[PP - F1] The Field of Beginnings

[Moira 0]

Closed to Ashrah

There was nothing delicate about the sunset. As the great, glowing glob of hot gas slipped below the distant horizon, it left a dazzling light show in its wake. Stark oranges, electric yellows, and rich golds smeared across the sky, a canvas that seemed to hum with power. While some might have seen the day's departure as soft and romantic, Moira basked in the energy that hung heavy around her. Her eyes closed, and she drew in a deep breath of air growing colder with the dusk. Nighttime, and its approach, had always seemed to rejuvenate her.

Like the sunset, there was nothing delicate about Moira, either. When her eyes opened again, as clear and colorless as the water babbling below, they were hard with purpose. That morning, she had made the decision to close her shop, and tackle a new challenge. After so many years, the world of business was growing stagnant, and Moira was not one to accept complacency. Instead, she had done a bit of research into weapons, builds, and strategy. Col had transferred hands, and the result was Aincrad's newest warrior.

Dressed in low-level light armor, the woman swung her equally unimpressive spear, testing its weight. She smiled into the cool breeze, satisfied with the end result, before propping the butt of her spear on the ground. The setting sun bathed her surroundings in an almost holy light, and she paused to appreciate the beauty of it. But only for a second, before sweeping her gaze back to the field. Upon the game's initial launch, and in the year after, this place had been swarming with new players eager to level up. Now, however, those who had intended to fight were already doing so. This little patch of grass, located outside the Town of Beginnings, was as silent as a church. Save, of course, for the soft series of snorts just over the nearest hill.

Carefully picking her way toward the noise, Moira was reward with the sight of a lone boar. It's dagger-sharp hooves dug angrily at the hard-packed earth, and its tusks scraped as it searched for food. She slowed when the beast lifted its heads, paper-thin nostrils flaring as it tested the air. Had it scented her?

Edited December 2, 2018 by Moira

[Ashrah 0]

He turned the axe over in hand, studying both the shape and weight of its head. The whole concept of life in a world filled with weapons and combat always seemed natural when he was on the other side of a screen, but now that he could actually feel all of it, Ashrah was given pause. Orange-golden light bathed his clothing, weapon, and flesh as daylight drained away from the very lowest level of the Castle in the Sky.

It seemed ironic that all of this flowed forth from one man's dream. To every one of the ten thousand who had fallen victim to the sociopathic plot, this world was a nightmare. They watched as people they had known their entire lives and total strangers alike collapsed under the weight of anguish and terror. Those who gained the strength to fight had already fought their way up many levels, surveying the front lines of a battlefield that stretched for a hundred floors.

Ashrah was no different at first. Watching people disappear even in the form of data was disheartening. He holed himself up in bars and slept wherever he could manage for months. Occasionally tales from the boss battles made their way to the lower floors, and more of the initially conflicted players took up arms. Slowly, those trapped within the game began to fight back against it.

His own time had come.

Ashrah hefted the weapon, heavier than most other types of one handed types and weighted uniquely. His gaze travelled to the boars ahead of him in a clearing, and his lips turned upward in a smile. He was going to do it. Today, he joined the ranks of the resistance.

The firebrand charged forward with a new tenacity, albeit with no hint of finesse or skill. "Alright!" he called out as he came close enough to get their attention. "You're mine!"

@Moira

[Moira 0]

Her prized pig darted forward, like a bullet fired from a gun. Moira tensed, prepared to defend herself, but the mob was loping away from her. First, confusion contorted her features. Then, as the reality of the situation set in, that confusion darkened to anger. She saw now that she had not been alone in the field. Instead, a small herd of boars crested the nearby hill. And, scampering after them like some nightmarish demon-shepherd, was another player.

His red hair swirled around his head, giving the impression of a man teetering on the edge of madness. His mighty shouts did nothing to change her mind. This man was a lunatic, and perhaps it would be him she would end up taking down. It was a bit of an inconvenience, she supposed, but at least it would be in self defense. Her cursor would remain as green as the day she donned the Nerve Gear.

