Chapter I
Floor 51, Dungeon.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" She said as she giggled with a slight manic expression, Her green cursor hovering above her precariously. She walked down the narrow hallways, sword holstered, hands swinging by her sides. I heard something stir, and my instincts rose my head to the skies. Perched on the wall, a Deathspit hung, monitoring its prey. I muffled a laugh to myself, to make sure the venomous sack of string did not notice me. The programming made these things to easy, I thought to myself proudly. "Hey, Nozomi Above-"I started, but the spider had pounced in my moment of glory.
I spotted her, alerted to the uninvited presence. Her screams echoing down the hollow depths of the stronghold. I unholstered my bow with unmatching speed and took aim.
One breath. Focus.
Second Breath. Aim.
Third breath. Release.
Floor 51, Helmsburg.
"Seriously, if we want to afford a house, we need to raise our upkeep!" Nozomi yelled. I spoke to her calmly, obviously annoyed myself, but put on a chilled face for the NPCs in the town.
"Last time we tried, I almost lost you, and I won't let that happen again" I responded, my stress and lack of sleep lingering on every word. She gasped slightly, before tilting her head down, Crimson hair drooping to the ground. I slightly regretted saying what I did, but I could tell she was getting heated. Tears started splashing on the ground, evaporating into pixels. Her sobs slowly began to increase in noise, and I decided to take action. I embraced her, tried to calm her down.
"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have said that, and I never will again" I spoke, almost on the verge of tears myself, as I was reminded by a mental image. The sobs died down, and her neck craned her head up to meet my own. She sniffed, desperately trying to put on a brave face, but I could see through it. I rose my arm up to her shoulder, and pulled her along with me gently. I walked past the NPCs who had taken notice, and gave them a slight nod in appreciation. I knew they weren't real, but at least they weren't programmed to be disrespectful. With one arm on her, I shoved through the Inn door with my other.
After renting a suitable room, I swept her off her feet and plonked her down on one of the adjourning beds from the door. She curled up into a ball, before asking; "What will you do?" I thought for a minute, pondering a wide variety of choices.
But by the time I had mustered the answer I chose, she was already asleep.
Floor 51, Helmsburg.
I woke with a jolt, my upper torso shooting out of the covers, alert to any present danger. The crescent moon hung dearly over the city of Helmsburg, I observed out the window, before turning my head to her. Eyelids locked over her pupils, her stomach heaving up and down in sync. I breathed a slightly muffled sigh of relief. I slid out of the layers stacked on me and tiptoed out of the room, floorboards creaking under my weight, cautious not to wake her. I rolled the tip of my fingers on the knob of the glistening bronze doorknob, opening it into a crack of light.
I sneaked around the door, and out into the hallway before repeating the process, but this time closing it. The floorboards creaked with every step, expecting her to come out of the room, a questioning look on her face. Thankfully, not a peep came from the room. I grabbed one of the two keys we were given, as we requested. Before venturing out, I equipped my armour, potion belt and weapon, all rare items. I stepped out into the Inn, locking the door behind me and proceeding with my endeavor into the night.
Floor 52, Grazing Fields.
The warp pad threw me to the ground, but I knew the drill too well. I did a textbook land, before scouting my surroundings.
Quiet. Too Quiet. Perfect.
As I traversed the landscape, my target in sight, I kept thinking of her. I couldn't stop thinking of her. Didn't want to stop thinking about her. I arrived to my destination, and stared at the entrance. I pushed on the twin doors with all my might, as they made a deathly screech into the air. I drew my bow, along with an arrow from the quiver. I walked into the unforgiving darkness.
Floor 52, Dungeon.
Some people give, some people take. This is for those that choose to do both. You may take, but you must give in the end… Read the etching on the headstone above the doorway. After being in this game for two years, I have learnt to take the absolute caution in strongholds like these. I realized my arm had decided to rest. I shook it awake, and let it drop for a second. I creeped through the passageway, my sneak level rewarding in many ways. I came to a long hallway, no end in sight. Suddenly, a stone golem smashed into the ground, and steadied itself. I raised my bow, combat ready.
Floor 52, Inner Dungeon.
