time.

But soon this time ended as Hector lost his whole family in a fire. His friends tried to cheer him up, but they failed and Hector became an alcoholic. Mark and Max sometimes joined him, drinking as much as they could because they didn't have a family to care for. Karl's wife wanted him to break the contact with them, afraid that he would became an alcoholic too, because of their influence. But these five stuck too much together as this woman could break their bond. At the end, his wife's forecast became true and she left him. Nobody knew John's story, he just was one day one of them. The town had enough of the presence of the alcoholics and soon they were the only costumers the little bar had. And that since almost 25 years.

Paul looked at the clock above the exit, questioning when X would appear. It's been more than one hour since he called him and slowly he started to worry.

He looked up as the front door opened, still polishing the glass. But when he saw the figure leaning against the doorframe, he immediately stopped and his eyes widened in shock.

"Lea!", he shouted and the glass shattered at the floor when he ran to his daughter. She tried to take another shaky step into the bar, but instead her legs just collapsed under her and she fell. Luckily, her father blocked her fall before she met the ground.

Paul had a worrying look and inspected the damage on his daughter. She has lost much blood and a knife stuck in her left shoulder. She panted, as if she ran really fast.

Lea screamed as Paul took the sharp weapon out of her shoulder and threw it at the floor. He took off his shirt and pressed it against her wound, so it would bleed less.

His gaze quickly swapped to the men at the counter who were too terrified and shocked to do anything. He yelled at them to just f*cking call the ambulance and John grabbed hasty his phone as Hector went behind the counter to search for the first aid kit.

Paul had one knee on the floor and he used the other as a support to hold Lea. One hand under her head, the other pressing desperately the now with blood soaked shirt.

"D-dad, I-"

"Shhh.... don't speak, you need to save your power", he felt tears in his eyes, but tried to hold them back. He had to stay strong, if he panicked nothing good would happen. He had to calm Lea down, say her that everything would go right, he had to-

"DAD", she said with a more certain but still concerned voice. She grabbed his shirt and forced him to look her in the eyes. "P-please, it is very important. I-it's Helena a-and Vincent..."

Paul instantly stiffed, No not Helena too, please not, don't say that-

"Th-they're d-dead", she muttered crying, forced herself to say this sentence aloud and let it become true. She buried her face in her father's chest, seeking comfort from this cruel reality.

Paul couldn't held his tears anymore, they broke out and dripped from his lowered face in Lea's blond hair. He only managed to ask one last question before his voice was gone and only sobs were to hear.

"W-who-?"

Lea successful managed to interrupt her sobs, so she could answer, but she still needed much time to do so. She gulped and said one moment before the front door opened once again:

"X. I-it was X."

_________________________

Cliffhangerrrrrr~

~Roxine