Still, Moira was content to stoke the fire of rage before falling back to the defensive. Judging by his attire, and his complete disregard for strategy and skill, he was as inexperienced as she. Or, if he were acting, he was exceptionally good at it. "Watch it, asshole," the woman barked when the man drew nearer. "You're scaring them all off."

@Ashrah

[Ashrah 0]

"Get back here!" he shouted as the creatures skittered and scampered away from his excessively loud demeanor. Well, some of them at least. There were a few that instantly took notice and veered into attack formation. That was good, at least. It was his first experience with a fight. "That's it, come at me!"

He crouched low, nearly to level with the boars as they careened toward him and dipped their heads. Tusks flared and rent at the air wildly. That was when it happened. He heard someone shouting off to the side, and his attention was torn away. "Wha-?"

Ashrah hit the dirt with all the grace of a drunken three year old. He rolled, arms pulled to his face protectively, and barely managed to evade being trampled. "What the heck was that!?" he roared as he managed to get back to his feet. The boars did not seem amused. "Why would you come at someone like that!?"

Ashrah snorted and dusted himself off, but his eyes remained on the newcomer. "You gonna help me fight these things now, or are you satisfied with me almost getting stomped on by pigs?"

[Moira 0]

At the man's comment, Moira's chapped lips pulled back from her teeth. Then they pursed, as if she were deep in thought. "Honestly," she drawled back, "I'd love to watch you get trampled. It would just be the highlight of my day."

Yet even as she spoke, Moira swung her spear up and into position; it cut the air with a satisfying whoosh that she found she quite liked. "But I could use the experience," she continued. "Maybe I can kill these boars and see you get stomped on." Her gray eyes flashed with devilish delight as she bent her knees, dropping into a ready stance. Or, at the very least, what she assumed was a ready stance. She had never actually fought anything within the floating castle, and this was not exactly how she had pictured it all taking place.

Still, she could not stand by and let this idiot steal her kills. They both might be amateurs. but she could still show him up.

[Ashrah 0]

He growled as she spoke, getting more riled up with every acerbic word. The nerve of this lady! How could someone talk to someone they didn't even know like that? Her parents must have raised her wrong, he decided, but what came out was, "hey, what'd you say!?"

He waved the axe in the air wildly as he faced her, but the boars seemed to pay no need to their quarrel. Instead, they continued to circle and prepare for an attack. Ashrah seethed as he lowered himself back into a prepared position with both knees bent and his shoulders slightly forward. He was not about to lose to this stuck up bimbo!

"I'll show you," he muttered as he rounded on the creatures and got his mind right. There were two of them, and if he could manage to kill one or both, he would be able to throw it in her stupid little face! "Try not to slow me down!"

His breathing was erratic at first, heightened from the anger and excitement he was feeling, but ragged air turned to constant streams. Both ruby eyes focused on the task at hand and he let his rage become purpose, singular and simple. The skill points were allocated, so his avatar had some basic concept of movement in combat, but his mind was going to need to learn how to do it for real

Trial and error.

[Moira 0]

He really was an idiot.

With reckless abandon, the fire-haired player threw himself into the fray. Did he have a strategy at all? Moira shook her head, her own mop of cropped white hair falling into her face. No, he didn't strike her as the planning sort.

"Don't be stupid," she barked, closing the distance in short, hurried strides. Hours in the gym had honed her body and mind, but her in-game stats were severely lacking. So instead of the graceful shift into combat, Moira's approach was clumsy and awkward. Damn, she thought, gritting her teeth. I have a long way to go.

"We're weak," she called out - there was no point in tip-toeing around the truth. "We shouldn't take on too many at once, or we'll die before we see level two."

It was a risk, drawing a single boar from the herd, but it was the only way that Moira could see a successful outcome.

With as much power as she could muster, she plunged her weapon into the porkchop's side. But to her horror, the spear slid along the boar's side, dealing no damage at all.

Spoiler

 ID# 109863 results: Battle: 1 Craft: 1 Loot: 18 MOB: 4

Moira's attack fails.

