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[PP-F23] <<Search and Rescue>> Enemies of our Enemies


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Several weeks passed after the events on floor 14, where Mari and Freyd had both been forced to contend with their wayward dark reflections.  He had deliberately given her space and honestly never expected to hear from her again, save out of absolute necessity.  It was doubtful that the true consequences and price of forcing her to confront her demons would be known for some time.  It was also likely that his efforts remained unfinished.

Sigh.  Let's hope that's not the case.

He sat on a white chair in a white room, sipping coffee from a white cup currently resting on a white saucer on his white desk.  The scarlet fabric on the chair was the only hint of colour in the room, other than the darkness of his own form and clothing.  Such was the decor of his home: the Liminal Blind.   Concealed in the ether beneath a false facade under the ruins of floor 13, it was a proto-space, given form and function but lacking completely in aesthetic, save the irony that such an approach defined his preference of styles.

From here, the Whisper in Shadows surveyed the strands of the web he had helped weave to every corner of Aincrad.  It's purpose was to snare information, which it did in abundance.  Freyd was slowly sifting through a backlog of messages when he came across one from an NPC named Tythen.

We met briefly in the woodlands just outside of Tomoika, where you branded me by a strange moniker, then bade me reach out to you when I returned.  I thought what you asked to be impossible, but now I see the true horror of it.  Come and meet me at my home in Kalanaes.  Be discreet.

~"Dave"      

"Shit," Freyd whispered as he read the message, then reclined against the seatback.  A possible chink in the Sundered Spire's immortal armor.  It had been too long since he had found any leads.  This one could not be left to pass unverified.  Taking a moment to write a brief message and grab a few useful items, he left the Blind and made his way to Kalanaes as swiftly as possible.

Mari, wherever she was, and in whatever state, received his missive.

Have a lead on possible SS turncoat..  Meet by portal on 23.  Bring a dark cloak.  Time sensitive, but I'll understand if you don't show.  

-F.

@Mari

Freyd consumes: Titan's Strength (DMG 3) [160770-2]; Really, REALLY burnt bacon [165681] (T3, MIT 1 - filled)

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:1110/1110 | EN:108/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:99 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 54
HP: 1110/1110
EN: 108/108

Stats:
Damage: 19 + 3 = 22
Mitigation: 79 + 20
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
BH:22
KEEN:1
HLY:6
BLD:36

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Grief's Harbinger (T3-2HSS, ACC 1, HOLY 1, BLD 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb [T3 LA, MIT 2, EVA 1]
Misc: Assassin's Cowl (T2-Trinket, ACC 2, KEEN 1)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 3]
Battle Healing [Rank 2]
Parry [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival
Meditation

Mods:
Precision
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics
Ferocity
LA Sprint and Acrobatics

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potion (50 hp)*3
Teleport Crystals*2
Crystal of Support (30*tier) hp to party*1
Missing You*2
Concentrated Joy (T3 Vitality 2)*1

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild: n/a

Wedding Ring: n/a

Dave's origins:

Spoiler

 

 

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It might have been a month. I wasn’t sure - perhaps a little less than. I did what I was best at. Secluding myself. Although I did make a promise that if anyone reached out - just one person. I’d be there. That’ what I did best, wsn’t it? Be there when people need me, then move onto the next. But no one had reached out. Granted, I hadn’t reached out to anyone else either - I just...didn’t feel like putting on my facade.

The cottage was dark, no light lit - and the fire - which had always been stoked, warm and welcoming was extinguished. I just didn’t feel like keeping up with it all anymore. Who was I lighting the fire for? I didn’t care if it was light or dark. The place was just a small reprieve. Somewhere I could pretend to get some sleep. If sleep ever came.

Quote


To: Freyd
Subject: Re
Okay.
It will take me just over a day to walk there. Pick up a coat for me.




My messages were short before,so its not like that had changed. I sent it off with a sigh as I pushed myself to my feet and silently left. I didn’t need to bring anything extra - aside from the coat he had asked me to bring. Something I had no real way of getting. Did he constantly forget I was a PKer?


---

Just as I had promised, it had taken me a little over a day. I arrived at a different place than the one he had asked me to meet- a crumbled down building just outside the safe zone on the outskirts of the settlement. I probably stuck out like a sore thumb. He really...really didn't know how it worked being a PKer, did he?

I opened up my messages;


 

Quote

Freyd;
I'm by a small run-down building outside the safe zone.



And with that message sent off, I waited.



@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

General
Level: 77 | HP: 1570  |Energy: 154




BATTLE COPY
Mari    [H:0/0/0] - HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 |

SKILLS
Rank 5 Weapon (+5 DMG)
-Weapon Mod: Precision (+1 ACC)
-Weapon Mod: Ferocity (+1 DMG)
Rank 5 Charge (+5 Damage -1 ACC)
Charge Mod BULL RUSH: Successful charge stuns target 1 turn
Rank 5 Light Armor (+25 MIT)
Light Armor Mod Athletics -  Gain +1 base damage and +30 HP when wearing light armor
SURVIVAL
Rank 5 Battle Healing (5% of total health rounded down start of each turn)
Familiar Mastery Expert - +1 (*Tier) Damage - +9 Damage
Extended Mod Limit Rank 3 (+3 Mods)
First Aid: Cost 5% in EN Heal 4% per rank of a target party member’s maximum HP (rounded down). Cannot target the user.
Field Medic Mod: 12 En + 3 En per player:  heal for 20% of each party members maximum HP

EQUIPPED
Name: 
Bleeding Lance| Item Type: 2H Assault Spear Tier 3
Enhancements: 
Bleed 2 | Damage 1
'Bleed Damage of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10'
'Burn Damage' of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10 - Unmitigated

Name: Beacon Necklace | Item Type: Pendant | Tier 2
Enhancements
  +3 ACC 

Name: 
Infernal Shadow | Item Type: Light Armour | Tier 3
Enhancements: 
 +2 Eva | +1 Flame Aura
'Effect: Prevent (6 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (5 per slot * Tier) unmitigated burn damage to the attacking enemy.