The arrow penetrated the golems armour, then its inner shell, with no inconvenience whatsoever. I strung another arrow on my bow, my perception levels kicking in, and pinpointing some more of them. I relaxed my hand, and the arrow flew through the air, making a whistling sound, alerting hostiles small, tall and large alike. The stampede rushed for supremacy over the sweet sound, wanting it. I plucked some small bits of cloth out of my inventory I had previously rolled up and used, and stuffed them in my ears. This is the best part. I thought with a hint of excitement and humor. The arrow made its sound, but grew in speed and noise. Eventually, the arrow had grown to sound like an eardrum-bursting screech. The animals and anomalies alike covered their ears, or whatever they had to listen too, and cowered on the ground. One by one, they bursted into pixels, and floated into the air.
The arrow landed on the ground, and had stopped singing its song of death. I closed the menu, my Col and Experience adding up nicely. I imagined the house that her and I had planned to buy, and walked as my boots squeaked along the shining floor. The minutes turned into hours, as I cleared room by room. Before coming to a chamber with patterned marble double doors. I pushed through them, planting a confident smirk on my face, hoping to intimidate whatever lay beyond these doors.
"Here we go" I muttered.
Floor 52, Sanctum of the Unforgiven
The doors revolved automatically by themselves, illuminating little of the room from outside light. I placed a firm step inside the dark sanctum of the mini-boss inhabiting this room, armed with hope. Blue eyes, burning like embers flickered in the darkness, spying me. Spying its demise. I sprayed arrows up towards the roof, entombing the chamber in a cradle of light. The monster screeched, and lurched forward.
Expecting this, I took the three steps I was instructed with;
One Breath. Focus.
Second Breath. Aim.
Third Breath. Release. And that's how you do it! Greg spoke, cheerfulness making a harmony of his speech. "Where did you learn how to do that?" I asked with curiosity. "Just a couple tricks I picked up on camp, I suppose" he responded. "Follow these three steps, and you'll be amazing with a bow in no time in this game!"
The arrow arced through the air, its target firmly where it was wanted. Suddenly, the arrow exploded into several flashes of light, shrapnel of death raining down on the monster. Skin and armour alike succumbed to the endless stream of power. The time has come. I thought with pride.
A small quake could be felt throughout the floor.
Floor 51, Helmsburg.
I clunked through the door, sleep deprived, but victorious. I unequipped my armour, and threw myself onto the woollen chair guarding the lounge of the room. A heard a small creak, and turned to find her, standing in the doorway, squinting at the immediate new found light. "Where were you last night?" Nozomi questioned, troubling look implanted on her face. I pulled out a set of keys, and spun them around my pointer finger. "Are those what I think they are?" She squealed, joy flushing over her face. I gave a simple nod, and she jumped onto me, her arms wrapped around me.
"Wow, Is it really this big?!" She squealed, still overjoyed at the prospect of a respectful abode until the game is completed. She turned to face me, and asked how I got the money.
I told her I won a bet.
We entered the apartment, and found it stuffed with furniture worn by in-game time.
"At least It'll do, I suppose" I frowned.
"We can go out now and get a little bit more Col to buy some more stuff, Come on!" She replied, her expression turning sour.
"I'm rather tired, to be honest, I think I'll get a little rest" I said, as I made a large yawn, to reinforce my point.
"Well, what were you doing last night, you can't be tired from gambling, and you obviously did something else. So, what was it?" She spat, venomously.
"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to go get some more Col, so let's go!" I said desperately, a last resort at avoiding the question.
Floor 34, Broken Canyons.
The walk had taken a while, but we managed to reach the plateau where the giant double doors guarded its treasures. Nozomi had packed a lunch for us. We sat there, munching away on the warm, crispy bread sandwiches. We traded conversations for a while, and then decided to start up again. As if on cue, a maniacal laugh came echoing through the plateau, and I perked my ears up in curiosity. Slowly, one by one, Dark shadows circled around our little picnic spot, all with unsheathed weapons, smirks shining brighter than the pixelated metal forged with their blades.
Laughing Coffin. The murder guild.
A wave of taunts rising from the crowd. One man stepped forward from amidst the wave of yellow and red cursors, instructing us to hand over all our items. I heaved a laugh, a taunt of my own, and stepped forward to face the man, and faced him in the eyes. His pupils were wavering with a slight amount of fear, but standing his ground defiantly. Sticking to his original plan, I made a frown. Some of the cloaks stepped back, anticipating an attack.
