AN: I don't know what it is; whether I lost my groove or writing for Kirito and Asuna is making me feel off about the Land of Dragons (no relation to the KH world). I don't know if it's exactly present, but very often the way I feel about various scenes influences my approach to them. I suppose Asasaki is a bit of a Self Insert in that sense, though it might be more akin to an Actor fully diving into the role of their character whenever they perform.
We might be looking at one or two more chapters before this sector is wrapped up and Asasaki returns back to Fūrinkazan. Additionally, I'm changing to a two week upload schedule for the time being. Doing a once a week thing is nice and all, but I second guess my quality too much to be truly happy with it. Perhaps if I get chapters done ahead of time it'll be a one week upload, but I'm going to be aiming for a Two Week.
I let out a kiai as I sprung from the ground, body twisting to bring as much force as possible into the tip of my blade. «Arpatius, Tarragon Wind Knight» let out a bellowing roar as its greataxe exploded into the ground beside Asuna's prone form, a plume of dirt obscuring the metal.
With a roar, Kirito surged in with a shoulder charge, sending the six foot tall reptoid stumbling away from its weapon. Unloading basic skill after basic skill, the teen forced the zone boss farther back, the monster switching to brutal punches and kicks once it regained balance.
I grit back my curse, hauling Asuna onto her feet while the Stunned effect ticked down. Despite how well the three could perform, the unsettling fact remained that every single strike each of us had taken quartered our health or more.
"Swordsmen, find me an opening!"
I glanced to the side, the lithe Forest Elf we had stumbled across pulling out single, yellow, rectangular crystal and housed in a silver frame. For a moment my mind recalled the underground tree on the third floor, the rolling field of uncovered graves flashing into existence. "F-" I took a sharp breath, recalling the virgin eared child behind me. "-reaking elves." Once footsteps started pushing through the muddied ground I shot off, replacing the image of fading corpses with that of an acrobatic maneuver.
The instant I approached Kirito's clashing form, I jumped and inverted my body, the rotation of my flip allowing me to bring down a «Lumbar Desecration» along the Tarragon's spine. The one handed sword user and I quickly turned Arpatius into a dummy, our impromptu combo ending with a dual spinning roundhouse that sent the giant lizard into the elf's waiting form.
"Back, back!" Kirito pulled Asuna away, his frantic face forcing me to the same conclusion he had reached. A bestial howl interrupted the elf's onslaught, a tangible dome of pressure sending the three of us onto the ground for a third time.
I snarled and rolled onto my feet, reversing my momentum and dashing in to regain control of the situation. This is a quest boss at most, not a dungeon boss! It should not be taking this long! I ducked underneath a deadly punch, a weak elbow strike buying me a precious moment of peace.
Think woman, think! Where are the openings!? I rolled to the side, «Tormenting Reaver» cutting a depressingly light red along the reptoid's thigh. There's no way this fight requires the sacrifice of another elf, that'd just be stupid! I crouched down, legs forcing me into a nearly horizontal spin that allowed me to dodge the leg sweep. A «Reaver» sent me lunging through Arpatius, a quick punch and pivoting roundhouse allowing me to return with a short hopping strike, the second hit of «Comet Cannon» sending me back to my original spot.
Asuna and Kirito stopped at my previous position, a practised and ever improving combination of defender and attacker forcing holes in Arpatius' stance. "Oi, Elf!" I shouted, cursing my mind for its foolishness. "Tell me you have a non-suicidal solution!" I leapt onto the creature's exposed back, embedding my blade deep through its neck. Behind me the elf's voice was drowned out by the retort of my knuckles meeting barely protected bone, nothing more than a distraction for my weapon to deal whatever amount of residual damage it could deliver while sheathed in a body.
I grit my teeth as I was sent soaring through the air, crossed arms sending a tingle through my body and righting me before landing. "What was that for?!" Kirito voice cracked, the teen desperately deflecting the blindingly fast swings of Arpatius' new weapon.
"I thought it sounded like a fun idea!" I shot back, swapping out for «Armor Splitter». The weapon had since utilized all of its max upgrade attempts, but unfortunately had failed its last two. According to Kirito it was the equivalent of an upgrade level 13 weapon, but with its secondary effect was arguably worth a level 16 rating.
"You're not allowed ideas anymore!" Asuna's blade stabbed out after a heavy miss, every third strike fast enough to nearly be missed before she was yet again knocked away by a devastating kick.
"Damn it all, woman, can't you learn to read attacks yet?!" I swapped sword hands and back handed my former weapon away, the bear claw trailing a blazing yellow through the air. A quick step brought the essential machete straight through Arpatius' right bicep, its health bar marginally dipping on impact.
"Can't you figure out how to cover your partners yet?!" She screamed back, arcs of lightning keeping her in the mud.
"Stop arguing already!" The sound of Kirito's strike was suddenly amplified, the signal of a critical hit drawing the Tarragon Knight's attention onto him. I waited a beat for Arpatius to commit to a strike before driving one of its knees forward with a palm strike, my sword treated like an axe with my sloppy but forceful two handed chop to its neck.
On the other side of the kneeling monster, Kirito's blade arced in the movements I vaguely recognized as Sharp Nail, both of us grunting when another damnable roar sent us flying back, complete with its randomized Stun.
