Don't Talk about It


The drumbeat echoed of wooden halls, bouncing of the walls in a steady rhythmic vibrato of unparalleled precision. A hand slapped the goatskin drum in a smooth mechanical fashion. The action was as the coding dictated. The drummer would bang the drum day and night if his coding said too. It was one of the few things about the game that was so strange. NPC musicians could play continuously. Yet they didn't. They changed every hour. Each NPC's custom song changed daily and it would play through the whole town. It became ambient music the further away from the musician you got. However if you were close you could appreciate it completely. It was the typical place to gather on Floor 6. After a week of searching for the boss, many of the clearers needed a break. Thats where they could be found. The clearers, and only them. Fights often broke out and people would duel. Destroying much of the space. If people were found there they were looking for a fight.

He rubbed sweaty palms across his black leggings, before tightening the grip on his scythe's handle. The blade scraping against the grindstone in a smooth motion. As a young native of London, fighting wasn't strange to him. He knew how to take care of himself. People laughed when he said he knew how to fight. They assumed that he was taught how to wield an umbrella like a fencing sword and fight with grace and poise. He laughed at them saying they could duel him to find out. Contrary to popular myth if you weren't hardened in London... Anything could happen on the safest of nights.

Marcus gazed across the room. A few people returned his stare. The most striking was the drummer. The NPC had a tamed companion Monkey by his side. Marcus couldn't help but notice a striking resemblance between the monkey and the man. They both had the same roundish baby faces and big ears. The men flocking around Marcus doned full black matching uniforms. They were styled purple accents around the edges and trims. They stood arms low ready to draw their weapons when needed. He hadn't seen Rena or Oroboro since floor 3. Since the guild quest.

"Isn't that…~?" One of the other patrons of the amphitheater whispered to the other.

"Yea it is."

"Aren't they..~?"

"Yea they all d…~?"

"Hey! Do we have a problem!" One of Marcus' guards shouted drawing his sword. Grabbing one of them threatening to impale him with the blade.

"No its okay. I'd like for him to continue." Marcus voice raised, silencing the guard, who let go of the player instantly. The two players were speechless. Either out of fear or shock.

"D~Didn't the Belladonnas die on floor 3…" One of them said rather reluctantly. Marcus looked down.

"We don't talk about what happened. Thirty of the Belladonna's best went in to the Guild quest... Nine were left standing when it was finished. The leader. Three lieutenants. My party members and a few others." He answered the truth behind the question.

The fact of the answer was. People believed they were dead. Only the three last lieutenants went on clearing raids with their parties. Rena and Oroboro had left the party. He hadn't seen or heard from them in the longest time. It made him anxious knowing he was alone in this game. Blake… she never left Hemlock Grove. Amber was there but the two never spoke. Drake stuck to his group never leaving the comfort of his new pose.

"Do you mind if we ask? What happened? The info given out for the guild quest was straight forward and told people how to avoid the more dangerous parts. Told what level is appropriate. What gear is required. How did did things go so wrong?"

"We are the ones who gave out the info. Trust me. Everyone got it easy. What happened to us…

I was in the water. My breath slowly fading, the murky shadows of the swamps atmosphere. It blocked out the sun. Replacing it with a shallow haze. That clung to our clothes. Its freezing temperature chilled our bones. I was petrified. The poison on the Marsh Swampers weapons. They were potent. I was dragged from under the water. Everything was in chaos. Blake couldn't rally the guild. We barely even damaged them. Once I was on my feet. I saw the true extent of the problems, some tried to flee. Most were fighting but there was no order. We outnumbered them. So the switches were un synced landing useless attacks bumping into one another. It was like dancing inside a volatile mosh pit.

Once I was on my feet. I joined the fray. Desperate to eliminate the beasts. It took us 30 minutes to kill them. We suffered no losses, but we had exhausted ourselves beyond our ability to fight. Hell we hadn't even faced the boss yet. We had to rest up. We had no idea where the safe area was. It just seemed so bleak. Thats when Blake said something."

His mind began to wander. It was as if he was reliving that moment. Not telling it out to other people. He faded into the memory. Stepping back into his past shoes.


"That was just the mobs around the boss!" Marcus exclaimed heavily, his breathing was erratic and out of control. His stamina skill was close to collapsing in on itself. He was having trouble standing on the damp ground alone.

"How are we gonna beat the actual boss?!" Became the question everyone was asking themselves. Blake had been quiet ever since she had lost control on the battlefield. She was fuming. Her face singed red from anger.

"What, was that! That was an utter shit show! Utter bullshit! None of you followed any orders! None of you listened to me! And now what? You are all just giving up! Our greatest weakness lies in giving up! The most certain way to succeed is to just try if not once. Then if we fail, just one more time. If we fail again. We get back up, and we try again. Now get up! You're not going to leave me to fight this thing alone, are you!" Everybody was in shock. She wanted to go through with this. She really wanted to go through with this! Nobody knew why but they all felt compelled to stand. Compelled to continue. Compelled to finish this once and for all.


"Blake. She always knew exactly what needed to be said." He finished recalling the story. The two players stood in awe.

"She seems like a great leader." One of them noted. Marcus coughed lightly at that, earning a quizzical look from the other two. Even Marcus' loyal Hemlock Guard laughed between themselves.

