{AN} Hey, everyone, I'm finally back with the tenth chapter! Feels like a milestone, almost.
Anyways I just wanted to let you know that I made a HUGE edit on the very first chapter, to those who have been reading this for a while. To those who are new readers, ignore that and go ahead and read on.
So without further ado, I present, once again, the next chapter of SoAF!
-KtD
Chapter 10: A Friend In Need
…
Floor 61 Selmburg; July 2, 2024; 8:23 a.m.
…
Xathe sat in his usual seat in the living room. He was hunched forward, staring down at his morning tea quietly as he tried to get himself up and functioning for the day ahead of him.
With dark circles hanging under his eyelids, he reminisced over the terrible night of sleep he had. Over the past several nights of sleep he had actually.
Nightmares always plagued his mind… nightmares baring images of his life before he met Asuna. The chestnut-haired girl was very lucky to have not been dragged into his terrible position and status in the game… yet.
"Maybe this is a bad idea… living with someone and letting them be my party member. Nothing good has ever come from working with other players who care about me…" Xathe thought out loud.
The images in his various nightmares began to flash in his brain once again, like lightning strikes in the midst of a thunderstorm. Only this thunderstorm happened to be the mind that belonged to Xathe.
He held his tea in one hand and lightly gripped the side of his head in irritated pain with the other.
Once again, the night terror he'd experienced that night was 'narrated' by his father… which didn't make any sense, considering Xathe hadn't seen his real-life father in years.
God only knew what hole his father was probably rotting in right now.
Xathe shook his head at the thought.
But that was the only other thing that resided in Xathe's mind, whenever he was alone. It was either his father… or the images of all the players he ever watched die in this hell-hole of a game.
Both were very unsettling options.
Maybe that was why Xathe chose to stay with Asuna this long… because being in the presence of another was the only way he could find comfort in this dark virtual world.
A light smile crossed his lips.
Though Xathe hadn't changed physically inside the game, his perspective on things had changed immensely over the past two years inside the game. Especially in the past month or so that he'd been working with Asuna.
At a time, he considered other people to be simple impediments, placed there by a higher power specifically to prevent him from progressing further in life. But since he entered the game, his view was changing each and every day. Now he realized how important other people can actually be.
No, they weren't placed on this earth as impediments… but as stepping stones, to help him reach his goals and to shatter limits he never thought he could break.
But to call them mere stepping stones would be selfish. Aj… Kaori… Asuna… and everyone else in his life. They weren't just stepping stones; they were his friends.
Xathe was drawn from his inner-conflict at the feeling of a hand grabbing his shoulder, causing him to jump lightly in a startled fashion. The contact was light and gentle though… not aggressive enough to alarm him.
Slowly, he turned to see Asuna who held a concerned expression, "You alright?"
The raven-haired teen had to stare at her blankly for a short moment before nodding wordlessly and turning back to his tea to take a sip of it.
The corner of her lip quirked a bit in disbelief, "Yeah right… the look on your face made you look like your pet just died."
With that, Asuna turned and made her way to the kitchen, where she seemed to be most of the day, ever since Xathe became a resident there.
"Where you going?" asked Xathe, an eyebrow quirked in question.
She stopped in front of the entryway and turned to him with a glare, "I'm making breakfast, any problems with that?"
He furrowed his eyebrows in return, "What's your deal?"
Asuna seemed to be taken aback by the question, "Huh? I don't have a deal, I'm asking if you have any objection to me making breakfast…?"
"Erm… no, I suppose not," the raven head replied in a puzzled tone.
She gave a satisfied simper before turning back and walking into the kitchen, "Mhm, that's what I thought."
Xathe stared at the spot, where she once stood, in utter confusion. This definitely wasn't the first time she'd been acting like this, but it was getting progressively worse over the past couple days.
It was starting to make Xathe suspicious…
With a shrug, Xathe decided to give up on the issue and go back to drinking his morning tea as he waited for Asuna to finish making breakfast.
Xathe sat quietly in his seat, watching the girl on the opposite end of the table eat her food.
She held an unusual expression… it looked almost as if she'd just won an argument with someone.
The raven-haired teen obnoxiously cleared his throat to see if he could get her attention, but to no avail. She was determined to keep an awkward silence at the table.
Xathe sighed in defeat, picking up his fork and deciding to go ahead and eat his food before it got cold.
"I got a special private message this morning…" Asuna finally spoke up.
Xathe smiled a bit. He never even recalled being this happy to hear Asuna open her mouth… rude as that made him sound.
"Special private message? From whom?" asked Xathe, eager to converse with the chestnut-haired girl.
"Lisbeth. It was pretty unusual to hear from her this morning," she replied, taking another bite of her food.
He gave her an odd look, "Why? Aren't you two close friends?"
Asuna shook her head, "Not because of her messaging me in general, we contact each other all the time. It was the subject she was messaging about," she paused, "You."
Her comment took him by surprise, "Me? What'd I do this time?"
Asuna giggled lightly, "Nothing, she just said she wanted to talk to you later today."
He raised an eyebrow, "In person?"
She nodded.
"Um… alright then. I guess I'll just run over to her shop now then," he stated, standing and stretching out his arms.
"Oh no you don't, you're gonna finish your breakfast!" Asuna exclaimed, the smirk of a villain plastered on her lips.
Xathe exasperated before slumping back down into his seat, "Jeez, I swear you act more like a mother to me than my own mom does!"
