A/N: Sword Art Online is owned by A-1 Pictures, Aniplex USA, and Reki Kawahara and I am in no way affiliated with any of the afore mentioned parties.
Ante Up
October 28th, 2024 8:10 am
She was scared, terrified really. Hundreds of people, animals and assorted creatures peered at her, some critically, others with almost sickening neutrality. How could they sit there and not care, she was going to die!
The petite blonde girl glanced at the jury to her right; it was made up completely of animals in their posh clothing. Unfortunately they all seemed to favor the negative position with regards to her. Alice bit her already trembling lip; it would not do for her to show weakness in front of so many creatures that wanted to see her head separated from-
No, stop right there Alice! The little girl berated herself silently, her finger nails dug into the palms of her hands to try and distract her. Instead she took stock of her surroundings, the throne room, which seemed to double as a court room was a very large, rectangular, stone room.
She, in her small prisoner's platform, was placed in the very center of the room. The jury was to her right in their seated platform, in front of her and on either side sat two tables, presumably for the defense attorney and the prosecutor, curiously both seats were empty. Behind her sat a large crowd of animals and people, all speaking animatedly as they waited for her head to- now there you go again Alice!
Large double doors on the side of the room swung open, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. In hopped the White Rabbit, the one that tricked me into this place to begin with! Alice fixed the rabbit with a very angry glare as he made his way to the front of the room. The creature stopped in front of the main stand, which housed both the witness booth and the Queen's overly large throne, and presented them with a small, gold bugle. The Rabbit played a short burst of notes just to silence any mumbles and then cleared his throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, please arise for her most majestic majesty, the Queen of Hearts!" There was a great rustling as everyone in attendance stood up (except for Alice of course but she was already standing and no one had thought to be kind enough to get her a chair). The doors swung open again and this time the Queen strode through with graceful, purposeful steps.
The Queen was a tall woman, taller even than her husband whom stood even with their Ace. The Queen's slim waist was hidden beneath the hoop skirt of her black and red dress, which was adorned in hearts. As she walked she regarded the room with twin pools of crystal blue, there was a cold fury hidden beneath her calm orbs. She ran her eyes over the room, taking in every detail, as her eyes fell on Alice she held them there for a moment, sending a shiver down the little girl's spine.
The graceful woman, with rather beautiful features Alice had to admit, walked down the center aisle, flanked by her husband and the Ace of Hearts. As she ascended the stairs to her throne the King took his seat on a platform a great deal lower than hers. The Ace stood on one side of Alice while a man in heavy armor placed himself opposite the card soldier.
The heavily armored man bore the spade symbol on his shoulder and carried an axe, which he let hang limply at his side.
"You may be seated," The Queen ordered in her pleasant-sounding, if a little deep, voice. There was another great amount of rustling, moans and sighs as the occupants of the room lowered themselves into their respective seats. Alice began the motion only to remember that she did not have one. The Queen watched the girl with interest before turning to the guards that lined either wall of the throne room. "Who was in charge of the girl?"
Uncertainly the Ten of Diamonds stepped forward and raised his hand. The Queen was silent for a moment as she examined the soldier before her.
"Did you not think it necessary to give her a chair?"
"I-uh-I-I," The soldier stuttered violently, his eyes widened and Alice could not understand why, until…
"Off with his head!" The Queen shrieked, her voice cracked as it leaped up several octaves. Alice blinked in shock and her mouth dropped forming an "o", the calm and collected Queen's face was bright scarlet and veins threatened to burst along her forehead and neck. Without hesitation the Duke of Spades stepped forward, axe cutting a deadly arc in the air.
The Ten of Hearts exploded into polygons but only after his head had rolled along the floor, eventually stopping in front of Alice. The girl's eyes widened in horror and she fought to keep a gasp from escaping.
On her high backed throne the Queen took several deep breaths and slowly the red drained from her delicate face. The Duke returned to his position beside Alice and he threw her a sidelong wink. The girl felt a chill run down her spine and she felt very, very small, almost as small as when she had drank the potion that the Cheshire cat had shown her.
"Now then," The Queen said, bringing another hush over the room. "Let the trial commence." Alice did not think it wise to point out that she still did not have a chair.
Standing is not so bad, she told herself as she forced her eyes to look anywhere but at the Duke and his enormous axe.
"Bring in the first witness!" The King shouted in his high lilted voice. "The jury shall decide in this court whom is the culprit behind the recent disappearance of the royal tarts!" The White Rabbit blew on his horn as the door at the end of the throne/court room swung open.
Tarts?! That is what this is about!?
Two guards escorted a very frightened looking Bill the Lizard into the witness' box and then proceeded to lock the small gate. The lizard glanced around, licking his lips nervously, his gaze fell upon his employer and Bill offered him a worried smile.
"'Ello boss sir," Bill said quietly so as not to disturb the quiet that had befallen the room. The rabbits face dropped when he had seen his groundskeeper enter the room, now he turned to the monarchs seated above him.
"Your majesty that man is in my employ!" His whiskers twitched excitedly as he gazed up at his rulers. "Surely he cannot know anything in regards to this case!" The Queen huffed and leaned back into her throne, content to let her husband handle the smaller more boring affairs.
"Calm yourself, herald," The King said, smiling jovially, the smile, Alice noticed, did not reach his eyes. "Your caretaker came into contact with the intruder several days ago, this means he has information we need, and no harm will come to him." The King settled back, expectant that the royal herald would be satisfied. To Alice's eyes however, he seemed anything but, the White rabbits whiskers continued to twitch and even his little bunny nose was restless; however he did not pursue the subject.
