The Tri-Blade Alliance
Chapter 14: The Dance in the Shadows
A/N: Sorry, guys. No KiriSuna moments in this chapter. Only action.
Also, this chapter's full title is "The Shadow Killings―Part 2: The Dance in the Shadows."
Disclaimer: We don't own SAO.
Key:
Shadow's thoughts
Bella's thoughts
(x)
"Attention, all fighters on the front lines! There has been a murder yesterday, and based on evidence collected at the scene of the crime, the prime suspect is the mercenary known as Shadow. If you bring him in alive, this will be your reward:
10,000,000 Col."
(x)
Floor 48
Devil's House
Argo was sitting on a bench with her hood down, enjoying the sunlight hitting her face. Her peace was rudely interrupted when she heard someone sit down on the bench opposite hers. She was annoyed even more so when the unknown player said, "What've you got for me?"
Recognizing the amused tone, Argo immediately lost her annoyed expression. "Hey there," she said. "You won't believe what I've got for you today."
"Go on," the mystery player said with an amused tone.
"There's a bounty on one of the top fighters in SAO."
"Are they on the front lines?"
"No, he's not. He's just a mercenary. And somehow, we got past Floor 50―and beyond―with his help."
The unknown player whistled. "Floor 50 didn't look easy."
"It wasn't."
"What's his name?"
"Shadow."
The unknown player looked towards Argo. "Really?"
Argo nodded. "Really. And he's no joke, either."
"Why is there a bounty on his head, then?"
"Because he apparently killed someone."
The unknown player rolled her eyes under her hood and laughed slightly. "Well, of course he'd kill somebody. He is a merc, after all."
"I'm talking about a civilian."
The other's eyes narrowed dangerously as she faced Argo fully. "What?" she asked, the amusement in her tone replaced with malice.
"This is actually out of his M.O. Last I heard, he only kills red players; he doesn't even think about going for civilians."
She looked down and clenched one hand into a tight fist. She looked towards Argo. "How much is the reward?"
"10 million Col."
The newly christened hunter looked towards the nearby forest, closely seeing a black shape darting through the trees. "What does he wear?"
"In short―just look for a guy who wears all black and has nightmare-fuel red eyes."
The hood started to run into the woods, only to be stopped as Argo grabbed her arm. "Be careful," the info broker said with concern in her eyes. "His equipment and skills match yours in every way."
She looked towards Argo and smiled in amusement. "Sounds like fun," she said, the amused lilt making its way back into her voice. "And the 10 mil would make for a very nice bonus."
(x)
Shadow cursed as he ran through the woods. So far, he hadn't run into any mobs, which was good, but he really needed something to vent his frustrations out on. Plus, he needed to get to Lindas, as Liz had called both him and Agil there. And he decided to use the woods as a shortcut, since the teleport system was down again.
He stopped when he felt something...unusual. Despite the lack of mobs, the forest is never this quiet. He looked around himself, before hearing something above him. The noise was so quiet that, despite his maximum straining skill, he barely heard it. However, that sound alone told him enough. Shadow jumped back as a hooded player stabbed spot in the ground where he was standing. He growled as she looked up. Shadow drew his sword, and the two players charged each other, clashing blades once they got close to each other.
"Why are you attacking me?" he asked/growled.
"You know why," the unknown player growled back.
"Enlighten me."
He dodged the oncoming attack and took the time to switch to his knives, clashing with the player once again as they formed. They broke away and Shadow asked, "How much are they paying you?"
"10 mil."
Shadow whistled. "Didn't think I'd be worth that much. Okay, okay," he said while sheathing his knives and holding his hands up. The attempted assassin sheathed her weapons as well. "I propose a deal."
Hood was silent. "I'll hear you out," she finally said. "Beyond that, I make no promises."
"We both duel. And if you win, my fate is in your hands. But if I win, you hear me out and let me go free."
"Fine," she finally said. "Don't expect to win, by the way."
"I would've said the same for you."
Hood smirked. "Funny. So, are we fighting or not?" she asked, drawing her weapons. Now that she wasn't attacking him, he got a full look at Hood.
