.Hack//Ancestry – friends and connections

The long awaited sequel to chapter 1

And yes, this is sort of a kenshin cross over, but hey I'm not really classifying it as one. It's just people basing character loosely off characters from series they've seen in the past and liked.

Credit goes to m00tzman for beta reading the junk I send him.

-Begin-

The red haired samurai looking character wandered about the town of Mac anu. A root town with various streets alley ways and canals. As well as a bridge, a bridge with a permanent resident. One that was short brown and had a tail. He talked to people, about anything, the weather, rumors, life. Today he was talking to a real character. And that being in the most unusual sense. The character called himself, Zanza, "the fight merchant", if a thing like that was really successful in the game. Especially for a n00b player, and at that especially for an adept rogue.

He wore a grey tight jacket. With a robe belt around his waist. He was an edge punisher with the rare weapon 'zanbato' as his weapon. He was actually pretty good with it. But still he had yet to earn the title he had given himself. It was a rather pointless title, since no-one would respect it, and he didn't look it. He had a smile on his face at all times. And he was extremely energetic. One thing he did was look for defense boosting items; he said it was in respect to his model, the character from an anime.

But today Zanza was not a fight merchant. He was just another guy talking to the man on a bridge, phyllo.

"Ah Zanza, you do tend to show up often don't you." Said the fat tu-tribe harvest cleric.

"Yeah life as a fight merchant in an MMORPG tends to be tough and makes you lose. Yes I know I do need to level up a bit before I really stand a chance, but I still want to find the first two guys who I fought, in the lost ground of Hulle Granz cathedral."

"Ah yes, 'the wolf of mibu' saito, and 'the oshakira oniwabanashu omnitsu' Aoshi. I still find it strange that the two of them were meeting together. And at a lost ground too. A cathedral lost ground. What an odd coincidence. I wonder what they were meeting for."

"What do you mean meeting for? Aren't they just two guys who were good friends a while back?" Zanza asked.

"They never were ever real good friends, and since they both became guild masters of powerful guilds, the shishengumi and the Oniwabanashu omnitsu their relation has become more strained in the game. Honestly it's a miracle that it was only the two of them there and not them and their whole guild."

Zanza looked at phyllo, "Well gee I guess I am lucky. I suppose I should watch out for those two from now on though, eh?" Zanza looked at the river, "What can you tell me about those guilds of theirs?"

"Well I know only a few things for certain. The Oniwabanashu omnitsu are very secretive, but similar to TaN in their functions. They carry information and items, and also do contract Pk'ings. It's said that they can control more of the PK network than Kestrel."

"That's a lot of PK's." Zanza muttered. "So they're a cross between TAN and kestrel?"

"I could understand why you want to think that way, to say the least, just they aren't wild like kestrel but they have the brute force."

"Now what about those shishengumi?"

"The shishengumi. They have about 300 members. They are a group committed to order, and have a contract of sorts with CC corp. in the pursuit of data anomalies. There are ten units. You're good friend saito is the third unit captain. Man to man the shishengumi are far better than the Oniwabanashu, who's actual guild strength is no more that 200. But the Oniwabanashu's strength is their drawing on the PK network."

"So what do you say I do to avoid getting caught in a dual guild assault on my ass?"

"You have two options. Simply avoid them as best you can." Phyllo looked at Zanza who, still looking at the river, spat, "Or join a guild. Preferably a strong one."

"I've been hearing something about a guild called the twilight brigade, what do you know about them."

Then a black adept rogue character walked up to Phyllo. "I know a lot, are you thinking of joining."

"I want to join some guild. Don't care which as long as my butt is covered."

"Why not join the twilight brigade. I think someone like you would be appreciated by Ovan. But just tell me what you think of the guild after you join."

"Why, aren't you a member?"

"No." Sighed the rogue, "But thanks to Ovan and TaN I'm gonna have to join a guild soon."

"What's your name?"

"Haseo, yours?"

"Call me Zanza, the fight merchant."

"Fight merchant, what kind of role play is that?"

