Chapter 3: Outstanding Citizen
Rollah sighed as she watched the Orange Mushroom disappear. She had been training here all afternoon. She had hoped it would be enough to put her at ease and make her forget the scene behind the Armor Shop. Rollah sat down on off to the side exhausted. She checked her inventory for what must have been the 100th time, only to see the Maple Skanda sitting there safe and sound. She sighed. What did she expect what happen? That is was disappear all of a sudden? They didn't know she had a claw; and even if they did, they couldn't prove it was theirs…could they?
Rollah pouted. Just when she thought things were going so great, now she has to deal with his creeping thought that she may possess something that belonged to a menacing Hermit, who looked like a building with legs! She wondered what she ever did to deserve this. Couldn't she just live in –
A gush of wind swept through the Training Grounds. It wasn't normal; not like the cool, gentle breeze that came and went once in a while. It was a lot stronger, picking up as time ticked away. Rollah wasn't the only one who noticed, as it seemed everyone on the map had dropped whatever it was that they were doing. Everyone began to huddle close to each other, all asking the same questions with no one possessing enough knowledge to answer. They were all as shocked as Rollah. Then…it stopped.
Everything stopped; everything and everyone. Behind her a Magician was in the middle of casting Magic Claw, but now he simple stood, slightly hunched over, with his right arm extended and his Wizard Staff in hand. Curiously, Rollah walked over. She waved her hand in front of his face and snapped her fingers a couple time, but he stood frozen, and Rollah lightly traced her finger along his arm, up his chest and neck, finally stopping at the tip of his nose, and pressed it down until it was as flat as it could be against his face. She giggled. Oh yes, she could have some fun with this.
Happily, Rollah skipped off in search of other mischief she could get up to while everyone was in this state. But she barely made it up the ladder at the end of the platform…before everything turned dark. Her surroundings were pitched black.
A chilling sensation ran down her spin. Okay…don't panic. She had no idea where she was but that didn't mean she was in danger. All she needed to do was stay calm and think rationally… She groaned. Calmness and rationality had never been a strong trait of hers. Instead, anxiety washed over her like a massive tidal wave, and tears rimmed the bottom of her chocolate brown eyes. "Hello?" she called out. When she got no reply, she began running; no direction in mind or sight. It was futile, she knew. She could have run for an eternity and nothing would've looked any different. But she couldn't stop. She just had to keep going; she –
"Oof!" she cried, as her face collided straight into someone's backside. Well, at least the clothes they were wearing were nice; soft and silky, making for a good cushion. Rollah looked up to see the back of someone's head, turning around slowly. "S-sorry," she mumbled, ducking her head, and moved along. She heaved a sigh of relief to see she was back in Henesys. However, immediately, she sensed something wasn't exactly right. Hm, had the town always been this crowded? Usually, the population in the towns trickled down in the afternoon as people went traveling, but at that moment, Rollah found herself a mere speck in a sea of people.
"May we have your attention, please?"
Rollah turned to see the voice was coming from the big television screen by the portals. The usual ad that ran in a loop was replaced by a group of solemn looking people in identical white uniforms, with the letters GM written on their hats in blues. Then, the entire sea shifted their attention to the television.
"We're very sorry to pull you out of your travels, but we have a very importance announcement to make."
Beside her, a few Magicians giggled gleefully. "I hope it's another 2x EXP Event," one of them said. The others nodded enthusiastically, clearly sharing similar thoughts and hopes. Unfortunately, judging by the GMs dead-serious expressions, Rollah guessed the announcement wouldn't be anything like that. I mean, they hardly interrupt everyone's day just to say they're holding another event. If people wanted in on that, they could make the time to check it out for themselves.
"In the past few days," the woman said, "we have detected a very serious breach of security. At first, usage was limited to a few, but now it seems it has spread across Maple. So many others have been affected that we felt it was time to step in."
A murmur of shock ran through the crowd as everyone began asking around, seeing if anyone knew what they were talking about. Rollah wondered why they even bothered. In a case like this, where the GMs were stepping in, no one was going to admit they knew anything of the sort.
"An illegal scroll has been released via a hack into the System that was discovered a few days ago," the woman explained. "It has been circulating undetected due to its resemblance to an ordinary scroll. And like an ordinary scroll, it gives the items special attributes and increases its market value." She paused, scanning the crowd. Obviously, she wasn't looking just at the crowd in Henesys. If Rollah had to guess, at that moment, she could see into every town that possessed a television set.
"However, the problem comes when the person sells it," she continued. "At first everything's normal. The buyer gets the item and the seller makes a profit. But then, a few days later, buyers complain that the item disappears from their inventory and, we suspect, goes back to the seller. The seller can repeat this process many times over, raking in the profits, while others are being scammed. To one person, this might not seem like such a big deal. But in the long run, average prices are skyrocketing as those sellers can now purchase other things at a higher cost and its ruining the economy." The woman paused again, as the murmuring had rippled across the crowd once more.
"Thus, we have decided to take action," she said, commanding everyone's attention, "and implement a rollback." At that, everyone was dead silent. Of course, no one looked too happy. If the GMs are stepping in to solve the problem, chances are, they've been driven to extreme measures. "We have decided to remove every item that has been affected by the scroll, as well as every mesos gained through the selling of said item. It'll begin immediately and will continue over the next forty-eight hours. Unfortunately, mesos lost by people who have been scammed will not be returned."
A rollback? Removing every item affected by the scroll? The same chill ran down Rollah spine as she though back to earlier that afternoon. The Rogue outside the storage with the scroll; someone mentioning a missing Maple Skanda, how "special" it was; no…no, it was just a coincidence. Rollah nodded. "Yeah, just a coincidence." Still, she opened up her inventory, her finger twitching slightly as she tapped the EQP tab…revealing an empty slot where the expensive claw used to occupy. She sighed. Okay, so it wasn't a sign from fate; well, maybe it was, but it certainly wasn't a gift; more like a cruel prank that wasn't funny unless you were in on it. She really should've seen it coming. But…at least it can't get any worse, right?
