Rogue Razor

“Have you seen Alice anywhere?”

Ike slammed his book shut and shoved it haphazardly into one for the doors, It clicked shut from the lock.

“No, I haven’t.” He responded. “Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen her in like, two weeks… You think she left? I looked everywhere in the neighborhood, no one’s seen her.” He paused. “You know where she is?”

Ike raised an eyebrow. “What, You think I have her tied up in my room?”

Loyd rolled his eyes. “Not impossible. You never let me, or anyone else actually, go in there. For all I know she could be rotting in your closet!” Ike could tell Loyd was trying to joke his way out of appearing concerned for another party member, but he wasn’t fooling anyone, not even himself.

“Have you heard of her? Anything?”

“If I did, I would tell you.” Ike reassured him.

“Dude, you’re so concentrated on…. Whatever the hell you even do… that you probably wouldn't even fuckin remember if you saw her.” He grumbled. “Nevermind, I’ll go back out and keep looking.”

“Hey Loyd?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever considered that maybe she wants some alone time?” He said.

“Pfft! Why would the fuck would she do that? You think she would still be bummed out about that dumb rumor of me and that waitress?”

Ike raised an eyebrow. “Won’t stop her from believing it, whether you did it or not.”

Loyd threw up his hands. “Ok, who’s fuckin side are you on?”

Ike leaned back. “Neither. I’m just saying that, from face value-”

“Fuck- fuck face value!” He seethed. “When I find whoever sni- started that rumor… I’m gonna rip out their spine!”

Ike rolled his eyes. “Don't get your panties up in knots, I’m sure she’ll be over it in a couple days, that’s just how women are.”

“You know what? Fuck her! I don’t need her. If she can’t be grateful for me, she doesn’t deserve me anyways!” He paused for a brief moment, seeming to collect himself.

“I’m going on a lap to look for her one last time, when I come back, I and I didn’t find her, I want you to grab her keys and throw them into the river! If she’s gonna be crawling back, It's gonna be tonight!”

Ike shrugged. “Fine by me. You pay for her rent anyways, right?”

Loyd grumbled. “I pay 125%... for that bitch!”

“Are you level 100 yet?” Ike asked, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah… Almost. I’m at 92, but I've hit my cap on the mission board.” He smirked. “You might be a dumb old bastard, but you were right about that solo grinding. Holy shit! I mean, I went from 80 to like 90 in a little over a month. I’m gonna join the sparparties, no doubt.”

Eventually the conversation died down. Ike, once again became engrossed with his work, and Loyd had nothing left to really talk about, so they parted ways, with Loyd heading out the door.

As he turned to pick up Dauntaker, which was leaning against the wall, Ike caught a glimpse of his expression; one of sadness and regret. A person like Loyd, wouldn't seem like an emotional man, but he was. He just didn't show it.

I'm gonna go kill some slimes if I see any, maybe I'll be able to get to at least 93 if I kill enough.”

“Make sure not to accidentally kill another phantom wolf!” Ike chuckled. He didn't say it very loud, but Loyd had really good hearing.

“Fuck you!” He slammed the door so hard, the panes shattered. Ike slapped his knee and cackled madly.

A few hours later, Ike's friends showed up at the door. He apologized on Loyd's behalf for the glass on the porch.

“Do you have any cigars, or beer?”

“Ike shrugged. I got dice.”

“I got money.” The guy responded, waving a pouch.

“Ike waved his hand. I play for fun.”

The second guest waved his hand. “For fun? C’mon Ike, where was the guy we knew? Those months have been hard on you huh?”

“Fine.” Ike grumbled, “I just wasn’t expecting you guys to show up so early. I have a ton of work to do.

“Work?” The third guy snorted. “What do you even do for a living anyways? Every time we come over we always see yer’ arse sitting in that damn chair.”

Ike cracked his knuckles. “I contract jigs for Aldarians who can’t work a job. Usually people in low places.”

“My brother does that.” The second guy interrupted.

“He still works in a shanty house.” The guy continued. “You live in this giant-ass mansion. I ain’t no mathematician, but I don’t see things adding up.”

“You're brother must be a dumb bastard. He probably gets swindled.”

The other guys laughed, with the second guest looking very embarrassed and angry.

“Seriously, you got any beer, Ike? I’m parched.”

“There’s a pub down those stairs.” Ike jerked his thumb over to the dimly lit stairwell. “If you fall down fast enough, the beer dwarf won’t be able to steal it.”

The first guy rolled his eyes. “It only happened because of the stupid kid who put oil all over the stairs at the inn.”

They set up the game shortly thereafter and began calling numbers.

“Green six. White one.”

“Fuck.” The second guy said, He left his card blank.

The first guest smiled and wrote one on the end of his number line.

“My turn.”

After a long time, and several games later, most of which the first guest was named victor. They rounded up the cards.

“You know, I really got to get back to work.”

The first guy looked over his shoulder.

“Don't seem like it.”

“It's important.”

The guy shrugged. “I guess it's more important than having friends.”

Ike didn't want to listen. He opened the drawer with the notebook, grabbed the notebook, then tore a page out. Muttering something under his breath, he tossed It into the garbage pail.

“Did you hear about that colony that got wiped out?”

Ike stopped and froze. He remembered the chilling story a versurdi told him a while ago. Somewhere east, a village has decided to not pay taxes and demand independence.

People who heard of it said the army had come in and destroyed the town, but the versurdi he met told a different story; that the small village was a target for an experimental weapon.

Ike had dismissed the idea of such a thing at first, but when the young versurdi had told him the story, he began to believe it more and more.

He said that the army coming in was a lie. The plan was to annihilate the rebels, not to take prisoners.

Ike had asked why, because the Aetlen empire had already cut off food and supplies to the village. And this was simply what they did with rebelling villages. They would cut off resources until the people gave up. It was a simple but effective tactic. Much more effective than Paknovian military tactics. So why would the empire decide to attack this rebellion?

The young man had provided him with two reasons: One, that the people of the village were especially radical and violent, and two, that the village was smack-dab in the middle of a major trading road.

Combining the two of these, it was pretty easy to see how the empire could decide that these people needed to be removed. Desperate rebels would ambush caravans in order to gain resources.

But the question still remained: Why didn’t the empire send in troops, or Aldarians?

He explained that most of the people from the village were brainwashed into thinking that their cause was great, so a lot of them were beyond saving.

As for the Aldarian question, the Aetlans didn’t trust Aldarians, and even if they did, no aldarian would be lining up for a government that actively suppressed them.

Ike didn’t believe the young man, that was until he told him that this was his home village.

He had escaped narrowly, he had claimed. Because he had known what the Aetlens were capable of, barely. He had watched the village erupt into balls of fire.

He stared down at another empty paper.

Write.

So he began to write. He wrote endless words connected loosely, words he didn’t understand.

Why why why why why? Why did this have to happen now? Why do I have to pay now?

Suddenly, there was a shout. A shout so loud, that it cracked all the grass in the room and shook everything.

Loyd’s voice.

Ike shot up from his chair, as did the other guests, who appeared confused and distressed.

The sound had come from the forest only a few yards away from the mansion.

Ike ran there.

Loyd was screaming curses and punching the dirt.

Ike looked at one of the trees.

Alice’s body hung from one of the branches.