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His conversation with Tythen had taken an unexpected turn and become a negotiation.  The dark elf was willing to reveal secrets about the Sundered Spire and what he knew of their leadership, but only if Freyd returned his wife to him.  Emotional attachment - again.  Desperation was oozing from the mob's face as he spoke.  All the queues were there.  So Freyd did what he usually did: he weighed the pros and cons and negotiated a deal.  There was a risk that the elf was lying, but it was acceptably low.  Even a trap could potentially be turned to his benefit.

Mari's message came in not long after his discussions with Tythen were completed.  He was genuinely surprised and gratified that she had come.  Perhaps it was a good sign.  Keeping to the shadows, he preferred to avoid notice and interaction with the other city residents.  Dark elves, in particular, formed a significant proportion of the Spire's swollen ranks.  Their lives would get even more complicated if the Spire knew what was unfolding right under their noses.

Out of one fire and into the next.  As always.

Mari was precisely where she had mentioned.  Freyd had taken a roundabout route to reach her hideout, but still took a wary moment to check whether it was truly her and assess whether she had been followed.  Their margins for success were already slim.  Finding things to be clear, he revealed his position as he approached the building, hoping that she wouldn't stab him out of surprise.  Goodness knew, he'd given her enough other incentives. 

"You came."  It was a statement, but carried the subtle undertone of countless unanswered questions.  "Thank you."

So much left hanging and unspoken...

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I looked up at him, the familiar and tall visage of Freyd. I didn't really have anything to say to him. Questions - I had many of those. But none seemed to pass through my lips. None seemed fitting for the moment. 

 

"Of course." Came my response. "I promised I would help you with this. I don't go back on my word." 

He pulled his cowl away to reveal a worried look reflected in his crimson eyes. That concern directed at me. Did he feel guilty for what he did? He should. He did a serious of stupid things. He lied to me. Manipulated me. And for what? Something he thought I needed.

I don't want to be lied to...

Still. I felt bad that he was giving me that look. "I'm fine, really." I said as I tried to wave off his concerns. "Did you bring a cloak for me?" He silently nodded and passed me one. His gaze lingered. Did he...even blink?

I quickly equipped the vanity item, "Guess we match now." I tried my best to give him a small smile. I had to remember to do that again.

 

Smile.

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"I'm fine, really."

No she isn't.  Not even close.  The speed of her retort is too quick.  The curl of her lips turned too low.  Even the shine and set of her hair has dulled.  Her azure eyes have lost their luster.  She's lost her the vibrancy she had - even when it was just projecting anger.  Why is that trait more prominently different in woman than in men, especially in here?  She's been carved hollow.  I had a hand in that, and I may yet face her wrath.  So be it. 

A false smile forms.  A false pretense of comfort is spoken.  A false Mari is presented, because Mari doesn't know who she is or wants to be anymore.  Her body language suggests contempt, fueled by defiance and confusion.  She's a clean slate, angry that others would dare suggest her purpose, yet too scared and wounded by past errors to decide her own fate.  A paradox is formed: how will she find herself if she won't find herself?  She need a guide, but not a mentor.  I don't know if that's meant to be me.  She already knows everything she needs.

I'm staring, aren't I?  And so I blink and give her the cloak.

"I was contacted by a dark elf.  One who recalled his death by my hands, and the message I imparted before that tragedy."  That just sounds bad - callous and cruel.  It was necessary.  "He served the Spire and knows its secrets."  Right now, she's wondering why she should care, and why to bother helping such an abhorrent creature - meaning me, not the elf.  She'll pass judgement, but rail against others who judge her.  She wants to be the only one to judge herself, yet she measures her worth by the judgement of others - another paradox.  There are plenty.

"He's prepared to share them, but only on condition that we return his wife - a warrior who joined a failed assault against the forest elves.  Their battle apparently rages on the 'surface', in the daylight above these caverns.  We must bring her here, then escort them both to safety.  In exchange, he will share all that he knows.  It's worth the risk."  The doubts will come next, likely accompanied by hidden barbs and passive aggression.  A more optimistic outcome would be cold and callous disinterest.  She'll pretend to be here out of obligation, because she has no passion - nothing left.  And, she'll blame me for killing it, among others.  It will be true.  She will not care what my intentions were - whether noble or cruel.  'No one has the right to manipulate me', she'll rail, probably in silence.  Wake up Mari.  Even a mother's caress is manipulation.  The intent is what really matters.

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I pulled the coat tighter around myself. I always forgot how cold I felt, until something warm brushes my skin. "Did you get something this thick on purpose?" I asked as I rubbed my arms. Savoring the warmth. Maybe I should change my attire to something less - cold. Especially since I had lived on the fourth floor. Maybe Shield was right, what did he call me? Something like a witch? A small, amused smile brushed my lips at the thought. Maybe I was.  “You mentioned that you hated the heat, as I recall.  It seemed appropriate.”

