Chapter 5. From Dawn
August 7th
Xonj and Okami walk into Philus's B&B& is giggling with her hand over her mouth and Xonj is stumbling in the door laughing. Ren Greets the two.
"Welcome to Philus's B&B&B."
The two try to hold their laughing in to catch a breath and greet Ren. The two walk up to the bar where Philus stood. Philus initiates conversation.
"Hello and Miss Okami what can I do for you two?"
Xonj responds
"We just need our rooms sir."
Philus's looks to the back wall where the keys hang. He walks over and grabs a key and returns to the counter. He places the single key on the table and says.
"Looks like I only have one room open."
Xonj looks confused and retorts
"Wait what do you mean one room you always keep a couple of rooms open for us."
Philus looks to Okami she seems puzzled as well. He turns back to Xonj and explains.
"Yuna my cook wanted to stay here for the night. She is very tired and wanted to get a early start on some new dishes we are trying for breakfast."
Okami responds to Philus
"Speaking of breakfast. This is Philus's Bed & Bath & Breakfast, but you serve food all day. Shouldn't it be Philus's Bed & Bath & Dinner?"
Philus's eyes widen and the look of shock paralyzed his face. Philus then recomposes himself and looks to Xonj and says.
"How Long has it been since you started arguing to change the name of my place."
Xonj responds "Since you opened this place."
Philus then retorts
"She has already made a better point than you."
Xonj then glares at Philus and he returns with a smile. Xonj then turns to Okami and asks.
"Are you ok with bunking together for the night?"
Okami with embarrassment written all over her face nods and grabs the key to the room. Xonj then takes her hand and walks up stairs. Okami thinks to herself.
"Why has he taken my hand? This is weird I don't know how to react."
She follows him up to the room. As they walk away Philus reaches into his pocket and walks to the back wall. He then places another key on one of the hooks and returns to leaning on the counter.
Xonj opens the door to the room and Okami walks through. Xonj walks in then turns his back to her and closes the door. Once the door was closed he felt a pair of arms reach around him and cling on around his waist. He turns his head and looks under his arm to see a face with clenched eyes pushed up against his back. He loosens her grip and turns to her. Okami's mind is still racing since he has taken her hand down stairs. She thinks to herself in rapid thought.
"What do I do? What am I doing? What will this become? What if I-"
Xonj takes her into his arms and holds her head to his chest. Her mind has gone blank. Then becomes calm and happy. He releases her from his grip and places his hands on her shoulders then looks into her eyes. Her face would mirror how he felt and his would do the same. Happy. They both speak at the same time.
"Well I should-"
Xonj smiles and runs his hand through his hair and says.
"Should get ready for bed."
Okami attempts to hide her embarrassment by turning her head. The thought of sleeping in the same bed has her heart pounding so hard it feels like it could come through her chest. The two finally change into more comfortable clothing and lay down. After laying down for a few minutes Okami checks if Xonj is awake.
"Xonj?"
He responds "Yeah?"
She wants to say so many things but she could not put the sentence together and she was wasting time. She then says.
"Good night."
He responds kindly. Xonj lays in bed for a few hours. Thinking about how he may never wake up in the real world. He feels like that would not be fair for Okami. He thinks to himself.
"I need to tell her, we are getting too close."
A message screen then appears.
Message from
Cherub
Hey I could really use your help right now. Meet me at these coordinates.
The floor and cords. appear below
Xonj wonders what Cherub could need help with.
"He has never asked for help before." Xonj whispers
Xonj is convinced that this is important. He sits up in the bed and looks to Okami sleeping.
"She looks so lovely in the moonlight coming through the window. I could sit here forever looking at such beauty. But no time I must go and assist Cherub."
He then slips out of the bed. Very carefully he exits the room so he does not wake Okami. Once he exits the room Xonj opens his U.I. and equips his equipment. He then walks down stairs to find Philus at the bar as always. Philus asks.
"Why are you awake?"
Xonj responds while still heading for the door.
"Cherub needs me for something. I will return shortly."
Philus then says.
"I will have some Caramel coffee ready for you when you return."
