The sky was a sea of stars shining brightly, a new moon meant that there was no light stealing the glory of the stars. I stared up at it as a gentle wind whispered through the grass. The night breeze was dry, and cut the night heat. I feel a warmth on my hand as someone places their hand on mine. I look over to see a girl in a black and red dress with blonde hair looking at me, smiling. She says something, but I can't hear her. I cock my head to ask her to repeat, but suddenly, there is a flash of black that strikes her. Something splatters across my face and I rub my face and look at my hands to see them stained with blood.

"Eresh-" I mutter, staring at where she was as ash begins to fall all around. The scene before me was turning red and orange with fire.

"AAAHHHHHH!" An ear piercing sing song voice tears through the night, making it feel like my eardrums might burst as I am brought to my knees and look around to see Tiamat, silhouetted against the burning ruins of a city, in the distance.

"You were supposed to be dead!" I shout as I stumble to get up, trying to run, but I don't get more than a few steps before tripping over something. I strike my face on a rock and see stars. Reaching into my mouth, I feel a tooth wiggle and come free. Staring at it, I then look to see what I tripped over. Laying in a pool of blood was a woman wearing colorful samurai armor, her katana and its tanuki tail sheathe lay broken a few feet away, and her vacant eyes stared emptily at me. My throat runs dry and I shut my eyes. I get up and run.

"I'm sorry." I cry out quietly as I run. Yet Tiamat just kept getting closer. I'm knocked to the ground again by something landing in front of me and I look up at a grotesque oily black, twitching monstrosity, a mouth turned vertical, with teeth bared in a permanent grin as a tongue hung out. It's wicked arms ended in spikey points and wings that vibrated in a dull, baritone hum protruded from its back.

"No! Get away!" I try to scramble back as it raises its arm. The earth shakes violently.

My eyes shoot open, my arm shooting forward, gripping something tightly, as I hear a feminine voice wince. I stare up at concerned green eyes looking down at me. Artoria has one of her hands on my shoulder. My hand was gripping her arm tightly enough that I noticed a couple health points had been knocked off her health bar.

" Ritsuka… it's your shift… are you okay?" Artoria whispers concernedly, resting her other hand on the hand that was squeezing her arm. " Was it a bad dream?" She asks as I loosen my grip on her arm. I calm my breathing. Looking past her, the sky had turned a dark violet, a sign night was drawing to a close. I look back at her and nod slowly.

" Y-yeah. Just a dream… Just a dream." I reply quietly, saying it again to reassure myself. Artoria smiles softly, reassuringly, and stands up. I sit up and rub my eyes. I look at her and nod, then stand up. Artoria walks a few feet away and lies down. I walk over and sit down with my back against a fence post. My heart was still beating hard in my chest and I rest my hand against my chest, breathing and trying to calm myself down.

It seemed that just because I was in a game, I wasn't safe from the dreams that had been bothering me since Salem. I scratch my chin, watching the eastern horizon. I didn't like that face Artoria gave me. She had enough on her plate and enough factors of stress as it was, I didn't need to be adding to it. I felt bad for making her worry.

Besides, my job now is to be an effective leader for the others. I can't be a source of concern or stress. That puts their lives in increased danger. I think to myself as the sky slowly turned orange, radiating from the east and creeping across the sky. I look away from the sky to look at Artoria sleeping. I smile softly. She was sleeping peacefully. Hopefully her dreams were a bit better than mine. Hopefully, she felt like she was free of her stresses. She was too sweet a girl to carry so much weight on her shoulders.

I feel a slight warmth on my face as the sun peaks over the horizon. I look over to watch the sun rise, silhouetting mountains and the strange almost floating structures scattered about the land. It was a genuinely beautiful sight.

How long has it been since I simply watched the sun rise? I wonder to myself, coming to the rather depressing realization that I hadn't had a huge amount of free time the past few months. I chuckle softly to myself.

" Well how about that? Guess I'm a pretty lame dude." I mutter quietly to myself wryly. I sigh and watch the sunset, keeping my ears open for any disturbances, but the only thing I ever saw was a single player run up the road, heading north about an hour into my shift. The person was in a clear hurry, as they were sprinting full speed, wearing a white and blue cloak that hid their face. I watch them go, wondering what had them going so fast.

" Maybe they were running late for an interview." I joke to myself, chuckling softly.

With the sun firmly in the sky, it was probably best for us to begin the new day. I stand up and walk over and shake Dynamm awake, then Dale, and work my way through the party in the order they took watch. Slowly, the party emerges from sleep, sitting up with yawns and bleary eyes, adjusting to the bright sun as it continued to rise.

