I do not own Sword Art Online or any of the characters.
Thrymr
Michael watched the massive centipede giant hybrid shatter and sighed. One room before the dungeon boss, there was a boss. Very nice. But, it was dead now so all that was left was a short hallway and they'd be at the boss's door. They ran through the hallway but stopped short. There was a small cell off to the right of the door. And there was a beautiful woman kneeling inside. She wore a beautiful tan dress, a circlet in her light green hair, and shackles on her feet and ankles. Michael could swear he heard Klein's jaw hit the ground.
"Please," the woman said looking over at them. "Let me out of here."
Klein began forward but Kirito caught him.
"It's a trap," Kirito said.
"It's a trap," Lisbeth agreed.
"It's totally a trap," Sinon nodded.
"Which just means more fun and experience for us," Michael shrugged walking over to stand beside Klein.
"Uh right, it's a trap, right," Klein said, clearly disagreeing.
"What do you think Yui," Kirito asked.
"She's an NPC, just like Urd she's attached to a language engine module," Yui stated. "However, there's just one difference. This person has an HP guage."
"If she has HP, we could be in for a fight," Kirito stated.
The others all agreed one at a time that it was a trap.
"Of course, it might not be a trap, but we can't afford to take any detours now," Kirito stated, for Klein's sake. "We need to get to Thrymr's room, even if it's just a second sooner."
"Uh...yeah," Klein nodded. "You're right."
They all turned running along the hallway again, passing the cell.
"Please...somebody," the girl pleaded. "Please!"
After a moment, Kein sopped, the others doing the same.
"Make it quick," Michael urged him
Klein blinked then nodded, sprinting back and slashing the bars, destroying then then kneeling.
"Thank you, Fairy Swordsman," she smiled.
"Can you stand?" Klein asked making everyone roll their eyes. "You're not hurt are you?"
"I'm fine," she said, beginning to stand but then collapsing dramatically.
"She's playing him,"Michael sighed.
"Mhm," Kirito nodded.
"Hey easy," Klein said. "It a ways back to the exit, but can you leave on your own?"
"I can't just escape the castle like this," she said. "Not until I take back my tribe's treasure that was stolen by Thrymr, King of the giants. Please...won't you take me with you to Thrymr's room?"
"Oh boy," Michael sighed. "Either we have one hell of a boss fight coming up, or a new ally."
"Um, Kirito?" Klein spoke up.
"Wha...oh fine," Kirito sighed. "It's not like we all know it's a trap anyway."
"Fifty bucks says it's a trap," Michael whispered.
"Not betting against you," Kirito stated.
She hugged Klein for allowing her to come along and Kirito pressed accept when a box opened asking if he'd allow it.
"Freyja," Kirito mused. "Her MP is really high. Is she a mage type?"
They all turned and hurried down the next flight of stairs, which was lit by glowing diamons and cubes floating over upside down pyramids of stone. Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs and found themselves at the door. It swung open and a blast of cold air rushed out. Asuna reniewed their buffs and suddenly Freyja began to chant. They turned toward her just as she finished and their MAX HP bare increased by almost fifty percent.
"I've never heard of a spell that can raise your MAX HP before," Silica marvelled.
"I'm glad she's here," Michael smirked. "Let's go."
They all walked into the room, through a fog of frozen air until they could see Thrymr. He was a humanoid with blue skin and hair a messy blue beard and mustache, a white tunic, black boots, black gauntlets, a blue cape, and a gold crown. They all gaped up at him as they weren't even up to his knee.
"Oh shit," Michael breathed.
"Little insects of ALfheim, were you seduced by Urd to burrow all the way down here?" Thrymr asked. "Well, how about this. If you tell me where I can find that woman, I'll give you all the gold from this room you can carry."
"A samurai gafaws even when starving!" Klein spoke up. "Did you think you could trick me with such a pointless trick as that?"
He drew his sword and the others did the same. Michael looked around the room, seeing a dozen golden or guilded weapons lying around the room but nothint that might pass as Caliburn or Excalibur.
"Oh, is that you Lady Freyja?" Thrymr asked. "If you've emerged from that cage, then perhapse you've made up your mind to become my bride?"
"Did he say bride?" Klein demanded.
"Indeed," Thrymr smirked. "That young lady came to this castle to become my wife. But the night before the banquet, she tried to snoop around my treasure vault, so as punishment, I locked her inside an ice cage."