I nodded, still not quite understanding his words. “Mmm - warmth, I don’t mind but unbearable heat like those volcanic floors...yeh, I don’t like them.”

I listened to his story. “It’s odd…” I thought aloud. “That someone you had killed has contacted you. Now asking for your help, and you say he works for the Spire? You know my first thought is a trap.” I commented. Freyd nodded in agreement - it seemed that we both had the same line of thought on the matter.  It felt weird - so casually saying he had killed someone, I told myself that this ‘someone’ was nothing more than an NPC - a series of ones and zeroes - but...that logic was what spurned the creation of the ‘Sundered Spire’ wasn’t it?

I lowered my gaze to the ground, kicking at a loose pebble as he turned to lead us to our destination. There wasn’t a lot more I could say on the matter, every so often a question would pop to the forefront of my mind - but it would just as quickly dissipate- like gentle smoke caught in a gust of wind.

“His Wife...huh…”

How was it that a NPC, a Dark Elf NPC - cared more about his wife than my abhorrent ex-husband? If Mari knew any better - she’d say Freyd had picked this quest on purpose - picked her so he could impart some sort of life lesson on relationships. But- he didn’t know that about her. This was nothing more than circumstantial coincidence. Besides that-

I shifted my gaze over to his figure. Besides that - it didn’t seem like he knew all too much about the intricacies of romances. He seemed like the kind of person who you’d need to hit in the face with the obvious with that sort of thing. But that was not uncommon in Aincrad. Many of the players here were maladjusted social outcasts. That’s why we all turned to video games as a reprieve. 

“So- what happens if we can’t do that? Bring them back to safety?” I asked. There was the very real possibility that his wife could be dead. Especially if they were in the midst of a battle.

I knew this probably didn’t please him. My questions were mostly kept to the matter at hand - they weren’t personal. Things like ‘how are you’ or ‘what did you do recently’ just didn’t seem appropriate, nor was I sure he wanted to answer them. He was keeping his distance. But - I suppose I was doing the same thing.

Wasn’t it better this way? Keeping people at arms distance, it meant I wouldn’t be hurt anymore.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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Why was she looking at me that way?  Here we are standing in underground caverns.  It’s cold.  This place has no geothermal vents or magma flows, like floor nine.  Best to just gloss over it.

“It’s odd that someone you had killed has contacted you. Now asking for your help, and you say he works for the Spire? You know my first thought is a trap.”

I nodded, because she needed affirmation.  The possibility was real, but my instincts told me otherwise.  Mobs had nearly identical tells to humans - likely the result of psychological and other behavioural algorithms in their programming.  Software developers were constantly dumping third party research into their creations these days.  Risks of AI be damned.  I’d seen the man’s eyes, before and after his death.  The same eyes, with the same forlorn desperation.  He wanted release, of any kind.  If his wife’s fate had been dragged into the mix, he might be willing to pay any price to break them out of this cycle.  Immortal hell.

“Yeah.  Wife.  I… “  How do I say this?  “I think he doubts whether she will reincarnate.  Apparently, it’s not foolproof.  Some, like ‘Dave’... err... Tythen, joined the Spire out of desperation.  It’s the only option for them - live a solitary existence facing an eternity of falling to monstrous player,” like us, “ or sign on with a group that offers support.”

I actually think I sympathize with his plight.  That might be going too far.  Maybe I can simply fathom the rationale behind his decision.  

“It’s a strangely… human reaction.”  

Even the friggin machine gets it more than I do.  Sigh.

“So- what happens if we can’t do that? Bring them back to safety?”

“I cut a deal.  If we can bring back proof of her death, he’ll still come with us.  We’ll need to get him out of Kalanaes.  There are too many eyes and ears here, for any of us.”

She could be nothing but sprinkled pixels strewn over a battlefield by now.  Tythen didn’t seem prepared to face that.  It gave me something that I could use as leverage.  Mari’s reactions, on the other hand, weren’t quite as expected.  She seemed more invested, more curious.  Could a bit of time have given her some time to think?  Had she made choices?  Time would tell.

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“Synthesized human reaction.” I corrected - “He’s reacting in the way you’d assume one would when it comes to his wife but reality-” I turned to Freyd, I knew it wasn’t the best idea to talk about personal things. Still, the words trickled out. “In reality - it’s rarely that kind, or simple.” I sighed as I began to tug awkwardly on my scarf. Needing something to do with my hands.  Reality was much more cruel. Or maybe, it was - just to me. Bitter memories of my ex husband bubbled to the surface and left an unpleasant sickness in the pit of my stomach. Then there was Alkor - we had made amends, and were friends again, but the hurt of his actions scarred me deep. Not that I could really talk about that. My face soured.

“We’ll do our best to save her then.” I said with resolution. “May as well let the NPCs be happy in their relationships at least. Gods know this stupid tower needs it.”

“Strange, isn’t it?  How we find common ground in this?”  Freyd looked both confused and skeptical, as if he couldn’t reason his way out of the mystery.

“It’s easier that way.” I said quietly. “To use such a scenario - it’s one many people can relate to - or at least acknowledge the importance of. You’d kinda have to be a sociopath to not understand the basic idea of love. Even if you haven’t experienced it before.”
 

Freyd’s expression shifted decidedly towards the neutral at her words.  Any shade or veneer of emotive response lost as his eyes searched the ground for some manner of anchor.  Finding none, he just blinked a lot, staring at empty space. Did something I say upset him? I didn’t think he was a sociopa- hmm. Maybe a little. But I wasn’t directing the commentat him.