"Your attention belongs to me, wingless drake!" Despite the extremely noticeable speed boost the elf had received from whatever he had activated, Arpatius was still able to maintain the upper hand. The first second of the Stun effect, Arpatius snuck in only a single glancing blow. On the second, a full chop to the elf's sword arm. In the third, the elf was launched back by the same painful kick that had repeatedly introduced itself to Asuna.
Dammit, no! I clenched my teeth, forcing both Sprint and Acrobatics to work whatever miracle they could as soon as my limbs responded. A familiar feeling nestled into my torso, the sensation of separated bones persiting for naught but a second before turning into a numb void. In the space between the thrust and its subsequent wrench, three unique blades descended upon Arpatius, the monster letting out a wet choke as it fell to its knees.
Whatever it tried to rasp out went unheard by my pain addled mind, an explosion of data signaling the end of the battle. Even though the biting feel of sharpened metal and rended flesh was entirely phantasmal, my body still refused to acknowledge one of the undeniable facts of this world.
"Hey, Asasaki." Asuna's annoyed voice kicked at my hunched form, the jab accentuated by an actual prod of her foot. "There's no pain in this world, so stop acting so melodramatic. You're supposed to be an adult, not a child like Kirito."
My free hand tightened. Were there actual blood in them I was sure my knuckles would be turning bone white from her ignorance. "Doesn't mean the brain won't recreate what it expects," I managed, slowly moving onto my haunches. "And didn't you ask me if this hurt not a few hours ago?"
"That was before I saw you take several weapons to your stomach, arms, and even thigh in the name of an opening, and some of that was in the same fight," she scolded.
I shook my head, preventing my retort from being vocalized. Despite travelling with the two teens, I had never truly joined their party. As a result, they rarely is ever saw my health bar, especially considering you had to stare above somebody's head for a full second or too in order to deal with the obscuring effects of the rain. It was something I was glad for, if only so they wouldn't be panicking like so many others at my utter lack of caring at the terrifyingly familiar prospect of death.
"Spoils of war, Asasaki. I know you didn't get the last hit, but we'll pick the gold up from elsewhere." Kirito quietly set down a few sack of items before me, my sword and the now slain knight's greataxe having been placed neatly behind it while I was busy staving off memories.
"Thanks, Kii. Just give me a minute or two." Or three. Would a day off be too much to ask for? I swallowed down a health pot, keeping both hands occupied with both the perforated stopped and bottle to prevent them from touching the fading wounds.
"Thank you for your assistance. I owe you a great debt, especially you, Madame." He gave a pointed nod at me. "If that sword had ended up impaling me, it is likely I would have instinctively invoked the Spirit Tree's power to finish the beast off." Both Kirito and Asuna's eyes widened, the two sharing a quick look with each other before turning towards me with poorly concealed expressions. "My name is Gar'veni. I am a Forest Elf assigned to the boorishly named Wind region of this floor." He gave a small bow, armor clinking with the motion. "Might I ask what business you have on this island?"
"We were told by the current head of the Whispering village that we needed to get some wood for their homes to be repaired," Kirito answered.
The elf frowned, his face contorted by what was easily described as fury. "Repaired?" The fatherly tone turned cold, reminding me of the few times one of my superiors had been delivered bad news while in a hot zone. "What happened?"
"A group of Tarragon fighters ransacked the village. Lei mentioned they're supposed to be on friendly terms, so it's pretty odd." I tucked my newfound spoils into my inventory, wiping off most of the beads of water on my sword before securing it in its sheath.
"The four Tarragon tribes have had fairly peaceful relations with the humans in this region long before Aincrad was summoned into existence. For them to suddenly turn against their centuries old pact," he brought a hand to his chin, gaze moving away from us. "I believe it would be best if I travelled with your group for now. The humans in this region have regarded me as their protector of sorts. For generations I've looked over them, and on the rare occasion I stay near their homes they care for me in return."
Without thinking I accepted the sudden prompt, Gar'veni blinking at the interface that likely popped up in front of him. "Swordsman magic," I supplied, hoping my surprise at the adjusted Contract prompt wasn't showing. "It's modified from the normal kind, and I'm still learning how to effectively use it, but it should be mutually beneficial for the two of us. Just press the circle if you're willing. We can always hash things out later."
The elf gave me a cautious look before following my words, his status ribbon appearing underneath mine. Partially paying attention to the ensuing conversation about how to gather sufficient wood for the village, I poured over the party details, skewing what numbers I could into my new companion's favor.
From what I gathered, utilizing the «Diplomat» feature would allow me to gain temporary allies that could travel with me as they pleased while the more proper and base «Contract» function would bestow an imitation Player status onto my allies. NPC's listed under the Diplomat section wouldn't be able to benefit from any modifications I assigned to the base skill, but the benefits of leveling and checking their status still carried over. Unlike those under Contract however, there didn't seem to be any sort of function that would allow me to monitor my reputation with said allies.
"Swordsman, tell me: why do you carry Memento Tags of my people on your person?"
I blinked and brought a hand to my neck, realizing that the small metal plates bearing the names of Saruya and his lost brothers had slipped out from my chestpiece at some point. My lip twitched. Deep within my chest my heart wilted in despair, the fresh set of memories blinking through my mind. "To make a long story short, it's to honor a friend I made while assisting your companions in the Forests of Wavering Mist, though I suppose you might recognize that region as the Lostlorn Forest."