Her cloak and hood were light grey and trimmed with dark blue, and her daggers were sharp and silver. Shadow recognized the familiar shine his knives had. Paralysis poison...She means business.
"Yeah," Shadow said, drawing his own knives as well, and pulling his scarf down. "Let's dance," he said, getting into a fighting stance.
(A/N: The Dance in the Shadows begins here.)
(Cue: (Nightcore) "Let it Burn")
Hood was the first to attack, dashing behind Shadow and attempting to stab him, but was stopped when Shadow brought his blades back and blocked her incoming knives, knocking her away in the aftermath. He turned and sliced, only to hit thin air. He came to a realization and brought his knives in a defensive position over his head. Sure enough, Hood came down at him, being near invisible in the shadows of the trees. He blocked her attacks and kicked her away again. He twirled his knives and waited for something, anything, that gave away her location.
After a tense silence, he heard the snapping of twigs extremely close to his right. He turned and dodged just barely in time, as Hood jumped and sliced her daggers, making deep marks on the tree behind where Shadow used to stand. She turned and deftly dodged Shadow's oncoming swipes. She responded by charging up her sword skills, with Shadow answering in kind. Once their blades were fully charged, they both clashed, their skills charging their striking speed to match blow for blow. Eventually, the two shadows stopped clashing, and Hood jumped back to dodge Shadow's slash. She dodged the oncoming combo by twisting and backflipping, stopping the combo by jumping on his blades, planting them in the ground, and backflipped, kicking Shadow in the jaw and knocking him down.
While Shadow nursed his jaw, he took a glance at his HP. Thankfully, he didn't lose much HP. And yet…It was meant to stun.
Shadow rolled left and dodged Hood's daggers stabbing the ground.
This shouldn't be a problem for me. But she's dodging all my attacks. Her AGI is nothing like I've seen before. Shadow had an idea formed in his head. He got up off of the floor.
He turned and took a deep breath while closing his eyes. Focus, he mentally told himself. Around him, he felt the world go dark, like someone turned off Aincrad's light switch. His senses were sharpened, and he could feel the burning sensation of the sunlight. He could taste the oxygen coming from the trees. He could hear the breath leaving the lips of the person behind him.
Shadow turned left, causing Hood to dodge to the right. Immediately, Shadow turned right and slashed her across the stomach, sending her back.
Hood winced as she hit the floor. How did he hit me? I knew where he was going to attack, so… Despite her pain, she broke into a smile and got back up. Ohhh…He feinted me. Clever. And here I thought this was going to be too easy.
"Nice shot," Hood said with an amused lilt in her voice.
Shadow said nothing as he prepared to rush Hood again. He dashed towards her, and Hood tanked the oncoming punch, pushing forward and smiling. This caught Shadow off guard, as he was unprepared for her (thankfully uncharged) stab.
He gasped in pain as he felt the poison course through him. "Looks like I win," Hood said, smiling as Shadow fell to his knees. Shadow looked towards her and smiled. He stood up and, with a heavy grunt, yanked the knife out of his chest.
Hood's eyes widened at Shadow's action. She was even more surprised when he tossed the knife back to her. She caught it with ease and prepared herself, as the fight was not over, apparently. Shadow dashed to the side, prompting Hood to spin and block his attacks successfully. She pushed forward when clashing blades with him. The two shadows were gritting their teeth in determination as they pushed on each other's weapons. Eventually, Shadow pushed forward with all his might, knocking Hood off guard, which Shadow capitalized on by stabbing her in the leg with near godlike speed.
Hood screamed as the knife dug into her virtual flesh. She fell to the floor, where she took a look at her HP. Damn. Can't continue this fight, or I might die. "Alright," she said, dropping her weapons and smiling. "You win."
(The Dance and Song end Here)
Shadow walked over to Hood and stuck his hand out. She took it and Shadow helped her up. They were both still a bit woozy from the poison that was coursing through their V.R. veins. To stop the nausea, Shadow took out two potions and handed one to Hood. She took it, saying, "How generous of you."
