Chapter 5: Moments
After that day in the Abyssal Ruins, Mataras, Saphira and I kept in touch from time to time, even going on quests together when we had free time. Although I did find that I had a lot of time to myself for the most part after that adventure on Floor 5.
"So you really never noticed me during the boss raids up until we officially met on Floor 5?" I asked him while we trudged through one of the forests on Floor 13.
He shrugged. "You just seem to have a natural affinity for subtlety." He answered. "Fitting for someone who decided to be a treasure hunter, though."
I rubbed the back of my neck as He said this. "Yea...thanks again for helping me out with this area, guys."
"It's no problem!" Saphira chimed. "Out of curiosity though, did you want to come down here because you think that you're going to find...whatever it is that you're looking for?"
My walking slowed down slightly, but picked back up a few seconds later. "...Honestly, I don't think it'll be here. All I got was that there was some sort of valuable treasure here."
"Are you ever going to tell us what it is you're searching for?" Mataras asked me.
I simply smirked in response, as if that was all he needed. In reality, I hoped to tell them after I found it, if not for the sake of secrecy. What I sought...well, it was more valuable to me than all the cor stored up in Aincrad.
I didn't want anyone taking it before I did.
…
By the time we reached the end, it wasn't a boss that was waiting for us, rather a very well hidden treasure chest. It was a good thing that my detection skill was rather high, and I found the thing with relative ease. Getting to it though was a different matter unto itself, as it was embedded pretty deep in the side of a cliff.
Once we were able to get the thing out, we were all rewarded with 10,000 Cor each, along with a rather strong ingot. There was only one, so I suggested we roll a die to see who gets it, but the two of them insisted that this was my quest. After a bit more persuading, I almost begrudgingly accepted it. It just seemed...unfair to me, but they kept insisting.
…
"Well, that was fun." I remarked as soon as we left the forest, lightly stretching my arms. Nightfall was approaching as the setting sun could be seen in the distance.
Mataras nodded. "Yes it was."
Saphira smirked. "You know, we go on quests together so often that people might think we're part of a guild or some other."
I stopped for a second "Correction." I tell her. "They will think that you two are part of a guild or some other." At that point the two of them had started earning something of a reputation as some of the best front line fighters, as small as it currently was. I, on the other hand, was hardly known by anyone.
I suppose Mataras was right. I really must have a natural affinity for subtlety.
Saphira frowns at this. "Oh." That was all she could say.
Without waiting for them or any other response, I pulled out a teleport crystal. "Alright then. I suppose I'll see you two then!" I raised my crystal in the sky before letting out a shout. "Teleport Wileris!" It was seconds later when I disappeared in a flash of light.
…
After Phantom left them in a flash of light, Saphira turned to her brother. "Phantom's a nice guy and all, but do you agree that he's sometimes...socially oblivious?"
"Either that or he's aware of them and has his own way of responding to social cues."
Saphira merely shook her head. "Man, you are just in an argumentative mood, aren't you?" Mataras simply gave her a 'meh' face.
…
Reaching the familiar oceanside town during a clear day, I decided to simply sit down on a nearby bench and reassess my items and equipment.
My old katana has long since broken, now replaced with a new sword; a simple one-handed longsword reminiscent of Arthurian legends. Like my old katana, it was nothing too extravagant to look at. Just a simple sword, nothing more, nothing less.
In a strange way, it reminded me of myself.
My armor, if you could even technically call it that, was largely unchanged. I still donned the dark blue trench coat that I had, same black shirt and trousers, but I got rid of the hood, replacing it with something new to my outfit: a long dark green scarf that went down to my knees.
I found it as a rare treasure from completing a quest where I had to defeat a strong and equally fast AI rouge from terrorizing a town. The scarf itself was titled "Windchaser" and it boosted my own speed by 25.
I still wore my mask. It was arguably one of my favorite pieces of equipment, with the sentimental value that I placed in it.
Scrolling through my small treasure trove within my inventory, I eventually summoned the newest ingot I received from the latest quest I undertook with Saphira and Mataras.
It was called Rainstone when I checked its item description, but it wouldn't tell me any more than that. My appraisal skill apparently wasn't exactly high enough to detect item stats, or at the absolute minimum, ingot stats.
