Hydra

"Mmm..." Hydra mumbled in contempt, his words seemed to have reached part of her mind, for now at least. "I will need to take care in moving on my path forward... No our path" The spearman let a silence hang for a moment and then replied, "Don't worry, your safe now. In fact I will prove it." He had heard rumours recently of a quest on the first floor, ones that a player killer could attempt to take and in return would receive salvation for the crimes they have committed. "I will become green once more, then I can be there for you even in the settlements, capitals or where ever you are and you find yourself in need of someone." He tilted his head, giving Jinx, or rather Rissa a sweet and mellow smile. Although he still felt a little on the awkward side and blushed slightly. Sometimes the avatars were a little too realistic, "Oh, only if you want me there... Sorry that probably sounded a bit creepy..." He gave out a slightly nervous laugh and scratched his hair. They were of a similar height it seemed and Hydra soon found himself staring into her scarlet coloured eyes.

Hydra smiled a little and gave a quick bow of his head. Then glancing around the tenth floor he simply began to walk. "Keep an eye out for..." He paused trying to think on how he should phrase the sentence. "You'll know it when you see it, though despite its side it's very elusive. Let's just say it looks like a prison." The spearman caught a quick glance of Silver, she seemed a little nervous although was loyal to Styder nonetheless. The sight was heartwarming, he himself would need to retake that quest against soon, as his previous familiar had vanished. Probably killed by a MOB whilst he wasn't looking. It had upset Hydra a lot at the time, even now he still got the odd pang of feeling lonely. "Oh by the way..." Hydra suddenly quirked up remembering something from the past. "Didn't you use a sword the last time I saw you, Or is that an illusion of my mind?"

ID 98312:

Loot: 5 (unsuccessful) 

@Stryder

"I'm real, and i'm no longer orange..." He responded to the pair, his voice quirking up. Once Hydra was done reaquainting himself with Stryder and Eatos he turned his attention to the third player who seemed to be waiting patiently. Hydra could not say he himself remembered the members of the Emerald Harbingers, in fact due to his position at the time he wasn't able to make that many of the meetings. Although he did attend one of them. Unfortunately it seemed the guild had fallen through since then. Hydra gave a slight bow to the player who introduced themselves as Hei, "Forgive me for interrupting, it's nice to meet you Hei. I am Hydra." He raised his head after a moment. Turning his body so he would be addressing the three of them. Even now he still felt awkward, that was a feeling he could never shake off, though at least here it was easier to put on a facade. He briefly listened as Stryder and Eatos exchanged a sentence "Three Heads?" He wonderered, briefly zoning out as to what exacrtly they were talking about. Once a silence hung he asked "So, how is everyone?"

Hydra was momentarily submerged under the surface of the water as Jinx leapt into the pool. Much to his suprise. The sheer act of the moment bought forth the core emotions of sorrow and regret. Still, as she grasped him he did not hesistate to respond, gently embracing her. The pair were soaked through again, that was the last thing on Hydra's mind at this point however. He listened quietly taking in each word, though through this process he remained contempt and still. Not releasing his grasp. Then finally once Jinx had managed to force the words out he spoke. "If you had stayed you would have died and you should not blame yourself for feeling fear. It's the way we are. Besides, who says you have left them?" He gazed at her and continued speaking in a soft tone, "If you had left them you would not be here right now. They live on in your heart, but remember them as your friends, win this game for them. I am sure that not just them but everyone would wish that. In fact should I fall tommorow I promise you that I would still harbour these feelings."

Once the wail had subsided the pair could finally talk to each other. "Likewise, and you too." He looked at the wolf and gave them both a smile, even though the companion couldn't talk. He paused to recall information on his last encounter with the MOB "That was 'the' Banshee. It's one of the quest mobs on this floor. Quite an unpleasant one as well" Hydra tapped his foot. "I was heading to the village but if you can hear it from there..." The spearman let out a sigh, he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up with the screaming. "If you'd like we can go and eliminate it. I believe we need to attract the attention of some sort of spirit... In Tartarus." Hydra's eyes flickered to an off shoot on the path. He wasn't particularly fond of the idea but it was a good opportunity to catch up with Stryder and at the very least he had experienced this quest first hand before. "We will have to find Tartarus however, the gates to hell will only appear to those who search for it. Or at least that's how it was last time." 

