The countdown timer hanging between the two continued to make its way down as the combatants readied themselves for their fight. A few members of the crowd perked their ears at the declaration of whom they were witnessing, though most didn't recognize the title. Haruki and Lunt were in the latter category. She eyed the two that had started the altercation; a stern looking old man and a girl either in her late teens or barely twenty that appeared young enough to be his granddaughter. Lunt drew his sword, holding it high with the point forward in a two handed grip. The Inquisitor held his sword down to the right, almost casual.
Haruki nudged her husband. "Who is this guy? Name rings a bell but I can't place it."
"I heard about him back in Sveltheim." Mamoru replied, trying to see past the person in front of him. "Some kind of bounty hunter or vigilante, I think. We should go."
"No." Haruki muscled someone to the side, allowing her shorter husband to slip forward for a better view. "I want to see this."
The final five seconds counted down with an audible chime on each second before reaching zero with a gong. The two charged each other, quickly closing the five meters between them. Lunt opened with a quick downwards slash at the old man's head. The Inquisitor swung his blade up to block and continued forward, shoulder checking the boy and transferring his momentum to him, knocking Lunt backwards with enough force for his feet to briefly leave the ground. He was still in range for the Inquisitor to rake a cut across his chest. Lunt swung upwards, hitting nothing but air and leaving him open for a pair of rapid slashes.
The crowd started to grow in size as other players wandered over, drawn in by the event, effectively sealing the two in a ring of people. Lunt surged forward, swinging his blade in from the side, aiming for the ribs. With his left hand, the Inquisitor drew his parrying dagger, catching the blade in its crossgaurd. With his right hand he stabbed his sword upwards into his chin and through the top of his head, lifting the boy to his toes. He twisted the blade around, forcing it down to cut through his entire length and dropping his health deep into the yellow. The Inquisitor leaned forward to head butt him, causing him to stagger back a step. The old man followed by pivoting on his left foot and snapping his right out in a sidekick that punched into the boy's gut. Lunt gave himself some space, doubt and anger playing over his face as he realized he may have made a grave mistake.
"You chose poorly." The Inquisitor grimly stated, slowly advancing towards him.
Lunt back up step for step, keeping his distance. The crowd behind him moved out of the way, parting to either side while still forming a solid wall. They didn't have anything to fear; neither fighter could hurt them within the city walls, but nobody wanted to interfere in the active duel or take a side in a situation they neither had a stake in nor enough knowledge of to judge. Lunt's back bumped against a table in the bistro their encounter had started in; he was out of room to retreat.
"This is as far as you go." The Inquisitor held his sword low and charged.
Lunt tried to keep backing up, letting loose a throwing knife at his advancing opponent. The old man swatted it away with his parrying dagger like a minor nuisance; it landed somewhere in the crowd. The Inquisitor closed the distance, swinging his sword up to bat away a desperate stab as the boy started moving back around the table, continuing around into a slash that cut into his right collar and exited at his opposing hip. Lunt made one last strike, swinging his sword in from the side. The old man halted the attack by stabbing his dagger into the wrist of Lunt's sword arm. He wrenched the limb to the side and forced it down, staking the dagger through the table and pinning Lunt's arm in place. He let go of his dagger, leaving it there and grabbing Lunt by the collar. The Inquisitor placed the guard of his sword across the boy's neck with the crossgaurd at his chin, and drew the length of his sword along his throat with a flourish.
Lunt's health emptied and he burst into polygons in the old man's grasp. He plucked his dagger from the table, returning his weapons to their sheaths. His young companion opened her leather clad book and drew a pencil from a pocket in its cover, drawing a line across the page over the name 'Lunt'.
"Show's over." He said, addressing the crowd. "Go about your business."
"Who the hell does this guy think he is?" Mamoru asked, surprised by the fight and disgusted by their self-assured authority.
His wife didn't reply. Mamoru looked up at her, worried at her expression. She was impressed, clearly approving of what had just taken place.
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Devlin made his way through the streets. He was headed back to the teleporter cluster they'd arrived to the city from. The street was densely crowded with players and NPCs going to a fro. It was discomforting, being surrounded by this many people. Devlin instinctively tried to keep track of all of them; where they were going, what they were holding, what they were armed with and whether or not they could easily draw and fight in the confines of their current environment.
A few players gave him an odd look at they passed. After a moment, Devlin realized why. With his mask still covering his face from the bridge of his nose down, he was the only person hiding his face. This combined with his deep red cloak did not make him appear particularly welcoming. Someone brushed against into him from behind. Devlin spun, surprised, sweeping the offending person's feet out from under her. Before he realized it his short sword was in his hand.
"Ow. Excuse me." The girl got to her feet and gave a short bow. She gave him and his sword a bemused look. A few curious onlookers turned their way at the commotion. "Aren't we jumpy."