"Blake can talk. She was always good at that. Co-ordinating combat just as excellent. Although her skills in combat are somewhat lacking. So she can't lead what she hasn't experienced. Relies on her lieutenant for information on fights. So when facing new enemies and she isn't prepared. Things go wrong fast." Marcus added the others seemed to agree with him.

Ever since that day. The guild saw things differently. Blake punished Marcus with dealing with the new recruits. She never spoke to him anymore. Only sent him messages.

"Sir. The new recruits are ready for you." One of the guards stated. Breaking Marcus' conversation with the two random players.

"Alright. Its been fun lads but duty calls. If you ever find yourself on the end of a Belladonna sword. Say you have my seal of approval." Marcus opened his inventory and sent them each an item. It was a flask with healing potion inside it was potent but their was a unique symbol on the front. "Show them that and all charges will be dropped, but if I were you don't show that around the Holy Dragon Alliance. We aren't on good terms with them." Marcus added before casually getting up on his feet. He walked and the small escort surrounded him in a circular formation.


A few miles south of the Town of New Beginnings, the Saren River dropped in close to the hillside bank and ran deep green. The water was warm in this part of floor one, it was twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curved up to the strong rocky cliffs. Willow trees fresh with every spring, the sycamores with mottled, white, reclining limbs and branches that arched over the shallow pools. On the sandy bank under the tree a small rabbit the size of a shoe box hopped across the damp groggy shores. A figure watched from the tree's nearby. A throwing pick lay still in her idle fingers, glowing the faintest red. With a swift motion. The pointed hurling weapon pierced the skin of the rabbit killing it instantly. Rena looted her prize, a B class miscellaneous item.

"Lucky Rabbits foot. Increases critical hit bonus by 15%. Nifty." She skipped over the river running up the hill.

She had heard Marcus was going to be here with the new recruits. Ten or so new recruits. After the Guild Quest. Blake had requested that Rena work for her exclusively. She had done her part spreading word and selling out information books about the boss and area around for the Guild Quest, they were the first to hand out information so prices skyrocketed as did her bank account. Now that she was done, she wanted to work alongside her friend. Despite how… lame his punishment was. Oroboro had been drafted to be in Amber's party. He may not have enjoyed it as much. But it kept him on the front lines. He was banned from approaching Marcus without Amber's say so. And she didn't say so.

Marcus was standing on the hill examining the new guys. They all stood wearing the default Belladonna uniform. The Apprentice scribe black set. It was full black with a purple hem line towards the bottom. And purple rings circling round the arms. It looked better on girls than it did men in her honest opinion.

"Name?" Marcus said rather bluntly. It took the first one a little longer than expected to answer.

"Ungh Freed, Sir!" The first guy saluted. Marcus stared at him with a vacant expression.

"Don't salute me, If you want to salute people. You should have joined the Army. Name?" He moved along leaving the first guy a little stunned.

"Nova."

"Beatrice." Both of them answered in cannon. Marcus looked at both of them. They must have known each other. If they were so comfortable to do their intros together. They seemed confident. To confident.

"Beth. Search em." His groomed black wolf leaped from the shadows tackling the one named Nova knocking him off his feet and doing a minor amount of damage. The Level 18 Wolf growled into his ear. She was much stronger than both of them so they couldn't kill her even if they wanted too. Marcus watched Beatrice struggle, she wanted to leap in and save him. But she knew better. Marcus wasn't going to hurt them. But he let it linger on for a little. Seeing her pained expression made him feel slight relief.

"Down girl. Congratulations. I like you." Marcus said to Beatrice, he helped Nova back on his feet. He was a little confused but none the less stood straight and stared forward.

"Name?" He asked the final two recruits. They shared a look.

"Nikoru."

"Gale."

"Well then Nikoru, Gale, Nova, Beatrice and Freed. How would you guys like to see the front lines?" A smile grimaced on Marcus lip. It was a crazed smile. These new recruits were slightly different from the rest. He could see that. Hell he could feel it. If he knew one thing. One certainty was that these people. They were going to be clearers. No. They were going to be the best damn clearers he had ever seen.


A/N

I think this shows I have accepted all OC's, some will make an appearance later on. I still am accepting OC's. But I'm not accepting OC's that aren't Belladonnas. Cause I've realized at this point the story isn't going to stray from them. And I won't write individual chapters just for submitted OC's. I'd love to I just don't have the time anymore. And when I do. I'm writing the main story. Or my other ones. Also I have a plan for the Fairy Dance Arc. Only thing is, some OC's from the Sword Art online stage will not be returning for Alfheim. I have decided on only one that will return for Fairy Dance. If you want to see your OC's in Fairy Dance. Submit an edited one detailing a few minor adjustments e.g

Race: Undine, Cait Sith, Spriggan, Silph, Imp, Leprechaun, Pooka, Salamander, Gnome.

Magic Focus: Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, Darkness, Illusion, Sound, Beast Taming.

Spells: Not necessary but you can if you want.

Thats the only thing that needs to be done. Hope its not to much but if it is I understand.

If you want to submit a new OC for Fairy Dance you are also free to do so, just include the Personality and Appearance and such in your submission.

Sincerely RevenantOmega.

if you took your shoes off at any time during this reading I give you one million hypothetical Fanfiction dollars. YAY \(0^0)/