"Damn straight. Now be a good boy and eat your breakfast," she snickered deviously.
…
Floor 48 Lindas; July 2, 2024; 10: 48 a.m.
…
Once Xathe was finished with his food, he wasted no time in heading to the teleport gate and taking the relatively lengthy trip to Lisbeth's smithy to find out what she wanted to speak to him about.
Whistling a light tune to himself, he made his way down the path leading to the workshop, one hand fiddling with the handle of the sword attached to his back while the other made itself at home in his pocket.
He took his time trotting over the stone bridge next to the small shop that stood a small distance away from him.
Suddenly he stopped, his whistle quickly dying into silence once he heard a grunting sound coming from a tree that stood not far from the shop. It was a medium-sized tree, seemed to bare a good amount of fruit… or it did at one time. Someone was apparently harvesting the fruit, due to the large basket next to the tree containing a large pile of the plump fruits.
Wordlessly he strolled over to the tree and looked up, an eyebrow raised at the sight above him.
He wasn't sure why, but Lisbeth was near the top of the tree, struggling to reach one of the last few fruits that the tree held on its limbs.
"You know, I'm not so sure a dress is appropriate clothing for climbing trees! Its hazardous for your footwork and it gives people below a good view of your undergarments!" Xathe shouted to the top of the tree.
With a loud "Eep!" Lisbeth quickly used her free hand to pull her skirt against her legs in an effort to hide her smallclothes.
Once she was certain that she was decent, she shouted back, "Kirito! I didn't expect to see you back this early!"
Xathe's eyebrows furrowed in a quizzical expression, "Uhh… What about kitty-toes?"
Lisbeth stopped and turned to look down at the raven-haired teen down below and gasped in realizing who it was, "Oh, Xathe!"
Then a loud creak emitted through the air, before the branch that Lisbeth was standing on snapped in half, causing her to plummet to the ground below.
She screamed at the top of her lungs as she descended to the ground in an unceremonious fashion.
But then her screaming halted at the feeling of something catching her at the very last second. Her arms quickly found their way around the neck of the person who saved her and she shook lightly from the frightful experience. Slowly but surely, she looked up to see her savior and went wide-eyed upon seeing Xathe's face.
"You know… you don't have to get every single fruit in the tree… just the ones on the bottom branches should do you just fine," Xathe chuckled, holding her up in bridal-style.
His expression changed to a serious one again and he looked up at the fruits she was trying to get.
"Either way, don't you have Chikaru around for tasks like this?" he asked.
She blushed furiously at the position she was in, "No, I sent him off to the safe zone on the floor above for advertisement… and for your information, I'm perfectly capable of handling tasks like that on my own!"
He let a light laugh escape his lips as he scanned over the various, out-spread branches, "Yeah, I can see that, judging by your 10-point dive to the ground."
"Hey, you distracted me, you jerk!" She exclaimed angrily.
Slowly, he set her back down on her feet and she let her arms fall from his neck to her sides.
With a determined gleam in his eye, he nodded to the pink-haired blacksmith, "I can get the last couple fruits for you, if you'd like."
She quirked an eyebrow at him, "You're telling me that YOU can get those last three fruits and I couldn't?"
He brought his hand up to his lips and snickered, "Well, at least I'm dressed appropriately for the job…"
Her blush returned full force once again and her fists balled up against her dress, "Shut up, I didn't know there was someone watching me!"
He sneered amusedly at her furious reaction before pressing his fists against his hips and turning back to the fruits above them, "But yeah, I can get them in maybe… ten seconds?"
"That's some big talk… have you even tried doing this before?" she asked, crossing her arms in disbelief.
He gave her a cocky smirk in response, "Nope. But I've got a pretty good Acrobatics skill. And besides, I'll never know unless I try, right? Count the seconds for me…"
She returned the gesture, Alright. Impress me."
Without wasting any more time, he turned to the fruits again, eyes full of determination, before lunging to one of the lower branches, then bouncing off of that one to the one higher up, then to another branch close beside it, then to a higher one again, and so on.
With a grunt, he snatched the first fruit, then performing a double-jointed spin he clutched onto a branch and swung around to grab another. Then seeing the final fruit near the very top of the tree, he spun around on the branch and used the momentum to fling himself between two branches and then use the two branches to slingshot himself straight into the last fruit.
With a victorious "Yes!" he landed on one of the lower branches and caught his balance before dropping directly to the ground and landing on his feet with a sharp exhale.
"Three fruits for the temperamental teenage-girl," he exclaimed, tossing them in the basket with the rest, "Did I do it in ten seconds like I predicted?" he asked with piqued interest.
She scowled at his comment before replying with, "You did it in eleven seconds actually…"
He looked almost disappointed for a second before shrugging, "Eh, still not bad for a first-time, tree-climber."
Lisbeth gave a wide smile, "That it was! And now I've got enough fruit to last the next couple weeks!"
Xathe grew a boastful smirk before picking up the basket in both hands and turning to the smithy, "Yeah, you're welcome for that. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
She gave a sharp gasp before turning to the shop as well, "Ah that's right! I wanted to show you something, follow me!"
Without another word, she skipped back over to her workshop with Xathe, carrying the fruit basket, not far behind.
…
Floor 61 Selmburg; July 2, 2024; 11:42 a.m.
…
Asuna sat quietly at the kitchen table, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for a reply to the message she just sent a few short minutes ago.
Lisbeth inviting Xathe to the workshop was the perfect opportunity for Asuna to clear some things up with her guild… and that's exactly what she planned to do.