"One based out of a manga from a few years ago. I like it, so shut up and accept that."

"I'm sorry to interrupt Haseo, but some of Zanza's 'buddies' are here and it would be wise for Zanza to leave." Phyllo nodded to one side of the bridge where a group of people dressed in blue were wandering towards the spot where the three of them were situated, eyes fixated on someone.

Zanza just turned into the road and walked away without missing a beat. "I wonder why they wanted him." Haseo asked phyllo.

"I'm not sure, but if they want to follow him into a root town then that's they're business and their alone. So Haseo, how's you're pursuit of knowledge in relation to Ovan coming along?"

And phyllo and Haseo talked about events that were important to the two of them.

Meanwhile Zanza was walking around Mac anu avoiding three men in blue coats who were clearly stalking the man in grey. "Jees those guys really don't like me, but how come, I mean all I did was visit a lost ground. Players do that all the time. If they wanted a more secret meeting place then they should have picked a secluded area." Then the distracted Zanza bumped into a red headed samurai like character. "Hey watch where you're going punk!" He shouted.

"Oh I'm sorry." Said the red head samurai without meaning or trying to sound the part of caring. "Do you know about a character named phyllo? I'm looking for him."

"Yeah, but I just left the guy because someone wanted to find me, probably dead."

"Well point me in the right way. I'll find him eventually."

Zanza looked at the fellow, "He's at the bridge on the way to the harbor. At the highest point. Now go, I've got to get out of here." Zanza ran off willing to do anything to lose the men in blue, willing to anything and anything else to lose anyone who was less obvious who happened to be trailing him. Phyllo had said the Oniwabanashu had access to more of the PK network than the 5,000 man largely PK and PKK kestrel. That was a fact to be worried about. Odds are they had access to whole of the network of Pk'ers in guilds. Either that or every independent one and the several they had in their guild. Those were more dangerous, they didn't wear uniforms to advertise their presence.

Kenshin ran towards the bridge in time to see a black rogue finish talking with the infamous 'teddy bear of Mac anu'. He ignored the adept rogue. What was more important was the man with information. "Hello there." Said the bladebrandier without missing a step. He had been told about Phyllo from other people, but he wanted to seem like he was just there because he was there. Not because he had gone out of his way to get there, but just because he was there.

"Greetings. Who are you?"

"I'm kenshin, yourself?"

"They call me phyllo. But I have little doubt you came here knowing who I was and what I do." Kenshin fell over with a small grade dust and debris explosion. "Was I that close to the mark." Phyllo muttered to himself without turning. "Well I won't turn you away if that's what you're worried about. I'll listen before I do that."

Kenshin looked at the river over the side of the bridge. "Oh. Well, you see I met this player a few days ago, he's an American and he says he knows about a big guild that's going to form in this server soon. He says it's called Keel. He says that there will be over 200 members to start with. But also he says someone named Ovan wants me in the twilight brigade, he says I should join." Kenshin looked at phyllo. "I want to know if you know anything about Ovan, Keel, the twilight brigade, or the player behind keel, someone named seraph."

Phyllo's eyes widened at that. A player, one at level 150, had come to him the day before saying just what would happen. He had told him about himself and keel, but then mentioned that neither keel nor the twilight brigade were exclusive guilds and Ovan was very interested in kenshin. He said put any twist on it he cared for, get kenshin in the brigade. Keel to if possible, but he wasn't in a rush for that part, he already was scouting all the players out. Kenshin was just another in the line, an important one, but still he had a replacement lined up for himself.

-The day before-

"Well hello there." A character said, he wore and unbuttoned jacket. And grey pants. "I have something I want you to try and do with someone who will come to see you soon." The man also had a plain white shirt. And two gold bracelets. "He will be a red haired blade brandier. With a blue plaid kimono and a blue shirt." The man turned around to face the street; there were holes in his jacket. "I want you to try and convince him to join the twilight brigade. And, if you can, the guild keel. It's a new guild, not yet really on this server. But it will exist soon, heck it may exist later today. If you can, your priority is to make him join the twilight brigade. If, is always key. Don't' force yourself especially not with keel." The player stuck his hand on his head and laughed.

