|Sword Art Online, Floor 55, Western Peaks|
|Jan. 30th 13:47|
Suffice to say, the NPC's introduction compared to the tension amidst the arrivals was night and day. Floating about her head was the same, yellow cursor for all NPCs, bobbing below that was a name, 'Isshi'. Crossing her right leg over the left, she smiled down at them with a look that screamed mischievous, almost teasing in how her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly, like she had expected this reaction.
"There is absolutely no way you're not freezing in that," Artorias commented, being the first to react. While Klein was practically ogling a little too long at the obvious sex appeal the woman provided with how she dressed, Artorias practically held no reaction at all.
"Hm, I know right? It's so chilly, even more than I'm comfortable with, believe it or not," Isshi answered, tilting her head side-to-side in thought. "But I'm used to the cold, you could say I'm practically born from it. Hrm, no... no that wouldn't make much sense to mortals, would it?"
'Mortals'? Nagi questioned that, but also the scent she gave off. It was minty, and strong enough it felt as though the air around her was fresh enough to pierce down into the pit of his lungs. It was refreshing but left a lot to be desired, he couldn't get a read on her. Then an elbow jabbed his side, and his eyes peeled away to flinch at the questioning brow Argo gave him.
"Ya havin' fun eyeing her uP?" She hummed a bit, her eyes could easily ignite at any moment.
"You know that's not why I'm staring, wait, are you..." He cut himself off, seeing her reel back her elbow with a teasing smirk, his own smile forming. "Okay, walked into that one - ahem, are you the one in charge?"
Isshi eyed Nagi now, eyes sizing him up slowly, making him a little uncomfortable at how her eyes travelled across his body. "Maybe I am, it all depends on who wants to know and for what purpose, I'm sure you understand,"
"She really likes to talk in circles, clearly," Mito whispered beneath her breath, only to jump as the bluette threw her head back with a delighted laugh.
"Hahaha, sorry, a bad habit of mine, I can't help but find it amusing when I meet new people, especially those who could fend off Velk so viciously. Well done to the boys in red and blue, I think you're my new favourites," She winked, making both back up a little. Isshi pushed herself forward, practically gliding down as her feet barely made a sound against the ground, pinching the edges of her kimono for a polite bow. "If you would like to follow me, I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about,"
Briefly, a question mark appeared and vanished above her head, and all their logs were updated, even Evet's party.
Quest Updated!
-Path of Divine Sakura - Winter's Tide-
A great blizzard continues to grow from the Western Peaks. Isshi, the guardian of one of the remaining villages on the mountains may know a way to end this storm before it consumes the lands beyond...
*Speak with Isshi [ ]
Floor 55 Village of Western Peaks | Reward N/A
"Isshi..." Shirayuki echoed the name, her eyes widening slowly. "I... I had no idea she was real. By the light of sun, haha, we may have found our key to this blight!"
"How you figure?" Nagi asked, eyeing the shinobi's elated expression.
"Because, my friend, the woman before us is the last of her kind, an Iceborne, a spirit of winter itself," Upon hearing Shirayuki's words, Isshi hummed delightfully.
"It is no surprise to me that your House remembers my name," She peeked over her shoulder. "I was there when your kin first built your home, I was the one to give them my blessing after the collapse of House Sun, for mortals, they were brazen, at times, arrogant... but they were selfless, even until their dying breaths," For a moment, the winter spirit's tone softened in respect, but it was quickly blown away to that mischievous smile once more. "To think I'd meet two surviving members of Winter, I'm glad I woke up today,"
"You honour us," Shirayuki gave a light dip of her head in respect, even Hotaru.
"What she said," The younger girl repeated.
"Excuse me?" Silica raised her hand, rubbing her hands together nervously. "Um, I'm not really sure what's going on, c-could someone explain it for me, s-sorry,"
"Don't worry yer little head, I've got the deets down in ink for ya, I'll fill in the gaps durin' our chaT," Argo reassured Silica who gave a sigh of relief, petting the top of Pina's head.
Following Isshi, she led them down a path which faced a cliff edge to their right, various paths leading down beside a wooden fence to a farmland with a stream and an entrance to a mine beneath the village itself. Farmers worked the land, saved from the blizzard. Fishermen sat by the edges of the stream, hoping for a bite, and miners sat and discussed around a map at the mouth of the mine.
While the rest of the settlement was busy, there was no comparison to the square at the center of the village. In it was the blacksmith, two types of storefronts, even a tavern and larger housing around it. At the center of the village stood a statue made from solid ice, refracted in various shades of white to blue, forming a towering visage of Verglas Velkhana herself. Her wings fanned wide with her rapier-like tail curling from the left, her body decorated in what looked to be another layer of armour. Compared the vicious monster they faced, she was regal as a statue.
"Strange how something so spectacular can be so vicious," Klein commented, tapping the foot of the sculpture, feeling his whole arm shiver as he pulled his hand back. "C-C-Cold!"
