Chapter V: "We're Breaking New Ground"

December 4th, 2032

"Out with it, Kirito-kun."

"I believe you did promise us an explanation, Kirito. We certainly seem to have plenty of time for it now."

The intensity of Asuna's stare didn't surprise Kirito in the least. He'd been annoying her every hour or so from the day they met. That Kizmel, hood thrown back now that they were safely away from the raid, was gazing at him through narrowed eyes… that, he hadn't quite expected.

No NPC should care that much about a player's past. It's not part of her quest, it shouldn't even occur to her to ask. …But Alice shouldn't even exist, let alone here. Who am I to say what an "NPC" is really like?

Looking away from those hard stares, to the surrounding forest as Moonshadow lifted from her hiding place, Kirito knew he was just avoiding the question. Out here on the deck, he didn't even have the luxury of putting it off any longer.

Finally, he dropped down to sprawl on the deck, pulling his new longcoat close. "The beta test wasn't the first time I visited Aincrad," he said, staring down at the dark wood of Moonshadow's deck. "In fact, I… don't remember when the first time was. Growing up, Aincrad was just… part of my life."

Asuna sat down hard, drawing her knees up to her chest as she stared at him. "What? But—Full-Dive technology didn't even exist until a couple years ago! Um," she added, glancing at Kizmel, "Full-Dive is—"

"The machinery you use to connect with Aincrad's spell," the elf girl said, nodding. "That much, I've come to understand since I met you." Settling more gracefully to the deck, she waved a hand at Kirito. "Please, go on."

Thank you, Kayaba, for being thorough…. "As long as I can remember," he said slowly, "when I went to sleep at night, at home, I'd wake up somewhere else. Rulid Village, on Einsla Island." He glanced out over the starboard railing, where forest was giving way to mountains. "Or rather, in a cave, down beneath an old well. So long ago I don't even remember, I found my way to the surface, and, well… I'd hang out there, when I was 'sleeping'."

The fencer was looking at him like he was crazy. Kizmel, though, took a sharp breath, eyes widening. "You're a Lost Child of Vector?"

"A what?" Asuna said sharply.

"People cast adrift from another world," the elf girl explained, still staring at Kirito. "Said to be toyed with by the dark god, Vector. No one knows why, though some among my people believe he is using them to test the Gates beyond which he was banished." She visibly shivered. "Those who remain in Aincrad seldom remember much of their old lives. Others, who recall themselves, are often pulled back to their own world eventually."

Okay, this is getting spookier every minute. "That's what they called me," Kirito said, nodding. "And every morning, I'd wake up back in my own bed in Tokyo. Even when it felt like more than just eight hours had gone by for me."

He could still remember it. Vividly, despite his best efforts to bury it. Just as he'd known every path through Einsla's woods, in the dark, the very first night of the beta test. Just as he could remember his grandfather's reaction, when he was finally old enough to figure out there was something strange.

"That, um…." For once, Asuna looked genuinely lost for words. "That sounds, well… weird. And confusing."

"Normal enough for a Lost Child," Kizmel put in quietly. "My people have dealt with them only seldom, but because of what they represent, we've been thorough in investigating when they do appear. Oddities with time are believed to be related to crossing the gulf between worlds."

Definitely spooky. "It's also normal for human REM sleep—um, dreaming, I mean," Kirito corrected himself, when Kizmel looked blank. "You can have a dream that feels like hours, and it really was all over in seconds. I did my research," he added, when Asuna blinked at him. "Let's say, when I finally thought to ask somebody about it, I was told in no uncertain terms I was dreaming. When I was old enough to understand the words, I did a lot of research on sleeping and dreams."

Moonshadow eased into a turn to port, slipping between two of Einsla's taller mountains. The gust as the ship's bow turned briefly into the wind ruffled his hair, and sent both his coat and the girls' cloaks flapping; the time it took to get them under control gave him precious moments to gather his thoughts.

"So… when you were talking about the Axiom Church, the Integrity Knights, all of that, on the first day…." Asuna looked up at the Skywall, dimmed and flickering as it had been since Illfang's defeat. "That wasn't beta knowledge at all, was it?"

"No," Kirito admitted reluctantly. "They were stories I heard in Rulid Village, growing up. They told me a lot… once they decided I wasn't a demon child from the Dark Territory or something."

Kizmel twitched at that. Instead of remarking on that, though, she said, "'I begin to understand why you've always avoided Rulid Village. The Integrity Knight we met today—she was someone you knew there, wasn't she?"

He didn't want to remember that. Not the people, not the one he'd—mistakenly—counted on to help him, not Alice. And definitely not how it had all ended. But they deserve to know—and I need to know what's going on here.

The girls gave him time to gather his courage, at least. He appreciated that. Finally, though, Kirito faced them squarely. "Alice Zuberg, her little sister Selka, and a local boy," he said, folding his hands together. "Alice was an apprentice herbalist, a prodigy…. We spent a lot of time together, in those years. Exchanging stories, playing around, getting into trouble…. Y'know, the usual kid stuff."

"…I wish I did…."

Kirito wasn't sure he'd really heard Asuna. He was pretty sure if he had, she hadn't meant him to. He pretended he hadn't either way; she hadn't confided him much about her real life, and unlike his past, it wasn't relevant. He'd mind his own business.

We're not friends, after all. Just partners. He glanced at Kizmel, and hid a flinch. None of us are. Just travelers on the same road, for a little while.

"We were good friends," he said, when the silence began to drag on. "I didn't understand what was going on, everything I knew said they couldn't be real—but it was fun. Even if I did think I was just dreaming." He surprised himself by chuckling. "My sister even liked the stories I'd tell her about Aincrad, even if she thought I was just making it all up. Until…."

"Six years ago," Kizmel prompted, when Kirito fell silent. Her gaze was gentle, but firm—a knight, he thought, demanding a painful but important answer. "You said Alice was your friend six years ago. What happened then?"

He swallowed. Six years, he'd tried to forget. Told himself it wasn't happening any more, so obviously none of it had ever been real at all. It was the only way he'd been able to cope, between that and his discovery in the waking world. "Six years ago," he said, forcing the words out, "we finally decided to find out how I was coming to Aincrad. So… the three of us went down into the old well—"

A soft footfall, and a cleared throat, interrupted him. "I'm very sorry to interrupt," Captain Emlas said, emerging from Moonshadow's sterncastle. "But we'll soon be at your destination, and I believe we have business to conclude."

The three of them scrambled to their feet, Asuna slipping over to join Kirito, Kizmel going to the Dark Elf captain's side. From the look on the fencer's face, the discussion wasn't over, but for now there really was other business.

Especially since we took down the first Barrier Guardian. We've got a job to do, and Diavel's not around to do it.

Emlas stared at Kirito and his partner for a long moment, as if measuring them. "So. I believe this fulfills our bargain, Swordmasters. I had my doubts, when Dame Kizmel first brought you to my ship, but you have proven those doubts groundless. Though I will admit I'm not so sure about some of your fellows." A shrug. "The actions of other Swordmasters are of no consequence here regardless. You've acted in good faith, and I shall repay in kind."

Kirito hardly paid attention to Captain Emlas' words. It was pure formula, no different from any other quest completion he'd experienced. Almost no different, he corrected himself. This one… is going to hurt.

"Thank you, Captain," Asuna said, taking the lead with only a quick, sharp glance at her partner. Bowing, she added, "We couldn't have done this without you."

Too true. He and Asuna would've had a much harder time, over that month, without the support of the Dark Elves. Maybe more importantly, who knew when the players would sort out who was going to take over from Diavel, and get Liberator into the sky.

Someone needs to bring down the Skywall, and soon. We can't afford to lose momentum. But that means we'll have to…. Kirito tried to hide his wince. He knew how stupid it was. He'd tried to keep his distance even so, and thought he'd succeeded.

"Would that we could finish bringing down the Skywall ourselves," Emlas said then, with a rueful shake of his head. "But the Administrator's magic is clever, if nothing else. A purely elven ship will not pierce it, even with the Guardian defeated. Though our bargain ends here, I must trust you with this last task, as well."

"Of course, Captain," Asuna said, with a respectful nod. "That's what we're here for, anyway." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad we helped you and Kizmel, but this is our problem, too." The fencer turned another smile on the other Dark Elf. "We should be thanking you for helping us."

"It's been an honor," Kizmel told, returning the smile. "And I would like to think our travels together may soothe the fears of others among my people."

Kirito swallowed, when the dusky girl's smile turned to him. She's just an NPC. She can't be anything more than programming. She can't be real. …That's what I thought about Alice.

I don't understand anything anymore.

"Hm." Emlas' ears twitched, and he turned a sidelong look on Kizmel, but Kirito thought there might've been the smallest glint in his eye. "Perhaps so. Today does speak well for the Swordmasters, yet this is only the beginning…. Regardless." He lifted a case that had been sitting by his feet, and handed it over to Kirito. "As I said, our bargain is concluded. Here is your reward for your aid. I fear we've not much to spare, after the crash, but the jewels here should stand you in good stead when you reach Niian. I'm sure you, at least, are aware that you will be facing greater dangers than you have here."

Kirito shook himself, grateful for the distraction. "I remember, Captain." He took the case, brought up his menu, and tucked it into his inventory; he'd check its contents later. Right then, there was a chime in his ear, and a quick check of the Quest Log confirmed his assumption.

[Aid Dark Elf Forces on the First Island Complete].

That was it, then. It'd been… fun, if he was going to be honest with himself. She'd made it all too easy to forget she was an NPC, and if her—different—view of things could make sharing accommodations with her and Asuna awkward, well, at least it helped him forget the danger they were in.

Well, she is an NPC, he reminded himself firmly. Even if she wasn't, she's got her own job to do. And this was why I wanted to be alone in the first place, right? So that I'd never have this happen again. …Asuna will still be here, but at least with our own airship, I won't… risk any more.

Besides. I don't want to drag anyone else into what I'm going to have to do. Alice, this whole impossible mess—it's my problem.

As Moonshadow's engines began to quiet, the ship slowing as she approached a certain crevice in Einsla's mountains, Asuna shot him a quick, indecipherable look. He wasn't sure what it meant; after a month traveling with her, Kirito still didn't really understand his partner at all.

Then she was facing the elves again, giving a deep and formal bow. "Thank you for everything, Kizmel," she said softly. "I'm glad I met you."