Sighing to myself and vowing to soon change that, I decided to eventually take the ingot to a friend of mine who had a higher appraisal skill. At first I wanted to take it to him right away, but looking up in the sky, it was just about dusk.
Putting the ingot away, I decided to grab myself a drink and crash for the night on my sloop afterwards.
While making my way to the cafe, I noticed someone who was new in town. I visited this town quite often, and a lot of people I met were regulars around, so it was odd to see a new face.
Sitting underneath a big tree in the center of the town square, there sat a young girl with brown hair on a small red rug. She wore a tan/brown outfit for the most part, but the most interesting thing was the fact that she was sitting cross-legged in front of an anvil, a hammer resting on top. Next to her, propped up, was a sign that said 'Smith Shop.'
Their eyes met, and for a moment, I thought about going over to her.
She's a blacksmith, that much is obvious. Wants to perform her profession, even though she clearly doesn't have an official shop. Not many customers since she was resting her head in her hands with a frown, a clear sign of boredom-
I froze. I didn't notice that our eyes were still trained on each other, but something else was going through my head.
Out of panic at what I unwittingly did, I quickly sped away from the area, unaware of the social rudeness at the time.
Pulling my scarf over my mouth, I subconsciously navigated the town as I made my way to Cafe Zephyr, my mind cascading with thoughts.
Or more precisely, a single thought that repeated itself in my head over and over again.
Stop observing. Stop observing. Stop observing…
…
When I finally reached Cafe Zephyr, my mind stopped accelerating and finally calmed down. It was almost stressful, thinking a mile a minute. Or at least it was when I didn't want to.
Maybe a good cup of coffee will do me good. I thought to myself as I entered the cafe. I was about to go and sit down at my usual place, but something stopped me dead in my tracks:
There was a group of people sitting at my usual table.
This threw me off, because while this restaurant was public and anyone could sit anywhere, almost nobody else really came here.
If anything, Mataras, Saphira and I were all regulars here.
I was going to simply sit down at another table, but my curiosity got the better of me. Looking around, I eventually spied Terrise, the waitress who I first met here and now-close friend of mine and quickly made my way to her.
Giving her a light tap on the shoulder, she turned around, a puzzled expression initially on her face, but it then changed to a warm smile. "Oh! Phantom! How're you doing this evening?"
"I'm doing good." I tell her in a rather uninterested tone. "Erm, I hope I don't come across as rude, but who are those people over there and why are they sitting at my table?" I ask her, pointing to the odd group as they all raise their glasses in what I assume to be a toast.
Peering to where I was pointing, she simply shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno. Just a large party of six that came in."
Before she could continue, I decided to leave my knowledge at that and waved her off. "Thanks." I told her. "Could I get my usual please?"
She nodded. "Hazelnut with a dash of vanilla? Sure thing!"
Taking a seat at another table that was relatively close to them, I couldn't help but notice one of the people there: Someone who was dressed completely in black. He seemed a bit more reserved, as the rest of the group seemed to be rather open with each other. The oddest thing was that the one in black seemed familiar to me, yet I couldn't place it.
Now conscious of my observing due to the incident prior to the cafe, I halted my brain before it could start, simply writing in my journal while waiting for my coffee.
Day 153,
After completing another quest with Mataras and Saphira, which rewarded me with a special ingot that I hope to get forged later, I came to Cafe Zephyr to only find a group of people at my table. It isn't any major issue, but I feel as if I know one of the players…
When I finished writing, Terrise brought my coffee over, and gave me a smile before returning to her other duties.
I simply took a sip while eying the player in black for a bit, before eventually leaving.
I was curious as to why he felt familiar to me, but I realized that it wasn't my business, and sticking my nose where it doesn't belong is the absolute last thing that I will do.
Trekking through the streets and to the docks, where my Sloop was anchored, I walked aboard via gangplank and entered the small captain's quarters in the back area, if it could even be called that.
All there was for room was a small bed and table with a couple of maps and books scattered on top.
Quickly opening my menu and changing into my sleepwear, which consisted of flannel pants and a white t-shirt, I fell onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
…
Phantom soon found himself spiraling deep into the darkness and through the river of his dreams as the pitch black surrounding him was soon replaced with vibrant colors that he could not describe.
