IV. Brigit

"Oh my god, Brigit! I haven't seen you in like, forever!"

The silver-haired blademaster forced a smile. Why did she have to run into an acquaintance today, of all days? And why did it have to be someone so annoying? It could have been MAHO, or any other of her old friends, but nooo. Instead, she was stuck with this pest - some scantily clad twin blade whom she barely recognized. Even the girl's name eluded her.

"Yeah, it's... been a while." Her right hand traveled to her own forearm, rubbing at the black wave tattoo that snaked down her left side. "How have you been?"

"How have I been? How have you been! You haven't logged on in, like, ages!" the pest raved, bouncing with excitement, the blonde ponytails above each ear bobbing up and down. "What happened? You just disappeared out of nowhere! I thought you quit!"

"Oh, no. I've just been a little busy."

"Like, with tennis practice, and stuff?"

Brigit blinked in surprise. The pest actually remembered something like that? Now she felt a little guilty for drawing a blank.

"... Yeah, and schoolwork. I haven't had a lot of time recently, so I took a little break."

"Oh, yeah... That's like, important," the pest answered, gazing up at her with round green eyes, seemingly amazed by her own revelation. Her clueless expression soon vanished, a wide grin taking its place. "But hey, I'm, like, glad you're back! You wanna do a dungeon?"

... Crap. Not that. Quick, make something up. 'I already have a - No, that's no good, she'll just ask to join. Uh...

"... Um, I'm a little out of practice. I'll probably just get in your way," said Brigit, smiling nervously.

"Oh, don't be silly! You were, like, ten times better than me when you left! It'll come back just like that!" she replied, snapping her fingers two inches away from her victim's nose. Brigit's eyebrow twitched of its own accord.

Now she remembered who this was. A few days after joining The World, she had hopped into a random party - led by none other than this pest. Despite her inexperience, she had done fairly well for herself, surviving against monsters that no newbie had any business being around. The pest, on the other hand, had done nothing but hide behind her comrades, snatching up the contents of treasure chests while everyone else fought for their lives.

Irritated, Brigit had left the party early - but, unbeknownst to her, the pest had already acquired her Member Address. What followed was a hard lesson about changing that option from 'Invitation Only'; at every single login, the pest would send her a message: requesting help with this or that; asking to join her party; even going so far as to beg for equipment. And then there were the times when they ran into each other in town - where she couldn't simply ignore her. It had taken every ounce of control in her body to avoid telling her off.

"Uh, are you, like, still there?"

Brigit snapped out of her thoughts, the sour look on her face quickly replaced by a smile. Of course, on the inside, she was wishing that the pest was like Rumpelstiltskin - if it meant keeping her sanity, she'd gladly guess the girl's name.

"Sorry. I think it's better if I take it solo today." She fought the urge to bite her tongue. "... Maybe some other time?"

"Oh, come on!" the pest cried, her shrill voice grating on Brigit's nerves. "It's your first day back! You should go with a party!"

"I really don't feel like it. Maybe you can invite-"

"Oh, yeah! Good idea!" Her concession brought back Brigit's smile - but only for a moment. "It's no problem if we have a full party! I know some, like, really strong people! They can do all the high level dungeons! So don't worry, you can, like, ease back into it and stuff! Just make sure you don't take the good items because they'll, like, get really mad if-"

"Would you just lay off already?"

The pest jerked backwards, shocked by the sudden outburst. Huffing to herself, she returned the glare aimed her way.

"Like, what's your problem? I'm just trying to help! Is this what I get for being nice? I don't, like, have to invite you, you know!"

Sighing, Brigit looked into her inventory.

Health Drinks, Restoratives, Well Water... Good, I have one.

A small scroll - parchment white and bar purple - appeared in Brigit's hand. As the pest tilted her head in confusion, Brigit held the item high into the air.

"Speed Charm."

And with that, she was gone, sprinting towards Fort Ouph's center at a superhuman rate, her long silver ponytail trailing in waves behind her. The city's earthy tones of saffron and sepia became a blur to her eyes. She dashed from one aerial island to another, following the narrow walkways that stretched between the bowl-shaped masses. Tall turrets of stone rose from the center of each platform, their tips reaching out to the cirrocumulus clouds lit orange by the setting sun. Adorned by leafy branches, several open storefronts dotted the perimeter of each turret, their stockrooms lying within the limestone.

Stopping to shop was out of the question, though. Her earlier attempt had left her unaware of her surroundings, granting the pest a perfect opportunity to strike.