Her face shone happily at the sound of a message notification ringing into her ears.
With haste, she opened up her message archive and opened the new message to read it. It was from Heathcliff, as she expected.
The message read:
'Dear Asuna, your message has been received. I will gather the guild-council members at once to await your arrival to the base, this afternoon. Have a safe trip, I anticipate your visit.'
Asuna quickly closed out her menu and stood from her seat with a look of excitement. It had been far too long since she'd seen her old guild members. Though she prayed this would be a happy reunion, instead of an argumentative one…
She shook her head of the thought and turned to her room to go and prepare herself for the meeting with the Knights of The Blood Oath.
…
Floor 48 Lindas; July 2, 2024; 12:15 p.m.
…
With two loud clangs, Lisbeth laid two weapons on the counter in front of Xathe. They were the only ones in the room save one man in a black-and-white uniform browsing over the various maces.
A serious expression on her face, she immediately asked, "Do you recognize either of these blades?"
He glanced over them for a second before going wide-eyed at the one on his left, "Wow, where did you get that sword?!"
It was a long blade, thin in depth with a uniquely designed handle. It was pure black, trimmed in a silver white around the blade and every piece of the hilt, which seemed to be shaped in a mechanical-type design.
Looking like a little kid receiving a toy on Christmas morning, he quickly snatched the blade and scanned over it with eyes full of envy, "Holy crap, look at the design of this thing… it could easily be a boss-drop item, because I've never seen this thing before!"
Lisbeth gave him an irritated glare at the fact that he completely ignored her question.
After a couple practice swings of the blade, he turned to her and blinked a couple times in question of her irritable look.
He held to blade out in both hands and instantly asked, "How much?"
"It's not for sale, you dimwit!" she shouted in response.
Xathe frowned, "Oh, it's not? What a shame…"
She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes with a rough sigh, "Did you even hear my question?"
With an almost bored look on his face, he replied, "No, I wasn't aware you even said anything."
Her face went blank in shock at his ignorance.
"Do all swords make you this stupid…?" she asked.
He shook his head, "Not all. I only get excited like that when I see something I really want," slowly, he placed the blade back on the counter next to the other one, "Now what did you ask me?"
Her eye twitched, "I asked you if you recognized either of these blades. From your excited outburst, you apparently haven't seen the black sword before, but do you recognize the dagger?"
She pushed the dagger closer to him and he picked it up to glance over it carefully.
His eyes widened with realization, "This… this isn't—"
Lisbeth smiled and lightly nodded her head.
He slammed the dagger, horizontally, against the counter, "You're telling me Kaori has been in this shop?!"
"Sure enough," Lisbeth giggled.
Xathe furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Wait… but how did you know that I was looking for Kaori, I never told you who the friends I'm looking for are."
She crossed her arms, "Well, a regular customer of mine named Kirito came in here earlier this morning, requesting another upgrade for his sword. With him, he brought in a young girl with short, red hair and green eyes. Ironically, the first thing she asked was if I knew a boy named 'Xathe.'"
The raven-haired teen chuckled to himself, "So I'm not the only one searching after all…"
"Yep! I told her that I'd seen you before, but it was a while ago that I did. I said I'd try to contact you as soon as possible and let you know that Kaori is looking for you," she explained.
A smile spread across Xathe's lips, "So they're close after all… do you know if they're on this floor?"
Lisbeth gave a sad frown and shook her head, "Sorry, I'm not sure… they did leave their weapons here, though, so they can't be too far."
"Well then I'll just stay here and when they get back, I'll—"
He stopped, remembering that Asuna would be waiting for him at home.
"Actually… maybe I can set up a meeting with them sometime later," he stated in a lower tone of voice, "It would be rude of me if I didn't have my partner with me to greet my lost friend. She's been searching just as hard as I have been."
Lisbeth tilted her head a bit at Xathe's reply, "You sure…?"
He nodded, "When do you think they'll be back for their weapons?"
The pink-haired blacksmith looked up in trying to remember what she told Kirito and Kaori, "I believe I told them to come back tomorrow for the weapons. This black sword takes a while to upgrade because of how powerful it is. Kaori's is a cinch though."
With a smirk, Xathe laid his own sword between Kirito's and Kaori's, "How long to upgrade mine?"
Lisbeth grew a surprised expression and looked down at his sword, "I have no idea, let me check. It could take a while, considering you got it from a secret boss."
She picked up the long, blue sword and quickly scanned over it with squinted eyes.
"Hmm… nope! This should only take a few short minutes, since you've never upgraded it before!" she exclaimed.
Xathe let a light smile cross his lips, "Fantastic. I guess I'm off then!"
He turned to walk away when she lunged forward and grabbed his wrist from across the counter, "Oh no, you don't!"
The blue-eyed swordsman groaned and turned to her, "Dammit, there's always a catch, isn't there?"
She let go of his wrist and crossed her arms with a sharp huff, "It's not a catch, it's just business. This is a legendary-level rarity sword and the material I need for it is not in my possession. So I not only need said-material from you, but I'm going to need payment for my work as well."
"What's the material you need…?" Xathe asked quietly.
"I need a Blue-Silver Ingot. Believe it or not, that is a material. Your weapon isn't the only one made with Blue-Silver; it just happens to be the only sword made purely of that material, making it incredibly valuable."
Xathe scratched the back of his head, "Do you know where I can get a Blue-Silver Ingot?"