Uhg, she should crush hope before it chokes her alive. A moment later, when she bothered to skim through the rest of her inventory, something odd caught her eye. It took a few minutes for her to really process it. Her balance at the bottom…the number…it wasn't right…right? Five million was missing from account; exactly five million. She groaned, face palming until there was a faint, red handprint on her usually porcelain white, but now slightly tanned and really sweaty, face. The stupid mage…had given her mesos…that he stole. Yep, she was never going to trust anyone ever again.
In the background, the GMs continued to talk (something about missing people), but Rollah was beyond listening. No, she was too busy being mortified by the fact that her two biggest money-makers; the two things that she depended on in case she ever ran out; was gone! But…but that's okay. So…so she doesn't buy a lot of new clothes. A-and…she cuts back on a few luxuries for a while…like food. And she pays her rent a little – Oh, no; her rent. Rollah groaned again, while face palming. Her rent…her stupid rent…for the stupid house she was stupid enough to buy… Forget paying it a little late; how was she going to come with the payment at all? The house cost her 50 000 mesos a night, collected every seven days. Without the five million, she barely had 10 000!
Suddenly depressed, Rollah dragged her half-dead body home. She felt more exhausted than she did after an entire day of training, and she wasn't particularly keen on going home. In fact, she should've avoided the place at all costs, seeing as today is the day her first payment is due. But…where else could she go? She could go back the Training Grounds…but her body protested, probably fearing for its safety when Rollah brain accidently shuts down in the middle of a mob. It was so tired, just from walking, Rollah felt like keeling over.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity (who knew Henesys was so big?), Rollah reached her new house. And sure enough, taped on her door was a little slip of paper, yellowish and slightly brittle. The landlord had already been by, it said, and seeing as she wasn't home, he'd come back first thing tomorrow morning to collect the rent. Rollah sighed, tearing it off the wooden door and crumpled it in her hands. Once she got up to her bedroom, she promptly threw it under her bed. Maybe the landlord will forget to come by; or just skip her house when he sees the notice isn't there. He was a talking mushroom, after all. How well could they're memory be? Rollah yawned. She couldn't worry about that. All she wanted was sleep. She just wanted a moment's…peace…
There was no such luck. The next day, Rollah heard a loud banging at the door. She cracked an eye open to see the sun still resting on the horizon. She opened up her inventory, slightly hoping that yesterday was all a terrible dream. Hm, nope; the five million was still gone. And the banging still hadn't stopped; if anything, they were getting louder. Still groggy, Rollah crawled out of bed, making her way down stairs. Opening the door a crack, she frowned to see the little green mushroom, its cap covered in yellow polka dots, starring up at her.
"I'm here about the rent," he said. "That'll be 350 000 mesos."
"Yeah," Rollah mumbled, rubbing her eyes clean of sleep. "Um…" What should she do? She contemplated slamming the door in his face and yelling, go away, until he, well, went away. But somehow, she doubted it would solve anything. Instead, she turned to pleading; perhaps he'd be sympathetic. "Could um…could I have a few extra days? You know, to come up with the rent? Some stuff came up and…well; a lot of my stuff is missing."
The green mushroom smirked. "So, I see the rollback strikes again," he (or at least, Rollah though it was a "he") said. "You're not the first," he continued, waving a finger at her. "I've met at least ten other people telling me the same thing. Looks like the hack spread faster than anyone anticipated, huh?"
Rollah nodded, not because she agreed – she didn't know about the dumb hack until yesterday – but because she simply didn't know what else to say. "So," she said, "you'll help me, right?"
At that, the arrogant smirk morphed back into a frown. "I'm sorry," he said, though he really didn't sound too sorry, "but extensions are against our policy. You have until the end of the day, when I return, to produce 350 000 mesos or I'm afraid you'll have to leave." With that, he left, shaking his head.
Rollah starred after him, muttering something unintelligent, and slammed the door shut. Great; add eviction to her list of problems. Grabbing her stuff, Rollah headed out; back to the Henesys homelands. It wasn't as crowded as it was the day she arrived, but there was still a considerable amount of people walking up and down the various rows of houses. "Hello?" Rollah opened the door a smidge, to see the landlord sitting in the back with, scarfing down a Sundae. He waved her in. "Hi," she said. "Um…I used to live here."
The landlord nodded. He tried to talk, but his mouth was full of ice cream judging by the white cream that dribbled from his mouth. Uhg, good thing she didn't eat breakfast yet. It would've been a total waste of food, seeing as how it would've all come right back up at the sight of a pudgy man with melted ice cream dripping out of mouth.
Rollah shook her head, gesturing at him that he needn't talk, fearing that he might spray half-eaten Sundae all over her. "Anyways," she continued. "I was wondering about my old house…if it's still available."
The landlord forced down another spoonful of ice cream, before answering, "Sorry, kid. We gots people comin' everyday looking at houses. After ya left, I sold it to somebody else." He shrugged.
"Well, do you have anything else available for…relatively the same price?" she asked, desperate.
He shook his head. "Sorry, everything's booked solid. I gots some people ready to move out soon, but uh… that won't be for another couple days or so."
Rollah nodded a little numb. She could barely manage a polite "Thank you," and "Goodbye," before wobbling toward the door. Her legs gave out as soon as she was outside, and she plunked down on the porch, her head in her hands. What am I gonna do? By the end of the day, she was going to be homeless. She'll be lucky if she can sleep on a bench in the park or something! Uhg, this day could not get worse…
"Do you have anything to report?" Caramel, formally known as Caramel II, asked. She was extremely anxious to get the case over with. Well, she was anxious, but she wanted to do it right. She had been working as a Game Master for a while now, and solved many cases of fraud, hacking, and kidnapping, but never had the case gone completely cold before it even got started! They had no leads as to who took No. 41 and 42.
