Lindow

Lindow dusted his hands off as he put the finishing touches on his sign and backed away. The sign was made of a steel material while the wooden frash was painted with black lettering. He put the sign out in front in between two other buildings in the food district. As he went inside his little open door stahl, he went to the back and picked up his fishing rod and placed some bait on the hook. In the back of the stahl was his own little lake filled with fish for him to catch, at his current rank he was only able to cast his line twice a day, but that didn't stop him from enjoying it.

 

With his sleeves pulled up and sitting in a comfortable chair, he flicked his wrist and allowed the line to cast into his own private lake as he waited for something to catch. 

===

First Catch ID: 27683

LD: 20 [Monster Fish]

CD: 2 [Bad Quality] (What horrible luck)

MD: 5 [Caught]

Experience: +1

The Fight: As the line went out towards the lake, he waited several minutes before he felt like his arms were going to rip off. He put on the breaks as Lindow reeled in what appeared to be a feisty catch, "Oh MAN!!! This is a big one!!" As Lindow pulled on his rod, the massive fish came propelling out of the water and landed beside him. The smell of the beastly fish was absolutely revolting. Lindow backed away from the pure sewage like smell emanating from this monster fish. He almost gagged, it smelled of baby poo mixed with rotting vegetable and bile.  Lifting his [censored] up over his nose, Lindow took his mighty sword and charged the foe head on. With a quick slash of his trusty blade, the ugly and revolting Monster Fish keeled over without so much trouble and was broken down into three bad quality filets. The stench seemed to stay in the air, but at least it wasn't as bad as before. 

x3 Bad Quality Filets from a Monster Fish

 

Welcome to the Fisherman's Wharf run by Lindow! 

Rank 1: Young Fisher [6/40]

Description: Welcome to the Fisherman's Wharf! The stahl is located between two large buildings but a homely looking fish market is settled in between. The smell of fresh fish is in the air and there is no door. Feel free to come by and browse as Lindow guts and prepares some fantastic raw fish for whatever your needs are. 

►The LD Result Chart

 
[1] = Catch a soggy boot that disappears instantly
[2-10] = Catch a soggy boot
[11-14] = Catch a dead, rotting fish
[15-16] = Catch a small fish
[17-18] = Catch a medium fish

[19] = Catch a large fish

[20] = Catch a monster fish

 

►The CD Result Chart (only applicable if LD is above a 14)

 
[1] = Bad quality, falling apart (lose fish)
[2-4] = Bad quality

[5-7] = Good quality

[8-9] = Uncommon quality (1 enhancement)

[10-11] = Rare quality (2 enhancements)

[12] = Perfect quality (3 enhancements)
 

►The MobD Result Chart (only applicable if LD fish result is higher than current rank)

 
[1-5] = Fish is caught without an issue
[6-8] = Fish gets away, lose bait

[9] = Fish gets away, line breaks (you must buy a new fishing rod)

[10] = Fish gets away, line breaks, and your rod smacks in the face and does dmg (Level x 2)

Epic Fail, Fail, and Bad Item: 1 EXP

Good Item: 2 EXP

Uncommon Item: 3 EXP

Rare Item: 5 EXP

Perfect Item: 8 EXP

 

Rank 1: 0 EXP (2 Crafts per day)
Rank 2: 40 EXP (4 Crafts per day)
Rank 3: 160 EXP (6 Crafts per day)
Rank 4: 640 EXP (8 Crafts per day)
Rank 5: 2560 EXP (10 Crafts per day)

 

Inventory:

x3 Bad Quality Filets from a Monster Fish [Smells Nasty]

Services:

I will trade/sell my fish to all cafes {Once a deal is struck, delivery will be every Sunday}

 

Sighing with relief that he didn't end up as something's lunch, Lindow got up and received his new fishing pole from the Legendary Fisherman. The accomplishment was rough, and he was not expecting something like that to happen. Monster Fish? "I guess fishing isn't a total bore after all, that is something to look forward to in the future." Smiling to himself, he readjusted his massive blade behind his back and picked up his gear. It was mid afternoon now, the sun was high and the day was still fresh and new. There was plenty of time to kick back and talk with some companions he had met along the way and tell them of the awesome adventure he had when fishing. But first thing first, time to turn in his quest and claim his rewards. 