“People like my ex-husband fall into that category.” I said in an attempt to ease him.

It felt nice - in an odd way - to be talking again. Without realizing it I had bought my hand to my throat, rubbing it pensively. Did my voice crack? Was it obvious that I had barely spoken a word out loud in the weeks I was away? Maybe hiding myself away wasn’t the right answer- but if I hadn’t…

If I hadn’t what would I have done? Lashed out again? Jumped? Honestly - at this point both seemed very likely. I still felt like I was simply going through the motions of everything. I found my thoughts drifting more and more - feeling like it’d be easier to just jump. Or to tackle an overbearing boss - knowing defeat was the only outcome. Truthfully…



Truthfully...the only thing that kept me going was a foolish promise I had made myself. Not till the final boss. Not till I could make sure everyone else would make it out.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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“Synthesized human reaction…  in reality - it’s rarely that kind, or simple.” 

Like me.  Just like me.  I kept listening to her words as they spilled out.   Everyone spoke of happiness as if it existed as some kind of perpetual state - as if, when people managed to become happy, they would stay that way forever.  Why would they inflict such delusions on themselves?  Even the mobs were doing it now.

“You’d kinda have to be a sociopath to not understand the basic idea of love. Even if you haven’t experienced it before.”

My eyes drifted and attention turned inward at those words.  How many doctors said exactly that after what I did to Kyle?  Lawyers ‘fixed’ things and we move to Osaka. Everything warm died in the process and over the ensuing years.  I end up here, and somehow in this room with Mari.  Do I understand love?  Biologically, sure. Emotionally?  It's a complex and variable thing.  I remember the warmth and humility of my grandfather, who always knew what to do and how to say things when no one else did.  He was the only one who ever seemed to understand.  Carnal love?  That’s just the biology again - lust - and is meaningless in here.  Love as a bond between people?  Only in the sense that it is an avenue to manipulation.  People will be reckless, desperate and wild in that love.  Dangerous.  I know it’s traits and symptoms, but no, I don’t really think I understand it beyond that.  It’s just another variable in the game, with queues and triggers to be activated or avoided based on the circumstance and intent.

“People like my ex-husband fall into that category.” She said, as if he comment somehow exclude me.  With every jibe and curse she had launched, could she really not connect the dots?

“I’ve been called worse.”  My tone was damning, but its ruthless qualities were turned against myself, for a change..  It was true on so many levels, and amounted to as much as an open admission.  My voice was cold and flat.  I actually felt a chill sweep over me, starting at the extremities and running down my spine.  Digital flesh shivered, uncharacteristically.  Something wet fell on my cheek.  I looked up.  The ceiling was dry.  My brow furrowed with confusion.  

This can't be right.

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I reached out to him. He was crying after all, and it was my fault. This just proved it - I always hurt people. Maybe Life was right, and I was like a venom to those around me. A slow acting one that tightened the chest - causing pain and confusion. Even so -

I gently brushed away his tear with the pad of my thumb. “Sociapaths don’t normally get emotional like that.” I said simply as I pulled away. He didn’t need me constantly touching him - he didn’t want it. I was just making up for my comment earlier. I wouldn’t be surprised if he brushed the whole thing off like nothing had happened. That’s what I would do. “I wasn’t calling you one, Takeshi.” I reiterated as I turned away. I didn’t need those deep crimson eyes analysing my actions. I didn’t really feel like seeing it.

“No.  But others have. And they were right to do so.”  He frowned.  “This… the last time… Yori?”

“Who’s that?” Did he forget who he was with briefly? Some sort of mental lapse. “No - Mari. I added my name with an irritated emphasis. “And screw them. They’re not here now, are they?”

“Yori was the name of the boy who was killed at last year’s Tanabata festival.  The one whose clothes I found.”  There was actual, uncharacteristic venom in his tone as he spoke the words.  “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”


“Riiight…” I wasn’t sure why he had dropped the name. But, It’s not like I was a mind reader. Now - back to the matter at hand. We had been steadily trudging upwards. I didn’t know where we were going - I was following Freyd. Every so often, we’d pass a discarded weapon, or a empty helmet, one of which I kicked away with my boot. These were the outskirts of a battlefield.

“We must be close.”

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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“We must be close.”

We were, and I had hardly even noticed it.  We’d been traveling for hours to reach the surface and I hardly recalled any of it.  It wasn’t like me at all.  I always notice...everything, whether I want to or not.  It used to give me such migraines.

But something had changed.  It started weeks ago, after stumbling upon Yori’s lost clothes on the shores of the Lake of Reflections and returning them to Shoji and Masaki at the Tanabata Festival.  Something had stirred in the moment, and I hadn’t been able to figure out what.  Could it have been what triggered the Gemini to forcibly extricate itself?  Whatever that was, back on the outskirts of Kalanaes, it felt like the same… discomfort.  Shunting it into the background, we had newer and more pressing concerns.

The fabled Kriit Forest, surface home of the dark elves… was gone.  Before us lay a scene of complete devastation stretching out for miles in every direction.  Everything was blasted to smithereens, and dead.  It was that ‘completely sucked dry of any aspect of life’ kind of dead, too.  The desiccated trunks of thousands of trees dotted the landscape, most of their upper branches and canopies having disintegrated in whatever tragedy had befallen the place.  Ruins of stone buildings dotted the landscape, their once-elegant details scoured then eroded. Hints of the original elven craftsmanship and artistry could still be seen, on the more sheltered sides away from the central plaza of the ruined dark elf capital.  There, a massive tower that looked to have once been clad in alabaster, now teetered precariously.  It’s once beautiful exterior was now little more than a charred and twisted wreck, swaying precariously in the mild, dust-laden breeze.  I must have let out a low whistle of amazement, given Mari’s look.  

