Sakura

Resources had become scarce as of late, and Aoi knew that she would need to stop putting off the effort required to replenish and replace what she had used. Though she could have bought some of the materials she needed to continue her trade, she was also aware that a large percentage of those materials were subpar compared to what could be found through a single dance through the fields. ’Besides, Kaie, I could use the exercise and practice. It’s been a while since I’ve done a simple combative adventure.’ She didn’t want to think about how long it had been – days, if not weeks, at least

’Here we are.’ Aoi looked down at the kneeling man, watching as he began digging into the rocks and dirt with a slow, methodical form that clearly showed his weakness and inability. Aoi hesitated, a part of her wanting to assist, and another part wanting nothing more to do with the man’s endeavours. She held no ill will towards him, and yet she felt no desire to assist him in his task – simply provide protection, and move on. She felt an odd disparity within herself as she considered her own behaviour. ’These once belonged to my wife, before she…’ Aoi’s thoughts were interrupted as the m

Time would’ve been hard to determine if Aoi had been forced to rely upon only the surrounding environment. Thankfully, the clock that was a part of her HUD – one which she had become accustomed to checking frequently throughout her travels – was more than capable of tracking her progress, and how long she’d been away. Glancing up at it, she could see that she’d already wandered through the desert for nearly two hours when the storms had begun to settle and quell around her. She pulled down the cloth that had been covering the lower part of her face – a simple rag that she’d used as a makeshift

Her eyes had shifted to glance towards the centralised spire that once housed the floor boss, the greatest danger the expansive desert had ever seen. Her subtle ploy was obvious to the bandit, and although he seemed to hesitate for a few moments, the decision was no surprise to Aoi when he nodded towards the distance. Slowly, quietly as they had arrived, the bandits surrounding her appeared to shift back into the flowing storm before disappearing from sight entirely. Only the leader remained, just long enough to shout a final thought towards Aoi before disappearing himself. ’You won’t always b

Flipping open her menu, Aoi decided to risk a bluff that would either succeed – or leave herself and the elderly man laying in the dirt with nothing more than a memory passing between them. She typed for a few seconds, before closing the menu and staring towards the man who had originally spoken. She could see the confusion in his face, and wondered for a brief second if this would even work. Nothing for it now but to try and hope things work out for the best. ’I’ve called upon those who fight against the dark taints of this world, to assist one of their own.’ She spoke evenly, letting he

’Good, good. You see the situation. Now let’s resolve this without any bloodshed, shall we?’ The man smiled suddenly, and whatever hopes of peaceful acceptance Aoi may have had disappeared with the appearance of the expression on his face. Instead, she realised that she was either going to have to comply – which would be dangerous for herself and the elderly man – or suffer the consequences. ’What we’re going to do here is alleviate you of any excess you might be carrying around with you. Specifically anything of value, and worth…in exchange we’ll give you your life and freedom to continue pro

The first figure came flowing from the sands around them, and Aoi belatedly reached out a hand to stop the old man, stepping before him and placing herself between the new arrival and her escort. A measure of malice could be seen within their expression, and although no weapon was immediately drawn, it was obviously displayed within the reached of a hand should she suddenly decide that she wasn’t going to be compliant with whatever came next. ’Calm and clear will get us through this without any discrepancies now! Don’t make any sudden movements, and all will be well!’ The voice that calle

The sand snapped and whipped around her, as if the storm had somehow knew they were approaching their destination and was actively trying to inhibit or halt their progress entirely. Aoi squinted against the raging winds and blowing sands, staring out into the distance, knowing well that there was something to be found beyond the edges of her vision. She wanted nothing more than to head out into the area and find whatever it was that hunted them, that stalked them within the brutality of the storm itself – but she knew that to do so was not only dangerous, but would likely tear her away from fi

Another shadow crossed the edges of her vision, this one lasting long enough to make Aoi believe that it wasn’t just her imagination, or some shift in the storm around them. Though it had moved quickly, and had carried with it a distorted visage, she couldn’t deny the fact that it had been humanoid in some shape or form. She wanted to warn the elderly man beside her, to give him some indication that they were being followed and possibly tracked, but as she turned to say something, she noticed that he was smiling at her in a way that showed in the eyes, the only thing visible in his features.

’…almost there!’ The voice seemed to echo backwards from the elderly man, most of the words lost to the wind that whipped and snapped around them, the sand still buffeting their forms as they pressed onwards. Aoi could see the casual glance backwards that the man made, as if checking to see if she was still there. Aoi gave a long, exaggerated nod in response, unwilling to attempt to raise her voice over the storm in response. It seemed to be enough, and once more he returned to his shambling walk that took them across the desert sands and towards their still unknown to her destination. It

Nothing bothered them for the next few hours as they continued along the path that the elderly man had been taking. Aoi found herself lost in thought once more, considering the various events she’d experienced while within the world of Aincrad. She couldn’t say that all of the events had been positive, but as she stared at the form of the elderly man she followed alongside, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about which she would change, which she would never experience if she could choose to avoid them. Futile, but what’s the point? If I didn’t experience them, would I be the person

Is this what awaits all of us if we live long enough? Aoi didn’t like considering the possibility, and forced her eyes away and into the distance, looking for anything that could distract her from the reality of her situation. Sands whipped around her, dancing and playing on the air as though trying to escape their own destiny. Trapped upon a simple breeze, brought along without a choice. Is that all life is? She didn’t want to think or consider the possibilities, and found herself glancing about the blinding sand in an attempt to distract herself. A shift of movement caught her attention

Consider your elders. She’d rolled her eyes – internally of course – at the thought, knowing that it was inappropriate to talk down about the elderly in such a way. Not that Aoi cared in the moment, the sand biting into her causing any desire to be traditionally courteous disappearing with the discomfort she was feeling. Still, she’d chosen to heed the words even if just slightly. There was no need to become overtly rude and repugnant towards a man who just wanted some minor assistance from her. Sighing, allowing a breath of dirt into her mouth that made her wince and cough reactively, Ao

Whether or not it could be considered a foolish choice, Aoi didn’t care to consider. She’d taken the quest, and she knew that if she retreated now it would simply be sacrificed and a waste of time. Time that she would have to place back into the quest later on, once she was at a point where she would need whatever rewards it provided. Determined, and a small measure of stubborn, she choice to continue on the path she’d already taken. I’m already here, I might as well. Otherwise this was all just a waste of time. She avoided thinking about any consequences, figuring she’d deal with those once t

I hope he’s not lost and we’re not simply wandering through the desert in the middle of a storm until we both die. She didn’t like the thought, and found herself pushing it aside before it could truly take root in her mind. She doubted that the NPC was lost – it was uncommon for them, especially on escort missions, not to have a pre-determined path that they unknowingly took. Although Aincrad had shown itself to be different and unique in some ways, Aoi knew it was still a game. It still followed the same general rules and expectations of any game, though it carried a number of exciting – and