"Hm, I probably should've said that it's made from the coldest ice in all of Aincrad, whoops," Isshi giggled behind her hand, Klein muttering as he rubbed his hands together. "It would take a considerable amount of force to break it, not that I think the villagers would be fond if you did,"
"Here that, Numbnuts, no touchy," Artorias pointed back to the dragon-clad player.
"What's the fun in breaking a statue that can't fight back?" He huffed, likely still bothered about not fighting Velkhana despite Nagi's pep-talk. Then, Daora raised Destroyer. "Unless it comes to life..."
"Don't," Several of them shot that down instantly.
"We're here, come on, don't be shy now, I won't bite," Isshi smiled, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Unless any of you would like that, hehe?" The boys all shifted back a little say for Evet, the girls rolling their eyes with Silica's face blushing up a storm at the tease.
They stood at the foot of the largest building in town. It shared the same, longhouse design as some of the other buildings but twice as big, the roof and side walls rounded towards the ground, a smaller building attached to the front as an entrance. All of it made from thick logs and planks with a layer of thatch for the roof, lanterns swaying from metal hooks above their heads.
Heading inside, the temperature turned to a comfortable warmth, an orange glow from the oil lamps inside and the scent of burning logs of a fireplace through the entry hall to the main chamber of the building. The roof extended nearly three times the height of Klein, support beams and mast split evenly towards the fireplace at the far end. Tapestries hung from the beams above, and instantly their colourful banners were recognized as the various Houses Shirayuki spoke of, including House Sun.
Animal skins and blankets of fur dotted various seating areas and beds, a central table before them with a few stools to sit around, Isshi taking the one closest to the fireplace at her back. It looked like a family home that could fit a family the size of their combined parties, yet, only Isshi seemed present.
"I let some villagers stay here," As if she could read Nagi's thoughts, he sat upright, feeling her deep red eyes solely on him as the winter spirit stretched with a long sigh, suffice to say, her clothing still hung loose, so Nagi kept his eyes to hers out of respect whilst Klein failed spectacularly. "But right now, we can speak privately, I'm sure you're all curious as to why Velk is causing this storm,"
"Isn't she corrupted by the Abyss?" Nagi questioned, yet, Isshi shook her head and finger. Now that left them stupefied.
"If not that, then what's with the aggressioN?" Argo inquired.
"You are correct, the blight has afflicted her, but she fights to rid herself of its affliction, but at a grave cost of causing this endless blizzard, her own power having gone rampant," Isshi sighed, hands cupped tightly on the table with a hard look. "Myself and her are similar in our creation. We have lived on this mountains for many centuries, even prior to the Great Separation, in a way, I see her as my sister, and I can feel her heart in the wind, she's enduring a great deal of pain I cannot rid myself, she cries and her wails strengthen this storm, it is what led to the downfall of House Winter,"
"Velkhana... destroyed our home?" Shirayuki took a great deal of pause, this new sinking in. "I... I recall some of our own, corrupted by the Abyss, they razed our home, I... those that remained were forced to flee,"
"Ah yes, but who do you think put out those fires?" Isshi hummed, relaxing her hands. "Velk was long-since tainted, but the day the Abyss nearly destroyed all Houses in thanks to Dusk's greed, that is what drove the splinter deep into her heart. As your home burned, soon, it drowned under the snowfall,"
"That's horrible," Silica frowned sadly, looking between Hotaru and Shirayuki. "I'm so sorry you had to lose your home,"
"No... you are quite alright," Shirayuki smiled sadly, shaking her head. "My home may be gone, but it's memories remain with me, that is all that matters,"
"..." Hotaru said nothing, her eyes vacant, staring at her hands.
Nagi wondered what was going through Hotaru's head, she acted differently than other NPCs, even more so than Shirayuki. This telling of House Winter's fall was to be hard on Shirayuki, it was her home, as made in her questline, but Hotaru was also a House Winter shinobi, and yet, she gave no sense of grief or remorse, there wasn't a hint of anger in her eyes. It was as if she didn't care at all.
"Question for ya, IsshI," Argo raised her hand. "Mind tellin' us about that shiny dome around this placE?"
Intrigued by her request, Isshi leaned forward with a smile. "What is it for, I wonder? What do you believe it exists to do?"
Not deterred by the question, the blonde folded her arms, one hand raised up to make a few gestures. "Soon as we stepped inside, the blizzard's kept out, even that nasty attack from the dragon couldn't bring it dowN. Obviously, it's a big ol' magic barrier, which is what's got my head scratchiN',"
"Yeah, magic doesn't exist in SA - in Aincrad anymore, right?" Klein pipped up, a few nodding in agreement.
"Yet, here you all are, able to pull weapons and powers with a mere flick of your fingers. Creatures like Velk and other mythical creatures can use magic left inside us, rituals can do much the same, so truly, magic does still exist but over time it has taken on new forms," Isshi smiled slyly, circling a part of the table with her index finger. "I can use magic through runes,"
"And that's how the barrier's up," Nagi nodded.