"So, what's on the plan today?" Klein asks, standing up and looking at me, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"I did get a quest to gather wolf pelts in Horunka." Dynamm states, rubbing his eyes as he stands up. I look at him and nod.

"I have a boar meat farming quest as well." Kunimittz mentions.

"Then it sounds like our mission today is to take care of those quests. That should hopefully put some coin in our pockets, food in our bellies, and possibly level us up." I state, looking everyone over.

"Boars and wolves are pretty easy. Should we split so we can do both quests simultaneously?" Klein asks. I nod. He made a good suggestion. Considering boars and wolves weren't exactly pressing threats, two squads could handle the quests far quicker.

"You know, that's actually a good idea. I like that a lot. Let's split, Artoria, me, Dynamm and Issin in one group, we'll handle the wolves. Then Klein, Kunimittz, Harry, and Dale can go for the boar. We will meet up here in town and wait in the center of the village. Once we turn in those quests, we can hopefully buy some food at the tavern." I state, dividing the party into two subgroups. Dale and Harry nod.

"Oh god, food would be amazing. I'm starving as it is. I'd love a good meal." Harry responds, smacking his stomach for emphasis. Klein and Kunimittz nod.

"Yeah, I'm kinda running on fumes here. I'd love to get a warm meal in my belly." Klein adds. I nod.

"Then let's get these quests done quickly so we can enjoy some food and a roof over our heads." I state decisively. With that, the group splits as we each head to wrap the quests up quickly.

I bring my katana down in a downward swing, dispatching the wolf from the side as it tries to attack Dynamm. The wolf bursts into particles and a wolf pelt appears in my inventory. I look at the others.

"How many pelts were needed, Dynamm?" I ask him.

"15. Did you get one?" Dynamm replies, looking at me. I nod.

"Yeah. That brings us to 15, correct?" I ask, handing him the pelt. He takes it with a grateful nod. The sun shone above us intently, starting down from its zenith, it was just past noon.

"It does. We can head back now." Dynamm answers, placing the pelt into his inventory.

"Think the others finished their quest yet?" Issin asks, sheathing his sword as we begin heading back towards the village.

"Dunno. Hope so. If they take too long, I'm mugging them for the boar meat and eating it myself." I state, chuckling. "I haven't been this hungry in who knows how long." I add. Issin and Dynamm laugh.

"What about you Artoria? How are you feeling?" I ask her, looking back at her. She shrugs.

"I could eat a little bit." She replies modestly. I raise an eyebrow. I knew Artoria. I knew other Artorias. She was lying as naturally as she breathed. She'd eat us out of house and home if left unmonitored.

"Well, then we can all look forward to getting back to the village then." I respond, smiling back at her. She smiles and nods and runs up to walk alongside me. Her enthusiasm was a warm spot for me. Even as shitty as Faerie Britain was, it was nice traveling with her then, and it was nice to be back to something similar. I reach out and pat her on the back. I look at her as she looks at me in surprise.

"It's nice to be traveling with you again." I state, dropping my arm. She stares at me. She nods after a moment and smiles.

"I feel the same." She replies. She looks back forward and I look at the sky.

This isn't so bad. It reminds me of the early singularities honestly. Hell, it feels even less pressing than that, so this is almost a vacation. I think to myself as we walk.

As we approach the village, I hear familiar voices. It seemed the other group had already finished their quest and we were the late ones. Entering the village, Klein, Kunimittz, Dale, and Harry are chatting and laughing in the middle of the village. Dale is the first one to spot us and he waves at us.

"Hey! Welcome back! Took you long enough!" Dale laughs. Issin and Artoria wave back. We walk over to them while Dynamm splits off to turn in the quest.

"Any trouble?" I ask, high fiving Klein.

"None. Dale got knocked on his ass by a boar, but it wasn't anything critical. More funny really." Klein replies as Kunimittz, Harry, and I laugh.

"Hey, it really knocked the wind out of me." Dale speaks up, chuckling. Klein pats him on the back.

"Welcome to the club, Dale. I've been rammed by a boar too. It's not fun." Klein replies, grinning.

"We all gained levels, what about your group?" I ask Klein as the chuckles die down. Klein looks at me and nods.

"Yup! We all leveled up!" Klein answers, giving a thumbs up. I nod and give Klein another high five.

"Moving on up in the world!" I respond, grinning. Klein grins and nods.