 

With heavy footstep he took to the quest district of Starting City and found the Master Angler who had given him the quest to begin with, the short dialogue between the two was enough to finish things as Lindow was now a novice Fisherman of the first rank. He was congratulated as was told he could set up shop in town, a special building with indoor lake could be used to catch a variety of amazing fish and will upgrade as his rank levels up. He set out to do just that. 

===

Thread Completed with 21 Posts- Quest Completion of Earning a Living: Fisherman Profession

1 SP for 21 Post Completion

400 Col for 1 Page Completion

The massive Land Shark got low and charged after Lindow who was now using a defensive stance, using his massive sword as a buffer between him and Mr.Fish Face. The bright aura dispersed as he came charging for Lindow. Jaw dropped from the speed of the Monster Fish as it moved quickly towards him, the long snout of the creature blowing a sort of foam from its nostrils as it came closer to Lindow. The two handed blade swinger was pinned to the tree as he was pushed into it from the charge. The fish opened its mighty jaw ready to take a bite out of him and devour the rest of him later. Lindow grit his teeth fighting off the Land Shark, his silver born eyes glinted as he looked for a way out before he was either crushed to death or devoured. 

Using all the upper body strength he had, he pushed the mouth of the creature away with the broad side of his blade dove the opposite direction. With both hands he thrust his blade into an exposed gil and ran forward along side of it until he met the tail and flicked his wrist as the blade exited cutting the Land shark in half. The creature stumbled over and died resulting in victory for Lindow. He huffed and puffed from the exchange of blows and stumbled backwards against the carcass. The Legendary Fisherman tapped on the Monster Fish and it disappeared from sight. 

"Thank you very much, Player. I could not have done it without you. For your help, I'll give you a new fishing rod, of course AND congratulations! You have finished your quest! Go back to the Master Angler back in town and you will be able to collect your rewards from there. I must be off, I have this to show off to the others! Good luck in your adventures! I hope we meet again!" 

Slightly dazed from the attack, the Shark Monster turned around and slammed its tail fin against Lindow who was sent barrel rolling into a tree. He slid to a stop and fell over on his knees, his HP bar depleted a good amount from the assault. Leaning on his sword for support, he got back up to his feet and regained his composure and stance with the heavy blade held in both hands and out in front of him. 

"What are you doing just standing there? Get him!! Two more attacks from that weapon should do the trick! Hurry before he escapes!" Lindow's stoic expression remained unchanged, he charged like a wolf running as quickly as he could. He leapt into the air the wind blowing against his face as he leaned down and smashed the weighty instrument of destruction into the monster's elongated face. The creature roared in pain once more as a chunk of it's HP had gone away. There was another strike from it's tail, but Lindow was able to evade the blow. The creature took a step back roaring as it glowed a mysterious aura around it's body. 

"Hey old man! What is it doing?" 

"It's getting ready to charge! Move out of the way!!!"

 

The battle had begun as the land shark reared its head at Lindow and seemed to roar at him, "Such a jawesome looking fish..." he said under his breath. The monster fish looked like a shark, the head and body and fins, but it stood on two large trunk like feet and had a equally large hands with massive claws. The Legendary Fisherman backed away, "Alright Lindow! Its all on you!" 

"What? You're not helping? What is this? I thought we were going to do this together!?" 

"Yes! The fishing part! Do I look like I have the ability to help fight this thing? Hahaha." 

He laughed, he actually laughed. Sneering on the inside, Lindow grabbed the hilt of his monstrous blade and unsheathed it from his back. He lowered to the ground bending his knees, the hilt tight in both his hands. Leaning forward he jumped and the mighty greatsword came down crashing into the head of the Land Shark. The beastly looking shark closed it's eyes from the attack as it appeared to be stun for a moment shaking away the pain it felt from the attack.

"Oh boy! I think you just made it mad! Smack it again!" The Legendary Fisherman cheered on the player as he side stepped from a massive downwards claw strike and uplifted his sword over his head. Once more, that might blade came crashing down on the head of the shark and knocking it back towards the water. 