"Now, Bill, is it?" The King addressed the lizard. "When did you come in contact with the accused?"
"Tha' would be the girl there, correct y' majesty?" Bill's tongue darted around his lips again. The Queen let out a noise of disgust and she leaned forward to glare at the caretaker.
"He's useless, off with his head!"
"My dear," The King said patiently. "Perhaps we should hear what he has to say first?" The Queen's glare switched from the lizard to her husband, however she conceded with another disgusted noise and then slumped back in her throne, content to vent her obvious frustration through the clicking of her nails on the arm rest. "Please continue Bill and yes, that is the girl in question."
"Well sir-"
"Majesty," The King corrected gently, offering a warm smile. Bill nodded once and continued.
"Majesty, the girl, Alice, came around my employers 'ome looking for him, the White Rabbit that is," The lizard paused briefly to glance at the jurors and guard. "Well we mistook her for my employer's maid, what with their hair color and all and so she was let into the 'ouse. Then she went an' exploded and grew ten feet tall!"
"She exploded and then grew?" The King asked, eyebrow raised skeptically.
"Exploding is a crime," The Queen announced, honing her glare on the little girl. "As is growing to a height of over seven feet within an hour, is there anything you can tell about your encounter with the girl?" Bill shook his head nervously, he had not spoken to her himself after all. "Very well, if that is all you have to offer you are hereby charged with treason and sentenced to execution immediately." The Queen nodded to her executioner, the Duke, as the lizard cried out in fear. The White Rabbit wanted to protest but he stood frozen to the spot as the Duke of Spades axe swept through the air, removing Bill's head form his shoulders. Alice's delicate hand leapt to her mouth as a gasp escaped her, her eyes were brimming with tears and she felt her very meager dinner from the night before attempt to make a return trip.
Oh god! Her knees gave out and the blonde girl sank to the floor of her small prison.
"Next witness," The King announced, banging his gavel. The doors opened again and the guards dragged in a tan furred rabbit with a rather large rodent thrown over the shoulder of one of the guards. The March Hare and the Dormouse were thrown unceremoniously onto the floor of the witness box. The Queen's hate filled eyes centered on the two soldiers.
"And where is the Hatter?"
"Your majesty," One solider, the Eight of Hearts bowed low. "He resisted and we were forced to put him down." The Queen's lips turned up at the corners, forming a sadistic smile. Alice felt her bottom lip quiver and she bit down on it hard as she buried her face in her hands. The Hatter had been kind, if a little mad, how could he just be gone?
"Now then," The King resumed. "If you would please answer a few questions for the court?" The Hare took a sip from the tea cup that he had managed to hang on to during his violent tumble.
"This throne room seems smaller than the last time I was here," He commented, seemingly ignoring the king. The Dormouse answered him with a light snore which caught the Queen's notice.
"There is no sleeping in the court room!" She shouted, slamming the palm of her hand down on the arm of her throne. At the sound the rodent's head popped and he glanced around blearily, blinking rapidly. As his eyes refocused the central target of his sight happened to be the Queen's snarling visage. The poor mouse's eyes widened and he let out a terrified cry as he scrambled out of the witness' box.
There was a mass of movement as the guards rushed to detain the Dormouse. He proved to be quite agile as he dodged and danced around the several suits of soldiers chasing him. From the witness' area the hare cheered him on, taking great enjoyment in the entertainment provided by the chaos.
"Enough!" The Queen roared just as the Duke of Diamonds plucked up the Dormouse, holding him by the scruff of his neck. "Dungeon, both of them!" The red armored Duke nodded and signaled to two of his own soldiers to grab the hare. The Queen watched them leave, satisfied.
Alice sighed in relief, at least they still lived, she sniffed away the tears as best she could and slowly clambered to her feet. What she heard next almost floored just as she was getting on her feet.
"These witnesses are boring, let us just move on to the verdict," The Queen said insistently. What kind of court is this!?
"Very well my dear," The King answered, banging his gavel again. Alice felt her jaw drop and she was forced to grip the sides of her small wooden enclosure to keep herself up. "We shall hear now from the jury, foremen please present your findings." The King gestured to the jury box, the animal closest to the king, a ferret, stood and bowed.
"Your majesties, people of the court, the jury find the defendant, Alice Liddell, guilty on all accounts." Alice wanted to cry out in her defense but the words caught in her throat, she stood frozen as these strangers decided her fate. The crowd behind her was abuzz with discussion and it took several loud slams of the King's gavel to quiet them.
"The verdict is in," He said finally. "The defendant is found guilty and shall now be subjected to her punishment immediately. I hereby sentence Alice Liddell to death by traditional Wonderland execution!"
"Beheading," The Queen purred. The little girl wanted to scream, to run, to cry, to do anything! But there she stood, unmoving, unfeeling even as two soldiers grabbed her roughly and pulled her into the center of the room, throwing her and sending her sprawling to the floor. Another soldier dragged a headsman's block in front of her and the little girl was pulled forward and her head was forced down so her neck nestled into the slight depression.
The Duke of Spades positioned himself beside the kneeling girl, axe held erect beside him. He glanced up at the Queen who nodded her consent, smiling all the while. The black armored soldier brought his axe to bear, resting it briefly on the back of Alice's neck, eliciting a gasp from her.
He smiled at the sound and brought the axe above his head briefly before bringing back down to rest on her neck as he tested his swing arc. Finally he raised his weapon fully holding it above and behind his head, still calculating the perfect swing.
"Let this serve as a reminder," The Queen stated, standing and addressing the room. "That treason is an act punishable by death and will not be tolerated in my kingdom. Executioner, proceed." The Duke nodded and tensed his muscles as he imagined the path his axe would take one more time.