Quincy shrugged as he scratched his head. Carmel rolled her eyes. He was the latest addition to the team, and still unfamiliar with a lot of things. "Not sure," he said, flipping through a small stack of papers in his hand. "The words been out for a few days now that they're missing, but when we mentioned it on the big screen, reports have been flying in. Most of them have turned out to be untrue."
"Yeah," Caramel said, sarcastically. "This is where all the concerned citizens all jump out for the rewards." Normally, Caramel didn't care, but this case was especially curious to her.
A report came in that No. 41 and 42 were missing, but there were absolutely no leads. The well was dry before they even started draining it. People were beginning to think maybe it was a hoax, but she didn't believe it; she wouldn't believe it until she saw with her own eyes that they were either safe or that they didn't exist.
"But," Quincy continued. "We did have one report from someone who was...very persistent and insisted we check it out." He ushered Caramel along to the interrogation room, where an Archer girl sat looking terrified beyond her wits. Her head whipped around as she starred frantically for an exit or a person or…something; probably anything to give her some peace of mind.
Uhg, Caramel hated the interrogation room. The little square box-like place was completely sealed off with a one-way glass window for observation. Inside, one could see a tiny wooden bench in the middle of the back wall, and an ever-shifting map, transitioning from the sunny fields of Henesys, to the middle of a frigid ice storm in El Nath, to the underwater world of Aqua Road. Everything was illusionary, save for the bench, of course. But it was definitely helpful in cracking open suspects like a Hard Walnut.
They were usually knocked out and carted off in the middle of a task, and locked inside the room for a good thirty minutes or so. When they awaken, all they can think about it escaping with answers. It's a very stressful frame of mind, and when you're in it, all you want is to stop and think. That alone is very difficult under stress, but the changing maps just add to it and distracts from their task. It was supposed to make them feel pressured; to remind them that the world is still spinning around, and that there was still that clock ticking away…or something to that effect.
Caramel sighed. The current occupant didn't look like much; just frightened. "How can you be sure she knows anything?" she asked, slightly annoyed. "You said so yourself; there have been many false alarm ringing." It wasn't that she didn't trust Quincy…she just didn't trust people in general. Facts she trusted; facts didn't change; but people…people changed their tunes based on how it benefits them. Who's to say the person who reported the Archer just had a grudge against her and wanted to see her suffer a little?
But Quincy just shrugged. "Yes, and I also said this person was extremely persistent. She refused to leave and kept sending in reports until we promised to investigate her lead. Her name was…" He flipped through his stack of paper, producing a file on another Player. "…Siren; an Archer girl. She said she saw…" He paused, flipping again. "…Chocorollah," he gestured at the girl in the interrogation room, "with Hudson. You remember him, right?"
Ah, Caramel nodded. How could she forget? As GMs, they have been tracking the Hermit for…well, as long as she could remember. They were always on the hunt for him for some crime; counterfeiting, hacking, illegal raids; but just when they thought they had him, everything disappears without a trace. Some say he's just that good, perhaps even better and he's just doing it to mock them; but there were also rumors that there were spies in the Game Masters working on his behalf in exchange for benefits. Whatever he pays, it was probably better than what they earned.
"I thought it might've been a good idea to bring her in," Quincy said. "So I did. She's all yours." And with that, he strolled out whistling a tuneless song, still flipping through his pile of papers. Caramel began to wonder if that's all he did in terms of office work; handle the paper work, in which case, she truly pitied him, for they, as GMs, got more paper work than anyone.
She sighed. Well, since they did go through the trouble of bringing her in, she might as well see if she knows anything. Quickly, she descended the spiraling metal staircase, down to the large double doors with two beefy guards holding machine guns checking ID. It led to a dimly lit hall way with two more sets of doors, each one more secure than the one before. The next one required ID check and a handprint scan, and the one after that required ID, handprint, plus an eye scan. Finally, the door the interrogation room was made entire of steel, with iron locks that bolted shut and a full body scan and voice recognition. Yeah, you could say they were a little paranoid. They spent so much on security at the actual headquarters, Caramel wondered what the world would be like if her bosses gave nearly as much time and mesos into improving the security outside. Well, then she supposed the GMs would be out of a job.
Finally reaching the door, Caramel waited patiently for the bright red lasers to run up and down her entire body three times. "Voice authorization required."
Caramel sighed. "Caramel II," she called out.
"Accepted," the automated voice replied. "Welcome." It was followed by the unmistakable sound of rusty metal being heaved; bolts turning, and the squeaky noise from the hinges as the door swung open. To…Chocorollah (was that her name?) is would seem the door appeared from nowhere. She looked absolutely petrified as Caramel walked in, right in the middle of a snow storm. "It's okay," she said. "I'm not here to hurt you." Well, at least not physically. She sighed. Sometimes Caramel wondered if she was too soft to interrogate people; she was told fear and anxiety was the key in prying the truth from someone, but…she didn't want to see anyone suffer like that.
The girl stopped, shivering long enough to look her in the eyes, before shrinking back to sit on the bench. A moment later, the snow clear and was replaced by the underwater landscape of Aqua Road. Slowly, Caramel approached the Archer, who was still sitting on the bench, starring at her feet. "I wanna leave," she heard her whimper. "Why am I here? Why me?"
Caramel truly pitied this girl, who sat shriveled up with her face in her hands as she cried. "I'm not here to hurt you," she repeated. "I…" She paused, taking a deep breath. She should've that she all just wanted was to ask a few questions, but Caramel wasn't so sure that, that was going to be enough. For the first time, she felt an intense panging in her mind to grill this girl for all she knew. But should she say that? It was different from her usual approach. In the end, she settled on a half-truth. "I just want answers."