She smiled, "There just happens to be a quest on this floor that rewards you with such an Ingot, as well as some col, of course. Go talk to the Drunken Woodsman NPC in the bar known as 'The Dancing Dragon.' He'll activate the quest and send you on your way."
"Got it. I'll be back in no time," Xathe nodded, grabbing his sword from the counter and making his way to the exit of the smithy.
Lisbeth looked down for a second before shouting, "Hey, stay out of trouble, alright?!"
He turned to her with a wink, before walking out the door and shutting it behind him, causing the bell above the door to ring for a couple seconds.
…
Xathe made sure the door was fully shut, before he turned to the direction of the safe zone.
But then his eyes suddenly widened in surprise at the sound of metal being drawn and then a blade being pressed firmly against his throat.
"What were you talking to Lisbeth about, hmm?" asked a shorter person, the one pressing the blade to his throat.
"Chikaru? What are you doing here?" asked Xathe.
The young blonde let a knowing smirk cross his lips, "Hah! Your guilt is showing! Now tell me what you two were talking about…"
Xathe was taken aback by his actions, "Err… nothing. She invited me to come over so she could talk to me."
His eyebrows rose in surprise, "She… invited you over? To talk to you?"
Xathe glared suspiciously at the young teen, "What's this about, Chikaru, why are you being so hostile?"
The sword lowered from Xathe's neck and Chikaru let the blade-end fall against the ground, "Oh, nothing, it's not like it matters anyways…"
Xathe rolled his eyes and lightly smacked the side of the blonde's head.
Chikaru stepped back from him with a stunned look, "Um… ow?!"
"You're very bad at lying, kid, now give me a realistic answer," Xathe sighed, crossing his arms.
Chikaru rubbed the side of his head where he was slapped with a frown, "I dunno, I guess I just got a little jealous at all the trouble Lisbeth went through to talk to you…"
Xathe scratched the back of his head nervously, "Well I wouldn't say she went through any trouble, but—"
"It's just weird for me to see Lisbeth giving someone special attention, who isn't me," Chikaru interrupted with a sigh.
Xathe's eyes widened a bit in realization, "Chikaru, do you have a crush on Lisbeth?"
The young teen blushed profusely, "No! Well… maybe!"
Xathe chuckled awkwardly, "Isn't she a little bit old for you, though—?"
"No, she most certainly is not! She's only older than me by two years!" Chikaru exclaimed angrily.
The raven-haired swordsman held his hands up in defense, "Okay, okay! Calm down, kid, jeez."
Chikaru huffed loudly and crossed his arms, "You don't have to keep calling me 'kid,' I'm not that young, ya know…"
A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Xathe's face and he gave another nervous chuckle, "Right… well, I gotta go, I have to go get something for—"
"Wait, do you think you can help me?!" Chikaru interrupted again with a wide grin.
Xathe scowled, "Okay, interrupt me one more time and I might literally drown you in a river…"
Chikaru let out a yelp and quickly covered his mouth with both hands, to keep himself from interrupting the raven-head.
Xathe let out an irritated sigh and began to massage his temple, "Just tell me what you're wanting me to help you with."
"I want you to help me court Lisbeth!" he replied.
Xathe's eyebrow twitched, "You mean like… ask her out?"
Chikaru's cheeks lit up again and he shook his head, "No, no, no. I just want to impress her. What do you think a girl like her would want as a gift?"
Xathe's eyes widened in horror as he thought to himself, 'He's asking ME for advice on girls?! I'm as bad with girls as I am with cooking… and that's really saying something!'
"I got it!" Chikaru suddenly gasped, drawing Xathe out of his thoughts.
"Got what?" Xathe asked in reply.
The blonde gave another knowing smirk, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend, right? So let's go get her some jewelry!"
Xathe stepped back from him a bit, "N-Now let's not jump to any conclusions just yet, I think we should stop and really think hard about this before we—"
He was interrupted by feeling Chikaru grab his wrist and rush away, yanking Xathe along with him, "Come on, let's go quick!"
"What is it with you people and grabbing my wrist?!" Xathe shouted, letting himself be dragged away against his will.
…
Floor 55 Granzam; July 2, 2024; 1:26 p.m.
…
Asuna marched down the corridor that led to the council room of The Knights of Blood Oath. It wasn't difficult for her to get into the home base… in fact the guards even greeted her with warm smiles as they let her in.
She held a serious expression. Though she was happy to be back where she belonged, she knew she would have to make the meeting quick in order to get back before Xathe returned to the house, to find her gone. She knew he probably wouldn't ask too many questions, but he'd still be suspicious as to why she wasn't there.
The footsteps that echoed through the hall came to a halt as she stopped in front of the large door of the council room.
"Alright, Asuna… time to get your game face on. You're here to explain your absence, find out the guild's latest status on the front lines, and then get out. That's all," she stated to herself.
Without another word, she pushed open the doors to the council room and boldly made her way inside.
…
Floor 48 Lindas; July 2, 2024; 1:34 p.m.
…
Xathe leaned back against the wall of the jewelry store, his arms crossed and his fingers tapping against his bicep as he waited impatiently for Chikaru to pick out a necklace for the pink-haired blacksmith.
"Come on, Blondie, can't you choose any faster?!" Xathe exasperated.
Chikaru looked up from his kneeling position in front of the display case and glared, "Oh hush, I want to pick the perfect gift for her!"