Xonj then exits Philus's B&B&B. He travels to the warp gate and teleports to the floor Cherub said he was on. The floor was covered in forest and it was cool out with no wind. Xonj purchased a horse and rode as far into the forest he could but the woods became too dense to continue on horseback. He dismounts and travels onward on foot. As he walked his mind batted back and forth about Okami holding him and what Cherub needed. As he thinks more and more he feels a sense of urgency to reach Cherub. Xonj picks up speed and starts a strong jog to the coordinates. As he got close Xonj spotted torch he heard a scream. His jog became a sprint. As he got closer it was a circle of torches with a man on his knees in the middle. Xonj quickly runs up to the man yelling.
"Cherub!"
Okami wakes up and rolls over towards Xonj, but he is not there. She sits up in a panic and looks around the room. She quickly hops out of bed and equips her equipment. She marches down stairs and past Philus. Philus then says.
"Good morning Miss Okami"
She continues to march past him. She reaches the door and opens it. Philus then says.
"Oh be careful with that door it tends to-"
BAM! The door is slammed by Okami on her way out. Philus then sighs and begins walking upstairs to go check on any patrons that might have been awoken.
Xonj kneels to the ground to see the mans face. Once Xonj moved in front of the man a dagger was plunged into Xonj's gut. Then man on the ground hops up from his knees and begins to laugh and skip around Xonj. Xonj's health falls very slowly and as he tries to pull out the dagger the damage increases dramatically. So he makes a swift move to remove the dagger. His health drops from green to yellow. His health has been halved. The man skips towards the edge of the torches and says.
"Xonj thank you for coming."
His voice was maniacal but it was also noticeable. Xonj lifts his head up to look at the man. It was Cherub. Xonj asks.
"Why Cherub?"
Cherub then removes his glove and exposes the laughing coffin guilds emblem. A smiling face next to a coffin. Cherub then responds.
"You know it was a great opportunity when the frontlines asked me to investigate player killers. At that time I was already one. So I had the best cover and access to all the information I needed. Then when Laughing Coffin was established I joined them. Helping them grow into the most notorious murder reason you are here is simple. I can't have you helping all the other players complete the game. You can also be sure all the strongest of players are targeted as well. Laughing Coffin will make sure this game goes on till we are all taken off our life support."
Xonj grabs his weapon from his back and pushes towards Cherub. Cherub then jumps backwards towards the dark and throws a Dagger. Xonj blocks the dagger with his shield and hears the trees move to his right. He glances over to see another dagger flying his ways. Xonj jumps back to avoid taking the hit. As soon as Xonj lands back on the ground another dagger is thrown and daggers come from different directions every time. The torches provide to much light to see beyond the circle and everytime he tries to dart out of the circle he is met with a dagger cutting off his escape. As Xonj keeps dodging daggers he hears a voice coming from the dark.
"You had no idea I was so fast did you Xonj. I am sure you are realizing you won't escape with your life."
Xonj continues to try and escape but it is no good. Xonj gets to the center of the circle and begins using his shield to block the incoming daggers. Xonj thinks to himself.
"I cant keep trying to dodge or I will exhaust myself. I just need to wait for the right time."
The voice in the dark speaks again.
"Oh you are fast! but I have seen much faster. Lets take it up a notch."
The daggers begin to get faster. A few slip past his block and graze Xonj. Xonj's shield begins to glow a deep blue and he activates his shield skill Impregnable defence. The voice calls out.
"Ah yes your Impregnable defence no projectiles can get past your shield. To bad it only last ten seconds. After it is over you will die!"
The voice laughs madly. Xonj's thoughts race.
"I have one chance after this and if I fail."
A image of Okami flash's in his mind. With each dagger blocked another image and another till all he sees is her. Xonj becomes focused and a look of determination comes over his face. Xonj thinks to himself.
"I cant! I can't die! I must live for her! So I can be with her!"
Xonj's impregnable defence then ends. His shield turns a Bright Red. Xonj activates his deflection skill. He hits a dagger and it flies off into the dark. He turns to where the dagger came from and his shield turns a dark red. He listen in the forest and hears a body hit the ground. Xonj then uses shield throw. He releases his shield and it disappears into the darkness. Everything is silent. Xonj thinks to himself.
"Its over. I got him. Cherub you mad fool."