"I see." Gar'veni shifted his stance, seeming much like the Father or Uncle his appearance seemed to portray. "And how are they now?"
"Dead." I looked away and clenched my fist around the brass plates, controlling my breathing until the emotions passed. "Only three known Forest Elves survived. Apparently the Fallen Elves in the region enacted a plan of some sort and took over the Spirit Tree they had control of. There was also some sort of plan involving a crystal bearing tree and arcane circles that I never got around to asking about." A scowling grin formed, the expression tainting my next words. "Kind of hard trying to remember to ask about why your friends were pinned to the wall of a cave with some odd energy siphoning the life out of them when you just waded your way past a graveyard of smoking corpses."
Gar'veni stared at me, a pitying look infusing in his eyes. "Sister, remind me to explain to you exactly what you discovered when next we have time." The significantly taller elf laid a hand on my shoulder, the gesture lingering just short of uncomfortable. He strode over to Kirito and Asuna, the two teens quickly conversing about the quality of wood they had gathered before dismissing it into their inventory.
"Hey, Grandma!" Asuna stamped a foot into the soggy ground, clumps of mud springing into the air. "Stop remembering the good old days and hurry up! I'm wet and cold and we still have a travel through the wind to deal with!"
The negative cloud broke away, amused irritation taking over. "Oi, brat! Don't you get started on that age thing with me! I thought one of the tenants of your culture was supposed to respect your elders!" I chorted and strode over to the trio, tucking the tags back where they belonged.
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The bittersweet waters of the Slumbering Lily tea trickled down my throat, its warmth spreading through my entire body. As opposed to the torrential deluge we had travelled through, the storm had since lessened into a flurry of painful droplets that prevented vision past five feet. While I had been elected to speak with Lei, Gar'veni and the two teens had decided to brave the weather and aid the other adults and elder teens with what repairs they could for a few of the larger homes. Unfortunately, between the pool's worth of water falling every minute and the howling wind, the most they would likely be able to accomplish was nothing more than makeshift covers to keep the leaks out.
"I really must thank you for helping us, Lady Swordsman." Lei's cup quitely thunked against the wood, the clay kettle holding the petal fragments resting near the edge.
"If anybody should be thanked, it should be my companions," I deflected. "They're the ones risking their health."
"But it is you who have stayed behind to learn what you could." The woman, perhaps no more than five years younger than myself, shook her head and gave a forlorn smile. "For those of us unable to become strong in physical matters, knowledge is the best we can achieve." The brunette stared bitterly into her own cup, eyes searching for answers she likely already knew but refused to accept.
I placed my cup down on the table, my gaze falling to the three small sigils carved from wood. Each of them represented the heritage of the survivors from their respective village; the sole physical remnant of terrible actions. "When do you plan on sending them through?" I asked. The message that was supposed to have been sent to the Echoing village was never able to be delivered. With all their attention fully on the reconstruction of their homes, the Whispering tribe couldn't afford to send a group of fighters to clear the path through the northwest tunnel. I'd need to confirm it with Kirito and Asuna, but odds were we were meant to be the bearers of misfortune.
"Perhaps in an hour or so," she responded. "All of them have travelled so far, and the last parts into the village are the worst out of any of the trails here, even more so with a rain such as this."
"Best make it two. If the weather was as bad here as it was for us, they'll need more than an hour's rest to recover." I let out a short huff and sent off a message to Klein, two relatively simple kaomoji's first responding in confusion and then an affirmative. "I have some supplies meant for sustenance," I began, looking away in partial second-hand embarrassment. "None of my group, except for perhaps Gar'veni, would be able to prepare it." My hand flicked out and summoned forth a few bags containing meat from the boars on the first floor. "It's not quite the best thing in the world to eat, but-"
"Are ya sure, Lady Swordsman?"
I sighed, both irritation at the overly respectful moniker and annoyance and the interruption groaning behind closed lids. "I'm sure. It'd be relatively easy for me to gather more, so it's not a major hassle." Lei fell silent for a moment. Had she continued a second longer before moving I would have given an apology for how roughly I spoke, but as it was she seemed to have taken no major offense to my words.
"You truly are a blessing from the gods." Lei gave me a radiant smile, one that reminded me of a handful of times I had done simple acts of kindness for civilians back when I performed patrols in various cities.
"If that is what you believe, then so be it. I for one, would prefer if you called me role model, or an aspiration of what youth should try and imitate." I huffed and rested my chin on my palm, purposely avoiding her eyes which were starting to reach levels of Hero Worship. She seriously can't be getting this excited over the fact that somebody's taking the time to actually talk to her and treat her like a human being instead of looking to her for inspiration, can she? I glanced over and poorly disguised my wince as a muscle spasm.
"Oh, you guys made tea for us? Thanks."
I took a deep breath and slowly counted up to ten, finding great interest in the ceiling as Asuna poured herself a serving of the blessed replica of coffee using my previously empty cup. "It's the least we could do as thanks for risking your health," I stated. My attempt to hide my aggravation had gone successful, the red headed rapier user offering a beaming smile and another thanks.