Xathe slammed the back of his head against the wall, slapping his own forehead with a groan, "Ugh, you hopeless romantic-types make me sick…"
Chikaru smiled as he gazed over the various rings and necklaces, "I prefer the term 'HOPEFUL' romantic!"
Instead of replying, Xathe simply slammed the back of his head against the wall again several times as he prayed for his misery to end.
Ignoring Xathe's spiteful head-banging, Chikaru scanned over the last few accessories with a shake of his head, "No, I don't think any of these will do…"
Having been fed up with waiting, Xathe uncrossed his arms and walked over next to Chikaru and looked down.
"Pick that one," Xathe stated, pointing down at a golden-chained necklace with a glowing, crimson jewel as its pendant.
Chikaru looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, "Why that one?"
He shrugged, "Just stands out to me. Might accent her hair color too… doesn't stand out too much on her preferred dress-color. It all works out."
Xathe made a quick mental note to slap himself later for saying that.
The shopkeeper smiled brightly at him, "You have a good eye, sir! That's an enchanted necklace. One of the few in my shop. According to the item description, it grants the user the ability to endure a single attack that would normally kill them. Sadly, it only activates automatically and will shatter after it does so… but otherwise it looks beautiful with warmer colors!"
The raven-haired swordsman scratched the back of his head as he thought over it, but before he could give an answer, Chikaru quickly jumped back up from his kneeling position and gave a victorious grin.
"I'll take it!"
Xathe's eyes widened in shock and he quickly turned to Chikaru, grasping his shoulders and shaking him back and forth, "Chikaru, do you see the price tag on that thing?! I may have the col to afford it, but at this rate you're going to leave me bankrupt!"
Chikaru looked up with eyes full of sorrow, "B-But don't you want only the best for your favorite apprentice…?"
Xathe's face turned red with anger as he shook Chikaru even harder, "Who the hell ever said you were my—?!"
He stopped and slowly turned to the shopkeeper lady who held an expression of terror and confusion.
Xathe let out a nervous laugh and let go of Chikaru's shoulders, causing Chikaru to stumble in a dizzy fashion from the erratic shaking.
"Yeah, we'll take that one, thank you…" Xathe chuckled.
The shopkeeper quickly nodded and made haste in getting the necklace out of the display case.
The raven-haired teen turned to Chikaru with a sharp glare, "You owe me BIG for this, kid."
Chikaru let out a happy laugh in reply to his angry statement.
...
As Xathe and Chikaru made their way out the door of the shop, Chikaru let out a loud groan, "Aw, come on, Xathe! Just let me hold it for a few seconds…"
When he reached for the necklace in Xathe's grasp, the taller teen yanked it out of Chikaru's reach.
"No. I told you, I'm keeping hold of it until we get back to the smithy so you can give it to Lisbeth. That's the deal, and we're sticking to it."
Chikaru gave a long sigh of defeat, "Fine, you can keep it until we get back…"
The two turned to walk away when a taller man suddenly bumped into Xathe as he walked past them, causing Xathe to drop the necklace on the ground
"Hey, watch where you're going, baka!" Xathe spat to the man behind him.
The man spun around with a surprised expression, "Oh, my apologies, I must've been looking at something else when I ran into you," the man replied in a raspy tone. He had a hood over his head that covered his hair but Xathe and Chikaru could still see his face. The man had brown eyes and a pale, dirty complexion.
The hooded man looked down at the necklace on the ground and leaned down to pick it up.
"It seems I made you drop this," the man stated, preparing to hand it back to Xathe when he stopped to gaze at the glowing pendant.
A suspicious glare settled over Xathe's expression as the man stared down at the enchanted necklace.
"This is quite a charm you've got here… how much do you want for it?" the man asked with a lustful grin.
Xathe yanked it out of the man's hand, causing the man to scowl.
"We just bought it, it's not for sale. Go buy your own, if you want it so bad," Xathe deadpanned, turning to Chikaru and nodding, "Let's get out of here, kid."
Chikaru gave a nervous nod in return before they both turned to walk away.
The man glared at the back of their heads as they made their way down the road full of players and NPC civilians, "Everything has a price to it, bitch…"
…
Xathe glanced over at a building on the side of the road and gasped once he read the sign: 'The Dancing Dragon.'
He elbowed Chikaru in the arm, causing the boy to glance up at him.
"Before we head out of the safe zone, there's a quest in there that I need to activate first. And you're going with me on this quest so I'll need you to follow me," Xathe stated, rushing over to the bar with Chikaru following close behind.
Chikaru blinked confusedly before replying with an awkward, "Oh, uhh... okay."
…
Floor 55 Granzam; July 2, 2024; 1:35 p.m.
…
Asuna gazed around her at the familiar chamber that was the council room. Widespread windows made up the back wall of the room behind the many council members that sat in their individual seats at the long, curved table in front of them.
Heathcliff stood from his seat at the middle of his table with a faint smile, "Ah, Asuna… sub-commander of the Knights of Blood Oath, welcome back."
Asuna returned the gesture with a short, respectful bow, "It's an honor to be back, sir."
As he sat back down, Heathcliff replied, "So let's get down to business, shall we? Do share with us what troubled you so much that you chose to leave our guild."
She shook her head, "I assure you, commander, I don't intend for my resignation to be a permanent one. Allow me to explain everything from the beginning…"
Asuna told the whole story to the council, from the massacre of her trainees to her encounter with Xathe and everything up to the present.