Kirito didn't need the flicker of a glare she sent his way. Affecting a more Western bow—trying to hide his own feelings behind a rakish grin—he said, "Me, too, Kizmel. It's been fun." He hesitated. "…Maybe we'll meet again, on Niian or Sandoria."

It was possible, after all. The Elf War quest had gone completely off the rails, but though he'd never asked, he was pretty sure Kizmel's mission was still the same as in the beta. If it was, then sooner or later the other Keys would come up in the plot. With her still alive, maybe it won't be generic elves this time around.

"Given that you saved my life, the night we met, I ought to be thanking you," Kizmel said, smiling warmly. "I had never known humans before that night. It is my honor to name the both of you as trusted comrades. That being the case…." She turned to Emlas. "Captain? If you would?"

Huh?

"Gladly. No offense to you, Dame Kizmel, but this voyage has been rather more than I bargained for." Moonshadow's captain reached into his coat, his hand coming back out with an envelope. "Swordmasters. My ship's damage has not yet been made entirely good, and even when it has, my crew is shorthanded. Secret missions for the Queen are a bit beyond us now. I have here a letter vouching for you to the commander of our outpost on Niian. It's yours, if you will take on the task of ferrying Dame Kizmel on the next leg of her mission."

"Of course we will!" Asuna said instantly, almost bouncing in sudden excitement. "We'd be happy to!"

The Look she gave him was totally not fair. Especially since it was completely unnecessary. Numbly, eyes wide, Kirito accepted the envelope, and with it the quest update. Part of him really didn't want to do this, he knew it was just going to hurt more in the end, but—

[Escort Royal Guard to Niian Port].

"…We can do that, yeah," he said quietly. Turning to Kizmel, he couldn't help but smile shyly. "I guess it's not goodbye yet after all, huh?"

It was too late. After everything, he'd take the chance to stretch things out a little longer. To hold off the old hurt.

"Indeed not," the elf girl replied, returning the smile. "I'll be in your care a little longer—and I have no doubt I am in good hands." She turned to Emlas, raising one fist to her chest in salute. "Captain Emlas, it has been an honor. I am sorry for the difficulties my mission caused you and your ship—"

A loud yip interrupted her, and a furry blur rushed onto the deck. The wolf Cavall, whom Kirito had almost forgotten about in the weeks his party had been working from Tolbana, darted over to them, tail wagging like an oversized dog.

Kizmel sighed, shaking her head, and knelt to rest a hand on Cavall's head. "You are as incorrigible as your former master, did you know that?" She looked back at Emlas. "My apologies, Captain, but as I believe your journey will be safer than ours from here, might I impose on you to take this beast with you? I'd not risk him before he can be returned to my sister, if it at all possible."

"That, I can do, Dame Kizmel." Kirito might almost have thought Emlas was chuckling, if she hadn't known him to be so stoic. "Even if he does eat more of the meat ration than half my crew…. I assure you, that obligation I will carry out without fail."

Kirito couldn't help but be relieved by that. Whatever oddities there were about Kizmel, Cavall was definitely just a program—but he was still like a big, friendly dog. Even in a game, worrying about the wolf's safety would've been one more stress he really didn't need.

Not to mention it'll be cramped enough on that airship just… with the three… of us…. He glanced quickly at Kizmel, who was still smiling in fond exasperation. Then at Asuna, whose wide-eyed expression said she'd just come to the same realization he had. Oh, man, that is going to be so awkward. And I thought Moonshadow's bunks were bad.

They'd work it out, though. And they were running behind schedule anyway. In moments, Asuna and Kizmel had gotten away from Cavall, joining Kirito at the deck's rail. He was already fastening his grapnel to it, preparatory to lowering the three of them into the tunnel below—anxious to not think about what might be coming soon.

As Asuna gingerly took hold of his arm, obviously as uncomfortable as he was, Kirito turned back to Emlas. "No in elenath hîlar nan hâd gîn," he said, enunciating the foreign syllables as carefully as he could.

From the looks on both Emlas and Kizmel's faces, they hadn't expected that one, but they did recognize it. "The same to you, Swordmaster Kirito," Emlas said, after the barest hesitation. He gave a respectful nod. "Clear skies, Swordmasters. May we meet again one day."

Kirito nodded back, and stepped off Moonshadow's rail. Here we go, he thought, descending into the darkness, Asuna's nervous but firm hold reminding him he wasn't alone. We're about to start the real game.

And then… I have to find out what's really going on. This can't be real….

I still cannot figure out what's going on in that head of his. How can I have spent this long as his partner and still be this clueless?

Walking with Kirito and Kizmel down the tunnel leading to what had been their little secret for the past couple of weeks, Asuna was torn between excitement about what they were about to do, and a burning need to grab Kirito by the collar of his fancy new coat. Grab him by the neck, and drag answers out of him. He'd dropped such a bombshell on them, and then…!

But there wasn't time, darn it. The first thing they needed to do was finish taking down the Skywall, preferably before word spread of just how the raid had ended. Morale was too important, when it was still the players' first victory.

Get into the air, take down the Skywall, then interrogate him. …Besides, I can tell this isn't easy for him.

"This is where Aincrad really gets started," Kirito said, as they neared the entrance to cave at tunnel's end. His jocular tone belied what Asuna knew he had to still be feeling; still, she was pretty sure it wasn't completely fake, either. "There's a lot to see on the islands, but the airships are a Swordmaster's other half. Next to a sword, nothing matters more in this world."

"I admit, I'm looking forward to this myself," Kizmel mused. She and Asuna were barely a step behind the swordsman, walking into the light at the end of the tunnel. The elf girl promptly—carelessly, really—dropped the torch she'd been carrying onto the stone floor, its blue flame no longer needed. "As a member of the Pagoda Knights, the sky has never been my purview. Airships have never been more than a means to an end, for me. Even if it's only a little while, I'll be looking at it through different eyes, this time."

"At least you're used to airships being around, Kizmel," Asuna said absently, taking in the sight before them. "We do have flying machines where we come from, but… nothing like this." The zeppelins of a century before came close, maybe. She doubted they were anything like what sat in the cavern deep under Einsla's mountains. "And she's all ours, huh?"

"You've certainly earned it," Kizmel told her, smiling. "After all your help, this was the least we could do for you."

As with every visit they'd made, the strange, mottled gray stone of the walls and ceiling stood out, and there were still plenty of petrified trees strewn throughout the cavern. Now, though, the shape by the far edge was in far better shape than when they'd first come. The vines had been cleared away, the hull carefully patched, the gossamer webbing made whole.

Built of the same dark wood as Moonshadow, not the steel of Liberator, the airship was much smaller than Captain Emlas' pride and joy. Small, lean, with nothing atop the deck save a pilothouse at the stern; rather than the magical thrusters of most ships Asuna had so far seen, this one had two propellers on the stern, and wide, web-like "wing-sails" on the flanks.

Kizmel had told them the ship was an ancient Dark Elf design. It was probably just as well, making her easier to repair from the poor shape in which they'd found her. Even that first day, though, before she knew anything about the practicalities, Asuna had thought the airship beautiful.

And she's all ours. We don't have to rely on anyone else now, not even Captain Emlas. Today, we're free….

Only when Kirito cleared his throat did Asuna realize she'd been standing there staring for at least a couple of minutes. When she turned a sheepish look on him, though, he only smiled shyly. "How about we get aboard? Kizmel, if you could help us with the core crystal…."

"But of course." The elf girl started to lead the way, only to pause, suddenly chuckling. "Ah, forgive me," she said, when the humans gave her confused looks. "It's just, even were it not for Captain Emlas asking you to ferry me, goodbyes would have been premature. After all, you still would've needed me for this, so at the least I could've seen you off." She turned to look back at the ship, an odd smile on her face. "This is better, though, I think…."

She didn't explain herself, instead making for the handholds set into the airship's hull and quickly climbing aboard. Asuna and Kirito quickly followed after—Asuna motioning Kirito to go first with a pointed look—and soon they were all atop the deck. Then they were into the pilothouse, and down the steep stairs into the airship's interior.

Oh, this is going to be so awkward. If we hadn't spent so long in Moonshadow's bunks and then that farmhouse… and even those had a little more space!

This airship's interior had exactly three compartments: a cargo hold in the bow, a tiny engine room in the stern, and sandwiched between them a cramped sleeping compartment. It didn't even have proper bunks, just places to hang glorified hammocks. Asuna thought they'd probably be pretty comfortable, but there definitely wasn't much privacy.

"What was this ship even for?" she muttered, as they passed through to the engine room. "This is way too small to have been military, but that deck mount doesn't look civilian to me, either."

Kizmel chuckled, opening the engine room hatch. "I doubt even my own people know for sure, after all this time. I would suspect, personally, that this was once the private fishing vessel of a nobleman."

Asuna stared at her. Kirito blinked, looking torn between disbelief and laughter. "You think this was a fishing boat?" he said carefully. "With that cannon mount?"

"Oh, indeed." Kizmel smiled ruefully. "I believe the nobility has an important place in our society, but in my time as a knight I've certainly seen their… eccentricities. A nobleman who wishes to indulge his hobbies privately—perhaps with, ah, 'company' he should not strictly be keeping? This would not be the first small, fast ship with teeth I've seen so employed." She coughed. "Please do not ask for details, I know rather more about that particular scandal than I would like."

Kirito stared at her, before suddenly coughing, face turning bright red. The fencer put together "company", "private", and "scandal", and choked. "You—you don't mean—"

"At any rate, whatever this ship might once have hosted is no concern of ours," the elven knight said quickly, and stepped into the engine room. "Shall we?"

Though Kizmel and her human comrades had carefully restored the airship's hull and rigging in the two weeks since Emlas had first taken them to her, not everything had quite been made ready. The cannon mount on the deck remained empty, with no means on Einsla to replace the long-vanished weapon—and the core crystal remained dormant, capable of little more than keeping the ship, just barely, alive.

Even had Kirito or Asuna known how to awaken a crystal to begin with, a Dark Elf would've been needed for the Wood-aligned crystal at the center of this ship's engine room. Never having done so herself, nor having encountered such an archaic crystal, Kizmel hadn't wanted to take the chance before battling the first Barrier Guardian.