Devlin sheathed his weapon and awkwardly returned the bow and apology and quickly tried to disappear back into the general crowd. It'd been months since he'd last been in any town, let alone the Starting City. Usually, this many people meant that a threat could come from any angle; now it just meant he was acting paranoid. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He was in town; he was safe. Nobody knew who or what he was, and nobody could hurt him. Still, after trying so hard to be allowed back into a safe zone, he was surprised by how much he didn't like it here. The town hadn't really changed since the last time he'd been here, but it still felt strangely alien. He gave the notion some thought, resuming his walk to the teleporters. It wasn't the town that was off, it was him. He couldn't help but feel he didn't belong here.
After reaching the teleporters and waiting his turn, he entered the archway and, after a series of six random jumps, traveled to the twenty eighth floor. Another trio of teleportations led him to a medium sized town by the name of 'Bresden Hills'. It was a pleasant enough collection of buildings sitting in the middle of an unremarkable plain. The town's outer wall was made of wooden palisades, outside which were farmland on all sides.
This town was populated with a large amount of NPCs, but traffic from players had died down some time ago, though it had a small collection of permanent residences due to the pleasantly peaceful region. Devlin made his way to the south end of town, down a road lined with spaced out wooden cabins. He stopped in front of one. It was a single storey affair of modest size. Its walls had a deep brown wood stain and a couple windows with curtains drawn shut. In front of him was the door, painted a rich burgundy. Devlin inserted the key and entered, the door pushing the dust on the hardwood floor into a pile. He closed it behind him.
"I'm home." He said to nobody.
Before him was the common room, connected to the kitchen. In the kitchen was a table with seating for five. In the middle of the common room was a sofa with a blanket bunched up on one end and a pillow on the other. Devlin thought back; Zerrin never did care much for beds, and had preferred sleeping in the common room to keep watch despite being in a safe zone. Devlin crouched down besides the sofa, fishing his hand underneath it until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a sturdy metal lockbox with two tumblers, doubtlessly containing the remaining belongings of his old guild mate. It was about the size of a shoebox, but was weighty. He shook it, hearing something clunk around inside.
"I'll take this." Devlin eyed the locks with a frown; Zerrin probably had they keys with him when he'd died.
This might take some work. He thought, adding it to his inventory.
Beside the front window was a pair of cushy chairs, between which sat a small table. On it was an unfished game of chess; cobwebs had formed over the pieces. He studied the board for a moment, trying to remember who had been what colour. Unable to recall, he reached out and toppled both the kings and strolled down the hall. To the left of the kitchen was a hallway leading to the bedrooms; one on either side. Farther down on the left was the storeroom, and at the end of the hall sat the washroom. He entered the bedroom on the left. There were two beds at opposite sides of the room. He walked up to the bed by the right and pulled off the dusty blanket, sitting down. Devlin pulled down his mask and ran his hand through his hair before resting his head in his hands.
It'd been some time since he'd been here; not since he'd been stuck red. He looked over the room. By the door was a half-filled bookshelf. On the nightstand next to his bed sat a mostly spent candle and an old book bearing the title 'Crime and Punishment'. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the title and returned it to his inventory as well as the books on the shelf. Above his bed on the wall was a weapon rack with nothing on it. On the opposing wall above the other bed was a pair of hand axes crossed over a coat of arms. Devlin pulled them down, placing them both in his inventory. He looked down at the bed, the sheets unmade.
"You're not using them anymore." He explained to the empty room. He grabbed a guitar leaning against the bedside table. "You were never any good with this, anyways."
He collected any items that caught his eye in the other bedroom. Under a bed big enough for two he found a wooden box with a small stash of money and a gift box with a decent ring inside. On the bedside table was a silver picture frame with a photo of a smiling couple. He removed the picture and tossed it aside, pocketing the frame. Lastly, he went to the storeroom and cleaned out anything of value that he could fit into his inventory. Once he had all he could carry, he took a quick walk into town and sold most of what he'd taken. A few trips later and the house was cleared out of anything worth anything. With nothing else to do here, he made his way back to the front door, exiting his home. He placed the key into the lock and left it there. A few minutes later the house was sold as is to the NPC realtor in town. Devlin set a course for the teleporter and didn't look back.
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Sparring practice had proved a productive use of time. It had started rough, with him getting laid out flat a few times, but found he improved with each round. By the time he'd left, it was almost three thirty in the afternoon and he was able to at least hold his own in a one on one fight with the NPC trainers. Still, he realized that skills fighting human sized NPC opponents might not necessarily transfer well to fighting inhuman monsters, or even other people. Taiki hoped the latter wouldn't be an issue going forward.
Having left the training grounds, he'd wandered into a general store. Taiki bought a teleporter crystal to replace the one that he'd used the night before. The storeowner had given him an odd look the entire time, trying to figure out whether or not he was dealing with a fellow player or not. Wanting to avoid the topic, Taiki had wrapped up his purchase and left the store without making any small talk.