Chocorollah looked up, her eyes puffy and red. Then she sighed, willing the tears to stop. "What answers?" Her works were bitter, but they lacked bite. It seems as though she was already pretty drained from before they brought her in. Caramel silently wondered what had happened to this girl.
"Just…talk me," Caramel replied softly, ignoring her question. Hm, perhaps that was a bad idea, as the girl instantly clamed up, dropping her head with a heavy sigh. It was clear she wasn't going to give anything unless she had reassurance that she would gain something in return. Another reason why she disliked people; in their minds, the scale always had to be even; what they give away must be returned. Caramel sighed. "Fine," she said, pointedly, "don't talk; don't see your friends and family. What we have on you, you can rot away for all anybody cares." It was a harsh thing to say, but…that was kind of the point. Yes, fear and intimidation worked, but baiting them by pointing out the worst possible repercussion that could occur; well, Caramel had found it worked better than other technique. All they want at this point is freedom and to return to normality.
Caramel watched as the girl's head slowly rose. There was a new sense of determination in her eyes when she looked up. "What do you wanna know?"
Rollah sighed. Yeah, she had cracked like a Walnut under the pressure form that…GM lady, but she couldn't help it! You couldn't say she was weak; you just…couldn't; because you didn't know! Everything about that place was freaky. It was so small, yet…it seemed endless because it was so empty. And the maps…uhg, she could barely form a coherent thought in her head! The only thing could think about was how everything kept changing. It was a reminder that the world wasn't going to stop spinning for her. But…but all she wanted at that point was for everything to stop; just…stop, and let her think!
When that woman came in, and started mothering her, Rollah wanted to shout at her to just cut the crap and tell her why she was here. But what she would've said, had she said anything at all, would probably be, "Remind me how to breathe…"
In the end, she completely cracked, and the agreed to the lady's bargain. If Rollah could figure out where Hudson was, they'd return everything that was confiscated from her during the rollback. Needless to say, she jumped on that pretty quickly. Yeah, it was silly to think that having mesos could fix everything but…well; sometimes that childish hope is all you really need to get through the day.
Rollah clutched her War Bow, which was no longer shiny and new-looking, just a little bit tighter as she looked out at the sea. In the back, she could still hear the mindless chatter of the people in Lith Harbor, but they were too far to hear her, as she stood by the shore of the sandy beach, the waves crashing and receding just inches away from her clunky boots. Her destination derived from the conversation she overheard earlier that afternoon.
"Take them to the abandoned ship. We can't stay here any longer. I think we've already been found out."
At first, she had no idea what they talking about. There weren't any ships that were abandoned on Victoria Island…except for the ones at Lith Harbor. Now far away from the busy town filled with Beginners, Rollah stood along the shore, where dozens of old ships had met their end by the jagged rocks, and washed up. It was hard to believe waters normally so calm could cause this much destruction. But then again, thing's can surprise you when you least expect it. Rollah chuckled, thinking back to her mother, who fist told her the "phrase of wisdom." She said it was reason she left Rollah's father.
"Everyone has a second face that's never to be seen, but shows up anyways. As a person, you ought to be careful. Take a good, hard, long look at someone and decide if they're really worth it. Sometimes they can surprise you by rising above being inherently two-faced, but sometimes…well, sometimes you realize that the second one is really who they are, and that they're never going to change."
Her mother also cited it as the reason she never remarried or…even got in another relationship. She said marrying her father was like sticking her finger in a mousetrap; it hurt, and she was smart enough not to do it again. Anyways, why was she thinking about this? Oh, yeah, looking at the waters makes her homesick. Rollah sighed; back to problem at hand.
The abandoned ship was a good lead, but to the large beach of Lith Harbor was as far as it had gotten her. Taking a deep breath, Rollah approached the remains of what she could only imagine was a gigantic vessel. Imagine; because half of it was bury in the sands underwater. Uhg, she really didn't wanna go in. She hated dark spaces, but…what other choice did she have? She was even beginning to wonder why even left GM headquarters. At least in there, she had a place to sleep and food delivered. If she came up dry, well, what did she have left to return to? Her homesickness reminded her very clearly that by the end of the day, she would have no home.
Thus, Rollah slowly approached the wreckage. Repulsed by the smell of mould, not to mention spooked by the total darkness, Rollah leaned back, extending her arm to feel around. Her hand landed on what she could only assume to be the wall, and she used it as support as she walked in. The grounds were still sandy. This time though they were wet and clung to her boots. Her foot seemed to sink further and further into the ground with every step, like she was in quick sand. She gasped. What if was quick sand? What if she was slowly disappearing and no one knew? Uhg, the GM lady was right; she could gonna rot away and no one would –
Huh? Rollah stopped freaking out long enough to realize the last step she took created echoed. Looking down, she saw that the ground was no longer wet sand but…metal? She stomped her feet a few times to be sure. Yep, it was definitely metallic. Looking ahead, she noticed the ground begin to steep downward…until it completely disappeared down a tunnel. Rollah gulped; like actually gulped. People did it when they were nervous, but Rollah almost never did…until she saw her task. Very slowly, she walked toward the tunnel, leaning over it slightly. It was a long way down… So long, in fact, that she couldn't even see the bottom. Curiously, she picked up a stone off the ground and gently slid it down. She counted the seconds before she heard it land on at the bottom. 154 seconds; how many minutes was that?
Well, it didn't matter…because she wasn't going down there. She couldn't! Still… Rollah felt a light breeze sweep in, reminding her, like the ever changing maps, that the island wasn't going anywhere, and that time was still ticking away for her. She had two options: go back and return to her life worrying about debts that she was soon going to acquire…or just suck it up, do it, and try and get her life back to normal! Well, the ending was a foregone conclusion, as Rollah struggled to sit down comfortably, inching along floor until gravity took over.