"Who are you calling your future wife?" Freyja demanded. "Since it's come to this, these swordsmen and I will defeat you and take back what you stole from me!"
Thrymr laughed, scratching his chin.
"That's the spirit," Thrymr laughed. "Juat what I'd expect from Lady Freyja, whose beauty and valor are known all the way to the ends of the earth. However, they say the more eautiful the flower, the more satisfying it will be to snap it. After I've wrung the life out of these insects, I'll be sure to shower you in extra affection."
Thrymr began to laugh, the sound rumbling the entire room.
"Not going to happen!" Klein snapped. "I, Lord Klein, will not allow you to lay a finger on Lady Freyja!"
"Ah, I can hear the buzzing of their wings," Thrymr sneered. "What do you say? As an advance celebration for taking all of J9tunheim as my own, why don't I start by demolishing you?"
The lights came on and Thrymr's health bars appeared.
"Listen to Yui's instructions!" Kirito shouted. "For the first phase, do nothing but evade!"
Everyone agreed and Thrymr took a step forward, throwing a punch much faster than his size would suggest. Michael stepped up in front of the others, raising his shield. The fist crashed into it and stopped, a shockwave flying off of the impact. The others sprinted around Michael and attacked. When Thrymr backed away, Michael sprinted forward, using the same explosive shield skill he had hit the black minotaur with. Thrymr fell onto his rear and Michael flew backward. Sinon caught him and set him on his feet as Thrymr began to stand.
"Sorry, I don't evade well," Michael stated.
"Two punches in a row," Yui warned.
Thrymr leapt into the air, punching at them as he fell but they avoided it. Then, as they were all descending, Thrymr appeared out of the dust and punched Kirito blasting him back into the ground. Michael sprinted up the wall, leaping off of it just before his wall run ability timed out. He rocketed toward Trymr, who turned toward him. He activated his OSS, the sword tearing theough his face again and again rapidly. Then, juat before the final attack hit, Thrymr's hand flashed up, backhanding Michael and launching him away. Michael groaned, pushing himself up and sighed.
"So close," Michael grumbled.
Sinon fired a flaming arrow, hitting Thrymr in the back of the head just before Klein leapt into the air, slashing Thrymr across the back, the gash exploding a moment later. Leafa sprinted forward, jumping and slashing Thrym's leg four times on the way up. Then, Kirito sprinted forward. Befre he. Could get there, Yui warned them that Thrymr would use Ice Breath, and Thrymr leapt into the air.
Yui counted down and the moment she said zero, Thrymr released a stream of frozen hair. Kirito and the others leapt aside but as the attack progressed outward, Freyja raised her hand, a ball of purpple lightning forming over herm then, she swiped her hand down at Thrymr and the ball turned into a bolt of lighting, flashing through the air and hitting the giant king, lighting him up and ending his attack early. When the electricity was gone, Thrymr fell, crashing to the ground. As he stood, Michael, Leafa, and Klein charged. Leafa leapt into the air, slashing and sending an arch of compressed air slicing through Thrymr. Then, Kirito and Klein slashed his shin, the gashes exploding and depleating his first of three health bars. Thrymr stood, roaring in anger.
"The pattern's changing!" Kirito warned. "Watch your backs."
"Not looking good brother!" Leafa shouted. "Only three lights left!"
"Two of them are currently flying around," Michael reminded her. "We've still got time!"
Thrymr began to inhale, debris flying into his mouth from all around the room and the force threatening to pull Michael and the others in. Then, Thrymr opened his mouth and exhaled a massive wall of subzero air. It hut their barriers, which held for a minute before shattering.
"It's no good!" Leafa said. "The buff! Big Bro-"
She was cut off by ice encasing her. Kirito turned back to Thrymr as ice began to encase him as well, starting from the feet and rising.
"Not good!" Michael shouted, his shield partially blocking the wind but now encased in ice, along with his shield arm.
Finally it ended with them all being frozen solid. Then, Thrymr stomped and the shockwave shattered all of the ice before blasting them and launching them, dealing a massive amount of damage. Michael crashed down hard and looked down at his shield before his eyes widened. His shield and shield arm were both gone, the arm missing just above the elbow.