Faster.

She swept down a descending bridge like a gale, her legs picking up speed, a flash of the sun reflecting off her pearly armor. Her stylish leather boots sliced through the trails of mist that passed over the cobblestone, dispersing the hold of the clouds floating below. The chill of the air invigorated her body, leaving goosebumps along the bare skin of her left arm and leg. She needed this. It was good to get away from it all.

As she rounded a particularly large turret, the Chaos Gate came into view. Her dash slowed to a brisk walk, and she brushed the bangs from her eyes. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that she wasn't being followed. Relieved, she hurried onto the central island, stepping before the rotating portal.

Brigit thumbed through the keyword list, scanning the scrolling words with apathy. Any field would do, but the computer-generated selections were usually populated or boring, and she disliked the idea of being told where to travel. Still, none of the keywords looked very appealing - that is, until a certain combination caught her eye.

She smirked. That had to be a sign.

"Greedy - Obnoxious - Messenger!"

A Wood field. This was perfect.

Brigit scanned over the forest that surrounded her, peering into the sea of verdure. She stood among the grasses of a tiny clearing, bathed in a shaft of sunlight peeking through the foliage above. The sweet chirps of unseen birds sounded from the branches of ancient trees, riding to her ears on a comforting breeze. The gentle splashes of a nearby stream washed away the troubles ingrained in her mind. Looking up, she gazed at the forest's canopy, taking in the innumerable leaves that speckled the pristine skies.

It looks like a sponge painting.

She paused. Slowly, her eyes drifted back to the ground, stopping upon the twigs that littered the forest floor. She stared at them for a moment before raising her head. Using a knuckle, she adjusted the helmet covering her forehead, lifting it from her brow slightly. The sunlight left the eight-pronged star - four small and four large - that decorated her headpiece.

Kill some monsters. Relieve some stress. That's why she was here.

She trekked through the dense wilderness, pushing aside low-hanging branches, stepping over twisted masses of roots, weaving her way through the army of thick trunks. As she delved into the forest's depths, the canopy grew much thicker, leaving only pinholes of light into the shadowy maze. Still, she hiked onwards, wading through the thick underbrush. After pushing through countless ferns and shrubs, she noticed a yellow light through the thinning trees. Up ahead was a monster portal, its rings rotating in the midst of a large glade.

Brigit reached back behind her right shoulder, grasping for the hilt of her blade. Her hand only found air. Surprised, she stopped in her tracks.

"Right..." she said, looking down with a smile. Switching hands, she reached to the handle at her right hip, drawing the elusive sword from its leather holder. It was a thin, double-edged weapon, its blade equal to her legs in length. Holding it at the ready, she took a step into the glade.

The portal opened at the drop of her foot, leaving a nightmarish creature in its wake. Eight pointed legs pierced the soft ground like daggers. A wavy mass of vines rose from a split in its back, casting twisting shadows upon its body of rotting bark. Its mandibles clicked together, seeming to imitate a laugh as it stared at Brigit with hollow eyes. The monster dwarfed its challenger, weighing in at three times her size - and suddenly, her confidence shrank to the size of a fly.

What was she thinking? She couldn't beat a Spider Ent with this character! The thing was designed for players twenty levels above her, and it even gave them problems! Why had she come to Sigma Server?

The creature gave her no time to think it over. One of its vines whipped towards her - but she leapt to the side at the last moment, dodging the speeding appendage. Another flew past her shoulder, missing her other side by a few feet. A quick look back revealed that they had wrapped around the tree trunks. Alarmed, Brigit swung around to find the menace hurtling towards her through the air. She tumbled under the vines, dodging the creature as it smashed into the trees. Yet, the thundering crash did not faze it; it sprung from the cracked wood effortlessly, landing a few feet from Brigit as she found her feet. She raised her right arm just in time; the monster's front leg slashed into the small shield strapped to the limb, gashing its star design and sending her stumbling backwards. She turned to run for the cover of the trees, but a vine wrapped around her left ankle, pulling her legs out from under her. She landed upon her stomach with a thud, losing her sword in the impact. Panicking, she rolled over and struggled to reach it, eyes widening as the monster charged her way.

Out of nowhere, a blur of silver and purple shot into the clearing, slamming its pawlike boot into the creature's jaw. The blow sent it reeling, but it quickly found its balance - and just as it had, a fist slammed into the side of its jaw, splitting one of its sharp mandibles in two. It hissed in pain, scuttling backwards as it raised a leg to attack. It swiped at its attacker's confident grin, but the young woman dodged with ease, snatching the sharp limb up in her arms. She snapped it like a twig, sending the creature into a writhing frenzy. It lunged for her throat - only to have its face smashed in with its own broken leg. As the woman tossed the limb to the side, the monster crashed to the ground, its body fading into nothingness.