The Commander looked down with a thoughtful expression as he took in the whole story.
"So to sum everything up… the reason I've chosen to not yet return to the Knights of Blood Oath is because I still have my debt to pay to my partner. We're on the verge of finding his friends and I don't want to back out now," Asuna finished.
Heathcliff remained silent for a moment before looking back up at Asuna, "Tell me, this partner of yours… from what you've told us of him, he sounds like an impressive player. But what is it about him that is so special to you, personally?"
Asuna let a smile cross her lips, "He's my friend, sir. I know, no matter what, he'll have my back just like I have his."
Heathcliff gave a light chuckle, "I see. Tell me, what is his name?"
Her expression became neutral again as she replied, "His name is Xathe."
The whole council room suddenly became very quiet.
Asuna was taken aback by the silence and gazed around at everyone in the room. Several of them had their eyes turned to the table, while others were staring at her in surprise. The only one that still seemed calm over her answer was Commander Heathcliff.
"Xathe…?" he asked, as if trying to clarify.
"What's going on?" she asked with a suspicious look.
All the council members looked to their commander, as if uncertain over how to answer her question, themselves.
"I apologize, Asuna, we've seemed to get off on the wrong foot here…" Heathcliff chuckled.
She shook her head, "Is there something that you know about Xathe that I'm not aware of?"
A serious look covered the older-looking commander's expression, "Xathe is a… former business-partner of the Knights of The Blood Oath."
Her eyes widened in surprise, "What?!"
…
Floor 48 Lindas; July 2, 2024; 1:50 p.m.
…
Xathe and Chikaru slowly walked down a lonesome path that led to where the smithy was. They hadn't been walking long, but they made it out of the safe zone and decided to take a shortcut through the woods.
Chikaru kept a strong grip on the handle of the sword attached to his back, the sword that used to belong to Xathe. Its former owner wasn't quite sure why Chikaru chose to carry the massive sword around on his back, considering the sword's relatively heavy weight, but he decided not to question it.
"So what are you going to do after we get back to the smithy?" asked Chikaru.
Xathe gave him an irritated glare, "I told you, I'm going on that quest to get the material for Lisbeth to upgrade my sword."
The blonde rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Oh, yeah, that's why we went to the bar, sorry I forgot…"
Xathe rolled his eyes and looked back at the path ahead of them, "You know, kid, sometimes I wonder if you have a brain in that thick skull of yours…"
Chikaru was surprised to feel Xathe lightly punch his shoulder in a playful fashion. The younger teen turned with a look of shock, before seeing Xathe sneering mischievously at him.
He instantly returned the gesture, "Yeah, well sometimes I wonder if you even have a heart in that chest of yours, almighty Xathe-sama!" He exclaimed, punching him in the arm as well.
Xathe couldn't help but laugh at the comment, causing Chikaru to erupt in laughter as well.
But their laughter was quickly interrupted by a sharp whistle, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground, along with the clang of gold against solid dirt.
Chikaru's eyes widened in horror as he turned to find Xathe on his hands and knees, clutching at a knife pressed deep into his abdomen with closed eyes and shaky breaths.
"Xathe, no!" Chikaru shouted, rushing to his side.
The raven-haired teen's eyes instantly shot open and he shoved Chikaru back with one hand just as another knife came soaring down and planted itself firmly into the dirt behind them.
Chikaru's eyes darted back and forth in search of the attacker when suddenly a raspy voice broke the silence in the air, "I told you… everything has a price to it, bitch."
A dark chuckle escaped Xathe's lips at recognizing the voice, "So you're the guy that ran into me back in the safe zone… well, I'm wounded now so you might as well show yourself."
As if on cue, a hooded figure dropped from the trees ahead of them and immediately stood and walked closer to the two teens.
"Like I was saying… everything has a price to it and there's a price on your head that is worth some HEFTY col…" the man explained, a sadistic grin spread across his lips.
Xathe looked up with half-closed eyes, doing his best to hide the pain exploding in his shoulder, "A price on my head? So you're a bounty hunter…" meanwhile Chikaru listened to Xathe in utter confusion, "… Fair enough. So who hired you?"
"That's not important… I know nothing, other than my employers want me to kill you and bring them your sword as evidence of your murder," the bounty hunter replied.
Xathe let a toothy grin settle on his features, "Whoever your employers were, they were very intelligent in not giving you any details on your target… because I'm doubtful you have any idea who I am."
The bounty hunter stared at him with a nervous expression, "W-What are you talking about, brat?!"
Xathe pulled the throwing knife out of his shoulder and tossed it into the dirt beside him, before standing to his feet again and glancing to the sword on Chikaru's back.
The blonde teen was about to question him, when Xathe's hand suddenly darted out and yanked the sword from its sheath and aimed the blade out in the bounty hunter's direction.
"Tell me… do you recognize this sword?" Xathe asked, his eyebrows furrowed and his blue eyes widened in a piercing glare.
The bounty hunter took his time in scanning over the massive sword, taking in every detail of it.
The trim of the blade was blood red, the center a bright silver color, bordering white. The hilt was steel-colored, save for the handle that was pure black.
Finally the bounty hunter looked up at Xathe's face again and yelled, "What the hell am I looking at?! It's just a damn sword!"
"I think you're lying to yourself…" Xathe replied with a sly smirk.
The bounty hunter took a step back from him.
"Think about it… remember all the rumors. A long, silver blade, cloaked in the blood of friend and foe alike… wielded in a single hand by a man with no face… no past… no one who knows him."