"Eugh, that's disgusting." Immediately upon taking a sip from Asuna's pilfered cup, Kirito made a face. Without another word he gingerly handed the cup back, the girl downing it in short order.
"You must not be much of a coffee person then," she asked, pouring another cupful. Failing to notice the curious looks of Lei and Gar'veni, something I hurried explained as a Swordsman term for energizing drinks, she jokingly chided the noiret for his lack of tastes, chugging down a third cup before slowly working on the fourth.
"If that really is supposed to be coffee, are you sure you didn't just make a mistake downing that much so quickly?" Kirito inched a finger towards Asuna, slowly prodding at her shoulder until she shrugged the digit away.
"This is S-" she coughed, "Aincrad, not our homeland. The worst I'll get is jitters, and that's a worst case scenario. I used to drink coffee all the time when I was studying." Her clear voice quickly became mumbled at the end, the words meshing together in a slur of sounds I couldn't even begin to decipher.
"As far as Issin and I could tell, the only downside to drinking this tea for a day is having trouble falling asleep." I gave her a reproachful look, still irked by the claiming of my cup. "Though we only took a cup or two each meal, not three on an empty stomach."
"Oh, Lord Gar'veni!" The three of us blinked at Lei's phrasing. "Some of the survivors are able to cook, but we were hoping you might be willing to lend us your expertise in the matter." The woman opened up one of the bags, exposing the perfectly cut meat within. "Lady Asasaki graciously offered us some of her stores."
The elf looked over the assortment of food, a small look of distaste I attributed to the amount of pork making him look disgruntled. "Very well. Swordsmen Asasaki, how much more do you have?"
I summoned forth a good portion of the meat stores from the guild storage, ending up having to stack several bags atop the others in order to fit it all on the table. "Unfortunately I don't have much fruits and vegetables on me," I told the elf. "Or spices. It's one thing to gather supplies while making fields and roads safe for passage, it's another to go through a forest or garden and collect edibles." Lei gave me an odd look, one that I decided was confusion or perhaps exasperation at something so contrary to her lifestyle.
"Asasaki, one of these days you've got to tell me your set up. As fast as you move with armor, the damage you put out with normal attacks, and still being able to carry as many items as you are?" Kirito shook his head, staring at me with a mixture of admiration and jealousy. I didn't feel particularly motivated to inform him that all the items were a mere benefit of being part of a guild; I was sure it was something he already knew but happened to forget.
"Swordsman, might I trouble you to help me carry these to their preparation area?" Gar'veni gestured broadly at the table, Lei standing in response to lead us to the place in question.
"Go ahead and finish the tea if you guys want," I offered, grateful for something to do aside from only talking. "I'll be helping out where I can." The two teens nodded and quickly set up around the table, engaging in some topic regarding the local monsters. As the door started closing behind us, I was able to catch the briefest reference to what monster we would be fighting at the end of the questline in this region.
"Those two certainly seem close, do they not?"
I hummed my assent, verbalizing it once more when I realized that the now lighter rain was still drowning out small sounds. "I think they've been fighting side by side for the better part of two months now. If they didn't have some kind of connection, I'd honestly be a little worried." I let out a long breath of air, trying not to compare my own relations with the members of Fūrinkazan.
"The fire pits we use for cooking is over this way." Lei guided us towards a surprisingly undamaged hut, walking at a fast clip but still managing to stay within sight. "Most cooking gets done over personal fires, but I think such a large event would do wonders for everyone, especially the children."
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A few hours later, I found myself staring at a spiked falchion. Its tang was surprisingly light for its size, a quality that seemed to transfer into my body. For once I had managed to secure the last hit bonus from my companions, and though they both freely admitted I deserved the boon, it felt odd to have taken yet a second weapon from the monsters we felled. "A shame its starts are lower than «Tormenting Reaver». I was actually pretty fond of the time I was able to use a Dao type weapon."
The teens looked over at me, their fingers poised in identical positions over their loot screens. "Sounds like you've found your signature type. Good luck trying to stick to it though. A weapon is only good for one floor every four attempts it has, not counting the floor you get it on." Kirito closed out of his window, gaze falling to the circular opening in the center of the ceiling.
«Cardona, Tarragon Wind Elder» seemed highly focused on meditation; both his fully reactive over offensive attacks and the natural design of his chambers attested to that mindset. The spot the Wind Tarragon leader had fallen was ironically spotlighted by a beam of recreated moonlight, one of the most amusingly cinematic things I'd seen in a while.
I adjusted my hair, moving several stands back into place while our elf companion respectfully brought his fingers along the carvings on the walls. "I'm sure if I waited long enough, Isuke would be able to keep me supplied with the same style." When Asuna's head tilted in confusion, I explained that the man was somebody who had been recommended to me for aesthetically pleasing armor and weapons that still functioned around the same level as its competition.
Gar'veni suddenly stepped away from the walls, a thoughtful look on his face. "Perhaps once I solve the problems in the region, I might join you in your travels, Lady Asasaki."
I purposely ignored the confused silence from Kirito and Asuna, wondering whether or not they knew of the Contract skill. "It's a long trek, and there's a large amount of enemies on the way." When the elf commented how he was looking forward to a new environment I relented, wishing that I could have spent more time with the Sergeant or Asuka and earned another 18 levels for one more slot on my list of contracts.