"Three quests completed! I'd definitely say that's worth something." Klein replies. I pat his shoulder and look as Dynamm walks over.

"Quest is turned in!" Dynamm reports, smiling. The party cheers in response.

"Alright, let's go get some food then." Dale speaks up, heading for the inn with everyone quickly following him.

I step into the inn behind the others. It was a simple village inn, but simple was better than nothing. Dynamm heads up to the bar to order food and drink for everyone as the party pulls some tables together and sits around a table. There was a couple of NPCs and even a player present in the inn. The player was wearing a brown robe and briefly turned their gaze to us before returning their attention to the modest meal on their table. I pay them no more mind and sigh as Dynamm walks over, laying food and drinks out from his inventory. Issin and Harry clap.

"Haha! Food at last! Nothing has ever seemed more beautiful!" Harry says, picking up a sandwich and quickly taking a bite. I pick up a chicken leg or some other kind of drumstick and take a bite out of it. The flavor was good. It tasted real and the texture felt real. Again, I was impressed with the game's realistic nature. I then pick up a mug and take a swig. My tastebuds are immediately assaulted with the bold, somewhat bitter flavor of beer. I stare at it, a little surprised. I hadn't had alcohol since Okeanos.

Well, not that it matters in a game I guess. Doubt I'll get liver failure or the cops on me for this. I think to myself as I take another bite out of the drum stick. Suddenly, Klein stands up. I look up at him.

"A toast! To our victory and many more to come!" Klein says loudly, grinning and raising his mug. The others stand up, even Artoria. I jump up and raise my glass.

"To victory!" The others say, clacking their mugs together. I then bring my mug to my lips and take a deep drink with the others and sit back down. Artoria returns to steadily devouring a plate of sandwiches and breads, and Kunimittz and Issin seem to be trying to see who can chug their beer faster. I finish off my chicken or whatever other mystery fowl leg and grab a sandwich as I take a draw from my beer and sigh.

"So, where to after this, cap'n?" Harry asks, grinning as he looks at me. I chuckle and shake my head.

"A soft bed!" I reply, earning a laugh around the table and a round of 'hear hear.' I chuckle and take a bite out of the sandwich and watch as Dale and Kunimittz arm wrestle. For a while, it seems pretty even, but after a bit, Kunimittz gives out and Dale slams his arm to the table. Dale pumps a fist and laughs.

"Better luck next time!" Dale comments, drinking his beer. Kunimittz laughs, conceding defeat. He then gets up and buys another round of drinks for the table.

"Drink up! The round is on me!" Kunimittz states, slamming the mugs on the table.

"That's because you lost the arm wrestle though. You can't claim being generous all of the sudden." Issin interjects, amused.

"Shut up! I can do what I want, stop nitpicking!" Kunimitts quips back, eliciting laughs from around the table. I finish my sandwich and take another drink of my beer. My body was feeling a bit warmer thanks to the drink, a vaguely familiar sensation from Okeanos. I check on Artoria who is just quietly watching the antics of the table while packing food away. I snort in amusement at the sight, earning a look of curiosity from her.

"Hm?" She blinks at me, chewing and swallowing a bite of chicken leg. I shake my head, smiling.

"Nothing. Nothing." I assure her and then look back at the others but am soon distracted by movement at the edge of my vision. I look over to see the cloaked player get up and head upstairs. Once they were gone, I returned my attention to the party just in time to see Klein and Dale finish chugging a round and high fiving.

I grab some bread and tear apart a chicken leg to make a chicken sandwich as Dynamm leans over to me.

"Almost feels like an after work party." Dynamm remarks, grinning. I chuckle.

"You're talking to the wrong person. I'm too young to have been to an after work drinking party." I reply. But it is fun. Makes you almost feel like we aren't in a death game." I respond, sipping my beer. Dynamm nods and taps his mug to mine.

"True that. Can't say this has all been miserable. There's a silver lining I guess." Dynamm replies, sipping his drink and sighing, looking around at the party. "As long as everyone comes back, maybe we will be able to look at the good more than the bad." He adds, smiling softly.

"Careful, that's a flag." I comment, but I can't help but smile as well. It was true after all. As long as we all made it out. Dynamm chuckles.

"Fair. Fair. I should be careful not to tempt fate." Dynamm responds. He leans back upright and returns to eating a sandwich. I finish my beer and start on my second. The others seemed to be getting started on their thirds, and the noise level seemed to reflect that. Issin tells Kunimittz a joke and Kunimittz responds with a boisterous laugh. I shift over next to Artoria.