The old man yawned as his partner to his right, Lindow, seemed very alert and aware of the pond in front of them waiting for this mysterious uncatchable fish to appear. 

"So, exactly what are we trying to catch, old man?" 

"A monster fish," he replied without a note of excitement as he looked over and chuckled. Was he serious? He was, "It was a long time ago that I was at this pond and I saw a deep shadow in the waters as I was walking by. I caught only a glimpse of it as the Shark Monster flicked its tail fin in the water and submerged back down below the depths. There seems to be a cave connected below this pond that leads to a larger area outside. It probably comes to this area to find easy prey. But today, that MOnster Fish is mine!"

As the old man finished his story, there was a wobbling in the line and they were both pulled forward, "AHH!! WE CAUGHT HIM! Come on, Wipper Snapper! We got this!!" 

They pulled and yanked, fought and reeled with every fiber of their being. There was no tactic to lure the Monster Fish to them, this was a straight up slug fest against Fisherman and Fish. Lindow was jerked side to side as he was manhandled by the monster, he fought alongside the old man as they pulled once more. A mighty tug and the monster fish came exploding out of the pond creating a wave of water to crash down on them. The shark like beast was able to stand on land and it chomped down viciously as snatched away their poles.  

The old man with the great legendary beard took hold the edge of his glasses and smiled, "It seems you come across some natural bait. It is time to learn how to catch some bigger fish, here are a few lessons for you to read up on." The old man sent over a few detailed explanations of natural bait to be added to the resource list of Fishing. Lindow looked over the material quickly with a hand on his chin as he skimmed the context, the old man smiled and spoke up once more. 

"But this time, we are going to help each other. There is a certain fish in this pond that is one slippery fellow, very hard to catch but he only likes natural bait. Now, even I haven't been able to catch this fish, but today! Today, Junior. You will be helping me do just that. We just need a little time and patience. Well, are you up for it?" 

Lindow was confused, but he nodded his head all the same. The old man sent a party request? What in the world? Lindow accepted the request, his finger pushing down on the 'O' as the new party member's HP bar landed below his own. The name "Legendary Fisherman" appeared. The DC stood up and greeted his new partner as they stood side by side. Each one of them cast out their lines as they merged together for this event. It was different, but exciting. 

"And another!" Lindow exclaimed as the fish plopped down beside him, wiggled and curiously enough did not disappear like the others. Instead it seemed to transform into a natural bait. He wondered if this next fish he was supposed to catch be bigger than the rest, but could his pole handle the strain? As the thoughts were churning in his head he realized there was a sound coming from the bushes to his left. His eyes roamed to that direction, low lit as he was prepared to strike should something try to be creeping up on him. As he placed a hand on the hilt of his blade, that old Fisherman emerged slapping his pants with free of any debris and waving happily at Lindow. 

Sighing with relief, he sat down and smiled. It was nice to have company, even if it was just an NPC, "What brings you back out here, old man? Got any more nice tips for me?"

A different method, a different kind of lure, a different kind of pull and give pattern. The notes he received from the Master Fisherman were beyond helpful at this point. An hour or two had passed in the day and he had caught a few more fish to fill up his margin. Unfortunately he was unable to keep the fish as they disappeared out of his inventory, but it was the thought of catching them that was rewarding and soon enough, he'll be able to catch real fish in these ponds and hopefully make a comparable living to a blacksmith or tailor.

Eyes on his line, there seemed to be a dip in the crystalline waters, the force of his rod being pulled forwards once more.  Lindow dug his feet into the ground and pulled back on the pole and started to reel the fish in, the fish giving almost no fight to his novice experience. As he gave a final yank the rainbow fish flipped out of the water and landed beside him flapping about on dry land. Just a few more and he could call it a day, and call it the end of a quest. 

Lindow had been feeling the nerve to visit some of the other floors. After hearing the recent victories of clearing floors, he decided it was a good idea to see what else Aincrad had to offer while maintaining a safe bubble for himself. Still in starter gear and not much to call his own, he was very cautious with the scenario. Rounding out his shoulder, he ended up on the sixth floor. When he arrived he was not expecting a tropical forest, this was a great difference from the toiling Starting City he was used to and familiar with. 