Not when I suspect we will all be distracted at odd moments by the side effects. Minor they may likely be, but this would not have been a good time for any distraction.

The engine room was small and simple, bearing little more than the core crystal's mounting, access hatches to the ship's propellers, and pipelines from the crystal mount to the ship's systems. The crystal itself was oddly simple to Kizmel's eyes, looking more akin to a large, dark emerald diamond than the many-spiked shapes of more modern airship cores. That, at least, made it simpler to lay hands upon it.

Even so, as Kirito and Asuna placed their hands on two sides, the way Kizmel had instructed the last time they'd come to the ship, she found herself hesitating. Do I… really have the right to do this? Betrayed as we were by Kayaba, they're innocent of his crimes. If I continue on this path, am I any better than he?

"Kizmel?" Asuna said softly. "Is something wrong?"

The elf girl started, looking up to find her comrades both looking at her in concern. "It's nothing, Asuna," she said, shaking her head. "Merely a passing thought—"

Kirito cleared his throat, interrupting her. "I'm not really good with people, Kizmel," he said. "But even I know when somebody says, 'It's nothing', it's not nothing."

She looked back at him a moment, before letting her shoulders slump. "Heh. Something our peoples have in common, then. And if even you can see it…." Taking a deep breath, Kizmel faced the two young humans squarely. "I realize that the two of you believe this world to be a simple construct, not a medium between worlds. That you are not even certain that I am real." And that, she was beginning to find, caused her no small pang, however understandable it was. "But I feel I must warn you nonetheless. By joining me in this, you will be drawn that much deeper in this world's spell. It may be a small thing, yet someday you may find it makes it that much harder for you to return to your own world."

Neither of them believed in magic. Not really. Her warning would probably fall on deaf ears. But she still had to try—however little she truly wanted to. Kirito may even believe me. Whatever strange tie he has to an Integrity Knight, this is not his first experience with Aincrad.

There was a long pause, Kirito and Asuna looking back at Kizmel, and then at each other. Finally, though, Asuna smiled. "Kizmel," she said gently. "Even if that's true, do you think we really have a choice? If we're ever going to escape at all, we have to move on from Einsla. We need an airship."

"You could buy a human ship, though," Kizmel pointed out. "Those in Origia doubtless already have awakened core crystals."

"I dunno, I think this one suits us better," Kirito retorted. "If we're going to use what I know of Aincrad, we're better off with a Dark Elf ship anyway." He shrugged. "Maybe it's a risk, but doing it the other way is risking our lives that much more."

That was an incredibly flimsy argument. She almost pointed it out, too, but he continued before she could.

"Besides… I have something I need to do here, anyway. This won't be any riskier than that."

"You're going to explain that later," Asuna said sharply, before turning back to Kizmel. "But he's still right. Whatever happens, we won't regret it." She reached over to touch the elf girl's hand. "Come on. Let's do this."

Brave humans. Or perhaps foolish—but in their position, who can say what is wise, and what is foolish? "Very well, then," Kizmel said, shaking her head with a chuckle that surprised even herself. "Let's begin. I warn you, though, this is likely to feel… strange. And don't be alarmed if you feel things not of your own body."

Ah. That got a wary look from them. But they'd made their choice clear, so she saw no more reason to hesitate. Much. With another deep breath, she gripped the core crystal, felt for the faint sense of magic that remained sleeping within it, and focused.

For all his beta knowledge, Kirito had no idea what to expect from "awakening" a core crystal. As Kizmel had pointed out, airships for sale in Origia were already fully functional. Considering how expensive they were, he'd never taken the time to buy one of his own anyway, preferring to cadge rides and move ahead as quickly as possible.

He'd guessed the process would be just a light show, possibly with—given Kizmel's warning—a brief hit to his HP. Since SAO didn't have magic or attendant MP mechanics, that seemed the most logical way it would handle player involvement in awakening the crystal.

Kirito had no idea how to even describe what happened instead. As Kizmel murmured words beyond his knowledge of Sindarin, and the darkened crystal began to light up, he felt… something. Like something was being pulled out of him, leaving him strangely cold—while at the same time, something warm flowed back from the crystal, filling the chill void. Along with the sensation of flowing heat and cold, there was the oddest tickle at the edges of his mind, and a subliminal beat.

No, he realized, closing his eyes to focus on the sensation. Two beats. …Heartbeats. His own was strangely loud his ears as it was; he could tell these were separate. One beat in a rhythm not too different from his own, fast and anxious. The other, slow, calm, and deep.

Asuna, Kirito realized, opening his eyes again to find his partner staring at him, face tinted shades of green by the coruscating glow flaring up from the crystal. One of those is Asuna's. The other—

Kizmel's eyes were still closed, the elf girl still lost in awakening the airship's core. Somehow, though, he felt like he could see straight through her armor to her heart, and knew the other pulse was hers.

He knew SAO emulated the players' real heartbeats, the only sensation that made it through from the real world. It wasn't too surprising it could share that feeling between players, or even that it could simulate and share an NPC's pulse the same way. He'd never imagined there would be any reason for the system to do so, but it certainly made technical sense.

What really spooked Kirito was that he could feel his pulse, and Asuna's, deepen and slow to match Kizmel's. I know the NerveGear has control over nerve impulses, but this—what is it doing?!

Before he could fully panic, the core crystal's glow steadied. As emerald light began to flow out from it into the pipelines leading out of the room, the strange feeling of warmth and cold flowing in and out of him subsided. The unnerving awareness he'd had of both his comrades—and their heartbeats—faded along with it.

Kirito felt strangely lonely in its wake.

"What… what just happened?" Asuna got out, hands falling away from the crystal. "I—that was—I don't even know what I just felt…."

Letting out a deep sigh, Kizmel seemed to slump back from the crystal herself. "There is… an exchange of energies," she said, slowly and softly. "Crystals of Iron and Steel, as favored by human shipwrights, are given strength by external sources, or so I'm told. Those of the Dark Elves, which sustain the very lives of their ships, require something more." The elf girl seemed to gather herself, eyes finally opening. "Forgive me. I've little idea how it would affect humans, and even among my people, even with newer crystals, it is said to be a very personal experience. With one as old as this—truthfully, I was afraid it would take more out of us than this."

Meaning it could've knocked them flat right before the boss fight. Oof. No wonder she didn't want to risk it until after Illfang. But… what was that? Even in the dreams, I never felt anything like that. Well… except once. And that was dark. This was….

Kirito shivered, and tried not to notice Asuna's faint blush. He didn't really want to think that what they'd just done had felt good. "Will there be any lasting effects?" he asked, trying to keep his mind—and the subject—on the practical.

Kizmel hesitated. "With a modern crystal, in the true Aincrad, among other elves? I would say not. With an ancient core, awakened within the spell of this transitory world, with humans? I fear we're breaking new ground." She coughed into one hand. "If we've recovered this well, however, I believe it's safe to say we'll not be harmed by it. And I believe we still have a job to do. Shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer, she turned in a swish of her cloak to leave the engine room. As she made for the stairs, Asuna leaned in close to Kirito. "Are you sure there was nothing like this in the beta?" she hissed.

"Not that I ever ran into," he whispered back. "I could ask Argo, though, if anyone would know it'd be her."

"Urk. …Later." The fencer pulled away, following after Kizmel. "First, you owe us answers, anyway!"

"…Yeah. I guess I do." Shaking his head, Kirito brought up the rear, and deliberately pushed what had just happened out of his mind. One impossibility at a time—and in the meantime, he had to admit he was just dying to see Asuna's reaction when they got the ship airborne.

Asuna supposed it made sense that their new ship's pilothouse was a lot smaller and simpler than Moonshadow's bridge. The not-glass windows set in all four bulkheads were similar, as was the ship's wheel, but that was about it. To the left of the wheel, there was a pedestal with controls for the throttle and wing-sails; to the right, one that governed the ship's more esoteric functions, some of which even Kizmel hadn't been able to identify.

If she had to guess, they were positioned to be reachable from the helm, but intended for a crew of three. Not that she knew much about airship design—yet.

For now, Asuna sat in the right-hand chair, keeping an eye on the one part she did fully understand—a status display for the core crystal. Kizmel took the other chair, ready to bring the lift field and engines to life. Kirito stood between them, hands on the wheel, and not looking quite as confident as he probably wanted them to think.

"So… why am I the only one who doesn't get a chair?" the swordsman asked plaintively, giving the wheel a quick spin.

"Probably so that the person in charge of steering does not fall asleep on the job," Kizmel said dryly, smiling to soften the dig. "Come now. Isn't it time we began?"

"…Right." He cleared his throat, clearly doing his best Emlas imitation. "Power to the lift field. Pull in the skids as soon as we're up."

"Power to the lift field," Kizmel repeated, easing forward one of the levers. With a thrum, quieter than Moonshadow's but still enough to be felt through the deck, the ship lifted from the stone floor—for the first time in centuries, Asuna supposed. "Everything seems steady."

"If I'm reading this right, the core is holding." That had taken a crash course in technical Sindarin, something Asuna had never supposed existed. Kayaba was thorough, she'd give him that much. "Pulling in the landing skids," she added, touching one of the other controls she more or less understood. "We're good to go, Kirito-kun."

"Okay, then." Kirito spun the wheel, turning the airship's bow toward the cavern's exit. "Easy on the throttle… launch Moondancer!"

Their very own airship, named partly in honor of the one that had helped them reach this point. With Kizmel gently pushing the throttle, the ship was out and into the sky at last.

We're free. These are our wings, now. With a sword and a ship, we can go anywhere…. Awe building inside her, Asuna pushed herself out of her chair to get a better look, at the sky before and above, at the clouds below. "Wow…." she breathed. "We're really doing it… we're really flying…."

"Yeah, we are." Despite the mood that had gripped him since the Integrity Knight appeared, Kirito was grinning. "Never had a ship of my own in the beta. Flying on our own like this is kinda cool—but we'd better get a bit higher, or we'll hit the Cloud Sea. That'd be a real short flight."

"Too true." Kizmel adjusted the wing-sails, and Moondancer's bow arced up toward the faded gold still shimmering above. "That would be an embarrassing end."

Asuna glanced down at the roiling clouds. They never quite blanketed the sky below, leaving plenty of gaps—but she didn't think she was imagining the way they seemed to be gathered right underneath their ship. "The previews never talked about that much. I take it going too low is, um, bad?"