Moira: 20 HP | 2 E

Boar 1: 10 HP (does 3 damage)

 

Edited December 3, 2018 by Moira

[Ashrah 0]

"Who's being stupid?" he asked as she went in for the first swing. Her weapon cleared the boar without striking properly. Ashrah steadied himself in that low stance and swung for the fences. His strike was a bit more powerful-looking as it arced through the air, but the weapon missed entirely. Not much better than the rude girl- and that only frustrated him more.

"If you don't take some risks and fail a few times, you'll never get better," he said as he stumbled past their target and managed to find his footing. Thankfully, the boar seemed to pay him no mind as he recovered, instead keeping its eyes on the woman who grazed it. 

That's what time in Aincrad had taught him anyway. It was his first time really putting it into application, so he wasn't showing progress just yet. Just in time to make a fool of himself in front of someone who really pissed him off. "Someone really oughta teach you how to talk to people," he muttered under his breath.

ID# 109874 results:

 Battle: 2

 Craft: 8

 Loot: 1

 MOB: 3

Edited December 3, 2018 by Ashrah

[Moira 0]

The boar, it seemed, did not take kindly to being poked. It gave a snort of rage, throwing its head in a manner that made its tusks glimmer in the setting sun. Moira winced, dropping lower in her ready stance. She muttered another series of oaths, tightening her hold on the battle spear. This wasn't going to be pretty.

As predicted, the pig's front-right hoof pawed with sharp, jerky rage. There was suddenly a lump in Moira's throat, and she had a difficult time swallowing around it. Get a grip, she scolded herself. It's a level one boar. You will not allow this imbecile to show you up.

That was the thought that rang out clearest. She could not allow herself to be upstaged. Not now, not ever. The boar lunged for her, tiny legs galloping in a way that might be comical if it weren't so terrifying. Moira remained in its path, watching its beady black eyes as it thundered closer. And closer. And closer.

"Enough!" she bellowed, contorting her body at the last moment, and allowing the creature to thunder by her. At the same instant, she pivoted on one toe, sending the hem of her light armor flapping as she spun. The boar's attack missed, but her's did not. She plunged the point of her spear into the animal's flank, twisted it, and yanked it free.

It slowed, trembled, and collapsed into a pile of shimmering pixels. 

Spoiler

ID# 109905 results: Battle: 10 Craft: 1 Loot: 20 MOB: 5

Moira activates Pierce.

(1 (base) + 1 (novice spear skill) + 1 (uncommon spear) + 2 (crit)) x 2 (Pierce) = 10

Moira: 20 HP | 0 E (-2)

Boar 1: 0 HP (-10) DED

Loot Acquired: 3 T1 Crafting Materials, 120 col (60 + 60 bonus)

Edited December 4, 2018 by Moira

[Ashrah 0]

He watched in annoyance as she activated her skill and gave an enormous cry of effort. It was a shame to see someone with so much energy and attitude channel those things negatively. That only served to fan the flames of his rage as the boar exploded in a shimmering haze.

"Rrrr..." he stared her down as she stood victorious, then turned his gaze on the next closest boar. "Alright, fine." He gripped his weapon and rounded on the piggish enemy maliciously. Ashrah had hate in his eyes as he poised himself to strike. He felt the fire behind his eyes stoking itself, burning away his better judgement and he could not find it in him to care. This creature would kill him and think nothing of it. Why do it any favors?

The hothead threw himself headlong toward his quarry, ignorant even of the damage it did to him in the process. Two holes where the creature had gored him appeared in the center of his chest, but he still slammed his axe deep into the creature from above. It brayed wildly as he wrenched his weapon free and quickly turned to face it. If he'd had the clarity of mind, he might have activated a sword skill.

Ah, well. It felt good to savage the beast.

ID# 109920 results:

 Battle: 9

 Craft: 9

 Loot: 13

 MOB: 10

Ashrah: 17/20HP 1/2E (1 Base +1 Weapon +1 Skill+1 Crit= 4 Damage)

Boar: 6/10HP

Edited December 4, 2018 by Ashrah

[Moira 0]

The injured boar gave a high-pitched squeal of enraged agony, and cut a wide arc as it prepared to attack again. It's health had taken a considerable hit, but it was far from dead. A snarky comment danced on the tip of Moira's tongue, and she had half a mind to let it bite him, but she refrained. Why? Part if it stemmed from the fact that, just maybe, this man didn't deserve the full brunt of her snotty nature. The other part was sheer exhaustion.