The street was wide; four lanes across, though if he thought about it, Taiki wasn't really sure what a lane was a measure of. He was struck again by just how many people were around. He'd done a little reading and found that The Town of Beginnings was the largest and most heavily populated city in the world, or rather, the game. Taiki had spent some time visiting a couple of what appeared to be governmental buildings, but found the NPCs inside less than helpful. They were there for show or to provide quests or mildly useful information about the city; nothing that helped him with finding any answers about himself.
There was only one place he could think of that might help; something the information broker's sister had told him about back in Sveltheim. He just needed to know where to find it. Taiki attempted to grab the attention of a passing player, but he paid no mind to him, walking by. He tried again with a trio of people who merely adjusted their path around him. Agitated at their rudeness, he spoke a bit louder and waved at the next person. He waved him away, saying something about being busy and brushed past. He hadn't even looked him in the eye. Someone bumped into him as they passed. Taiki turned to see who it was, but they hadn't even slowed.
Everywhere Taiki looked, there were icons mixed with the NPCs. A player fast walking down the sidewalk roughly bumped into a person coming out of a shop, both apologizing to the other and going their separate ways. He looked up at the vacant spot over himself.
I'm just one of the drones to them. He though. Just filler.
Taiki felt alien here; isolated. It was surprising how alone one could be in a crowd when nobody in it realized you existed. He frowned, refusing to let himself be nothing but a face in the crowd, and not wanting to have to ask another NPC for info. He walked purposefully towards a larger man at a storefront. He placed a hand on his shoulder and lightly but sternly turned him to face him.
"What is" He started, tilting his head back to look up at Taiki and his determined expression, "it?"
He proved helpful enough, and shortly after Taiki was on his way. A brief walk later he'd stopped in front of a large building slightly east of the center of town. The structure was built like an impressive cathedral, with spires reaching higher than any of the others in the immediate vicinity. He opened one of the massive wooden double doors and entered. The building was mostly one huge empty room, with nothing but a polished granite floor where one might have expected pews. Lining the walls were stone pillars, behind which was a recess in the walls that wrapped around half the back of the building. In this alcove he could make out marble statues between the columns; figures standing either heroically or posed like saints. Light filtered in through lightly stained blue glass windows lining the upper walls and a large circular skylight over the far end of the room. Under the skylight, at the top of a pair of steps on a raised dais was what he was here for.
It was a massive dark grey stone slab three meters tall and ten meters long. As he drew closer, he realized the stone itself was polished black, with names etched in grey onto its surface. The Monument of Life. On the floor in front of it sat a copper bowl containing a few flowers and sticks of slowly burning incense. To the left of the stone was a short stool next to a round wooden table with a massive leather bound book and a vase with a bouquet of white roses on top. At this monolithic slab was the only other person in the room; a young man stood near the monument, staring into it. He appeared to be around sixteen, and was unarmoured, instead wearing an outfit with a black long coat with a high collar. The long coat had a dark blue fringe around the shoulders with small round steel studs arranged across it. A one handed sword was held in a sheath on his back. His almost too long hair was as dark as his long coat.
Taiki paused, still at the bottom of the steps in front of the monument. The somber, quiet atmosphere made him feel like he might have just walked into some private moment. The swordsman reached out a hand to the slab and touched a name, speaking a word too low for Taiki to hear. He gave a sigh and turned to leave, eyeing Taiki on his way out. Unable to resist his curiosity, Taiki walked up to the monument and looked to the name the boy had reached for; Sachi. A horizontal line crossed it out.
While most names were unmarked, there were quite a few names with a line drawn over them. Knowing what this meant, calling the slab the Monument of Life felt like a mockery. From this perspective it was more like a giant headstone on an inevitable mass grave, patiently waiting for those still living to join those who'd already fallen, turning the Room of Resurrection into a tomb. Taiki tried not to let this comparison bother him. He took a step back, looking over the face of the monument, hoping something would somehow jump out at him or catch his eye.
Okay, every name in the world is in front of you. He thought to himself. Find yours.
"What are you?" A quiet voice asked.
Taiki nearly jumped; as far as he'd seen he was alone. A figure that had been so still he'd taken her for a statue stepped from beside one of the columns into the light. She was short, barely a hundred thirty centimeters, or five foot one. She had a thin, frail build. What was most noticeable was what she wore, as it completely obscured the rest of her. The girl was dressed in a long pitch black dress of Victorian design that reached down to the floor. The sleeves ended at her elbows, but a pair of long silk gloves of the same colour ran all the way up her arms. Her hat had an impenetrable black veil that wrapped around her entire head. Draped on her shoulders was a translucent grey shawl made of such thin and light material that she might as well have been wreathed in smoke. The result was that not a single inch of her was visible, not even a stray lock of hair.
She didn't walk so much as glide over to him. Her hands were clasped together in front of her. "Or rather, who are you?"
Her voice was faint, soft, yet somehow felt like it carried an incredible weight. She ascended the steps and stood next to him. Taiki was momentarily caught off guard by this unexpected vision.
"I'm sorry." He replied. "I didn't see you there."