"Fuck me," he grumbled, puahing himself up and raising his sword. "I liked that shield."
Asuna healed all of them but the spell only brought them up to yellow and Michael began to slowly loose health instantly from the bleeding status ailment that accompanied losing a limb. The game's glowing reddish-pink blood similation slowly leaked out of his wound and then shattered after lying on the ground for a moment.
"Everyone, run!" Asuna shouted.
Thrymr raised his foot but before he could stomp on them, Sinon fired an arrow that caught fire then split into a dozen fireballs. They all hit Thrym's face, exploding and forcing him back. He began to sprint at Sinon and Kirito shouted for her to keep him busy for a few seconds. Thrymr swiped at her but she jumped up, kicking him in the nose then leaping off. Michael sprinted forward, slashing the side of Thryme's foot and he shouted in pain, lifting it. Sinon fired another explosive arrow into Thrymr's face, forcing him backward.
Michael sprinted forward, raising his sword and flying forward, aiming to blast through Thrymr's leg. At the last second, Thrymr lifted his leg, and Michael shot past below it.
"Excuse me Mister Swordsman," Freyja addressed Kirito. "At this rate, our chances of defeating Thrymr are nil. We have but one chance. My tribe's secret treasure burried somewhere in this room."
"Alright, so what kind of hammer is it?" Kirito asked.
"It's about so big," Freyja said, holding her hands a little more than a foot apart. "A golden hammer."
"H-Hammer?" Kirito stammered.
Michael rolled under Thrymr's fist as Sinon leapt away from his foot. Michael's health reached red and Asuna healed him again, bringing it back up to high yellow, and Michael's sword glowed blue as he leapt up beside Thrymr's lef, slicing it open. Ice exploded out of both sides then shattered and Michael landed beside Thrymr's foot before Thrymr staggered backward, Sinon peppering his face with fire arrows.
"Brother, use a lightning ability," Leafa said as they faced an enormous mound of treasure.
"Lightning?" Kirito blinked then shook his head, leaping into the air and doing a backflip.
As he landed, he drove his swords into the ground in an "X", the right one glowing purple and sending lightning out into the treasure, lighting it all up. After a moment, the lightning faded and something in the mound flashed. Kirito glanced to Leafa who nodded and Kirito sprinted forward, reaching out to dig into the pile just as Michael crashed into it, the pile collapsing. Michael ended up on top ot the pile with a large golden hammer lying in his lap. The hammer had a solid cylinder handle and a box-type head.
Kirito tried to pick it up but it was much, much heavier than it looked. Michael looked down as it then up at Kirito who was struggling to lift it. He tried to stand but the hammer was immobile. Kirito gripped it wihmth both hands and the hammer began to slowly rise.
"Freyja!" Kirito shouted. "Here you go!"
He spun, hurling the hammer through the air toward Freyja and she caught it one-handed as though it were weightless. Michael blinked at her reaction as she stared at the hammer. Then, he stood and sprinted at Thrymr, who was still trying to kill Sinon. Then, the hammer began to glow and she doubled over, beginning to mutter to herself.
"Freyja!" Klein shouted before leaping aside from a punch from Thrymr.
Suddenly, Freyja began to scream, her voice distorted, and light and lightning began to fly off. Her dress exploded off as she began to grow and mutate. A moment later, green smoke shot up around the person and then blew away, leaving a massive man with a brown cape, long messy brown hair, a messy brown beard and mustache, a gold circlet, and furry brown boots. The man turned around, holding the golden hammer, which had grown in proportion to its wielder.
"Thor," Michael gaped, looking at the name above the health bar. "The God of Thunder. Oh boy."
Thrymr turned toward Thor and Michael stabbed his sword into the ground, entering his menu and getting out a healing crystal, healing himself and restoring his arm. He picked his sword back up and looked up at the two giant men. Thor swung his hammer, which Michael assumed must be Mjolnir, at Thrymr but Thrymr formed a waraxe and blocked it. Then, Thor's free fist crashed into Thrymr's face. Thrymr returned the favor and growled in annoyance.
"You shady excuse for a God," Thrymr snarled. "How dare you deceive me? I'll rip that beard off your face and send you back to Asgard!"
