Chapter Two

Old friends meet again

Log entry, April 25, 2008

It's been a while since I logged into The World for much of anything, I've only used it lately to check my e-mail and look at the board. Rumors have been going around that a strong player by the title The Dragon Champion has been absent from The World for a month today. I decided to log in today as my girlfriend is out of town visiting a friend. I'm thinking of leveling a little, who knows, maybe luck will bring me something good today.

It was a very slow day in the game today, I was annoyed at people as all of them were being assholes at the moment, no one wanted to trade, people forming groups wanted wavemasters and long arms, no one wanted a heavy blader, especially one with my attitude. I'm a leader type of person, and anyone forming a group doesn't want someone other then themselves to be the group leader. I wonder what's wrong with someone who has command skill being leader; I give commands in the game with lightning fast speed. I decided to go sit by the river; Delta was the only city with a river anyway.

As I sat there, I looked at my reflection in the water, my character look; my Flaming red hair was long and spiky with one long dreadlock hiding one of my midnight blue eyes, my armor was red in color, a leather sleeveless shirt, and leather shorts, I also was able to add in leather cut-off gloves. I had a strong face, and my figure for my character was muscular, but not bulk. I eventually decided that the river was boring and decided to see if anyone had chilled out.

As I looked up I saw something odd across the river, a blurred figure of a character, I noticed that he was blue in color, however I didn't see much as it went away in a second, probably a glitch I though. I decided to see if anyone was still being an ass or if they wanted to trade. As I ascended the stairs leading back to the main street, I saw a new character, she mush have just logged in I thought.

"Hello" I said to her.

"Hello, my name's Flare, you want to trade." Her character figure was a thin and strong twin blader, she wore yellow cloths, the default for a twin blader with her figure, she must have been in a hurry to get on when she created her character.

"Sure, been wanting to trade all afternoon" I replied.

As we began to check out what the other wanted to trade she began to take about the latest rumors, "So have you heard about the rumors why the Crimson Knights disbanded, people say that they all got beaten by a character that" I was thinking as she went on and on, god do you shut up, I don't give a dam about rumors. My opinion changed though when she brought up something that did catch my attention, "and it's so cool, oh have you heard about the rouge blade master Dractaros?"

"What, Dractaros?"

"Yeah, the blade master that was the Dragon Champions usual team member, he's been missing for about 2 weeks know"

"Care to fill me in; I haven't been on for a month?" I was wondering for a moment, Dractaros, that's my old pals nickname, could it be him.

"Well, about a month ago, the great Dragon Champion went missing, no one has seen him in The World at all, and he's always around. Like I said also, his usual team member has disappeared also, just 2 weeks ago"

"Any more?"

"Yeah, rumors have been going around that a blurred figured looking like Dractaros has been seen every now and then around the servers."

A blurred image, I saw one a few minutes ago by the magic shop, it looked like it was heading towards an alley. "Well thanks, sorry but I can't find anything you have that interest me"

"That's ok, there are many other people still around just this server, invite me to a party some time, and remember my name is Flare" she sent me her member's address and headed of to a crowd of people.

I saw him at the magic shop, I'll head there, besides I have to buy more speed scrolls, I headed towards the magic shop. When I reached the bridge, I stopped and looked around Mac Anu, this riverside city was clean and build along the river, the water crystal clear, and the buildings were well designed , I loved the design in The World as it was better then real life, the rivers were polluted and the buildings dirty. I looked over the rail of the bridge and saw someone in a canoe going to another part of the city, I continued towards the shop.

I went down the stairs and talked to the shop keeper, "I need speed scrolls" The shop keeper was an NPC so he wouldn't say anything except what he's programmed to say.

"Thank you, have a safe journey" he said.

I left the shop and turned towards the alley I saw the blur near, it was a alley that was vacant, I though at once, man, If I'd of known about this alley before, I'd be here more often. I went down the alley and saw there was more, a corner towards a dead-end. I turned around the corner and saw a lone blade master, he wore blue plate armor, silver chain mail, his eyes and hair were blue, his eyes gave of a strange glow. He looked like what I made out from the blur, he was leaning against the wall looking serious. Strange, he doesn't act like he's noticed me, I though as he hasn't moved at all. "Hey there, want to trade" I asked him, He said nothing; I waited for a moment however he remained silent. "Hello, you want to trade" I wondered if it was my old best friend as he was still silent. "Hey! You going to say anything or not!" I was loosing my temper with this guy as he didn't even move at all. "FINE!" I turned around and started to walk away when he finally spoke.

"Sorry, was AFK, shout loud enough, the whole zone could hear you".

I turned around and saw he wasn't leaning against the wall anymore. "Sorry I lost my temper" I replied.

"It's ok, sorry, haven't got anything to trade, so if you'll excuse me" he started to walk away.

"Wait" I called out, he stopped and turned around, "I was wondering, you want to form a group and go to a dungeon?"

He didn't answer; he sent his member's address as a reply, then said "Only if I pick the field".

"Fine then, ok with me" I sent him the invite, glad I could get a group today; I would let him decide what to do.

"The field is Theta Chosen Hopeless Altar"

"Um, ok" I said, what am I thinking, That has to be at least a level twenty-eight field, I'm a few levels below that, what a minute, that's a Phoenix Flame he's holding, a fairly high level weapon.

"You coming or not!"

"Sorry, god keep your panties on" I said running after him.

"I heard that, you're lucky I'm not in the mood to kick your ass".

What a pissy ass, I though, when we reached the Chaos Gate, he selected the field and we warped to theta. I haven't been to Theta before, I wanted to look around, however, the moment we materialized he selected the field and we were warped to the field. The field appeared before my eyes, a frozen wasteland, man who would want to come here.