"It's alright." She said, tilting her head slightly. "You are no NPC."
Taiki felt relieved that someone in this city had noticed. "How could you tell?"
"An NPC only sees the object; they don't see the names, don't realize their meaning." She answered.
"Oh." He could only say, trying to look back into her veil where he assumed her eyes would be.
"I'm sorry to press, but who are you?" She asked. "We've not met before."
"I'm Taiki."
"There is no need to deceive." She stated.
Taiki frowned, again surprised. When she caught his expression, she gestured towards the slab. "There is no Taiki listed here."
"Well, I'm called Taiki." He started. Despite having had this conversation a few times now, he was never sure how to explain it. "Truth is I don't know my name."
"How strange." She said, not questioning his unusual set of circumstances. "And sad; to be without name is to be without definition. A name is not just a word, but identity; they are the easiest shorthand of explaining 'this is me', and all that meaning carries. You must feel lost without this."
Taiki paused, struck by her words. He found himself looking at the floor. "I do. I don't know anything about myself."
She continued. "And no icon. I haven't seen something like this before. Please, forgive my asking this, but how did this happen to you?"
He sighed. "I wish I knew."
"I hope you have not found yourself alone." The girl prompted. "To be both unknown and alone would be a terrible thing."
"Thankfully, no." Despite her all-encompassing funeral attire and manner of speaking, he found this strange sad girl disarmingly easy to confide in. "With how many people think I'm just an NPC, I'm glad at least that isn't the case."
"You're searching for yourself?"
"I am." He looked over the slab again.
"I wish you the best of luck in finding what you seek. If I can be of any assistance, I would be happy to do so." Taiki could almost hear a slight smile when she next spoke. "For what it's worth, Taiki would appear to fit you quite nicely."
Taiki returned the perceived smile. "Thank you."
They conversed for a time, filling in some of his knowledge of the world. When asked, he started explaining everything that had led him to this point. He started at his awakening on the beach, telling how he'd found his guild and about their trip to the Starting City. She winced at the mention of the bandits, but offered no interjection. She absorbed his tale with welcoming ears. Once he'd caught up to the present, he glanced at the clock in his HUD. It was nearly five; he'd spent more than an hour talking with this girl without noticing. He recalled that he'd not eaten since the night before. Having run out of things to talk about, he politely excused himself to find something to appease his appetite.
She placed a hand on his upper arm, a slightly comical yet touching gesture, as she had to reach up to do so. "Be safe, Taiki, and Farewell."
He bid her goodbye and headed for the exit. He was reaching for the door when it opened before his hand took hold of it. On the other side was Chie. She smiled, not expecting to see him here.
"Oh, hey." She held the door open for him. Chie looked past him at the monument, discerning his reason for coming her. "Any luck finding your name?"
"No." He stepped outside.
"That's too bad; I guess it was too much to hope just looking at the thing might jog your memory." Chie said, entering the building. "I've some business to attend to here; I'll see you at the apartment later, okay?"
The two went their separate ways, with Chie approaching the monument. She was wearing a set of casual clothes; a light blue short sleeved shirt and tan trousers. Despite being out of her armour she still wore her sword on her hip. Like most people, she'd gotten used to its weight; taking it off just left her feeling off balance. One of many small adaptions players had made without thinking that would undoubtedly fail to mesh with the real world once they returned to it. Chie took long strides towards the girl and the monument. She took a small cloth bag with the coins Cedric had given her and a few of her own and held it in her right hand. Once she reached the girl, she took a knee, briefly bowing her head in respect and depositing the coin purse into the Chronicler's gloved palm.
"I thank you for your generosity." She said, lifting her hand against Chie's, bidding her to rise.
"And I, for your time." Chie replied, standing.
Donations were not necessary when meeting the Chronicler, but Chie usually did anyways. There weren't many players who hadn't heard of the Chronicler, though in truth very little was known about her. As far as Chie was aware nobody knew her name, in game or otherwise. Her age could have been anywhere from fifteen to twenty five. Even her face was unknown, always hidden behind her veil. What was known was that about nine months ago a player noticed that whenever they visited the Monument, the girl was almost always there, providing company or comfort to any player that came there to grieve a fallen friend or comrade.
Every day she arrived before sunrise, and every day she read the monument, comparing the names of all ten thousand players to the written copy in her massive book and recording the date of death for any newly deceased. Flowers were arranged and incense burned whenever a new name was found crossed out. If they had any remaining allies or friends who wished it, a funeral could be arranged. In the world of Aincrad, she'd become one of the few absolute and dependable constants. It was common enough for people to visit the monument after losing someone, and it was always comforting knowing there was someone there who was aware of the loss and genuinely cared, providing both a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen.