I whipped out my bow, poised it into an attacking stance. The man stood in front of me poised his sword, uneasily ready to attack. I slowly sun, taking a quick glance at the bedazzled faces surround me and Nozomi. Momentum took charge, and before I knew it, I was kicking up dust. I lowered myself, still keeping within my speed. I stretched my bow out, holding it by the edge. I felt resistance, and slowed to a slightly dizzy stop. The man had flown through the air, and landed several meters away. I examined the rows of bewildered faces, and waited for my next opponent.
Another cloak emerged, body language showing uneasiness. To make another example, I charged forward, his fear and features coming to light as I got closer. With an enforced shove, he speared through the air, taking out some of his comrades nearby.
Floor 34, Broken Plateau.
Some of them trembled, shuddered, and took an uneasy step forward, before taking back the unsure act of confidence. The party, confused and dazed, made a hasty retreat, Dragging their fallen along with them. "How come they haven't vanished?" Came a question, a hint of curiosity and fear in the cracks. I replied, stating they were simply unconscious.
"L-let's just go home, I think I've had enough for one day" She stuttered. I promptly agreed, not out of fear, but pure exhaustion from the night before. I pulled out my teleport crystal, instructing it to return to Helmsburg, but with no avail. "Huh?" I questioned, looking to Nozomi to see if she had any luck. Not even a wisp came from the crystal. "Guess we're walking back then" I said, defeat pushing my shoulders to sag. We set off, backtracking the way we came.
The remainder of the day contained ongoing complaints and sore feet and hands. Then there was climbing the canyons. We managed to reach the warp pad just as the skies turned orange and the sun began to rest on the horizon.
"Helmsburg" We said in sync. The warp pad turned on, a beacon of blue pixels and lights.
Floor 51, Helmsburg.
Exhausted, we stumbled through the various streets and corridors of the Heart of Helmsburg, veering away from Knights of the Blood Oath propaganda, and parties of players that had drank too much. We tripped through the doorway, Nozomi falling flat on the ground in the middle of the hallway. "Carry me, I'm so tired" She moaned, her voice cracked from the many times complaining. I gave a small huff in resignation, scooping her off the floor. "Where to, your highness?"
Sapped of energy myself, my muscles screamed at me by the time I had plonked Nozomi down on her bed. She breathed a large exhale over my face, taking me by surprise. I jerked back, and coughed to make sure I hadn't swallowed anything nasty. She giggled, implying she hadn't swallowed anything bad. I ensured her I was being cautious. She giggled again, a little more this time though.
"Seriously, stop trying to act so manly, it makes me laugh so hard!" she said, her small giggles turning into an onslaught of giggling erupting across the room. I felt my face light up, and turned away to assure she couldn't see. I walked out, but before my legs crumpled underneath me. I hit the wooden floorboards hard, my head spinning, more in pain than anything else. I felt my eyelids seduce me into an entrancing sleep, and the last thing I heard were rushed footsteps from behind.
Floor 51, Helmsburg Apartment.
I looked up. I could see light, but it felt restrained. The light grew wider, and before I knew it, my eyelids were completely open. I felt a sensation of relief, and tilted my head up slowly, to make sure the pain of my head wouldn't come back. Thankfully, the enraging sense of a headache was gone.
"Finally, you're awake. Did you know how long I had to look after you for?" Spoke a voice, in a cheerful tone. I spun my head to the side, but cringed, as my brain struggled to catch up at the speed of my head. I brought my hand up to my head, to assist my head in the battle to control the riot in the inner parts of my skull. I spotted Nozomi in the kitchen, an apron on making something I wasn't able to see from my point of view. "God, have they turned down the pain absorbers or something?" I questioned, partly rhetorical. Knowing Nozomi, she already had an answer lined up, expecting the usual smirk. "Now, I don't think a man would ever say that!" Came the answer. I slumped back, and sighed.
Floor 1, Town of Beginnings.