"You alright? You're awfully quiet." I comment, looking at her. She looks at me, chewing. She swallows and blinks. She nods.

"I'm fine. Just eating." She replies, slowly taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"I thought you weren't very hungry." I state, pointing at what must be the third sandwich she has eaten. She blushes and frowns.

"I'm not! They're just good! I haven't eaten much!" She retorts, and I laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing, Avalon le Glutton." I reply, smirking as she gets redder.

"Agh! You're just stupid! I'm not a glutton! I just gotta eat when I can!" She snaps and I laugh more. I raise my hands innocently.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." I respond, earning a glare from her. I shift back over as Klein falls on his ass trying to avoid Harry attempting to steal a chicken leg off his plate. The others laugh. Klein laughs as he gets back up.

"Woah… I'm okay. I'm okay!" Klein laughs more as he sits back in his chair. Kunimittz pats him on the back.

"Hey… hey Kaze!" Issin calls out to me and I look at him. "You said you and Artoria weren't like… a pair, but like… you got a special someone?" He asks, grinning, his face flushed with alcohol. I shake my head.

"No, no one. Sorry to disappoint." I reply.

"Ah… really? Isn't high school like the perfect time for that?" He comments back, taking a swig from his beer. I laugh and shake my head.

"You all keep asking about my love life, well, tell me about yours Issin!" I grin back as Issin laughs.

"Shit, you got me. Touche." He laughs and concedes. I roll my eyes in amusement. I finish eating my chicken sandwich and watch Harry try to juggle three bread rolls with very poor results, with two landing on the floor and the third on his face, earning laughs from Dale and Kunimittz who were watching.

Klein makes his way around the table and lays an arm around my shoulder, grinning. He clacks his mug against mine and drinks.

"Hello, Kaze. You're a pretty alright friend, you know that? Our glorious victorious leader!" He states, grinning a drunken grin. I just grin back awkwardly, not knowing how to respond to the drunken antics.

"Much obliged. Happy to help." I respond, chuckling. Klein just grins more.

"See? Great friend!" He laughs, letting go of me and making it back to his seat.

"I'm going to do some shopping at the store in the village. I'll be back later." Kunimittz states, setting down his finished beer. The others look at him. Dynamm grins.

"Safe travels!" Dynamm calls out as Kunimittz turns for the door.

"Safer than your liver right now!" Kunimittz laughs, waving back as he leaves the inn. The others watch him go, then return to chatting and eating. I look at Artoria. She smiles at me and stands up.

"I'm going to lay down for a bit. I'm still tired from yesterday." She says to me before turning and heading upstairs. I nod and watch her go. I then look back at the rest of the party and decide it's better to not get too inhibited today. I finish my mug and stand up. I look at the others and gesture that I am heading upstairs. Klein nods.

"See you later!" Klein calls out and the others wave as I stand back and head upstairs.

Dynamm had bought rooms for all of us it seems, as I was able to access one of the doors. I head inside and sit on the bed. My thoughts felt a little slower, thanks to the drinks, but in a way, it was a relief. I certainly wasn't as stressed as I had been. My mind wanders to the other player we had seen in the inn.

"Wonder who that was? I haven't seen many other players, honestly. Are most players holing up in the starting town still?" I think out loud. After all, we had only seen the one in the inn, two had died in the forest, there was the one I saw on watch, and then we saw two while questing today.

"Unless maybe we missed them? Are they in the forest?" I ask myself. Unable to find an answer though, I shrug. We seemed to be ahead of the crowds for the moment. I lie down on the bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

What was in store for us? What is down the road? Would the next quest be lethal? There was so much to think about. Yet I had an obligation to plan for as much as possible. The lives of others were in my hands. If I didn't plan accordingly, I could get them killed. And then of course, there was Artoria.

What kind of ranged weapons are there in this game? I wonder to myself. If I could get Artoria a ranged build, that would be great. That would keep her out of the direct fighting and keep her safe. Of course, if there was player housing, then I could just have her stay home. If she stayed home, I could guarantee she wouldn't be in danger of dying.

"Hmm… that might be the wisest option. I'll need to look into how much a house costs." I talk softly to myself. After all, myself, Klein, and the others were more than enough to handle the fights. I resolve to come back to this idea once I know more about this world, and yawn. Last night hadn't yielded very good sleep, and it seems I was still tired. Maybe a nap would do me good. I unequip my sword and gear and get under the covers, closing my eyes, resolved to get an hour or so of sleep.