"Shut up," was Shadow's reply before he put the bottle to his lips. Hood smirked at getting somewhat of a reaction out of him before drinking her potion as well.
She picked up her weapons and sat down at the base of the nearest tree. "Well," she said, "I'm listening."
"Excuse me?" Shadow asked before finishing his potion and throwing the bottle away, leaving it to shatter.
"We agreed that if you won, then I'd hear you out and let you go free." She gave an amused smile. "And my name's Bella, by the way," Hood, now officially known as Bella, said.
"Oh, right." Shadow took a deep breath. "Why is there a bounty on my head?"
"Apparently, you killed a guy."
"Where?"
"Rising Waters Hotel."
"Okay. I was at the Rising Waters Hotel because my client was living there at the time. I just completed a mission for him―and before you say anything, it was a bounty hunt."
"Oh, thank God," Bella said in relief.
"Indeed. I met him in his room, and he gave me the payment, along with a bonus."
"And, pray tell, what exactly was the bonus?"
"A chunk of obsidian ore." Bella's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she stood up in surprise.
"WHAT?!" was her only question. "How did your client get such a rare item?!"
This time, Shadow smirked at Bella's reactions. "Forgot to ask. And it's not like I have more. Obsidian is so rare that even I, wearing a pair of gloves that triple all of my profits, could only get one chunk of it. And besides, do you think I would've shared it with my potential assassin?"
"True," Bella said, smiling once more.
"After that, I left. Simple as that." Shadow looked around the forest. "What time is it?"
"It's…" Bella's eyes widened. "Just past noon."
Shadow stood up immediately after hearing that. "Wait, really?! Shit, I got to get to Lindas."
"I'll walk with you," Bella stated. "And I'm not taking no for an answer," she said when Shadow opened his mouth. Together, the two walked through the forest in the direction that Shadow was heading earlier. "Can I ask you something?" Bella asked, looking towards the mercenary, the smile never leaving her face for some reason.
"Shoot."
Bella turned her face to focus on what's in front of her. "You don't kill green players, do you?"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Then, who do you go for?"
"I imprison the orange players, and I kill the red players."
"That's not something I would normally do."
"I have no qualms about it. And if you're going to ask how I can kill so easily without feeling regret―I lost my humanity a long time ago. And as I told one of my clients: 'If the only way to kill a monster is to become one, then so be it.'"
"That's...an interesting way to see things."
"If that disturbs you, just say so."
"It doesn't disturb me. In fact, the way I see life, if you go red and it falls to me to kill you, then we both made our choices."
After Bella's statement, the two shadows silently let the topic drop. Shadow turned to Bella after some time. "About the murder…"
"Hm?" She turned to face the mercenary.
"What did they find?"
"Let me check." They both stopped as Bella opened her menu to read the details of the murder. "They found a weapon." She smiled in admiration when she pulled up the image. "A really cool-looking dagger."
"What's the name?" Shadow asked, suddenly tense.
"Rakshasa's Claw. B-Class."
"Goddammit!" Shadow said, punching a nearby tree, causing it to fall.
Bella laughed. "What's your deal?"
"I made that weapon! Of course they'd suspect me!"
Bella's smile faltered. She looked down at the details again. "The victim's name is―or rather, was―Jared."
Just when Shadow had calmed down, Bella dropped that bombshell on him. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "That was my client," he said calmly. "And he's dead."
"Looks like it," Bella said, putting the menu away. There was more silence as they walked.
"Why did you tell me your name?"
"I give my name to those who earn it."
"I'm honored." As Bella laughed again, Shadow looked towards her. "Do you find everything amusing?"
"Pretty much."
"Why?"
"That's just who I am."
The two kept walking along the path. "If I tell you a story, and possibly show you my face, would you do the same?" Shadow asked Bella.
She blinked twice, then smiled. "Of course. Since you're trusting me with a memory and your identity, I'll do the same with you. You first, though."
(x)
The two men screamed as they clashed. They both used their fists to do the talking. Where one would strike, another would answer in kind.