"You are right, still. It doesn't change the fact that it felt so real." Hydra shuddered at the imagery in his mind. The screaming, the weight of his own weapon, the look of terror as a life was snuffed out. "I suppose it s like being in a waking nightmare. Then again that is what this place is at its core." Hydra continued to listen to Jinx,  the conversation was developing into something deeper, perhaps sinister in a sense."If I were to kill someone it would taint me until my last breath... I have no doubt about that." He paused in reflection on the next question, he believed by the way she worded it she was hinting she felt some sort of guilt. Blamed herself for the death of others. Or perhaps he was just being naive, he had a tendency to create myths from reality. "I would not forget there faces, perhaps I would even blame myself in the latter case. However, if I were in the same position, if a friend made a mistake that cost me my life. I would forgive them, I would wish to laugh with them, cry with them and hope that they could find peace of mind and live a fulfilling life. The last thing I would want is to for them to suffer..."

As the figures drew closer a voice suddenly came from the darkness questioning who Hydra was. It took a moment to recognise but it was clearly Stryder's. "Stryder?" Hydra quirked up bouncing a question back. "It's me Hydra." The spearman took a slow step forward to a point where the light of the cave was reflecting off his face, making his whole person visible. He smiled raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "What are you two doing out here?" He continued. It wasn't that he viewed his friend as weak, in fact quite the contrary. Hydra was genuinely just intrigued as to why Stryder and his companion were this far out. At this point another scream echoed down the cave, in the direction of Tartarus. It didn't matter how prepared he was, every time he heard that sound it made his heart leap from his chest. "F***" Hydra slapped his hand against his heart and took in a deep breath of air. "Seriously again?" He growled to himself biting his lower lip.

Hydra masked a sigh as Mist continued chirping on, thanks to the rush Zero had missed the final fight with Rhaegal and would likely need to repeat the quest. The spearman would have to apologise and if possible he would talk to Mist, she was a little to hyperactive and had a tendency to put herself into danger. Still for now that would all come at a later date. Seeing her unequip her own weapon Hydra quickly followed suite, his energy was now depleted to the point he would call it a day and get some rest in. Noticing Mist mention the Emerald he gave a silent nod before studying the strange object, it had a clear distinction of a quest item and it likely meant it was some part of a series. Hydra would be sure to keep his senses open for anything on the topic. He turned shortly after and began to follow Mist, another quest complete...

- Quest Dragon Hunter Anthology (1/9) Complete-

- 2 SP: (1 quest), 1 (21+ posts)
- 500 Col: (quest), 133 (thread)
- Quest item <Rhaegal's Emerald>

(OOC: This is a continuation of the quest started before major changes to the site, so there might be a few differences here and there. I assumed this was alright as I was permitted to do it with the Redemption quest line. :3)

Hydra had little time to react as Mist darted off down the hill yelping about sighting the Emerald Hatchling. Hydra wished to talk to Zero however Mist was endangering her own life and he had no choice but to follow after her with all the speed he could muster, he didn't have the ability to even call her name as he still felt the fatigue from attacking the boards all at once, still it was somewhat lucky that the Emerald Hatchling had suddenly spawned in. Perhaps there battle had drawn it closer? Hydra shook his head trying to gather his thoughts and focusing on his spear readied the charge skill. He had never liked the idea of harming animals or those who could not fend for themselves, thankfully this was a game however. Mist came to a halt a little before the dragon allowing the spearman to pass, then with another portion of his energy he lashed out striking the beast as it ran into him. Had he not been in armour it would have dealt some damage, next to all of it was mitigated though. The same could not be said for the hatchling as merciless flurry struck out at it numerous times before shattering it into crystals.

ID 97357:

Battle: 4+3 (hit)

<Charge Activated>

<Ferocity Activated>

SA: Merciless Flurry (12x1) = (13+1+2) x 12 = 192 - 25MIT = 167 Damage to Rhaegal

MOB: 8 (hit)

50 - 66MIT = 1 Damage to Hydra

_____________________________________

[H:0] Hydra - 703/755 | 13 Damage (16/wskills) | 66 MIT | 3 Accuracy | 38/74 Energy 

Rhaegal - the Emerald Hatchling [DEAD]
HP: 0 - MIT: 25 - ACC: 0 - EVA: 0 - DMG: 50

It didn't take long before Hydra reached Yogan village. The whole place had an intimidating presence to it, majority of the buildings aside from the teleport gate were forged from cooled Obsidian, as dark as his armor. Then there was the fact it was at the base of a volcano and surrounded by magma. He hoped he would never be caught in a surprise event on this floor as it didn't take much of a guess to figure out what might happen. Aside from this buildings and NPCs the place was not the busiest, his footsteps echoed lightly as he moved through the centre of the village towards the gate, it was only when he reached an opening that a flash of silver caught his eye.

