The two of us sat in silence as the waiter brought over Alyra's second bowl of noodles and a small bowl filled with crushed peanuts. Following Voxea's advice, I took the peanuts and poured it over my noodles. Taking a bite of the noodles with peanuts in it, the flavor changed quite nicely.
"What do you want know, exactly?", Alyra asked while pulling her second bowl of noodles toward herself.
[Play it cool. Like you are in control and know exactly what you're doing], Voxea advised.
"Simply put?", I said while finishing a quick slurp of my noodles, "I'm currently investigating something".
"Investigating? You don't look like law enforcement...investigating what"?
"That", I said while pointing my chopsticks. Alyra followed my pointing chopsticks, directly towards an alleyway where the crime scene investigation was happening. I thought I saw a moment of surprise flit across her face, but that could mean anything.
"You're looking into the Gasher? You have a death wish?", she asked with a scared look.
[What a droll name for a title].
"The Gasher? Is that what the guards are calling them or-".
"That's what everyone is calling him. Everyone he comes across is left with horrible gashes all over their body... you're really not law enforcement. Then who are you"?
[Time for the age old tactic of half truths and misdirection. Tell her you're a private investigator from an interested party. Also she clearly knows something, but the question is how to get her to talk].
"It's a...private investigation. An interested third party wants a fresh pair of eyes into the matter", I lied while giving a half smile.
"An interested third party? One of the noble houses?", Alyra asked, filling in her own blank as her face went from fear to skepticism. I merely smiled at the question and shrugged.
My father once said that the best way to bluff at cards was to maintain a half smile while letting your opponent draw their own conclusions. I later learned that this tactic applied to unscrupulous merchants as well...and in this case, Alyra.
"Alright then...so you're looking for...".
"A name, a face, maybe how and why they leave their victims in such a disturbingly large mess", I replied, using some information I learned from my own listening sessions.
"Sorry, but I don't know anything but him".
"But you know the Gasher is a man"?
"No, you said he was", Alyra quickly said as she defended herself.
"I've been using nonspecific terms this whole time, Alyra. So why do you know the Gasher is a man?", I asked while making a bit of a show of twirling my chopsticks before placing them down. Alyra looked aghast at being caught in the verbal trap, which shifted into more of a sullen look.
[Oooh, clever word play and using body language to assert force? How devious]!
"Alyra", I said with a hint of assertiveness,"A lot of people already got hurt due to the actions of this 'Gasher' and I have a feeling in my gut that more people are going to get hurt for no reason. If you know anything that can help, you have to tell me".
Alyra was silent for a while until quietly saying, "If I tell you...can you promise that you won't tell the authorities? That you won't hurt him"?
"Binders' honor", I said while holding a hand over my heart and releasing a small bit of aether. The show of force was enough to cause my clothes to move slightly and myself to glow a bit. Not enough to intimidate, but just enough to show you meant business.
Alyra was a bit taken back at the sudden display of magical power, but quickly recovered.
Alyra let out a soft sigh before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"This all started a couple months back, a little after Monster's Night", she began to explain, "when my brother and I went outside the city defenses...".
_________________________________________
Months ago...
Under the cover of darkness, illuminated by nothing more than the stars and moon, a pair of siblings snuck out of a side entrance of the capital's walls.
"Are you sure that map is legit?", Alyra asked as she followed a figure with a similar yet more masculine build to her own.
"Trust me sis, when has Fish-Eyed Edgar lead us wrong"?