"Why do they want me dead?" the defending player demanded.
"You're giving people too much hope," the other man responded. Eventually, they broke away and drew their swords. The defending player's eyes widened at the deep black color of his opponent's blade. "Pretty, ain't it?" the sword's wielder chuckled menacingly.
"Well, you won't get a hit on me!" the other player shouted while charging a sword skill. When his opponent charged his sword skill, he took notice of the unusual black color that it formed. They charged and struck each other's blades with all their force.
The first player winced and sent a punch to his opponent's face, stunning him and knocking him back. He charged a sword skill, and screamed as he dashed forward with a forward thrust. When the sound of steel striking V.R. flesh reached his ears, he looked up with a triumphant smirk…
Which immediately turned to horror as he screamed, NO!"
He had stabbed someone else: a woman, and his in-game wife. She swayed in her spot for a bit before she collapsed her forward. Her unfortunate assassin caught her and held her close, sobbing quietly and repeatedly whispering, "I'm sorry."
Despite her intense pain and rapidly decreasing HP, she smiled and raised a hand to lovingly caress her husband's face. "It's okay. No matter what happens, I will always love you."
"Same," he said quietly. He was about to take out a healing potion when she put her other hand on his, stopping him. He looked at her in shock as she smiled and closed her eyes, before shattering into crystal shards.
The player was stunned, looking at the spot where his wife was, faintly feeling her touch on his face. He stood up and looked at his maliciously laughing opponent, before looking to the sky and screaming as loud as he could. His scream reflected his grief, anger, regret and sorrow. Eventually, he felt something...powerful stir within him. He looked down to face his opponent, tears streaming from his eyes as he never stopped screaming; as a direct result, his eyes had turned into a nightmarish red color. He picked up his sword and dashed in a near-ungodly speed to his opponent.
However, he took out a white shard and disappeared in a bright flash, the malicious laugh ringing in the charging player's ears. He didn't stop, dashing towards the spot where his opponent once stood. In his rage, he cut through a tree, letting it fall.
When his anger subsided, all of the negative emotions hit him like a freight train. He staggered over to the spot where his love had shattered, both figuratively and literally. His sword lay in his hands, which he stared at for a seemingly endless amount of time. To the outside world, it seemed odd that a man was staring at the sword in his hands blankly. But to him…
He saw his blade, and especially his hands, stained with blood that was too life-like to be considered virtual. Maybe because the blood was real.
Very, very real.
He snapped out of his trance and shakingly planted the sword a couple inches above where his love's head used to be. When the game instantly marked it as her grave, he collapsed, leaning on the sword as he silently cried in his hands. He was so deep in his sorrows…
He failed to acknowledge the entire guild, who had watched the entire spectacle.
(x)
"..." Bella was silent after hearing Shadow's tale. Finally, she spoke. "Jesus," she stated. "And you deal with that how, exactly?"
"I sleep every other day. It softens the blow of the PTSD."
"Ohhh...kay. Well, my turn, I guess."
(x)
Bella smiled from the back of the group, watching Sachi as she took the lead in their tromp through the twenty-seventh floor. The young woman had grown so much in the past few weeks since that night under the bridge. There was a determination burning within her, and while Bella may not have know what exactly changed, she was glad of it. No longer was the blue-haired girl timid and weak; she had slowly but surely started taking on more and more responsibility within the guild, both on the field and off of it, and the change showed.
Bella was drawn out of her musings when she heard a sudden call of admiration from Ducker, who was right behind Sachi. As the hooded girl raised her head to see what the fuss was, she noted a tension in Kirito who was just a little ahead of herself, and when she saw the open door leading to an almost empty room with just a single chest, she knew exactly why. Kirito and Bella, as Beaters, had both been up to this floor and beyond already, and traps like these were almost commonplace. Before she could call out a cry of warning, however, Sachi, Ducker, and the other two exclaimed loudly in delight and ran forward without hesitation. With a muttered curse, the hooded girl dove forwards, right behind Kirito.
