The Black Blades
Chapter 4–Forging the Black Blades
(x)
The Next Day…
Aoki opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He checked the clock on his HUD, and felt satisfaction upon seeing that he woke up at precisely 6 a.m. He looked over to the bed next to him and was surprised to see that it was empty—he and Sora were sharing a room, and he ALWAYS woke up before Sora. Thinking that his friend decided to grab the early worm for once, Aoki got out of his bed and equipped his normal gear, making sure to put his pajamas in his inventory.
He walked out of the room and went downstairs to the almost-empty tavern, where he was surprised to see Alpha waiting for him—because she was facing the tavern keeper, he could barely make out an almost nervous look on her face. "Morning," Aoki greeted her casually as he gave a nod and a smile to the tavern keeper, who nodded in return.
Alpha startled a bit before turning to face Aoki with a nervous smile. "Hey," she responded, trying to sound casual like he was. Her expression quickly turned to confusion, however, when she saw that he was alone. "Sora's not with you?"
"I thought he was with you," Aoki responded.
"Should we go find him?" Alpha asked as she slowly got up, but stopped when Aoki motioned for her to sit down.
"Nah, he's not a kid. He'll be back," Aoki said confidently. "You buying yourself breakfast using your share of the bounty?" he asked while taking the seat next to her.
"Y-yeah. But I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now," Alpha replied, perusing the innkeeper's menu.
"4,000 col can get you a lot of things," the innkeeper stated, leaning over the counter with a friendly smile.
"That's true, especially this early in the game," Aoki followed up, a menu open in front of him as well. "Oh yeah, boss," he called for the innkeeper's attention, "lemme get the basic breakfast set with scrambled eggs, butter-toasted bread and both sausage and bacon, and a medium latte, extra sweet."
"Coming right up, my friend. What of your companion?" the innkeeper asked, putting on his gloves in preparation to cook.
"The same thing, but with sunny-side up eggs and bacon, and give him a medium coffee, black."
"Gotcha. And what about you, Alpha?"
"Oh! Uhh, just give me the same thing as Aoki, but with sausages."
"Sure thing. It'll be 700 col apiece, plus an extra 350 for the drinks."
"We'll pay separately," Aoki said as both he and Alpha proceeded to pay the innkeeper their shares of the bill. "Sora will pay when he gets back."
As if on cue, the doors to the tavern opened and drew both Aoki and Alpha's gazes to it. "Oh good, you're both awake," Sora said as he approached them from the door. "I need to talk to you guys."
"What about? Does this have to do with you being up and at 'em so early?" Aoki asked.
"Yeah, actually. You guys mind if we go upstairs?"
"Before you say anything," the innkeeper interrupted, catching Sora's attention, "your friends just ordered breakfast, yours included. 1050, by the way."
"Oh, sure," Sora replied, opening his menu and paying for his meal. "It can wait until after we eat," he continued, taking the other seat next to Alpha.
"When you lot do get down to whatever business you apparently have, you might wanna let Alpha talk first. Poor girl's been waiting to ask you guys something."
"Boss!" Alpha said frantically, with her tone telling him to remain quiet. She turned back to the boys in the party. "He's right, though. I do want to talk to you guys about something."
"We'll talk in my and Sora's room, then. AFTER we eat," Aoki said as their meals were set out in front of them. All three players put their hands together and said, "Thanks for the meal," before eagerly digging in.
(x)
Sora opened the door to the room he and Aoki were sharing, stepping aside to let his friends in. After making sure the door was closed behind them, Sora turned to the other two and motioned for Alpha to speak. "Ladies first," he said half-jokingly.
Alpha took the cue and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she inhaled and opening them again as she exhaled. She faced the two boys in front of her and said, "When we first met, I was pretty rude to you guys. I wanted to apologize for that."
"Water under the bridge," Aoki said as he waved his hand, seemingly dismissing the need for Alpha to apologize.