"Sadly," Isshi's smile wavered, brushing one of her long bangs away from her eyes. "With the strong growing stronger, the barrier grows weaker, if Velk isn't stopped, she will ultimately break through the barrier, that last attack you narrowly escaped has done a number on its strength already. Another attack like today could be the end of this humble little town, I cannot protect them on my own,"
"So the plan is simple, to weather this storm, we must defeat Velkhana," Evet concluded, hands cupped on the table, a silence followed, only the crackling and pop of embers filling the air.
Then, Daora slammed his fist into the table, shaking it. "Oi! That dragon's mine, if anyone's slaying it, it'll be me, flat face!"
"You would die before you could approach the beast," Evet countered evenly.
"Hah! I slayed the Great Wave of the 51st floor, this'll be easy-peasy!" Crossing his arms, Daora took a proud stand, one foot on the table, or until a strong gust of wind sent him flying onto the ground.
All eyes pinned to Isshi who hummed a lofty tune to herself, still circling the table with a finger. "Please don't stand on the table, you could lose your balance, didn't you know?"
Everyone made a mental note, don't stand on the furniture around Isshi.
"Idiot..." Mito rubbed her forehead, her fist holding her cheek. "Look, none of us can realistically beat it alone, our best bet is to find where it runs off to and corner it there,"
"Volcanic areas," Artorias spoke up, hands behind his head. "Velkhana inhabit the coldest places in the world, even their bodies circulate a sub-zero liquid throughout their bodies, meaning they need a way to warm up, so they graft a type of ore to their bodies which provides substantial heat, see?" Opening his inventory, he materialized a large chunk of iridescent crystal, tossing it across the table to Mito. "Find where it can make that stuff, you find Velkhana,"
"How very studious of you," Like a ghost, Isshi had appeared behind Artorias, her mere, icy presence making him shiver as a hand ran down his cheek. "I do like meeting mortals who care for strategy, always the cleaver ones...~"
"...nope, nope, nope," Artorias gulped, inching his stool away from the woman, his face crawling with boiling blood. "S-sorry to disappoint you, but I-I'm already committed, but truly, you are a beauty," He kept his sweet with a smile to boot, Isshi giggling as she slowly waltzed back to her seat.
"My apologizes, I always adore the reactions mortals make when I do that," Isshi lightened up, hands placed on the table. "You are correct, there is a place not far from House Winter's estate that leads to the veins of magma that run deep below the Western Peaks. I know the way,"
"I'm sensin' there's a catch therE?" Argo pointed out.
Isshi gave them a wicked smile. "Astute, but yes, I will only provide the way if you can prove to me you are worthy of my aid. A very simple task, nothing too difficult for warriors like you," Standing tall, Isshi regarded the two parties, snapping her fingers with a cute tilt of her head. "Fight me, and I'll show you the way, simple!"
|Jan. 30th 12:17|
Per the request of Isshi, if they wanted a guide through the warped peaks, they had to go through her. She led them to an open flatland out the back of her home, it was clearly meant for training. A fenced area with rough ground, training equipment inside a doorless shed as those not participating were to sit around, Isshi waiting patiently for their choice in combatants, which there could only be a maximum of three.
She continued to put on that carefree attitude, Nagi would accurately describe her personality like the wind, a free, spirited individual, even in this time of crisis, she retained an easy-going smile that never felt too forced nor hid her own concerns. She was an open and honest person, though, if you ask Nagi, she was a little too 'open' when it came to how she dressed, but he wasn't about to question a girl's fashion sense vocally.
"So then, who wants to fight?" Nagi asked, standing within the ring. Quickly, he pointed to Argo. "I know you prefer to study Isshi," Argo said nothing but gave a knowing smirk and wink, keeping several tabs opened.
"I'm in!" Daora threw himself over the fence, punching his open palm. "I still wanna fight after missing out on the Elder Dragon, we got this!" Encouraging, so Nagi nodded, looking amongst the others.
"I-I'm not great for frontlines, s-so I'll just watch," Silica smiled apologetically. "But Pina can heal you when it's over,"
"Skraww!" Pina chimed in, flapping its wings happily.
That got a sweet smile from Nagi, followed by a chuckle as he rubbed under the small drake's chin, watching it close its eyes, letting out a sound akin to purring. "Well, much appreciated, Pina," Looking to the rest, Nagi eyed Klein, Mito and Artorias. "What about either of you three?"
As if she had been lost in thought, Mito shook from her trance, peeling her eyes away from the iridescent crystal in her hand. "Oh, um, no thanks, there's... something I want to experiment with, but I'll need to grab more of these crystals from beyond the barrier," Her scarlet eyes brimmed with a curious idea. "I think I can make something to help us in the long run, but as I said, need more of this stuff,"
"I can help with that," Klein raised his hand, placing it on his hip. "Can't have anyone go out there alone as the storm is now. Hell, what kinda man does it make me letting a girl go off on her own too?"
"Mhm, then I suppose I'm in good hands," Mito didn't show it, but she was grateful for the extra pair of eyes.
