|Sword Art Online, Floor 55, Western Peaks|
|Jan. 30th 10:32|
The wind blew viciously across the snow-blasted mountain range, the skies a constant, deary grey as snowfall turned to a blizzard, making visibility and traversal difficult. Large paws sunk through the snow, belonging to a large, snow-tinted, bipedal wolf. Its coat pure white coat only calcified chunks of dark blue rime formed on its claws and joints, a mane of ice-blue hair towards a black snout and piercing blue eyes. A Frostbitten Beowolf.
Four stalked the blizzard, sniffing the air before the lead wolf growled, eyes catching the drifting, orange hue swaying through the haze. Clawing at the ground, it howled only to be cut off mid-snarl when the orange tinge flowed down the length of a blood-red blade, plunging through its throat with a tremendous amount of force. Two feet planted onto his chest and pulled back as the force of Vorpal Strike blew it, and a gale of snow, away.
Shattering at the feet of its pack, the rest lunged for the red and grey clad teen with brown hair, his bored, light blue eyes barely phased. "Switch," Artorias stated as a blur of green slashes tore through the trio of Beowolves from the cover of snowfall, slashing in an arc across their backs, dropping them into a heap past Artorias.
The claws lost their lustre, a girl in a thick brown and green cloak fluttering around the girl's petite frame, only a pair of piercing, golden-brown eyes staring back through locks of blonde hair blown by the blizzard. "Ya know I could've misseD," Argo pointed out, but Artorias shrugged.
"Yeah, I very much doubt that, Rat," Artorias remarked dryly, turning to see the Beowolves rising only for a burning, crimson-coated ax to sweep through, bringing down a blast of wind pressure, plunging the ax head through the back of a wolf as the remaining two stumbled back from Grand Destruction's impact.
"Aahahaha, about time we found something to fight!" Bellowing with jubilation, a player bound in scaled armour with white fur and large claws dragged his two-handed ax upright, his chest bare with a striking helmet of a dragon's skull made from silver scales, the eyes blood-red. "Take them down!"
"On it," Sweeping past him like death itself masked by the howling winds billowing through a white cloak. The gleaming, violet scythe swung wide with two horizontal sweeps, severing the heads of the remaining Beowolves as their growls fell silent. Mito turned to Daora, giving a nod of thanks for the support, he held up a thumb.
"And then there was one..." Artorias rolled his eyes towards the heavy stomps coming from the haze of white ahead, it was hard to make out, even its blood-red cursor bobbing over its ears, but that deep growl gave it away.
It was a Frostbitten Beowolf, only larger; it had larger spikes of ice jutting from the backs of its forearms, and down the middle of its back, even the jawline was reinforced with ice plates, several scars peppering parts of its body. With each step, bones creaked as it stalked the party before lunging for a wide cross-slash, sweeping the snow as its claws rang against Daora's ax and Artorias' shield, the pair sliding back.
Argo and Mito both intercepted to pincer the monster as it swung wide again, slamming the ground before hopping away from their respective weapons. It was fast to react compared to the weaker variants. Keeping their distance, the sound of water rippled through their ears, causing Artorias to pivot on his heels, raising his buckler at the last second. With a grunt, the younger teen thrust his arms high, tossing the player high above the Alpha Frostbitten Beowolf as it tore its eyes away from Argo and Mito.
A water-patterned haori blew back in the harsh winds, revealing the armoured ninja attire beneath. Swept through the air was a current of vibrant, ocean-blue water, matching the style of the haori, conjuring a visage of a dragon that followed the movements of the katana draped in rushing water. Two onyx eyes baring down on the Alpha.
Twisting their body, the player swept down, lacerating the wolf with three gashes, spilling red polygons as the snow was kicked up between them. I brought its claws toward the katana user, only for both to be parried by two follow-up, winding slashes, the skill momentum pulling the raven-brunette off his feet, using his left foot to kick off the Beowolf's chest. With a final spin, the teen twirled twice, the maw of the dragon submerging the wolf's head as the head was severed in a single streak of aquamarine light.
Landing on his toes, the wind swept at his clothes, exhaling slowly to smile back at his party. "Sorry, Klein got stuck in a pitfall," Looking past the ground, Nagi saw the red samurai stomping his way through the snow, panting heavily.
"Aw man, I missed the fight!?" Klein moaned in defeat, then waved a fist. "You could've saved the last one for us both, Nagi!"
"Hahaha, sorry-sorry, I'll remember next time, promise," Nagi chuckled.
"You're too nice for your own good, boss..." Artorias shook his head in defeat.
"Besides, I want dibs on the next tough monster!" Daora argued, crossing his arms, or until Mito flicked the side of his head.
"Remember, that's not why we're up here," The purplette eyed Nagi and Argo. "Right?"
Nodding, Nagi turned his attention to the looming shadows of the mountains ravaged by this snow storm. They had an integral mission of their own to follow, straight into the heart of this storm.