"Gar'veni, now that we've stopped the Wind Tarragon forces," I closed my eyes at Kirito's words, desperately hoping that the swathes of sentient, bipedal reptoids we had slain would respawn and not label us as mass murderers, "what do you plan on doing now?" When I next opened them, the final objective from the Forest Elf's quest line popped up as completed, the ensuing notification detailing a significant amount of awarded experience for the Contract skill alongside the standard gold and cor.
"With the main threat taken care of, I must return back to the Echoing Village and the Scavenger's Base. If the Ancient Gate has been restored, more Swordsmen are likely to arrive. I must begin preparations in order to manage their numbers effectively." Asuna perked up, asking more of planning the elf would do. "What of you three?" He asked when we entered the main hall. "Where will your blades guide you next?" With those words Gar'veni's status ribbon wiped out of existence, the elf's icon turning from green to yellow.
"Since we're already so high up, we're planning on heading out to the water region on the other side of the basin. We heard talk of how there's somebody who can upgrade our gliders, and once we get that done we're heading down into the fire region for a final upgrade before heading over to the desert." Kirito assumed a rather dramatic pose when he stepped out of the temple, a fist resting on his hip in a manner than made me wonder if I had been rubbing off on him.
"You should be careful when you head into the lands of liquid fire and scorching sand. Being so isolated from our brethren, the Forest Elves and Dark Elves have entered an uneasy peace, but as a result of their assignments the Dark Elves are rather practical in their dealings. Listen to their words. If you are not careful, you may find yourself in an unfavorable contract."
I coughed at that, glad that the creators of what seemed to be Fūrinkazan's signature skill were rather open minded with their wording. "Despite their appearances and what you've seen from us, Kirito and Asuna are rather experienced in handling conversational matters. They're among the best of the Swordsmen that have travelled to Aincrad, and that skill has made them numerous allies and enemies."
The elf gave an understanding nod, gratefully taking his glider from Kirito. "Until next time, Swordsmen. May the Holy Trees of Lysula and Kales'oh watch over you." With the uttered blessing, Gar'veni launched through the air, his glider heading directly towards the crevice housing the entrance to the Wind Scavenger's Base.
"Asasaki, why don't you join our party for this next area? The forests in the Water region are a lot more complicated than the floating islands here. A lot of fog and mist, huge forested areas that have a lot of switchbacks; if you were in our party we could easily find our way to each other."
I continued staring after my potential signee, waiting a few more seconds before shaking my head as if I had only noticed his words. The instant I accepted their health bars appeared under mine, the virtual measurement of closeness to death significantly higher than that of my own recently turned green. "I'm ready whenever you guys are." Without further discussion, three gliders popped out of their holdings, an unsurprising black painted one forming the tip of the wedge.
The additional modification we had received after returning to the Echoing Village kept us flying straight and true, the small shaking in the frame I had felt previous entirely non-existent. As additional thanks for our efforts Isa, the head of the Scavenger's Base, had granted each of us a pair of surprisingly comfortable goggles, the eye guards protecting us against the buffeting winds and freshly starting rain.
After a few minutes we found ourselves passing over a large ridge, the stretch of raised earth fully encircling what seemed to be the ancient remains of a slumbering volcano. I maneuvered my glider to pull beside Kirito, wordlessly pointing towards the geographical feature.
"Final part of the elf quest line here!" He shouted. "It'll be fun, trust me!" The teen grinned, expression fumbling when he momentarially lost control of his craft. The rest of our trip went by quietly, a sudden increase in the rain forcing Kirito to bring us to one of the lower plateaus instead of our original target. "The first thing you two need to know about this region is that the dragons here have a lot of significance to the locals," he began, deciding to keep the goggles on. "Where the Wind Tarragons were more like uneasy neighbors, the Water Tarragons are regarded similar to Shinto gods. If we ever run into one, treat it with respect or like a really friendly but still dangerous animal." Kirito drew his blade and stepped into the woods. Without pause, Asuna stepped after him, her weapon held tightly.
"What sort of monsters should we be looking out for?" Asuna asked, feverishly looking around for anything out of the ordinary. Were it not for how spooky the rumbling flashes of lightning were I would have teased her about what unknown terrors might have been lurking in the dark.
"Snakes about as thick as my legs and as long if not longer than I am tall," I felt no shame in straightening at the exact same time as my female companion, "feathered or scaled chickens that have wyvern wings instead of normal avian ones, and the odd mad squirrel. There's some other monsters as well, but you have to walk off the paths to find those. I never really trained around here so most things I remember were only from word of mouth." Kirito pulled out the torch I had given him earlier in the day, a quick button tap igniting it despite the light spray penetrating the tree line. "If we're quick enough, we could probably finish by 3 in the morning."
I stumbled on my next step, once again reminded of how immersed the duo had become with the mechanics of this world. "Are we supposed to find a village first, or is the first quest here going to be something we have to look out for like the fighting elves back on the third floor?"
"I don't remember. I have a vague memory of a village supposed to be around here, but without an incomplete map I can't say for certain." Kirito whirled around and frowned, blocking the fist Asuna was about to bop him with. "You really need to stop doing that, Asuna. It's one thing to scold me for making us waste time wandering blindly, but you're starting to act like a character out of a manga or anime."