"I won't stop you guys, just be careful if Velkhana comes back," Nagi knew they pushed the dragon back but there was no telling if she'd be stalking just beyond this protective shield. But he trusted Klein and Mito to handle themselves. "Artorias?"
"Uh... nah, you crack on, boss," To their surprise, Artorias hopped atop a barrel with a placid smile. "I'm right where I wanna be,"
"Then if you don't mind-" Cutting into the conversation, Hotaru placed a hand to her heart. "-would you allow me to join you for this battle? If we are to journey together briefly, I would like to gauge your combat abilities since we last met, and... to test myself," She turned her head back to Evet who kept his arms folded, eyeing her.
"You don't need my approval, I trust you," He sounded sincere, even behind that deep voice of his.
A small smile broke across the girl's face before falling back into the cold, neutral frown of hers. "Okay," In turning, she caught Shirayuki's own silent stare, a strange tension slowly accumulating in the air that was obvious to the others, but Hotaru turned away before it could be allowed to linger.
"Let's do our best then, Hotaru," Offering a hand, the ravenette gripped his forearm as she was pulled over the fence to land beside the water shinobi. Now, they all drew their weapons on Isshi, the woman stretching out a long sigh as she limbered up.
"It's been so long since I've had a good fight, everyone else always avoids the topic with me, which is a bummer; mortals should treasure such thrilling experiences in their short lives, but that's just the centuries talking, I suppose," Isshi kept up her airy and teasing tone, but there was no doubting the strength behind those deep, red eyes. Like Velkhana, the wrath of winter could be felt staring too long into Isshi's razor-sharp gaze.
With a burst of light, three weapons appeared on her body, much to the surprise of the trio. To her left hip, a decorative, blue katana, the patterns of frost and snow adoring both the grip and scabbard. Poking out from her back were weapons with similar colour schemes. A polearm with a large, one-edged blade that curved towards the tip, a beautiful, ultramarine blue fabric tied below the blade, billowing in a gentle breeze. And lastly, a longbow with two ribbons made from the same fabric, tied to either end of the weapon.
"Katana, bow, and..." Nagi didn't know the polearm's name.
"Naginata, similar to a spear, so that's likely the sword skills she'll use," Hotaru answered for him, again, his brow rose slightly. 'Sword Skills', Hotaru even referred to their moves by their game I.D? More and more questions of the young shinobi's intelligence continued to fascinate Nagi, but he forced the subject aside, they had a battle to win.
Hotaru's name and health appeared under Daora's, showing that she was already level 80, placing her three about the boys. Across from them, Isshi grabbed her naginata, sweeping the air around her slowly so the tip of the blade could hover just above the ground, her own name received an update, a health bar and indicating her level.
/Isshi - Lv. 78\
"Do your best everyone!" Isshi waved to them.
Steadying himself, Nagi had a plan to at least put pressure on Isshi. "Okay, me and Hotaru should try to pincer her, leaving her open for Daora to-" One look to his left, and Daora had already charged off into battle, leaving the teen to slump a little. "I... should've expected that, if I'm honest,"
"I suppose a meat shield is what's best for his role," Hotaru commented, twirling her rapier. "Let's use this to our advantage,"
"Right there with you," Nagi took off sprinting alongside her.
Isshi watched as dark blue light flooded across Daora's axe, the man brought Destroyer across the ground, tearing it forward into a rising slant. Twirling her polearm, Isshi shielded herself from the slash that quickly spun over Daora's head, but her naginata turned slightly, diverting the blow away from her head, the dragon boy using the momentum to lean into the final swing from above, but his skill cut out as the butt of the naginata slammed into his abdomen, sending Daora stumbling backward.
"Hm, you're quite forceful~" Isshi cooed, her weapon spun into a pirouette that blurred the blade, leaving Daora to raise his ax as several gashes tore into his shoulders and stomach, a thrust forcing him backward to avoid the stab.
Not to be outdone, Daora redoubled his efforts, gripping Destroyer cast in violet this time. "Die!" He hollered, exhaling through the snout of his mask as he brought the full weight of himself and the ax through the ground. "Grand Destruction!" The hot blast of hair sent dirt and snow flying.
His muscles tensed, feeling the ice-cold blade glide across his stomach, lacerating from the stomach to his left side, and to his surprised gasp, he had been inflicted with Iceblight. With Daora slowed, Isshi's eyes flickered to either side of her, a raging riptide to her right, and a radiant, golden rapier to the left.
Flashing forward like a shooting star, Hotaru plunged her rapier towards the winter spirit, unleashing a flurry of four blows, yet, each struck air or the staff of the naginata, even Quadruple Pain couldn't land a solid blow as the shinobi gasped, barely throwing herself back in time to evade the sweeping blade that arced wide and let out a metallic clang when it struck and sent even Nagi's Ripple Thrust straight into the earth at their feet, pinning NightSky.
"A pincer attack, very cleaver, ganging up on little ol' me~" Isshi's tone was seductive, but her face grew with untold thrill, her heart must've been pounding, the face Nagi stared into was the look of a woman who had a heart for battle. Despite his position, Nagi twisted NightSky, a splash of water roaring from below as the skill momentum wrenched it free, slashing the open air with Rising Tide.