Slowly and slowly…until she found she no longer needed to move. A cool breeze splashed her in the face as she picked up speed, going further and further down. Rollah was tempted to look back, but she knew that would only add anxiety to her already rattled nerves. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rollah landed with a thud on the floor. Well, that was pleasant.
She dusted herself off as she stood. A moment later, she finally got to assess her surroundings. Tunnels…lots of them, all going in different direction; they were constructed of metal; maybe steel; and Rollah could just barely see her reflection. Rust ate away at the walls and flooring, prompting Rollah to guess that no one came down there often and scare herself even more. Cautiously, she chose a route at random and walked along. Above her, the dangling lights flickered, making the place feel even more ominous.
After a while, she began to question if she walking in circle. The scenery never changed; all Rollah could see in front and behind her was an endless tunnel of steel. She could've been wandering down there for hours for all she knew! No, this isn't working, she decided, and turned back. Tears began forming in her eyes as she felt like she was walking on a hamster wheel; she could've run as fast as her legs would take her, but she would always remain in the same spot. What if she never escaped? What if she was down here forever? The waterworks began running down her face freely, as she picked up speed, now practically running, scared; very, very scared. What will happen to her? What will –
Oh, no. Rollah felt her entire body go numb when she saw what lied ahead. The tunnel had come to a dead end; well, sort of. Instead, it branched off into two opposite directions. Rollah remembered turning a few corners as she walked, and she must've come from one of the directions, but…which one? East or west? Both ways looked identical; just more tunnels. Wiping her tears, Rollah racked her brain for an answer, thinking so hard she was sure smoke of coming out of her ears, but…nothing. She had no idea. Rollah sighed. Well, she supposed things were left up to luck. Pulling out a pink Orihalcon ore, she threw it against the wall; whichever direction it lands towards, that's where she goes. It made a slight dent, before sort of dropping off and rolled along…toward the left. Okay, left it is! Rollah decided to leave the ore where it was as a marker; to make sure she wasn't actually walking in circles.
Everything was so quiet; so still. All that she could hear was her footsteps and the echoes…at least, she hoped those were echoes. But…soon it dawned on her that they perhaps that sound wasn't her; they were out of sync, inconsistent, and…getting louder. Oh, you've gotta be kidding me, she groaned. She wasn't alone; there was someone else approaching, and… Rollah looked around frantically for a place to hide, but saw none. It was clean and empty. So, Rollah resorted to blunt self defense, and held her War Bow in position, an arrow strung and ready. The footsteps quickened in pace, getting louder and louder. In the distance, Rollah could see another corner, and a shadow stretched along it as the figure approached. She willed herself to calm down; she had to be ready in case it was one of the Rogues on patrol or something. Okay, one, two…
"There you are!"
Huh? In the distance, a girl with a poufy, blue Siren haircut came running over with a sigh of relief. Wait a minute… Slowly, Rollah lowered her weapon, realizing she'd seen that distinctive face before.
"I was hoping I'd find you! You started runnin' and I couldn't keep up an'…anyways, so glad I found you!" The girl smiled, but it wasn't cheery; well, it was it, but it was too cheery, like it was all a mask. Okay, was she missing something? Or did the girl honestly not see what was wrong with the current picture?
"Right…" Rollah said, nodding. She knew she was starring, and she knew it creeping out the other girl, but she couldn't help it! Something was just not right with this image! "…And you are?" As condescending, and possibly rude, as that question could've come off, Rollah couldn't care. It was her fault for springing up the situation. Instead of relief washing over her, Rollah would've rather it been a one of the menacing Hermit (Hudson, was that he name?) thugs who turned the corner. It would've been easier on the logic.
"Oh," she said, looking genuinely surprised. "I'm Siren!" She stuck out her hand, still smiling. She was oddly reminiscent of the scene with Noxious in the Training Ground, except…well, the situation was reversed. Hm, did the Mage feel as weird as she did? She shook Siren's hand anyways, shaking it…until they both seemed to have realized how awkward the situation was, and Rollah let her hand drop.
"So…" What should she say? She should she ask if Siren had a map or something to get out? Yeah, that seemed like a normal response. "Do you know how to get out of here?"
The faux-cheery demeanor dropped like a ton of bricks, as Siren suddenly looked conflicted. She couldn't have been surprised that Rollah would ask that, right? Still, she took a couple deep breaths before answering. "Yes," she said, slowly. "But we can't leave. Not yet."
"What?" Rollah asked, utterly dumfounded. Did she wanna be stuck down there forever? She couldn't believe this Siren-person! Well, whatever. "Fine then, just show me a way out." Siren could stay lost down there forever, but Rollah had other plans for her line. She stretched out her hand, waiting for her to hand over the map.
"No!" she cried, suddenly defensive. What was with her? She changed expressions faster than…well, she never actually met anyone who had more mood swings than Siren. "It's mine!"
"I don't wanna keep it!" Rollah said, getting irritated. "I just wanna see it! I'm leaving!"
"You can't leave!" she said, looking up at her, eyes widening. "I mean…" she sighed. "Don't you want your things back? What are you gonna do about your meso problem after you get out?"
Rollah sighed. Well, she had a point. If she went back to the GMs empty-handed they wouldn't just give her, her stuff back and say, "Well, we're back to square one, but the important thing is she tried." They weren't that stupid! And, plus she had a map, so it wouldn't be like – Hey! "How did you about my meso problem?"
Siren looked visibly frightened. It seems Rollah had talked her into a corner. "I…I…" Finally, Siren sighed, seeing no point in dragging out the façade any longer. When she looked back at Rollah, her eye held a glimmer of annoyance themselves. See? Mood swings.
