Ashrah

"Oh, you know," he replied casually, rebuffing a fervent blow with the haft of his weapon. The boar hobbled backward awkwardly. "Taking in the sights, casual stroll through the fields- the usual." Tobias jabbed the back end of the weapon into the boar to provoke it further, albeit with the added bonus of creating distance.

Ava asked if he needed help, but gave it before he could answer. She'd learned quickly. This was the same sort of thing he did for her back when she was just starting out, and yet, they were much more even now. Her rapier ripped fiercely into the creature, and Tobias smirked.

"Look at you go," he praised. "Little miss brutality, ain'tcha?" He liked it; unlike before, when Ava was worried about combat, she displayed an air of confidence. Sure, these were first floor boars, but she had none of her former flighty features. From the Yetis to the Field Boss Avalanche, and into this moment, Tobias had watched her transform into a stronger willed fighter.

"Can't have you showing me up too bad," he said with a laugh. The spear seemed to move on its own as the words came, and his body moved in fluid time with each spinning stroke. The boar tried to follow the sharp edge, but failed. It let out a whine. 

The spearman obliged with a vicious thrust of his weapon, sent from behind the back. It gored into the creature's flesh, but not before the pig got a chance to close the distance. "Bleh," Arc muttered as a sliver of his health was shaved away. "Screwed the timing up on that one. Ah, well."

The spear ripped backward violently and Tobias watched as the boar recoiled. "I've got a ways to go, I wager, before I can call myself any kind of Master."

With a shrug, he glanced back to the blue haired girl. Tobias smiled. "It's great to see you," he told her.

(H:4) Arc: 353/355 HP 29/34 E

(H:2) Birdie: 279/280 HP 23/28 E

Boar: 81/177 HP

He squeezed her hand gently when she asked about his meaning. There was no real need to extrapolate on it. Everyone in SAO knew that at its core, the vast and beautiful world around them was their prison. It was better to look on it as something that could be enjoyed, if not in totality then in parts.

The night life of Taft certainly drew his attention back from the brink of despair. "Yeah," he said finally. "That's what I meant." Tobias offered Ava a serene smile, something most denizens of the virtual reality lacked for. "But I deal, you know. We all do."

He slowly lifted her hand to his face and brushed his lips across her fingers. "I'll make sure we get home safe," he told her. "Then you can definitely come over and have some of that Chinese food." If not for almost souring the mood, he never would have taken the leap of faith that came with kissing her hand. Still, as he lowered their hands to their sides, Tobias was satisfied with having done it. 

Dim lighting came to life in the windows as he led her toward the bridge, and out onto the middle of it. "The water is so clear," he said, "all you'll see is moon reflected on the surface. It's so great."

He turned and leaned against the rail, his head tilted backward. "And Aincrad even has its own sky," he whispered. 

Both combatants hurtled toward one another at top speed. Tobias' spearhead gleamed with a vicious red light as he triggered his Sword Skill, prompting the system to overcorrect his angles and rip his weapon straight through the intended target. The blade tore through the boar and brought it airborne.

For a moment, no sound at all came from the startled creature. Any pain it felt may have been numbed by shock as Tobias hefted it from the dirt with the sheer force of his momentum alone. 

All of that ended when he followed through with a full thrust, arcing the weapon down and toward the ground. The resulting impact caused the ground to shudder, and the boar let out a high pitched whine.

Arc spun his weapon as he ripped it free, and he brought the spear to rest flat against his arm as he stood and brought up his notification windows. A quick swipe of his finger and tap accepted Ava's party invite, and her information appeared near the top of his HUD.

Tobias tapped out a response at high speed.

Quote

To: Birdie

Absolutely! Can't wait to see you.

After he tapped send, Tobias danced out of the way of the mob's furious attempt at a counterattack. "Nice try," he muttered. The creatures were smart, he had to give them that. Any perceived opening was something they could exploit. The algorithms were relentless that way.

Arc: 354/355 HP 29/34 E

Boar: 138/178 HP (H:2)

As Tobias approached the first of his many foes to come, the beast let out an indignant snort. Short plumes of stream rolled out from its snout as red eyes fixated on the mercenary. "Alright," he murmured, "let's see how you like... this."

It charged without warning. The spear spun instinctively, tucked behind his back for a half second before he lashed out viciously toward the piggish beast. 

