Chapter 21: The Arms Dealer
Guide walked quietly through the corrupt forest. He was going to get home without delay, and hopefully without conflict.
As the entry cave came into sight, Guide heard the unmistakeable buzzing sound of a nearby eater of souls. He unsheathed his blue sword, and held it arm's length, looking around for the source of the buzzing. Guide realized that the buzzing sounded muffled, and thought for a moment that the eater could be hiding in a bush or tree.
While guide was inspecting a nearby tree, a dozen small soul eaters burst from a small hole in the ground. They shook the dirt off their rotted skin, shedding several small chunks of meat in the process. As soon as they had regained their senses, they spotted Guide, who had not regained his. The small swarm began tumbling though the air, bumping into each other and gnashing their mandibles. Green blood dripped onto rotted purple grass. Guide stood frozen, staring at the cloud of beating wings. His sword left his hand, and fell silently into the grass.
The eaters were bearing closer, and Guide began backing up. One of the things made a sudden lunge at Guide's throat. His eyes snapped shut and he reeled backwards-
And then there was an explosive noise, and when Guide opened his eyes, the monster laid in pieces at his feet. The largest chunk twitched slightly. Everything was still for a moment, and Guide looked awkwardly at the dead eater. The eaters began screeching, and a sudden barrage of bullets of bullets tore apart the entire swarm in a second, filling the air with smoke, blood and the sharp reports of a heavy machine gun. Guide came to his senses and jumped behind a rock, just in time to avoid a spray of bullets from connecting with him. He plugged his ears and watched as the entire area was ravaged by a deadly hail of bullets, which tore at the dirt and lit the grass on fire. Eventually, the shooting died down, and a man with a ratty trench coat stepped into view. Everything from his curly black hair to his old elven boots was covered in blood. He had very dark skin, and he carried himself with the air of a dashing rogue. Guide instantly recognized the man.
"Arms Dealer! What are you doing here?" Guide asked, stepping out from behind the rock. The Arms Dealer blew the smoke away from his large, shark-shaped machine gun and smiled.
"Killing monsters. How about you?" He asked. Guide stared at him warily. The two had met on a few occasions, and they never really met eye to eye.
"My business is my own," Guide said. Arms dealer laughed. His laugh was the kind that made those around him either happy or terrified, depending on where his gun was pointing.
"Hey, no need for that. Whose the latest player? Is that weird hippy still kicking?" Arms Dealer asked, clearly trying to break the ice. Guide sighed.
"Her name was Curie, and she was a pacifist. And no, she's not alive. She... She was stabbed to death," Guide said. Arms dealer didn't seem fazed by this.
"Oh, finally. I'm surprised the girl lasted that long. Everyone knows that guns solve more problems than words. We need more people like Atticus. Now THAT was a proper player!" Arms Dealer said. Guide clenched his fists "Anyways, whose the new one? The guy you gave the mirror?"
"I don't know his name. I call him player. He's quite good at what he does." Guide said. Arms dealer looked at him oddly.
"You don't even know his name?" Arms Dealer asked.
"No. He won't tell me. Says he can't remember. I have... Ambitions for him. He's an odd one," Guide responded, holding back as much information as he could bear to. In truth, he very much wanted to consult someone on this player.
"Odd, eh? How so? He doesn't look like a hippy, and he didn't have the same creepy vibe that Atticus did. What's up with him?" Arms dealer asked.
"Nothing, actually. That's what's weird! He's efficient and merciless, but not in a weird way. He's really nice to me, and he constantly mentions a past life. He seems to regard all of this as some sort of dream. Like nothing he does matters, because he'll wake up later and be able to forget everything," Guide said. Arms Dealer thought for a moment.
"Hm. Well, good luck with him. Maybe I'll stop by some time," Arms Dealer said.
"Well, I was actually wondering if you wanted to come back. We have room for another person, and he's really got the hang of building things. He enjoys it, in fact. So, if you could come back and keep us stocked up with weapons and ammo, that'd be great," Guide said, spitting his words out faster than than Arms Dealer's machine gun fired bullets.
"Whoa, slow down their, bud. I am NOT going to go waste my time sitting in a wooden shack, waiting for some idiot to come by and take my ammo. Sorry, but I like to stay on the move," Arms Dealer replied, turning around.
"I'll pay you to help defend the village, and I wouldn't think of making you give your ammo away for free. You could charge a fee per magazine," Guide said.
"Nope, not enough. I like this lifestyle," Arms Dealer said.
"Oh, I forgot to mention that the nurse will also be moving in soon," Guide said loudly. Arms Dealer whipped around.
"The pretty one?" Arms Dealer asked suspiciously.
"Yes, the very same. What do you say?" Guide asked. Arms dealer thought for a moment.
"Damn it, Guide! You're luring me back into it! The comfy beds, the condescending players, that stupid dwarf with the bombs! This is not my lifestyle!" He shouted. He seemed to cool down a bit after his rant. "Fine. I'll go live in the village! But promise me something, Guide."
"I am not too keen on-" Guide started. The Arms dealer ignored him.
"Promise me that I won't die for whatever stupid cause you're fighting for! If worst comes to worst, don't expect me to stick around. Understand?" Arms dealer asked. Guide took a deep breath in. The Arms Dealer pressed his machine gun against Guide's chin. "Understand?"
Guide hated making promises. But in the spur of the moment, he nodded.