"There's more." Aoki put his hand back down and crossed his arms, listening more intently. "From the start of the game a few months ago, a few players always saw me as someone that needed protecting, and wouldn't let me do anything to get better at the game. I broke ties with them, but they're the main reason why my first instinct is to be rude." She fidgeted in place for a bit, looking incredibly anxious before Sora placed his hand on her shoulder as an attempt to calm her down. It seemed to work, because she looked at Sora and smiled, before stepping back and looking at them both again. "I want to join you guys. For good, I mean. I-If you want me, that is…" she trailed off as she looked down at the floor sheepishly.
Aoki looked over at Sora, who responded to his gaze by pointing at himself, as if to say "My turn." Aoki said nothing in response, which Sora took as a sign to talk, saying, "Well you just changed this bribe into a gift, partner," as he opened his inventory and took out a weapon set—a jet-black pair of gauntlets with a singular dagger-length blade protruding from the top of each gauntlet.
Alpha looked up and saw the gauntlets that Sora extended to her, her eyes widening in shock. "New weapons? For me?" she asked, still in shock as she took and equipped the gauntlets, the flavor text revealing the name of the set to her as Umbral Gaze.
"For all of us, actually." Sora took out a claymore with a jet-black blade. When he held it, it dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Before he could drag the claymore over to Aoki with both hands, he had already walked over to Sora and took the claymore from him with one hand, the flavor text showing up as he grabbed it and revealing the name as Blackout. "Show off," Sora muttered under his breath as Aoki equipped it, seemingly ignoring what Sora said. He drew his own sword to show off the new black sword he had created, the flavor text of the sword revealing the name Kuro.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what's the occasion?" Aoki asked as he sheathed his new claymore. "And when the hell did you find the time to do this?"
"Well…" Sora began, directing his gaze to the other two.
(x)
An hour earlier…
Washing his face at the sink in their shared room to fight off the rest of the sleepiness still plaguing him, Sora turned back to make sure Aoki was still asleep—which he was—and walked out of the room. After walking down the stairs and offering a quick hello and plea of silence to the innkeeper, who was more than happy to oblige, Sora walked out of the inn and proceeded to jog towards the commercial district of the town. On his way to his destination, he glanced at the time on his HUD—5:32 AM. Wondering how Aoki was able to wake up at 6 consistently but choosing not to dwell on it, Sora kept up his pace until he reached the new blacksmith that Agil had told him about last night. 5:30's when she opens, the message from Agil to Sora read. He cautiously walked over to the door of the shop—Lisbeth's Forge, it was named—and knocked on the door.
"In a second!" Sora heard a chipper, yet slightly tired voice call out from inside. Very soon after, the door to the forge opened, and Sora was met with a brown-haired girl with brown eyes that was dressed in a simple beginner's outfit and armor but wearing an apron and somewhat heavy-looking gloves. "A customer? THIS early?" she asked the player in front of her incredulously.
"Agil says you're the best around. Then again, you're also the ONLY blacksmith around," Sora said half-jokingly.
"Ha ha," she replied sarcastically. "And since I'm the ONLY blacksmith around, I get to ask that you have your own ore on hand."
"Luckily, I do," Sora replied as he opened his team's inventory and took out 3 of 4 Greater Wyvern Talons they had obtained as drops from the Greater Wyvern they fought the day before. "At least, I have the base material to make ore from."
Lisbeth's eyes widened in shock and a bit of glee as she took the materials from Sora's hands. "How did you get these?!" she asked in a hushed tone. Before Sora could answer, she looked left, then right, then stepped into her shop and motioned for Sora to follow her.
Sora obliged, walking into the shop and seeing the various weapons Lisbeth had put out on display—intermediate level weapons, made using a combination of the best and the most common materials. "Nice weapons," he complimented her earnestly as he took a weapon off the display case and swung it a bit to see how it felt in his hands.
"Those aren't why you're here," she waved off his compliment. A bit dejected, Sora placed the sword back where he got it from and walked over to the countertop where Lisbeth was waiting for him with the Talons she had taken from him. "Bit late for introductions, but I'm Lisbeth. You can call me Liz for short."