"Keel, I've heard of a lot of guilds during my time here, but not that one."

"Well that's to be expected, at best it's just small guild, with less that 20 members easily. At worst it doesn't exist. At least in this server, today. But internationally Keel is a massive guild with over 200,000 members in all the various servers, including us, Mexico, china, Norway, Europe, etcetera. It is guild devoted to helping. It also deals in information, and it also is guild that uses the PK system to the extent it was created for, and, hopefully, rarely more. Also there are special divisions that gather the idea hopefuls who make mini guilds, guild clubs we call them, and go off with a set objective."

"What don't you do?"

"Well… Um… I'm not sure. Honestly the international server Keel is at almost 10,000 members, it's a miracle we only do that much."

"So why haven't you set up a keel guild here? You sound like the type to not let anything this major ever happen."

The character next to him laughed loudly. He leant his head back and just laughed up-roariously. He couldn't stop laughing for some time. Finally when he was done he answered the question, "Tell me, there are over 80 national and multi national servers in the world. How long do you think it takes me to establish a guild, stabilize and re-stabilize whenever issues in the guild get hairy and there's fighting."

"Probably a couple of months."

"No one. Well the re-stabilizing takes longer, but hey."

"But that's impossible, the world has only been out for little more than a year, no-one can do all that."

"Well I have a lot less work in some places than others. In the international server the guild was at over 1,000 members in a day. Then I just got a few people to go from server to server and start up more keels."

"Really and what are you doing all this while."

"Administrating, working, guiding, establishing, re-establishing. Actually the last only three times. In guilds like keel almost all in guild fighting occurs player on player. Just my self vs. the wanna-be leader. Of course I have had three full blow rebellions. These had to have been put down. The only thing is I don't understand why. Each server was very focused and loyal. Why all of the sudden they would fight what had been set for o so long is beyond me."

"I would think there would be a traitor."

"Well duh. I wonder about those who wouldn't turn traitor. Unless some guy gave hundreds of random people with grudges access keys and let the run loose." He laughed again. "That is unlikely, but still the most probable thing I can find."

"Well I'm not one for combat."

"True. But you are one for information, if not an official dealer you still deal with mountains every day by sitting here."

"Well I have a question."

"Yes."

"Why do want this player in the twilight brigade. I really doesn't sound like an all that amazing guild to me."

"Because, a player I know wanted me to watch him, but I'm too lazy, so now he'll be watching him himself." "I hope." The character added on pitifully.

"One last thing. Just so I can remember. What is your name?"

"I am the main admin for the international server, the first to beat the one sin. Called the next descendent of fianna by some. But those are titles positions and events. My name is seraph, plain and simple. And…" suddenly wings spread out from his back, "I want to see what Ovan is planning my own way."

Phyllo looked at the player oddly, and then he took flight. The back draft almost knocked half the players on the bridge away. A few curses were shouted. But then people either, a) recognized the player as the international guild master of the strongest guild in many other servers or b) realized that he most likely the only player in the game with wings. It seemed to just be fore effect, but then he went under the bridge from the side that phyllo was on. Everyone crowded around phyllo. And for a few moments various limbs stuck out from under the bridge. Then they stopped appearing. After a while when people began to say he logged out there was a shadow across the bridge. "The guild keel is welcoming members; go to the central square of Mac anu to learn more about it." With that last odd guild endorsing message the player was off.

And then the rumors people had been hearing flew around Phyllo's animal like ears.

'Wasn't that the player seraph, the one who beat the one sin on his own and the first one to do so in the game?'

'I hear that he's the leader of some massive guild. Rumor has it that he's assembling as many players in the game as possible as if he's preparing for something.'

'A player like seraph preparing for the 'last battle''

'Did you see that guy he had wings!'