Alice squeezed her eyes shut, cutting off the beginnings of a new wave of tears. She wished she had never followed that rabbit, had never found this world of madness. She just wanted to go home, to see her family again and her friends and Dinah and- The axe made a whooshing noise at cut through the air toward the back of her neck. The girl gasped and squeezed her eyes even tighter.
A hush had fallen over the crowd and silence filled the room as the axe descended.
Alice had time for one more thought: I want to go home!
And then the silence was punctured by the slithering of steel across leather, the clash of metal and a fluttering sound of fabric.
For a moment the room retained its dignified silence and then chaos ensued. The occupants gasped, cried out and shouted their disdain. Above all the Queen could be heard, screeching in anger.
"Who dares disrupt my justice!?" Slowly Alice forced her eyes open and blinked away the tears that distorted her vision. Above her stood a red armored young man, his tattered cloak was still billowing from his inhuman sprint and his curved blade was held at the ready. Across the floor lay a small armory's worth of throwing knives. The Duke of Spades had taken a step away from the young man, a scowl on his face as he too held his axe in an offensive position.
"Justice?" Vlinn scoffed as his comrades stalked up the aisle behind him. Sky slipped away her remaining knives as Cronan rolled his neck to loosen up his muscles. "Lady I don't know where you went to law school but that is a messed up sense of justice you have." He turned his attention to the kneeling girl beside him and smiled kindly. "Are you okay? See, I told you we would get you." He offered a hand to the girl and helped her to her feet as his guild stopped beside them.
Sky smile comfortingly at the girl and Cronan threw her a wink.
"Sorry we're late," The warrior-smith grinned. "This place is a maze."
"How dare you?" The Queen roared, storming down the stairs of her thrones platform.
"How dare we?" Sky's eyes flashed dangerously and Yama hissed as she drew it from its scabbard. "How dare you sentence a little girl to death?" The guild-leader levelled her blade at the Queen, the two women locked glares.
"Looks like she already claimed the boss," Cronan grinned at Vlinn who smirked in return.
"I suppose we'll just have to deal with the scrubs then, eh?" The two male players' attention was drawn to the Queen as she finished her descent to the floor of the throne/court room.
"Take care of these fools," She ordered the card soldiers as she reached a side door. "Then finish the execution as ordered!" The Queen of Hearts slammed the door as she left, leaving the guild in a room alone with a multitude of enemies.
"I know she did not just walk away from me," Sky hissed, eyes narrowing. She gripped the hilt of her katana tightly and ran her eyes over the soldiers that blocked her path to the door. "You two will be alright without me?"
"We'll manage," Vlinn replied, smiling in amusement, Cronan grinned in agreement as he pulled Crystalyst off of his back. Sky nodded and turned her attention back to the small crowd in front of the door, her eyes moved restlessly as she planned out her route. Finally the player took off, throwing several knives to throw the first few soldiers off balance.
She slid beneath a Spade soldier's axe and then threw herself into a forward roll between to more soldiers. She came out on her feet, still moving and Yama flashed out to turn aside another enemy's light blade. Sky leapt high over another one, tucking into a tight ball and somersaulting over a smaller group of soldiers.
She landed lightly on a Diamond soldier's shoulders and leapt one more time, finally landing in front of the door. She waved at her guild and slipped into the door way, shutting the exit behind her and leaving her partners in a room full of enemies with an almost unconscious girl for them to guard.
Vlinn scanned the room quickly, taking in the three different suits of card soldiers and the two higher tier warriors.
"There are a lot more enemies here than I had originally thought," The warrior remarked to his taller friend. The smith grunted in return as he too was taking stock of the battlefield, however his thoughts were more detailed and considered.
The Card Soldiers would not be too hard to deal with, especially if they could take out the Aces first, Cronan only saw the Ace of Hearts however. The same logic would be applied to the Duke of Spades, the blacksmith believed, that did leave them with no other option than to destroy all the Diamond soldiers however as neither Ace nor Duke were present for that suit.
"You ready?" Vlinn's voice shattered the warrior-smith's concentration. Cronan glanced at his partner to see that he was already in a sword skill position.
"Not really," He replied, readying his own blade. "But I don't suppose we're going to get the chance to prepare."
"No, because here they come." Vlinn directed the taller warrior's attention to the mass of soldiers approaching them. Fortunately enough the citizens had no ambition to join the one-sided fight and neither, it seemed, did the three stronger enemies. The Duke and Ace stood on either side of the King of Hearts, seemingly content to simply watch their minions work over the two warriors. "You said their strength was relative to their number right?" At Cronan's nod Vlinn grinned and focused on the area he wanted his skill to end. "Let's see how I do then."
The warrior released his charging type sword skill and raced toward the incoming soldiers. His blade cut the Two in half and heavily wounded the Three causing it to burst into light a moment later. However the Four of Diamonds was able to take Vlinn's attack and then proceed to counter, Vlinn was easily able to parry aside the blow and finish the soldier with a basic slashing sword skill.
Vlinn retreated to Cronan's side and the remaining enemies continued their march.
"So I can take out Two through Four with no problem, that will cut down their numbers rather quickly," Vlinn mused. "After I take those ones out do you think you can keep the rest of their attention?" At Cronan's nod the red armored warrior took off again, cutting easily through the lower numbered enemies, stop only to deliver a second or third strike to the remaining enemies he had targeted.