Skipping back, Isshi swung her polearm over her shoulder, ducking under an Oblique from Hotaru, burying her knee in the ravenette's stomach before performing a sudden handstand to wrap her legs around Hotaru, flinging her into Daora who just shook off the debuff. When both stumbled, Isshi lunged, hand clasped to her katana as it raced forward only for her to come to a sudden halt, her blade locked with Nagi's.
"That was fast, you reacted without an ounce of hesitation," Isshi commented as though she was studying them herself.
"Of course I would, they're my teammates!" He forced her back in time for both an ax and rapier to thrust forward, silver and pink light erupting from both weapons. Each of Hotaru's rapid strikes weaved with Daora's heavy sweeps as he spun three times, the third cleave ringing against Isshi's katana as she parried each of Hotaru's thrusts, Over Radiation only managing to nick the tops of the woman's shoulders.
Yet, it was the sloshing of waves that put Isshi on edge, her gaze fell over her shoulder, having leapt to avoid Hotaru's skill, leaving her back wide open to Nagi who swept forward with a surge of speed. Isshi inverted her grip on the katana, catching the edge of Iai at the last second, but it still cut into her back slightly, pushing the woman towards Daora's Whirlwind.
Righting herself, the woman felt her heels dig into the earth, throwing herself back to shove her hands against Nagi's shoulder and head, leaping away as a gust of wind blew past her cheeks, her hair flung behind her mid-air. Smiling wide, her katana was sheathed, and three arrows quickly struck the trio, the winter spirit already nocking three more in rapid succession.
"Dammit, she's far too quick on her feet!" Hotaru cursed, swatting the arrows away with a flick of her rapier.
"But she can't dodge while in mid-air," Nagi noted, it was the only time he landed a solid hit on Isshi, keeping NightSky poised to deflect the pelting arrows. "Daora, time to go all out,"
His head turned, the gears grinding in his head at what Nagi was insinuating. From that, a deep chuckle left his limps, slamming Destroyer into the ground as he slammed both knuckles together. "Finally! Hahahahaha!" In his hysterics, crimson flames erupted over his fists, crawling over both forearms to ward off any and all cold in the air with ferocious flames. "Barbarous!"
"What?" Both Isshi and Hotaru posed the same question, but by then, their answer came barrelling towards the winter spirit who's smile fell slightly. She loosed arrows in rapid succession, yet, even as they dug into Daora's exposed torso, he continued to charge with reckless abandon, he barely even flinched.
For once, they had Isshi on the ropes. Daora swung with wide rights and lefts, interchanging his attacks like a boxer would, arms tucked in close, jabbing and strafing his hits that struck the naginata drawn on reflex. Each left Isshi without a way to counter, the man's blazing fists rang like steel on steel. He slammed the ground, a shockwave causing her to stumble, her ears twitching at the sound of running water.
Pivoting right, Isshi swung low, but Nagi leapt over the blow, drawing his sword down hard and faster like a waterfall, grinding down the polearm, leaving Isshi to swivel again and catch the tip of a crimson-tinged rapier, turning it like a clock hand to block Diagonal Sting's lower thrust, swinging down sharply to catch Hotaru's shoulder, the girl forced to a knee before a fist grabbed the woman by the hair, dragging her towards Daora's right fist.
Kicking her feet up, Nagi felt both slam into his chest and face like steel clubs, the geta digging into his skin when she kicked back, her body vaulting over Daora's, her own blue hair blinding the dragon slayer who swung his free hand in a daze, leaving him wide open to the woman's polearm as it plunged through the teen's back, hoisting him into the air for her to plant her feet firmly, swinging him around to fling through the fence across from them, leaving Daora flat on his back, rasping as the last embers of Barbarous extinguished.
"Daora - ack!" Grunting, Nagi held his katana high, blocking the tremendous, downward slam, a thrust grinding against NightSky before a blast of air threw them back, his heels dug in to brace the strain on his arms as he landed on his back. "She hasn't used a single sword skill, but she attacks like her weapons are twice as heavy and as sharp as any skill," One quick glance overhead only made the pit widen in his body, "Her health hasn't even gone down by 5%..."
Yet, Isshi continued to grin, giggling a bit. "I'll admit, that actually had me tense for a moment there, I've never seen such a power before, such raw strength is spectacular!" She sounded elated by this.
"Hey there, boss," Looking back, Nagi caught sight of a pair of light blue eyes, and the small smirk resting on Artorias's face. "How ya doing?"
"Pain, lots of pain," Nagi wheezed, sitting upright to see Hotaru was in Isshi's sights, even as her rapier flashed in front of her, each of her attacks clinked and scraped by the woman's curvy form, if Nagi didn't know any better, it was as if Isshi was dancing. How her hands guided her katana, the way she performed pirouettes and flourished her blade with gentle, striking blows.
It was elegant, just like Velkhana.
