[OP-F4] A Frozen Heart

[Guest]

Alkor stared out at the vast snow drifts of the fourth floor from the center of its town, arms splayed out and resting on a powder-covered wall. Next to him, a strange player with her face covered by a scarf stood about three feet away and spoke in a low voice. "They say there's a small band of player killers hiding out on the fringes of the floor," she said quietly. "But obviously, the ones who made it back were so traumatized, we can't make heads or tails of the truth behind the claims."

Alkor let out a laugh. "Yeah," he joked, "I can imagine almost dying might take a toll on someone's mental stability."

The information dealer quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing about the dry wit of the player, Alkor. "You're not the usual type," she spoke up. "Usually, hunters are leveled way above the floor they hunt on."

"Got enough trouble on the Front Lines for Front Liners," Alkor drawled. "Best leave lower floor troubles to the lower level players." He brought up his menu and scrolled through the items he'd collected, deliberating on what weapons and armor he'd employ for this hunt.

"So," she asked, "have you ever killed a player?"

"Not really one for light conversation, are you?" He asked, giving her a sidelong glance. "No," he admitted, "and the gods willing, I'll never have to. But it won't stop me if that becomes necessary."

The dealer observed that this player kept himself aloof, detached from the act of killing another player. While he did not revel in violence or death, he also did not sully his conscience with the prospect of having to dole it out, either. What a scary guy, she thought.

"What can you tell me about the Mavericks?" He asked, breaking her train of thought. The girl's eyes snapped up to Alkor. "Not much," she said honestly. "There are five of them, and supposedly, their leader is a few levels higher than you are now. His avatar name is Anubis."

After the Egyptian god who judges the dead, Alkor noted. He probably went into the Full Dive intending to PK. If the initial event with Kayaba didn't deter him, he was probably unstable to begin with. The golden eyed swordsman let out a soft sigh. "Here," he said, and he reached out with a small orb of light, opening trade. The woman accepted the money, then nodded graciously.

"Don't die," she warned. Alkor only offered a smile as she disappeared into the bustling crowd and flailing snowfall.

"Looks like I better stock up before I head out," he spoke aloud, heading toward the shop to grab some health potions. It would take a lot of work and some luck to take down five Maverick Players.

[Ethereal 0]

When Alkor entered the store, a small group of people were gathered inside the Alchemy store around a table and in the corner. It seemed there was a meeting of some sort occurring - one could overhear strange, exotic names and figures if they walked by the table. Among the players talking at this table, one could make out the faces of a few of the best Alchemists SAO had to offer.

 

In a split second, the gathering was concluded and many of the players filed out of the shop - only leaving a few. Among which there was Ethereal.

[Guest]

Watching a large number of players exit en masse, Alkor blinked and stood by the counter. His eyes skimmed over the group, and he called out to them. "Hey," he said, "anyone selling health potions? I'm going out on this floor on a Maverick hunt, and I need a safe number of them."

He knew it was probably going to draw some attention that he didn't want; there would be whispers and stares, and probably a few laughs at his generic level. Alkor ignored the stigma, folding his arms and bowing his head.

If anyone were going to take him up on the sale, they'd get his attention over the murmur. His HUD showed a normal heartbeat and brainwave levels, which was always a comfort. It meant he was fine in the real world. That was his biggest worry, these days.

[Ethereal 0]

Unlike the other craftsmen, Ether addressed the newcomer. "Hey there, sorry about them. They just sit around at their shops all day thinking they're the center of the world. If you want health potions I can help you out, though if you're hunting Mavericks you'll need only the best." He said in his usual friendly fashion. 

 

"Oh I'm Ethereal by the way, but everybody calls me Ether." he added, before moving to the counter.

[Guest]

"Ether," he repeated with a nod, "good to meet you. I'm Alkor." He didn't have any special titles or honorifics for the other man to use, so he offered only his name. That the man was an alchemist was a boon for his purpose, and the man seemed to have a working knowledge of higher quality mixtures.

Everything comes with a price, came the cynical thoughts through his mind, but Alkor smiled in spite of himself. "How much, and how many can you provide for me?" The swordsman asked, straight to business as ever. He had a general plan of where he'd go looking for the mavericks and how he would fight, though it would probably benefit him to gather a few more party members.

Until then, though, he'd browse Ether's wares. "I know it's short notice, so I'm not expecting any miracles. I'll pay you for the time and your product, of course."