Chapter One
Side A:
"So chances of this game being total shit?", he asked me, "well Danny-boy I understand that the last MMO we played wasn't exactly..." "anywhere close to good" he interrupts me.
"Not what I was gonna say.." I sigh. We were getting back from a convince store to play the all new Japanese MMO Sword Art Online or SAO for short. Daniel steps in front of me, facing me "unfortunately Zachary it was complete crap or would you rather I call you Dark-bolt?". I begin to look to the ground "please I was eleven don't call me that" I beg. He lifts his arms "sure but you owe me" why am I friends with this guy? We continued down the road eventually separating " I'll meet you in the town of beginnings!" I'd be waiting for him most likely, he still had ten minutes of walking to do.
So I walked up to my house walked into my room, threw my bag onto my bed. I then put it in the chair remembering that I'd be laying down put the NerveGear on. I got ready and logged in.
I did not expect this amount of people, I should have, but I didn't , "how am I to find Daniel in this?" I say to myself, depressed at the amount of people I saw. "I did say I'd meet him here," but then again if I could be a higher level than him... Well I'm sure there'll be a launch day meeting today in the starting square, I thought (correctly) so I ran off. Around two hours into my play time I started to think it might've been better to wait, I was only level 3 now "do I suck?"
"Probably" I hear a familiar voice, not Daniel, but "oh look its Kaden," a guy from school that I befriended (regrettably) " uh no here it's Wildstar!" "lovely," he got up from the ground "and apparently here you're.. Takuto?" he looked as if I had the weird name. He shook his head "well listen I've been watching you solo for a while now," creep, "and I think we should party up, you'd do better if I was around," I'm so sure," I mean I am a whole 2 levels ahead of you". Well that was true.. "Hello SAO players, come to the Town of Beginnings for a special launch party announcement" I hear across the in game world. "Suppose we'll have to wait for that whole party thing 'WildStar'," I say ever so smugly, he smiles,"ha yeah I'll show you the ropes once your ready,"
Walking into the town of beginnings I wonder how many of these people actually look like their in-game avatar, I bet a lot of them took liberties especially with all the female avatars walking around.
We continue our slow journey towards the center of the town "way to many people are taking this route" if I could fly I would... but I imagine everyone would do that. Wildstar had already taken off to hit on some guild entirely made of females "please don't let this work out for him" I cross my fingers.
A conversation starts with me and some other people about what they want to do here "well I'd like to join a huge guild and over power everything," one says, " I'd rather start up a blacksmith shop and supply adventurers," this immediately starts another conversation about how lame that sounds " I don't think it sounds lame, blacksmiths need to get materials and they're the only ones who can use those materials, right?" I shoot out. "What about you Takuto?" well I never thought about it "well I think I'd like to find my friend and level up, oh we could start a guild, that'd be cool, I could start up a shop..." I continue to ramble on knowing that if Daniel were here he'd have hit me head and silenced me quickly.
Eventually we all split up to find our friends, a couple of them add each other to their friends list. The blacksmith thanks me for standing up for her idea, she says that once she has a shop set up she'll make me something for free, I smile at her and take my leave. I shift through the mounds of people, calling out Daniels name.
"Attention SAO players I have an announcement..."
Once he's finished telling us what this games about, there's mass panic, pushing shoving. It's not gonna help I say as I'm pushed down by a rather large women. "Ow," I barely make out as she lifts her foot off me, "Takuto!" Kaden, oh great just what I need, " I'm over here" I decided I'm gonna need all the friends I can get. " Come on we're gonna need to get experience before all the enemies are wiped out," wait they don't respawn?
That's why there's so many people running, "damn it" we run to the open fields. I should look for the blacksmith, I should look for Daniel, I shouldn't just think about myself. But I can't I need to make sure I can live and help them all when I do see them next, till then they'll have to live on their own strength.
Side B
"Zach must've gone off on his own to level up..." I would be angry but I would've done the same, I run off into the flied to raise my own level. A few swings of my sword defeated my first opponent, "Haha I could take on a dozen of these!" I felt good about my victory, indulging in some post win banter with the other wolf that had its eyes set on me. I quickly vanquished my second first floor animal, before I could start on a larger one my arm was grabbed. "Woah big boy, that's kind of a group effort," I sneer "I can take him!" I inform thie oaf who does he think he is. "Sure, sure no doubt, but how bout we don't I'm sure there's a group coming, and I'm sure they wouldn't be happy with someone as grand as you stealing the XP." He has a point, I'd have to deal with them arguing with me, it may be more work then I want to deal with, I sheath my sword and walk away. "Hey!" I turn to to face the noise, "you're welcome names Agil," I turn and continue down the path I was on, "Akira."
I found myself walking towards the town center a hour later, " I hate people sometimes" there's a lot of pushing on the way, You'd think the designers would've seen this coming. Someone grabs my shoulder, I shift my head "Ben?" " Haha yeah decided I would get this game, wheres Zach?" Ben's not usually down for a MMO but I guess Zachs begging and maybe a bit of my own convinced him. " I actually don't know myself I Imagine it won't be long till we hear from him." Ben's using his real name, should be easy enough for Zach to find him, " Whattya think this meetings about? " I actually don't think Ben has played more than 2 hours of a free to play, "well think of it less of meeting and more of a gathering, less formal, probably just to welcome us."
"Oh what a welcome, huh?" Ben was being kind of a sarcastic jerk, "really? we were just sentenced to our death and you're making jokes?" I counter. "It's what Zach would be doing, but he could and may as well be dead if he was alone in the fields," "he's not an total idiot Ben, he wouldn't bite off more than he could chew even before we knew the consequences." That brought me back to before, I could've died if it weren't for that guy that stopped me "bagel?, eggil?," I say under my breath. "Hmm?" Ben looks at me quizzically, "nothing lets just get out of here, before we're left behind," I order, we sit up and exit the alley we were occupying. "And where are we going?," Ben passive aggressively questions, "there's a town close to here, most likely ripe with Xp granting quests, along with the boss, anymore dumb questions noob?" " Only one... are we gonna die?" I start running towards the town gates.
No Ben we'll live, you, Zach, and I, I'm gonna make sure of that, to those who stand in our way " I'll kill you all."