The Chronicler wasn't only associated with death. She didn't just note a player's end, but recorded their stories. People would tell her of fallen friends, and she would write down their tales so they wouldn't be forgotten, as well as recording important moments and events in the world at large. Though Chie had never seen it, she'd heard of the Chronicler's ever growing hand written library of Aincrad's ongoing history. Word of her spread, and in time, respect and appreciation had turned to a sort of reverence. As far as anyone knew she almost never left the cathedral; the only other place she'd been seen with regularity was in a flower garden she tended nearby. Occasional donations or purchasing some of the white roses she grew were a simple way of giving thanks. Unofficial and unwritten customs had formed around her, and the proper way of addressing her. Even the method of greeting her was something that just sort of happened; taking a knee. It might have started due to some over dramatic person, or perhaps someone taller than average had done it to bring himself down to her level. Either way, even without the Chronicler's input it had become an unspoken expectation. While the Room of Resurrection and the cathedral it was in wasn't player owned, it was widely accepted as her domain.
"Your guild has an intriguing new addition." She commented, placing the coin purse on her table and taking a few flowers from the vase. "He is traveling with your party, yes?"
"For the moment; he was with us on our last job." Chie accepted the flowers when the girl offered them; white roses with peculiar grey streaks down the center of each petal. "What happens next is still in the air."
Chie looked to the copper bowl at the foot of the monument; seven red roses and seven sticks of incense. One for Zahnri, four for the group his comrades had ambushed, and two for the bandits that had fallen to the town guards. If there was any consolation, it was that nobody else had perished over the last day.
Perceptive, the Chronicler followed her gaze. "Four of them had just visited me only two weeks ago. They were a charming group. The other three I did not know. A sad day."
"It was; I was there. Three were bandits, the other four were their victims." Chie turned back towards the girl. "May I have their names? I'd like to mourn the ones that deserve it."
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There weren't many people out here, and nobody nearby. The park was aesthetically beautiful, but other than that served little practical purpose. He'd come out here after the Chronicler had marked it on his map and recommended it as a place to relax and think a little. Flowers lined both sides of the winding walkways and trails over foothills and knolls, all meeting in a hub around an impressive fountain at the park's center. He wandered off the beaten path towards an isolated bench and sat down, enjoying the view. In time, his thoughts turned to his self.
He looked down at his left hand, clenching and unclenching his fist. While he'd been stabbed or slashed or cut or bashed an alarming amount in the last few days, the sight of the dagger impaling its way through his hand had been his first real good look at it happening. Everything else had happened too quick to pay much mind to. Zahri's dagger was different; he'd felt it enter his hand, and watched it continue through the other side. He looked over the park and its gardens.
It's beautiful, but none of it's real. He looked back down at his hand. None of it.
He took a more studious approach to this issue.
This isn't my real body; I'm sleeping in a hospital somewhere. This is just a deception housed in some kind of machine. Like a puppet my mind is wearing.
He drew one of his throwing knives in his right hand and held it against his left palm. After reminding himself that it couldn't actually hurt him, he pressed the tip into the flesh of his hand. The blade sank an inch and he removed it. A glowing red wound marked his experiment and started to fade a moment later. He clenched his fist around the fading wound; the muscles under his skin flexed in turn. Surrendering to his curiosity, he pressed the knife to his forearm.
How deep does the illusion go?
In the town's safe zone, nobody or their weapons could harm him. While his own could apparently still penetrate his skin, there was still no damage to his health bar. He pressed the blade point in and pushed it into his forearm. He tried moving it to the side to see into the wound, but the red marker was flat. While it sounded like he was stabbing into flesh, the wound wasn't really any sort of opening or gouge. He worked at the knife, becoming engrossed in his inspection behind the curtain. It was a strange sensation. He could feel the knife moving inside, but while it wasn't anything near unbearably painful, it certainly didn't feel good. It was a very strong discomfort, just shy of real pain. He twisted the knife, causing the fingers on his arm to twitch in a slight spasm.
Interesting.
He tried to repeat the motion but his knife tapped against something harder. By its location it must have been his radius bone. He'd been attacked with blows that had cut through bone before; it was denser, but followed the same rules as the rest of his body. If stabbed or slashed, the blade would still pass through. He slid the blade up his arm and dug a couple fingers into the wound, feeling around and touching the radius.
If a sword strikes this, it'll cut straight through but leave it whole, so long as it doesn't sever it. He thought. I wonder if it's possible to break or dislodge any bones. Blunt force trauma, maybe?
"What're you doing?" Someone asked, over his shoulder.
For the second time today, Taiki was surprised by unexpected company. Without thinking he bolted upright and swung his right arm around at the person directly behind him, catching her full across the face and jerking her head to the side hard enough to drop her to the ground.
"Ow." Amber said, sitting up and pushing her jaw back into its joint. "Sorry I asked."
Taiki bent down to help her to her feet. "I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you coming."
"My fault for sneaking up on you, I guess." Amber conceded, rubbing her cheek. "But really, what're you doing?"
She was dressed in a blouse the same colour as her namesake and dark grey shorts. Like most people, she was still armed.
Taiki remembered he'd left the knife sticking out of his forearm. He plucked it out and sheathed it. "Um…just trying to figure some stuff out."