"Want a little tip?" Artorias offered, even grabbing Argo's gaze for a split second as she typed paragraphs down. With a sly grin, Artorias whispered. "This is a type of event I dislike in gaming. It's rigged, you ain't winning this,"
No sooner did the words sink in did Nagi's expression jerk with obvious shock, "W-what?" A rigged battle? He turned again, staring at how hrd Hotaru was trying, fending off Isshi's attacks with nail-biting results. If they lost, then how could they advance without Isshi? Or... did they not need her, so then why suggest this battle at all?
"'What's the poinT?', 'Where's this lead us if there's no straight shot to victorY?'," Argo echoed his thoughts, looking past her information screens with a grin that made her whiskers twitch with unbound curiosity. "Well, Hero, what's yer answer to a problem ya can't beaT?"
Looking back, Nagi raised his midnight blade, catching the unseen light of day against its face. This wasn't a fight they could win, without Isshi, they'd have to rely on Shirayuki as their guide, but even she would struggle with how this blizzard's warped the landscape, not to mention Velkhana owned these peaks as her hunting grounds. Obviously, there was only one answer Nagi had.
"Switch!" Hotaru's ears twitched as she swung high, sending Isshi's katana skyward, the bluette diving back in time to avoid the twin spinning slashes, the water swept in a halo around Nagi who came to her aid. "Switch," He added in a low tone, eyes narrowed back at the spirit.
Her breath hitched, turning on a heel to hold her katana high, blocking the heavy strike of Destroyer, putting some air between the two parties. Daora twirled his ax, he and Nagi standing to guard Hotaru as she caught her breath, leaning against her rapier plunged into the ground. "Th-thank you," She breathed, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Nagi stared at Isshi, her right hand reaching for her polearm. This was his chance. "I know we can't beat you, that was never what you intended," His rising voice gave her pause, considering the raven-brunette who continued to stand his ground. "But I came here to help Shirayuki, to put an end to this blizzard that threatens to turn this whole floor into a dangerous landscape for hundreds of others. So even without your help, we'll do this our way!"
"Hm..." With a powerful gust of wind that nearly took their breaths away, Nagi held NightSky upright at the last second, feeling her polearm grind against its edge, their postures tense, weapons brittle and trembling for dominance. Daora and Hotaru each ready to poise their weapons, but a gentle smile curled at the winter spirit's lips.
"Well done, Nagi the Shinobi," Drawing her weapon away, her health bar and level disappeared, swinging her weapon over her back as all three vanished with the wind. "Congrats, you passed,"
"Huh?" Daora visibly jerked as if someone just slapped him.
"I... don't understand," Hotaru was equally confused, pulling her bandana down to speak. "We could barely land a deciding blow on you,"
"That's true, but didn't I say to prove you're worthy? What does that have to do with winning a battle, hm?" She hummed, wagging a finger. "Despite realizing it was futile, not one of you gave up, you were driven to find a way forward through an impossibility. That is what I've come to admire of mortals," In her eyes, a wonder and love filled their crimson hue. "Their souls are such insurmountable things,"
Quest Updated!
-Path of Divine Sakura - Winter's Tide-
A great blizzard continues to grow from the Western Peaks. Isshi, the guardian of one of the remaining villages on the mountains may know a way to end this storm before it consumes the lands beyond...
*Speak with Isshi [X]
*Battle Isshi [X]
*Locate Verglas Velkhana's Lair [ ]
Floor 55 Village of Western Peaks | Reward N/A
A sigh of relief fell over Nagi, slowly putting NightSky away as Daora crossed his arms, tapping his foot rapidly. "That's twice I've been robbed of a good fight, this Velkhana better be even stronger than the Great Wave!"
"Hehehe, I can assure you, that old water serpent cannot compare to Velk," Isshi offered, patting his mask's cheek. "Someone as strong as you certainly has a chance~"
"Ahahaha, hear that!? Now you're making sense!" Throwing his fists high, again, Daora's lust for battle was quelled for another day, Nagi mouthing a thanks as the spirit winked.
"I'm sure all of you wish to pursue Velk now but as I overheard, one of you wishes to make her own preparations, so I suggest spending the day here first to prepare yourselves," Isshi offered, running a hand through her icy-blue hair. "The barrier will hold, I can assure you, I have my own plans to work through, there's a lot a spirit like me has to see to before departing her home,"
"If we are to confront Velkhana, added measures against the Severe Iceblight is essential," Evet noted, rubbing his chin. "Your comrade, Mito, what does he plan to do with those crystals?"
"She can create accessories, so my guess is something to combat the cold," Artorias answered, stretching as he hopped off the barrel. "I'm gonna scout around, see what I can buy here,"
"Wanna help me out with any side quests we can dig uP?" Argo suggested to Nagi, closing her menus. "Ain't like we got much else to do other than twiddlin' our thumbS," She wiggled said thumbs for emphasis.
"Sure, I can imagine with this storm people would be requesting certain things," Nagi nodded, hopping the fence as his eyes fell to his far left, where Shirayuki came to greet Hotaru.