"Well, since I had to look after you for a couple of days, you have to treat me" said Nozomi, arm wrapped around mine as we strolled through where It all started. The memories flooded into my eyes from my brain, a memoir of the first day; Chaos enveloped over the crowd when the news came. I was shocked myself, and almost lost it. Then I saw Nozomi. She was kneeling on the ground, a shattered mirror encircling her. I walked over to her, and bent down to her level. Eyes filled with tears and words on the edge of her tongue, she tried but couldn't. I helped her up, and told her my name. I wasn't prepared to lose it. I had to help her first.
"Where would her highness like to dine?" I spoke, making my own signature smirk. She held up her hand, pointer finger stretched out. "There!" She answered. The smirk on my face flushed away. "That's the most expensive place here though!" I complained. Knowing I couldn't win this battle, I walked her in. I passed a set of green players, rings shining on their fingers. I tipped my hat, a sign of respect. They gave me an infectious smile back, the infection taking over me. I opened the polished door for Nozomi, a common curtesy. She patted me on the head, teasing escaping from her lips. Knowing her, I shrugged it off, and closed the door after me.
We slowly proceeded to one of the tables. The table was decorated with candles, plates and various utensils.
"This table looks nice, let's sit here!"
And so I did. I sat down politely, and a waitress brought out a menu. I examined the menu, the exclusive food here costing more than some types of weapons and armour. I picked out something simple and Chelsea picked out something expensive. The waitress took out our menus, and brought back our food, hot and fresh.
"So, you seeing anyone outside of Sword Art Online?" Nozomi asked.
"What?" I asked, shocked at the sudden question, and the gravity of it.
Nozomi's face went a little red, before asking again. "Nope, single. Surprising right?" I answered with a laugh. "Oh, ok" came the response. Intrigued, to that she did not give an annoying remark, I divulged more into the subject. "So, why do you ask?" I questioned, putting one eyebrow up and another down on purpose. "Oh, n-no reason" She responded, her stutter clear to me. I simply ignored the conversation, although noting it mentally for next time. There on out, we continued our meals with no further quarrel. "Hey, can I get some more wine?" Called Nozomi to the restaurant staff after a long, awkward silence. One of the waitresses walked out in response, and came back, a half-full wine glass resting on top of her tray. She gently placed it on our table, and walked off to serve some more recent customers. Nozomi started chugging down her glass. "Be careful, you'll get drunk!"
Nozomi was drunk. She stumbled several times on the way home, and puked in several places. To be brief, usually what happens when you're drunk in SAO is that you can sometimes slur words when using the teleport crystal, and be transported to a different floor than you intended. Stupid realistic game. And so, we ended up walking back. It took a full twenty minutes to get to the warp pad, even though it took ten minutes to get to the restaurant.
Floor 48, Lindarth.
We had spent the last couple hours trekking around the large city, becoming familiar with the brick-gladden homes as we passed each one, in synchronized form, row by row. Over the last couple of days, we had decided to look for a boss raid, considering we had been away from the front lines for a while. we hadn't been able to find a boss raid on most of the densely populated floors, until we found a party forming outside the Knights of the Blood Oath Headquarters in Helmsburg, with most of the knights in the party trying to enlist more outside help. We reluctantly agreed, considering the possibility of finding another raid. We walked up to the booth, and joined promptly, along with various cheers from the current members of the party. We were instructed to move out tomorrow, so we barely had any time to gear up.
We decided to find some weapon and armor merchants on Lindarth, but many of them carried prices beyond reach.
We finally came to a bridge, and decided to sit down and eat after our futile endeavor to find a low bargain for our itinerary. Scanning the area with my eyes, I spotted a sign that, like all other shops, welcomed patrons with Col. Intrigued, I finished eating and pulled Nozomi along with me to the Blacksmith's Shop. As I came closer, I identified on the sign as the shop belonging to a person named Lizbeth. We entered the shop in curiosity, and were greeted by a slightly pale girl, with pink-ish hair and a bright smile. "Welcome to Lizbeth's Blacksmith shop, how may I help you?" Chimed the brightly coloured girl.
"We're looking for weapons and armor, at a low cost" I responded, combing the various racks of weaponry that lined the walls, estimating the prices of each of them. "Well, I don't sell armor, but I do sell all kinds of weapons!" She said, before darting into the back of her store. I was about to follow her out to the back when: "Wait there while I have a look!" Echoed the Blacksmith Shop Owner's voice. I turned to Nozomi, giving her a confused look, and she responded with a shrug.