"She's right, let's keep moving, we shouldn't be far now," Nagi hollered over the raging winds, adjusting the fur lining his haori's collar to battle the biting cold. "Argo?"
The informant soon popped up at his side, hugging herself close to him for warmth, and just to enjoy the feeling itself. She smirked, pointing straight ahead. "We're makin' good time, HerO,"
Smiling, he nodded in gratitude. "Always rely on you, lead the way," He watched her snicker at the praise, marching on ahead of the party...
"I won't let anyone else die in front of me, I don't care what happens, I'll not let it stand any longer! My name is Nagi the Water Shinobi! And as her shinobi, I will not allow a single blade to touch her again!" ~Nagi
"Alright, Alright, Alright! Thank you one and all for coming! Since I've been such a dumbass, sit back and relax, I'm gonna solo this crap boss! Kiss my ass, Kayaba! I'm going for the wiiiin!" ~Artorias
"...It's not the case if I can or can't! I will protect everything precious to me; even if I'm scorned for what I've done!" ~Mito
"I am the Lord of... no, the Former Lord of Wolves! Become my stepping stone towards becoming the strongest player in this world! Kushala Daora, THE LORD OF DRAGONS!" ~Kushala Daora
[Misfits To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
Aaaaaand we're back from the dead! So much to say but I'll try to keep it brief. So, consider this my apology for being MIA for several months. After completing the previous arc, my inspiration and drive just went up in smoke, I felt overwhelmed by the gravity of Misfits as a whole, bunch of BS in my actual life, and just a greater passion for other projects I had started at the time. So again, sorry for that.
But I'm back and while I'm uncertain how things will fair this time, I'll be sure to give proper notice, and besides, this hiatus of mine has improved my writing quite a bit, I will say. So! Starting from the Iceborne arc, I'm adjusting a few things of Misfits. Firstly, I am so done with the concept that everyone has a specific colour to their sword skills, it gets repetitive and drives me mad to remember who has what, so back to random rainbow colours! (I have no idea why I did that to begin with, but moving on...)
Secondly, update schedule will be 10 Days, saved my sanity on my other projects, so it's applied here less there's any delays and whatnot. Thirdly, I have decided that we'll be progressing all the way to the 100th floor, so buckle down for a wild set of adventures!
That's... all I can think of to say; thank you for reading and I do hope you come to enjoy this arc. I will always appreciate the support; enjoy the chapter tomorrow, Misfits!
Before I wrap this up though, since I know it's a lot of information to keep track of. Here's a recap of the loadouts of the main five in the party!
Nagi - Lv. 77 (16, Birthday April 5th 2007) Short, scruffy, blackish-brown hair. Onyx eyes. 168cm.
Brief Bio. A kind-hearted player who always seeks to help anyone who needs it. He is the leader of the Misfits Guild and had earned the moniker of Water Shinobi. He also has a very keen sense of smell.
NightSky (25th Floor Boss L.A. Bonus) A pitch black sheath with a silver base and lip embroiled with stars. A black handed with a white colouration beneath and a decorative charm of a star hanging from the pommel. A midnight blade with silver sheen. It's flavour text, "Capture the stars o warrior mine".
[Katana] Calm Sea (4th Floor Boss L.A. Bonus) A creamy-white haori that transitioned into a Great Wave pattern at the bottom and across the sleeves. Provides the wearer with the ability to convert all Sword Skills into flowing water effects.
Crest of Renewal. A silvery-blue breastplate, several smaller plates covering the abdomen. It provides the bonus skill to instantly reuse a Sword Skill at the cost of the user's health, going up 5% with each use.
Tidal Shinobi. Crafted by Lizbeth and Ashley. A white, long-sleeved, collared shirt under a black jacket. Light blue Kyahan extending into tabi sockets under dark blue and white sandals. A headband identical to Calm Sea. Forearms and shin covered by silvery-blue platemetal.
Skills - Katana (Mastered). Sprint. Martial Arts. Parry. Hiding. Battle Healing. Light Metal Equipment. Extended Weight Limit. Awakening (Obtained via Mastery of Meditation).
Argo - Lv. 73 (16, Birthday June 5th 2007) Curly, blonde hair. Golden-brown eyes. Painted whiskers on her cheeks. 150cm.
Brief Bio. Argo the Rat, one of SAO's best Info Brokers. She's all business, even to her friends, but she takes her job seriously to ensure everyone has access to the latest guide to survive the floors of SAO.
[Claws] Prowler. A pair of wrist-mounted claws, three, five-inch long blades jutting from the padded gloves.
Vagabond. A brown cloak with a darker tinted belt across the collar and bottom of the fabric, a lime-green stripe running from the hood down the zipper A green, orange and black crop top with beige sleeves and brown, fingerless gloves, leaving the stomach and lower back exposed. Knee-length brown pants that split to exposed the sides of the thighs with an orange outline. A pair of brown, steel-capped boots with an orange and green tongue.