And many other things, but he learned the name of the fellow. Seraph. The guild master of one of the largest guilds in the whole game. What could a player like that be thinking when coming to him? And how was a player like that related to Ovan.

-Present-

Phyllo's thoughts eclipsed but a few short moments which kenshin took as pondering time. "Well I can't tell you all that much about keel, but, the twilight brigade I can tell you something about."

"Tell me, please."

"Oh don't worry about me, if I said I know something I plan on telling you whatever it is I know." Kenshin looked at him odd. "I'm and advice giver, not an information broker, so I may not always know what you want, and I will rarely go out of the way to find the information for you, but I will tell you what I know."

"Oh, I didn't know that, you sounded like an information broker from what I heard from the people and forums. Or something similar to it."

"Well now that we've got that straight let me tell you what I know about the twilight. The twilight brigade is a small guild. Run by the character Ovan, which I would assume you already know. Its goal is to look for the key to the twilight. A mythical item that is said to grant the user one wish. I can't tell you much about the key of the twilight; most of what I know are forum fairy tales, but I can tell you this, Ovan carries and absolute belief it exists. And thus his guild searches around in order to find any proof that the thing exists and will follow almost any rumor. To warn you, any time spent in the world is essentially time devoted to the brigade. And that's about all I know about the brigade."

"Number of members."

"I couldn't tell you off the top of my head, but no more than a handful."

"Okay. What do you know about Ovan?"

"Ovan. Ovan, Ovan, Ovan. Not a whole lot. I do know that he's quite the eccentric. From what I've seen of him online he spends extended periods of time on and offline. I believe that that is based on his job, whatever that may be. When he's offline shino becomes the acting guildmaster. She is very capable at that to say the least. Otherwise I know nothing about guild or guildmaster."

Kenshin sat for a moment in thought. "Thanks a lot. One last question."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Do you know any former guild members?"

"Well I know of two, but I think you'll want to talk to them both."

"Who are they?"

"B-set and Gord"

"Lame set and vegetable."

"Close enough."

"Well where can I meet any of them?"

"Honestly I haven't the faintest idea. They just come and go as they please, though I will give them your name if they come by me."

"You will?"

"Yea, hopefully that'll save me an earful from each of them and you." Phyllo said with a noise that could have resembled a vague laugh.

"Alright thanks a lot." Kenshin said before he ran off.

"I wonder where he's heading. And I wonder what Ovan and that player seraph want with him." Phyllo looked after him for a few moments. "Oh well. As of right now that's none of my concern." Then phyllo looked around. "Hm, it's getting a little late, almost time to get to my appointment. Ah well I'll be leaving a little earlier than usual today." Then phyllo skated away leaving the rest of the day to fate.

-Elsewhere-

Kenshin sat in the warp area of Mac anu. Staring at the chaos gate waiting for any number of people to show up. He sat, and sat, and sat. He noted a black adept rogue going off somewhere. But he didn't know why that should catch his attention.

Finally a familiar face showed up. Tomoe arrived in Mac anu but a few moments after the black adept rogue left. Quickly the two formed a party. Then tomoe asked kenshin about the last party member. "We really should get a third party member. Is benitora online?"

"No, and his message when I try to contact him is, 'some people are trying to sleep'."

"Why would he say that, its 4 pm.?"

"He lives in the United States; it's a big time difference between here and there. It doesn't matter where he lives, it's still yesterday there."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"He didn't allude to exactly where, be he said it was on the eastern seaboard." Tomoe nodded to herself. "That means a thirteen hour time difference." Tomoe gaped. "I know. It's a miracle that he was on last time. I was on till about 11 and when I got a moment to talk to him he said he would stay on till roughly 1am Japanese time, about noon for him."

"Wow time difference makes a big deal I suppose. Well what do you want to do for a third member?"

"Well we need some aggressive class. Having two harvest clerics really will mean nothing if we run into PK's or some tough monster. Especially at this low level." The two of them thought. But as of yet neither had anyone save benitora in their member address. They were still talking when a grey colored man game through the chaos gate and ran right into tomoe. "HEY WHAT YOU DO THAT FOR!" Kenshin shouted. He was already seeing Tomoe as his girlfriend and a situation like that was going to prove problems in the future.