The hooded man's grip on his throwing knife tightened and his eyes bugged out of his skull, "Liar! You're not him! Everyone knows the PK-Hunter died months ago!"
…
Asuna stepped back, her expression emanating with both surprise and disbelief, "Player-killer-hunter?"
Heathcliff gave a short nod in response, "Those who knew of him and his work called him the 'PK-Hunter' for short. Though he never joined the guild, he became a valuable asset to our cause against the red-guilds and PK-ers… we supplied him with the weapons, supplies, and people that he needed to get the job done… and in turn he took care of every single objective we gave him. He was something of a mercenary for the longest time, but he never did as much business with any guild as he did with the KoB…" the older man replied.
Asuna was now angered by this, "Why was I never informed of this arrangement? I was completely unaware that we were hunting down special PK targets!"
Heathcliff folded his hands together in front of him, lightly pressing his forehead against them, "This was an 'arrangement' we wanted to keep behind the scenes. I had little place on the frontlines and as such; you took the role as leader on the frontlines. And while you were covering the front, I was simply covering the back. There are players in this virtual world that would wish to stab the unwary in the backs as they push forward to beat the game."
"So we've resorted to hiring simple-minded mercenaries to kill others to do our 'dirty-work?' We might as well be no better than the PK-ers themselves!"
The Commander grew a distressed expression, "It wasn't like that, sub-commander. Xathe captured more targets than he killed. Before he signed the contract with us, he was a simple vigilante. Taking in-game justice into his own hands by hunting down the PK-ers and killing them on sight. We gave his skills a purpose, and in doing so the death-count that he was racking up steadily decreased."
She shook her head, "He's been lying to me this whole time…"
"I don't think you understand his place in life, Asuna. For whatever reason he lied to you about his past… I assure you it was for a good one."
Her eyes soon met the floor, a look of both sadness and disappointment settling on her features.
Heathcliff remained silent for a short moment before continuing, "Go, sub-commander. Find your partner and discuss this with him on your own… he can give you more answers than I can. All I know is that the boy was searching for something that no amount of Col can ever buy… we just gave him a more civil way of finding it."
She looked up with a renewed shine of strength in her eyes, "I will, sir. But what about—?"
"The guild will always be here, waiting for you to return and resume your position as sub-commander. You made a deal with the PK-Hunter and as your friends we will encourage you meet your end of the deal. In a way, this will be our way of repaying our debt to you for your services… and him for his services."
A smile spread across her lips at his understanding, "Thank you, Commander. I will be back very soon."
"We look forward to your return," replied Heathcliff, returning the gesture to her.
With a respectful bow, Asuna turned and made her way out of the council room to head back to Selmburg. Though ever since she was informed of what was once Xathe's status in the game, she could not get one, single question that pressed on her mind… even as she left the council room of where her heart, home, and allegiance once lie.
How many people truly died at Xathe's hands?
…
Heathcliff's smile dropped once Asuna left the room.
"Ritsuo," he stated loudly.
A tall, dark-haired member at the table turned to the commander with a raised eyebrow, "Yes, sir?"
"Asuna mentioned a guild known as the Twilight League. That's not the first time I've heard that name before. I want a dossier of every member in that guild as soon as possible, understood?"
Ritsuo stood from his seat and nodded, "Right away, sir!"
Heathcliff's forehead met his folded hands once again as he contemplated over his thoughts, 'I know I've heard that name before… I wonder if he's in that guild, like I've suspected…'
Xathe continued to aim the blade forward, his smirk unwavering despite the bounty hunter's accusations.
He knew the bounty hunter was slowly coming to realization.
"But… but how? How are you alive?!" the hooded man gasped, his voice shaking with uncertainty.
Xathe shrugged, "Rumors will be rumors."
"That can be taken in more ways than one, you bastard!" the hooded man spat, yanking back his throwing knives and chucking all three in his hand at Xathe in an instant.
Xathe's teeth grinded together as he lunged forward in a flash of indigo-colored shadows towards the thrown knives.
The teen dashed beneath them, clearly hearing the sounds of weapons whizzing over his head, before standing straight and performing a spin-slash maneuver. The hooded bounty-hunter gasped in fear and went to step back before he found Xathe's massive blade pressed firmly against his throat.
The shadows that swarmed around Xathe had now disappeared, revealing his intense glare and grim expression.
"Now you're going to tell me… who the hell has put that bounty on my head?!" Xathe shouted, his tone becoming deep with frustration.
…
Floor 57 Marten; July 2, 2024; 2:33 p.m.
…
Gontaya sat in his usual spot at the council room table, his eyes closed as he thought carefully over the search he was conducting for Xathe's companions.
A light smile settled on his features, "Zeek's obvious death will not be of importance at this point… I'll handle controlling finances for the guild on my own from now on. With me doing that, I'm certain nobody will be asking unfortunate questions about where we're getting our funding from."
The green-haired man stood from his seat and gazed out the window behind him.
He watched various players and NPC's roam the streets below.
"Yes… with two powerful beta-testers soon to be on my side, I'm certain funding will no longer be an issue for our guild…" he thought out loud.
His ears perked a bit at hearing the squeaking sound of a door opening on the other side of the room.
"Gontaya," a deep voice greeted behind him.
The voice was familiar to Gontaya.
"Vincent," Gontaya greeted in return.
"I bring… news," he replied simply.
The green-haired commander glanced at the taller blonde, from over his shoulder.