Taking out his massive two handed sword, Lindow decided to take safety measures, noting his position on the map as to not get lost. Making a marker he set foot into the massive forest. His eyes looked all around, it was quite beautiful and the scenery was breath taking. There was so much vegetation as far as the eye could see and the tree were mighty and their vast canopies seemed to block out most of the unnatural light. 

 

"Better get out of here before it gets too dark, it might not be safe. I imagine there to be some wild beasts hunting in the forest." As he was talking to himself, he noticed a female player just a short distance ahead of him, what in the world was she doing? A hand on his hilt, he took off with a light jog to catch up to her, "Excuse me, young Miss!" He soon caught up to her and catching her attention. She was a small thing, he was a good foot taller than she was and looked quite young compared to his greying hair and beard. His stormy eyes sat on her as he came up and looked around making sure there was no immediate threats before he began speaking.

 

"I didn't think anyone else was going to be on this floor, it can be pretty dangerous to go alone. How about we party up so we have a better chance at survival. My name is Lindow by the way," his arm extended outwards, his large hands big enough to engulf both her little ones. 

Using the techniques that were laid out to him by the Master Fisherman, Lindow used those points to draw in the fish. First he would reel in the line a few inches, then he would pull to the left and then pull to the right, stop and do a zig zag pattern and then come to a full stop. The lure at the end of his line seemed to dance in the water as it was trying to attract the fish. There was a snag and Lindow burst forward almost slipping into the pond itself as his rod took off with his arms, "Wooo!!" he dug his boots into the soggy grass and put on the breaks. He used his upper body strength to pull back and fight the fish. 

 

Whatever was on the other end was not giving up without a fight as he once more caused Lindow to push forward, one foot slipping and he almost let go of the handle. Gritting his teeth, he pulled back once more and was leaning back, he fought hard; tooth and nail as he felt the line slacker. The fish was tiring out, and he was able to reel it in without any further problems. As he lifted the hook out of the water, he was amazed he caught such a colorful looking fresh water fish. Delighted by that, he noticed a small bar under his green HP one that a margin has been filled. So he just needed to fill up the bar. He was happy to have noticed that now, so there was a number he actually had to fish for. The fish dissolved into nothing and Lindow once more set up his lure and cast the line out to the farthest end of the pond. 

Setting up his gear and setting it aside for the moment, Lindow took the time to read over the new material the Master Fisherman had given him in his little journal. The pull and give technique seemed interesting, and it said that lures attract fish better than natural bait. He scratched his chin while helping himself to one of the starter breads in his inventory. He wouldn't starve knowing he would be a fisherman soon, so the bread was more of acting reminded her needed to get this quest done although...now that he thought about it. 

 

"How DO I finish this quest? Do I just sit around and...fish until I catch something? Perhaps its time based, the number of hours I have to put into it? Well then! I have all day!" Closing the journal and taking a mighty swig from his water bottle, he cleared his wetted beard with his sleeve, took out his fishing pole and stood up. He gave the rod a spin with his wrist and flicked the line out to the farthest part of the pond. His small eyes beamed; today was going to be a GREAT day. 

As dawn appeared, the sun started to show over the horizon. After making small conversation with the NPC, Lindow decided to give fishing another go. Ruffling his peppered hair, he nodded to the NPC and a waving gesture as he pressed the door open. People were waking up now, there seemed to be kids playing in the streets getting a good start for the day. The two handed swordsman set out on the same path as he did yesterday, heading through the city towards the gates and out of the safe zone. 

"Seems like people are hunting mobs now too, thats good. They'll be fixed on those players and not me while I go fishing in that one lake," prepared for anything, his mighty sword was strapped to his back as he made way to his destination. The emerald grass blew as a wind blew by, refreshing and cool just before the sun could kiss it warm. His steely eyes set on the path to his fishing spot and soon he came upon the thickest part of the entrance and maneuvered around the thorny bushes until those crystalline blue waters were seen. 