The other enemies took a sudden interest in Cronan when he activated his Howl skill and as the soldiers surrounded him the warrior let loose his Cyclone skill tossing aside and wounding the majority of the soldiers just as he had done to the Club soldiers days prior. As enemies hit the floor Vlinn would be there to finish them with a simple thrusting sword skill, leaving only the Nine and Ten of the suits left, although the Diamonds suit lacked their Ten, not that either warrior was complaining.
From there it was simple work for Cronan to tank the damage and Vlinn to deal his own. The Card soldiers did not last long against the Oath Keepers and soon the open floor of the throne room was empty save for the leaders.
"Interesting," The Duke rumbled as he spun his axe absentmindedly. "Shall I teach them a lesson your majesty?" The King had yet to rise from his throne; he stroked his beard thoughtfully as he examined the two intruders.
"As you wish," He said, waving his hand dismissively. The Duke grinned and his gaze focused on Vlinn who smirked flippantly in return. The Duke wasted no time in bringing his axe to bear and charging at the red armored player, after bowing to the King the Ace drew his sword and shield and charged after the larger armored Duke.
Crystalyst snapped up to intercept the Duke's axe, the enemy in question snarled at the intrusion. Cronan answered with a glowing sword strike that sent the other heavily armored warrior staggering.
Upon seeing the Ace's intent Vlinn dropped into skill position and then raced for the enemy. To the Ace it seemed as if the warrior had appeared out of nowhere and he just brought his shield up in time to block the curved blade. Vlinn ducked below the inevitable retaliation and launched another cut toward the Ace's side.
On the other side of the room Cronan had dropped his sword and sent a fist into the Duke's armored gut, which sent him reeling while not providing much damage. The Duke roared in anger and swung his axe only to have Cronan intercept it with a green glowing boot.
The King of Hearts sat back in his padded throne, watching the battles with interest. He had expected his warriors to end the fight without too much trouble. However, both were being pressed back and with far too much ease. Perhaps he had underestimated the criminals, the King reached for his own black and red kite shield, he had a feeling he would be needing it.
Sky raced down the stone corridor, doors lined the wall on both sides but the guild leader ignored them. Thankfully there was a thick coating of dust and even with her low levelled Tracking skill, Sky could make out the Queen's foot prints. The woman could see that the Queen had ignored the doors along the walls, moving with purpose toward the end of the corridor.
A large, single door marked the end of the hallway and the Queen's footprints disappeared behind the solid wooden portal. The door was open just a crack, light spilled into the hallway, illuminating just the entryway of the room that the door protected. The guild-leader paused at the door and took a slow breath before giving it a slight push.
It opened silently on well-oiled hinges; Sky squinted as light enveloped her. The room was almost as large as the throne room but it was devoid of furniture, leaving just an open space. It reminded the woman of a dance hall as she stepped onto the polished hardwood floor. Several massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, providing more light than was probably necessary. Large windows acted as the walls of the north side of the room, through the clouded, darkening sky, the guild-leader thought she could see the tops of the mountain range that acted as the barrier of Wonderland.
The Queen of Hearts stood on the opposite side of the room, waiting for her opponent to finish admiring the room.
"My training room," The Queen informed Sky, drawing the young woman's attention. "I insist that we, as royalty of Wonderland, be perfect in every aspect of our lives, naturally that includes battle." Sky's only response was to glare at the woman and bring Yama into a defensive position. The Queen continued on as if Sky had not moved. "I have always seen a duel as more of a dance between two fighters. The elegance of battle is lost on many, but I can tell that is not true with you."
"You talk a lot for an NPC," Sky muttered to herself. The Queen turned to face the large windows as the dark clouds began rumbling. She reached around her back, grabbed the top lace of her dress and slid it out of its knot.
"I have fought long and hard to keep this country as pure as I could," The Queen said, not bothering to look at the opposing swordswoman. The Queen's dress slid off of her body and Sky had to fight to not glance away. Beneath the clothing the Queen bore fitted light-metal armor, small enough to be worn under the dress. "And now that girl has come to bring everything I worked for crumbling down and then there is you, trying to save her."
"For the love of the System can we just fight already?" Sky snapped, gripping the hilt of her weapon tightly. Of course NPC's were programmed to continue with their scripts and they would not continue to the next action until prompted through the script. Sky could just attack her now but then if she killed her chances are the quest wouldn't complete and she would have to wait for the Queen to re-spawn.
Patience Sky, the woman thought to herself as the Queen continued her no doubt well written lines. The younger woman noticed the silence in the room as she finally came out of her contemplations; the Queen was staring out the glass wall, a sad look gracing her features.
"I will preserve my kingdom," She said quietly, grasping the hilt of a sword Sky hadn't noticed before. It was a two-handed straight sword, almost as tall as the Queen but the blade was thinner than a classic greatsword. The blade was black and the edges shone crimson, the cross-guard was of course heart shaped while the pommel was carved in the likeness of a rose protected by two thorn vines wrapping around it in a double helix pattern. "Come, let us dance."
Sky only had a second to bring Yama up to guard the older woman's powerful thrust, the force that followed the blow was enough to send the swordswoman into a backward tumble. Sky came to her feet, instantly snapping her sword up into a guard, the Queen's blade made contact with Yama once again sending the guild-leader sprawling.
The taller woman followed with another swing of her large sword, almost cutting through Sky had the swordswoman not been as nimble as she was. The guild-leader turned the violent throw into a controlled roll and as soon as her feet were under her she sprang into the air, tucking into a ball and somersaulting over the Queen.
As Sky's foot touched the wooden floor she whipped around, striking out with her katana. The Queen's sword flashed up, fast as lightning to catch the curved blade, Sky's eyes narrowed at the display of speed. She lashed out again and again but the two-handed sword was there to stop her at each movement.