"The Cloud Sea is a barrier meant to prevent anyone in the Archipelago from reaching the surface world," Kirito said, turning Moondancer to spiral up around Einsla. "Anything that gets caught in it? Poof. Those clouds basically dissolve anything they touch. …It's kinda cruel, honestly," he added, voice turning thoughtful. "It lets people see the ground is still there, but never lets anyone through. Even the Skywall is just a wall."

"Aincrad was not raised to the heavens by choice," Kizmel said quietly. "Like as not, giving glimpses of what once was, was itself intended as punishment." She shook her head. "But that is a dark tale of old. Today—Asuna, watch what lies above. I believe you'll enjoy what comes next."

The fencer obediently returned her attention to the sky, and to the island they were still circling. Moondancer was just coming up over the Skywall Tower, close enough to see the shattered top. They were past too fast for her to see much, but it looked like the rest of the raid had left at some point. No sign of Liberator, though, she thought. Probably still fighting over her… oh, here we go.

Kirito was bringing Moondancer around to the north, angling toward the place it had all begun. Before long they were passing over Origia, giving the players still huddled there a deliberate look. There was no way to talk to them from the air, no way to see how those scared players might react—but Asuna understood why Kirito did it anyway. Everyone needed to see them, at least for a moment: even if the rest of the raid was still squabbling, people would know the Skywall was about to come down.

It's time.

Kizmel had opened the throttle further, and leveled the wing-sails. Now they were soaring straight toward the next island, Moondancer's bow closing in on the Skywall itself. Closer and closer, the faded honeycomb wall came, until it was on them, and the ship touched it—

The Skywall shattered, golden shards scattering like a dying monster as Moondancer broke through. The sky that had always been tinted was suddenly clear, and Asuna had her first sight of Aincrad's true sky.

Aincrad's sun was low in the sky, yet still high enough for her to see it was just a little off from the real one. Seeing that subtle difference was enough to pull her out her chair, out onto the deck, to see more. To see everything with her own eyes, everything she'd entered Sword Art Online to see.

In the distance, the Skywall still covered most of the Aincrad Archipelago in a golden cage. Nearer, thought, Niian was as free as Einsla—and above, Asuna could see some smaller islands, glowing in the evening sun. One of them even had a grand waterfall, cascading down to a lake on the western edge of the Second Island.

"The Skyfalls," Kizmel said softly, stepping out onto the deck herself. Asuna glanced quickly back at the elf girl, to see a small, bittersweet smile on her face. "Tilnel and I visited there once, long ago, when we were but children."

"…How does it not run out of water?"

Kizmel chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said 'magic'? …Perhaps, if we've the time to spare, I can show you. It's quite the sight up close, I can assure you. Even for those of us born to Aincrad's skies, seeing salmon ascending the Skyfalls is quite remarkable to watch."

Asuna could believe it. And somehow, she was sure there really was an explanation besides just "magic"; Kayaba was nothing if not thorough. Thorough enough that she could see flocks of odd birds in the distance—and not so distant, as a flock of what looked for all the world like turquoise seagulls suddenly flew past Moondancer, arcing ahead of the ship toward Niian.

"Gullwings." She started, only then realizing Kirito had walked up to her other side. "They're migratory. Usually the Skywall lets birds through, but if the Administrator strengthened it when we arrived, they were probably stuck, too." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I guess they're in a hurry?"

"And we aren't?" Asuna raised an eyebrow, pointedly glancing back at the pilothouse. "Shouldn't you be steering the ship?" And… now that I think about it, we're not really moving anymore, are we?

"We're parked," he assured her. "Well, as parked as we can get out here, if we have to spend the night between islands we're better off mooring at one of the rogues…. Anyway! Do you want a couple of guides, or not?"

Half of her bristled at the suggestion she was a tourist. The other half couldn't really argue the point, and as overwhelmed as she was by the view, that half won out. "Well, fine," she huffed. She pointed toward the north, and a winged shape that was just coming into view from beyond Niian. "What the heck is that?"

Big, that was for sure, if she could see it at all from so far out. It was hard to tell by the light of the setting sun, but Asuna thought it was long, bulbous, and with great big, shimmering wings to match. In fact, it almost looked like—

"Doomwhale," Kizmel mused, stepping farther forward to get a better view. "Oh, my. They don't usually come this far out in the Archipelago. I wonder if the Administrator disturbed this one?"

"Doomwhale," Asuna repeated flatly. Resisting a sudden urge to hurry belowdecks—or to drag Kirito to the pilothouse and get them moving again—she turned a sharp look on her companions instead. "Why do I not like the sound of that?"

"We should be fine," Kirito said absently, shading his eyes and squinting at the huge flyer. "A lot of people think doomwhales are bad luck, but the older stories say that's only if you kill one. Kind of like an albatross—don't look at me like that," he added, aggrieved, when she gave him a Look. "I may not have read the poem, but games and stuff reference things like that."

"A poem? I'd like to hear more about it later." Kizmel drifted back to them. "That said, Kirito is right. Doomwhales are often assumed to prey on ships, given their large size and lack of obvious food sources. In truth, however, they seem to have some connection with the Cloud Sea…. Though they can be hazardous to simple navigation. We'd best moor at one of the rogues for tonight, and make for Niian in the morning. This one will likely have moved on by then."

Asuna found it more than a little disturbing how the two of them were practically calling a giant flying whale—with the adjective "doom" as part of its name, at that—harmless. But they're the experts, I guess… and what in the world could that be?

Far out above the northern edge of Niian, on another detached island—one of the "rogues", she supposed—was what looked for all the world to be a castle. Old, crumbling, and smallish, but even from that distance pretty obviously a castle. "Is that a dungeon?" she asked, squinting at the structure.

Kirito followed her gaze. "Eh? Oh… yeah, it is. There's a few on rogue islands. At least one small town sits on one, somewhere out around the Ninth Island. And there's a few rogues that have player residences. I remember in the beta those were supposed to be better for players with their own airships."

Huh. That's something to think about… probably not anytime soon, though. We got the airship for free; I doubt we'll be so lucky with a port. In the meantime… what's that?

Most things in Aincrad's sky were growing dimmer as the sun sank below the horizon. Even the doomwhale's wings were getting harder to see. Out beyond Niian, though, something seemed to be getting brighter, taking on more definite form. It was hard to make out from that distance—Asuna made a mental note to find out if SAO had telescopes, like old sailing ships—but she thought it was starting to look somehow familiar.

No. Not "it". They. Those… they're ships. At least a dozen. They can't be players, not this soon, and Kizmel would've said if her people were likely to be out here right now—especially with so many.

"Guys?" Asuna finally said, lifting one arm to point. "What's that fleet out there?"

Kizmel, who'd still been carefully watching the doomwhale, raised her head to look. Kept looking, for several moments, the twitching of her long ears the only sign she hadn't suffered some kind of glitch. "That would be the Wild Hunt," she said finally, her level tone speaking to sudden, controlled tension. "I hardly expected to see them out this way, either. They must have noticed the fall of the first Skywall."

To Asuna's left, Kirito had gone pale. "The Wild Hunt? That's real?"

"Oh, very. And with our luck, this is not merely a phantasm of Kayaba's, but the truth." Kizmel turned toward the pilothouse, suddenly all brisk motion. "I believe I spotted a Mistmoon cloth in the cargo hold. Kirito, I suggest you get the ship moving to the largest rogue island you can find, while Asuna and I prepare the cloth."

Kirito nodded quickly. "I'm on it. We don't want to get caught out in the open." He shuddered. "I'd rather face an Integrity Knight."

Asuna had heard of the Wild Hunt, but as she followed her companions back inside Moondancer, she suspected this one wasn't the same as what she'd read about. Though it looks like someone knows more than the rest of us. I am so going to sit on him and Kizmel one of these days, and find out what's what here. Speaking of….

Trailing Kizmel down belowdecks, she turned to look back at their helmsman. "Speaking of Integrity Knights, Kirito-kun—as soon as we're set for the night, you have a story to finish."

It was fortunate, Kizmel reflected, that the Great Separation eons before had lifted more than just the one hundred great islands that had become the Aincrad Archipelago. Had they not been able to find one of the much smaller rogue islands so close, she was much afraid the night would've gone badly.

As it was, between mooring in the shadow of that rogue and draping a Mistmoon cloth—not so different from her own cloak—over Moondancer's top, the still-odd but reassuring [Safe Haven] message had appeared in her vision. Even if the Wild Hunt scouring the nearby skies was real and not a figment of the world spell, she was fairly sure they would be as bound to the rules as she.

That was enough to let Kizmel relax, reclining on a blanket on Moondancer's deck. Her two companions were likewise resting on bedding found in the airship's cargo hold, looking up to the night sky. The Mistmoon cloth guarded them from prying eyes, yet left both their mooring and the stars above in clear view from their side.

I wonder what the two of them think of that sky? I can scarce imagine how I might feel, looking at constellations not of my own world. For that one surety of life to be so changed….

It was also all too possible to see the ethereal airships of the Wild Hunt passing by, far closer than was comfortable. Not close enough to see the crews—for which Kizmel counted herself and her companions fortunate—but too close, all the same. She saw Kirito and Asuna both staring uneasily off to starboard, and realized they were probably even more unnerved than she.

Well. We've other matters anyway. "Kirito," Kizmel said, into the anxious silence that had fallen. "I believe you have a story to finish."

The youth jumped, jerking his gaze back to their own ship. "Eh?! Oh… right." For a moment, Kirito looked as if he wasn't sure that was really any better than the Wild Hunt. "Okay, then… where was I?"

"Alice Zuberg," Asuna said quietly, dragging her own eyes away from the spectral fleet. "Who she was, and what happened six years ago."

"Right." Kirito gathered his coat tighter against himself, against a chill that was likely in the mind as much as the sky. "So… like I told you, she was an herbalist. She was really, really good at it—but not as good as she wanted to be. What she really wanted was to rediscover some of the magic that was lost in the Great Separation. To be able to heal people with that."

"I can see how that would get attention," Kizmel mused, nodding slowly. "My sister is quite an accomplished herbalist herself, but she's never approached the abilities of an alchemist or mage of old… Asuna? Is something wrong?"