If it had been the real world, the time Lindow normally got up would be 5am, would have his morning coffee and read the newspaper. None of these things happened for him in SAO. He grumbled as he woke up the sun not even rising yet as the new day started. A blank look on his face as he yawned. He sat in his bed and rubbed his shoulders getting the stiffness out. He stood up on his feet and stretched once more with a mighty yawn. He then fell forward with both hands on the ground and started to do push ups. This possibly did not affect his character at all, but it was something he did out of habit in the real world, he worked out a good deal but he didn't look sculptured to perfection and his age was showing on him and his face. Nearly fifty, he knew waking up and working out was going to be rough. 

 

With his final push up, he walked down the stairs of the cozy inn, the Inn Keeper a man that seemed as old as himself looked him up and down, "Well! Good morning, sir. Did you sleep well?" Lindow nodded with another yawn before sitting on a stole and making light conversation with the NPC. It was important to keep these things going even if it was just a game. Talking with people, making a connection, it was those feelings that kept his humanity intact. He needed reasons to feel he was still 'warm.'

Folding his arms and looking at the weapons in the windows, Lindow nodded his head at Calrex once more, "A custom sword, huh? Sounds more than enticing. And something to call my very own," his voice trailed off. The pool of knowledge his friend had shared with him seemed to stay in the forefront of his mind. He made a mental note of the name of the quest and caught up to his friend with a short jog to catch up.

Arms swaying casually as he walked down the path, his eyes were looking over the structures of shops, each one articulate and inspiring. Perhaps one day he would own one as well, the thought made a smile creep onto his face as he rubbed his scruffy chin, "The shopping district seems very lively right now..." he said dodging a few players running by, "Everyone is so very excited, it seems. I suppose after awhile, you get used to living here. I have found that to be true with myself as well. It can be comfortable but there is always something that makes it even more uncomfortable; surviving, life, death. Not to mention the rumor of murderers." 

Lindow stopped walking, he stared straight ahead of himself looking through the crowds of all the people that seem to pass by him. His cloudy eyes focused on nothing in particular, he remembered it was his job to put that kind of scum in jail and there were worse kinds. The look on his face had become stoic once more, even when he was angry, there was always calmness and a solitude about him, "Hey Cal, I'm sorry to break the subject so quickly. But I understand there are teams of people who do things together. I don't recall what the in game name is, umm clans? Guilds! That's the one, guilds. Are you part of one? I was thinking it might be safer than playing this solo. I mean well, I don't know what I mean. My family is important, so me surviving is important as well. The are greater chances of surviving with numbers on your side, right?"

Lindow had a downcast expression as the girl seemed to sob after telling him what happened, she was very much like own daughter in the real world, "You know, Shay," he started to explain, "It's admirable that you want to help and save as many lives as you can while being here, but going faster than you can, well...you'll just trip yourself up. Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself..." Lindow had stopped to have a heart to heart talk with her as he pressed around the corner looking for another Alchemist shop.His deep ivory silver eyes reflected over the many shops in the area, but there was no Alchemist shops nearby. Seemed like more blacksmiths or tailors. Readjusting himself, his black tunic swayed behind him as he continued his march and thinking of something to say to calm her down.

"Shay, if your mother knew what you were trying to accomplish here, trying to help all these people...She would be proud of you. As I am. The lives of all these players around us are not expendable and even the smallest step will make the greatest difference in the long run. So dry those tears, my girl needs to be brave and strong. But we are not perfect, and we will fall on occasion. But you know why we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up and then we go higher, reach higher than we ever did before."

Lindow said that from the heart the best he could, normally it was Crystal, his wife that spoke to their daughter about these sort of things. He was not great at parent-child talks. So he wasn't sure if any of his words were coming in right, "It'll be our little secret..." he said finally as he looked around one corner, there seemed to be a small group of people crowding around another Alchemist shop, "Hey, it looks like we might have found someplace to nab an antidote. Let's explain to them what happened, perhaps they can give us some insight as to this slight case of confusion."    