"Were you the one who turned me in?" Rollah asked. She should've been angry, but for some reason, Rollah didn't think Siren did it because she was bored or held a grudge. There must've been a reason.
Siren pursed her lips together and nodded sheepishly. "Pretty much," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I…" She paused taking a deep breath. She seemed a lot more at ease than before. "That day," she explained, probably referring to the scene behind the Armor shop, "I saw you, and I knew you heard everything. And – " She took a sharp breath as they both heard the voices in the back. Rollah's head whipped around, seeing a shadow flickering on the wall at the other end. "Come on," Siren said, gesturing for Rollah to follow her. "We can't stay here." She started running. She was surprisingly fast and Rollah struggled slightly to keep up.
The blue-haired Archer stopped at a small ventilation duct on the wall close to the floor, bending down and unscrewing it open. There was just enough space for the two of them to crawl side by side. Still, Siren suggested Rollah go first, and she would follow, placing the screen back into position.
"Anyways," she whispered. "Where was I?" Siren was still a little behind her, as they both crawled along the dusty, stuffy, air vent. "Oh, yeah, the Armor shop. I knew you heard everything. So did I and I guess you could say I was curious."
"Curious?" Rollah whispered back.
"Yeah, I wanted to know who the scary-looking big meat head was," she replied. Rollah chuckled at her description of Hudson, though it was surprisingly accurate. "When the rollback came," she huffed, "and they said all that stuff about No. 41 and 42, I just knew they were connected. You could call it a fifth sense, I guess."
No. 41 and 42? Oh, yeah, the two guys that gave her the Maple Skanda. She couldn't imagine anyone else with such…unique yet bland names (who numbers their kids then decides to actually call them that?). They were missing? Hm, well Rollah didn't really pay attention to the GMs after she found the claw and the five million missing.
"Anyways, I wanted to find them, but… Well, I'm not stupid. I knew if those Thieves caught me I would be as good as dead," she continued.
"So you wanted me to come?" Rollah said, incredulous. "Why didn't you just ask me that day?" Instead of putting both of them through all that hassle and trouble.
"I didn't know if you'd say yes!" Siren defended herself. "And I couldn't go in alone, so…I gave you away to the GMs. They'd make you a deal or you'd agree to help them on your own, and you would come here with me."
Rollah hated to admit it, but the girl was starting to make some sense. As crazy as her plan was, it worked. Though, there was still one question that nagged at her mind. "Why?"
Siren sighed. "I guess you could say…well, life was getting boring for me. I just wanted a good thrill." She giggled, seeming pretty proud of herself and her dangerous sense of adventure. "I mean, ever since I left home, things have been pretty quiet. It was just me and it was so…normal." She shuddered. "I hate that."
Rollah smirked. "And you couldn't think of anything else to pass the time?" she asked, sarcastically. Rollah really couldn't relate to Siren. She would give her left arm to live peacefully for the rest of her life; to not have to deal with things like being evicted or being killed by possibly murderess Thieves if she was found. Yet, Siren purposely sought out adventures like that. Was she human? Or was Rollah the weird one for wanting solitude and comfort?
"Nope," Siren replied, cheerfully. And this time it felt real.
Rollah had so many other things she wanted to ask, but they didn't have the time. Up ahead, she could see a dull light at the end of the vent. She felt Siren tug at the back of her skirt, warning her to stay quiet and hidden in the shadows. Rollah nodded, staying close to the wall. The angle was just enough to give a view of Hudson, who sat on a throne-like chair. The other Rogues, plus the two Warriors surrounded him. In front, two guys knelt before him, both looking like they've been driven mad with fear and anxiety. Rollah gulped again. Was this the fate of those who dared to cross the Hermit? Silently, Siren crawled up, leaning in Rollah's direction close enough that she could smell the fruity shampoo the blue-haired Archer used.
"Whoa," she whispered. "They don't look so good."
Rollah rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed." For a moment, both of them just stayed there unmoving. Occasionally, Hudson would yell and have the boys quivering in fear. Rollah felt sickened by the Hermit expression. You'd think he feels remorseful for what he's doing but he wasn't; nor was he really happy with scaring two kids half to death either. But he was…satisfied. The stiff, half-smile that sat upon his lips did not show glee; but it showed that he was content; satisfied that he had power. "What's the plan?" she asked.
Siren looked over at Rollah, confused. Oh no…
"You mean you don't have a plan?" she whispered harshly. Great, she was stuck in an air vent, with a screen being the only thing separating her from a menacing Hermit who drew satisfaction from scaring and, Rollah guessed killing others if necessary.
"I was hoping you'd have an idea!" she said, defensively. "You…you looked smart. I figured you would know what to do when the time came to spring into action."
"Well, I don't!" Rollah spat back. She sighed. Uhg, she knew this was a mistake. She contemplated going back…but she knew Siren wouldn't have it. And…well, Rollah wasn't heartless enough to just leave her with those Thieves. "I don't know," she said, softly.
Siren pouted. "Well, this is a bust," she huffed, letting out a breath of air. There was a small pause as she shifted to the other side of the vent. Good thing too, because Rollah was starting to not be able to feel her legs. "Should we ambush them?" she suggested.
Rollah rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said, sarcastically, "if you want your family to see how your gravestone looks."
"It was just an idea," she replied, holding her hands out in a sign of defense. She sighed. Well, clearly, Siren also saw what little they could do in with the situation.
Rollah was just about to suggest turning back, when a very loud clunk was heard, and the vent felt like it dropped a little. "What was that?" Rollah whispered. She looked to see Siren shrug. Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the vent and the enclosed space suddenly smelled…fruity? Siren had her head rested against the wall, her blue locks, streaked in various shades of blue, blowing softly against her face toward the room. Rollah could smell her shampoo or hairspray or…whatever she used, clearly. Yes, it was that strong. A chill ran down her spine, as her eyes widened. Siren picked up on her sudden nervousness as well.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
Rollah shook her head. "It's probably nothing," she replied. Yeah, she was just getting worked for nothing. It was just because they were so close; that's why… But they… Rollah looked back into the small, candlelit room. They couldn't…right?