I turned around to see the girl, which made me jump a little. "Something wrong?" She questioned. I shrugged it off, before she unfolded a sack with rusted and not-so-rusted weapons on the counter in front of her. "So, how much have you got to spend? Because these weapons are the one with the least durability in my shop" She said, with a small wink and smile. That was the question I was dreading. "To be blatantly honest, not much" I responded, putting in a forced laugh at the end to sweeten the truth. The girl frowned, before putting her hand on her chin, stroking it like Sherlock Holmes would. She then slowly looked up and down, examining me, before leaning forward and whispering; "You know what, I like you. I'll give you a small discount, on the house". This time, my smile was not forced. I looked down at the scattered swords and daggers. Nozomi pointed at a slightly rusted broadsword, before asking for the one. I gave the weapons a hard study before coming to a conclusion. I lifted up a dagger with a longer blade than most, twisting the edge lightly on the tip of my gloved finger. "I'll take this one" I said, before looking to the girl. The puzzled look on her face gave me uncertainty, but I still decided to buy it.
I placed it in front of her along with Nozomi's weapon of choice. "That'll be three hundred Col, thank you!" I opened my inventory, before putting a sack of 300 Col on the counter in a whoosh of pixels. I picked up both weapons, my dagger weighing nothing compared to the Colossal sword Nozomi bought. I handed Nozomi her new present, before we proceeded to the door. "Thanks for coming, be sure to stop back here again!" Said the girl. I turned to face her from the other end of the shop, smiled and said with a wide grin; "Thanks, Lizbeth!". Her face reddened slightly, and I followed Nozomi out the door.
Floor 73, Quarzi
"Team, break!" Screamed the party leader, holding a hand up to signal to the rest of the group. I let my legs free, and I fell to the ground with a crash. I didn't care though, I was happy to have a rest. "Thank you," I muttered with the breath I had left. I closed my eyes and felt the atmosphere around me. Everyone else was huffing and puffing from the endeavor to reach the stronghold, and we had finally reached our destination. I leaned up against the nearest wall to me, and opened my inventory to rummage for food. I chuckled a little, I can imagine telling my family what did in Sword Art, and it would probably go something like; You know what I did? I ate. The food was nice. Sharing another chuckle to myself. "Mind if I sit here?" Asked Nozomi, hovering over me. I sighed. "Sure, take a seat". "Is that supposed to mean something?" Questioned Nozomi with a frustrated tone and a burrowed brow as she sat down next to me. "No, no. Not at all, just tired from the journey" I said, rolling my eyes in the opposite direction to make sure she didn't see. Why does every little thing I do create a disturbance for her? Guess I'll never know.
"Spearhead formation! Keep it tight men!" Screamed the party leader once again, issuing one of the many commands he has access to. We prepared at the entrance to the stronghold, armed with weapons, fear and curiosity in the mix. The commander pushed the large doors open with one hand and ease. I hoisted my sword at the ready, like the others. The doors opened menacingly slow, a slight creak adding to the suspense we all held in the surrounding atmosphere. The room was completely dark, as if it were a void. "Progress!" Screamed the commander, yet again. We entered slowly, making sure not to spring anything "unnecessary". As we walked, it became increasingly clear that the torches lining the walls, were illuminating as we passed them. Slowly. The journey through the stronghold was met with little to no resistance, which kinda felt uneasy among the party. Nevertheless, we pushed on. We eventually came to another set of wide doors. I eyed Nozomi cautiously, and she responded, silently, with a furrowed brow and a slight smirk. "I'm sure this soldier would looove to open the door for us!" Called out Nozomi to the Commander at the front, as she pointed a finger directly at me. The commander gave me an unsure look, and I gave him a sigh, pushing my way to the front.
I grabbed my sword in one hand, and used the other to give the door a push. I heard hushed murmurs behind me as I started heaving the door forward. I entered with absolute fear and caution. Like the entrance to the stronghold, it was pitch black. But also like the entrance, the torches clinging to the walls lit up. "TOMASU!" I heard Nozomi scream behind me. I swiveled around, as the doors closed. I ran at them with unnatural speed, but reached the doors as the boomed shut. Silence loomed over the room, until I heard the unmistakable sound of the Floor Boss looming over me.
I sighed deeply, collecting my thoughts. This sucks.