Purgatory of the Werewolf - The Wolf of Dorian Gray (Book 2)

Chapter 15 - Hong Kong Harbor Part 2

Zhang knelt at the table and gestured to the two cups. He locked eyes with Dorian as Chen poured and both men downed their drinks at the same time. It wasn't long before the other men in the bar were gathered around the table, cheering Zhang on in their own language and placing bets on which man would outdrink the other. Purcell called out his own encouragement as he slowly sipped his own drink.

The friendly contest quickly soured as Dorian continued to match Zhang cup for cup. Sweat glistened on the pock-marked forehead as his opponent began to feel the full effect of the many drinks. The man's supporters in the crowd began hurling insults at Dorian as he calmly continued drinking. Zhang slouched at the table and began swaying slightly from side to side. His already narrow eyes nearly closed until they were small slits, throwing daggers in Dorian's direction.

The crowd's disbelief increased as a new pitcher of shaojiu was brought forward and the cups were replaced. Dorian began turning his cup upside-down after each round to prove he had consumed it in it's entirety. At last, with a half-empty cup, Zhang collapsed at the table to the disbelief of his friends. Foolishly, Dorian reached across the table after drinking his own cup, and drank his opponents half cup as well.

The two men who had been directly behind Zhang unceremoniously dropped him and flung the wooden table aside. Before he knew what was happening, the man on the left had Dorian by the neck, while the man on the right launched a flurry of punches and kicks at his face and stomach. His nose bloodied and his stomach burning, Dorian vomited a mixture of blood and shaojiu as the man holding his neck pivoted behind him and flung him to the ground in a spinning throw. The other man aimed a terrible kick at Dorian's throat, but was unable to deliver it as Purcell leaped onto the man's back. Dorian rolled and surged to his feet, punching the face of his remaining attacker. The blow shattered the man's jaw and he fell to the floor. The other chinaman had just flung Purcell from his back and onto a nearby table. He was reaching for a small blade hidden in the belt of his robe when Dorian tackled the man with such force that the two men lifted briefly off the ground and crashed into the last remaining table in the room. The wood splintered and the man began screaming as his upraised knife was now protruding from its owner's thigh.

Dorian turned to confront the other men with a dark look in his eye. They slowly backed away as Chen motioned to the door. "Please. You go now. Zhang has lost and will pay. Go now."

Dorian looked down at his hands, trembling with rage, and then closed his eyes for a moment. He breathed deeply and the feeling passed. He helped an unsteady Purcell to his feet. The two exited the building quickly with Purcell leaning heavily on Dorian.

On their way back to the ship, Purcell spoke in a shaky voice. "Dorian, that was amazing...the way you handled those two men. One of them even had a knife."

"Thanks to your quick action Purcell. Now you have saved my life as well--that makes us even my friend."

Purcell smiled hesitantly. "Yes. Yes, I suppose I did. I owed you that much."

Dorian matched the man's smile and nodded. "Best not to mention this to anyone, though."

Purcell hesitated and met his gaze. "It is my duty to report any brawling of the crew, but I suppose it was all in self-defense. Those wretches got what they deserved. I will bend the rules for you this one time, Dorian."

"Thank you, Purcell."

Safely aboard, the two men bunked down for the night. The next morning, the ship set sail up the narrow channel towards the city of Canton.