The Queen struck back with a wide cutting diagonal slash, intent on slicing Sky in half. The guild-leader leapt back, narrowly avoiding the weapon, her throwing knives appeared in her hand and she sent them flying at the Queen. Sky smiled grimly as the Queen of Hearts three health bars sank slightly.
She's fast with that thing, Sky contemplated as she twirled one of her knives around her fingers, better stay back. The guild-leader slid her katana into its scabbard and loaded her hands with her projectile weapons.
The Queen was bombarded by the knives from every conceivable direction; the taller woman was fast with her blade but not fast enough to block the barrage of projectiles that Sky was producing. The guild-leader never stopped moving as she tried her best to exploit the angles that the Queen would have trouble positioning her blade in.
For the next few minutes the room was filled with a flurry of knives, the scarce sound of metal bouncing off of metal and the occasional grunt of pain from the Queen.
Unfortunately Sky only ever kept a very light supply of the knives equipped and their days in Wonderland had been fairly hard on her reserves. The Queen had just slipped down to her second bar of health when Sky came to her last knife. She twirled the object between her fingers and bit her lip, she might as well keep it, if she threw it and it hit it would not do too much damage and there was always the chance that the Queen would block it.
Sighing, the guild-leader slid the weapon into an empty sheath and drew her katana again. The Queen had not waited for the woman to make a decision and as Sky returned her focus on her enemy she found a greatsword being swung at her head.
Sky yelped and ducked under the blade, losing some hair for her effort. Instead of retreating the swordswoman opted to attack before the Queen could guard. Sky adopted a long, forward stance and held her blade low and to the side, the hand closest to her hand-guard held the hilt in a reverse grip while the lower hand held it normally.
The Queen had recovered control over her large sword and brought above her head, ready to plunge it straight into Sky. Before she could move the guild-leaders katana flashed yellow and Sky's body slipped into motion. Yama arced upward as Sky twisted her body, adding force to the blow; Ukifune was a one-hit skill with low attack power, however it knocked an opponent into the air, leaving them vulnerable there and when they hit the ground. Not that Sky had any plans of letting the Queen touch the hardwood floors without some kind of punishment first.
The Queen cried out as she was thrown upward and Sky dropped into a crouch and brought her blade across so it rested on the opposite shoulder as her arms were crossed in an X over her chest.
The swordswoman grit her teeth together as her katana shone blinding white, she never thought she would get to use this skill considering how specific the requirements were. It was not that the requirements were hard to fulfill, it was just that the location one had to be in just was not practical for the skill. It required a ceiling low enough for the character to be able to reach with their agility.
Sky's agility stat was one of the higher ones in the game, she could reach the roof of pretty much any labyrinth, however the skill was a one-hit with a very long post-motion delay. This meant whether she hit or not, afterward she would be a sitting duck which was not ideal when in a dungeon with multiple enemies. With one that was helpless in the air on the other hand…
The guild-leader exploded upward as she released the skill, she somersaulted and landed feet first on the ceiling. There was a second delay before the swordswoman burst toward her target, sword arm held over her shoulder, blade trailing white.
"Nagareboshi," She hissed to herself as Yama carved a red scar down the Queen's torso. The blade's light dissipated as Sky hit the floor, ending the skill on one knee and breathing heavily. The skill hit for a lot of damage and as if to compensate the System forced her stamina to almost nothing after using it.
She heard a thud behind her as the Queen hit the stone floor, Sky grit her teeth together, willing the cool-down to wear off quicker. The Queen would not be moving any time soon after the combination of sword skills and hopefully Sky would have ample time to recover and then plan her next move.
Those hopes were dashed ruthlessly when she heard the scraping of steel on stone and the groan of somebody forcing their body to move.
Oh damn it all.
Cronan brought Crystalyst down, hard, on the shield, pressing their enemy back and giving Vlinn the space he needed to slip into sword skill position. Enrapture glowed orange as Vlinn drew the blade behind his back and as he released the skill the warrior seemingly disappeared only to reappear in front of the King.
Enrapture flashed upward diagonally from right to left, tracing a red line along the King's armor. Vlinn cursed and ducked under the NPC's red and black sword, the next blow he blocked, letting the steel slide over his curved blade.
The warrior was saved from having to defend himself further by Cronan's well-timed intervention. A glowing boot smashed into the King's shield forcing him back a few steps.
"His defense is insane," Cronan commented and brought his sword up to take their enemy's counter attack. He grunted as he withstood the surprising amount of force behind the blow. "His attack isn't half bad either."
"Maybe if you ask him nicely he'll take you out to dinner," Vlinn seethed, already moving into another skill position, not that it would help. The warrior took off again, scoring another hit that did very little damage and then retreating behind his more heavily armored companion. "This is annoying."
"Any ideas," The taller warrior grunted as he swung his blade at the King, the weapon rang as it collided with the large kite shield. Vlinn remained silent as he stared at the King's health and watched as it declined slightly.
"I might," The red armored warrior replied readying his blade for another skill. "Switch!" Cronan pushed the enemy away with a mighty swing of his sword and then jumped back just as Vlinn released and zoomed past him. The curved blade drew a line across the King's chest as Vlinn flew past him, at a safer distance the warrior spun around, eyes immediately leaping to the mini-bosses health bar. "As I thought…"
Cronan had approached the King as soon as Vlinn had dashed away but now the shorter warrior waved him away as he approached their enemy slowly. Cronan raised an eyebrow at his comrade as he took position in front of their enemy.