“I’d heard that there was trouble brewing between the dark elves and forest elves of Ydalin forest, but… not anything like this.”  Twisting my foot to check the depth of the ash and cinders revealed that it was several inches deept.  There were no traces anywhere in the ruined landscape before us.  “No one’s been here in some time.”  My eyes hardened, suggesting that the odds of finding Tythen’s wife had just taken a significant downturn.  

“The woman we’re looking for is named ‘Fonsa’. She has the typical charcoal skin tone of most dark elves, black hair streaked with strands of white, and grey eyes.  Her armor will be leather, with gold trim and bearing the symbol of a night lily on the breastplate.”  Tythen had been thorough, though it had taken some prodding.  Reaching beneath my cowl, I pulled the other token he had provided over my neck.

“She’ll also be wearing a pendant that matches this one.”  Palm open, I showed Mari the small, golden sun charm on a matching chain.  The dark elf had provided after some coercing.  He clearly hadn’t wanted to give up his last connection to it.  I had to remind him that, if she lived, she would want proof that our tale of rescue was true.  That had been enough.
 

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It was hard. Trying to pick exactly what Freyds game was, in one moment he seemed like he genuinely cared about my well being, in the other it felt like I was nothing more than a case study to him. Someone he could dissect. I felt like he already knew too much about me - and at the same time, he knew very little. He...come to think of it, he reminded me of someone I once knew, who had autism. Could it be that? Would it be rude to ask? That's stupid, of course it is. You don't just ask someone something like that. He said he had been called worse than a sociopath. It was - confusing. He was confusing.

I quietly listened to him speak, not understanding things like 'Ydalin forest' but I just assumed it was a locale on another floor. I opened my mouth to question him but shifted to something else when he made the comment that no one had been there in a long time. I paused and crouched down by what appeared to be a body. I didn't think such things existed in Aincrad. "This is kinda depressing. There's nothing but things like this for miles." I ran my hand over the plate of armour the dark skinned warrior was wearing. "All that's here is death." My voice was low and pensive, almost forlorn. You think someone like me, a murderer - a renowned one would be used to this. But I wasn't. I didn't like seeing it. I lifted my head, calm blue eyes scanning the horizon. Nothing but body upon body littered the battlefield. "If she's here - she's not going to last long." My words had a sombre sense of finality to them. I did not expect to find her alive.

I stood as Freyd began to explain what she looked like - not that it did much - everything in this charcoal wasteland looked the same. A calloused hand reached out to me, a neat pendant resting in his open palm. "Hmm..." My hand extended, the pads of my fingers gently running over the pendant within his palm. Fingertips tracing its surface before sliding off his hand. "Okay. Let's continue looking. She may be in hiding."

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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"All that's here is death."

She was right.

“Look at them.” I pointed out dozens more forms, all lain in random directions.  “This wasn’t expected.  They weren’t fleeing or facing a known threat.  It was sudden.”  Climbing atop some nearby debris provided a better vantage.

“It’s a radial effect, focused on that central tower.”  My arm reached out, as if drawing the geometry on some cosmic white board.  I find comfort in analytics.  Raw factual data is easier input to process than the stuff put out by people - especially Mari.  She’s a total jumble, that one, but I did kinda scramble her eggs.  Hopefully, the results will be… better.  Should I have consulted a chef first?  Maybe next time.

The touch of her hand felt... warm and soft?  How could the nerve gear convey those sensations with such accuracy?  My fingers flinched.  It was actually all still new to me.  I’d kept my distance from everything for so long, and certainly more so from people.  What a fascinating sensation.

"If she's here - she's not going to last long."

It was hard to consider that anyone, even quest mobs, could have survived this.  The implications of Mari’s tone made sense.

“Agreed.  When I spoke with the husband, I kept wondering how the quest would work if she was dead.  Wouldn’t her body dissipate like all the rest?  We may be on the clock here.  But my guess is that we’ll find her corpse even if we miss the deadline - probably as some kind of quest-linked immortal object.”  There.  Clear, concise, deductive and logical.  Why couldn’t all things be so simple?

“He mentioned something about barracks near the Queen’s tower.  I’m guessing he meant that.” I pointed up at the teetering ruin.  “We should start with any location that might have offered any potential for shelter.  The largest and densest ruins might be our best bet.  Perhaps, a cellar or basement?”
 

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"Dissipate? No, not here." I said as I tried climbing the same Debris that Freyd had, but my own feet kept slipping, I  did not have the same long legs that he did. I felt a little flustered - frustrated. I needed to get some sort of incline on what he was seeing - finally I reached out, my hand clasping over his wrist as I pulled myself up using Freyd as an anchor. He looked visibly flustered- but only for a moment. I ignored it.  "You'd assume all the other bodies would have dissipated too - but they're still here. I'd say this entire battle area is a quest zone. And they remain for..." I paused. It sounded almost dirty to speak of the dead in such a way. "For...ambient effect." I added quietly. Yeh, that didn't leave a very good feeling in the pit of my stomach. No wonder the Sundered Spire people were so pissed at us players.