"Sorry, I was just chased out of a lost ground by a big group of guys and I was feeling kind of panicked so I just ran to the nearest place where I felt I was safe."

"So that place was her lap?" Kenshin asked, dislike and semi-sarcastic inquisition hard in his voice.

The player looked; he was sitting right in the girls lap. It hadn't been his intention, but it wasn't all that bad either. "Well looks like it." He said with a grin.

"Great first we can't make a full party and now this guy runs into us." Kenshin muttered putting his palm to his forehead.

"A party huh?"

"Yeah what would you care, you seem like a solo player."

"Hardly. I was just soloing to see a lost ground. Usually, usually, there aren't enemies at lost grounds so I figured I could go alone if I wanted too. I was wrong though." The player sighed. "I really do need to level up though. Well I'm willing to give you both my member addresses and go adventuring with you guys."

"Really now." Kenshin leered at the player.

"This nice and all," Tomoe interdicted, "but will you please get OFF OF ME!"

"Oh, I'm still on top of the lady, sorry bout' that." He got up and even pulled up Tomoe. "Well how about it, I'm here and I'm willing."

"What class are you?"

"Well technically I'm and adept rogue, but I am using edge punisher as my primary class."

"Okay, I'll take it." Kenshin finally relented.

"Great, my name is Zanza; I plan to take the title of fight merchant." Zanza clapped kenshin and tomoe very hard on each of their backs. Both then received a message of having gotten Zanza's member address when they got hit. "So what level are you folks."

"Two." Said the pair.

"Great, I'm level three, so it all works. Then let's go."

-Delta server area-

The party arrived in a dungeon. It was rather plain, but there were characters to be seen further along in the dungeon. A party of them. And they seemed to be bowing to someone. Quickly running forwards to face whomever it was that was a head of them they saw a black, judging by his weapons, twinblade, run away. Confused the trio quickly ran to the right as to escape the fearsome looking players. Quickly they ran into monsters. A large group of onion mashes with their weird plant like bodies appeared. As battle procedures directed kenshin, tomoe and Zanza all drew their weapons. Kenshin started his attack quickly, rushing over to one of the monsters and stabbing it painfully hard with his sword. Zanza went over to another and with a cry of, "Zanza smash", smashed the thing. After a few moments the two retreated and started talking about how close to dead the enemies were.

"I think that one or two more hits will do, and then they're done."

"More than that, I know the level for this area was higher than mine by at least two levels. So it'll take some more hits to kill them but not a whole lot of them though." When the dust finally each monsters hp gauge showed to be near full. Probably the three monsters were missing about 10hp each.

"Are you sure it was only two levels from you?"

"Oh, you know I remember! It was a bookmark I got from the forums. A level nine area actually." Zanza said this with a level of assuredness that one would not expect from him.

"WHAT LEVEL NINE?" Tomoe and kenshin shouted in unison.

"God I don't even have any smoke screens on me." Kenshin muttered.

"And I have almost no fairy's orbs at the moment." Tomoe groaned.

"Um I have a rare weapon."

"WHO CARES ABOUT YOU!" The pair shouted at Zanza once more.

"Okay now what." Kenshin said as his real world hand pressed the guard button tightly.

"I'm not sure." Tomoe replied as she guarded herself to."

"I think we need to re-strategize."

"No, really?" Kenshin muttered sarcastically.

"All right so sue me for stating the obvious!" Zanza growled at the pair. "We could really use some help right now." Zanza muttered to himself.

Then a miracle happened. Cross-hairs appeared on an onion thing. The other onion things looked at the targeted one and screamed or whatever you call the pitiful noise they made. Suddenly a flaming rock fell on one of them. The two remaining looked at the one hit by the rock and screamed and ran around. Then the one with the crosshairs still on it was shot. Then two PC's arrived. One wielding fans the other wielding a bayonet. They immediately began to bash the two monsters that had already been targeted. Finally they were piled on top of each other. One left out a huff and then deflated before they died.