The fencer had paled, and was staring at Kirito with wide eyes. "In our world, that would be… um, bad," she said. "Kirito-kun… was she…?"

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "No witch hunts or anything like that. The village was proud of what Alice could do, what she was trying to do. What happened… didn't have anything to do with that." He looked up to the sky, at the two moons clearly visibly through the cloth. "I told you we played together, back then. And she knew so much…. So, one day, she decided it was time to find out the truth. About me, I mean." Kirito's hands clenched on his coat, as he turned his gaze down to the oak deck. "It wasn't worth it. Not for me…."

Ah. Well, that certainly explained some of her human comrade's distress. Whatever had happened, he clearly blamed himself for it to some degree. Kizmel knew all too well how that felt, just as she knew the look in his eyes. She saw it in the mirror, often as not, since Kayaba's spell had ensnared them all.

"The well had been sealed up for years," Kirito was continuing, looking at the deck yet not seeming to really see it. "But we'd found another way into the caves, just outside the village. Alice led us back there that day, trying to find exactly where I'd come from. It took us most of the day, but we finally made it to the deepest cavern—and the gate."

Kizmel inhaled sharply. Could that have been—?

"Gate?" Asuna repeated, brows furrowing. "You… don't mean like a fence gate or anything, do you."

He snorted, a humorless smile flitting across his face. "No. This was a big circle set into the cave wall, inscribed with Sindarin text along the rim—I didn't know the language back then, so I can't tell you what it said. But within the circle, instead of another tunnel, there was a… a kind of blue cloud. Kind of like the Cloud Sea, but it didn't destroy things that touched it."

A gate filled with clouds, bordered with writings in the language of my people. A golden circle, perhaps long-tarnished, yet somehow still functioning. Kizmel could picture it in her mind's eye, Kirito's description filling in the details illustrations she'd seen had lacked. Well. I suppose that would explain a great deal.

Kirito seemed to be hesitating again. She was beginning to suspect why. "A World Gate," she said aloud. "I'd no idea any still functioned in this era. This far out, on the farthest edge of the Archipelago, it must have slipped the Administrator's notice."

Kirito winced. Sighed. Seemed to gather himself—or perhaps he was just tired of the look Asuna was giving him. "Not anymore," he said bluntly. "Six years ago, Alice touched the gate. That's all she did. She touched it, and the clouds started to clear—and then there were bells." He shivered, casting a look back toward Einsla. "The same bells we heard on launch day, just before Kayaba yanked us back to Origia and broke everything." The youth swallowed. "I've heard those bells in my nightmares ever since. Just like, no matter how hard I try to forget, I still see the face that appeared in the ceiling, staring at us. Pronouncing that a taboo had been broken, and to prepare for judgment."

Asuna stared at him, face pale. "Judgment…?"

"The Senate," Kizmel murmured, nodding to herself. "So that's how you knew to ask, when the Integrity Knight appeared."

"It left an impression," he said, with a flickering ghost of a smile. It vanished quickly. "The three of us ran for it. Away from the gate, away from the face, hoping to get away from the scene of whatever crime we'd committed. …Not that it helped any. I don't know how, but by the time we got back to Rulid, he was already there. An Integrity Knight, in shining armor—demanding the village hand over Alice."

And that would be how Kirito knows so much about the Integrity Knights, and the threat they pose. The elf girl shivered. The first time I caught sight of one, I was already a Knight. I can scarce imagine how someone so young might've felt, seeing their power—

"I tried to stop it." Kirito was trembling; with a start, Kizmel realized it was as much remembered rage as fear. "I was just a kid without even a wooden sword, but I tried to stop it." He bared teeth in a snarl. "No one else did. Not the villagers, not Alice's father, not even him—! They knocked me down, held me down, while that so-called 'Knight' took Alice away for nothing—!"

"Kirito-kun, that's enough!" Asuna lunged across the short distance, gripping his right arm with both hands. Kizmel found herself at his left, placing a more hesitant hand on his shoulder. This close, she could easily feel his hammering heart, echoing in her own chest.

Don't let him linger on it. "He took her," Kizmel said softly, pushing away her own anger at the Axiom Church's arrogance. "And then?"

For a long moment, Kirito was still, tense. Angry. Then, finally, he slumped, leaning against the railing—though neither girl quite let go of him. "The last thing I saw there was Alice's father—he was the village chief—telling me it was my fault, and I wasn't welcome in Rulid again. Ever.

"Next thing I knew, I was in my bed in Japan. And I never had the 'dreams' again."

They closed the World Gate. Kirito's connection to the other world was stronger, so he was pulled back. That must've been the last Gate left, after Quinella's long hunt. Kizmel slid closer to the youth—not crowding him, but close enough he might feel her. It was not the custom of her people, but after over a month trapped far from her own, she had some inkling of how much worse it must've been for him.

It was Asuna who broke the silence after that, long moments later. "I can't even imagine what that must've been like," she whispered, letting herself lean just a little closer. "…How did you not go crazy after that, Kirito-kun?"

"It, um, wasn't easy." Kirito coughed out a bitter chuckle. "Let's say the 'real' world hit me with something pretty bad at about the same time. The result, well… it was bad enough my family hauled me out to get checked out."

Kizmel let out a low breath of relief, hearing that her companion had at least gotten the help he'd obviously needed. Well, clearly he did. The man I met a month ago was hardly broken. Frightened, confused, but not broken—Asuna?

The fencer was wide-eyed, torn between surprise and horror. "How bad…? No, never mind. It's not my business." Noticing the look the elf was giving her, Asuna said, "Um, where we come from? Trauma's a really personal thing. You don't look for help outside the family unless it's really bad."

"Eh, it was and it wasn't," Kirito put in, something resembling genuine—if rueful—humor on his face now. "I probably would've been left to work through it on my own—might even have pulled it off—but my parents got word of a program looking for volunteers, with promises of being very discreet, and…. Well, the details don't matter. I got help, and that was pretty much the end of it." The humor vanished again, and he looked back up to the twin moons. "Until the first previews of Sword Art Online went public."

"And the world you had come to believe was a dream was right before your eyes." Kizmel nodded, ears twitching thoughtfully. "That explains much."

"Which makes no sense," Asuna countered, shaking her head. Seeming confident Kirito wasn't going to lose control again, she scooted away, and stared down at the deck with a frown. "How would Kayaba even have known? I mean, even if he somehow found out about your therapy, to copy it this closely—" She broke off abruptly, face flushing, and cast a look at Kizmel. "Um—I mean—"

Kizmel waved a hand, taking her own cue to give their comrade a little space. "You believe this world to be pure illusion, hopefully with the caveat that I at least am a more complex illusion. I hope to convince you there is more going on, but I can hardly expect you to accept that this soon. For now, I believe it will be easier for all of us if you accept I understand your worldview, and am not offended if you discuss matters in those terms." She couldn't help a smile, at the looks that brought her. "Please, continue."

"Um. Okay, then…." Kirito shook himself, his fingers finally letting his coat slip a little. "Honestly, I don't know either. That's one of the reasons I tried out for the beta. The only thing I can think of… and this still shouldn't be quite possible, but then SAO is kind of more advanced than I thought it could be, too… is that it had something to do with my therapy."

"Which Asuna said should not have provided this level of detail," Kizmel reminded him.

"Yes… and no. I gave a pretty detailed description of the dreams, and the therapist was pretty good at asking just the right questions. Besides, in the dreams I never went much beyond Rulid, and I haven't been there in SAO." He hesitated. "And it wasn't just talking it over with someone. The program was a test of a prototype Full-dive device. This was practically the earliest trials of the NerveGear's predecessor. I don't remember the details, I was kind of messed up back then, but I think they were billing it as potential therapy for certain conditions, probably partly as another funding source."

"NerveGear doesn't scan dreams," Asuna said—but she was frowning. "…Does it?"

"No, but this wasn't NerveGear. Look, as much of a computer otaku as I was, even I couldn't get at the specs on those." Kirito sighed. "What I was told was that it would show a virtual environment, with just enough flaws to help a user with 'disassociation issues' more properly recognize the difference between reality and hallucination. At the same time, it was supposed to be scanning the user's subconscious brain activity to better tailor the simulation. Or something like that." He shrugged. "I don't know exactly how it worked, NerveGear isn't quite the same thing. But it did its job, it sorted out the problems I was having, and that was all I cared about."

Oftentimes, in the past month, Kizmel had asked for clarification of one Swordmaster term or another. This time, she decided it was not worth the headache. The important thing, she thought, was that it had done for her comrade what it needed to. And that it provides them with a possible answer. Now, I suppose, is too early for them to face the truth.

In any case, she had no desire to force Kirito to dwell on what were clearly painful memories. Better to move on, as quickly as they could.

Quietly clearing her throat, Kizmel said, "On the matter of Alice—I take it you have no idea, then, how she's come to be an Integrity Knight herself."

Kirito sighed. Pushing himself to his feet, he started pacing toward Moondancer's bow. "No, I don't. I never knew that much about Integrity Knights, just that they were powerful 'heroes'. I don't know what goes into becoming one… and I don't know why she didn't recognize me." He turned on his heel, raising both hands in a shrug. "Maybe they did something to her. Maybe it's proof that this whole thing is one big coincidence. I… just don't know."

"Mm." More or less what she'd expected. Even the Royal Guard knew little of how Quinella's enforcers were chosen, and they doubtless had better sources than a small village on the farthest edge of the Archipelago. "I expect you'll be trying to find out, however."

"Well, yeah. Speaking of…." Kirito hesitated, looking away. "Guys. Digging into the Axiom Church's business, into the Integrity Knights themselves, is going to provoke them. Neither of you have anything to do with this, so when we get to Niian, we should probably—"

"Denied," Asuna said flatly, standing abruptly. Hands on her hips, directing a piercing amber glare at the black-clad youth, she went on, "You are not going on a one-man crusade, Kirito-kun. You promised you'd teach me how to survive in this world, remember? You're not leaving me behind now."

"Indeed not." Kizmel rose as well, and though she contented herself with a single arched brow instead of a full glare, she was no less firm. "I know not how long our paths may run together, but we have a foe in common in the Axiom Church. As long as we travel together, your quest is mine, as well."

That was what it meant to be a Knight, after all. The safety of the Keys was her priority, yes, but she owed these two humans much. Her honor could not stand the thought of abandoning them to face such a perilous task alone, not when she had the leeway to lend her sword.