"Sora," he said as he politely put out his hand for a handshake. After Liz obliged him with a handshake, he pointed at the Talons and said, "As for how I got these, my party and I took out a Greater Wyvern the other day."
"What's a Greater Wyvern?" Liz asked, tilting her head.
"I probably shouldn't say, not until we know more about them." Liz opted not to ask for more details. "Anyway, can you make a pair of gauntlets, a claymore, and a one-handed sword with these? They're for me and my party," Sora clarified when Liz gave him a questioning look at the different weapon types he was asking for. "I can provide any other materials and the Col you'll need."
"Nah, no other materials are needed. Looks like I can treat this as a normal Wyvern Talon, so no schematics either. As for the col…" Liz put her hands on the countertop and looked Sora right in the eyes, making the male player shift a bit uncomfortably. "I'll waive it this time, BUT any other smithing jobs you'll need done, you come to me only. I'll charge you for those, though."
"That's it?" Sora asked, a bit confused. "Why that?"
"It doesn't take a genius blacksmith to figure out you can get your hands on some pretty rare materials. Any of those you happen upon, bring it and sell it to me only, and I can work with those materials for weapons and armor for you—discounted, of course. You get equipment, I get business."
"Crafty. Okay then," Sora held his hand out for a handshake to seal the deal, "I can't speak for my party, but I know I'LL come to you for business. And if you need a hand to get your shop opened up on higher floors, let me know."
"Deal," Liz said simply as she shook his hand. "I'll have these weapons done soon."
(x)
"Look at you," Aoki said, crossing his arms and nodding approvingly. "Maybe I oughta let you handle our transactions from now on."
"I figured we could use these," Sora continued without acknowledging Aoki's commentary, "as a sort of bribe to keep you with us, but since that's no longer necessary, then it's more to commemorate our new team and your inclusion in it." While Sora was talking, Alpha took to equipping the new gauntlets she had received, admiring the glow of the light reflected off of the jet-black metal.
"Ooh, these feel nice," Alpha said as she admired the weapons.
"They look good on you," Aoki affirmed, casually leaning on his new sword. "So now that we're officially ride or die, we have to have a team now."
"Absolutely," Sora agreed readily. "But what?"
"Dude, the answer's right in front of you. What did you bring us?"
"A bunch of weapons with black—ohhhh, I see now."
"Exactly. From this point on," Aoki said while walking to the center of the room, grabbing both of his party members and pulling them close by slinging his arms around their shoulders, "everyone's gonna sing songs and tell stories of The Black Blades!" The other two raised their voices in cheer, pumping their fists to the air.
"That was a great moment, but I have to ask—if we got new weapons, does that mean we'll be getting new clothes?" Alpha asked as Aoki let the two of them go.
"Beats me," Sora shrugged. "I thought the hard part would be getting you on board."
"Besides, we've been rocking these clothes since Floor 1," Aoki remarked.
Alpha stared at the two with a horrified look on her face. "You guys haven't changed your look from the start of the game?!" she asked with a tone that matched her expression.
"It bothers you that much?" Sora asked innocently.
"Guys have as much right to look good as girls do, you know. Plus, I don't want to be seen on the later floors with guys who think the starting gear looks fine. Give me a second." Alpha opened her messages tab and sent a message to someone that Sora and Alpha couldn't see. Not even a second passed and she got a response, at which she looked relieved. She closed her menu after sending another message and looked at the two boys. "Lucky for you, this tailor I know opened up a shop on the next floor. He coordinated my outfit, so you guys can trust his tastes. Plus, I'm sure he'll have a field day with you two."
"Well I guess that sets our first objective as a team," Aoki responded. "Find this tailor and get some new clothes."
"I'll lead the way. Let's go," Alpha said as she walked to the door and out of the room, not giving the other two any chance to object. Sora and Aoki looked at each other and shrugged before following her.
(x)
Floor 3, Outskirts…
After the newly-formed Black Blades had said their goodbyes to the residents of the town (with Aoki promising to visit every now and then), the trio set out to get to the next floor and find Alpha's tailor friend. With her leading the party, Sora occupying the middle space and Aoki in the back as their lookout, they walked a good way to the center of the floor.