"I can't deal any damage through his armor and shield," The player said to Cronan even as the King of Hearts swung his long-sword. Vlinn flicked Enrapture up parrying the larger weapon aside. "If you can get a clean hit in it'll cripple him." He ducked beneath the next blow and lashed out only to have his blade deflected by the kite shield.
"And if you get hit you'll die, switch with me," Cronan responded, already moving toward the fight. He rushed when he saw his guild-mate stumble beneath the weight of a hit delivered by the King's shield. The hit was followed closely by a sword and the King roared out in assumed victory even as Vlinn was regaining his balance.
Cronan cursed and attempted in vain to reach them in time, he saw Vlinn's hand slip to his belt and then the Kings large sword flashed in his vision. Cronan breathed easier when the sword hit the cobblestone floor after Vlinn has slipped under it. Enrapture flashed across the King's armor and Cronan watched as their enemy's health only dropped slightly.
"I'll be your forward," Cronan heard Vlinn say, his voice slightly distorted from Siraya's mask that he had slipped on. "I'll protect you for once, so just trust me."
"How can I not," The warrior-smith replied with a grin. Vlinn smiled under his mask, even as Enrapture leapt up to divert another blow from the King.
"Then let's start getting the timing down."
Sky grunted as her body hit the wall and then dropped to the ground in a slump. She heard the click of boots on stone as the Queen approached her prone body; Sky tried flexing her hand again and cursed internally as it still would not move. The delay from her sword skill had yet to wear off and the Queen had become more aggressive with the loss of two of her health bars.
"You tried," The older woman said. Her face was twisted into a snarl and her eyes burned with hatred. "And yet you could not defeat my justice." Sky attempted again to move her hand and her heart jumped as her pinky twitched.
That's right keep talking, she silently urged as she attempted to clench her hand. The movement was still beyond her but with each attempt she regained more and more control. Finally her hand grasped Yama's hilt and the player pushed herself up into a kneeling position as her hand had a firm reverse grip on her sword.
"Have you any last words criminal?" The Queen asked, glaring down at her prey with unhidden contempt.
"Die," Sky spat as her yellow glowing sword swiped up. The sneak attack caught the NPC off guard and a deep red line appeared on the Queen's torso. Before the Queen could regain her composure Sky leapt back and then used the wall behind her to spring over the NPC, giving her more room to maneuver.
The Queen spun to face her, bringing her guard up, she glared at the swordswoman only to find the shorter woman glaring back. She had put up with enough of the Queen's crap as it was before the beating she had received during her brief paralysis. In fact she had put up with enough crap from this floor in general and she had, had enough.
The swordswoman brought her blade into skill position not bothering to wait for her opponent. The katana whirled around the Queen like a steel whirlwind as the woman danced her deadly dance, slowly the NPC's health began to whittle away as Sky's attacks slipped past her guard.
Sky's confidence grew as her enemies final health bar slipped into the red zone; the Mist Dancer grinned and continued her relentless stream of skills and attacks. The Queen screamed in outrage as her overly large blade glowed a brilliant shade of green. The blade swept up from right to left catching Sky just as she leapt away from the attack. The swordswoman was sent soaring backwards as the Queen finished the spinning sword skill.
The guild-leader re-oriented herself just in time to see the rose-shaped pommel on the Queen's sword disappear, as it did the NPC's health rose dramatically, almost regaining a full bar. Sky's jaw dropped and she felt her emotions building up, pushing up from her stomach and filling her with heat. She did not feel hopelessness or surprise in any amount; the swordswoman was filled with rage and indignity. She was over this world, over this adventure and over this damn enemy.
The Queen did not move as she basked in the healing light that still lingered around her, the stillness gave Sky a moment to survey her surroundings again. The Queen was positioned a few meters away from the large windows; I bet that's a long way down. It was a gamble, considering the Systems rules about the environment but at the moment Sky felt like risking it.
Before she could move however, the healing light disappeared abruptly only to be replaced with a slowly glowing blot of blackness. Slowly the black "light" enveloped the Queen of Hearts and tendrils of darkness emerged from her body, snaking around her and reaching hungrily toward the player. Sky froze as the darkness continued to grow and she felt the cold chill of ice coursing through her veins.
The blackness seemed to penetrate her mind and began to drag out a primal sort of fear that she had not felt in a very long time. Despair emanated from the small player and hope seemed to be nothing but a fond memory as the coils of shadows continued to slither toward her.
Any average player would have probably stayed glued to the spot and then would have eventually been taken and killed by the Queen. But Sky was no ordinary player, she was the leader of the Oath Keepers, she was one of the most accomplished light-armored forwards in SAO and she would not succumb to an NPC!
Sky growled away the darkness in her head and she clenched Yama's hilt, the heavy steel under her grip filled her with warm confidence. The swordswoman climbed to her feet and glared at her enemy, willing the last of the darkness to leave her body.
She flicked her last throwing knife into her hand and sized up her targets, making small calculations in her head. Finally she focused on her target and let the skill and targeting systems do their jobs. The glowing knife flashed out of her hand and the swordswoman grinned knowing the shot was good. The knife grazed her enemy's cheek slightly, not even enough to shave off one hit point, the projectile embedded itself in the window, creating a spider web of cracks.
The NPC ignored the apparent failed attack and readied her weapon for another attack but Sky was already on the move, blade glowing. Yama arced down, drawing a line across the Queen, Sky flicked her wrist sending her blade flashing left and right, painting her enemy red and pushing her back. As the skill ended Sky threw herself into a roll, dodging the descending blade, the Queen turned to find another sword skill already thrusting at her. The NPC sidestepped and brought her blade up to block the next hit.