Not that it's only a matter of honor, she thought, watching the silent struggle Kirito's face showed her. These are two lonely souls—and I believe I like them.

Finally, Kirito slumped, smiling ruefully. "I'm not going to be able to talk either of you out of this, am I?"

"No, so don't waste time trying," Asuna told him bluntly, glare softening into a wry smile of her own. "Kirito-kun, you run a good game, but you're really not any match for girls, you know that?"

"Indeed he's not," Kizmel agreed, allowing herself a smirk. "And now that that is out of the way… well, there's perhaps one more issue we should address, before we put aside weighty matters for the night."

"Diavel, right? Don't look at me like that," Kirito added, exasperated. "It's the only thing we haven't talked about yet…. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he found SAO's version of the gate beneath Rulid Village. I don't know how he found out about it, but if he did, he probably thought it might work as some kind of log-out exploit."

"I'm guessing you don't," Asuna put in, "if you didn't look for it yourself."

Kizmel didn't really blame him for the disbelieving look he directed at the fencer. "After what happened in my dreams? I never went near Rulid in the beta, let alone now. I figured it'd trigger something like, well, what happened to Diavel." He turned to look off to port; the rogue to which they were moored blocked the view, but clearly he was thinking of Centoria Cathedral, at the Archipelago's center. "I can't tell you what's going to happen to him now, though. A player, kidnapped by the system? I can tell you nothing like that ever happened in the beta, and it's not like there's any precedent for the death game at all."

More or less what the Knight had thought, then. She did have one dark suspicion herself, one which she thought her companions were simply choosing not to face—yet without evidence, she decided it wasn't worth it to trouble them now. There would, she was sure, be quite enough disquiet for them both, when sleep finally came.

Heh. Not that I am likely to be spared, either. I never even crossed blades with her, and Alice's power was still enough to rattle my nerves. I doubt there's a single Knight in all the Kingdom who could face her alone.

"Well, then!" Kizmel said, deliberately raising her voice. "I believe that is enough gloom for the night. Whatever else may have happened today, we claimed a great victory. The first Barrier Guardian has fallen, and the Skywall with it. The Swordmasters have hope that they may someday escape this trap." She bent down, retrieving a bottle she'd found in Moondancer's hold, and three cups along with. "Illfang fell to our blades, and whatever may have come after, not one life was lost."

Her companions each took a cup, and watched with some wariness as she poured. Asuna sniffed the result, clearly surprised. "…Is this wine?"

"Moontear wine, yes," Kizmel confirmed, setting the bottle back on the deck. "A specialty of the Dark Elves, and given how long this ship lay half-wrecked, probably centuries old." She smiled, with a deliberate edge of mischief. "Though it may, perhaps, be a bit strong for humans…."

The two glanced at each other, then at the wine, before determinedly lifting their glasses. "We'll see about that," Kirito told her, with the smile of one accepting a challenge.

Much better. Kizmel clinked her glass with theirs, and lifted it high. "To our victory, then—and to the victory we'll wrest from the Axiom Church, when we take back Sir Diavel. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Together, they drank—and if Kirito and Asuna were left coughing after the first glass, Kizmel was pleased that it didn't stop them from asking for more.

The question, of course, remains: how well can they hold their liquor?

"So, this is it," the blonde girl whispered, staring up in awe at the roiling surface of the gate. "This must be how you come here, Kirito." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "But it doesn't look like it's working right." A quick smile. "Maybe, if we…."

For an instant, he saw someone else standing there, reaching up to the gate. A blue-haired knight, fingers almost touching the clouds—then in a flicker like static, it was the girl again, making contact with the stuff of the World Gate.

The bells rang, deep and horrible, tolling the end of his world.

"You have broken the taboo," the pale face in the cave ceiling intoned, voice reverberating throughout the whole cavern. "Judgment will be rendered…."

The girl was being wrapped in a chain, held tight to a dragon. Or maybe it was Diavel. Or Asuna. For a moment, it even looked like Kizmel, and he was struggling, screaming, demanding they stop—

"You don't belong here," the Knight said bluntly. "Leave, boy. This is not your affair…."

"Don't worry, Kirito. Someday, I know, we'll be…."

The girl was gone. Her father was staring down at him, bitter and angry. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't been here. If you hadn't given up," and his face shifted, becoming an old man with a shinai, looking at him in pure disappointment, "if you'd kept up your training, this would not have happened. Can you truly lay this burden on her…?"

"You don't belong here."

They're right, he thought, cringing away from the one face, reaching futilely to strike at the other. I never did, I failed them all—!

"Wake up. Kirito. It is not real. Kirito, wake up."

Heart hammering in his chest, Kirito lunged upright—only to be held back by a soft, heavy weight, pressing him back down into his cot. "Wha—?! Umf!"

Only when the hand over his mouth kept him from crying out did he realize what was holding him down. Blinking, he found himself staring into violet eyes, glimmering strangely in the darkness. "Shh," Kizmel whispered, pulling her hand away. "It's all right… let's not wake Asuna, shall we? She needs her sleep—as do you."

Sinking back into his cot, muscles slowly relaxing, Kirito looked up at the elf girl in total confusion. She was stretched out on top of him, making him realize for the first time she was about as tall as he was. She was also wearing her usual nightgown, and the angle gave him a very good idea of what Dark Elves did—or didn't—wear to bed.

"Kizmel?" he blurted, pitching his voice for elven ears only, trying desperately not to stare down her gown. "Why are you in my bed?" He abruptly realized the fuzzy feeling in his head wasn't just from his nightmare, and blanched. "How much did I drink last night?"

Because only after a couple of glasses of Moontear wine had he and Asuna discovered that, unlike the beta test, the retail version of SAO was somehow able to apply an intoxication debuff to players. Kirito thought they'd stopped before it got worse than a light buzz. Loosened up, in a better mood than they'd been since Illfang's defeat, they'd gone belowdecks for the night. Asuna had taken one look at the bed occupying one corner of the cargo hold—very nice, and conspicuously big enough for three—and rejected it, so they'd hung cots in the sleeping cabin.

That had, Kirito thought, been the end of it. A quick glance to his left showed Asuna still bundled up in her cot, to all appearances sound asleep. But he was definitely still buzzed, and Kizmel was all the way under his blankets, wearing less than he thought was decent. He didn't think it was even possible to go any further in SAO, but then in the beta it hadn't been possible to get drunk, either….

The elf girl only chuckled, though, a melodious sound that helped break him away from his nightmares. "I assure you, you were a perfect gentleman," she told him—though her smile had a playful edge he didn't quite trust. "No, the blame is all mine. I… had some suspicion your sleep would not peaceful tonight." Her voice softened. "Forgive me. Counseling is not my strong suit. Company was the only comfort I could think to give you."

Um. Kirito had no idea what to say to that. Outside of Alice and his sister, he'd had basically no experience with girls in his life. Definitely none under life or death conditions. And absolutely none with a beautiful knight whose idea of breaking someone out of a nightmare was to sneak into their bed.

Even so, he could feel his racing heart slowing; he almost thought he could feel hers beating in time with it, despite the distance, as he had when they'd woken Moondancer's core. "Thanks, Kizmel," he said finally, managing a smile. "I should be able to get back to sleep now." Not that he didn't like the position they were in, exactly, but that was kind of the problem. And he didn't want to think how Asuna would react if she woke up and noticed.

Instead of accepting his answer and returning to her own cot, though, Kizmel lightly shook her head, lilac hair swaying in the dim blue light. "Sleep, perhaps," she murmured. "But sleep well?" She gently lowered herself down, settling into the crook of his left arm. "That, Kirito, I frankly doubt."

Kirito's brain suffered an internal error, feeling the elf girl pressing soft curves against him. Rebooting didn't help much, seeing as she didn't seem interested in moving. Frantically, he tried to find a workaround. His social stats weren't specced for human girls; NPC elf girl behavior wasn't even mentioned in his bestiary.

Kizmel huffed, her breath brushing his neck and making his virtual skin tingle. One dusky hand snaked out from under the blankets, gripped his free arm, and pulled it over her back. "Humans," she muttered, so low he wasn't sure he heard anything at all. "…Do you want to talk about it?"

No. But he hadn't really been allowed to not talk about it that day. He was still buzzed from the wine. Still coming down off the nightmares. And, darn it, just having her cuddling like an overgrown house cat—an image he desperately latched onto, for his own sanity—made it hard to keep his mouth shut.

"There's not much to tell," he said softly, doing his best to relax despite his embarrassment. "I was just… remembering the day it all went wrong. That was about the same time something else went crazy on me in the 'real' world, so I tend to get those kinda mixed together in my nightmares." He shrugged, at least the one shoulder not pinned down. "After today, it's not surprising I'd be having those again."

"I should think not." Kizmel nodded into his shoulder. "Certainly I was tormented by old battles, the night the two of you met me." A long pause; he could hear her slow, even breathing, and wondered briefly if she was falling asleep. Then, "But there was more than merely old fears for you, wasn't there."

If he ever got out of SAO alive, Kirito promised himself he was going to find some way to crack into the game's source code. There was no way he was talking to just a glorified dialogue tree. Somehow Kayaba had obviously made the breakthrough all AI researchers sought, and he wanted to know how.

…He was also stalling, and he knew it. "I saw Diavel's face in my nightmares," he said, as casually as he could. "…And Asuna," he added reluctantly, when Kizmel raised her head enough to arch one brow at him. "And… well, you."

"Oh?" For the first time, the elf girl seemed genuinely taken aback. Then, slowly, she smiled, and let her head fall back. "I see…. Well, Kirito. If you fear for us so much, then I suggest you keep your promise to Asuna, and teach her everything you can. And me as well, as long as our paths are crossed."

"Eh?"

"A battle such as what the Swordmasters fought with the Kobold Lord is very different from war as my people know it. Had it been the Pagoda Knights, the Barrier Guardian would have been victorious." Kizmel's hand strayed up, resting over his heart. "The Integrity Knights are doubtless in the same position, Kirito. Use that advantage. Teach us to fight by this world's rules, and when next we meet, it will be the Axiom Church's minions who fall."

Kirito blinked. Wait. She's saying…? Oh, man. If Kayaba was so thorough with his world-building, and the high-level AI are designed around real tactics, then….