"We're heading towards the dungeon" My team mate said.

"What, but there are monsters on the field to kill!"

"Deal with it".

WTF, I want to level, to do that I have to kill monsters, there are eight monsters up here, oh well, I don't want to piss him off.

"Very well then, but I want to kill some monsters inside the dungeon"

"Only if they're in the way to the bottom floor"

We proceeded to the dungeon, passing all monster portals, if this guy isn't here for anything in particular, then what's he after?

We entered the dungeon, a cold castle look, with a blue tint to it, perfect look for a castle in a frozen wasteland, I used a fairies orb to get the floor layout, a usual habit, there was one portal in the way to the stairs.

"Hmp, one portal, that's all, no challenge" Dractaros said.

We moved to the next room that had the portal, when we entered the room, the doors closed and the portal opened, a Mystery Rock appeared; this tall monster was like a Moa with two smaller rocks as its hands. I stood ready to attack, however Dractaros lunged at it and killed it using "Vak Revolver", He killed it in one hit, holy shit, glad he's on my side. He started to move towards the corridor, I followed as soon as I snapped out of my shock.

We descended down the stairs; I again used a fairies orb, the map was reviled to me, last floor already, that was short, my team mate noticed the same thing, he looked disappointed. "I've got to go" He said.

I turned my head at him with a look of surprise, "What, but we just got to this floor, we just started".

"I'm going" with his last sentence he gated out, man what a jerk, I decided there was nothing more to do without him, I used a Sprite Ocarina and gated out to the root town.

"You hear about the different field?"

This was the first thing that can to my ears when I gated into town, two guys talking about some field.

"Yeah, it's a church of some kind; I've heard there aren't any monsters there ether."

"Sounds interesting, what are the keywords?"

"Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground"

"Thanks"

The two guys gated out, a church field, sounds different, think I'll check it out; I selected Delta from the gate and warped out. I didn't want to stick around the root town, so I selected the field and warped to it. The guy was right, it's a church, that's the first though that entered my mind as I gated in. The sky was dark and cloudy, like a storm was on the way, the church stood high, about forty to fifty feet at least for the door alone. The whole building must have been 5 stories at least; the color was a faded white, a gloomy looking place, kind of freaky for a church. I wanted to think about that strange guy, I didn't get a chance to ask him if he was my old friend. I decided to lean against the wall to think, after a minute, I heard something, someone talking, "Log entry, April 26, 2008, I finally got someone to help me enter the dungeon, however I got no information, a dead-end." I straightened up and looked inside the old church, a figure was in there, wait a minute, I though, it's him. The figure was indeed him; a tall blade master with blue plate armor and silver chain mail, flat blue hair, and the same name, what luck to find him again, now's my chance.

"I have no leads right know, maybe I should -"

"Stop talking to yourself, maybe get some mental help"

He looked surprised, turned his head and looked at me, his eyes glowing strangely, "What do you mean?"

"Can't you read your own text, or hear yourself, your talking to yourself"

"God dammit, error in the word program, thanks for telling me, now if you'll excuse me"

He got up to leave, now is my chance, "Wait" he stopped and looked at me, "I want to ask you something, your name, is it a nickname?"

"Yeah, so" He said in an uninterested tone.

"I had a friend in school who had that as his nickname"

"Went to Salt Lake Utah?" he said sounding surprised.

I started to wonder about him, "Yeah"

"… Was he a smartass?"

"Yeah"

"Was fond of Chinese History"

I was almost convinced now, "Yeah, especially with the Three Kingdoms Era"

He looked very surprised, "Holy bloody hell, look what the dog dragged in, it's my old pal, my homey, my best friend, Broco"

"BROCO, WTF, YOU DAM ASS!"

"Hahahahahahahaha, yep, that's my old friend for sure, no doubt about that:-). Sorry about that, had to make sure"

"Har de har har, ):-( you ever call me that again and I'll kick your ass"

":-) It's good to see you again my sworn brother"

I was still steamed, but happy it was him, "Yeah, same"

"So, what you been doing these last 4 years?"

"Getting married to my girlfriend :-)"

"That's goo -"

He trailed off, he must be jealous, he's always been jealous of my girlfriends, "Yeah, it's great, she it an Angel". I was expecting him to say something, however, he didn't say anything, something isn't right, he looks sad, "You ok, I thought you'd be happy for me".

"I am, however …"

I know something was wrong now, "What's wrong?"

"…"

"What you can't tell your old friend?"

"… You remember my brother?"

"How could I not"

"He plays The World, he's a very strong character, know by few however"

"I don't get what you're saying" I was looking confused at him.

"He goes by the Dragon Champion, you should know"

I was shocked, his brother was the Dragon Champion, "But, aren't you still living with your brother?"

"Yeah"

"That's odd, care to tell"

"My brother and I a month ago were trying out a hack that my brother developed"

"You brother developed a hack!"

"Let me finish, we went to a dungeon, Theta Chosen Hopeless Altar, to try out the hack, ever thing worked, however, when we entered the dungeon, all the portals disappeared"

"Disappeared?"

"Yeah, we traveled down five floors, a different monster appeared at the last floor where the portals reappeared, I logged out after he told me to, when I logged off The World, I found him comatose"

"What, but how?"

"I don't know, I was hopping that the dungeon might have the answer"

"But it didn't"

"No, know I don't know where to start"

"Well we'll find somewhere"

"We?"

"You think I'll let my best friend do this alone"

He looked very happy at that, "Thank you Drako, yet again you help me out"

"Hey, I have to repay you some how :-)"

We started to think of anyway to find out, we two meet again to aid each other, man fate it strange.

End of Chapter Two

(Author's note: A better idea for Drako's hair is SSJ Goku, but shorter.)