Slowly the Queen was forced back from the heavy fury of the swordswoman, Sky made each stroke of her blade count, always planning her next move, carefully corralling her enemy. The Queen froze when her back touched the pommel of the knife and Sky's eyes flashed dangerously. Rather than wait for her attacker the NPC swung her greatsword in a glowing arc at the smirking player.
Sky already had her glowing blade in place, Yama lashed out and under the opposing blade. Sky spun into her sword arm helping her katana push the sword harmlessly over her while also positioning herself closer to her enemy. The two hit skill ended with Sky bashing the Queen in her chest plate with the butt of Yama. Shoved backwards the NPC smashed into the knife finally shattering the window.
The Queen of Hearts stood dangerously on the precipice, attempting to keep her balance, then watched in horror as Sky leapt high in the air, katana glowing crimson. As the guild-leader descended she pirouetted, adding force to her blow. Her foot touched the floor and the player unleashed a glowing slash horizontally in a complete circle around her. The skill Tsumujiguruma, allowed katana users to send a long range slash at enemies in a three hundred and sixty degree circle, though this move too had a long post-motion delay as well. However, for Sky it was already-
"Checkmate," The light slammed into the still reeling Queen and sent her toppling over the edge. The guild-leader could not move to watch but the abrupt end to the screaming followed by the data fragments floating into the sky was enough proof for her (as was the loot screen). "Fall damage has no preferences it seems." The swordswoman moved to return to the throne room to assist her friends…only to be reminded that she was still frozen.
"Oh damn it all!"
The masked warrior ducked beneath the King's blade, the NPC began to turn toward the taller warrior behind him only to be reminded of the red armored player to the front in the form of two strikes hitting his unguarded torso. The King cried out in rage and spun back to face the minor annoyance in front of him.
"That's right you royal bastard, eyes front," Vlinn parried aside the heavy sword and then leapt back, making room for Cronan as the warrior-smith swung his massive sword in an arc uninterrupted. The King turned in time to barely get his sword into a defensive position; it did nothing to stop him from being flung back. It did not take long for the NPC to recover and push himself up with his free hand (his shield having been broken by Cronan minutes prior) and he jerked his head to the side just as Vlinn's blade would have sheared through his throat. Instead the warrior had to make due with a scratch along the King's cheek.
So close! Vlinn spun about and brought his blade up to guard the expected attack but Cronan had beaten him to it. A glowing boot connected with the King's jaw, sending him sprawling once again. Vlinn nodded his thanks to the taller warrior and then slipped into position, unleashing a charging skill just as the King was picking himself up.
The enemy's throat was exposed and there was no way for him to bring his guard up in time.
Yes, yes! Enrapture arced toward the King's exposed neck, like a jungle cat leaping for the killing blow. The curved blade's flight was ended with the ringing of steel on steel as the King of Hearts free hand shot up to catch the blade. Vlinn's eyes widened in horror as he watched the NPC's health points leap up and regain an entire bar.
The King of Hearts kept an iron grip on the blade as he dug the tip of his own weapon into the floor and rose. His eyes sparkled dangerously and as he held himself up to his full height Vlinn became very aware of the dark green aura emanating from him, permeating deep within the red armored player's conscious. The aura fed off of him, stealing his life, his energy, it filled him with absolute terror and as the armored NPC took a step toward him he could feel the green energy pushing him back.
He wanted more than anything to run, to get away from the approaching monster, but even as the aura pushed him away it also held him in place, crushing him beneath its pressure. The King's sword was poised above him, ready to fall and end the player's life and Vlinn was helpless to do anything to stop it.
Before the blade could fall Crystalyst crashed into the NPC's side, sending him tumbling away from the kneeling player. Vlinn felt Enrapture be ripped from his grasp but that was a problem to deal with later. As soon as the aura was clear of him the player sucked in a gulp of air, finally realizing he had not taken a breath during that entire encounter.
"What the hell was that?" Cronan asked as he extended a hand toward his comrade. Vlinn grasped the gauntlet and let himself be pulled onto his feet.
"Terrifying, that's what that was." Cronan glanced down at his friend with an eyebrow raised; it was somewhat amusing to hear fear in a voice that was covered by a demon's face.
Amusing in a rather sadistic sense of the word, the warrior amended.
"Before we can do anything, we're going to need to get your sword back." The warrior-smith pointed out, gesturing at the now approaching King. Vlinn nodded and scanned the cobblestone floor for his hanger sword.
"Got it," Vlinn called as hunched down into a sprinting position. He could clearly see the green-black aura surrounding their enemy but the effects seemed to diminish with distance. The warrior breathed in deeply, I can do this.
With a roar Cronan charged at the King, dropping his greatsword in favor of his much faster striking fists. The NPC moved to swing his blade into Cronan's side but the smith's arm darted up, catching his enemy's forearm with his own. Vlinn took off, racing for his sword as Cronan stepped further into his opponents guard and launched a glowing fist into his gut.
The heavy armor that the King bore dulled the blow greatly but the force behind sent him rocking back on his heels.
There was no stopping for the red armored warrior as he closed in on his weapon, so he dropped to the ground in a slide and grasped Enrapture's hilt as he glided past. He shoved off the ground with his free hand and spun gracefully to his feet, dropping into a sword skill form as he regained his balance.
Cronan saw Vlinn from the corner of his eye and nodded; hoping his comrade saw the movement the warrior-smith brought both arms up to block his enemy's attack. The sword bounced off of Cronan's heavy gauntlets, leaving a loud ringing in the air. Cronan ignored his health as it lowered even further into the red zone. Stepping forward, the heavily armored launched an uppercut into the King's armor, stunning him long enough for Cronan to step back and drop into form.