The day was coming to a close, the sun was now just starting to set and it was becoming more dangerous as the sun was going down. Picking up his belongings, Lindow shifted his body and came out of the forested region with his mighty great sword strapped to his back. His silver eyes were low as he watched out for any spawning mobs. He didn’t want to get into a fight with a monster right now, it was already past the time he wanted to be out. He made his way back to the safe zone as there seemed to be little cause for alarm as he made it back without a hitch. Tired from the day, he found himself a low cost inn and set up his room. He sighed as he sat down on the bed, his thoughts on his family. Jasmine was too old to be tucked in, but at this moment he wanted to do just that, tuck her in, kiss her goodnight.

He twisted in his bed as his eyes grew heavy, new thoughts of his beautiful wife at home. Once more he could remember the perfume of her body, the silky strands of her hair, and the warmth of her body. These nights were long and lonely. His eyes fluttered, he needed to become like steel should he want to see them again. The last remaining thoughts were of those of beating this game and seeing his family. 

The elder Angler seemed to have a vast amount of knowledge about fishing. His keen eyes were set on the pond as he moved his hands left and right and reeled in gently, stopped and then back to a unique pattern of movements. The line started to shake and the rod was coming to life, he fought as the fish he just caught was putting up a fight. Lindow watched amazed as the old man jerked and reeled the fish in, the sport lasting maybe five minutes as he reeled in a nice looking bass.

“Hahaha! See? Try and true method right there. Of course, I do have better equipment, but it’s the knowledge that I pass down to you which will help you succeed in catching more fish. Here, this is for you.”

The elder fishing traveler sent over a list of helpful techniques that were added to Lindow’s fishing tips section. It included simple patterns, when to fight, when to release and an explanation of what type of lures and bait to use when searching for specific fish.

“That was perfect fishing, I have never seen anything quite like it,” Lindow said, humbling the old man.

“It was nothing, many years of practice and finding the right spots to fish. Aincrad has many mysterious lakes and waters alike, you never know what kind of fish you’ll catch. There are even some rare monster fish that can give some nice rewards out. Well, I think I spent enough time here. Good luck to you, Player. I am sure we’ll meet again, perhaps. “

“Yahh! That feels great!” the man simmered down into a crouch and plopped his feet into the cold waters after taking off his muddy boots. The man had beady chocolate brown eyes, a grand ol’ beard, a set of fancy looking glasses and some basic traveler’s gear. The old traveler adjusted his glasses and looked to Lindow, “Are ya fishing? You ain’t gonna catch anything like that! You need to lure the fish in with some movement!”

“Oh? Are you an expert or something, Old Man?” Lindow asked, slight agitation in his voice.

“Hahaha! Something like that, yes. Here let me show you young wiper snapper how it’s done. Remove your line from the pond.”

The Old Man got up on his feet once more, his rickety movements made way towards the rock Lindow was sitting on as he materialized a fantastic looking Fishing Rod, the rod itself was nicely decorated, and look strong and sturdy and the reeling mechanism looked mechanic. He chuckled as Lindow stood in awe. The old man got some bait out of his own tackle boss, looked like a fishing lure. The man seemed to spin his rod around and around before the lure plopped into the farthest part of the pond.

“This is where the fun begins, watch what I do…”

As Lindow continued fishing, in his deep tonal voice he was humming a light melody. His silver eyes looking to the azure water as he checked every once in a while to make sure his bait was still on the hook. He sighed as he cast the line out once more; there was a noise in the bush to his left. His eyes flickered but he didn’t move. Perhaps whatever it was would just go away. He remained vigilant as his eyes peered off to the corner, “Who’s there?” An older man, much, much older than Lindow was shaking about in the bush with a big white beard in tow. Sighing, Lindow looked to the older man…an NPC?

“Greetings, Traveler! Don’t see too many people off in this area. Mind if I soak my fee in the waters here? I’ve been hiking for a long time…”

Lindow nodded, hopefully this elderly man wouldn’t scare off the fish. 