His skill with the lengthy weapon had already skyrocketed beyond what he had with his former weapon. The creature let out an agonized squeal as he skewered it clean through,  then ripped the weapon backward. 

It was a short lived victory, because the creature staggered forward gracelessly as he dumped it off the head of his weapon. As it did so, it raked him with both tusks. "Sloppy," he muttered as his health fell, though only a tiny fraction.

Thankfully, his mitigation made the damage- brutal for new players- almost nothing. "I'll just have to move quicker from now on."

He brought the weapon round and let the head rest close to the ground. This way, he had more angles to react from against a shorter foe.

"I wonder what sort of order she's working," he murmured absently as he circled with the unhappy swine.

Arc: 354/355 HP 33/34 E

Boar: 170/178 HP (H: 1)

With information from the newest Cardinal created quest giver, Tobias headed down to the first floor. It would be the easiest place to search for materials, given how prominent the respawn rate for creatures was. He had abysmal luck with finding items, but it wouldn't be too difficult for him to collect the animal fat.

In theory.

He absently thumbed through his menu and selected Birdie from his friends list, then sent her a message.

Quote

To: Birdie

Hey, Ava! I was wondering if you heard about the new quest that just got announced. I made my way up to Floor 18 and spoke with the NPC, and the first portion of it looks like a lot of gathering. It's a good source of experience, and I thought of you immediately. 

Would you want to do it with me?

He sent it immediately, and promptly headed out toward the fields. With Repeat Offender in hand, the mercenary readied himself for combat. It would be easy enough to take on whatever creatures came his way.

"I hope she decides to join me," he pondered aloud. "This quest sounds like a lot of fun."

The Queen rose from her wicked rest and took to the skies.

It was much less glorious than that, of course. From where he had seen the hive, Arc witnessed her slow crawl into the firmament, albeit far enough away that he couldn't cut her off. Not immediately. He broke into a quick run as she spiraled toward the sunlight, and the Mercenary threw himself toward a point where he could not be taken unawares, his eyes trained on the skyline.

She shot downward at a vengeful speed, clearly vicious over what he had done to her drones. The warrior met her head on, his blade ready and willing to do its worst to the field boss. Her natural weapon met with his metal, and the resulting concussive force threw the beast backward. Arc wasted no time hurrying forward and taking a deep slash at the wasp's abdomen.

She reeled from the strike.

Arc: 354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wind Wasp Queen: 43/50 HP

There was something to the whole agility thing that appealed to him.

Each attempt the wasp made to get close, he made the effort seem harrowing and wasted. His body glided away from harm almost effortlessly, like water filtered through a funnel. The system assist had taught him through muscle memory how each motion was meant to be, and his body now acted on instinct alone. A subtle step to one side, or a full tilt backward. One dive, or a quick run. With further training, he could possibly even learn to turn a flip or narrowly escape an impact with acrobatic ease.

This was the sort of fighting he got the most thrill from. Back home, a fistfight ended quickly with a bloodied nose or broken bones. SAO boasted a fighting style that accented the sort of thing you saw in action movies. Chinese wire jumping, swords and spears, and even daunting creatures that had no business actually existing.

At least if he made it out alive, it would be an experience he could look back on and genuinely say, "I did those things."

The wasp practically ran itself through on his blade. He extended it in the creature's path, and it flew directly into the shallow cut. It exploded into data before it even made it past him.

Arc: 354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wasp: Dead

When he dodged away once more, the wasp took to the air. Each rapid wingbeat grew more faint as other sounds took preeminence. Arc gaze sidelong toward the source of an orchestra of insect sounds, and he noted the presence of what appeared to be the hive. The primitive, hollowed out tree was broken halfway up, a formerly massive oak with rich brown bark. He could smell pollen thick in the air as his enemy disappeared behind the canopy, and he took the moment to assess his surroundings. If there were other wasps nearby, it was not obvious.

Arc clutched his weapon with a bit more urgency now, wary that anything might appear in his moment most dire. Sword Art Online lent to paranoia in a way that he did not admire.

The wasp's wings betrayed its location before he ever saw it coming. Arc threw himself into a dive roll to the left, and he was well out of the way before the stinger plunged deep into the dirt where he stood only moments before. The mercenary let out a heavy sigh. At least I get better at this with every fight.