The taller shinobi smiled proudly at the young girl. "You fought well, your strength has grown considerably since we last met,"
Hotaru looked the other way, her arms hugged close to her chest. "Obviously, I have to be strong to support Evet, the people we face aren't known to take it easy on their victims, I'm simply applying my training," She steadily walked by Shirayuki, but not without the whitette adding onto her compliments.
"I'm proud of you, Hotaru, truly," That had her feet grind to a halt, and the observant ones saw how her body tensed, as if she was trying to swallow something heavy, even her lips trembled for a word, pressing them into a thin line.
"...sure," And she quickened her pace, but it didn't go unnoticed by Shirayuki, passing a look to Evet without so much as a word. He nodded once and left the scene.
"That was..." Artorias trailed slowly.
"Tense," Nagi finished.
"Sure seems there's a lot more to that story than we've seen to datE," Argo bit her cheek, something was clearly off about Hotaru, enough that her instincts were screaming for her to act on them. But if she ran headfirst she'll only have herself to blame for missing her chance, slow and steady.
"Here," After a short jog away from Daora, Silica had approached them, having missed that whole interaction. She smiled and nudged her shoulder where Pina sat. "Okay, Pina, Heal,"
"Skraww!" Flying up to Nagi, a veil of light blue stars trickled across his entire body, sealing up the glowing wounds and restoring his HP to full. He stuck his arm out, allowing the drake to perch itself, accepting the raven-brunette's chin scratch.
"Thank you, Pina, although Hotaru just left that way," He pointed to the girl in black a fair distance away.
"Oh! I-I'll go to her now!" Silica gasped, quickly running after Hotaru as Pina flew to land on her head.
"Sure lives up to the rep I hear about heR," Argo chuckled a bit. Silica was quite the endearing young girl, even thrown into this dangerous questline she helped however she could.
"Guess we better follow her example or we'll look bad," Nagi quipped jokingly. There were a lot of questions, about Hotaru and her relationship with Shirayuki, about Evet and his purpose here, but nothing was ever a straight-forward answer. So Nagi would bide his time, it was all anyone could do now.
|Jan. 30th 18:35|
The skies were already darkened by the blizzard, but now, nightfall added to the harrowing landscape beyond the village barrier. Lanterns warmed up the streets with their orange tinge. Small bonfires settled into open spaces for NPCs to gather less they venture to the tavern or home. If you ignored the storm, this place was cosy in its little corner of the Western Peaks.
Returning from a simple mining quest beneath the village, Nagi and Argo had a good haul of ores as a reward, it was then they saw, by one of the bonfires by the river, Hotaru was speaking with Evet, no one else lingering around the fire. Without a word, the couple gave each other a look and quickly made themselves scarce, hiding behind a line of carts meant to help move ores and material out from the mine entrance. The air was quiet, only the crackling flames and the gentle, running stream filling the air.
"-longer you avoid the topic, the worse the strain will become," Evet spoke in the same, neutral tone as before, never taking his eyes off the fire. He was calm, relaxed, practically a statue say for any small movements he made.
The same couldn't be said for Hotaru. She paced in front of him, her eyes were darting everywhere, her hands tight against her biceps. "I know! I know that, okay!?" She raised her voice, stopping when Evet raised his head slightly, that only made her head fall lower. "How... how can I confront her when she's... blind to all of... this!?" Her right arm swung out like a door, gesturing to the world around them. "Even that aside, there's nothing left in the estate for her to look for. Why... what's the point of going back there?"
"Sentimentality, to her, she lost a second home, the people she had sworn to protect, even the legend that once safeguarded these mountains was turned against its own. She wishes to see her past and confront it, like you, she is fighting her own battle," Evet spoke evenly, he didn't counter Hotaru's points but provided a new angle to view them from. "You claim it to be pointless, but you know you cannot deny it yourself,"
"I hate it... all my memories of that House, I don't want any part of it," Hotaru's voice quaked, like she was burdened by the past implanted on her as the NPC she was made to be. "How much of who I am is even real...?"
Now that had Argo's eyes widen alongside Nagi's. What did that mean? Was Hotaru self aware about who she actually was? If that was so, then was she distraught over how Shirayuki behaves in accordance with her questline? A floodgate of possibilities and assumptions poured in, but now wasn't the time for speculation, both knew this and continued to listen. One thing was certain, Hotaru was hurting from it all.
"I..." Evet began but Hotaru turned to him, shaking her head.
"No, don't blame yourself... I'm glad I know, I am, even if it frustrates me more than anything at times, I don't regret knowing," Her hand fell from her heart, giving him a soft smile. "I don't want to regret meeting you,"
What came next left them speechless, more than they already were. Hotaru crouched down so the two were level with one another, and with the bonfire casting sharp, flickering shadows over them, Hotaru leaned in, their faces masked by darkness for only a brief lapse in time. She leaned away, his hand coming to rest on her left cheek, and her eyes closed to lean into it.