"How much further to the tower?" Sora asked, looking down and picking some berries.
"From my guess, about a few hundred more meters," Alpha replied, stopping and opening her map to check. While they were taking a quick rest, Aoki opened his menu to kill his boredom.
"Let's see…" Aoki began browsing before settling on a specific tab, going through its contents and whistling in amazement. "Damn, they're already on floor 5? The front-liners are more efficient than I expected."
"How'd you get that info?" Sora asked, looking at what Aoki had open. He raised a brow when he saw Aoki's menu on the notices page. "The in-game notice page actually displays the overall progress?"
"Yep, and in real-time too," Aoki replied before closing the menu. "Well, we're on the right track to the boss tower."
"Yeah, uh…" Sora said, looking up at the massive tower in the horizon, "I figured as much."
"Man, shut up!" Aoki grabbed Sora and forced him into a headlock, giving him an aggressive noogie while the younger of the two cried out in protest. The sight of the duo made Alpha smile, causing her to cover her mouth while giggling before busting out into laughter. Her sudden outburst caused Aoki and Sora to look at her before smiling, with the latter taking the opportunity to break away from his friend's grip.
"Come on, boys," she said while wiping away a tear, "the sooner we go, the better."
"Yes, ma'am," the pair said while smiling. The trio, with their spirits lifted, continued their trek to the boss floor.
(x)
Floor 3, Boss Tower…
Evening…
"We made it!" Alpha and Sora cheered while Aoki absentmindedly raised a hand in the air, going through the loot they obtained from killing the monsters that respawned in the dungeon. A few dozen Dire Wolf Fangs, about half as many of the rarer Wolf Claws, and a few Monster Hearts. He stored the items right as Alpha said, "Heads up!" and he caught a potion bottle that was beamed his way while looking up.
After uncorking the bottle, he casually took a sip while poring over the details of the potion. Red Berry (x1), Bitter Herb (x3) and…Sugarcane? Must be why it tastes sweeter than usual. Before Aoki knew it, the bottle had been drained and his HP had been restored considerably. He put the submenu away, bookmarking it for further reading before catching up with his younger companions. "Needed that drink, thanks. Now, as for what to expect regarding floor 4," he began as they approached the door leading to the next floor, "it'll be just another basic floor. Enemies are gonna be stronger than the last floor, but that's to be expected. Any questions?" Sora raised his hand, and Aoki pointed at him while saying, "Yes, student Sora?"
"Teacher!" Sora started, his hand still raised, "Will there be a safe zone on the next floor?"
"A good question, to which the answer is yes." Alpha raised her hand this time. "Yes, student Alpha?"
"Teacher! How can we tell an area is a safe zone? Does it have to do with the large crystal we saw in Taikokawa?"
"A very good question, to which the answer is also yes. All safe zones have a large crystal in their centers, which also serves as a teleport waypoint. This crystal is what marks the area as a safe zone. Sometimes it'll have to be activated manually, which is often as easy as defeating all threats within the area. Will that be all, class?" When Aoki got no further questions from his students, he smiled and said, "Onwards and upwards, my friends!" before turning to the door and pushing it open, the bright flash enveloping the trio as they dashed inside.
(x)
Floor 4, Outskirts…
As Dusk Approaches…
Aoki, Alpha and Sora walked through the grassy field the door led them to, with Aoki whistling merrily as he led the group. The typically relaxed mood of the group was disrupted when they heard sounds of fighting nearby, prompting them to head in the direction of the sound at once. Their concerned expressions turned to relief when they saw a wolf get slashed and shattered, its killer casually polishing her ax as if to wipe away the stain it would have left. The monster killer before them sat on a log—felled by her hands, no doubt—with a fire already going strong in front of her.