Arc:354/355 HP 20/34 E

Wasp: 3/10 HP

"This is cute." Arc stalked through the trees with a wary expression, various sounds tugging his gaze in every direction at random. There was no calm to be found in the deceptively gentle glow of a pale moon. The mercenary turned his head at the sound he presumed came from another player's footsteps, though it was disjointed and he had yet to stumble on anyone else. His entire body jerked with the motion. "Yeah," he repeated, "this is really frickin' cute."

He almost jumped from his skin when someone called out, somewhere out in the trees. Oikawa! The voice was not as distinct as the name. Someone had seen the blacksmith and greeted him, which brought Arc's attention to the source of the sound. He picked up his pace and headed toward them at a jog.

When the two shadowy figures came into view, he felt relief rip through him. Being alone in this forest was something out of a horror movie. "Thank god," he murmured, though inaudibly. "Hey guys," he raised his voice in greeting, just to be sure neither of them would be taken off guard when he came closer. "It's good to see other people out here. Do you guys know what's supposed to be going on?"

"This is a seafaring event?" 

Tobias couldn't believe his ears. In all the time he'd been trapped, the prospect of sailing a ship never occurred to him. As a native of a seaside city and the grandson of a ship's navigator, the lad had spent many nights crowded near his aged grandfather's boots listening to tales both tall and true. The stories ranged from life across the tides to tales of piracy and high adventure. There was a fondness in him for all things that dwelled in the depths. 

His father had been a fisherman. Tobias had great love for watching him cast out, but he never learned the art for himself. He was content both on land and at sea, but his sea legs had become woefully unused. 

It was time to make a change.

The plea for help did not fall on deaf ears. Already, frontline fighters and fledgling players flocked to the aid of the system's newest questgiver, and the hopes of an even bigger thrill. Arc found himself nearing the greatest heights achieved in Aincrad to be faced with a small girl.

He faced @Selina and smiled. "I heard tell you're lookin' fer help," the Mercenary tilted his head and tucked both thumbs into his trousers, his shoulders sagged in a relaxed posture. "What kinda sea monster we talkin' about, exactly? And how do ya plan on us fightin' it?"

He hadn't sent out any invitations to party up just yet, but Arc would see who all showed up, and perhaps a few of them might want to pair off.

"It's not spicy at all!" he blurted, and several eyes shifted in his direction. The two made a hilarious scene, if nothing else. He bowed his head apologetically and lowered his voice. "No way, the flavor is like... mmmm... savory, and just hints at the open flame that it cooks over. The onions mix perfectly into the flavor of the rice, carrots, egg, and peas..." Tobias felt the saliva pooling in his mouth. "Then, what makes it House Fried Rice- it's got beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp. Imagine all of that flavor. Every bite has a different texture, and each different ingredient has a distinct taste."

Now he wanted some. He shook his head. "Bad Tobes, we just ate," he chastised himself. "I guess it would be repetitive, but I wouldn't mind so much. There's this place I used to go back in town... ah man, I'd love to take you sometime. You'd enjoy it, I think."

When she took his hand, Tobias laughed. "I'll see about finding you a pizza place next time," he told her. "That'll be fun."

Tobias glanced skyward pensively. "Yeah," he replied, "I think we can find a good spot out by the bridge."

They began to walk.

"You really can't hate the aesthetic," he murmured. "Despite the conditions."

Arc/Level 17/ DPS/ The Woods

"I know all about those people," he folded his arms. "My mom always got Hawaiian pizza, and they were about that 'pineapple doesn't go on pizza' nonsense." He thought about it, then replied. "It's not my favorite food, but the pineapple and the sauce are perfect complements. Who wouldn't mix those two things?" Spicy and sweet, after all, offset each other perfectly. It was the same concept as using salt in baking, because it drew out the other flavors. 

"Me?" he asked rhetorically, "I'm a Chinese food guy. Specifically, I eat House Fried Rice. Could eat it for every meal." He feigned the use of chopsticks. "Oh man, do I love the flavor..."

He reminisced about his favorite food longingly and sighed as his eyes slipped shut. When Ava thanked him, Tobias smiled. "Absolutely!" he replied. "Any time! We can try all kinds of restaurants, if you like."

Tobias followed her gaze skyward and tilted his head. "Yeah," he agreed as he stood up and offered his hand. "Let's get going! I'd hate to miss anything."

The Moonrise, after all, was magnificent over the river.