Ugh. He was too sleepy, and still too buzzed. But he was sure the answer was in there.

"Later, Kirito," Kizmel whispered to him, settling deeper into the cot. "Sleep now. Whatever the morning brings, I doubt it will be peaceful."

"Heh. Probably not…." Kirito stopped fighting his increasingly-heavy eyelids, sank into the cot, and shifted the arm still lying across to elf to rest lightly on her shoulder. "…Thanks, Kizmel."

Sleep came easy, this time, carrying him off even as he heard a soft chuckle. "My pleasure…."

Even with the ability to bypass the Skywalls, it was a long trip back to the center of the Aincrad Archipelago. If she did not wish to overstress her dragon—and she would never do that, not unless the straits were truly dire—she had to let her rest from time to time. Especially carrying double, and having to take the time to properly incapacitate her unwilling passenger when his limbs returned.

It was, thus, long after the twin moons had risen that Alice Synthesis Thirty finally swooped down toward Centoria Cathedral. An edifice rising high above the old Imperial Capital, it was a sight for sore eyes. Even the feel of the dormant Bifrost, its chained power rubbing against her sixth sense from the top of the Cathedral, was at least a familiar sensation.

Even in this world, its sense remains the same. Everything else is close, yet never quite as it should be.

As Alice swept in close, one wall halfway up the Cathedral yawned open, forming into a perch onto which her dragon neatly landed. "Well done, Amayori," she whispered, patting her loyal steed's flank. "I know it was a long journey. Rest, for now."

Amayori crooned, bending low to let her dismount. She maintained the pose a moment longer, allowing Alice to also retrieve the comatose man she'd tied to the dragon's saddle.

This man presumed to call himself a knight? Alice stared down at the blue-haired and -armored man in disdain. He plays at war, nothing more. Even the warriors of the elves have more claim to the title than these "Swordmasters". She'd gone all the way to the First Island expecting something resembling a fight, when she'd received her orders. Finding a triple-amputee who wasn't even conscious had not exactly impressed her.

The fact that she'd been able to paralyze him after his limbs regenerated, without even a token fight, hadn't improved her assessment.

"Ah, you're back, Lady Alice! I trust the 'Swordmasters' gave you no trouble?"

She turned to see a tall young man with light purple hair, silver armor, and purple cape approaching. "Eldrie," she acknowledged, nodding to her fellow Knight. "You didn't have to wait for me."

"Someone needed to be here to wait for you," Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One replied, shaking his head. "Others had more important duties. I was tending Takiguri, so it was no trouble for me to remain." He nodded to his own dragon, nearly twin to hers.

As they were, the two being siblings. "In that case, thank you," she said, as the door on which she'd landed rumbled to a close. "I trust you've alerted others? I was given to understand the mission was of utmost importance."

"I sent word the moment I saw you coming in," he assured her. "The Commander himself should be here shortly." Eldrie looked down at the captured Swordmaster—"Diavel", Alice thought the others had called him. "Hmph. I would never question Her Excellency's orders, but was this truly worth sending an Integrity Knight?"

Paralyzed, comatose, weaponless, and trussed up like an animal meant for slaughter, if anything Diavel looked less impressive than when Alice had found him. "He did break a taboo," she reminded Eldrie. "Even if his skills are no threat, he's clearly delved into forbidden knowledge."

"That he has—and I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a Swordmaster's skill, young one."

Both Knights turned to look down the polished stone hall, leading deeper into the Cathedral. After the voice, what was first obvious was the clopping of sandals, muffled by the carpet. Then their owner came into view, an older, scarred man with short, gray-blue hair. Unlike them, he was wearing a simple robe of a style Alice thought similar to that of some Swordmasters.

"Uncle," she said, bowing respectfully. "I've returned, with the criminal." She glanced again at the bound Diavel, frowning. "But… I don't understand. If they are such a danger, why take only him? As weakened as they were, I could have defeated them all."

"Probably—though they did kill Illfang without losing a single man." The man stopped next to the captive Swordmaster, looking down at him curiously. "You're very good, Alice, but I don't think you should be taking on so many Swordmasters until we've more a measure of what they can really do." He shrugged. "Besides, Her Excellency has a plan. It's not our business yet what it is."

"Of course, Uncle."

Though Alice couldn't help but be curious herself. The Human Empire had been stable since long before she'd been called as an Integrity Knight. With the shakeup caused by the sorcerer Kayaba Akihiko, and the invocation of the ancient summoning spell, she couldn't imagine why the Highest Administrator would choose to leave the Swordmasters at large unmolested.

More, what plan could there possibly be that might be kept even from Bercouli Synthesis One, Commander of the Integrity Knights?

It's not my place to question Her Excellency's decisions, Alice reminded herself sternly. And I have other matters to dwell on.

"What's to be done with him, Uncle?" she asked, shaking off her ruminations.

"Her Excellency wants to see this one right away. You, though, have earned your rest for tonight." Bercouli smiled, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Then he turned his attention to the other Knight. "Eldrie, give me a hand. Let's get this fellow where he's going."

"Of course, Lord Bercouli! Excuse me, Lady Alice." Eldrie quickly bowed to Alice, hoisted Diavel onto his shoulder like a sack, and headed off into the Cathedral.

"Heh. You taught him well, Alice." Bercouli patted her shoulder again, before walking leisurely in Eldrie's wake. "Now, get some rest! I mean it!"

An order she had every intention of obeying, after the long flight. First, though, she took the time to make sure Amayori was settled in comfortably, with plenty of fresh meat. The elves, even humanity at large, might favor airships. To an Integrity Knight, their dragon was their other half. She would not neglect hers, not even in this strange spell-world in which they were both but ghosts.

That gave Alice time to think, hopefully enough to work through everything before she tried to sleep. A month, she'd spent observing the Swordmasters, from the very day they'd been summoned to the transitory Aincrad. She'd seen their panic, when the sorcerer Kayaba gave his final instructions. A disorderly mob, killing some of their own in their rioting. Strange behavior, from a people who had supposedly been summoned as an army; perhaps Kayaba had revealed to them his treachery, but that hardly excused such wanton chaos.

A month, in which they'd done nothing to improve her opinion of them. Honestly, she wondered what the concern was, that twenty thousand idiots were being drawn to Aincrad from another realm. It was plain Kayaba was up to something, and not dealing in good faith with the Axiom Church, yet what it was she could scarcely imagine.

Alice had assumed, when word came that a forbidden place beneath Rulid had been touched, that it had been a mere accident. Though orders to wait a few days more before acting had puzzled her, she hadn't thought it of any concern.

Finding Illfang, weak yet still a Barrier Guardian, defeated with no losses? In hindsight, she had to concede her "uncle" had something of a point. Perhaps not all Swordmasters were as weak as those she'd observed in Origia. Even Diavel had at least been alive, however crippled, when she arrived.

Also….

"Ah, you've returned. Did your mission go well, Alice?"

Startled from her thoughts, Alice realized she'd been brushing the same spot on Amayori's head for several minutes. Looking up, she met the new arrival's gaze coolly. "Well enough," she said. "A few foolhardy Swordmasters did try to intervene, but they were hardly a match for me."

"I'm sure they weren't." The blonde Integrity Knight, clad in blue armor, frowned. "How many of them survived?"

"None of them were killed," she said calmly, standing from where she'd crouched perhaps a bit too long. "I held back—and they proved a little more resilient than I expected." She waved a hand dismissively. "None of them were foolish enough to try again. Except…."

"Except?" he repeated, frowning. "Did something happen?"

"No, not really." Alice shook her head, long braid waving. "Just one Swordmaster brave enough to make a few rather bold statements. Empty bluster; he obviously knew better than to act." She turned to leave the dragon port. "Pardon me, Sir Eugeo. It's been a long day."

"Of course, Alice. Sleep well."

She didn't bother to look back. Eugeo Synthesis Thirty-Two had always been friendly to her since his calling—too friendly, really. He acted uncomfortably familiar with her, yet he always had a strange edge about him she'd never liked. The combination always made her uneasy around him, at best.

Certainly she was disinclined to discuss with him what was really on her mind. That one Swordmaster… his companions had been bold as well, yet his answer to her asking his identity had made him stand out. "You don't know?"

Of course I don't. Why would I? And yet… something about that bothers me. Walking the Cathedral's halls on her way to her quarters, Alice paused to look out a window at the stars. The Cathedral was the one place where the Skywall didn't color the view. Diavel will lead them no more, and that man seemed too much the outcast to take up the mantle. Yet I can't help but think that wasn't the last I'll see of him.

Kirito… I told you I'd remember the name, and I will. When next you catch Her Excellency's eye, I'll find your secret.

December 5th, 2032

Moondancer skimmed a scant few meters above the Cloud Sea, close enough to make Asuna's stomach clench. Only with an effort did she stop herself from reminding Kirito to be careful; as new to piloting as he might've been, well, it wasn't like she knew much better.

Still. This is not good for my nerves. She glanced past the helm, where Kirito was turning the wheel with maybe a bit less confidence than he tried to project, to the young woman on the other side. "Are all Dark Elf ports down this low, Kizmel? Because I'm not sure my heart can take this."

Kizmel chuckled, easing back the throttle and adjusting the wing-sails a few degrees. "Oh, not all, Asuna. Einsla and Niian are quite unusual in that respect, honestly. Probably because we don't have much of a presence this far out, so what we do have is best kept hidden."

Somehow, that didn't reassure Asuna much. And there was no point in asking Kirito; if he hadn't known about any Dark Elf quests before the Third Island, he was going to be as a clueless here as he was at Einsla. Just in and out here, she told herself, even as Moondancer climbed toward a narrow gap in Niian's rocky underside. We drop Kizmel off here, get our quest rewards, and head up to see what's going on with the rest of the raid group.

She hoped delivering Kizmel wouldn't be the end of things. She'd seen how Kirito had felt, when it looked like their partnership was over the day before, and felt much the same way.

In a world away from home, away from everything and everyone she'd ever known, Asuna wanted to hold onto the new bonds she'd begun to form. Even if those bonds were with a weird loner and lifelike NPC.

"Okay," Kirito announced, "we're here… almost. Kizmel, is there any signal you should be sending? I'd hate to be, y'know, shot down or something because they don't realize we're here on official business."