The instant her companion crossed the threshold, a chill ran up Bella's spine, and she knew something was wrong. Before she could wonder what it was, however, a wall snapped down directly in front of her, cutting the girl off from the rest of her guild.
No, She thought, her veins turning to ice. Eyes wide, she stepped forward and laid a hand to the wall, unable to believe what she was seeing. No no no no no no no no no no no no no… With a yell of frustration, Bella smacked a hand against the wall, ignoring the sharp pain that erupted underneath the skin. This could not be happening.
As she struggled to get in, utilizing all the techniques and skills she could think of, Bella was forced to listen as a loud blaring alarm rang throughout the room just beyond her reach, and the chitter of monster appeared. As she worked, shudders ran through her when one, and then another cry of surprise and loss rang through the air, and three voices fell silent. Then, finally, her heart jumped with victory as the door once again slid open, only to dive even deeper into her gut at the horrible scene before her.
Ducker, Sasamaru, and Tetsuo were nowhere to be seen, and a pang of dread struck Bella's heart for a moment. That was nothing, however, when she saw Sachi, separated from Kirito by far too much space for her warning shout to do any good, was approached from behind by a stone golem. With wide, helpless eyes, she watched as the girl was struck and thrown forward, not a sound escaping from her. The world seemed to slow down, and for a moment, Bella could've sworn that she saw the pale pink lips of the dying girl forming words, even as her turquoise eyes met Bella's own quicksilver ones. A moment later, the girl burst into shards of blue light, and Bella's
mind blanked.
The Beater turned to the horde of monsters, Kirito barely visible among their clustered forms. In what seemed like several long seconds, a heat started to build up within her, and her hands unconsciously went to the two daggers strapped to her thighs. There was no feasible way they could win this. Even two Beaters, who by all rights should have been on far higher levels, wouldn't be able to defeat the sheer number of monsters in this room. But they had killed Sachi. Another soul lost to Kayaba's sick games and twisted ambition. One who had just started to break her way out of the fear and despair that had trapped her. Tetsuo, Sasamaru, and Ducker were gone too, innocents, so full of life and light just a few moments before, struck down with cold and brutal efficiency. Now, Kirito, too, was trapped, with no way out and a horde of monsters between him and the door. Kirito, that kindred soul whose light she had followed out of the first floor boss room those long months ago, Taking the hatred and scorn of the entirety of Aincrad in order to protect other Beta Testers.
No. The thought rang through her like a bell on a cold winter's day. No. This was not how it was going to end. They had fought through so much, sacrificed so much, and Kayaba had taken enough from them this day.
With a silent determination, Bella drew the blades whose pommels her hands were resting on, spinning them up into a ready position. Then, as the heat of pain and anger reached a boiling point in her, she took a step forward. No more. Enough had been lost this day.
(x)
"Damn," was Shadow's only response.
"Yep. And since you confided in me a dark secret, I feel like I can trust you with my face."
"Same here."
"I'll go first." Bella pulled her hood down, and Shadow got a full look at her. Her hair was short and choppy, cut in a pixie-like fashion, and was charcoal gray. Quicksilver eyes met Shadow's under long bangs, and her high cheekbones and wide eyes were reminiscent of European nobility. Overall, she was beautiful, but Shadow figured she didn't want to hear that.
He nodded and said, "Now, it's my turn." Shadow pulled his hood down, and Bella got a full view of what was under the black hood.
After staring closely at Shadow for a few seconds, her face broke out into a smile. "You know, you don't look too bad," Bella said while laughing.
(x)
The player glared darkly at his open inbox. He was sitting on his bed, and was hiding out in an inn at the Town of Beginnings. Despite it being midnight outside, he still had his curtains closed and all light sources in his room put out. The only source of illumination was his menu.
"Congratulations! You have been deemed eligible for a brand-new armor set and weapons!
Armor: The Shadow Set
Weapons:
Sword of Shadows (?-Class) (One-Handed Longsword)
Blades of Silence (?-Class) (Twin Daggers)
ACCEPT
DENY
―GM: Kayaba Akihiko"
He found it odd that he got this message right after what happened. Deciding he now had nothing to lose, he pressed "ACCEPT."