The two giants began to fight and Michael grinned. This was the prlerfect opportunity to beat Thrymr. And Sinon seemed to agree because she shouted for everyone to attack Thrymr. Klein was first, shouting "Freyja" as he attacked's Thrymr's leg. Asuna was next, jabbing Thrymr rapidly in the achilles tendon. Then, Lisbeth slammed a lightning skill into the side of his foot before Silica leapt to the ceiling then back down, slashing Thrymr on the way past. Thrymr fell to one knee and Kirito and Michael sprinted forward the others following.
Michael grinned sword glowing red and slashed The bottom of Thrymr's foot, then darted around ro Thrymr's right, slashing the side of his foot, then to thrymr's front, slashing his toes and knee, then to his left, slashing along the side of his shin. Then, he leapt back as a square of flaming slash trails blasted of of Thrymr, all cutting through Thrymr like blades then exploring around him. Kirito began to use Skill Connect on Thrymr as the ithers all blasted Thrymr with any ability they could think of. Finally they backed away and Thor stepped forward.
"Go back to the abyss King of the Giants!" Thor shouted, smashing Mjolnir down on Thrymr's head. After a moment, Thrymr's crown shattered and Thrymr began to laugh.
"Gloat while you can, you insignificant bugs," Thrymr chuckled as he began to freeze. "But trust the Æsir Tribe and you'll-"
He stopped when Thor's foot crashed down on his head, shattering him.
"I thank you, fairy swordsmen," Thor spoke up. "Because of you, the disgrace of having my treasure stolen from me has been erased. Now then, I must reward you."
He held his hand over Mjolnir and a gemstone rose out of it, shining blindingly bright. It fell to Klein, transforming into a smaller, much lighter Mjolnir as it fell.
"The Lightning Hammer Mjolnir," Thor said. "Use it for righteous battles. Now, fairwell."
Then, he lifted his hammer and it began to shine blindingly bright. When the light faded he was gone. A moment later, his health bar disappeared from their party list.
"You got a legendary weapon," Kirito said, resting a hand on Klein's shoulder as the others sorted their their winnings, Michael disappointed to not have gotten a new shield.
"My hammer-wielding skills are, like, nonexistant," Klein complained.
Just then, the pyramid began to shake, bits of ice falling from the elceiling and landing around them.
"It's moving!" Sinon shouted. "Are we too late?"
Leafa looked at the medallion and sighed.
"Brother, it looks like the quest isn't over!" Leafa shouted. "There are two left."
Kirito nodded and they turned, sprinting to the stairs and down to the last level. There, in the center of the room, the last few incbes of the blade buried in ice, rested Excalibur. Kirito stared at it for a moment before beginning to lift. The ice groaned but didn't give.
"Keep going Kirito," Asuna said.
"You're almost there!" Leafa said.
"For the love of..." Michael groaned drawing his sword.
He walked over, activating a fire skill and blasting the ice with it. Thw ice steamed and weakened, shattering and allowing Kirito to take the sword.
"Oh...um...I knew that," Kirito said as the girls gave them a deadpan look, unable to believe thwy hadn't thought of that.
Just then, roots began to grow around them, destroying the stairs and shattering the thin sheets of ice serving as floor to ceiling windows. The pyramid began to shake violently and roots reached down from above. Suddenly, the central collum snapped and the small chunk they were on dropped several feet, the thins ice pices on the corners breaking as a single root supported it.
"Oh no," Michael groaned as the sound of straining wood reached them.
Then, the root exploded and the chunk fell. They all held on but the others stopped screaming after a couple minutes of falling.
"Did we make it?" Michael asked.
"Yes," Leafa nodded. "There are two left."
"That's something at least," Michael sighed.
"Did you hear that?" Leafa asked.
Michael listened and could swear he heard an elephant. He and Leafa both stood, looking around until they saw the source.
"Tonkey!" Leafa shouted.
Both of the two elephant creatures were flying toward them. Michael smirked and looked to the others. The two creatures got as close as they could and they began to jump over onto Ynokey while Michael jumped onto the one Michael had saved. The chunk of ice near Michael's crumbled and it moved away from the chunk. Kirito looked down at the sword and Michael realized what was keeping him from jumping. Excaliber was too heavy to equip, so it was incurring a movement penalty since it wasn't in his menu. After a momwnt, Kirito spun, hurling the sword and then jumped onto Tonkey. After a moment, Sinon stepped over, pulling out her bow and drawing an arrow. Michael judged Tonkey was roughly two hundred meters away from the sword and grinned. Anyone else would never be able to hit it.