Brigit watched the entire scene in shock. A purple tunic. A fluffy white shawl. Silver hair. Wolf ears. There was no mistaking who this was.

Why did she have to run into Ouka too?

"You should be more careful. An area like this is dangerous for mid-levels." Ouka turned to Brigit, staring at the fallen knight with brilliant blue eyes. "Did you come here for a reason?"

Brigit quickly found her feet. Without a word, she turned away from Ouka, snatching her sword from the ground and heading for the trees.

"Hold it."

At first, Brigit didn't stop - but when Ouka landed in her path, she had no choice. Rising from one knee, Ouka stood from the leap, a tinge of irritation within her sharpened gaze.

"Where I come from, it's considered rude to just run off after someone does you a favor." Her glare softened when she noticed the panic in Brigit's eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Brigit said nothing.

"What's your story? Are you a foreigner?" Ouka scratched her head, confused by the nervous stare aimed her way. "Konnichiwa? Kumusta ka? Ni hao?"

Seeming oblivious to the words, Brigit began to walk past Ouka's shoulder. As she passed, Ouka grabbed her wrist, holding on with a gentle grip.

"Hold on. If you go off alone, you're going to get-"

With a violent twist, Brigit ripped her arm away, giving Ouka a dirty scowl. Taken aback, Ouka clenched her fist, narrowing her eyes at the ungrateful mute.

"So you want a fight? Maybe I'll give you a few lessons!"

Brigit's eyes widened as Ouka reared back a punch. Panicking, she dropped her sword and threw her hands into the air, waving them defensively.

"Ouka! Wait!"

Ouka froze, still standing in a fighting stance. A look of wonder crossed her face. Slowly, her fist dropped to her side, and she raised a confused eyebrow.

That voice sounded awfully familiar.

"... Rena?"

"So... You did some kind of event dungeon with Shugo, ended up kissing him, and now you're hiding on your first character because you're afraid to see him. Am I getting this right?"

Brigit nodded sadly. Her gaze never left her feet. It had been embarrassing enough to tell the entire story out loud; seeing Ouka's reaction would be unbearable. She could only imagine the smirks crossing the werewolf's face as she recounted the details. Of all the people that could sit here with her on this mass of rock and listen to her troubles, why did it have to be the flirt that was obsessed with seducing her brother?

And now, in a way, she was trying to seduce him. The thought scared the hell out of her.

"Well, to start..." said Ouka, closing her eyes in thought. "Hiding isn't going to get you anywhere."

Brigit lifted her chin, resting it upon closed fingers. She gave the trees an empty stare. "I don't know what else to do."

"... You could pass it off as an accident." Ouka glanced down at Brigit's questioning look, a sly smile forming upon her face. "Maybe you were aiming for his cheek. He turned and you missed. That would work."

"I can't do that."

Ouka looked at her in confusion. Brigit's eyes moved back to the clearing, sinking like weights.

"... I made sure he knew."

Ouka blinked in surprise. Turning her head, she stared off into the distance. "... So you're serious about this, then."

Silence agreed in Brigit's place. The edge of Ouka's lip curled upwards.

"It took you long enough."

Brigit's head snapped up. Her eyes widened at the warm smile upon Ouka's face. "Y-you knew?"

"That's a surprise?" said Ouka, blinking.

"It's impossible! I never told anyone!"

"It seemed pretty obvious to me." Ouka shrugged.

Brigit stared at her in disbelief, jaw ajar. Obvious? It seemed obvious? How could being in love with her own brother be obvious? How? How could it when she hadn't been sure herself?

A revelation hit her like a brick. She gulped.

"Does... anyone else know?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that." Ouka paused, glancing up in thought. "... Well, Mirei might. She said a few things after the hot springs." Turning her eyes back to Brigit, she found her burying her face in her hands.

"I'm going to die..." moaned Brigit, her voice muffled by her palms. Ouka smiled in sympathy.

"We're your friends, Rena. We're not going to go around telling people. If Mirei does know, I'll make sure she keeps it a secret."

"... After the hot springs," murmured Brigit, raising her head. She turned to Ouka, giving her a blank look. "We never went to any hot springs."