Her sword art had left her drained, and while she wanted to celebrate her victory, she just didn't have the strength. It had taken a real force of will to simply lift her hand and accept the loot from her kill. I'll have to build up my stamina if I want to be successful, she mused, before clenching her teeth, and turning back to the approaching mob.

There was absolutely no way that she could trigger another skill, given her already weak state. Moira realized how fortunate she was that a even single drop of energy returned, just in time for attack. There was very little oomph behind the jab, and she knew she barely broke the skin. But a flash of red stood out from the brownish-black hide, and that was something.

"Finish it," she heard herself tell him, and surprised even herself.

Spoiler

 

 ID# 109991 results: Battle: 9 Craft: 7 Loot: 10 MOB: 4

Moira's attack lands. Mob misses.

1 (base) + 1 (novice spear skill) + 1 (uncommon spear) + 1 (crit) = 4

Moira: 20 HP | 0 E (-1)

Boar: 2/10 HP (-4)

 

 

Edited December 5, 2018 by Moira

[Ashrah 0]

"Yeah, got it!" he called out as he chained immediately into his next swing. The first was powerful to be sure, but enemies seemed more resilient than he could have imagined. Aincrad seemed more real now than it had on the first day when he logged in and became trapped. There was no pain, but in it's place was a bar filled with color, a silent reminder that he was as fleeting as the pixels that made up his avatar.

Not that it did anything to deter him. This was his world now, and if he wanted to live on he had to learn to fight. In lieu of words, a powerful and guttural sound emanated from his throat as he swung through and sent the axe barrelling toward its target. It ripped a red line across the creature's side. Chunks of data gushed from the digitized wound.

Ashrah pulled back slowly, gritting his teeth. It was another trade, and the boar hit him hard. He watched his HP drop again, but ignored the spike of fear that threatened the pit of his stomach. It had no place here.

"Not quite dead yet," he grunted. "Guess you're up!" he called back to her begrudgingly. She had been somewhat supportive with her last words. He could probably manage to return the favor. "Show it who's boss!"

ID# 110143 results:

 Battle: 6

 Craft: 2

 Loot: 14

 MOB: 9

Ashrah: 15/20 HP 1/2 E

Boar: 1/10 HP

Edited December 8, 2018 by Ashrah

[Moira 0]

"Right," she answered, and was unable to stop the smirk from forming. There was a sort of gleam in  her blue-gray eyes as she rounded on her foe. As it was a level one boar, 'enraged' did not actually mean a whole lot. But at one HP, it moved with the sporadic jerkiness of a robot on the verge of destruction. Whether or not the boar would take her out with it was the question.

The creature moved with a swiftness she had not anticipated, stubby legs propelling its squat form far too quickly. It closed the distance between them in only ten speedy strides, and in a moment of weakness, Moira fell back on the game's mechanics to help her out. Of course, her skills were severely lacking. Where she expected sharp reflexes and a cat-like agility, she found herself taking one quick stutter-step backward instead.

It wasn't enough. The boar plowed into her, tusk gashing across her midsection before she could ready her spear. Even with the game's adjusted setting, the pain that bloomed was explosive and startling. It had been literal years since Moira had experienced pain of any sort, preferring to play it safe within the town limits. The sensation first appalled, then annoyed her.

Even as the boar was galloping away, Moira lifted her weapon, and heaved it toward the creature's rump. The sharp bounced pitifully off the thick skin.

Straightening, Moira paused to wipe at her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she sighed, and stated, "I suppose this is the part where I make the obligatory joke about skewering the pork." She said it with such nonchalance, gaze still watching the crazed beast as it turned for another pass.

Spoiler

 

ID# 110144 results: Battle: 3 Craft: 11 Loot: 4 MOB: 9

Moira's attack misses. Mob hits.

Moira: 18 HP (-2 (mit 1)) | 0 E (-1)

Boar: 1/10 HP

 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by Moira