Sinon chanted a quick spell then released her arrow, which left a glowing blue trail in its wake. The trail began to condensce into a rope from Sinon and heading toward the arrow itself. Sinon caught the rope just as the arrow hit the sword, turning into a glowing blue orb, stuck to the sword. Sinnon yanked the rope, pulling it rapidly and dragging Excalibur back to herself.
"That's my girl," Michael grinned as his ride began to fly over to Sinon. "Now I remember why I don't make you mad too much. God I hope she's forgiven me for that purring thing earlier."
Just as Michael's ride reached Tonkey, Sinon caught the sword and nearly dropped it from its weight.
"Whoa, heavy," Sinon muttered. "Don't give me that look. You can have it. I'm not a sword fighter."
She handed it to him then jumped over to Michael and turned back to the others. Just then, the last of the pyramid fell away and roots began to reach down toward the ground again. Water burst up from the pit, filling it in minutes, just in time for the roots to reach the water and spread out over it, stopping at the edge then spreading plantlife back to the no longer frozen land.
Within minutes, the land was beautiful and green again and the sun was shining through a gap somewhere in ALfheim. Just then, they heard several elephant calls. They looked down and their eyes widened. Dozens of Tonkey's species now dotted the land. Suddenly, Urd appeared before them.
"I see you've fulfilled your mission flawlessly," Urd stated. "Because the sword said to cut all steel and trees has been removed, Jotunheim has been returned to its former state. This is all thanks to you. My younger sisters would also like to express their gratitude to you."
A smaller girl, roughly the same size as Michael and the others, appeared to Urs's left. She looked like a younger version of Urd.
"My name is Verdandi, thank you, Fairy Swordsmen," the girl said. "To think that I can once again behold a green Jotunheim...it's like a dream."
As she finished speaking, a second girl roughly the same height appeared on Urd's left, this one appearing in a cyclone of wind. She wore a green dress, silverchest plate, black boots with wings reaching outward from the bottoms of them, and a silver helmet with sings reaching upward from the top of it. My name is Skuld, allow me to thank you, warriors.
Verdandi formed a ball of light in front of her outstretched hand and it glashed and faded. Skuld formed one as well then blew on it and it faded. A moment later, a reward box opened in front of everyone.
"My gift to you shall be that sword," Urd said pointing at Excalibur, which shone then faded, a text box alerting Kirito that it was added to his inventory.
"Thank you Fairies," the three Hill Giants spoke together. "Until we meet again."
They began to fly away but it seemed Klein just couldn't leave well enough alone.
"M-M-Miss Skuld!" Klein shouted, jumping onto Tonkey's head. "Give me your contact info!"
Michael snorted in amusement, looking up at Skuld as she laughed and waved back at him, then turned and continued flying away. He looked back at Klein as a text box opened in front of Klein with an address in it.
"Wha...no freaking way!" Michael gaped then began to laugh.
"What?" Klein demanded.
"I'm legitimately impressed," Michael laughed. "You managed to get an NPC to give you their phone number."
Klein blinked then grinned and puffed his chest out.
"Of course," Klein sniffed. "Why wouldn't she?"
"I think I may have said NPC," Michael smirked.
Klein huffed, crossing his arms and turning away, dropping back down to Tonkey's back. The others laughed and Michael sighed, sitting down.
"That was a very long mission," Michael sighed. "Thank God it's over."
The others agreed and Tonkey and his friend flew them up to the stairway they had arrived through and dropped them off. They began to climb the stairs then flew to an in and saved. Most logged out but Michael and Sinon went to their field first.
"I'm sorry about this morning," Michael apologised, still feeling bad.
"It's alright," Sinon sighed. "Just, don't do it around the others again, okay?"
Michael nodded and Sinon smiled, kissing him and laying her head on his lap. After a moment, he began to stroke her hair absentmindedly, only realizing he was doing it when she began to purr. He stopped and she looked up at him, cheeks red.
"It's okay here," Sinon mumbled. "I don't mind."
Michael smiled and continued, his smile widening when she began to purr. After a couple minutes, she drifted off, purring in her sleep for a minute before she was automatically logged out. Michael logged himself out and then went to bed.
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