I stepped away from the two, closing my eyes to better focus on the surrounding noise. Underneath the chatter of the teens, an angry chittering repeated itself, the sound interspaced by what felt like clucking. "I think I found the quest, catch up when you're done!" Without waiting to see if the two had recognized what I meant, I Sprinted off, weaving between trees to find the source.
Even with the tingle of the skill coursing through my legs, the origin wasn't too far away. Huddled against the trunk of a massive tree, a strange pink and green feathered dragon around the size of a small feline was hunched over, mouth open and emitting what I thought were warning sounds.
"Copyright infringement," I sung, launching myself into the air and into the center of the group of «Water Tarragon Fowl Scavengers». With a small amount of glee forming at the situation, I slowly raised both my hands in a warning motion, never letting my gaze linger long on the aptly described, scaled chickens.
"Asasaki!" Kirito barreled through the path I had forged, eyes widening at some realization. A beat later, Asuna toppled the still immobile teen over, the damp soil extinguishing the torch.
"Hey, move!" I looked behind and gestured with my free hand, the tiny four legged creature scampering up the tree with a wing trailing brokenly behind it. In the brief moment I had turned away, the six monsters had separated against myself and my companions, three unique sets of claws and beaks vying for a piece of my digital flesh. "Why can't one of these field fights be with something conversational for once!?" I slashed through an over extended neck, hissing in irritation at the amount of fighting I'd done in the past twelve hours.
The draconic bird squawked in pain, its two allies running out from behind and independently aiming for my legs and face with well aimed beak and grasping claws. The former was succinctly grabbed mid lunge and slammed into the latter, an unaided stab skewing the two once they landed. Damn if I don't need to level up my strength more. I narrowed my eyes at the 5% the strike dealt, preparing myself for a protracted fight. "Come on, then. You're not getting another bite out of this hot stuff without working for it."
Over and over we traded attacks. Despite my best attempts, the draconian chickens were far too agile for me to handle alone. For every two hits I landed, one of them would manage to sneak in one. Eventually a pair of clawed legs sent a feathered body over my swing, the limbs latching onto my torso. Before the beast finished moving my mind already supplanted the sensation, pain flaring the instant a hard beak contacted my eye.
I snarled grabbed onto its head, slamming the pommel of my sword against it twice before driving the tip through its body. An impact from behind send me stumbling over the stunned avian and into the mud, a hard beak taking full advantage of my prone from. I jerked an elbow into my aggressor, deftly swapping to my right arm to slash at its unbalanced form. With the opening provided, I shot to my feet and flipped back, shattering its form with a gravity assisted sword skill.
"Asasaki!"
Kirito's warning went unneeded. Without pause I latched onto the scavenger's neck and pulled, driving my sword down its throat. A quick step back and whirl brought the enemy down on its recovering ally, Asuna taking care of them with a flurry of her signature moves.
"Is this normal for you?" The rapier user questioned, pulling out a potion. Her gaze lingered on my damaged eye, concern barely hiding the disgust appearing on her face.
"Far more common than I'd like to admit." I chugged the offered item, making a personal note to spend a day asking the locals for useful medicinal plants I could take back to Hilde. Empty bottle stored away, I motioned at the white armor lightly tinted green covering my body. "Part of the reason why I wear all this. I can dodge and deflect blows, but hits still happen. I'd rather the damage be mitigated as much as possible instead of every blow almost killing me."
Asuna gave me a guarded look, maintaining the stare for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Why'd you run off, anyway?" With a frown that seemed like it belonged on a mother, "Didn't Kirito mention not knowing this area? We should stick together. This isn't just a video game, people can die in here."
I let out a quiet puff of annoyance and turned around, staring up the tree I had been fighting by. "Don't have to remind me of that. In case you forgot, I was there when Diavel died." In the boughs of the tree, the dragon stared back at me, tentatively making its way back to the trunk. "And besides, I found a friend. I'm sure this'll work out in the end." The feathered beast quickly traversed down the tree and into my arms, chittering angrily when I adjusted its broken wing to be supported. "I know, I know. Just give us a couple minutes while we try to find someplace that can help, alright?" I turned around and jerked my head towards Kirito. "Alright then, Mr. Tester. We've got a man down and an injured non-com. Better hope that memory of yours is as good as your sword skills, or we're in for a rough night."
Kirito shuffled awkwardly before pulling open his map, staring at it in consternation for several seconds before placing a few markers. "We'll try and move quick then. Asuna, take point and try to disable what you can. I'll handle anything that gets too close. Asasaki, stick close to me. We're going to treat this as an escort mission, priority Asasaki and the dragon." His eyes flicked to the side. "There's no quest indicator, but hopefully that changes once we arrive at the village." Once again we set off without further comment. It was a nice change of pace, but I found myself wishing for Klein's standard words of reassurance.
As we walked, my vision slowly returned to normalcy. The progression was annoyingly slow though I ended up tugging my headpiece down to completely block the grainy, monochrome effect. To be honest, it was a fully unwelcome feeling to be treated like this. Were I capable of fighting I'm certain I wouldn't have been as annoyed, but with the situation being what it was all I could do was wait for Kirito's signal before moving forward.
Eventually we came across a series of simple wooden buildings elevated off the ground by way of numerous silts, staircases leading up to patios protected by what I was certain to be bamboo tiled overhangs. "The biggest one houses the village leader. That's usually how it works, right Kirito?" Asuna jogged up the one in question, doing what she could to remove the rain from her hair.