The last one huddled itself in a corner. When five people arrived in front of it. The poor thing was whacked, smacked, sliced, crushed and shot in mid air. When all was said and done and the experience was doled out kenshin, tomoe and Zanza had all leveled up. And once they were done the three wanted to talk to the group saviors.

"Um hi. Thanks for what you did back there."

"No it was nothing." Said the macabre dancer.

"Well saving you guys is a big deal for me, but that's just cause I'm new to the guild." The steam gunner said rubbing the back of his head.

"Really thanks. This idiot here sent us to a level nine area when we're all level two or three. Well three of four now but still." Tomoe said quietly to the macabre dancer.

"Really the guy's an idiot." Kenshin said to the steam gunner.

Zanza glared at the two, "HEY I CAN HEAR YOU!"

"So." The two said emotionlessly.

The macabre dancer intervened before the situation got violent. "So you three are trying to level up."

"Yes." All three responded.

"Would you be willing to continue this dungeon if we stuck with you." The dancer continued.

"Um, why would you do that?"

"Well we're in a guild called Keel. It's a helping guild."

"Helping guild?" Kenshin said sounding suspicious.

"Yes, and don't sound so suspicious. We're not like the 'help section' of Kestrel which will bring you to the end of a dungeon then PK you. Admittedly we do not detest the PK system but we still do not try to abuse it."

"I find this hard to believe."

"Ah well." Sighed the steam gunner. "Let's leave them Chuck. If they don't want our offer of support then we can't force them to let us follow them."

"Barbera!" The character Chuck said. "You may be new but still you seemed eager to join and do this."

"I still am chuck, but the fact is I don't and never wanted to put up with suspicious smart asses that are dumb enough to waltz into a level nine dungeon when they're only level three."

"It wasn't us!" Shouted tomoe and kenshin.

"Whatever. But if you guys aren't willing to accept our help then we really should just leave. I'm level twelve and you're seventeen Chuck. Honestly we'd get no experience from this so why continue if these three don't need our help."

"BARBERA!" This time chuck seemed to really not to like what the other player was saying.

"Face it Chuck if they want to turn away our offer of help then let them face this dungeon on their own. The dungeon with all the monsters and Pk's especially those a few levels higher that prey on the players who come to this area around level seven or so to level up."

Chuck shrugged his shoulders. "You're right if they want to face all the terrible perils that await them on their own then they can go ahead."

"We'll take your help!" Zanza shouted.

"Well they decided they couldn't handle the peril after all." Barbera said with a grin.

-A few monsters later-

"So why are you guys helping us again?" Zanza asked.

"We're part of what I like to call a 'helping guild'. Basically our job is to help out players. Since the guild is small yet the few patrols we can do usually are about three at a time for the whole guild. And it's rare that we get a harvest cleric, shadow warlock, or macabre dancer in two out of three of them. You're just lucky that one is with this party." Chuck said.

"What guild are you a part of." Zanza kept on asking.

"Keel." Chuck responded.

Kenshin began to splutter. Everyone looked for a few moments then he stopped. Then the conversation had right to continue.

"Keel, they sound familiar. OH YEAH! Weren't they recruiting in the square yesterday?"

"Yeah. That's where Barbera here signed up."

"Really. Now Barbera, why'd join this guild?"

"Well I heard from some of my family in Britain that Keel there was pretty big."

"Whoa, Britain!" Tomoe gasped. "Keel exists there?"

"Yeah." Chuck chuckled. "Keel started in 'the worlds' international server, then the US not much later. From there various members including myself and the original guildmaster as well as over three hundred other players went out and started Keel's in other servers in 'the world.'"

"So Keel is pretty big in Britain then?" Kenshin asked.

"It was till a while ago. There have been three guild feuds. Two were one on one duels between our leader, seraph and other players. Those almost halved the guild from 5,000 people to 2,800. Then there was a plain guild war that cut it in half again. But that was four months ago. As of right now that keel has about 2,000 members. The last major feud was pretty bad; the whole guild risked changing hands until Seraph showed up."

"So this seraph is pretty strong eh?" Zanza asked.

"Oh yeah, there are few players in the whole of 'the world' that could even stand a chance against him. Odds are half support him with every bone in their body."

"You mentioned guild feuds and duels. I know what a guild feud is like but a duel?"

"Well seraph made it as to limit the chance of a feud. Basically it's a one on one match between the leader of one faction that desires control and the established faction. Seraph must be present, participant or not, in order for it to be valid. But he always shows up on time, or pretty dang close."

"Have any of these duels gone in favor of the new group."

"A few times, but usually those are just small within guild groups. Maybe a moderate sized organization. Or a Pk/PKK unit of small size."

"A what or a what?" Tomoe kenshin Zanza and Barbera all asked.

"Keel is generally a helping guild but there are groups within keel that do other things. There are organizations. They act as miniature guilds within guilds. They each pursue their own objectives under keel directive. They actually get their own guild rooms. The Pk/PKK units are groups of hit men. They are elite combat units. We use them to deal with large threats or major conflicts mainly. They rarely participate in within guild feuds if they do though they split more often than not, and change sides, so it becomes a mess. Also keel has the merchant marine. Basically a super effective guild shop. It GP income borders on that of TAN in some servers. Also there are plain old h-units. Which are the base foundations of Keel. They are just all the people who want to be helpers, usually a majority of the guild, who split into groups roughly of 20 apiece and do stuff. Our helping group is eight last time I checked the book, so with Barbera here I think the grand total is nine people. As of yet the JP keel is no more than 30 people, but I think it'll start growing soon."

"Wow that's pretty impressive." Zanza muttered.

"Even I had no idea how well organized this thing is." Barbera said with his mouth gaping open. "And I'm a member."

"Most people don't." Chuck said with a grin on his face. "I only know because I'm an occasional acting guildmaster. I sub in if the two to five people above me, and Seraph, aren't present. As of yet I am the highest administrator in the server, next to seraph."

Some time passed as the party walked. Then Zanza posed a question. "I would assume this seraph character has put his faction's control of a server's keel more than once, right?"

"Yes."

"Has he ever lost?"

"Nope."

"Never."

"Not once?"

"No."

"You're kidding!"

"I'm totally serious."

"Really."

"Yup. I've met the guy personally during the early stages of the international keel. And since then I've remained in constant correspondence with him. He tells me of all major guild affairs, all the places he plans to go, tentative plans, and parts of his real world life. He even has keel conventions; I met him at one of those. Only one, I've never seen him at the other two I've been to."

"Keel conventions? In 'the world,'" Kenshin said, putting 'the world' in quotation marks, "Or the real world?"

"Both. I've been to god knows how many online ones. But three real world ones. Actually," Chuck laughed, "I'm usually the head of those damn conventions. The worst position to be in them. God I've done over fifty duels at those god-damn things. It's a miracle that I've never lost."

"Whoa, you should be higher than level 17 if you've been around that long and dealt with that many duels." Kenshin asked/questioned.

"Yeah, we took a few days to start up keel here so players could emigrate to the JP server. We all needed to make new characters though. Well hey, here's the beast statue. You guys just made it through the dungeon.

"Oh." Kenshin muttered. Zanza went over to the chest and kicked it. He sighed and gave tomoe the light armor inside.

The two players warped away, but not before giving the trio guild passes and an area word, "Grand warrior angel." 'The visitors area' in their words. When asked how they had an area the two said Seraph had connections and would hint at no more.

Finally back in town kenshin looked at the guild key he considered the guild. "Maybe I'll join it. I really can't be sure."

-End-

Yeah a lot of describing crap, but I put it in now so I can avoid it later, after all the first couple of chapters usually describe the universe a fiction tale is set in. Keel is very important to that end of my fan-fiction.