She was a fairly attractive woman, her purple eyes combined with her platinum blonde hair making her look almost ethereal in nature. A sigh escaped her lips as she moved along her ax's handle, carefully polishing it. Her armor was noticeably more durable than theirs', given that two out of the three of them were still wearing the starting gear. While the younger two were ruminating over whether to bother his Amazonian player, the oldest of them acted first.
"Heya!" Aoki's chipper tone caught her attention, causing her to look up and finally notice the three. As the clearly battle-hardened player narrowed her eyes, Aoki quickly approached with his hands up. "We're not here to fight," he declared as he inched closer to her. "We came up here and need directions to the safe zone on this floor."
"What business do you have there?" Her voice was deep, but carried a gentle tone which served to ease a little of the others' tension.
"Well, one of my party has a friend who's apparently skilled in tailoring, and we figured we could pay them a visit and get out of these rags." He sat down and took out his new greatsword, carefully laying it down on the grass. "Personally, I'm not adverse to a day or two spent in front of a campfire, but my party may be more inclined to a bed." By this point, Alpha and Sora had made their way down to their friend, keeping their distance from the player-warrior.
"And I should trust you why?" was all the woman asked as she set her weapon down and finally turned her gaze to the trio, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting up straight.
"Oh!" Aoki said suddenly as he smacked his forehead. "Where are my manners? Here I am practically invading your camp and I haven't even introduced myself yet! My name's Aoki, the girl behind me is Alpha, and the boy behind her is Sora. Right now we're just making our way through the floors helping the little guys."
"That's your idea of an introduction?" The woman chuckled and shook her head. "A bit grandiose, no?"
"May sound so, but that's really what they're doing," Alpha spoke up as she joined Aoki in sitting on the log adjacent to the woman. "I only joined them officially yesterday, but I can tell you these two boys are good at heart."
"Y-yeah!" Sora finally piped up, and looked startled when all eyes turned to him. He took a few deep breaths before steeling himself and saying, "I may not have done as much as Aoki, but I definitely pull my weight when it matters!"
"Well said, Sora," Aoki said approvingly, patting his friend on the back when he sat next to him. "So as you can see," he continued, turning to face the yet-unknown player, "we really do mean no harm, and we're fully willing to prove it if our words alone aren't enough."
"…" The woman's continued silence, combined with her face scrunched up in thought, kept the three on edge, patiently awaiting her response. "Fully willing to prove, you said?" she finally spoke, looking up at Aoki.
"Whatever it takes," he replied. "Within reason, of course."
"Then maybe you can help me out. Name's Landa, by the way," she finally introduced herself, stretching her arm out to the three and shaking hands with them.
"Whaddya need help with, Landa?" Aoki inquired as he withdrew his hand, picking his sword up and sheathing it.
"It's a weird assumption, I know, but the way you talk, your confidence and how you're carrying yourself tells me that you know more about this game than you let on, despite us still only being at the start of the game," Landa started. "And I have an issue back in town. Help me out and I'll tell you whatever it is you need to know." After she finished speaking, silence fell upon the group, with the Black Blades speaking quietly amongst each other.
After a few minutes of quiet discussion, they all stood up and faced Landa, who had done the same. Her height matched Aoki's, allowing the two of them to stand at eye level as he prepared to deliver their response. "I'm no miracle worker," he began, "but I can't deny that I know more about this game than other players do. Whatever's happened, we'll do our best to help resolve it." This response elicited a wide smile from Landa, revealing rows of beautifully straight white teeth as she exuberantly shook his hand again.
"Wonderful! The safe zone you've been asking about is this way. Don't fall behind now!" The quartet got up and, after snuffing out the campfire, made their way to the safe zone with Landa leading the way.
(x)
Author's Notes:
S/N—Honestly, we don't know what we can say to excuse this update being like 4 months (maybe more) late. We're tired of saying "Life/college got in the way" (even though it did), so all we feel like we can say is "We'll get the next chapters rolled out ASAP."
A/N: Not to worry, though, because we'll try to compensate for long periods between uploads with either long chapters or multiple chapters. We're currently working on Chapter 5 now, so stay tuned and thank you for reading our story!