"By stabbing yourself." Amber cocked an eyebrow. "Must've learned a lot."
"Just trying to get a look at the strings." He said.
That must sound like nonsense. Taiki thought. He was about to explain himself when Amber stepped closer and spoke in a low voice.
"It's not the marionette's strings you're poking at; it's more like the woven fabric of our world. Trust me, it's best to leave it be and not tug at the edges or you'll end up tangled in loose threads leading nowhere." Amber said with a smile. "Bit of a warning; the cloth of this world is harder to unravel than the mind worrying at it. Accept it and it won't bother you, so long as you remember that we're real, and for us, the illusion is reality."
"…huh." Taiki said simply.
"…huh?" She parroted back. "What?"
"It's just, I didn't expect you to say something so…" Taiki searched for the word. "philosophical."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.
"Nothing." He answered. He made a show of looking around. "Hey, where's Brenda?"
"I sent her on some errands when I saw you over here." She pointed to her companion as she exited the park, taking the bait and allowing the change in subject. "Hey, what're you doing until we head back to base?"
He shrugged. "Going to shop around for some new gear and whatever else I might need."
"Mind if I come?" She asked.
"Sure." He said, happy to have the company.
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She was headed through town on her way to her next destination with long purposeful strides. She entered the blacksmith's and deposited Amber's armour on the counter. The NPC behind it took it away to perform the requested maintenance and upgrade. Brenda stood to the side of the door, patiently waiting for the smithy to complete his task. A minute later the armour was returned with the durability repaired and the requested stats upgraded; a two percent increase in damage resistance from piercing attacks and a five percent increase to resistance to paralysis poisons. The two NPCs didn't bother with any small talk, but exchanged the amount of pleasantries expected in such an encounter.
With no menu to open, the armour disappeared back into Brenda's inventory. With the armour taken care of, Brenda set out on her next task; purchasing antidote crystals. She was dressed in a light blue sundress that reached just below her knees. It offered none of the damage resistance of her usual garb, but Amber seemed to enjoy giving her other outfits to wear whenever they had time between quests. If she'd given it any thought she'd find it more comfortable, or that the colour matched her eyes.
Brenda reviewed the quest that bound her to her escort. Her parents had been killed by an uruk warband. She needed to find their den and avenge the deaths of her family.
Main objectives: Find clues: 0/8, Locate Den: Incomplete, Kill Uruk Chieftain: Incomplete
Secondary objective: Kill Chief Guard: 0/12
Days since quest start: 147
Days until quest expiration: No value specified
She entered a player owned store for the next item on her shopping list. The proprietor gave her a friendly greeting before ignoring her to focus on a more human customer. Not bothered or noticing the treatment, Brenda purchased a pair of general purpose antidote crystals and exited the shop. Having completed her tasks, she turned in the direction of her escort and started back towards Amber. None of the players she passed paid her any mind, but she had no business with them so the lack of attention was mutual. Halfway down the street Brenda paused.
She looked into the window of the confectionery she'd stopped in front of. Among the other items on display she could see a platter full of small round lemon cakes. She had no directions to purchase foodstuffs. Brenda had no preference when it came to food, but lemon cakes were something of a favourite of Amber's, and these had a thin glaze and small candied bits of the fruit scattered on top in the way she particularly liked. Her tasks had taken less time than expected and less money than allotted. Brenda checked the price in the window, but she had no directions to purchase foodstuffs.
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It was almost time to return to base. Content with his new purchases, Taiki and Amber made their way back at a leisurely stroll. In addition to his falcata and throwing knives, he now wore a twenty inch, or fifty centimeter long kukri in a sheath strapped to his right thigh. It had a hefty blade that pitched forward about thirty degrees halfway down, ending in a fat point closer to an axe head than a sword tip. On his right side below his throwing knives, just above his belt was a six inch karambit knife with the handle pointed in a way that it could either be drawn in his left hand, or in his right in a reverse grip. His left side was devoted to pockets with assorted items on hand; namely health potions.
Amber strolled besides him, looking like she was about to ask another question.
"So, what's it like? I mean, not knowing who you are?" She asked. "It seems like it'd be really weird, but if not knowing is all you can remember knowing, then do you just get used to it?"
"It is weird." Taiki sighed. "It's not just my name I don't remember; when I first found Devlin I didn't even know what SAO was. Apart from that I don't think I remember anything at all about the real world."
"So, like a blank slate, then." Amber suggested.
"No, not really." They turned the corner on the street to the Wanderer's Den. He could see Haruki and Mamoru already heading inside. "It's a little hard to explain."
Amber stepped in front of him, twirling towards him and bringing their walk to a halt. "Try me."
"Well, I didn't know much of anything about SAO or the game world, but other than acronyms and other lingo I still haven't forgotten our language; I can speak just fine." Taiki tried to think of a way to explain himself. "But there are words in my vocabulary that I don't understand."
"What do you mean?" Amber asked.