"I should have brought my rum with me," Tobias lamented as things got louder and duels began and ended rather quickly. It was interesting to see the results of several, though one or more seemed to drag for whatever reason. Arc had learned a great deal about the different ways that Frontline fighters fought from just watching.

That would prove most beneficial in the coming weeks, as he strained to find the best build to complement what he was going for. The difference between his new weapon and the former would be vast, and only time would tell where points would need to go, and how good he would be when it was all done.

Now that he was mostly alone, he heard @Beatbox say something, but didn't quite catch it. "You good, buddy?" he asked, clearly oblivious to whatever had happened. "It's cool to be able to hang out again, and without having to worry about darkness or creepy mobs."

"For sure," he spoke offhand as he acquiesced to her request. A slice of the meat came away without much resistance. You could tell the cut of meat was cooked to perfection by how rough or tender it was. Juicy, savory, and infused with tangy herbs, the meat could be described as nothing short of succulent.

"Here you go," he told her as he tilted the plate in her direction and nudged it slightly toward her. "If you like it, you're welcome to more."

In turn, he took a fork full of her pasta and cut it away in the manner his father had taught him, taking just enough to fit the utensil without overburdening it. When he lifted the food to his lips, he took a quick sniff to inspect it for spices. With a smile, he took a bite and savored the various elements of the sauce.

Whoever programed flavors for Kayaba was a bloody genius.

"Prime Rib was my great grandpa's favorite," he explained. "I don't get it nearly as often as I should. It's got a very distinct flavor, and is a dish that gets prepared differently depending on where you go." He swallowed the last bit of the pasta and nodded. "But this dish... oh man... this is good."

With a smile, he asked. "What's your favorite food?"

He blinked, then nodded. "Sure, I'll try it," he replied as she asked about germs and sickness, and he shook his head. "No, only poisons and other like effects, and those are only generally caused by weapons and potions." Arc was infinitely thankful for that fact. There were many times where, if it had been real, they both probably would have frozen out on the fourth floor. They hadn't even so much as caught cold.

"I totally got caught off guard, too," he laughed. "The clock on my HUD was set to notify me when we were getting close. Didn't wanna miss it, is all."

Tobias glanced at the dish before her and then at his own. "You're welcome to try mine, too," he offered, "though Prime Rib is hardly a flashy dish." 

He said nothing about the speed of their dinner, since both of them had spent so much time interested in other things. There was still plenty of meat left on his plate. 

The mercenary shook his head and declined another drink with his hand raised, a half smile on his face. "No thanks," he murmured as his gaze shifted back to Ava. In response, the NPC bowed courteously and left them be, for the time being. "I like to hope," he said in the quietest of voices. He didn't meet her eyes this time as he spoke, but his words would carry to her. 

He had met many people in the real world, and in this one. Of those, so few every got to the point of being good friends with him. Ava was the first to make him get a warmth in his chest, the way he felt at that moment. He was certain that it was something he liked, even if he was scared of it- scared that he might lose it, especially in this world.

His eyes fell to her hand, and he remembered the first time he'd asked her if she wanted to hold his. "I think if we put in the work," he said, a bit louder, "and we really want it, then a house isn't as far off as all that. Sure, it's not the most important thing, but setting goals helps you retain some of your sanity in this world."

At this point, Tobias did look up, and he let out a soft sigh. She spoke about things she liked about him, and he could think of nothing to say in response. It was like something out of his wildest dreams, that someone could feel any semblance of that. Sure, he could respond with all the things he thought were great about the girl, but he doubted she'd enjoy it with as red as her face had become. Instead, he reached across the table and touched her hand, gently.

"Thanks," he told her, hoping to catch her eye. "I mean... yeah. I like you, too." He flagged down the man who hurried around the restaurant and paid off their tab with a few words, then looked back to Ava. "Moonrise is in about half an hour," he told her, "take your time eating."

Tobias gave a slight shrug. "Impose on me all you want," he replied evenly, "even if it's just for dinner, I don't mind tossing around a few col to spend some time with my dear friend." He grinned. "It gives me an excuse to not spend all my time fighting, right?" 

She made note of his dependability, and the warmth in his chest grew. "Well, I'm more than happy to accompany you," he told her. "In fact, I'm honored that you'd ask me over someone else." Tobias offered her a bow over the table, then a smile. "So, thanks."