"Oh? What is it this time?" Gontaya sighed.
Vincent didn't reply for a moment and looked behind him before shutting the large metal door behind him.
A grimace found its home on Vincent's face, "I've recently discovered a fairly large bounty through overhearing… local rumor."
Gontaya's eyebrows furrowed into an irritated glare as he turned to the blonde across the room, "And? Get to the point, please."
"It's a bounty on the beta-tester's head. Xathe's head," Vincent deadpanned in response.
Gontaya suddenly became very involved in the conversation, "Has someone discovered who he truly is?"
Vince shook his head, "It wasn't an information leak, sir. The one who issued the bounty had prior knowledge of Xathe's status…"
The green-haired leader's hands met the metal table in front of him with a slam, "You're telling me The Laughing Coffin issued the bounty?!"
Vincent gave a dark smirk, "What makes you jump to that conclusion so quickly, sir?"
Gontaya's eyes widened in a look of deadly seriousness, "Are you calling me an idiot?"
The tall blonde gave a light chuckle in response, "No, sir. I wouldn't call you that. But your conclusion is correct, The Laughing Coffin have issued a bounty on the head of the PK-Hunter."
Gontaya looked down, his long, green hair drooping down to cover his eyes and shadow his expression, "Does Xathe have knowledge of this bounty?"
"Presumably not, sir."
The Twilight League's commander glanced up at Vincent again, a dark look overcoming his features, "Well I guess this changes things then, doesn't it?"
Vincent nodded.
"Leave."
Vince was taken aback by the commander's bluntness, "Pardon, commander?"
Gontaya slammed his fist against the table, "I said, leave, dammit!"
The lower-ranked blonde stepped back from him in shock, before quickly regaining his composure, "Of course, sir. I'll just… leave you to your thoughts."
Without another word, Vincent turned to open the door and walked out of the room to leave Gontaya alone once again.
Gontaya's fist shook against the table, "Plans aren't just about to change… they're about to take a whole, damn, flip upside-down!"
…
As Vincent made his way down the hallway, he looked up to see that Kota was about to pass by him. In a timed fashion, the two Twilight League members stopped beside each other, Vincent facing one way and Kota facing the other.
"You heading to go talk to the commander?" Vincent asked casually, not bothering to look at the red-haired sub-commander.
Kota dared not look at him either and simply replied, "Yeah. I went out with my scout party again today. We've found leads on Kaori's new location… along with the solo-player, Kirito. Just getting ready to break the news to the commander."
Vincent's eyebrows raised a bit, "What excellent news. I'm sure he'll be quite happy to hear such… pleasant news."
Kota nodded, "How's the good, ol' leader holding up right now?"
"He's not doing so well. He seems very… ill."
Kota's eyes widened in a serious fashion, "Is that so? I wonder why that is."
Vincent continued to stare forward with his usual scowl plastered on his expression, "It's hard-telling these days. Do… keep an eye on him for me, will you?"
Kota smiled at nothing in particular, "What kind of second-in-command would I be, if I didn't?"
Finally, Vincent turned to him and patted the shorter man's shoulder, "You do your job well, Kota. I just hope the commander gets to feeling better real soon."
Kota smirked at the blonde tracker, "That makes two of us…"
…
Floor 48 Lindas; July 2, 2024; 2:43 p.m.
…
The hooded man remained on his knees; his hands held in the air beside his head as a signal of his surrender, "P-Please, I've told you everything I know! You'll let me go now, right?"
Xathe gave a dark smile down at the bounty hunter, his bangs blocking out his eyes and the end of his sword pressing harder against the villain's neck.
"I don't recall ever saying I would let you go."
The bounty hunter's eyes widened in fear, "But I told you everything I know! You could have been killed by someone else if you didn't have that information!"
Xathe lifted his head a bit so the man could get a good view of the piercing glare he held in his eyes, "I'm very doubtful of that."
"Xathe!" Chikaru shouted behind him.
The black-haired teen's head turned only a slight bit at hearing the blonde call his name.
"I heard everything… I know what you are. But you don't have to be that way! Let him go… or else how are you any better than he is?" the blonde teen explained.
Xathe grew a softer look in his eyes and he turned from the hooded bounty-hunter to look at the young teen.
"Chikaru… I'm so sorry you had to get involved in this. There's nobody to blame for this but me," Xathe replied in a saddened tone of voice.
Chikaru shook his head, "I don't believe any of it. I know who you are, Xathe! You're not a killer, you're a protector! So please…" the boy trailed off for a short second, "… Please, don't live up to the rumors they've spread about you!"
Xathe stared at him for a long moment in silence.
The hooded man let his head drop as Xathe's sword pulled away from his neck and hung loosely at the teen's side.
"You should listen to the kid. He knows what he's talking about…" the man's hand shot down to his hip, yanking out another poisoned throwing-knife and lunging upwards, "… you little bitch!"
Xathe gasped in shock as he spun around at the very last second, the sound of blade piercing flesh instantly emanating through the air.
A long lull settled between the three players before a raspy voice broke the silence:
"Now you're dead for real… PK-Hunter."
…
{A/N} And this marks the end of Chapter 10. I hope you all are enjoying the story and where it's heading. The plot is slowly coming together... but where do you think it's going or how it's all going to conclude?
I'll leave that up to you! Feel free to leave a review to tell me how I'm doing or if there's any mistakes I seem to be overlooking.
Thanks for reading!
-KtD