Expanded Horizons: Beyond the Blue

Cast Away: Chapter Five

 Colm eyed the man beneath him, probing for weaknesses. It wasn't hard; he had no idea Colm was above him, so there were plenty to exploit. Colm decided on his left shoulder and dropped down, dropping his left elbow on it to dislocate it and snaked his arm around the guard's neck to choke him out. Seconds later, he was out, and Colm could continue the job unabated.

"Eugh," Colm said as he walked up to the door the guard was supposed to watch. It was a combination lock, but a cheap one, so Colm just had to carefully listen as he turned it and the door would open.

Easily enough, Colm got the door open and continued through the mansion to his target's office. The man clearly held extraordinary wealth, with a reputation for being a repugnant jerkoff, so it was no wonder he owed something to Jerry that he refused to pay up. But of all things, a small horse figurine? Colm never understood the value Jerry placed in these bizarre, tiny objects he had Colm collect.

Colm moved down several halls and found the office. The door opened right up and Colm waltzed right in, and, lo and behold, the figurine sat on the desk. Colm ran over, swiped it up, and stuffed it in his sling-bag, ready to make his escape.

When he turned around, though, he found himself before three burly-looking guard, bigger than the one whose shoulder he destroyed, all staring at him with eyes full of hate. Colm stared back indifferently.

"We gonna do this?" he asked with his hands to the side.

The guards rushed him, and Colm sidestepped their onslaught to put one of them between him and the other two. With a quick spin and drop, Colm kicked out one's knee and followed with his other leg in an upward knee strike, using less force than normal as he struck the back of the man's head to avoid killing him with blunt force.

With one out like a light, Colm refocused on the other two, who had already started moving in on him. One grabbed Colm by the shirt as the other wound up for an uppercut, but Colm reacted swiftly and swung his legs up, planting a foot firmly on the throat of the man grabbing him, and kicked out. The man let go to avoid crushing his larynx and fell back.

Colm's feet just barely started to touch the floor as the uppercut came and he had to brace for the hit. His vest took a lot of the force, and he pushed against the man with his forearms to minimize what he had to absorb himself, but it still launched him back. Colm hit the ground and rolled back up, then leapt forward and planted a foot on the man's hip. As the mean went to grab the foot, Colm swung his other foot around in a massive arc, roundhousing the guard squarely across his chin and dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

Colm spun back to his position and took his stance against the remaining guard. The man didn't seem to notice his downed comrades and rushed forward, intent on grabbing Colm. Colm responded by letting him get close and then rolling backwards with a foot planted on the man's chest, letting him fly backwards and headfirst into a wall. Colm hopped back up and left without checking to see if the man was unconscious.

Colm made his way back out the way he came in and escaped to the street. He rubbed his belly where the guard struck him; the man definitely got a decent hit on him. It was nothing Colm wasn't generally used to, but he always hated gut shots. They made it less pleasant to drink his beers later.

Before Colm could head back to the tavern, he had to drop by Jerry's office and give him the figurine. Thankfully, it was on the way, and it was easy enough for him to go right after, so long as Jerry didn't insist on giving him some other random work for the night. It paid well; better than any job Colm had ever heard of; but he liked relaxing with a cold beer after a night's work.

The streets of Joustbergh on the way to Jerry's office sat in darkness tonight, illuminated only by the occasional street lamp and the moon above. When he arrived, he had to take the external entrance- a climbable pipe- as Jerry didn't want the people in the building knowing it was his office up top. Colm didn't care, but he did understand, and as long as Jerry paid him, he would do as asked.

Colm hopped off the pipe and walked the ledge to the window, cracking it open and sliding in. Jerry sat at his desk as usual, candle light letting him look over his papers and just barely illuminating the room. Everything else sat in pitch darkness.

"I got the figurine," Colm said, placing it gently on the desk. "Three guards and no problems."

"Good," Jerry replied with his usual chill smile. He swiped up the figurine. "Amazing how such little things garner such great significance."

"Whatever you say," Colm replied.

"Well, it's important to you, because of how much I pay you," Jerry replied. "Here's your fifty."

"Thanks," Colm replied. Jerry dropped a bag of fifty gold pieces on the table and Colm swiped it up and put it in his pocket.

"Remember to save for the future," Jerry said. "It's important to invest in future prospects."

"Always," Colm replied sarcastically. He always just put most of it in the bank and used the rest for rent, food, and alcohol.

"I'll have more work for you soon enough," Jerry said. "Always delinquent lendees and future delinquents-in-the-making."

"Hmm."

Colm turned around and took his leave as Jerry worked out whose life he would ruin next. Colm didn't care about the details of other people's lives; it's not like anyone cared about his. As long as he was paid, he would do the work.

Colm made his way back through town to the tavern. Going to Starcloud each night practically made his life worth living; it was the one part of his routine that he regularly enjoyed to some extent. Work was work, it could be good or bad, but the tavern was where he could just relax a bit. Usually, anyway.

When he arrived, it was at about its usual level of business, and he was able to walk right in without any fanfare or cries of protest. The other regulars knew him and let him be at this point, but sometimes, the college kids would spot him and think he was one of them and try to invite him over. He always ignored the invitations, but sometimes, they outright refused to let him be.

The primary pest, a blonde girl named Moira, seemed to be elsewhere tonight. Colm felt quietly grateful, as his gut was still sore and he wasn't in the mood to listen to her ranting. When she stuck to him, it would attract other girls, and while that did bring him a new experience once, it wasn't good enough to be worth the hassle again.

Colm walked up to the bar and took his usual seat by the window to wait for Abelard, primary bartender and owner of the establishment. When the old juwel elf walked over, he already had Colm's drink in hand and slid it to him as he approached.

"Thanks," Colm said, taking up his glass.

"Always for my best customer," Abelard replied. "Still sitting by the window?"

"Yep."

"Guess you expect trouble again?"

"Maybe."

"You should get a new job."

"Eugh."

Abelard shrugged and moved back down the bar to serve his other customers. Colm steadily made his way through his drink, watching the other patrons through the corner of his eye. Old men sharing tales they all already knew, young men and women trying to one-up each other, arguments starting and people trying too hard to laugh at everything. He hated watching it.

Before he could turn, Colm's old glass was replaced with a fresh, full one, and he refocused his vision on his reflection in the amber escape before him. Five years now, he worked for Jerry, fighting, stealing, drinking, sleeping, and repeating. 

"Eugh."

Colm sighed and took a sip of his drink, which turned into a nonstop chug, and he stared down into his empty glass,  reflecting nothing and yet an undeniable reflection of his own life.