The warrior snapped a kick straight into the King's jaw, forcing his enemy's head back and paralyzing him further. Cronan leapt back as his targeting system caught sight of a red blur honing in on the dazed King.
Vlinn had released Fell Crescent as soon as his comrade's kick had landed, the skill allowed him to cross a distance of four meters in a quarter of a second, making it one of his favorite and most used sword skill. The skill system guided Vlinn's body along the floor of the throne room at a speed faster than a lot of targeting systems could detect.
Again their enemy's throat was bared to him, Cronan had presented him with plenty of opportunities just like this and he had failed again and again. But this time…
This time you die!
The warriors red demon eyes blazed brightly as Enrapture met the resistance of flesh, bone and muscle. Many weapons cannot actually shear through bone unless the player's Strength stat was fairly high but Cronan had forged the curved blade and in the right hands the razor sharp hanger sword could cut through metal. Unfortunately it was in Vlinn's hands but his current momentum more than made up for the strength required.
The warrior put the brakes on as soon as the curved blade cut through the King's neck and as Vlinn finally slid to a stop he kept his blade in position not daring to move until he heard the chiming of data fragments, the ring of the loot screen and the victory cry from his well armored friend.
Vlinn felt the air be forced from his lungs as Cronan picked him up in a one armed hug.
"Nice one!" The warrior-smith crowed, all Vlinn could do to answer was grunt and struggle against the iron-like arm. Moments later another loot screen sprang to life in front of them, in the item section The Queen of Hearts sat; the warriors grinned at each other even as they heard a cry of happiness behind them.
Alice rushed to meet her two apparent saviors, smiling widely and rubbing away newly made tears.
"Thank you," She squeaked as she came to a stop in front of them. "I thought that was the end, I was so scared- but you saved me! I can finally go home!"
"All in a day's work," Vlinn replied after he removed his mask. "Have a safe journey home."
"Oh she will," Replied an unfortunately familiar voice. The Cheshire cat appeared on the girls shoulder. "If you want to go home all you have to do is go through that door." He pointed at a section of stone wall which was very clearly wall and very clearly not a door.
"But," Alice scrunched up her nose in concentration as she stared at the section of stone. "There is no- Oh!" The young girl gave a small cry as a door slid down from the ceiling and fixed itself to the wall.
"What was that?" The cat smiled and cocked his to the side. Alice carefully approached the door and reached out to grasp the door handle only to have it yell at her reproachfully.
"Do you have a key?" The brass handle demanded, Alice blinked and patted down the few pockets she had on her dress.
"Of course the door knob talks," Cronan muttered to his comrade.
"Um, well I-"
"Of course you do dear," The cat insisted, gesturing to her breast pocket. Slowly the little girl slid an iron skeleton key from the pocket and presented it uncertainly to the door.
"Well go on," The knob chuckled kindly and opened its keyhole (Vlinn cringed at what that implication could mean). With a turn of the key the great door swung open silently, presenting all assembled with a pleasant image of a tree on top of a pleasant, sunny knoll. Alice took a step toward the portal and then paused, spun around and waved one last time to her saviors before rushing through the door home.
"I'm a little envious," Vlinn muttered to Cronan. "A simple quest and she gets a door that goes straight home and what do we get? A door straight back to hell." Surprisingly his comrade snorted in amusement.
"That quest was anything but simple," He replied, grinning playfully at his friend. Vlinn returned with his own grin and a sigh of relief at the apparent end of the dangerous ordeal.
"What do you suppose that green thing was with the King?" Vlinn asked, his hand unconsciously gripped his weapons hilt at the memory.
"You do not need to worry about that just yet," A voice whispered into his ear. Before Vlinn could turn to confront the cat he felt something brush his head and then all he knew was darkness.
Cronan cried out as Vlinn's eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped like a stone. Before Cronan could move he too felt something touch him briefly and then he joined his comrade on the cold stone.
The Cheshire cat perched himself on top of Cronan's back and stared at the two players curiously much as he had done with Sky a few minutes prior.
"I must admit," He mused, more as Honbo than as the cat. "I was not sure you would actually make it through and yet you surprised me. And they are not even the strongest of players, perhaps Kayaba got more than he bargained for. I can't wait to watch the insanity you sow in the over world." Slowly the Cheshire cat faded from view.
Leaving only his wide grin to float in the air, briefly.
Sky's eyes slowly slid open as she felt herself being jostled slightly and she wondered for a moment if she was not on the pony that they had found along the roads to the Castle of Hearts. On either side of her peripherals the guild leader could see huge trees slowly passing by. Underneath her she watched as the dirt path rolled by seemingly like the belt on a treadmill, her view of the ground was intermittently blocked by a pair of purple clad legs.
"Oi, I think she finally came around," A familiar voice said, rather loudly she thought.
"Thank the System," Replied a voice just above her. "I really didn't want to have to carry her all the way home." Before she knew it Sky was sent tumbling unceremoniously to the ground, she yelped as she hit the ground and decided it would be better to simply lay there for a minute before cracking her eyes open once again.
Her two guild-mates crowded her vision; both grinned mischievously down at her.
"Morning sunshine!" Vlinn said, again unnecessarily loud.
"It's about time you woke up," Cronan held a hand out to help her up, which she took gratefully.
"Where are we?" Sky mumbled, still fuzzy headed. She glanced around at the familiar trees and path, to the side looked like the gnarled tree that the Ragout rabbit had led them too.
"Home," Cronan answered simply.