Warren looked over at his right, where Raina stood with a ramrod posture. But suddenly, she lifted her head, sniffing the air, her expression sour.
"Do you smell that?" she whispered.
"Smell what?" Warren too began sniffing around. At first, he dismissed it as nothing; probably the anxiety had gotten to her, but…a fruity aroma filled his nose. "What is that?" he said.
Raina shook her head. "I don't know," she said, slowly, "but…I think it's coming from the air ducts."
Warren looked over to see a small vent on the wall near the floor. How did he miss that? Well, anyways, it was completely dark; though…Well, Warren couldn't be certain but he though he saw a hand peeking through under the screen. "Do you think maybe –?"
"Warren!" Hudson snapped. Crap… Both he and Raina stiffened automatically, and Warren turn his head slowly to look the menacing leader in the eyes. "Something you would like to share with us?"
The Rogue looked back at Raina, who managed to glance at him fearfully. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to say something or just ignore it. He sighed. "It's nothing," he admitted. "I just thought…I thought the air smelled funny, that's all." Across from him, Eero sneered in amusement. Hm, maybe he should've just brushed it off.
But Hudson was intrigued. Warren remembered how fearful he was of the GMs; he was always paranoid when it came to them. He drew himself to full height, towering over everyone as he sniffed the air. A moment later, he wrinkled his nose. "What is that?" he asked (more like growled).
"I think it's coming from the air vent," Naiser said, sniffing around as well. Soon everybody was doing it, and they all looked distressed and confused by the aroma. Now really angry from fear, Hudson stomped over to the ventilation duct. Warren noticed with amusement that the hand that might (or might not) have been there, disappear into the darkness and the soft bumps and knocks as whoever was there shifted about, probably trying to avoid Hudson. Finally, annoyed that he couldn't see anything, Hudson kicked in the screen with his iron boot. Warren heard two loud but distinct shrieks emitted from the vent before a girl tumbled out followed by the other.
Okay, ouch! Rollah hissed as she rubbed the red spot on her arm where Hudson's boot had collided. It wasn't until the dark shadows loomed over her did she realize that seven people were starring down at her. Most of them looked pretty angry, save for the girl, who actually looked frightened for Rollah's sake, and the other guy, from the Armor shop who…well, he looked like he really wanted to kick himself at that point.
Beside her, Siren stood up, dusting herself off. She looked like she really wanted to be confident, but even she had trouble with the mask of bravery in front of those goons. Instead, she motioned for Rollah to stand, which she did still holding the sore spot on her arm. Together, they looked them in the eyes, but a moment later, they began to shrink away, until their backs were pressed against each other. "Uh, okay," Siren whispered. "Maybe this was…too big of an adventure."
Rollah nodded. But what were they gonna do? They were trapped…like Ratz in the Eso Tower. For a moment, everything was still; just like that day in the Training Grounds, and Rollah silently prayed to Zakum that the same thing was going to happen. But of course, it didn't, for the first time in her life; it seemed all Hell had broken loose.
In an instant, Siren whipped out her War Bow and fired several arrows at the gang of thugs. It did little damage, other than annoy them, but a few were stuck. All of them began tumbling about in the small room, tossing Krumbis and Ilbis into the mess. Rollah would've laughed when the stars actually hit one of their own team members, but she wasn't even given the chance. Siren did most of blocking, while Rollah surveyed the room carefully but quickly. In the back corner, in between all the Rogues who tumbled or ran past, Rollah could see No. 41 and 42 cowering, covering their heads with their hands.
"Go!" She heard Siren shout. She fired another arrow. Rollah nodded, ducked to avoid the throwing stars and began to crawl over.
In the distance, Warren saw the spiky-haired girl crawling over to No. 41 and 42. He knew if she got them, then everything would be over. He should've stopped her but… He sighed, backing away. His hands balled into fists, so tightly that he was afraid the Crystal Ilbi in hand might've melted or something. He brought the throwing star up to his face and examined it. When he saw his reflection, he promptly looked away. He didn't wanna see himself like this. The Crystal Ilbis had been a gift from Hudson, but he's never used them. The Krumbis he bought himself worked fine. He always said it was because they were too special to use but… He chuckled quietly. Maybe he thought if he used them, it would like admitting he was one of them. Then he groaned.
What was with him? Why was everything he wanted so conflicting? He wanted to be accepted by Hudson, but at the same time, he felt ashamed and embarrassed to be a part of his guild. He was so happy when Hudson gave the Crystal Ilbis, but he refused to use them because he felt like it was admitting this is who he was. But…it was true. He sighed, standing up, the throwing star still in his hand. "That's right," he whispered. "This is who I am: a Thief, a liar…and a murderer." He lifted his hand, the throwing star tightly in his grasp. He aimed at the Archer who was close to No. 41 and 42, poised and ready to throw…but… He felt arm go stiff. He chuckled quietly at how pathetic he was. He couldn't do it. His conscience wouldn't let him. But he had to. The smile was wiped clean off his face as he willed his arm to move. He had to go through it. And he did.
He watched in amazement as the crystal went flying across the room, but…his aim was off. Instead of cropping off her head at the neck like he intended, it flew a little higher and only managed to take a little off one of her spikes, landing pinned to the wall. Or maybe it was just because they were supposed to be used until he was Level 50. The girl glanced over in his direction, meeting his eyes with hers wide in fear. At first she was hesitating, but now he saw she was confident. There was no turning back as she stood grabbing No. 41 and 42 by the wrists and ran across the room. He didn't bother stopping her because he wouldn't be able to hit her. But he had to laugh at her gluttony; even in her fear, she couldn't pass up something so rare, and she plucked the Crystal Ilbi off the wall and placed safely into her inventory before running off.