Instantly, he felt his world go dark. He couldn't see. Couldn't hear.
Couldn't breathe.
However, this feeling was replaced with sheer power. Almost like...he could take on 50 Illfangs at once. He chuckled silently at this feeling.
Eventually, when the darkness cleared, he looked through the window and winced at the rays of light coming through.
He decided to take a look in the mirror to see his new armor. He was surprised by what he saw.
He was dressed in all black, with a mask covering the lower half of his face. He looked at his eyes, which had changed to a nightmarish red. And the last time his eyes became that color…
It still hurt to think about her.
And yet…
"Shadow" chuckled, ignoring all of the negative emotions swirling through him.
Guilt.
Anger.
Regret.
Sorrow.
These demons are what make up the being known only as "Shadow."
(x)
Elsewhere…
Everyone cheered as the performer left the stage. She made her way to her dressing room, where she got ready to change. Before she could do so, however, she saw a dark shape from just within her peripheral and mirror. She turned around, asking, "Somebody there?" She got up and investigated the area...only to find nothing. "Must be my imagination," she said while shaking her head. She felt a burst of pain and screamed, however, as a blade found its way through her heart. She looked back shakingly at the dark figure who stabbed her before she fell to the ground and shattered.
(x)
Shadow sighed and stretched as he and Bella walked out of the forest, both with their hoods drawn up. Shadow pointed to the nearby town. "I can see Lindas," he stated.
"I'm not blind," Bella said while smiling. "I can see it, too."
"I know. Just wanted to be the first to say it." Bella laughed in response. The two shadows stopped and turned to each other.
"Well," Bella said, sticking her hand out to Shadow. "Guess this is the part where we say goodbye."
"I guess so," Shadow responded, shaking Bella's hand. He was about to let go when Bella pulled him in close.
"I have my share of demons, and you definitely have yours. It's not healthy to keep your demons to yourself. At some point, you have to let them out; just talk to somebody, anybody, who can keep a secret," she stated in a serious tone.
"But who can I share them with?" Shadow asked softly. "If I tell anybody, there's a high chance they'll find out who I am. And I'm not ready to come out of my shell just yet."
"Are there any people you already told, that are not in any guild, major or otherwise?"
"...Yes. I told Lizbeth in order to get her help. And it's worked out for me."
"There you go," Bella said, smiling once more. "Someone you can trust, is not in a guild, and can keep a secret. If anybody, tell her. You'll thank me in the end. And lighten up―not all of humanity is bad. If anything, have some faith in the women and kids."
"I do have faith in women and children. I'm just a lot less fond of the male side of the human race, save for a select few." Shadow gently removed his hand from Bella's and looked up at the early afternoon sun. He smiled and said, "I suppose this is the part where you let me go free."
"Get out of my sight before I change my mind."
Shadow looked towards her, still smiling, and said, "I would've said the same for you."
With that, the two shadows walked in opposite directions. If there's any good thing that came out of this encounter, it's this:
Shadow and Bella had gained the trust and friendship of each other.
(x)
"Welcome to Lizbeth's Blacksmith Shop!" Liz said cheerfully, exiting the back room of her shop. She removed her gloves and looked towards the new customer, and was excited―and relieved―to see Shadow. "In the back," she said to the mercenary. He nodded and went to the back room, to find Agil sitting on a barrel. After exchanging greetings, Shadow leaned back against the wall opposite Agil.
The two had to wait until closing time, when Liz came into the room with a tray holding three plates full of food. She pulled up two barrels and gently set the tray down. The two men took the hint and moved in close to Liz, taking some food from one of the plate while giving their thanks. "What's this about, Liz?" Shadow asked the blacksmith between bites of his sandwich. It wasn't Skye-quality, but it was close.
"Okay, let's cut the crap," Liz said seriously, placing her hands on the table. "You didn't kill those people, did you?"
"People?"
"Yeah," Agil said. "While you took your sweet-ass time getting here, someone else died. A performer."
Shadow stood up suddenly, shocking the other two players in the room. "What?! Who was it?!"