Xonj begins to walk towards where his shield went. Then from all angels daggers fly out of the forest. The daggers hit the top of the torches and darkness consumes the circle. Xonj laid on the ground face ground and his body are riddled with daggers. Xonj's health has reached the red. Xonj attempts to pick himself up but he can't make it off the ground. He raises his head to see Cherub walking into sight. He had no injuries. Cherub thrust a polearm into the ground. Xonj's face turns to horror. Then Cherub speaks.
"Those daggers are much lower level. It should take some time to kill you. You like this polearm? It belonged to someone named Okami."
It was Okami's polearm. His mind races.
"How did they get her polearm?"
Cherub continues to talk.
"Yeah she was looking for you I guess and some of my co-workers just brought it to me. I am sure you have figured out that it was not just me throwing daggers this whole time. Now knowing that this woman is dead and you are surrounded and soon will be dead too. How do you feel tell me?"
The moon now shines through the trees onto the circle over Xonj. Xonj lowers his head and tears begin move from his eyes to the blades of grass. Xonj's world has been shattered into crystals. He lays in a void, there is nothing more to fight for. Failure and fear of what they did to her has left him a lifeless corpse.
Then there was anger. It erupts inside of him like the magma of a volcano. His body quakes and shakes him into a beast of rage. He can feel the ash of the destruction turn his eyes to amber.
"Oh hohoho! I can see it now the pain inside of you! ! Let it be the last feeling you feel before I destroy what is left of you!"
Cherub screams out to Xonj before turning his dagger backwards in his hand. He starts to approach Xonj and a loud horn blows. Beside Xonj's body appears two minotaurs one with a sledgehammer and the other a battle axe. They charge cherub. He lift his dagger and cuts both of them down as they charge him. To his surprise Xonj followed quickly behind them. The face of a cornered beast on Xonj's face placed the paralyzing fear inside of Cherub.
"HaaaRaaa!"
Xonj yells coming towards Cherub. To Cherub it sounded like a beast's roar. Xonj with sword in hand burning a fiery red is thrusted into Cherub. His jaw drops and his eyes filled with disbelief looking past Xonj before he burst into crystals. Xonj holds himself standing for a moment. Then he drops his sword as his health falls closer and closer to zero. Then he see's Okami. Running towards him. It feels like she is holding the words were spoken.
"Heal!"
Xonj's health shoots up to full and the daggers fall out of his body. He lays there in Okami's arms. She says to him.
"Xonj you fool. Don't you ever leave me to wake up alone again!"
Xonj brings himself to his knees still thinking his mind is playing tricks on him. Tears still fill his eye's and he says.
"Okami. I love you."
She looks into his eyes with tears falling down. Not a look of happiness but sadness instead.
In the moonlight sit the two lovers and Xonj grabs the clothing on her back as he takes her into his arms.
"Okami! I want to be with you! But i simply can not. In the real world I am unconscious and even when this game is cleared I may never wake up."
Xonj shakes as he is telling Okami how he feels. Okami responds
" Like you I have been distant from relationships for some time now. I have been looking for the right person and now that I have found him. I won't turn away for any reason. I love you Xonj."
They both decide it would be a good idea to leave where they are now and return to Philus's B&B&B. It is morning now and Philus is there to greet them with two drinks. A tea and a caramel coffee. He then says.
"Come sit with me and enjoy your drinks."
Okami responds
"I have been here at all hours of the day and you are always behind the counter. Do you ever sleep?"
Philus then retorts"Xonj when did we meet?"
Xonj responds"Uh about two years ago."
Philus then says"Oh thats right."
Philus then walks away from the two to a table and sits down. Clearly avoiding the question. They then sit and talk about what happen. Okami explains there was a bunch of members from laughing coffin hiding in the woods throwing daggers and she managed to take care of them. Xonj also explained that the polearm cherub had was a replica. Also he used the Bulls Horn that he got from beating the minotaurs on floor 2. Philus then explains to Okami what is happening outside of the game with Xonj. Soon Xonj and Okami are too tired to hold their heads up. Philus then tells the two.
"Go and get some rest you two."
He then hands another key to Okami. She puts her hand on the key and pushes back to Philus. She says to him.
"We will only be needing the one room from now on."