"Fair point," the elf girl granted. "Just a moment. Hold the ship here beyond the docks, and I will handle introductions." Kizmel stood, slipped out of the pilothouse, and went to the starboard railing. Taking off one gauntlet, she raised a hand high.

Asuna couldn't figure what that was supposed to accomplish. At least, not until she noticed a ring on Kizmel's finger, shining unnaturally bright. A light from within the cavern promptly blinked in response, and then Kizmel was coming back inside.

"That should suffice," she announced, pulling her gauntlet back on and settling back in at the throttle. "Take us in, Kirito. There is an empty cradle waiting for us."

"On it."

Seated at what she'd determined to be more or less a miscellaneous functions console, there wasn't much for Asuna to do on the way in. The core crystal was fine, and they were landing in a cradle, so there was no need for the skids. That left her free to watch, and see what a living Dark Elf port was like.

In basic form, it wasn't so different from the cavern where they'd found Moondancer to begin with. Except instead of blank, mottled stone, the walls and ceiling were dark, oddly twinkling. Instead of the petrified remains of trees, there was an entire grove, weaving among the airship cradles and short stone buildings.

Instead of being completely abandoned, there were a handful of Dark Elves wandering about. Most of them were patrolling in what were obviously set patterns, while a couple were checking over a ship parked in the cradle next to the one they were approaching. Two of them, though—wearing uniforms similar to Captain Emlas', but more elaborate—stood by one of the stone buildings, watching Moondancer cruise in. One of them had the distinctive gold question mark of an active quest over his head.

"The Portmaster," Kizmel remarked, following Asuna's gaze. "And his adjutant, if I'm not mistaken. They're likely expecting me, though I imagine they were anticipating Moonshadow instead." She pulled the throttle back to idle, just as Kirito slid the ship into the cradle. "I believe our first priority should be to speak with them… hm? Where are they going?"

Now that Moondancer was down, Asuna would've expected quest NPCs to wait for them. Instead, as Kizmel had noted, they were suddenly turning toward the far edge of the cavern, walking at a measured but brisk pace.

She exchanged a troubled look with Kirito. Great. Another thing going off the rails. "Should we follow them?"

"Probably," he said, sighing. "Sooner we find out what's going on, the better." He led the way out onto the deck—and stumbled, mid-step, at an odd ringing sound. "What the—oh, you pick now, Argo?"

"Is something wrong?" Kizmel asked, beating Asuna to it.

"If you've got someone on your Friends List, you can do voice chat," he replied absently. He was on the move again, but reaching out to a menu interface at the same time. "I knew Argo would be getting in contact soon—surprised she didn't call last night, honestly—but man, this isn't a good time. …Yeah, Argo, I'm here. We just docked at Niian…."

It was probably just as well, Asuna thought, that the Rat hadn't tried to call the previous night. They'd all needed the sleep, and she suspected they'd all had nightmares. She knew she had—and she'd noticed Kizmel sneaking into Kirito's bed.

She hadn't really heard them, but she'd seen enough to recognize nothing indecent had happened. Still, she wasn't quite sure she felt about it. On the one hand, it was something she never would've dared do herself, for any number of reasons. On the other, she was glad Kirito had gotten the comfort he'd obviously needed, which she just wasn't equipped to provide.

On the gripping hand, to use an expression she'd once heard out of Argo, she'd felt an odd sense of longing. What exactly that meant, she wasn't too sure she was ready to look at.

"Kirito may not care for the timing," Kizmel commented, as the two of them followed their comrade down to the port's stone floor, "but I for one think it's just as well. I'd rather the two of you not begin the liberation of this island without some idea of how the other Swordmasters are handling matters. If any have reached Niian at all."

Asuna found herself nodding, sparing a glance at Kirito. He was trying to keep his voice low, but his expressions spoke volumes. "You don't think the, um, Portmaster knows much?"

The Portmaster who was still heading for the far end of the port, she noticed—along with the guards she'd seen on the way in. Something was definitely up.

"I have my doubts how much the Portmaster cares about my mission," Kizmel said ruefully. "I'd be much surprised if he was watching the local human towns at all. Much as it pains me to admit, Captain Emlas is far from alone in his assumptions about Men…. Truthfully, we'll be fortunate if the Portmaster even speaks your tongue."

"Oh." Asuna blinked. It hadn't even occurred to her that any NPCs might only speak Sindarin. That'd be just like Kayaba, though, wouldn't it? Set up a quest so players would need a translator…. Kirito-kun might know the language, but I only ever read The Hobbit and the trilogy. So not my area.

The elven knight seemed to catch her concern, and smiled quickly. "Fear not, Asuna. I'll be here long enough to translate, if need be—and perhaps, if time allows, I might teach you some of our language."

"I think I'd like that," Asuna said honestly. "If we're going to be here for so long, that's something else I should know…. Kirito-kun?" The other player had lowered his hand from his ear, and was shaking his head. "What did Argo have to say?"

"Not much of use," Kirito said ruefully. "You know how she is—and something interrupted her before we were done, so she had to hang up. She does want to meet later, sell us the latest 'dirt'. And she wants to know where we've been." He shuddered. "I'm kind of not looking forward to that meeting." Glancing ahead, to where the Dark Elves were gathering at the port's entrance, he frowned. "Looks like we might have a complication here. Better equip, Asuna."

"Right." While he brought up his menu to equip his Anneal Blade, Asuna swiped two fingers to bring up her own. First her Iron Rapier—she made a mental note to ask Kirito, and if necessary Argo, where she might get something better on the new island—and then, with a couple of extra strokes, the newer addition to her arsenal.

Firearms weren't something she knew much about. She'd only picked up Diavel's flintlock out of a desperate need to get the rest of the raid to pay attention. She'd held onto it, though, on the theory that it was stupid to pass up a potential advantage. Ammunition would be a problem until they got to a town with a proper shop—it seemed to reload automatically after a few hours, maybe as a mercy mechanic, but that was just two rounds—but it was still better than nothing.

I did call myself a musketeer, the first day, Asuna thought, as the pistol materialized on her right hip. I guess now I'll live up to it.

They were halfway across the port, through most of the trees, by the time they were all ready for whatever was coming. Kizmel glanced over at them, hearing the sound of equipped appearing, and shook her head with a slight smile. "The Swordmasters' base 'stats' seem to be about on par with a Dark Elf knight," she mused, "but I must say, your Mystic Scribing is clearly quite the advantage." She lifted her right hand, two fingers together. "To be able to carry so much, even communicate at long distances, just by such a simple action—"

Her fingers came down, and a menu sprang into existence into existence.

Humans and Dark Elf alike stared, nonplussed. "…I did not expect that," Kizmel said, after a long moment. "Kirito, Asuna? If I might ask your input—"

"To arms! The Minotaurs are massing for an attack!"

Impossible menu suddenly an afterthought, three swords were drawn in a massed scraping of metal on wood. "Minotaurs?" Asuna repeated sharply, even as the three of them rushed to join the Dark Elf defense of the port entrance. "Do I want to know what that means here?"

Kirito chuckled weakly. "Is this a bad time to mention the beta testers' nickname for Niian was the 'Hidden Cow Island'?"

"I can tell that's a reference to something, and I will know what it is when this is over," she told him, eyes narrowing. "It also doesn't answer my question. What kind of monsters are 'Minotaurs' in SAO?"

"Well—"

A loud roar, and out of the tunnel ahead burst half a dozen tall, bull-headed monsters. The first one through came out swinging, and with a deep yelp two Dark Elf guards were sent flying in a single mace strike. Three other guards rallied to the defense, but in that time more of the burly mobs swarmed out and around.

That gave Asuna her first clear view of Aincrad's definition of "Minotaur". Tall, with bull heads crowned by huge horns. Legs that looked human, except with backward knees, and hooves for feet. Perfectly human torsos—very muscular chests, at that. She could tell, because all that SAO Minotaurs wore was a simple loincloth and a pair of leather straps across the torso, leaving that impressive musculature in full view.

Face starting to burn, Asuna snapped her rapier into position for a Linear. "You?" she hissed at Kirito. "Are impossible. Warn me sooner, next time! And these things—!"

She rushed forward, rapier blazing ahead of her companions, and struck the nearest Minotaur right in the ring holding its chest straps together. With a bellow that was half-roar, half a deep, lowing moo, it staggered back, tripping up one behind it.

"These things are pure sexual harassment!"

Author's Note:

So, yeah. Let's say my health issue has proved more difficult to fix than I expected—more precisely, scheduling to get it fixed—and leave it at that. I hope to get it deal with soon, but in the meantime I make no promises about update timing.

As to this chapter, I guess it ended up mostly one big mass of world-building—hopefully answering some of the big questions from the previous chapter was at least worth it. (Even if it did—by design, I'll admit—raise more questions than were answered.) Next chapter will also have a fair bit of world-building, but I intend for it to be done in the process of adventuring.

Speaking of, next up will be the exploration of the Second Island, detailing the disposition of the nascent clearing group after Team Kirito left, and finally some more on the Elf War quest. …And maybe some comedic shenanigans here and there; as I think I mentioned before, this fic is intended to take much of its tone from the Progressive manga. Don't want things getting too dark, however heavy some of the plot will unavoidably be.

Next will also bring the characterization spotlight back to Asuna. I realized while writing this chapter that she was falling behind, especially with the reveals about Kirito's past—and considering her development was kind of the first part of the fic I even thought of, it's really time I fixed that.

Ah, side note for the shippers in the audience: don't read too much into Kizmel sneaking into Kirito's bed. This instance was purely platonic, and quite honestly the main reason Kizmel did it first was because I didn't think Asuna would have the self-confidence to take the initiative. Not saying it doesn't count as a teasing moment, but it should not be taken as an indication of where the fic's pairings are going. (This is still the "trusted comrades" stage, after all. The Niian arc is the "friendship forging" phase.)

Hm… about the only other thing I can think of to mention is that I'm open to suggestions for naming the material the elves use in place of glass. I don't know of any mythological equivalents off the top of my head, so if anybody has any ideas, I'm all ears.

Next up, I really do need to update Monochrome Duet; that one's been lying fallow too long. For what it's worth, health permitting, it should be fairly easy, but… well, we'll see. In the meantime, I hope this proved at least somewhat entertaining. Let me know if I've still got it, or if I'm completely off the mark, yeah? 'Til next time, comrades. -Solid