"Calm down. From what we've gotten, it wasn't Eros. Just another performer." Shadow relaxed and sit back down. "Her name was Scarlett. And all witnesses heard was a scream before the guards investigated the room."
"What was the weapon used? One of my throwing knives?"
"Are you sure you didn't commit this one?" Liz asked, semi-cautiously, semi-jokingly.
"Jesus Christ, it was one of my throwing knives, wasn't it?"
"Yep." Agil opened up an image of the murder weapon and showed it to the mercenary.
"That's the same one that Solar gave to me on New Year's Eve, among others." Looking at the faces of his acquaintances, Shadow shrugged. "I use gifts that I get."
"Right." Just as that sentence was finished, there was a knocking on the shop door.
"I'll have to get that," Liz said before she got up. When she reached the door of the back room, she looked back over her shoulder. "You should find some place to hide, just in case." As the blacksmith left to answer the door, Agil looked away from the door to see that Shadow had disappeared. The sudden disappearance made Agil shudder.
"I freaking hate it when he does that." Just as he said that, he heard a scream at the door.
"ASUNA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
"Hey, Liz," the vice-commander of the K.O.B. said calmly despite Liz's outburst. "Is Shadow here?"
"Why would he be here, of all places? Doesn't he have his own tree?"
"Don't you think I would've checked there? And besides, people have been telling me that he went into your shop and hasn't come out yet? Why is that?"
"Asuna, are you…accusing me of being an accomplice to the murders? Me?!"
"No. I'm accusing you of harboring a murderer and a fugitive from justice." Asuna crossed her arms. "Let me in, Liz."
"He's not here. If you want," Liz opened the door fully and gestured for Asuna to come inside, "feel free to check."
"Thank you." Asuna stepped into the shop and went to the back room. Liz started sweating nervously. I hoped you picked a good hiding spot, Shadow, the blacksmith thought as she followed Asuna to the back room.
"Agil?" Asuna asked upon seeing the shopkeep. "What are you doing here?"
"Liz called me over. Wanted to catch up on some business."
"Is that all?"
"Asuna, I'm married in real life."
"Okay, just checking." She was about to ask Liz something else, when something caught her eye. She cautiously approached the barrels and drew her rapier. She pushed the barrels aside and was about to stab…
Nothing. There was nothing there.
Asuna sighed and sheathed her blade. She turned to Liz. "Sorry," she said. "But I thought Shadow was in here."
"If he was here, he'd have already left."
"True. I think I'll try the forest."
"Um, no, you won't." Liz put her hands on her hips as she spoke to Asuna. "It's too dangerous at this time of night."
"Oh, yeah, you're right. I suppose I'll check tomorrow, then."
"You best. Now, didn't you read the sign? It clearly said, 'Closed!' Now, please leave."
"Right." She nodded towards Agil, who nodded back. "I'll be out of your hair now."
Asuna left and the sound of the front door closing was heard to everyone.
"She gone yet?" Liz and Agil both jumped at Shadow's sudden reappearance.
"Jesus Christ, it's so creepy when you do that!" Liz said, rubbing her arms to get rid of the shivers that came from the feeling of fright.
"You see what I mean?!" Agil shouted.
"Sorry. So, should we look over the victims?"
"Yeah, I suppose we should," Liz sighed, the shivers subsiding. She and the two men sat down. "Shadow, does Scarlett ring any bells to you?"
"Yeah," Shadow responded after some thought. "She was another of my clients. She wanted me to clear a dungeon and get the item 'The Boots of War'. After I got the boots, she paid me my usual fees and told me that the boots were my bonus. I'm wearing them right now, and they actually make it easier to maneuver around in rough terrain."
"Okay. So, she was a former client who gave you a bonus. Does Jared fall under that category?"
"Yeah. There are actually a lot of people that gave me a bonus for getting the job done within their expectations."
"Do you know who else falls under that category?"
"..." Shadow was silent as he came to a sudden-and horrifying-realization. "Eros," he said softly, barely heard by the other two in the room.
To be continued...