It was mere moments later that his feet hit solid ground, but it was like he didn't feel any impact at all, as if someone froze him where he was and gently placed a level surface under his feet.
Then, a scene before him began to twist and form until he was in what looked like a child's bedroom.
"And being very tired and having nothing inside him, He felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks." A woman was reading to what looked to be his son who looked no older than 6, hair as light and blond as the sun itself. He kept rolling around, constantly adjusting his position on the bed, but it seemed to be almost always leaning on his mother. "What put a stop to all of this was a sudden fright. Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him."
She continued to read to him about the boy known as Shasta and the being who was walking beside him in total darkness. She described how Shasta at first feared the being, mistaking it for a giant in the fantastical world. She read of how the terror within him almost made him run, but he eventually gained the courage to ask a question to the being.
"Who are you?" The mother recited to her son. Then, taking up a deep voice that was almost comical, but in a way sombering, she continued reading, speaking in the voice of the being, "One who has waited long for you to speak,"
She then detailed the short conversation between the boy Shasta and the mysterious being, all the while the young boy laying at her side listened intently, wonder in his eyes. Perhaps it was the fact that it was all a dream, or if he wasn't thinking in this moment, but Phantom couldn't recall what it was he was seeing.
She continued to tell of Shasta and how he feared the thing was a giant or something from the dead, wishing that the being would go away. She then described how the Being breathed a breath of warm air in Shasta's face before saying "That is not the breath of a ghost. Tell me your sorrows."
Phantom watched as the Mother told her child of Shasta's woes. How he seemed to always be chased to the point of death by a lion. How he was in the harsh desert air and longed for the taste of water or bread. How he was alone in the tombs of the dead and now alone with only a being he deeply feared.
The boy's eyes then grew wide as his mother spoke in the voice of the mysterious being. "I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you as you slept." She then turned to her child, who was listening with eyes wide with wonder. "Do you know who that is?"
He gave her a childish smile before telling her, "Aslan! It's the lion, Aslan!"
Phantom continued to watch the scene unfold before his eyes, until finally after what seemed like an eternity, the mother closed the book she was reading to her son, and tucked him in, preparing him for bed.
When she was about to turn off the light and walk out of the room, her son asked, "Mama, is Aslan really real?" He asked her. She simply smiled at him as she responded. "Yes, of course he is real." She walked back over and sat on his bed one last time. "Although he is only known as Aslan in another world. In this world, he is known by another name."
The boy's eyes grew wide with what seemed to be excitement. "Really? What's his name?"
She chuckled. "I'll make you a deal. It's very late, but I promise that we can talk all about it tomorrow morning as long as you want." She held out her pinky to him. "Deal?"
He looped his pinky around her own. "Deal!" he tells her, smile reaching from ear to ear."
Watching the scene unfold, Phantom felt an unnatural feeling on his face. Reaching up to touch it, he felt something that he knew quite well.
Tears.
…
It was early morning when Phantom woke up. The dream was still in his mind as well as the sorrow he felt he dressed and got ready for the day, although he soon dismissed it. It wasn't good to think of the past.
When he exited his sloop and got onto the land, it was about 6:30, give or take. Pretty early for most, but that wasn't saying much since a small amount of Aincrad's population insisted that noon was way too early.
Looking out to the sea, he sat down next to the edge of the water and waited for one of his favorite parts of the day.
His waiting finally paid off as he saw the tip of the sun hit the sky, filling the floor with a small glimpse of its light, but it was more than enough.
Phantom took a long breath, the fresh morning air of the sea filling his lungs. This was truly the best moment of any day.
After a few more minutes of the sight, he decided to finally get up and head over to my friend's place to get the ingot properly appraised.
Walking through the early morning air, I made it to the central square, the location of the floor warp gate. What surprised me though was who else was there.
Sitting exactly in the same way in the same spot, was the girl from yesterday. Sign up, anvil in front of her.
Either she got up really early or she never got to bed...I couldn't tell which, but either way, that was some serious commitment.
