For starters, I would like to dedicate this whole chapter to Elemential. When I had told him that I was never going to continue this story ever again, Elemential encouraed me, saying that I had great potential and even asked me to write a new story since I was so keen on stopping it. I can say that I did not expect to get so much support and I am greatly touched. So here I am with the next chapter and I sincerely hope that you all have enjoyed it. MMO Tales, thanks for making my day!

WINNERS & LOSERS PT 8

APRIL

“Bartender, five more glasses of beer!”

I choked myself on heavy amounts of alcohol, my mind scarred by the incident. My pockets were draining quickly yet I chose the easier path out. The more I drank the less I thought of Jake, which was my only current motive.

Why was I so mad at him? Why couldn’t I bring myself to forgive him so we could go our separate ways? It was never his fault anyway.

It was because I had, over this short period of table-turning events, developed deep emotional affections for him. To make it short, I loved him. I never wanted to forgive him as it would banish all the last traces of our friendship altogether.

Ever since I walked away from Jake my anger quickly turned into sorrow and regret. My joyful spirit had subsided into a quiet obsession over him. I watched me gradually ruining myself but could do nothing more than cry inside. I began to feel withdrawal symptoms and had lost the will to live.

My unhappiness also meant a heavy blow to my holy powers. My bless has become completely redundant and my healing powers caused nothing more than an itch to the zombie coolies, which I used to be able to destroy in only a matter of seconds.

“Bartender, where are my drinks? I want them now! Stupid useless ignorant fellas who think no one can survive without them, I’d-“

The bartender grunted in protest and slammed the table in front of my dazed face.

“You think you so rich eh? Well let me see if you even have enough money to pay up for your previous sixteen orders!”

I grabbed my purse and roughly tore it open: only thirty mesos! I gulped and tried to sneak out of the bar.

“Miss, you ain’t goin’ nowhere till I get my money, or else-“

A hermit walked up to the bartender. “I believe this fair lady was going out with me and I should be the one you are looking for.” He proudly dropped a huge sack of 100k mesos on the table and the bartender’s eyes glistened with greed and delight. “Now, if you don’t mind, I shall be leaving with my girlfriend.”

He put his hands around my waist, but I was too weak to struggle. I drank a last sip of beer before he led me to another small room in the same bar. I inspected the room. There was a gambling table, a few men surrounding it and a couch.

I quickly crawled over to the couch a rested my head on it, ignoring the sudden unwanted attention I was receiving from the other men.

“Hey hot chick!”

“Don’t forget she’s mine!”

“Shut up! You have too many things.”

My mind was trying to tell me to get up desperately but my body would not cooperate. Slowly, I lost consciousness and gave in to the overwhelming amount of alcohol I had consumed.

I felt things happening to me but I didn’t care. Jake was well gone and I cared about nothing. I had turned so dependant of him and now that he was gone I felt my future was very well over.

I was enjoying the warmth of the couch was suddenly-

“BLACK DEATH RAID!!! BLAACK DEEATH RAID!!!”

In a split-second the bar had become a living nightmare, chaos and panic everywhere. Windows were smashed as raining avengers descended from the rooftops. Many hermits and chief bandits jumped in from the open frames and ordered everyone to stop.

“We’re have come to announce that we have a new leader! From now on he will decide your protection fees and decide your fate if you refuse to pay up!”

All the Black Death members bowed down and mist filled the area. I took this chance of diversion and shifted myself off the couch, quickly hiding myself under a table and prayed he would not spot me. Luckily none of those perverted freaks had touched my clothes.

From the mist strode a cloaked figure. He was tall and had broad shoulders. His arms seemed as strong as possibly even Popeye’s just that he didn’t take part in spinach magic.

“I have decided,” he started. “That in the past your monthly tribute fees of 50k was a little too much for you all.” Suddenly a jovial mood spread across the bar and there were a lot of sighs and cheering.

“BUT,” he continued, oblivious to the happy expressions on their victim’s faces. “Now that I am the leader, we have grown much in power. I will hereby increase the tribute fee to 200k a month!” A sadistic tone embraced his last few words.

“Sir you are just too much!” Someone amongst the crowd immediately retorted patriotically.

“SILENCE! And now, since you want to REBEL against my plans, you will be the first to pay!”

Two hermits immediately dragged him out, the tip of their mambas positioned at his neck. The guy definitely knew better than to struggle and he remained calm.

“Sir, I have no money on me at the moment. Pressing me for the tribute fee will be only a waste of your time as I do not and WILL NOT pay.”

“Fine, so be it.” He ordered the two hermits to let him go. The man, not believing his luck, grinned at the leader and made a run for the door. And then there was silence.

For a moment nothing happened. Then the leader clapped his hand once. A rustling sound swept by outside the bar, followed by a blood curling scream, then silence again.

I turned to the entrance door and froze. A head rolled into the bar- the head of the person whom the leader had just freed.

“So- who’s next? Or are you all willing to pay voluntarily?”

Everybody started murmuring and reluctantly, they forked out 200k. I started to realise that I had no money as well, so my only hope now was to make sure nobody saw me.

After awhile everyone had paid, either in money or possessions.

“I’m glad you all chose to cooperate. You may leave now.”

The leader was about the head for the door when the bartender had spotted me.

“Sire, there’s a girl hiding under the table! Heh she ain’t got no money and her clothes are filthy! Surely she can’t pay you? You’re gonna kill her right?” The bartender shot me an evil look of satisfaction, glad he had gotten his revenge.

I tried to escape but the previous two hermits were too quick for me. They grabbed me like lightning and dragged me over to their leader, just like they had done. I looked at the ground, horrified of the fate about to befall on me.

“Girl show some respect! Don’t just stare at the floor.” The leader put his hand under my chin and lifted my head.

“DON’T TOUCH ME YOU B******!” I shrieked and glared at him.

Our eyes met and at once, I felt a bit different. In the leaders cold eyes I felt sympathy, passion, kindness, love.

“Ap-April?” He whispered.

I recognised his soft comforting voice at once. It was Jake! But why? How did he turn out as the leader of Black Death?

I did not have time to ask him before he regained his calmness and those eyes I once knew too well hid all signs of familiarity.

“Chief, the police are coming!” Jake spun around at once to meet sirens coming from outside the bar.

“We leave now!” Jake commanded.

“What about the girl?”

“I SAID WE LEAVE NOW! ARE YOU DEAF?”

All the members nodded their heads, their face still blank as ever, and the next second the whole bar had lost all traces of Black Death ever being there.

I shivered, my mind puzzled and frightened. Jake was further away from me than I could ever imagine. Our two lives were drifting apart. In my heart I knew that Jake loved me dearly, but he just could not bring himself to admit it. I, unfortunately, was unwilling to admit it to him either.

But now, from what I knew, Jake must have suffered a huge depression after I left him, resulting in the dark monstrosity I now saw.

NOTE: For the upcoming chapters I am not sure if I can finish them son as my final-year exams are just round the corner. But after that I’ll have enough time to play maple 8 hours a day AND finish my chapters daily.