"I know words, but don't understand what they mean." Taiki searched for an example. "Like…ethernet. It's a word I know, but damned if I can tell you what it is."
"It's frustrating, having stuff in your head that you can't picture or define." He continued, getting a little flustered as he spoke. "Thumb drive; it sounds like a verb, but I think it's a noun. Or japan; that one keeps coming back to me and I can't figure out what it is but it feels like it means something important. Can you tell me, what's a japan?"
Amber frowned in concern. "Japan's a place. It's where we are."
Taiki furrowed his brow. "Is it the name of this floor?"
"No, it's the country we live in, in the real world."
"Oh." Taiki forced a slim smile. "I guess the term 'Japanese' makes a lot more sense now."
There was a moment of silence as Amber processed his explanation. Wanting to change the subject, Taiki put forward a question that had been on his mind. "I've been wondering, is it common for people to have NPC companions? I don't think I've seen anyone else with one but you."
"Most quests that have an NPC follower are escort quests. Those are no fun, and nobody likes doing them. Even brokers will sometimes leave those alone." Amber leaned against the wall of the building they were next to. "Then there are quests like the one Brenda has; I'm supposed to help her complete her mission, and she'll follow me in the meantime."
"It sounds pretty useful, having the backup." Taiki commented.
"Not really." Amber replied. "They're usually not all that great in a fight. Brenda's pretty okay but I wouldn't bet on her in a one on one with a human player."
"Oh." Taiki leaned against the wall next to her. "I would've guessed most people also don't like being stuck with an NPC all the time. The ones I've spoken to have been a little unsettling."
"Their AIs can vary. I had one that told great campfire stories, and another that always got tangled in the furniture." She softly laughed to herself at the memory before continuing. "There's also the issue that, unlike regular quests, companion quests have a time limit, and you can only have one at a time. It's probably to balance things out, or to save system resources, or something."
Amber started counting the fingers on her hands. "I think I've had…thirtee-…no, fifteen followers."
"Really?" Taiki wasn't expecting such a high figure for such an unpopular feature.
"Yup. Before Brenda was Mihel; he left after a week. Then there was Bison; brawny guy. Had him for a couple weeks. Before that was Claire; she couldn't fight at all, but she sang nice. She left after three days." She rubbed at her chin. "Then there was Noir; he was actually good with an axe, but wasn't much of a talker. I think…Daven was the one before him; kinda cute, but had this really grating laugh. Oh, before that was Verron. He played piano; I learned a little bit of how to play from him. He stuck around for a whole two months."
Taiki was a little discomforted by her list. It sounded like she was reciting past friends more than artificial followers. "How long will Brenda be with you?"
"I got lucky with her." Amber kicked off the wall excitedly and turned towards him. "See, her quest doesn't seem to have any expiration date. It's actually really weird; I've never found one like her. She's not the best at conversation, but I don't think she's going anywhere. We've been friends for almost five months now."
"How long have you been in Chie's guild?" He asked.
"Only a little bit." Amber answered. "Couple weeks."
Taiki noticed she hadn't included any human friends in her recollections before joining her current party. He was about to ask about it when she twirled away and started walking again, cutting short his question before he could put it to words. "We should head back; don't want to keep them waiting."
He frowned, but followed after without further comment. Their conversation had given them both something to process. She led the way back into the Wanderer's Den and up to Chie's apartment. Other than Haruki and Mamoru, Chie and Cedric were already there. The first three were sharing a pot of tea while Cedric sat in his chair, sketching his empty cup. The guild leader gave them a warm greeting and a smile as they entered. He could hear the next door over open and shut, and soon after Brenda appeared. She gave Amber back her armour, as well as a wrapped tray of something that smelled like lemon that caused the girl to wrap her NPC in an appreciative hug. Amber opened the package and placed the tray of cakes on the table, insisting everyone try some.
It wasn't until thirty minutes later that the last member of their party showed up. By then, the tea and cakes were spent and Amber and Brenda had gone next door. Taiki was sitting in the window side chair studying his menus after Cedric had wandered into the other room. Devlin entered without comment and stood anxiously at the door, only returning Chie's greeting. Taiki stood up and crossed the room to him.
"Hey." Taiki looked him over, speaking low. "You okay?"
"You've got yourself some new gear." Devlin observed, ignoring the question. He slipped his finger into the retention ring on the karambit and pulled it out, appraising the blade. "Good on ya."
He twirled the knife around his finger and slipped it back into its sheath. He eyed his kukri, but thankfully didn't feel the need to reach for it. "Nice kit."
Taiki furrowed his brow; Devlin looked uneasy. He spoke in a voice low enough that only Devlin could hear him "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just know why Chie wanted to wait so long to split the spoils." He replied without explaining.
The door opened inwards behind them, butting against Devlin. He moved out of the way to let Amber in. "You're back. Looks like we're all here."
"About time." Haruki scooted her chair back and stood up. She turned to Chie. "Let's get this done."
Chie nodded, standing herself. She opened her menu and distributed the collective funds from their quest to all the members. Unable to use her menu with Taiki, she handed him a sack of coins.