"Warren!" It was Hudson. He had two arrows stuck in his leg as he staggered along, limping. "Raina! Go!" he shouted. "Don't let them escape!"
Warren felt Raina whoosh past him, casting him a look that said to follow. He didn't want to but…did he really have a choice? He was contemplative for a moment, before his logical side overruled his conscience and he ran after Raina.
"No!" he heard the blue-haired shout. Behind him, he could just make out a second set of footsteps behind him running with furious speed.
He and Raina continued along the tunnel, until they came to a fork in the road. Warren had managed to steal a map from Phil the tour guide and knew which direction it the Archer probably took, but… He didn't wanna find them if Raina was here. She was very nice and kind but Hudson and her loyalty to him came first. She would never let them leave. So he pointed her in the wrong direction. "You go that way," he said. "This tunnel circles around to the other end." He pointed at what was supposedly on the other side of the wall. "We can meet in the middle and cut them off!" Luckily, Raina nodded and ran off without a word.
Warren sighed, then began running in the opposite direction.
"Come on! Come on!" Rollah shouted at No. 41 and 42. She knew they were probably hungry and exhausted, what with fearing for their lives and everything, but they really had to get going. A throwing star nearly missed her head. Rollah rolled her eyes at her own stupidity for going back and getting it, but she wasn't about to something like that slip past her.
Before the Hermit caught them, Siren had showed her the map of the tunnels and instructed to memorize it as fast as possible. Rollah managed to remember a few markers but there were so many turns and twists…uhg, okay, she was completely lost. Looking down at the twins in her grasp, she knew she couldn't go back and let them be killed. She had to keep going. "Come on," she huffed as she dragged them along.
But suddenly, she heard something in the distance, getting louder. They…they were footsteps. Oh, no… Hudson must've sent some of his goons after her. She didn't have the strength to keep going, even as the two pulled her along by the wrists. The show stretched around the corner and Rollah held her breath, waiting for the inevitable.
It was…that guy? Rollah realized she recognized him. It was the same guy behind the potions shop and the one who threw the Crystal Ilbi at her. He stopped a few feet short from her. A few seconds later, Siren came running up, her eyes widening at the sight of him. "Oh, no, we're done for aren't we?" she huffed and panted, breathless from the running.
He merely looked at them calmly before saying the last thing Rollah though would come from his mouth. "Go to the end of the tunnel," he instructed. "Then turn left. Ignore all the other halls and keep going until the very end, then turn left again. There'll be a set of stairs going up into an oil pipe that leads directly to Kerning. It's safer than going back Lith Harbor. They won't try and attack you with all those people."
Siren looked thoughtful for a moment, before deciding he was right. "Let's go," she hissed at Rollah. But the spiky-haired Archer wouldn't budge.
"Why?" she whispered. But he wasn't going to answering. Not far off, another set of footsteps were running closer and he dashed off without a word. Rollah felt Siren tugging at her arm. But she couldn't leave. Everything had been so weird; nothing made sense. "Why?" she continued to shout.
"Who cares?" Siren answered instead. In the end Rollah, followed after them. Per his instructions, Rollah, Siren, and the twins found themselves in an abandoned oil pipe. She'll never forget the faces she saw when they emerged. Everyone recognized No. 41 and 42, and Siren instructed a bystander to contact the GMs. They arrived a few minutes later, and the twins gladly confessed to their kidnappers. All of it happened in a blur that zoomed past her. Rollah couldn't quiet digest the situation just yet, especially…well, especially what happened with the Rogue.
The GM lady sent a few of them into the tunnel and they returned a several minutes later with the entire gang in tow. The last to come out was the young Thief. Rollah wasn't sure if he looked happy or sad…perhaps he was just conflicted. After all, what he did was the right thing, but it was the expense of himself and his "friends."
The GM lady walked over, a small wooden box in her hands. "A deal is a deal," she said, handing it over to Rollah. She merely starred at it for a moment, unsure. Behind her, Rollah saw the gang before carted off one by one, and Rollah realized something.
She shook her head, pushing the box back into the GM woman's hands. "I don't want it back," she said softly. "Just…just do me one favor."
The lady sighed, and then nodded. "Okay," she said, "what is it?"
"Go easy on the youngest one," Rollah said. Beside her, Siren looked over in shock. "He was the one who helped us. If he weren't for him, we probably would've been caught back at the beach, or still trapped down there." Being in debated was the worst feeling ever; money-wise, it was bad enough, but when someone does something like trade their freedom for yours, well…
The woman smiled. "I can't promise anything," she said. "But…I will make sure that what you just told me is acknowledged. It'll help his case and they might reduce his sentence." Rollah nodded, accepting that that was as far as things would go.
Rollah sighed, turning her attention back to Siren, who was gaping in shock. "That was your stuff!" she shouted. "How could you turn that down?"
Rollah laughed. "Hey, he gave up something for us, as did I for him. Now I figure, we're even." She shrugged. "Besides, I don't need all that; it'll bring back bad memories." Sure, she was still homeless, but the little adventure had changed her mentality for the better. Having a good life doesn't mean it had to be perfect or exciting, just…enjoyable. What good would it do to mope all the time about how things never worked out perfectly?
Siren laughed. "Yeah, I guess you right," she said.
"For thy efforts," or at least, that's how Dalair speaks, he gave them two honorary Outstanding Citizen medals. After he left, Rollah immediately sees Siren talking to some kid flashing her medal at him. She chuckled, guessing that she wanted to show off.
Well, Rollah wouldn't call herself an Outstanding Citizen just yet, but…it seemed that she was at least on the right path.