"Hmmm?" The spearman's eyes flickered over momentarily as the rest of his person paused. What came next created a slight spark of shock. It was not the Wolf familiar that had his attention but the owner, and one with other with him. Hydra remained still, frozen in place for a few more moments. Then without really thinking started walking towards the trio of players and the wolf. He didn't really know what to say, it had been some time since he had last seen a friend, still he was glad to see familiar faces. "Hey." Hydra spoke aloud tilting his head to one side and smiling kindly, "Long time no see..."

@Eatos

"..." Hydra waited silently though no one came for a while. He growled lightly under his breath, he was a fool. It wasn't like the first floor where people would just flock in and out, or it wasn't the centre of trade. It was just one floor of the many. "Very well..." The spearman staggered to his feet and stretched. Had it not been for the sound of footsteps echoing down the path he would have started making his way to the Village. Hydra twisted his body and squinted, it was hard to make out due to the distance though two shadows seemed to be approaching his position. The pace was a little erratic and off-tempo though Hydra could understand why. Instead of continuing he decided to wait, remaining stationed to one side a curious expression on his face and eyes wide. "I wish Twilight were here." He suddenly mumbled, a feeling of sadness looming in the back of his mind.

Hydra drifted atop water's surface momentarily mulling over the question. His eyes staring directly at the forest's canopy. "Have you heard of the Arabian Nights quest?" He suddenly said, "In the quest there are two paths too take." He bit his lower lip trying to remember the specific details although they did not come to mind. "My partner and I took the path of deceit, we ended up killing the quest giver and that is what granted me an orange cursor. That is the truth and I can't forget... even though they were an NPC, the screams... they..." He allowed the silence to linger a little, a sense of grief taking over him. "It's up to you whether you believe me, some of the others didn't. I lost a lot because of that foolish mistake, I am an outcast, I am lonely and I am afraid that one day I will be the only one left." He suddenly felt the tears welling, it was the first time he had been honest to anyone about his feelings. Many of his friends had still accepted him even when he did turn, however in his naivety he isolated himself. "The soul is so fragile..." He spoke softly, ever drifting...

(OOC: Didn't know if I was suppose to use send to or transfer so I just used transfer. Hopefully that was right. Thanks.)

Skill(s) Being Dropped: First Aid (Rank 1), Gatherer
Mod(s) Being Dropped: N/A
SP Refunded: 15
Cost: 15'000 col

Hydra continued to watch from a distance, gathering his thoughts in the process. In the distance the sound of shrieking continued, he wondered if the sound was audible in the village itself. If so he doubted he would be able to rest the night... or day? He was in a cave after all so the laws of time did not apply as strictly,. Was he resting against the rock because he was about to fall asleep? Or was it just a nap... Hydra groaned running the whole thing through his head, sometimes he wished he could just stop reflecting on everything. Even when he was daydreaming despite his confused and lost look on the surface in his actual mind a whole lot was going on. The spearman let out a yawn before scanning the rest of the path, he would see if any other players were heading in the direction and tag along shortly after them. He couldn't muster up the willpower to face any merchants for the time being, he would let a larger group deal with those problems instead. 

As Hydra walked towards the figure It soon dawned on him that he had back-tracked. He swore lightly under his breath as the path came into view, the shadows no more than a few players travelling to Yogan village. He paused momentarily thinking of his options, he could either try another floor or spend some time in the main settlement. He had yet to climb Mount Kazan as well. Which was known to have the highest peak on the floor. Hydra scratched his cheek before finally giving in to defeat. "Guess I'll head back..." Fortunately Yogan village was at the base of the volcano so was a good a place as any to start, it also happened to be where the teleportation device was an ideal location for general trade, talk or meeting others. In truth he still hadn't got used to being a green player again and oft' found himself paranoid of his surroundings. It would take some time before he was back to his normal self, although the scars would always remain. Without much more thought he headed to Yogan village before finally reaching the entrance to the village. 