The rest of what Freyd said...made sense, I couldn't argue with it. Now that I was standing beside him - I could see the tips of the tower- and the shadowy and rickety outline of the barracks. Even from this distance it felt like the entire thing was in disaray- leaking an ambient aura of decay and destruction. I crossed my arms, exhaling from pursed lips. It seemed a little far- but. We had little choice. "We'd best check any bodies we pass that look like they're lying atop another." I said as I carefully slid off the crumbling rock. "She may be hiding under a corpse."

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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Her hand.  I tensed as she grasped my wrist, no doubt seeking better purchase.  She would think it was a reflex to counterbalance her pull, but the truth was that I simply remained unaccustomed to the prospect of physical contact.  Couldn’t she just have used the handholds on the rock?  Gravity held considerably less sway in this world, and she could have leapt half way up that tower, if she’d chosen.  I blinked, eyes innocently wide.  It was deliberate.  It had to be.  What was she playing at?

 "You'd assume all the other bodies would have dissipated too - but they're still here. I'd say this entire battle area is a quest zone. And they remain for....ambient effect." 

“They’re just part of the scenery?”  I grunted in agreement, trying to refocus on the task. “Grim, but accurate.”  The chill in the air and our surroundings made the presence of her ambient body heat even more noticeable.  Why would Cardinal need to simulate that?  Could it be that some mobs tracked players by body heat?  It was a thought worthy of further exploration, but not in this moment.

"We'd best check any bodies we pass that look like they're lying atop another.  She may be hiding under a corpse."

This new Mari seemed far more rational and practical.  It was a welcome change.  Her previously erratic and emotionally charged behaviour had proven challenging, though patterns had gradually begun to emerge.  Based on her reputation, I had honestly expected to be hit, stabbed, or worse, by now.  That I haven’t suggested that my original assumptions might actually be correct.  It was an awful risk, but Mari held too much potential to be left wallowing in the shadows.

The outer ruins of the dark elf capital yielded nothing.  The tragedy that has swept this place had been thorough.  Any survivors would have fled long ago.  My suspicions around Tythen’s story were growing.  His wife couldn’t have been here for the original incident.  She must have returned here afterwards, looking for something, or someone.

Mari and I had been at it for several hours and were nearly at the central tower when a braying cry and woman’s scream broke the eerie silence.  Sparing only a quick glance to confirm that Mari had heard it too, I dashed forward, rounding a ruined gatehouse into what resembled a small garrison outpost.  Little remained, save broken masonry, shattered timbers and a few scraps of faded tapestry.  Several bore the sun-bleached symbol of the night lily, suggesting the heraldric symbols of a noble house or military unit.  These were matched with the symbol of a crown above them.  The Queen’s guard, perhaps?

On the far side of the courtyard, an elven woman matching the description of Fonsa provided by Tythen was fending off four enraged, goat-headed beast men.  Her sword arm hung limply at her side as she sought feebly to protect herself with her shield.  With only defense as an option, her fate would be inevitable unless we intervened.  I’d seen enough to satisfy me of the circumstances and broke into an open sprint.  The soothing light of Grief’s Harbinger gathered at my fingertips as the blade coalesced from nothing, its inner darkness was encased in some sort of holy ward and seething with anticipation to unleash its rage.  The sword and I had a lot in common.

I screamed a challenge, which was enough to distract her assailants and have them focus on me instead.  A sudden burst of speed propelled me into them, hurtling like a bowling ball against a bunch of well-deserving pins.  They scattered accordingly upon impact, clearing a path to the wounded knight.

"Fonsa?" I managed to say while she crumpled against the nearest wall, too exhausted or injured to stand any longer.  The mark on her chest had already answered, though she barely managed a nod to further confirm it.

"Good.  Tythen sent us.  Do us both a favour and don't die, will you?"
 

Spoiler

image.png

LD > 13.  Fonsa is found.

CD 7.  Fonsa is found barely alive, fight off Crazed Beastmen and keep Fonsa alive. (3 Hits)

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN: 92/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:99 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22
Mari | HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 

Fonsa | NPC (can sustain 3 hits)

Galaxy Destroyer (x12 AoE + 8 for hits) = 20 EN – (Rested, Finesse 3) = 16 EN

ID 168230: BD: 2 + 4 = 6 (hit).  Freyd deals (264 - 20 = 244) damage to Crazed Beastman #1.
ID 168231: BD: 5 + 4 = 9 (hit).  Freyd deals (264 - 20 = 244) damage to Crazed Beastman #2.
ID 168232: BD: 8 + 4 = 12 (hit).  Freyd deals (264 - 20 = 244) damage to Crazed Beastman #3.
ID 168233: BD: 2 + 4 = 6 (hit).  Freyd deals (264 - 20 = 244) damage to Crazed Beastman #4.

[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #1 | HP: 56/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85 (300 - 244)
[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #2 | HP: 56/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85 (300 - 244)
[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #3 | HP: 56/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85 (300 - 244)
[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #4 | HP: 56/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85 (300 - 244)

All Crazed Beastmen share the following abilities:

<<Bloodthirst>> The Crazed Beastmen are returning to finish what they started. Fonsa will always have 1 Hate automatically generated for each Beastman.

<<Crazed Swing>> On a MD roll of 9-10 the Crazed Beastman will swing wildly, hitting every party member, including Fonsa. (players take numerical damage, Fonsa takes 1 hit) This attacks Deal 100 damage to players.
 

