Dance of the Gods

The first glass of whiskey James poured to her, she just downed immediately. In university she wasn't the going out type, but they still drank multiple times a week with her friends. She actually liked bourbons, so downing a glass didn't even felt like anything...

Or, at least that's what she thought.

Suddenly she began to wildly cough. The problem wasn't that the drink had high alcohol concentration, but that it felt like the first time she drank strong alcohol.

'It must be... another... side effect of... the transmigration. My tolerance for alcohol... reset.'

The two man beside her chuckled, but didn't say anything. James just poured another glass. They probably realized she needed that drink, but she wasn't used to drinking.

"Are you okay?" Asked Suze who just came from the restroom. She approached the table and sat down.

"Yeah, just... Needed a drink..." Answered Veronica between coughs. Suze looked a bit concerned, but because of a subtle shake of James's head, she stayed silent and just smiled warmly.

"So Veronica, since when do you work here. I'm pretty sure the last time I came to visit you weren't here yet."

Asked Alex with a comforting smile. She looked away with a bit of embarrassment, then shrugged before answering.

"I have been working here for three whole days, including today." Alex looked at Suze and James with a questioning gaze. They just sighed and explained the situation.

"I have found her in the back alley with blood and dirt all over her. She didn't remember who she is or where we are, only her name. Then we gave her a chance to clean herself and I gave her one of Sofie's old dresses. We needed a helping hand in the inn and she accepted."

When Suze finished, Alex turned to Veronica with pity in his eyes. She just forced out a smile with a hint of sadness and said, "And I'm deeply thankful for everything they had done. Without their help who knows what would've happened to me. Since then I actually managed to remember this world, but nothing about myself."

She didn't just pretend to be sad or grateful, but the cause of the sadness wasn't the lack of memories...

Her sadness derived from the fact that she still didn't know what happened and had no clue to investigate...

She was truly stuck, the only help came from the dreams and she has a suspicion it has to do with that incomprehensible theater.

Alex looked her up and down once, then with a smile said, "I actually went through something similar once. Back then I met a medium or seer or something and she helped me remember my past. If you would like I can introduce you to her."

'Seer?! Really?! That is the best these people can do? What did I even expect, people back on my Earth believed the stars could tell you your future. Why did I think this place is any different?'

Through very hard work and a bit of inner pain she managed to force out a smile and say in a voice that only contained a speck of skepticism.

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't trust people who think that divination will solve my amnesia." Whatever she said must have been funny because everyone at their table began laughing except Veronica.

'Are all of them idiots? Being religious I understand, but thinking a person can just see into someone else's past is straight up stupidity!'

After the laughter died down Alex spoke again. "It's your decision, but you would be surprised how much it could help. In anyway, my offer still stands... I will be here for a couple more days, if you change your mind find me."

As he said it he downed his drink, then stood up and walked out, James done the same thing and went after him. Soon Veronica heard the opening and closing of the basement door.

'Seriously? Can anyone go down there except me?'

After they went away Veronica downed her drink as well, but instead of leaving she just poured some more. Since this new body of hers wasn't used to getting drunk every day, she was actually already kind of tipsy. Seeing her pouring another drink Suze looked concerned.

"So now that they are gone, do you want to tell me what happened?" Her voice was warm and kind, very unlike her usual behavior. Veronica looked at her and saw the worry hidden there. She sighed and answered, her voice quivered at first, but soon became firm.

"It's nothing, just one of Alex's sailors tried to force himself on me. Alex knocked him out." Suddenly Suze became angry and slammed the table rattling the glasses.

"Only knocked him out?! After trying to rape you! He should have shot him on the spot!"

Veronica's eyes became wide as beads, she never ever saw Suze getting this outraged. 

'Maybe something happened with her or someone else she cares about?... That is why she is so mad?'

Soon Suze realized her mistake and sat back down. She took James's glass and poured some whiskey which she drank in one gulp, then poured another. They stayed silent for a while... Until she finally spoke.

"It was Sofie." She said in barely a whisper, there was a tear running down her face. Taking a deep shuddering breath she continued.

"You might have already wondered why Sofie isn't in school... She is 17 and as you know there is free school until you turn eighteen."

Indeed, she remembered... The Free Cities had a similar schooling system as hers back on Earth. There was First School that started when you were 8 and ended when you became 14 years old. Then you would go to Second School which went from 14 years to 18. The numbers could differ depending on the month you were born in, but before 18 you would not finish Second School.

Then of course you could go to university or join the work force... or just be rich like the nobility. Knowing this she actually never realized that Sofie should've still be in school.

"We took her out when she was 16 years old... She was a really good student, the best in her year and you have seen her, she is just beautiful." Her teary eyes looked wistful remembering the past, but soon her smile disappeared and on her face only darkness remained.

"Maybe she was too pretty, since if she would have been ugly that monster wouldn't have forced himself on her... It was one of her classmates..." Suze tried to keep herself together, but it took all her willpower not to break down crying.

"One day she came home late, me and James were a little bit worried, but then she arrived... Her clothes torn, and with a vacant expression... Her eyes were puffy and red from crying so much, her whole body trembled... After the ordeal she didn't even put on her shoe and she just walked home... We called out to her and tried to get her to talk, but she said nothing...

"I took her to the bath to get her cleaned off, then I saw it... All over her body were nail marks, her own nails were all broken from trying to escape... And between her legs... There was so much blood..."

She stayed silent for a lot longer than before, Veronica was already holding her hand, trying to support her as much as she could. After a long while she decided to ask.

"Did the police catch him?" There was only a dry and sinister laughter coming from Suze.

"Catch him?... They didn't catch him... They always say that the Free Cities were built upon laws, but when it comes to enforcing them there are always loopholes... He was the governor's son and somehow all the evidence disappeared overnight... They said it got misplaced or stolen..."

After downing another glass of whiskey, Veronica poured more and asked, "So where is he now?"

There, on Suze's face a menacing and ominous smile appeared, she only said three words...

"Saint Hela Cemetery."

Veronica was a bit surprised and she blurted out, "Did he die? How?"

The smile stayed on her face and she looked Veronica straight in the eyes as she answered...

"It was an... Accident... In one stormy night their house caught on fire, people say because a lighting hit it. 'Sadly' none of the family made it out, but somehow all the servants and everyone else was totally fine... I say 'God' served justice!"

Something didn't seem right to Veronica, looking at Suze and her satisfied and dark smile, she had a feeling that the death was more human caused, than a deity's wrath.

They stayed silent for a long time, then soon Suze retired to her own room, leaving Veronica to clean the glasses. When she finished she placed the bottle –– which only had half of it left –– back to its place. Then she headed towards the stairs with a bit of lightheadedness.

In the main room there were still a few people, some sailors others not. While stumbling a bit she reached the steps, then nearly fell face first onto one. A bit of light chuckle escaped her mouth and she moved up towards her room. When she reached the second floor suddenly someone grabbed her and placed a hand over her mouth.

"Hey, did you think that you can escape me just because of the captain?"

Veronica tried everything to escape him, but his hold was too strong. With a lot of dread she squirmed as much as she could, but nothing helped.

"Now, now. Don't be like that. I just want to have some fun..."

While squirming and moving around the man didn't notice how close the edge of the staircase was, it only took one misstep. At one moment he was holding onto Veronica, in the next he was falling down the stairs and hitting the floor with a crunch.

Veronica caught herself on the handrail, so she only hurt her leg a bit. The man on the other hand wasn't so lucky, once he hit the ground he didn't get up ever again...

Since he was dead.