He did his best not to laugh at her when she mentioned her abysmal cooking skills. Tobias was no slouch in the kitchen in real life, but he had no points in the profession and doubted sincerely that the game cared about his experience. Before he could comment, though, Ava returned to the topic of a house. 

"Well," he added, "anything like that is a long way off, of course, but if I had to pick something..." he glanced out at the water again, and his lips tightened as he thought about his preferences. "I'd want something I could come home to everyday and be happy with. I'm not too incredibly bothered with aesthetic, so long as I enjoy it." He could go on for hours about architecture or decor, but he opted not to. He didn't want her to think he had spent tons of time on it- which he hadn't, until just now.

"I certainly didn't mean to make bold assertions lightly," he quickly added, "I'm still sort of mentally stuck at the 'I can't believe this girl likes me' stage."

Arc took a deep breath as the mob came once more. His thoughts were focused entirely on the battle, and on killing the creature before it could manage to kill him. That was the nature of Sword Art Online. There was no neutral ground between them, and the only chance a player had was for a mob to die. The opposite was also true. If the wasp fell, it knew that the player would go on to seek out the hive and kill its mistress. It did not want that.

The sounds of buzzing grew more frantic as the mercenary took another dive, and he thought he could hear more of it faintly in the distance. His face twisted in contempt as the wasp capitalized on his situation; and because we wasn't quite on his feet yet, the blow took him harder than he had anticipated. He let out a grunt. "Ooof," he sneered as his feet carried him a bit further from the mob, giving him room to turn about.

His eyes flashed a red color as the Extra Skill <<Concentration>> activated, and he gained heightened reflexes and prowess due to the system augmentation. When the wasp came again, it did not expect him to move quite so quickly as he had. The sword ripped through its target with wild abandon, and Arc let out a sigh of relief.

"One more go," he muttered to himself.

Arc: 354/355 HP 22/34 E

Wasp: 3/10 HP

"Totally... perfect?" he questioned the words the other man spoke, a light red color adorning his cheeks. "I-I dunno about all that," he muttered as his eyes swept across the floor. No sooner had he iterated as much, Beatbox began to show reticence about their current quest. Arc felt the color return to his face as he put on his most bold expression. "No need to worry," he told the other man. "We'll be fine as long as we stick to the path. No running out and tagging mobs, and they won't aggro. At least, they shouldn't."

He glanced out at the murky water and pursed his lips. "Yeah, they shouldn't." Arc scrolled through his items to assure everything was ready, just in case. "Don't worry about trying to fight them. It'll turn out bad for both of us if you give them a reason to leave their designated aggressive area."

So long as they didn't pull the creatures, they wouldn't be forced to fight any uphill battles.

"We're only a few minutes out of Tartarus. Let's make our way inside, Beat."

Arc could hear buzzing, but he had lost sight of the wasp. He continued to run into the forested area, uncertain of whether the creature had some sort of plan, but unwilling to risk running back and into a trap. The second floor mobs were more dangerous by far than the first, and a miscalculation on his part could spell doom.

When he broke out into a grove, he looked straight up toward where the canopy parted. The wasp tore straight downward, and only his quickness allowed him to get out of the way. The stinger plowed into the dirt and kicked up debris, but the creature recovered quickly. Arc stayed back out, uncertain if the creature would have some advantage if he tried to get too cocky.

He was disappointed to realize that no sort of reciprocity would have come. Damn it. Wasted opportunity.

It fluttered up and toward him again, but this time it seemed more ferocious. Its speed had increased with the newborn rage, and Arc's eyes widened. We must be close to the hive. It clearly wants me dead.

Arc: 355/355 HP 23/34 E

Wasp: 10/10

He leaped from the path of another wasp as it dove from the skies unexpectedly. Arc rolled over his shoulder and turned his gaze back toward the insect, which buzzed with obvious irritation at the player's reflexes. He let out a snort as he found his feet again, and he ripped the weapon from his back to ready for the next volley of stinger strikes. The wasp flickered its wings rapidly as if to intimidate the mercenary, watching his movements as he drew steadily closer. Not close enough to hit it with a counterattack. His lips moved in a quiet curse, but he gave no other sound. Arc narrowed his gaze as he gripped his weapon tighter.