She didn't notice me, but seeing her there with all her commitment...I didn't know how many customers she has had, but…
I don't know what drove me to walk over to her. Not even to this day.
"You know if you continue sitting out here, one of these days some crazed maniac with a key will come along shouting 'where's the Blacksmith?'"
She nearly jumped off her rug. She whipped her head towards me before calming down. "God, you scared me."
I simply rubbed the back of my neck in response. "I'm told I do-do that a lot, appa-apparently."
She eyed me warily. "Can I help you sir?" She asked after a moment. Thinking for a bit about what course of action I should take, I eventually took a seat in front of her, sitting on my right leg while propping up my left.
"You're-you're a Blacksmith, right?"
Her mouth quickly curved into a smile. "Yessir! This is Lisbeth's Blacksmith Shop!"
I tilted my head. "Not exactly the-the largest of-of establishments, no?"
Her smile slipped almost as fast as it appeared. "I'll have you know that my shop is a legitimate business!"
"Not enough Cor to actually own-own a building?"
Her eyebrows furrowed, almost in agitation. "Sir, if all you want to do is insult my shop, then I would have to ask you to leave and take your stuttering with you."
I blinked. Was I stuttering? I hadn't noticed for some reason. I took a breath as I went over my next words in my head, before reciting them to the Smith. "My apologies, Miss. I suppose I speak my mind too often." I pulled up my menu and brought out the Rainstone Ingot. "I was wondering how-how high your appraisal skill is?"
She folds her arms. "High enough."
I sigh. "Where have I heard that before?" I mutter under my breath as I hold the ingot out to her. Accepting it, she opened her menu and started appraising it. After it was finished, she raised her eyebrow.
"Where in the world did you get this ingot? Rainstone of all things?" She asked.
"I'm a treasure hunter." I responded. "I suppose it would be trade secrets. Why do you ask?"
She looked up from the ingot and stared me in the eye. "This isn't a metal that can be used to make blades. It only makes hilts." I blink a few times, trying to register the information she gave me.
"...Huh." I simply respond. "Didn't think that was an option in the crafting system."
She shook her head. "Neither did I, yet here it is."
I put my index finger under my nose as I closed my eyes and went into thought. An ingot meant to be used to make a hilt…
"Um...sir?" The girl asked me, snapping me out of my brief thoughts.
I bowed to her. "Well, thank you for your service, Lisbeth was it?" I told her as I stood up. "I'll be back with another ingot to compliment the Rainstone. In the meantime, you can hold onto it." I swiped open my menu, navigating through it to get to the option that I wanted.
She practically jumped to her feet. "H-Hey! You can't just leave like that without- " A screen popped up in front of her. "...Paying?" Her eyes widened as she looked at the amount. "20,000 Cor?!" She said in disbelief? "Why're you paying me THIS much?"
I pulled my scarf up over my lower face, right above my nose, underneath my mask. "Consider it an advanced payment. After all, you're going to be the one to forge my new sword."
She nearly dropped the ingot in surprise. "But...but...You don't even know my blacksmithing skill! Why would you just 'decide' that I'm gonna forge a sword for you?"
I pushed my mask up my face like it was a pair of glasses before responding. "A blacksmith who isn't worth their salt wouldn't sit out in the freezing cold of the morning waiting for a customer to come up and commission a work. Besides, are you saying that you DON'T want to forge a sword for a customer?"
She was speechless, her mouth moving up and down, but no words coming out of it. I simply give her a small bow as I turn and start to walk away. "Keep moving forward, Lisbeth the Blacksmith." I tell her as I walk away.
…
This particular chapter was based on two things. The first is an image I found on pinterest where Asuna is meeting Lis in a similar fashion that I detailed in this chapter: Lis sitting on a rug, anvil in front of her and sign next to her.
The second bit of inspiration is honestly my own childhood. My dad read to me and my siblings the Chronicles of Narnia almost every night before we went to sleep. This particular excerpt was from The Horse and his Boy, my favorite book in the series.
(also I don't own Narnia. Don't call a lawyer)
I would also like to note that while things may seem random from time to time in my stories, I try to make everything I write have a purpose in the overall story.
As always, thanks so much for reading, leave a review perhaps, and I'll see you all next time!
-Silver