If they duo had questions before, they paled in comparison to what they just witnessed. "Evet..." Nagi felt he had a good understanding of the man. He killed PKers without question, he was adamant about protecting others yet refused to work with the frontrunners in clearing the floors. But now? What he just witnessed left more questions to who Evet was, and what he was fighting for.
Pulling away, Hotaru raised her hand to his. "House Winter has what you need, I promise I'll find it, just be careful, you thick-headed idiot,"
"That seems harsh given how kind I've been tonight," He retorted back, his tone lighter, there was more life in his voice than ever before.
Hotaru giggled, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine, I concede, my apologizes," Standing tall again, she made her way around him. "I'll... think about it, hmph, Shirayuki isn't the type to go down easily so I'm not worried she'll die before then,"
"I can imagine, you still hold her in high regard," Evet nodded. "Goodnight,"
"Mhm, night," She answered softly, leaving down the dirt path that led to the stairwell out of the farms.
A message appeared from Argo, the blonde waving an arm towards Evet, a face that screamed 'Answers!'. 'What do we do now? Hell, what was all that about!?' It read, Nagi shrugged, at a loss for words but they had to walk by Evet to leave the farm. Waving his hand, he gestured for them to double back to the mine and act as though they've just came back, hopefully, it would be enough to fool Evet. Emphasis on 'hopefully'.
Putting on brave faces, the young couple marched down the path, Evet's head turning so his piercing gaze could meet them, he seemed more relaxed now than before, both could definitely understand why. "So you've returned, how was your quest?" He asked politely.
"Uh, fine... got new materials..." Nagi managed, rubbing his nape.
"Come on, ought to call it a night, got a bunch to discuss while we caN," Argo, the professional she was, kept it clear and cut, tapping Nagi's side to get him marching alongside her.
Yet nothing was ever that clean cut. Nagi stopped, turning slightly to view Evet's back, the roaring flames heating up his face. "Evet... what exactly are you fighting for in SAO? You're strong, you have a weapon type no one else has, but you're against the Frontrunners,"
He was silent, Nagi suspected he didn't wish to answer at all, or, until those eyes met his again. "Simple. To protect this world," A straight answer with deeper meaning neither would be likely to pull from his lips, not without adding suspicion to them. "I aid you in your quest because it in turn will save this floor from the blizzard, nothing more, I have no reasons to kill you because you wish to protect others,"
"Didn't stop ya from tyin' to cull him back when ya first meT," Argo couldn't bite her tongue, that part of Evet still stuck out to her like a sore bud and she felt now might be a good time to nip it.
Evet regarded her a moment, almost... apologetically, bowing his head slightly. "I had heard orange players were using the catacombs as a meeting ground, I only fought under the caution that you were an orange player masquerading as a green player, some having infiltrated the larger guilds back then. For that mistake, you have my apologizes,"
"Um... I guess it doesn't really matter now," It had been a very long time, but again, more to Evet became a mystery. So Nagi did what he did best, and gave a supportive grin. "For what it's worth, thank you for helping us, even if indirectly. You and Hotaru are pretty strong on your own,"
"...yes, she is," He said that lightly, nodding once. "Have a good night, we shall confront this storm tomorrow,"
"Sure, night," Giving a curt wave, the pair finally took their leave.
Their walk was deathly silent, each had so much to consider just now, a literal can of worms had been opened, Pandora's Box left wide open. Reaching a place with few people around, they stopped under a street lantern, Argo turned with her arms crossed, leaning against the post to hold her upright.
"Nagi..." She breathed, shaking her head like it was made of lead.
"I know, I... Evet and Hotaru..." His nose was never wrong, how she spoke so fondly to Evet, just the look in their eyes painted the picture in bold. Worst yet was the revelation that laid at the top of Aincrad itself. If they beat this game, Hotaru would disappear, and she was clearly aware of what SAO was, how did that make her feel? The people around her were to die and be none the wiser, the players fighting to clear the game as she could do nothing to stop them.
"It ain't like I don't get how they'd feel, but that won't stop what we have to do, ya know that, righT?" Argo kept a straight face, even if her own heart twisted at what was implied.
"But if so, Evet let her grow this close to him, he willing accepts her despite what she is," Nagi brought up softly, sitting against a cobblestone wall next to Argo, feeling his legs give out for the moment. "He has to know what will happen, so why?"
"I think we can agree love's not so easy to understanD," Argo whispered, her head tilted to the dark sky through the shimmering veil that flickered briefly, allowing a thin layer of snowfall through, descending around them gently. She sat down beside him, leaning her head against his shoulder for some comfort as her head wrestled the information at hand. "One step at a time's all we got, HerO..."
"Yeah, I know," His head gently leaned atop hers, a bittersweetness lingering in the air...
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
What a chapter of events, and that ending, oh yeah, that was planned from the start, it'll be quite the impact later on in this arc, trust me. As the questions and mysteries present themselves, we will venture forth into the heart of the blizzard next time. So I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next chapter, Misfits!
076 - Shadows of Our Past
Upon a new day, Nagi's and Evet's parties set out to locate and defeat Verglas Velkhana, but the further they travel the harsher this storm will become...