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We had searched for hours, barely saying a word to each other beyond confirmation that we had yet to find it. I preferred it this way. It was easier to deal with him. I didn't have to keep pretending anymore. But, that's probably what he wanted,huh?  I sighed as I pushed a body off another. Nothing. I was tired. My limbs and eyes were heavy, and my head swimming with a dizziness that was hard to place. But I just pushed that away. Always pushing things down and away. I remained resolute in my mission. I just had to finish this. Then I could take a few days to make my way back down to the comforting darkness of my cabin on the fourth floor.

A startled cry, pained and afraid broke the winds of silence - I lifted my gaze to glance at Freyd. We followed to where she was- weak- fending off furred beast-men with dripping maws. "Mmm..."  I didn't really have anything more to say to Freyd. There was no point. We were in the midst of a battle. No words were needed. He had already charged in with an attack. Throwing them all off kilter. As they staggered backward. All I had to do was finish them off.

FIghting...Didn't I hate fighting? What did it matter? I exhaled as I stepped forward, grabbing Freyd's arm and pulling him behind me. If he didn't comply, he'd be in the way - and that would be his own fault.

I rolled my shoulders back, the chill of battle coursing through my veins to my fingertips as I clenched my spear tightly. Or maybe, it was the strange uneven chill of no longer caring. A silence that had been torn into my soul by the very man behind me. Maybe - just maybe my blade should have been pointed at him. But that'd be a waste. 

Tap
    Tap
       Tap


Leather boots echoed across the still air of the courtyard as I held out my spear. Lips pursed into a loud whistle to get the beastmans attention. I succeeded, with a howling and guttoral roar they each began to circle me - running - round and round me. Perfectly lined up in a neat. Little. Circle. A cold smile broke my pink lips as my weapon flashed, and with an instant strike - pivoting on the ball of my heel - I tore through each and every one of them. Cleaving them from existence. As it should be.

I walked through glimmering fires of red data as it cascaded around my form. The job was done, the trek back would be quick - as we would not be searching for a weeping wife.  "Let's go then." I  said as she turned her back on  both Freyd and Fonsa.

Apathy...felt like a beautiful thing.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Action:19  [x9 AoE] Weeping Moon (9 Energy +2 per target hit) - Do a single and powerful 360-degree spin
ID:168237   BD: 3 + 4=7 HIT =171-20=151

ID:168238 BD" 8 + 4 = 12 HIT =171-20=151
ID:168240  BD: 8 + 4=12 HIT 
 =171-20=151
ID:168241 BD:6 + 4= HIT 
 =171-20=151

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP: 1110/1110 | EN: 92/108 | DMG:22 | MIT:99 | EVA:2 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:6 | BLD:36 | BH:22
Mari | HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 

Fonsa | NPC (can sustain 3 hits) 3/3

[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #1 | HP: 0/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85 -151
[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #2 | HP: 0/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85 -151
[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #3 | HP: 0/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85   -151
[H:1,0,1] Crazed Beastman #4 | HP: 0/300 | MIT 20 | DMG 85   -151

All Crazed Beastmen share the following abilities:

<<Bloodthirst>> The Crazed Beastmen are returning to finish what they started. Fonsa will always have 1 Hate automatically generated for each Beastman.

<<Crazed Swing>> On a MD roll of 9-10 the Crazed Beastman will swing wildly, hitting every party member, including Fonsa. (players take numerical damage, Fonsa takes 1 hit) This attacks Deal 100 damage to players.

Edited by Mari
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The gentle touch of Mari’s hand seemed to slow time as she casually moved me out of the way of her intended attack, lining up the goatmen for the kill.  Unexpected.  She had actually bothered.  I half expected to be caught in the blender and she mowed down everything within reach, regardless of its IFF tag.  There was a thirst for violence in her eyes barely concealed behind a veneer and demeanor that was cold as ice.  I knew that look.  I am that look.  But then why move me out of the splash zone?  

She was changing.  There was already a marked difference in her seriousness.  Even her manner of walk had been altered.  It was harsher.  Edgier.  There was a mix of callous disregard and predatory nature at play.  Was this her old self returning?  The influence of that oozy gemini/darkness thingy?  Maybe it as just the manifestation of annoyance writ large, for all the time people had fucked with her.  Perhaps.  She seemed like she had messed with more than a few herself.  How quaint that she gets to rage at her treatment yet treats herself so much worse. Only Mari is allowed to judge Mari?  Life doesn’t work that way.

The elven woman - Fontsa, or something - was clamering for attention.  I was daydreaming again.  It really needs to stop.  She offered thanks as I pulled her to her feet, cradling her right arm, which had a series of slashes and bite marks across it.

“Choose the wrong shield arm this morning?”  I asked, semi-seriously.  She didn’t appreciate the humour as much as the rescue.  Her features and dress matched the description provided by Tythen, but one has to be sure.

“I need two answers from you before we can get out of here.  Firstly, what were you doing here?  Secondly, who would have given me this?”  The sun charm necklace slinked through my fingers clinking like a tiny wind chime as it did so.  A look of defiance in her eyes melted away to tears when she saw it, and she flung her arms around me.  I did the only reasonable thing and looked at her funny.

“What’s with all the touching today?!” I asked, confused by the unexpected gesture and sobbing that followed.  “Mari?” I called.  “I think she sprung a leak.”

There seemed to be a lot of that going around.