It came around for another round, and he hopped deftly to the side. The beast twisted in the air to keep eyes on him, but it could not manage a strike. Arc stayed on the balls of his feet as he kept up with its movements, carefully calculating where it would come from next. His feet carried him further from Urbus as he raced beneath the creature and kept his eyes on it, wary that it might dive at any time. He dodged quickly out of the way of a tree that came up quickly, and his eyes peeled down the path. Crap...! Is it trying to lead me further out? Are there more of them? Is this where the nest is?!

Arc: 355/355 HP 25/34 E

Wasp: 10/10

"I literally just told you," Arc laughed, "it's considered to be one of the primary causes of the Sandstorm. You'd be looking for a way to get it calmed down." He scratched his head, then shrugged. "Of course, it's only a suggestion. There are plenty of other places on the floor to fight and get stronger, and some of them probably have a much smaller degree of difficulty than one that I just picked up off the rumor mill."

The Shopkeep seemed ready to scream at both of them, but Arc murmured a few words and haggled with the man over prices. It wasn't enough to be worthy of proper note, but Lessa might notice a order of health potions for players who's names the mercenary listed off. The other man scribbled them down hastily and accepted a payment of Col, which Arc readily handed over with a smile.

"That's what you ought to do, then," Arc replied evenly after she finished telling him about some of her experience in the game. "If there's any truth to it, you'll want to head due southwest from here, over the long desert. If you're lucky, you'll find it before nightfall, and then you'll be looking at a good night of killing mobs- possibly even well into the morning. There's no telling what you'll find, but you're a high enough level that none of it should pose a very great threat to you."

Arc offered the woman a toothless smile, eyes closed and head tilted. "Consider it thanks for your help, back when I was still a beginner."

"Charging me money to visit?" he spoke in a surprised tone, and lifted a hand to his chest. "I would be wounded if it didn't seem so riddled with scandal. Aren't you the venture capitalist?" His smile was ever-present, though it did vary lightly when he took a bite of his dinner. As he chewed, he considered her words and then shook his head. "I never meant to infer that you would go off on your own," he told her. "I am of the opinion that it's a much more Tobias thing to do than an Ava thing." The mercenary drummed his fingers on the table and washed down the meat with a flavorful dose of the Chianti, which grew more appealing with each drink he took. He quietly warned himself about getting too familiar with the drink, especially in front of this young lady. He pushed the glass away without a second glance.

He winked conspiratorially at her and then pointed to her food with his fork. "Looks delicious," he interjected to stave off some of the stuffy mood they'd happened upon.

"I do appreciate it, in all seriousness," he added after several moments of them both enjoying their food. "You're welcome to call on me any time. I find that having someone I can count on at my back is pretty settling. I fight mobs to the extent that a solo player can, but being on a team makes things infinitely easier and less risk-involved." He spoke of the advantage for her benefit, since their previous gush of emotional vomit had left her laughing so hard she might have doubled over. He knew the feeling all too well. Awkward people had a harder time with those sorts of things.

"And if you don't mind, I'd rather take you to dinner than pay to come calling at your door," he cleared his throat. "So, if that's more suited, perhaps we can discuss a more amicable payment plan on the house in the future, when it's more in the cards." He tried his best to not imply too heavily about anything. "A gentleman ought to not pay a lady for her time, as that would imply a slight to her honor, but the rules of hospitality are very explicit that he pay for things to keep the smile on her face."

He opened one eye as he spoke. "At least, my version of the rules."

"U-uh," Arc turned to glance at Beatbox, now illuminated by the strange, weakly burning braziers that lined the river. They went on for almost a mile,  toward a darkness far deeper than the floor itself. Tartarus was an imposing sight; if there were a room deprived of all color, sound, and feeling, that place might be descriptive of the pure blackness of the sight. Even against the new lighting, it seemed to swallow the flames whole. "You know her?" he asked. "Why is that so funny?"

Arc twitched a bit before he turned to inspect the scenery, and he found that he was not without justification in his dislike of the hellscape. "You can even see some of the mobs, now," he mentioned quietly, though he wished it were not the case. Corpses relieved of flesh and blood wandered the barren wastes unchecked, their low moans creaking from gutted chest cavities. Hounds that were woven of sundered limbs and rotten flesh growled their low warnings as the two players wandered under the protection of torchlight. Arc felt his jaw stiffen a bit.

He didn't bother mentioning that the game wasn't quite as repetitive as either man hoped.