Lessa

For Claim.

He held her face in his hands, and though his body shook and his eyes burned, his touch was remarkably gentle. She let out what breath was left in her lungs in a small, surprised puff. His words worked to tear the poor girl in two. Of course, the pain that he was experiencing was a knife to her heart as well. She cared so deeply for Alkor, and seeing him in such a state was nerve wracking to say the least. She was dumbstruck, and the woman who once prided herself on her ability to help others found that she was at a complete loss. The swordsman with the brown hair did not need her words of adv

As his brown eyes grew damp with tears, Lessa took a surprised, unsteady breath. What was happening to him? Maybe she was reaching him after all. She had shared her feelings with him, feelings that she had kept bottled up for so long. She had not wanted to push him away, or make her feel uncomfortable. But the moment had felt right, and she had taken a risk. His tears, and the sweet tenderness he was showing her suggested maybe it had been the right move. But then he jerked her hands away. It caught her off guard, and as he threw them aside, she lost her balance. The girl tipped, crashing to

It was as if something had snapped in him. Before she understood what was going on, he was at her feet, his amber eyes finding her blue ones with such urgency. And the words he spoke to her, filled with so much pain and confusion. What had happened to him? In that moment, he had changed completely. This was the side of him that she had waited to see for so long. The emotion she had pestered him about for as long as she had known him. And now, with everything she had wanted right in front of her, she felt her heart breaking. "Oh Alkor," she whispered breathlessly. He was so lost, and she was

"If it had been you in trouble," she replied plainly, "I would have." She did not want to let those words hang too long, as they were a bit more forward than Alkor would probably appreciate. They could certainly be understood as a guild master looking out for her guild, but she meant it differently, and she suspected he knew that. "You did what you felt was right," she continued. "You looked out for another player, and were there in her time of need. If it came down to bloodshed, I truly believe it was the only possible answer." She paused, then shook her head. "If that act is not deservin

The edge of his long cloak brushed the backs of her legs as he turned, and she listened to Alkor take his leave. So that was it, then? A brief exchange, and they would go their separate ways? It made sense, in a way. All she had wanted was an answer, and he had given that to her. He had nothing else to offer, and she had no further questions. So why did something still feel unfinished between the two of them? Why did she still feel unsatisfied? Lessa had expected an entirely different story. Though she was embarrassed to admit it, she had foolishly concluded that he and Mari decided to st

As he told his story, she felt herself growing even more conflicted than she had been before. He spoking of seeking justice for a little girl and her mother, and putting an end to not a man, but a monster. It all sounded so harmless when he said it said it like that, in that voice which had always brought her comfort. In fact, it sounded heroic. But he had still killed another player. She vivdly remembered him speaking of player killers, and how completely twisted they were. How could a person kill another, when there was already so much danger programmed into SAO? It was senseless. But he

Thank you for making those edits. Welcome to Aincrad! Approved.

The moment she saw him approaching, she turned her back to him. So it is not just a glitch in my menu, she thought to herself, closing her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, they shone with the first sign of tears. But she bit the inside of her cheek, hard, fighting to keep the tears from falling. Crying now would do her no good. She heard the grass crunch beneath his boots, and when all sound ceased, she could feel his presence directly behind her. But she could not turn around. Her stomach had already tied itself into knots at the thought of him being a player killer, and if she loo

She had found out earlier that morning. Lessa had been nestled deep under the quilts of her guild's inn's bed. Wrapped in a warm cocoon, she had been content to simply watch the snow pile up outside her window. There had been a lot of it in the past eight hours, and the drift that pushed against the glass covered nearly half of it. Lessa had sighed, the sight reminding her of the hard winters she had experienced back home. Home. She found herself thinking less of the real world these days. Now, her dreams of returning home were replaced by dreams of those she cared about within the world

Approved.

For the second time in the same number of weeks, her body was pressed to his. She could remember the sweet scent of his cloak. It had not been a specific smell, but simply a mixture of aromas that she had come to associate with the amber-eyed swordsman. It had been a scent that she had kept with her, and more often than she would like to admit, she found herself wishing she could experience it again. Again, she drew a deep breath through her nose. This time, all that she smelled was her own blood. Suddenly, his body was gone, and there was nothing left to support her near-lifeless frame

The woman let forth an anguished cry as his blade sliced her skin. This time, the hot, sticky liquid flowed freely from the wound, seeping under her armor and dampening her clothing. It pooled on along her collar bone, the edge of her breast, and even her underarm. There was so much blood, and it would go on to stain her skin as they continued their battle. Later, when she would peel off her clothes and inspect the damage, the dark mark on her skin would serve as a cruel reminder of the harm he had caused her. The damage that he had enjoyed inflicting. A sob continued to bubble up in the bac

But that strike never came. Finally, her blue eyes fluttered open. Nothing had happened. She thought maybe he was lining up to strike her, waiting to ensure that critical hit. And why not? She had all but handed him her remaining health on a silver platter. So she waited a beat more. Somewhere, off in the distance, she thought she heard a chorus of booing from the stands. But again, there was no jolt, no pain, no blood. And she hesitantly turned to face him. When her gaze found his figure, she desperately wished that he had just been waiting to hit her. The actual scene that she found deva

This time, her reaction was not instant. As the spectators grew quiet, the tip of the blonde's sword dropped to the ground. One hand held the weapon, and the other slowly rose to her neck. She pressed it there for a few seconds, then pulled her gauntlet-clad hand away. The crimson liquid seeped into the metal, running along the thin creases, and dripping to the ground like fat, dark raindrops. She stared at it for a moment, speechless. Then, the hand clenched into a fist. I was right the first time. He is a monster. She grabbed at her weapon once more, a bit of the blood rubbing off onto He

And with the same machine-like precision, he slashed at her again. This time, the woman did venture a glance at her health bar. Just like that, he had cut down a third of her health. It was unacceptable. Her hands tightened within her gauntlets, squeezing her heavy claymore's hilt tighter. She focused all of her energy there, willing the rose-tinted blade to find her mark this time. She was tired of falling to him every time. Once, he had been her mentor. He had picked her up on the street when she was a lowly level one. He had led her through the motions, helping her find her feet. Then, it

Though her armor absorbed some of the hit, Alkor's powerful strike sent the woman falling backward. She threw out one foot, and caught herself before she could fall over. But it did not take a glance at her health bar to tell her he had dealt some serious damage. Part of her was hurt by his action. Sure, this was all a contest. She could not die, and this was the whole point of the challenge. But that look in his amber eyes when he had struck her had been chilling; they had been completely bereft of emotion. His actions had been crisp, clean, and made without hesitation. He's a monster, insi

She drew her sword with a long, metalic hiss. Lessa knew that she would not be able to outrun Alkor. He was far too quick, and he would easily be able to dodge her attacks. But what he did not have was protection, and she had plenty of it. Her best bet would be to come in hard and heavy, and pray that her big hits found their mark. If they did not, she would just have to depend on her heavy armor to keep her in the game long enough to see victory. With this in mind, Lessa made the first move. The spectators roared as she moved into action, picking up as much speed as she could muster. She

The woman was dressed for battle. Her silver breastplate was lined with pink, and delicate roses were etched into its surface. A matching gauntlet adorned each hand, and they caught the light with each movement she made. Then, there was Hell Rose. The blade was her pride and joy, and it had kept her alive for as long as she had been in the game. It was not perfect quality, but she had never once considered trading it out. It gave off its own pink light, and it seemed to grow even brighter than ever before today. The light given off by her sword was matched only by the light in the woman's bl