Ouka closed her eyes, dipping her head with a smile. "Right. It makes sense that Shugo wouldn't mention that."

Brigit's eyebrow nearly twitched itself off her face.

"... You took my brother to the hot springs?"

Ouka bit her tongue. What a time to let that slip. She smiled nervously, shifting under Brigit's burning gaze. Despite her massive level advantage, she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.

"What did you do with my brother at the hot springs?" growled Brigit, voice lowering as her temper rose.

"Hold on. Let me explain," she replied calmly, holding her palms up in surrender. "It's more like what you did with him."

Still glaring, Brigit raised her eyebrow slightly, confused and skeptical - but she complied.

"This was a bit after what happened at Murderhouse." Immediately, Brigit's eyes narrowed, convincing Ouka to clarify. "We went looking for you right afterwards. We searched everywhere. The mansion, around town, even in some of the other fields." Ouka paused, smiling. "Shugo never stopped looking for you. He kept going even after everyone was exhausted."

A tinge of pink appeared on Brigit's cheeks, and she lowered her eyes.

"And," Ouka continued, "after a while, he got a mail with an area name inside. At the time, we thought that the entire thing was an event, so we went there to look for you. That's where we found the hot springs." Brigit's glare returned in an instant, and Ouka raised a palm to explain. "Nothing happened. Shugo's too shy for that. He wouldn't sit anywhere near us." A smirk slipped onto Ouka's face. "But then... you showed up."

"What are you talking about? I was ... in that place the whole time."

"It wasn't the real you. They were using your character model as part of a trap," replied Ouka. "Shugo was quick to figure that out - but, before he did, 'you' hugged him."

"... So?" said Brigit, somewhat confused. "Some fake me hugged Shugo after you guys left. Why is that important?"

"I never said we left."

Brigit blinked. It took her a moment to understand Ouka's smirk.

"... In the hot springs?" she said, almost laughing the notion off. The smirk stayed. "You don't mean that... he..."

"He seemed really happy to see you, too."

Brigit's face flared scarlet. She turned away immediately, her eyes shooting down to the stone beneath her feet. Ouka simply looked back to the clearing, smiling.

"So, if you're worried about telling him... I wouldn't be."

He can't be like that. Maybe she's just making this up to screw with me.

"... He didn't seem that way when I kissed him," said Brigit, digging her nails into her palms.

"You really think Shugo doesn't love you?"

Brigit raised her head in surprise. Ouka's voice was filled with conviction, and her eyes were locked upon Brigit in a glare. She almost seemed offended by Rena's doubts.

"Don't you think there's a reason he chases off any guy that comes within ten feet of you?"

"He's just protective. He's always been like that."

"There's a fine line between being protective and being jealous." Ouka gave her a saucy grin. "Shouldn't you know about that?"

Brigit glared at her, but that glare soon vanished. It didn't make sense. She and Ouka had never really been close; if anything, Ouka was one of Shugo's friends, and they had just happened to have met through him. Why was she helping her?

"... You're not serious about my brother, are you?"

The question was a bit offensive, but Ouka shrugged it off. She turned back to the clearing, closing her eyes with a smile.

"It's fun to toy with him, but he's not really my type." A smirk crossed her lips as she looked to Brigit. "Wolves don't play with their food."

A lame smile appeared on Brigit's face. "That's... one way to put it."

Ouka gave a small laugh of acknowledgement. Her eyes drifted back to the clearing, gazing out into the trees. Brigit did the same. Soon, it was quiet, and only the chirps of birds could be heard.

"Mm, well..." said Ouka, standing from her seat. She lifted her arms above her head, stretching her back and shoulders. "I think I'll quit for today. Looks like Omega Server being down wasn't such a bad thing."

"Omega's down?" repeated Brigit, curious.

"Since last night, apparently. The BBS says it's 'under indefinite maintenance'." Ouka leapt lightly from the rock, landing gracefully in the clearing. She transitioned into a casual stroll, her back towards Brigit, holding up a hand in farewell. "I'm glad I ran into you, Rena. Boredom's a killer."

"Ouka."

Ouka paused, glancing over her shoulder in curiosity. Brigit seemed reluctant to continue.

"Do you... think this is wrong?"

Ouka smiled.

"I don't know if I'm the best pick for a moral compass... but," she began, looking off into the trees. "I think love just happens. It's not something you can control, and it's not convenient, either. You fall for whoever you fall for. It's up to you to decide whether it's right or wrong."

As Brigit looked on in wonder, Ouka raised her head to the sky, blue staring into blue.