"Usually. If nothing else, they'll be able to direct us where we need to go." The noiret knocked twice on the door, the three of us standing silently while a set of footfalls approached.
Time had been kind to the man that greeted us, an unspoken question on his open lips. "Oh dear." Immediately upon seeing the injury dragon in my arms he motioned for us to come in, pulling the door to the side.
"Sorry about the intrusion," I said as I entered. After a few moments the man came back with a few towels that he laid on the table, sliding all but one to each of us. The last he gestured for the dragon to be placed on, a small wooden box containing medicinal supplies laid beside it.
"Worry not. Truthfully, I must apologize myself for not having pushed harder for somebody to be standing watch this eve." The man opened another bag and pulled out a handful of berries, laying them by the dragon's head for it to snack on while he tended to the break.
"Is that just standard procedure or has there been trouble recently?" Kirito probed, his coat and sword laying at his side.
"Both," the elder admitted. "Nearly all the inhabitants of this mountain have learned where each village is in respect to the mountain peak and the various formations around us. Having a messenger on foot is more reliable than smoke signals, especially considering the weather."
I noticed my companions share a look but decided not to comment on it, instead looking through my messages at the updates Klein had taken to sending me every fifteen minutes. It seemed that idle exploration had uncovered a cave system that back tracked back into the mainland; they hadn't gone too deep since they wanted to rest, but the area was classified as a dungeon and it was likely they would be out of contact for the entirety of tomorrow. I sent off a short message of well wishing, followed by a simple western smiley face when I realized how much effort it would take to craft one of Klein's eastern variants.
"Yoo hoo, message for Asasaki?" Asuna leaned out of my face when I jolted, brows furled in concentration. "Do you mind taking the dragon outside for a bit? It's getting pretty antsy, and I'm pretty sure out of the three of us it only trusts you." Whether timed or purely coincidental, the dragon snapped at Kirito's outstretched hand, the teen looking astoundingly hurt by the rejection.
"Yeah, sure. No problem." As I rose, the elder quickly told me that I should take the bag of berries along, claiming that the food might help keep the so called 'spirit' appeased. The rain seemed to have grown worse in the few minutes we were inside. As the two of us sat protected from the droplets, I scratched the dragon's head with a finger, suddenly recalling the tilted head guard covering my eye. When I moved the protection back into its proper place, I realized that there was a mostly vertical bump along my brow. Feeling the area more, it hit me that the wound from the scaled chicken had left a scar, something that had never occurred before.
"I get the sense you're going to be following me around for a while," I commented, trying not to think about it could possibly mean. "How does a name sound to you?" The creature lifted its head from my leg, waiting until I met its gaze to trill something I translated as ambivalent acceptance before continuing its rest. "If you're pink and green," I resumed my ministrations, slowing down my breathing. "Buttercup comes to mind, but you seem more like a male dragon than a female."
I chuckled at the resultant chirp, its uninjured wing twitching like a bird ruffling its feathers. "Cotton Candy would be next, but I don't think either of those would fit." I smiled briefly when I realized I had switched to English, wondering if the dragon was still able to understand me or if there was some other factor at play. "What about Daiquiri, and then I call you Dai for short?" The dragon's head shot up at that, giving off a somewhat convoluted series of noises that left me with the oddest sensation of pride.
"Looks like it's settled then. My new feathered friend shall be known as Daiquiri, after a simple but lovely drink that anyone who partakes in the consumption of alcohol should know how to make." I quickly glanced around, wondering if the action of naming a monster NPC would have caused a pop-up to appear. When none came, I merely shook my head, returning my attention to the beast that had settled into my lap.
"Asasaki." Asuna's head peeked through the sliding door, her hands keeping the rest of her body from tumbling through. "Ryu's ready for you now." She slipped back into the building, the door masking her departure.
"So how are we going to do this, Dai? Want be a stuffed animal and rest in my arms or shall I drape you across my neck like a particularly fluffy scarf?" Whether through the understanding of my words or the gestures that I made, the winged quadruped slowly moved up my body and rested across my shoulders, its legs fully hanging over the front of my body. "Comfy?" I asked, switching back to Japanese. With one final soft trill, I gathered the half eaten bag of snacks and headed inside, the warmth of the gentle fire in the center of the room chasing away the minor chill that settled in my body from the rainy weather.
"Apologies for the inconvenience, Swordsmen Asasaki." I gently waved off the apology, setting the bag beside the feather pillow I had used earlier. "Tarragons such as the one you have befriended do not normally take kindly to being taken away from their exposure to the air. I did not wish to aggravate the Spirit more than it already is."
"It's no problem," I sat slowly, mindful not to jostle the additional weight unnecessarily. "The rain was actually really relaxing. Helped me get over the emotional shock of the damages I took during that fight." I raised my right hand to my eye, feeling the the scar tissue on my upper lid. "It's really surprising though," I rolled up my shirt, internally smirking at Kirito's yelp. "This is the first time my body's showed any sort of markings from any attacks I've taken." I prodded the handful of spots I'd been stabbed through, the flesh annoying perfect in spite of how marked and ruined it should be.