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I hadn't cared to wait around for Freyd or the NPC - knowing him, he'd probably want to whisk her back away to safety and get this quest over and done with. At least...that's what I wanted. I was a few metres ahead but had stopped when I didn't hear the shuffling of footsteps following. With a heavy sigh a paused and turned to glance over my shoulder to see them. Fonsta- Fanta, or whatever her name was - she had her arms wrapped tightly around Freyd's shoulders - face rubbing into the crook of his neck as she sobbed. Loudly. 

"Tch."

That sort of programming bothered me. Making things cry like that? Not only that but it felt...somehow it felt insincere, maybe it was the way she was sobbing about her husband, latched onto another man - maybe it was because she was meant to be 'strong' or maybe, I was just frustrated that she nothing more than a damn computer program was able to cry so freely and I wasn't able to. Freyd looked over at me with a helpless look in his eyes.

I sighed as I trumped toward the two - and with a rough gesture pulled the woman off of him. "Get a hold of yourself."

She didn't take too kindly to that.  "W-What is the meaning of-"

I interrupted her, "We're returning you to your husband. C'mon lets-"

SLAP

I felt the sharp sting of her hand across my face. Fanta stared at me, gleaming watery eyes with distate. "You know nothing of love." She spat at me. Heh. I probably didn't. I thought that would be the end, but her tirade continued. "You've never been married! Never known the love of a husband or a family!" She hissed. "So don't- HEY! Don't walk away when I'm talking."

Oh, Walk away I did. I didn't need to her her venomous bile. I didn't need to see that look reflected in her  gaze. The look as though they were staring at a monster. I get it. I get it. So screw it, I'd lead the way back toward her doting husband whilst she hung all over Freyd. 

Not. My. Problem.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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My initial reaction to Mari and Fontsa's 'slap spat' was to tilt my head with curiosity.  Fontsa was about to storm after her when I clenched the shoulder of her injured arm and squeezed tight.  She cried out and collapsed - the pain suppression having itself apparently been suppressed for added effect.  Interesting.  Bending down, I spoke sternly into her other ear loud enough that Mari could hear.

"That woman just saved your life.  You know less of her than she knows of you, and what you're feeling right now is incomparable to what she's endured.  Make another foolish accusation, or speak to her that way again and I will cut you down myself."  My hand clenched again for emphasis.  "Do we understand each other?"  She nodded, her teeth clenched tightly.  "Your assumptions were all stupidly wrong," I added, in a quieter voice.  Fontsa seemed to get my drift.  This was going to be a long and awkward walk home if things stayed as they were.

Straightening, and helping the dark elf get back up as well, I pursued my original line of questioning.  "I'll accept your reaction as a response to my second question, but that still leaves the first.  Why did you come back here?"  We started walking so that Mari wouldn't get too far ahead.

"I cannot say."  It was a pathetic attempt at deflection.  At least make up a plausible lie, or go all out weaving an elaborate tale with enough half-truths to be plausible.  Okay...  maybe that's just what I'd do.  Still. I wasn't having it.  "Fontsa, you may want to have a word with my companion if you think that I'm the 'nice one' in our little duo.  I'm sure she could enlighten you.  So when I ask you what you were doing here, you should seriously consider providing me with a more fulsome and truthful response.  Despite our little heroic moment back there, neither one of us seems to be in a particularly charitable mood at the moment."  

I do so love layering on a little subtle body language to emphasize a point.  A grip of the pommel and creaking sound of leather on metal, combined with the deliberate clank of metal on metal as the blade strike a well-placed buckle.  Words can so easily be reinforced or altered by such things, going so far to as to take on a completely different meaning.  All it takes it practice and awareness.

"So, in the spirit of a much more pleasant walk back to Kalanaes, why don't you try that again?"  I smiled, but my eyes told her the truth, especially when they glanced at the charm she still clutched in her useful hand.

"The Council wanted assurances that the Queen was actually dead - a body, symbol of office, or something beyond rumour and speculation."  She sighed, finding the politics of it exhausting.  "The Order of the Night Lily served as her majesty's personal guard for countless generations.  But... I think they're just sending us out on solo suicide missions to get us out of the way."  Fontsa turned to look me in the eyes.  "I don't mind being expendable.  Soldiers have to live with that.   I just hate the idea of being thrown away."

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I really didn't care what was going on behind me. I heard Fontsa cry out in pain, and the heated mumble of words being exchanged but I didn't bother looking back. I kept walking forward - deliberately slow and steady, so the two behind me had a chance to catch up. This quest would be over soon. I just had to -

hat you're feeling right now is incomparable to what she's endured.  Make another foolish accusation, or speak to her that way again and I will cut you down myself

Dramatic, wasn't he? I paused in my steed. This time I was tempted to look over at them. Why Freyd would say such things after what he did to me? It's not like he had one iota of caring toward me. "Tch." More lies, more manipulation. He just wanted to subdue the woman so she would stop fawning over him. "Hurry up, I'd rather not be out here all night." I added with a dismissive wave over my shoulder. 

We walked the rest of the way in relative silence, which suited me just fine - I didn't really want to talk to either of them. Fontsa saw me as a monster, and Freyd saw me as some easily manipulated pet project. I paused just on the outskirts of the safe zone. I couldn't go into the town. Not without being chased. Normally, I'd worry for the denizens. The NPCs I didn't want to scare, the players I wanted to make sure felt safe. Now, I found it difficult to care about those things. 

"I'm too tired to be chased." I said with an exasperated sigh. I reached out to Freyd, gently grabbing his arm and urging him forward. "Go take her to see her husband. I'll have to wait here."

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

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