Skills - Claws. Martial Arts. Hiding (Mastered). Searching (Mastered). Sprinting (Mastered). Sales Negotiation. Lockpicking. Straining. Trap Dismantling.
Artorias - Lv. 80 (16, Birthday January 15th 2008) Short, light chestnut-brown hair, bangs partially covering the left eye. Light blue eyes. 157cm.
Brief Bio. Artorias the Red Warrior is often quite egocentric, and was once trapped within his female avatar, the experience having softened his wise-cracking façade. His ego is easily backed by his impressive skills, and he isn't above helping his comrades.
[One-Handed Sword] Red Death (29th Floor Boss L.A. Bonus) A coiled sword with a dark grey scabbard stained with blood around the butt of the casing. A long-handled sword with a rounded pommel with a cross over it. A clean, dark grip with a rectangle guard, the blade a deep shade of red. Red Death's bonus skill, Blood Cull, triggers when the user takes critical damage above a certain threshold, tripling their next attack's damage and inflicting a powerful Bleed.
[Shield] Red Dawn. A grave shield with a splash of black and red split by a silver brace down the middle.
Red Rogue. Crafted by Lizbeth and Ashley. A candy-red long coat that reached halfway down the thighs with a hood. The zipper to the collar and across the edge of the hood a light grey, a black strip around the hips. The sleeves grey across the bottom with one ring around both biceps. Small, rounded pauldron and black, fingerless gloves with a black belt and gold buckle for the waist. A black undershirt with a white line down the middle, a pair of red-rimmed goggles hung from the neck. A pair of black cargo pants, bandages wrapped around both thighs, tucked into combat boots.
Skills - One-Handed Sword (Mastered). Shield. Sprint. Martial Arts. Mixing (Mastered). Awakening (Obtained via Mastery of Meditation). Parry. Battle Healing. Extended Weight Limit. Searching.
Kushala Daora - Lv. 77 (17, Birthday September 27th 2006) Black, shoulder-length hair with patches of white. Pale green eyes. 171cm.
Brief Bio. A man obsessed with becoming the strongest player. Daora is a straightforward player, and often incredibly reckless in battle. Despite his harsh, loud attitude, he is willing to take on any enemy that opposes his party with an indomitable will.
[Two-Handed Ax] Destroyer. Crafted by Lizbeth. It has a black polearm with a spiked end. The head dual-sided, made from two, long curved talons that gleamed a navy tint. It has the Trick Weapon attribute, allowing the user to collapse the staff portion down to a one-handed ax.
Dragon Lord. Baggy pants layered with navy-silver scales with a snow-white fur trim. Bare feet, the tops protected by a layer of scales. A waistcloth of scales transitioning downwards from silver, to navy, to black. Leather pauldron covered by fur with three, thick fangs curved towards the biceps. Both forearms covered by silver gauntlets with the same fur trim, the fingers shielded by small claws. A helmet made from a shrunken skull of a dragon, covered with silver scales, the eye sockets blood red.
Dragonheart. Crafted by Mito. A necklace with a thick, black thread, decorated with various beads of white and blue gemstones. The centerpiece a crystal clear gemstone cut into the shape of a dragon's head. Provides a dramatic boost of all elemental resistances, a minor boost to ailment resistances, and health recovery for every debuff affecting the wearer.
Skills - Two-Handed Ax. (Mastered). Sprint. Cooking. Battle Healing. Searching. Armour Pierce. Heavy Metal Equipment. Extended Weight Limit. Barbarous (Extra Skill)
Barbarous (Extra Skill). Upon activation, the player is unable to use weapons for a Minute, their defence stats cut in half. However, their strength stats are doubled and every hit heals them based on how much damage is inflicted. The skill has a 15 Minute cooldown.
Mito - Lv. 76 (16, Birthday August 5th 2007) Long purple hair braided like Asuna's, a thick lock falling over her forehead. Deep red eyes. 172cm.
Brief Bio. Despite joining Nagi's party much later, Mito has become integral to her friends, often a rational voice for whoever needs it, and works hard to provide all the support she can whilst working to better herself as a person.
[Two-Handed Scythe] Soul Fang. An obsidian scythe with a curved polearm, bandages wrapped around its length. The neck in the shape of a 'C', a crescent blade jutting out, a sharp edge contrasting white, the butt of the head a jagged curve.
Harbinger. Crafted by Lizbeth and Ashley. A slim, purple dress tunic with long sleeves, crimson down the middle under a dark purple breastplate. Thigh-high metal-plated boots and gauntlets to match the breastplate's pigment. Sharp pauldron and a pair of thigh plates, a torn, white cape with a crescent hood tinged dark purple.
Skills - Two-Handed Scythe (Mastered). Blade Throwing. Sprint. Acrobatics. Searching. Light Metal Equipment. Sewing. Battle Healing. Parry. Accessory Crafting.