Sword Art Online

Forsaken Heavens

E2: Blood Moon

Chapter 1

A blade swooshed through the air and sliced through the air and split the shadow boar in two. Immediately the system gave a message of congratulations and showing the player what they won.

"Congratulations Leafa! You won 456 exp, and 120 Lucin," the box said.

Lucin was the currency in this game, which for a creature in the twenty sixth territory, this was pathetic in what it awarded. These shadow boars where scattered everywhere, with their ugly faces and they're ten knurled tusk each. The large black colored boars left a trail of black smoke behind them. Leafa pushed back her black hair. She originally chose this username to fit with the race of fairies she chooses in Alfheim Online, but the name didn't really fit here real image just so much. Maybe she could get her hair redone once she got free time.

Shortly after the game had started, she joined up with a guild called, "Altrea Militia," which apparently Altrea is the name of the land in this game. Right now they were on training exercises, Leafa's squad was being lead into training by the guilds third in command, Yukato. A silent and skeptic person, who was strict in the guild codes, Yukato stood a little off to the side, dressed in a cloak that was forest green in color. He had the hood up over his naturally brown hair, and his green eyes peered out as he inspected how this squad was doing.

Apparently over the past six months, seven guilds raised to power above all the rest. The strongest one at the moment is "The Templers of the Night Sky," which already has thousands of members at its disposal. Then the next runner up is a tie between "Altrea Militia" and "Fire Spitters United". Then under them, it's a constant struggle between the guilds known as "727", "Doomsday Deities", "Avalanche", and "The Umbral Assembly". There are more guilds, but those seven were the most powerful.

So Leafa considered herself lucky that she got into Altrea Militia. She was in a powerful guild and thus she wouldn't be killed off, or at least not as soon anyways. However Leafa still spends most of her free time searching for Kazuto, or known as Kirito in game. However, she has yet to find him. Leaf figures that Kirito is probably still going solo. Since he always seems to do that.

"Alright, that's enough for today! Once we get back to the guild hall, you can spend the rest of the day however you like! As long as you don't die!" Yukato announced as he turned to head back to the main city of Faerfield. The other players either started heading back or stayed to finish up the enemy. Leafa however decided to head off toward the city.

First thing once she got to Faerfield, she immediately went to the barber and had her hair customized, to a style she was more familiar with. Her hair dyed blonde and now done up in a bun, Leafa exited the barbers shop. Now she had the rest of the day off, and she wasn't sure what to do. She could always try to look for Kirito again. That was the only thing she could think of doing at the moment. But the only problem with that is that she had searched this city many times over.

However today could be the day that she finds Kirito so she couldn't give up just yet. Leafa started strolling down Tribunal Ave. which was one of the main streets of Faerfield. As she walked around, Leafa took special care to looking at people's faces, seeing if any of them were Kirito. There were friends walking together and even couples. People betting on duals and drinking their hearts out at the virtual pubs that were scattered through the city, they were enjoying life while they still had it. However Leafa told herself that she would not rest, not till she at least found somebody she recognized.

Hours passed as Leafa scoured the city in search, and soon it was getting to be dark out. She probably should get heading to the guild barracks soon. Leafa looked up at the night sky and stared in awe at the full moon and the detail that this game possessed. It in fact looked even larger and better then the real moon itself. The stars that surrounded it twinkled like gems in the skies and even with all the light for the city, they were still clearly visible. Truly the night proved to be the best time of the games mechanics. It made it seem like you really were in heaven.

A message now appeared in the sky above the city. It read "Event!" and was visible from every part of the city.

"Hello players," The voice of Hysteria rang through the sky, " There is going to be an event happening in the city of Faerfield that will last from now till the first ray of light at 5:30 am. Now let "The Moon of the Minotaur begin!"

After the sign appeared in the sky there was an eerie silence from everyone. There were numerous jolts that struck the earth in various parts of the city. Also one struck right in the plaza where Leafa was standing. After the smoke cleared it was visible that there was a large armored half man half bull creature standing in front of them. In its hand it held a large spiked mace made from bones. With a loud terrible roar it started it's attack and flailed its mace around, hitting a few players causing them to disperse into a cloud of digital fragments as they died.

People started running for their lives, while others took up arms to fight the beast, most failed and paid for it with their lives. Leafa however on sight began to flee, for she knee that she was nowhere close enough in stats to fight the beast. However the beast had locked it's sights on her and started to pursue only to stop when it go hit in the eye with an arrow.

Angered the Minotaur turned toward it's assailant, which was a boy with long blonde hair and blue eyes, riding on the back of an Alpha Boar; which essentially looked like a shadow boar except larger and more normal looking when it came to fur color. Leafa recognized this as General Nyles of the Templers of the Night Sky. Nyles also had a few other archers with him, which rode on similar mounts.

"Keep firing, don't let it get close to you!" Nyles ordered.

As The beast made its way toward the group of soldiers. Leafa caught notice of something. The moon, it had changed color. It went from its pure white to red, the color of blood.