"The cockatrices are rumored to have hidden powers as a result of their draconic heritage. Perhaps it is one of those that caused your scar." The Elder, perhaps no older than this late thirties or early forties, nodded sagely. "I am certain that if you face them again, at least one of you will come away with yet another scar on your body."
Two pairs of eyes turned to me, their owners far too confident (however justified) in their ability to dodge attacks. "Scars mean nothing to me," I stated, calmly silencing the internal grousing for my next words. "If anything, it's just a record of the physical events in your life."
Ryu chuckled. "Truer words have never been spoken." The elder's gaze lingered on me for a second too long, his eyes shifting onto Daiquiri's. "How well does the Spirit treat you?"
"About as well as you could expect from a friendly wild animal." Dai's tail flicked up, the soft feathers slapping against my cheek and nose. "Like you should be grateful that it's graced you with its presence." I reached up and fed the dragon another berry. "Basically like a house cat, but more feathery." Kirito and Asuna exchanged yet another glance, an unspoken conversation shared between them.
Ryu nodded once more, his lips pushed together minutely as if holding something back, loosening after a moment of indecision. "I apologize, Swordsmen, but would you be willing to listen to the ramblings of an old man?"
I took in a long breath, holding it for a few moments when I noticed an accursed indicator hovering above his head. "Of course, Elder Ryu. To be honest, I love hearing stories." Asuna smiled sweetly, the appearance a stark contrast to the usual looks of annoyance or indifference she gave me. The green question mark flashed into a yellow exclamation point, disappearing when I stopped focusing at the spot above his head.
"Truthfully, this would not be the first time the cockatrice have acted up. They've been this way every decade for the past century. Attacks, especially against other dragons, should not have occurred for at least another eight years." Ryu picked up a crude iron rod, prodding the charcoal. "The leaders of the other villages and I believe it may be the result of the elves in the region. Some of our trappers have reported seeing our pointy eared neighbors wandering about in great frequency the past few months, suspiciously coinciding with the Cockatrice' activity."
I took a vicious glee in stopping Asuna's triumphant smirk, Dai chidingly chittering at something. "Apologies, Elder, but I find that hard to believe. We spoke with one of the Forest Elves from the Wind region. I was under the impression that the elves here were on good terms with their neighbors."
"That's what we were told about the Wind Tarragons there and look what happened," Asuna shot.
Daiquiri's chirps interrupted my thoughts, the creature nimbly dropping into my lap and demanding to be hand fed more snacks. "Just because one group became bad does not mean all group will." I frowned at the dragon's actions, admonishing its attempts to nibble at my finger with a firm tap on its beaked snout. "If anything, hearing of yet another issue of the local fauna acting up should be a signal for us to take a look around and see what we're missing."
"You suspect there is something else at large?" Ryu shifted, motioning for a young child I had not noticed to come over. After few quiet whispers, the girl bowed and shuffled outside, the door resumed to dull the sound of the now heavier rain. "I cannot think of anything nor anyone that would desire to bring the divine spirits and ourselves into conflict, but if you feel that to be the case then we shall defer to your judgement."
Kirito grinned and leaned forward, bracing his arms on the table for a moment before being reprimanded by Asuna. "Going to show us younglings how to properly sleuth out a perp, Auntie?"
"You make it sound like that's all we're going to be doing," I grumbled. "Seeing as how we're going to be having a long night, Elder Ryu, would you mind giving us a seal or paper of your approval or something along those lines? Being foreigners here, I don't know the situation, but having the backing of somebody as respected as yourself would be a wonderful boon to our cause." Daiquiri curled up after the last berry in the bag, what felt to be a single long feather tucking over his nose.
"My fellow elders should have no problems aiding you, though I can see how such issues may arise. I can prepare a letter of approval for you, though it may take some time to be ready. In the meantime, why don't you see what you can do for the others within the village? I am certain if you improve your standing with the locals, you will be able to hold greater sway should something pressing come up."
Kirito closed his eyes and smiled, a feeling I could relate to considering how fluid a transition Ryu's words were to more quests. "We'll do what we can. Until then, Elder." The three of us waiting for the aging man to his chambers before speaking.
"So how long should we wait, Kirito?" Asuna leaned closer to me, focused entirely on the slumbering dragon.
"An hour at most. At the very least we really should talk to the locals, see what information we can find. Check your quest list every so often. This'll probably end up like the Shipwright of Yore quest and we'll get a notification when its ready." Kirito gathered his belongings and stood, closing out of what was probably his quest log.
"Divide and conquer?" I suggested, neatly folding the bag before standing.
"Divide and conquer. I'll take the northern third. Asuna, take the eastern. Asasaki, the western. Save anything that requires us to head outside the village for later, and do what we can now. If you check out all the houses and Ryu's still not ready for us, we'll try and tackle whatever we can combine. Remember, we're still on a deadline of sorts. Argo can only keep everybody occupied for another day or two while she finishes up her quest guide for the fifth floor. After that, we'll have to start competing for resources."
Where I expected a group cheer to occur, a round of nods were exchanged, Asuna and Kirito leaving me behind with only a cat disguised as a feathered dragon as company. "I guess it's time to meet the neighbors, Dai. C'mon, I'm sure it'll be a fun experience."
If all goes according to plan, next chapter should be out by January 26-27th.