Sword Apocalypse Online
Chapter 16
The Christmas Party at Rovia was as big as planned, with MOST of the front line players there. There was plenty of food and drink, and a lot of talking and mingling going on.
"No Asuna's Harem?" Thinker asked mildly.
"Even YOU are calling them that?" Lind laughed.
Yulier, Thinker's wife, laughed too. "Well, everyone has nicknamed them that," she agreed.
"Not in front of her, though. I'm not suicidal," Lind added.
"Heh," Yulier nodded. She sipped her drink, "We need to mend bridges with Argo, I think."
All three sighed. None of them had been with the group that turned on Argo after the deaths on the first floor, but they all fully understood her not trusting anyone of them now.
"I'm not sure there's much we can do," Thinker admitted.
"Find the players that tried to kill Argo?" Lind suggested.
"They scattered once they realized they screwed up," Yulier pointed out. "And are probably still hiding out, even if we could identify them."
All three sighed again.
"Cheer up!" Silica declared, the smaller young woman smiling. "We beat the middle floor boss with no casualties, and it's nearly midnight!"
"Thanks," Lind nodded, "you're right. We should be celebrating."
There was a band playing, and the music was reasonably lively. "Dance with me?" Yulier asked Thinker, smiling.
"Of course, dear," Thinker followed her willingly.
Lind thought about asking Silica to dance, but worried people might think he was a lolicon.
"I CAN TELL WHAT YOU'RE THINKING," Silica pouted. "I'm still growing, darn it."
"Sorry," Lind shrugged. 'Maybe I can see if that Lux girl is around..,' he mused.
Silica sighed as he walked off. "If only there was a cool, mysterious hero type in a black coat I could long for," she moped.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The mysterious, black coated Yuuki Konno sneezed.
"WHY do we sneeze in game, darn it?" Liz complained.
They were in the village of Usco they were using as a home base as they finished exploring the river level. Before they attempted the dungeon between levels they were trying to clear all the side quests, just in case there were things they needed to know.
"Merry Christmas," Asuna said as their small, informal party met at a inn in town.
"Merry Christmas," everyone chanted back.
"Here," Aiko handed her sister a gift.
"I thought we weren't doing gifts!" Yuuki complained as she took it.
"It was a monster drop," Aiko said as Yuuki opened the package with a click, revealing a new armor piece that fit under her coat.
"Ebony Breast Plate!" Asuka read the item description. "Nice.. pluses to resistance and evade."
"Speaking of gifts," Liz handed something to Asuna.
"Seriously?" Asuna took it.
"We noticed you don't have much armor," Argo added, "Bracers of Defense. They boost your stats but don't cut agility."
"Pretty too," Asuna put them on.
"Uhm, Argo." Aiko handed her something.
"Seriously?" Argo gave the tall amazon a look.
"They're upgraded 'claws' Aiko admitted, "saw a player selling them, so..."
"Good. I got you this," Argo passed her a ring.
"If you're proposing, it's too soon," Aiko deadpanned.
"Alas, my heart belongs to Asuna," Argo joked. As everyone laughed she added, "It's a anti-debuff ring. It cancels low level poison and other debuffs."
"Well, last gift them," Asuna added as she handed a package to Liz.
"A new portable forge?" Liz blinked.
"It's upgraded from your usual," Asuna added, "I THINK it's still usable by your skills too."
"Did you PLAN this?" Argo wondered.
"No," Asuna admitted, "I guess we're just this type of person."
"Ha," Aiko shook her head.
Liz sighed as she took in the fish stew dinner, "I DO wish we had KFC or something."
"Isn't that for couples?" Argo asked impishly.
"Huh?' Yuuki and Aiko both blinked.
"On Christmas, loving couples often go to Kentucky Fried Chicken," Liz noted. She saw Asuna;s perplexed look too, "Never have?"
"No boyfriends, busy in school," Asuna admitted.
"Yeah, ditto," Aiko added and Yuuki nodded.
As they ate, Asuna had the weirdest feeling the girls were lying...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"You're kidding... it's SNOWING?"
Christmas morning the various players woke up to snow on all the floors they had reached in Aincrad so far.
"I don't know if this fits 'Kayaba is a Asshole' or not?" Klein mused aloud.
(Kayaba aka Heathcliff HAD actually intended snow on Christmas to be a little treat for the players. Admittedly, he hadn't anticipated it taking so long to break out of the first floor. Still, he hoped it wouldn't be too bad...)
"I LIKE snow," Sachi noted mildly.
"Hopefully it doesn't cause a combat debuff," Dynamm noted.
"Like slipping," Hera noted distrustfully.
"Shit. I hadn't considered that," Klein noted.
"Maybe wait until tomorrow before heading out?" Harry-one suggested.
"... Sachi looked out at the snow thoughtfully.
"What?" Klein asked.
"Have any of you done a snowball fight in awhile?"
The group exchanges glances, grinned, and rushed out into the snow.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"You know, I bet everyone else is taking a day off," Aiko noted as they took their boat up stream.
"Argo says we're nearly at the Dark Elf Fortress where we'll meet up with Kizmel," Asuna said apologetically.
"Well, gotta see your girlfriend soonest," Liz teased.
"Could you not, please?" Asuna sighed.
Argo, Yuuki and Aiko all looked amused though.
They went through a fog bank, and were blinded a moment, much like when they entered the Dark Elf village earlier. They emerged from the fog, then several gasped.
"Oh wow," Liz breathed out.
A gorgeous castle stood in the center of the lake, the Dark Elf flag fluttering in the breeze. The waters shimmered, even as some snow came down.
"I see a dock," Aiko pointed, "I'll bring us in."
At the dock several warriors saw them coming. Some stayed on guard, others hurried inside and them emerged with a familiar figure.
"There's Kizmel!" Argo noted.
They neared, tossed a rope and tied onto the dock. Gracefully Asuna jumped onto the gleaming stone, even as Kizmel hugged her eagerly.
"Welcome, Asuna!" Kizmel cried.
"Not her girlfriend my ass," Liz teased impishly.
"Shhh," Aiko scolded, amused.
"Huh, interesting," Argo murmured.
"Hmm?" Yuuki looked at her.
"In the Beta we would be challenged by guards first...," Argo mused, "I guess just another way Kayaba has changed things?"
:So we can't completely trust your experience?" Yuuki shrugged. "It's fine."
"Here's hoping," Argo agreed.
To be continued...