Haruki frowned, rereading her menu. "This is it?"
Chie gave a disappointed sigh. "Crystal weapons don't sell for all that much. They have great damage, but they're heavy and brittle and cost too much to upgrade. It was hard finding a good buyer."
"It's not too bad." Mamoru commented. "Worth our time."
Taiki had spent as much money replenishing the health potions he'd used, but couldn't complain.
"Well, it's been fun." Devlin said.
"Wait." Chie started, before he could go anywhere. "This leads me to our next order of business."
She turned to Taiki. "Have you had any luck with your search?"
"No." he answered. "I'm not as clueless on SAO, but I haven't gotten anywhere with learning about myself yet."
"We don't have any plans for the immediate future." She said, drawing a cocked eyebrow from Mamoru and a frown from Haruki. "If you don't mind, I'd like to help you find what you're looking for."
She held out a hand. "You're welcome to join our guild."
"You can't be serious." Haruki said, a little louder than intended.
"You have anything else lined up?" Chie countered. "Something else we should be doing?"
Chie turned to Devlin. "Far as I see you've proven yourself; I'd like to have you along, too."
Haruki might as well have exploded. "What!"
Devlin cleared his throat. "Much as I'd love to disagree with the woman, I should be going."
"You have another party waiting for you?" Chie asked like someone who already knew the answer.
"Nope, just me." He replied. "That's enough."
Haruki was about to say something when Chie held her hand up. "Why not stick with us?"
"Listen, you guys are really nice." He glanced at Haruki. "Most of you, but it's better this way."
Devlin turned to Taiki. "We're even."
"You going to be okay on your own?" He asked.
"I'll be fine, probably." Devlin slapped the larger man's shoulder. "Honestly, it's you I'd be worried about."
"You know going on alone isn't a good idea." Chie pressed. "The only people that choose to go solo are either idiots or corpses, and you don't strike me as a fool. I'm sorry for the loss of your last group, but that's no reason to make a pariah out of yourself."
"I can make it just fine." Devlin said.
Taiki placed a hand on his shoulder. "But we don't have to. C'mon."
Amber held up a plate. "I saved you some cake. You like lemon?"
Devlin stared at the plate for a long thoughtful moment, then looked over the group. He finally gave a sigh and took one of the treats. "Fine."
"I'm glad you're willing to join us." Chie said. "However, due to your circumstances and the objections of some of those present, I do feel the need to take a vote."
"All in favour?" Chie asked, raising a hand.
Cedric raised a hand in support, followed by Amber. Taiki wasn't sure he had a vote yet, but raised his hand anyways.
"All opposed?" Cedric asked as they all lowered their arms.
Haruki raised a lone hand. Mamoru did a moment later, prompted by a harsh look. Knowing they'd lost, they lowered their arms without further argument.
"Then by majority vote, I welcome you to the Wayward Pact." Chie declared.
"Glad you're sticking around." Taiki said.
"For now. I'll play it by ear." Devlin pulled down his mask and took a bite out of the lemon cake. "This is God damn delicious."
Mamoru made his way over. "I can't promise anything from my other half, but I won't make any trouble for you. Welcome aboard."
Cedric kept his place on the other side of the room, keeping any opinions to himself, but staying near Chie and making his support known. Haruki gave a huff and passed into the next room.
"She going to be okay with this?" Taiki asked. "I don't want to trouble you."
"She will be." Chie replied. "She just needs to get used to you two. Frankly, it'll be nice to take things easy for a bit. She might get antsy, but it'll be a welcome break."
"I'll have a word with her." Mamoru said and excused himself, following after his wife.
"Thanks again." Taiki said. "I wasn't sure where to look next on my own."
Out of all of them, Amber was the most visibly excited. "This'll be like a mystery quest. I love mysteries. This could be so much fun."
A warm smile formed on Taiki's face; even though the acceptance wasn't exactly unanimous, he was happy to have a group to travel with. With how much Devlin had helped him since they'd found each other, he was glad he wasn't being left on his own. While he wasn't sure how to solve his problems, he had a clear objective ahead of him, and a party to keep each other safe. Taiki still felt lost in this world, but at least he wasn't lost alone.
Author's Notes: For reference, this is currently somewhere between episodes 4 and 5 of the anime, so Kirito's cameo is based on what he was wearing then. Kind of strange when you think that a show that starts with the premise of clearing 100 floors gets more than halfway there in time skips within five episodes, but like the anime, the focus is less on clearing the floors than it is on a particular set of characters' stories.
For the Chronicler and the Inquisitor, I admit I have a fondness for the idea of a person's title becoming their name; for whatever reason it becomes so central to how their known and who they are that it becomes their identity and displaces their name.
It is my hope that from here I can tell a decently enjoyable story with consistently satisfying fights. I think I've got some good ones lined up.
As always, reviews are appreciated, since they're pretty much the only way I can tell if this is going well or not.