@Eatos

Tilting his head he continued to gaze at Larissa, she seemed to be losing it slightly. He struggled to think of how he could help, he himself had been in a constant battle with his mind after becoming a Player Killer and could emphasise with the feeling of isolation and loneliness, although not so much the pain of losing a friend. When he had had no one to turn too he would cry, sometimes for hours, until it all passed and then he would move on. He could imagine that this was far more heart-ripping however.

The player continued to speak, suddenly stating a full name and title, which took Hydra a back a little. "A professional FPS player?" It was a genre of game he himself had never played or rarely had an interest in, by her wording however she was likely someone famous. "Probably asked to playtest?" Hydra continued to reflect trying to make sense of it all. Some of the players trapped in this game were known well for there skills and had been personally invited, it was possible that was the case. He himself had gotten his through luck.

Hydra continued to mull over some decisions before finally giving into his instincts scooping up a some water and splashing her with it before falling back on himself into the pool. "You should come and drift... It's good for calming the soul." He rested on the surface allowing the water to support his weight,. Had there been any onlookers it would have almost of looked as though he were daydreaming, of course he kept himself aware of his surroundings, for Jinx in case things were to get worse.

The brief walk to Yomi was a little disconcerting, strange echoes and the screams of what he could only imagine to be the Banshee he had fought once before were constantly surrounding him. "I guess she can respawn after all." Hydra mumbled to himself, wearily glancing around his person. Were it not for the faint glow of the mushrooms this floor would likely be cast in an abyss of darkness, in fact he often heard rumours of an area known as the Void that was eternal darkness... And of course how could he forget Tartarus, he and Sey had gotten a taste of that place the last time they were here. 

As Yomi came into view the spearman felt a sense of relief wash over him. It looked bewildering. Hydra walked a few steps off the path and rested his back against a stalagmite, taking the view in. Most of the settlements on this floor seemed to be based on European or Western style architecture, however this area seemed more antique. At least from the outside. In the distance Hydra spotted a few players mingling around the entrance and what he could only assume were NPCs, suited up in armour. @Stryder

Hydra frowned as he traversed the volcanic region of the ninth floor, of all of them this was by far the one he dreaded the most. It wasn't so much the scenery rather than the intense heat. He had never liked the sun, or bad smells for that matter. Whilst this sometimes lacked the former due to large amount of magma the heat made it a constant struggle to move about for extended periods of time. Still, he was determined to explore it a little more and there were a few quests he yet to had complete. 

The young spearman was currently adorned in his usual set of gear. Night-black armor and a shield with a deep shades of blue inlay and the various patterns of waves and serpents coiling around them. Truth be told neither pieces of equipment reflected the users personality, although he had tried to keep the armor design as simple as possible, even he couldn't resist a little adornment. In his left-hand he loosely held a short spear, again this had the pattern of water coiling around it although it was silver in colour, with a curved end. As he continued to roam he eventually caught sight of a figure in the distance and gave a small hum. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a look." He finally sighed, beginning to make his way towards it. 
 

(OOC: Taking with @Stryder. This is a repeat quest for Hydra, so he only qualifies for the Banshee potion and no other rewards.)

Hydra entered the vicinity of the tenth floor, taking in a breathe of air. Since removing his orange cursor he had been able to roam the floors of Aincrad with much more freedom and had decided to start by revisiting each floor, most of which he hadn't spent enough time in exploring. The tenth floor was certainly no exception to this. He had only ever passed through the area other than the time he had tackled the floor with Sey, taking of a banshee. The thought sent a tingle down his body. That had been a few months, perhaps a year ago? Hydra began his trek towards Yomi, the main settlement known to be on this floor. Apparently it was a strange place but at this point in time he had nothing else to do and most of his friends we inactive, incognito or worse. The spearman was currently wearing his full plate, his shield and finally in his left hand firmly held onto the Water Serpents Fang. The darkness of the armor seemed to mingle in nicely with the surroundings, though his blue eyes also reflected the odd coloured glow of some nearby mushrooms.

Stats for thread:

Hydra was a little taken aback when she stated her real name. "Oh is that what she meant." He thought to himself a little panicked. He tried to regain his composure with his kindness, "That's a nice name..." He paused, smiling awkwardly before continuing. "My own name is Peter, although I haven't said it in a while." That was the truth, he had perhaps shared it with one or two others, though since the two years had come and gone by in this dream it certainly felt ghostly to have lost such a sense of identity. "I apologise for my naivety, I try my best to avoid thinking of home in these times." A slight sense of sadness returned to his voice with the latter part. Time had passed by so quickly and by the current rate they were getting through the bosses it could potentially be a decade before getting home. If not longer. Hydra sighed returning his gaze and focus back to Rissa, smiling once more. 