"... But the worst thing you can do is ignore it. It never goes away, no matter how much you might pretend that it isn't there."

The feeling of Brigit's eyes caught Ouka's attention. Blinking from her daze, she looked Brigit's way, giving a small smile to the stare of awe. She raised a palm. Eight words and three rings later, she was gone.

"Take care then. I hope things work out."

Back to Mac Anu. It was strange how she always seemed to gravitate towards here.

The setting sun cast an orange glint upon Brigit's armor as she walked through the city's streets. She had no real destination. At the moment, wandering around aimlessly truly seemed like the best course of action. She had to keep her feet moving. She wanted to give herself some illusion of progress - to assure herself that the time spent unraveling her thoughts and emotions wasn't in vain.

Her eyes traced a line along the apricot-colored cobblestone that paved the back streets. At this time of the day, even these remote alleys could become crowded; a good number of plated legs and elegant skirts had already crossed her view. It was nothing compared to the traffic of the main thoroughfares, though. Dealing with the surging crowds that gathered around the canals and bridges was out of the question. That would only worsen her mood.

As she came upon another intersection, a small gathering of players caught her attention. They appeared to be the members of a party: there were five in all, joking and laughing at the street corner, standing around what seemed to be a novelty item shop. It looked no different than any of the other storefronts situated throughout the city, but the attire of its customers was the defining clue. A male twin blade wielding dual bananas; an armor-clad heavy axeman donning a top hat; a tiny wavemaster girl holding a candy cane taller than her own height - each of them looked ridiculous. It was the last two, however, that kept Brigit's gaze.

Off to the side were a young boy and girl - a long arm and a heavy blade, standing shoulder to shoulder, obviously closer than most. She could see it in every little gesture. It was in the brunette's teasing smile as she poked at the parrot on his shoulder, in the whispers he made into the bear ears atop her head, in the giggles that met the pearly skin of her wrist. Lovebirds, obviously.

Still lost in thought, Brigit was unaware that she had slowed to a stop - or that her look had turned to one of contempt.

Why do you get to be happy?

The girl quickly took notice of her, surprised by the hostile stare. Soon, three eyes and an eyepatch were glaring her way. Brigit averted her gaze, hurrying past them as she turned the corner. She followed the narrow street at a brisk pace, reaching the next junction straightaway - and finding that the only road forward led straight to the main canal's walkway. It was nothing more than a shortcut to aggravation.

Sighing, she dipped her head, trudging out into the bustling stretch. She shuffled along with the crowds, passing docks and bridges, barely lifting the leather boots that skimmed the pavement. Her thoughts wandered as she drifted along the stream of adventurers.

Maybe logging out was the best option. Walking around in circles wasn't getting her anywhere. She had come online for the sole purpose of clearing her mind, but The World had been nothing but a constant reminder. Ouka had helped her slightly, but it seemed smarter to quit while she was ahead. She didn't need to run into someone else.

And ironically, just at that moment, someone ran into her, slamming against the side of her arm and nearly knocking her off balance. Still a bit disoriented, Brigit spun to the side, more than ready to give the clumsy dolt a hefty piece of her mind.

Her eyes shot wide with shock as she looked down.

Hunched over before her was Shugo, a hand upon his forehead, rubbing the spot of impact. His eyes shifted up to hers, and he quickly straightened his posture, face filled with embarrassment.

"S-sorry. I, uh... It was an accident." He straightened his hat nervously, thrown off-guard by his victim's beauty. Glancing back up, he found the girl gaping at him. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. "... Are you okay?"

Brigit swallowed the words in her throat, saving herself at the last moment. She gave a quick, insistent nod, her jaw still hanging ajar. Shugo offered up an apologetic smile.

"Seeya!" he said, giving a quick raise of his hand before dashing off towards the Chaos Gate. Talk about awkward. That bridge definitely had some kind of charm hanging over it. He seemed to crash into a siren every time he rushed over the planks.

At least Rena didn't see it this time.

His face turned somber, and his pace slowed to a hurried walk.

There was no way to tell her about the flash mail. His phone calls went unanswered. Using e-mail was too risky to consider, and trying to contact her inside the game would just be stupid. After what they had been through, he knew how dangerous a misstep could be.

She wasn't online, thankfully. That was the luck of the circumstance. As long as she stayed away from The World, she would be safe.

That was what he hoped.

lllll

From:
Received at: 4:33

Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. 20:00.
Come alone. Tell no-one.
Refuse, and the one most precious to you
Will die before your eyes.