Sitting on the rock, he once more closed his eyes. He remembered the satin sheets of his bed, his loving wife sleeping next to him, the warmth of her skin pressed to his body.They were now all so distant memories to him, and they were devoured in darkness. His eyes twitched open as he felt his hand rumble and shake from the rod. He stood up on his rock, "Not this time!" he yanked back as hard as he could and in the beams of the sun, the water trickled down as he noticed a pint size little minnow flapping about on his hook. 

"Hey! I caught something!" he reeled it in to take a closer look, "Eh? This couldn't even feed my little cat Casper. Sorry little fish." the little minnow seemed to squirm a few more times before poofing into the digital world, he felt accomplished for once, so this Rod was actually useful for something. Once more he took some bait from the tackle box and applied his hook with a wiggling worm. He cast it out into the pond once more and his eyes were drawn to the ripples, "Getting late...I should head back soon."

Lindow, the man who was learning to find his way, nodded to Calrex. Calrex seemed like a very decent individual, took good care of himself and was looking out for players who were just getting their feet. It took a real man to do what he has been doing for the people of this game, there was honesty and sincerity in every approach to a question and an answer, "That has to be a dangerous living, going out and hunting for materials. But I suppose if you can handle the task, better to do it yourself..." he trailed giving the statement some thought. 

"Just as you are helping them, they are helping you. It is a fair trade off if you ask me." the tan Swordsman scratched at his beard once more, and ran his fingers through his peppered hair, "I was thinking about taking up fishing. I don't see a lot of their shops in the area, and I could possibly help keep the restaurants and the like equally stocked. I always told myself, once I retire, I am going to be one of those lazy bastards that likes to fish all day. There is something appealing about it, the patience one gets for waiting for that special catch. Besides, my wife Crystal, she is pretty handy around the kitchen. Smoked Salmon, stuffed cabbage rolls, salad...I tell you..." he traveled off thinking about those home cooked meals he would not have for awhile.

 

"Once I get around to it, I am sure I will be able to get some nice big fish grilled up. Will need a chef for that, but I am sure they would oblige," The voice of the older male trailed off once more, "Oh nice. I can see myself swinging something like that around one day...HardEdge," he said pointing to an exotic looking two handed blade, the tip was sawed off and had a rectangular shape. 

How long had he been sitting down at this spot now? Twenty? Thirty minutes? He felt like a hermit out in the middle of no where while he was fishing. There seemed to be a snag in his line, he stood up, both hands on his rod and started to reel it in, "Oh no! Not getting away from me!" he yanked and pulled on his rod, it fought back and he dug his feet into the ground upturning the blades of grass in the spot. When he yanked back once more, his foot slipped and he splashed into the shallow pond, covered in a mess of green seaweed, "How...lovely." 

 

Paddling back to his spot, he got up out of the water with a light splash as he was soaked to the bone. He sighed and picked up his tackle box, he would try another spot for now. As he was walking along the bank with heavy footsteps that sloshed back and forth from his wet boots, there seemed to be an area that was off the beaten path. He took a right into some woods and found a nice rock to sit on and a crystalline blue pool of water. There was nothing else special here, but he knew...he would catch something in this little pond! 

Although she couldn’t see it, he smiled from her explanation.  She was a troubled girl who seemed to have inhaled something terrible to give her such a crazy idea that he was her father. Perhaps it was best to keep things light as to not confuse her further, “Ah! Shay! Of course, I remember. Silly me…” he replied and chuckled lightly as she asked if he inhaled smoke too, in all honesty…he wish he had, this game was one giant nightmare after another.

 

As they were coming up to the street, he noticed that one of the shops was still billowing with a mixture of green and black smoke, that was unsafe and it seemed the entire walkway was barricaded, “Looks like we won’t be able to get back to your shop. We’ll have to find an antidote in another location. Also, I wouldn’t risk you getting hurt by going back and inhaling more of those fumes,” he stopped in front of the barricades and saw the Alchemist shop barely visible through those dark clouds. The area must be quarantined; he didn’t see any other players walking along. He turned around, “We’ll have to find someplace else. I am sure there is another shop that can help.”

Lindow adjusted the woman on his back and continued on a straight path down around the ally, “So, what were you working on? Had to be something dangerous to cause an entire block to be shut down like that.”