Hydra listened solemnly as Thorsten continued to talk, it was a relief in all honesty. He often struggled to make conversation, running everything through his mind before articulating himself. A reflector, was what his family use to call him and much like anything it was double edged.

He looked towards Thorsten, "Hmm I guess I chose it because I love the rain and water. White noise." Hydras eyes flickered towards the river, his lips curling up slightly. Perhaps it wasn't the best reasoning for a name, and indeed whilst he had always liked the concept of the mythological creature, he shared very little in persona to a territorial 9-headed monstrosity.  

As Thorsten continued to talk Hydra quickly realised that he was a sage of soughts, at least that's what he believed them to be called. Inquirers of truth and seekers of knowledge. "Aha I'm afraid common knowledge... And logical sense is something I lack, I'm often up with the clouds or dreaming most the time." He gave an awkward laughed and scratched his cheek. "Thank you for your concern though." 

Hydra's heart jumped a little when a complete stranger seemingly appeared from the nearby forest. Recoiling, he paced back a step, thankfully his armor was heavy armor to keep his body grounded and he regained his balance. Before he had the chance to speak however, the stranger introduced themselves as Silver Thorsten Zevulum. What caught Hydra's intrigue more than the name was the accent. A wave of nostalgia hit him, it sounded exactly like the people from home. "Huh..." The spearman mumbled, staring directly at Thornsten his mind was in two places at once. It took a momentum for his thoughts to regather.  "Forgive me, my name is Hydra." He said shaking himself back to, his own accent clearly English as well...

Majority of the players in the system seemed to be American or Japanese, so it was always a surprise to hear someone with a different accent. "I thank you for your honestly, I am a little weary from travel but I don't want to burden anyone." The spearman smiled lightly a calm demeanour returning to him once more. A few moments passed and he quickly realised his left-hand was resting on the hilt of his spear, he slid it off gently. It had become a force of habit by now, even though he had a distaste for violence. Hydra raised his head and breathed deeply, trying his best to block out invading thoughts. 

Hydra tilted his head, his hair flowing with him. She seemed a little surprised at the fact he didn't recognise her, then again he barely recognised anyone. "Sorry, I can't say I do." He laughed nervously, "Oh but don't worry if that bothers you... I barely know who is who these days. Myself included." The last part was a bit of a stretch though his avatar was slightly different to his real world appearance he had grown into it by now. Sometimes he had to think to try and remember what he was like before all this happened before, similar of course, but still different in ways as well. The spearman quickly bought his attention back to Jinx, trying to avoid his bad habit of drifting. What she said next bought a smile to his face, though he had to repress a laugh. "It's okay, my name is Hydra. I'm a bit of a nobody really, I guess I am just a wanderer." After the player had asked his name he felt comfortable trying again. "Do you have a name? Or, its okay if you rather wouldn't say anything." He quickly added. The last thing he wanted was for Jinx to feel uncomfortable with his presence, he'd probably need to explain about the orange cursor at some point as well. 

Quite a few new items, hopefully they all check out as this is a bit of a new system for me. Thanks ^^

Hydra stepped back into his store and let out a yawn. It had been a while since he had last been here and by the rumors he was hearing there were other artisans just as skilled if not more so than he was. "I should try focus on myself, not them." He mumbled shaking his head. The spearman had recently turned green again and for the first time in a while could rest easy. In any case, he had lost his familiar Twilight since leaving. It saddened him and the thought she might be dead was constantly in his mind, for now he would attempt a circlet that might bring him some more luck in finding a companion. 

ID 96196:
Craft: 10 (rare) (+6xp)

ID 96200:
Craft: 3 (fail) (+2xp)
LD: 1 (fail)

ID 96201:
Craft: 1 (fail) (+2xp)

ID 96202:
Craft: 10 (rare) (+6xp)

ID 96203:
Craft: 2 (fail) (+2xp)

ID 96204:
Craft: 11 (rare) (+6xp)

ID 96205:
Craft: 12 (perfect) (+9xp) 

ID 96209:
Craft: 11 (rare) (+6xp)

- 8 T1 Mats, +39xp

Items Crafted: