Chapter 3

Lisbeth sat on her bed as she finished polishing her mace, smiling at the reflection of herself in its mirrored surface. When she was satisfied, she gave it a few practice swings. She grunted with the effort, and sighed. She was clearly getting soft, with her almost never leaving her forge nowadays. She needed to get out more and work on her mace technique. With a humph, she equipped the weapon to her belt, determined to take care of that on this trip. She then turned to the full length mirror on the other side of the room and scrutinized over her appearance. Her armor and underclothing all fit properly, and her mace and small buckler worked well together. Satisfied, she went to her safe and went over what she needed to bring. After thinking it over, she packed her inventory full of healing and antidote crystals, plus a couple of teleport crystals. It was probably overkill, and she was sure Siren would likely be the one doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of combat, but still, she liked to be prepared. And this time, she made sure to add a coat to her inventory. When she was satisfied, she smiled, and walked up to her door, unlocking it and letting herself out into the hallway.

She found Siren, leaning against the wall near the entrance to her shop and with his arms crossed as he stared into space, waiting for her. At her approach, he seemed to be pulled out of his thoughts, and turned towards her. At first, his neutral face and blank expression put her off when she walked across the room, but she was surprised when, as he turned towards her, the frown on his face slowly changed to a small smile.

"Morning," he said kindly.

"Good morning," she said with a nervous chuckle and yawn, stretching her arms to loosen up, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very well, thank you. You're forge is quite a homely little place. I enjoyed staying there," he replied, that small, almost half-smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She smiled and blushed at his compliment. His charming smile was getting to her, she knew.

"Ready to go?" she heard him ask, and immediately the slowly building fire in her was extinguished, at least for now. Floor fifty five was going to be hell, no matter the company.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she melancholically, "I'm not looking forward to dancing with that dragon again."

He laughed as she gave an exasperated sigh and walked towards him to unlock the shop door and let them out.

"Don't worry," he said as he stepped aside for her, "I was planning on going to floor thirteen to get the Silverite first. The dragon can wait."

She turned to him, smiling radiantly.

"Awesome idea!" she said happily, "I'd rather be bored stiff in that nightmarishly dull dungeon then be dragon chow in that frozen hell hole!"

He gave her another of his small smiles as he walked past her outside.

"Yup," was his only response as she locked her shop back up behind her and activated a sign on the door.

She could almost feel him glancing at it over her shoulder: Closed until further notice. Leave any messages with Agil in Algade, Floor 50, Merchant Shop off the main Boulevard. Will return them as soon as possible.

"Alright, let's go!" she said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

Siren gave her another one of his half-smiles, and she felt her heart flutter again for a moment. Forcing herself to calm down, and annoyed at her girlish reactions to his seemingly innocent gestures, she heard a ping, and looked at her display. He had sent her a party request. Happily, she clicked the affirmative button, and as she saw his name appear below hers in her HUD, she gasped. The guy had thirty thousand HP! And to top it off, she glanced at his level indicator, and was nearly floored when she saw he was level one hundred and one! Even Kirito and Asuna weren't that powerful, and they were two of the strongest players in the game.

"Something wrong?" she heard him ask.

"Wha..! No! Nothing at all!" she said as she tried to regain her composure. She really needed to find out who this guy was.

He gave her another almost smile, then lead the way as duo set out for the Teleport Gate.

They walked at a steady pace through the thick forest that supposedly surrounded the opening of the dungeon. Despite his friendly-ish demeanor, Liz found it quite troublesome to make conversation with her new traveling companion. He spoke when spoken to, but proved impossible in being able to keep a discussion going.

"Sooooo…" she tried again for the thousandth time to engage in any form of communication, "Where were you from?"

He stopped abruptly and turned so fast she nearly ran into him. When she looked up into his face, the pleasant almost-smile of his was gone. Instead, for a split second, she saw nothing but sorrow. It was gone before she could blink, and his face now had that neutral expression that it had when he first entered her shop.

"Why do you care?" he asked.

It wasn't the question itself that shocked her, but the manner in which it was said. There wasn't an annoyance to it, as she had expected. Instead, there was a soft curiosity, as if he truly wanted to know why she cared about something as arbitrary as where he lived. As if a concept like that should have been dead and buried a long time ago.

"Uh…well…," she stammered, trying to find a good reason to simply talk to him, "I…just wanted to clear the air, I guess. You know, talk? We're going to be traveling together for a while, after all. Might as well get to know each other a little."

He continued to stare at her, and she looked at the forest floor, unable to meet his eyes. She felt like he was analyzing her, which he could be doing with his HUD. But this was different. Data analysis had nothing to do with it. She felt like he was scrutinizing her person, her soul. She was almost about to tell him to forget she had said anything, if to just get those piercing eyes off of her, when he finally responded.

"I…suppose that's fair," he said as he turned away from her, "But I don't like talking about myself. Nor do I like incessant questions."

She hung her head. She knew that when she got started, she never stopped talking. She silently reprimanded herself for pissing him off. She really needed to learn when to shut up, and she shook with frustration at herself. He must have noticed this, because the next moment she felt a hand on her shoulder, just like the night before. She lifted her head back up to face him. His eyes had softened, and she immediately felt herself relax.

"I'm sorry," he said, "If you want to talk, that's fine, I'll listen. Chatter all day, if you want. I don't mind in the least. I just don't want to talk about me. I'm…sort of a private person."

"I understand," Lisbeth said meekly, still not looking at him.

"Look," he said, the gentleness returning to his voice, "You can ask me three personal questions a day, and I'll answer them honestly. Are you okay with that arrangement?"

Lisbeth immediately looked up and nodded her head vigorously, completely stunned into silence. He took his hand from her shoulder and turned to start walking again.

"Alright, and that's your first question," he said, a heaviness in his voice as he prepared to answer, "I'm not from Japan. I'm originally from America. From California, to be exact."

"Where in California?" Liz said, excited about the conversation. She then slapped her hands over her mouth, "Are you going to count that as my second question?"

He shook his head, and though she couldn't see his face from her position behind him, she was sure he was smiling.

"No, you get a free pass for that one," he said, looking behind him to make sure she was keeping up, "I was born in Palo Alto."

When Liz gave him a confused look, he clarified for her.

"It's near San Francisco," he said, "In California's famed Silicon Valley."

"Oh!" she said, knowing, roughly, where the general area was.

"Yeah," he said as he continued down the forest path, "Me and my parents moved to Japan when I was eight."

"I see," Liz said as she kept pace with him, eagerly hoping that he would supply more information. He must have understood what she was thinking, because he continued of his own volition.

"My parents made sure I was fluent in Japanese a year before the move," he finally said, "Along with several other languages."

Liz tried her best to wait until he supplied more information himself. She didn't want to use her second question asking him what languages he was able to speak. She heard him sigh, and smiled as she knew he was going to answer.

"English is my primary language," he said, "But I'm fluent in Japanese, Chinese, German and Italian."

"Wow!" Liz said, wonder in her voice at such an accomplishment. She desperately wanted to know more, but didn't know if she should give up one of her questions to ask. What if something interesting came along later, and she wanted to know? She decided to go ahead. She had tomorrow, after all.

"Why did your parents make you learn five languages?" she asked.

"They're the CEO and COO of one of the most powerful corporations in the field of Virtual Reality," he said, pausing briefly to check his map, "Their biggest clients and allied companies are from those countries. So if I'm going to inherit their 'legacy', carry on the family business, I need to be able to communicate with our associates."

Lisbeth kept quiet as she processed the information. This was becoming more interesting by the second, though she was starting to feel sympathy for the guy. A lot had been expected of him growing up. More than any kid should have had to endure. What was worse, he had his life mapped out for him before he was even born. She shuddered when she tried to imagine how she would feel if she'd been told all her life what she was going to do and who she was going to be. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"With their main labs back in Silicon Valley, they moved their headquarters to Japan in order to work with several rising stars," he continued as he verified their bearings, "They even had Akihiko Kayaba on retainer as a consultant for a while, before he decided to leave permanently and divert all of his attention to Argus. That really pissed them off."

"I could see that," she said, waiting for him to go on. She saw him nod in acknowledgement.

"They wanted to be at the forefront of the Virtual World Project, just like Kayaba, but that's about how align their goals were," he said, putting away his map, "Where Kayaba was merely interested in creating VRMMORPG's, they wanted to put the idea of virtual reality to a more practical, and profitable, use. Primarily in the field of medicine."

"Medicine?" Lisbeth asked, more intrigued then ever.

"Yeah," he said, checking his compass as he walked, "They believed that Virtual Reality could be harnessed and used to treat people in comas that have little to no chance of waking up. Hook a comatose person up to VR server, then set up one for the doctor, and the doctor would, in theory be able to communicate with the patient in the Virtual world, if not the real world. Or, as would be expected, loved ones could go visit them. And my parents would charge exorbitant fees for the use of the equipment per visit, making sure only the extremely wealthy would be able to take advantage of it. Say what you want about that madman Kayaba, at least he isn't profiting from our misery, as far as we know."

He spat the word 'profiting' with such bile hatred, that Lisbeth took a step back from him. He noticed this and looked over his shoulder, and Liz saw clarity and shame dawn in his eyes.

"Sorry," he muttered as he turned back around to continue towards the dungeon, "Like I said, I don't like talking about myself. But…let's just say I have a…strained relationship with my parents, and leave it at that, alright?"

She nodded, though she knew he couldn't see it. She continued to follow behind him, her mind racing. From little he said, she could understand why he felt the way he did regarding his parents. It would take truly awful human beings to have something that could bring so many families a sense of hope in reconnecting with lost loved ones, and only allowing those with money access to it.

Deciding she had enough information to think about to last her a while, Lisbeth remained silent as she and Siren headed further into the forest of floor thirteen.

The sun was already almost halfway below the horizon when Siren stopped. Liz, lost in her thoughts, nearly ran into him. She watched as he surveyed the area, then stretch as he yawned.

"Guess we can make camp here," he said as he started gathering sticks for a fire, "It's as good a place as any."

Lisbeth nodded as she had a look around the area. Spying a couple of logs, she walked over and began dragging them. She grunted from the effort, and silently cursed. It seems days of swinging a hammer nonstop did absolutely nothing to increase her strength parameters. When she had finally dragged them to opposite sides of the now roaring campfire, she sat on one with a relieved sigh. Her stomach growled, and she remembered Asuna had made her a couple of sandwiches. Grinning with anticipation, she pulled her picnic basket out of her inventory and set it on the ground by her feet. Grabbing one of the sandwiches with a happy squeal, she took a large bite, and sighed as the flavors soaked her tongue. As she chewed contentedly, she happened to look up, and noticed Siren staring at the fire as he nibbled on what looked like a travel roll. She grimaced. Those rolls had massive durability, so were perfect for long journeys away from towns, but they were absolutely flavorless, and the texture was almost like eating a big ball of lint. She looked at her sandwich, knowing she desperately wanted to eat the second one as well, but, just like the night before, she couldn't help herself.

"Hey, Siren?" she said meekly.

When he looked up at the sound of her voice, she reached down and pulled out the other sandwich.

"Do…you want this one?" she asked, and when he gave her a confused look, she blushed and looked down, "My friend, Asuna, made them. She's a great chef. I just…I noticed you eating those travel rolls. I know they're horrible, so I thought you might want something a little…tastier."

When he didn't respond for several seconds, she was on the verge of sheepishly rescinding her offer and putting the sandwich away for later, when he smiled and waved at her.

"That's alright," he said, "Your friend made those for you. As good as they look, you should enjoy them."

She wasn't expecting that answer. His friendly demeanor and soft voice were beginning to endear himself to her. She could feel it, and immediately fought against it. It was just like with Kirito. She didn't want to risk a repeat of that fiasco. But, she also didn't want to see him eating shit while she chowed down on Asuna's decadent meal. She got up and walked around the fire. When she was standing in front of him. He gaped at her as she handed him the second sandwich.

"Please," she said, smiling to reassure him, "I insist."

"I really don't…"

"Nope," she said, "Really, I want you have to it. You haven't lived until you've had some of Asuna's cooking! Just a bite! Please!"

She knew she had him when he finally gave a slight sigh and smiled.

"Alright," he said, "Just a bite.

With a grin, she handed him the wrapped package containing the sandwich. She watched as he unwrapped it and tentatively took a bite. Her grin expanded until it was almost ear to ear when she saw the look of wonder on his face.

"This is…" he said, his eyes wide and his mouth slack, "Amazing!"

Liz sat next to him on his log and began eating her own sandwich with gusto.

"I told you!" she said happily as she chomped on the last few bites of her meal.

When both had finished, they scooted off the log and used it as back rests as they enjoyed the fire. They stayed that way for a while, in silent camaraderie, content to merely be close. As Lisbeth's mind wandered, she stole a quick glance at him. Her appraisal skill came into effect automatically, and scanned his armor. Like she thought, it was hardened leather. But there was something wrong. At first, she couldn't put her finger on it, but as she reviewed the stats for the second time, it hit her. It was hardened leather, sure, but such a light material provided almost no protection for a player of his level.

She stole a glance at his face to make sure he hadn't noticed her analyzing him. He had shifted his position, and was now using the log as a head rest, his face looking up to the night sky, though his eyes were closed, and he had his hands folded behind his head. She couldn't help but notice his face was even more handsome relaxed then it was when in it's normal, neutral, state. She looked at his lips, and couldn't stop herself from imagining what it would be like to lean over and kiss him. She looked away quickly, shaking her head to clear the picture from her mind. Her cheeks burned as one of the deepest blushes she ever had filled her face. When she felt she had her traitorous thoughts sufficiently under control, she risked looking back at him. He never moved a muscle, and she was thankful that he obviously hadn't heard her, or noticed her moment of flustered weakness.

Forcing control over herself, she looked him over again. She tried adding up what she knew about him. He was quiet and reserved, which seemed to indicate that he didn't spend much time around other people. He wore extremely light armor. He had a sword that was designed for speed, yet forfeited that to pack a big punch instead. He had double the HP of any elite player out there, even Kirito and Asuna. And he had the most haunted eyes she'd ever seen in any player. Something deep down inside caused him pain, though no one would know it just by looking at him. She'd barely been able to see it the previous evening. But she knew better then to pursue such topics. Remembering what he'd said earlier about being private, she knew bringing up the subject would be a bad idea. Better to stick with something tangible. And fairly obvious. Her eyes set on the black plate strapped across the upper half of his chest. Wanting to know more about his armor, she decided to use her last question of the day.

"Siren?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah?" he said with a contented grunt and smile on his face.

"Why do you wear such light armor?" she asked. She saw him open an eye and turn it towards her.

"Why do you ask?" he said softly.

She had expected a sharp retort about minding her own damn business, and to leave him be. She had already begun wincing in anticipation of the angry reply. To her amazement, his reply hadn't been sharp or mean spirited at all. Just like earlier, it came out like him simply wanting to know why she was curious. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. This guy must have the patience of a saint she thought.

"Well…" she said, her growing steadier as she spoke, "I hope you don't mind, but I noticed you have an extremely big HP pool. Your health's at nearly twice what's normal, even for a player of a comparable level. I just wanted to know why you wouldn't want to be better protected in order to take advantage of that. Your armor just seems too light."

She waited for several seconds. She didn't think it would be that hard of a question to answer. When he finally did, his voice seemed tired. Almost as if he had aged in a matter of moments.

"You make a good point," he said, still not opening his eyes, "I guess the only answer I've got is that heavier armor slows me down. I think quickly, I move quickly, and I fight quickly. With this set, I get at least some protection, and I'm able to move unhindered."

"But aren't you vulnerable?" she asked.

"I guess if you look at it from a purely statistical point of view," he said nonchalantly, "I prefer to see it as freedom of motion. The best armor is speed and maneuverability. At least in my opinion. I have at least some protection where it counts, but I'm also unhindered enough to take full advantage of my range of motion. That's good enough for me."

Lisbeth mulled this over in her mind. The only people she knew like that were Asuna and Kirito, but they worked as a hard hitting tag-team. She looked at her HUD. She didn't see a Guild indicator near his name. Was he a solo player, like Kirito? He can't be she thought, All the high level players are in guilds. Except Kirito. He's the one exception to the rule. The one crazy exception. Surly he would have somebody in a party with him when he went out, at least to act as a tank. But from what little she'd learned about him, he seemed like a loner. She thought to try her hand at asking him, even if she'd already used up here three questions for the day. Maybe he'd let it slide, like he did earlier.

"Are you part of guild?" she asked, hoping he'd answer.

"Haven't you used your three questions for the day?" he retorted, still not bothering to open his eyes.

"Yeah…but…I," she said lamely, knowing it was useless. He wasn't going to answer. She just about to storm off and pout, when she heard him speak again.

"No," he said, quietly, "I'm not in a guild. I'm a solo player."

Liz couldn't say anything. Her assumptions had been right. He was a solo player, after all. But that only raised more questions then gave answers. She wanted…no… she needed to know more.

"Why?" she asked, trying to keep her excitement in check.

"Now you're pushing it," he said.

"Sorry," she muttered, defeat evident in her voice.

She saw him frown, then turn over. When he didn't move again, she decided he had fallen asleep. Sighing, she turned over, herself, and closed her eyes, though her troubled thoughts kept her up long into the night.