Birdie

"Suppose we don't get have a choice," Birdie offhandedly whispered to her former guild-mate. She couldn't decide what was less pleasant, venturing into darkness or the thought of not returning from it. At least it wouldn't be a completely strange time - one of the few men she instilled full trust in was standing only a few feet away, calming whatever subtle unease the bluenette had felt. Birdie trailed behind Domarus and Keres as Ariel led the group through the depths, keeping her wits about her as the Sun's influence grew null. Having grown accustom to the light, the lack of vision struck the girl much harder than most, though she made do with the glow of Ariel's light bottle which now rested in Keres' hold. Senses would adjust in time.

From 0 to 100 real quick, combat ensued. Two expert Sword Arts laid waste to four foes and looked to clear the path ahead, though more ghostly whispers bellowed from within as two fresh monsters emerged. Without hesitation, Birdie sprung to the front of the group and reared her rapier, allowing Over Radiation's light to consume her weapon as she prepared to attack. Angling the blade low, she aimed for a single wraith and motioned forwards- immediately, something felt off. The light levels; incorrect footing; too much hesitation and not enough action. Whatever the excuse, she shook her head and cancelled the Art before it was too late, leading her to stumble forwards pathetically and succumb to a brief system delay. Mm, great timing...

ID# 87869   BD: 4 (2+3-1)
Sword Art: Miss

[H:2 #1-4] Ariel: 1,315 /1,315 | 130 /130 | 93 Mit | 1 Accuracy
[H:1 #1-4] Domarus:  700/700 | 58/70 | 54 MIT | 3 ACC
[H:0] Birdie: 680/680 | 66/68 | 39 MIT | 2 Accuracy
<Player#4 stats>

@Aereth @Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Domarus

Wraith#5 350|350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#6 350/350 | 120 Dmg
 

In a flash, Terra Firma rose up from the sands and lashed out at Morgenstern, striking the tank's shield and chest before the bluenette could blink. Birdie ripped out her weapon and empowered it with a Sword Art's light, casting a blue sheen across Tempest Fleuret's surface as she broke into a full-on sprint. Although the boss' movements were sharp, it seemed to tire for a moment and the ex-scout didn't hesitate- she swung her sword forwards with a fierce growl and carried out Over Radiation's flashy strikes, piercing her target's skin fourteen times over.

"Ruaaarrrhh!"

Sustaining massive damage, Terra Firma bellowed a ferocious cry and swiftly burrowed beneath the sands, preparing to strike from below. "Watch out!" Birdie screamed, her eyes desperately scanning the desert floor for any sign of movement. Aside from the wind, all grew quiet as the evolved Land Shark swam beneath the sands... far too quiet.

ID# 87808 - BD: (5+2)+4
Sword Art Used: Over Radiation [18*14=252-75=177 DMG]

[5] @Morgenstern: 1126/1221 <> 106/106
[1] Birdie: 720/720 <> 60/72

Terra Firma: 473/650 <> 250 DMG <> 75 MIT

In reply to Aereth, she nodded. "Better since last time." Much of their previous encounter faded from obscurity, and for the most part what small details remained were hardly worth noting. Although their discussion of past relationship woes hadn't left her entirely comfortable, she wouldn't let it dull the current situation - there was no sense dwelling on ghosts of the past.

Tensions continued to fester and boil. Convinced there was a major plot point she was missing out on, Birdie strode along the path and kept to herself, unwilling to fan the flames or stir up a fuss of her own. These were underlying issues that she hadn't a right to intrude on nor a part to play in, and only if things resorted to violence would she speak out against them - assuming the bluenette's cowardice didn't hold her back.

Fairly soon after switching equipment, Ariel had shone a light to reveal a dungeon's entrance, and Birdie also confirmed her readiness with a nod. "Ready to go." Birdie wore an Elven vest of blue silk and over it, her vanity half-breastplate of silver with gold trimming. Blue boots and thigh-high stockings completed her lower half, and attached to Birdie's hip by thin leather straps was a scabbard containing Tempest Fleuret, her rapier.

@Aereth @Domarus @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

Birdie put on a weak smile. "As if I hadn't thought about that already... I wouldn't know how to start such a message, much less how to finish it." She sent him an earnest gaze, tilting her head downwards. "Maybe you're right, though. I'll... think about it."

The Queen buzzed around in the distance. As soon as their weapons struck the boss and/or stuck around its aggro range for too long, they'd invoke the ire of the insectoid beast and do battle once more. The bluenette grew sick and tired of fighting these flying creatures - they were a nightmare in the real world and royal pains in her behind in Aincrad. Raising her rapier in the ready position, she returned the man's smirk and nodded, "Better let me know what you want then!"

Thud. She tripped over a rock. Blinking, the woman wondered whether she should lay down in silent contempt or pick herself up and regain some semblance of dignity- the latter seemed more appealing. Standing up, she uttered a cough and spoke. "Y-you go ahead. I'm right behind ya'..." 

ID# 87747 - BD: 1+3=4 (Miss again yippee)

[0] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 72/72
[0] Aereth - HP: 880/880 - EN: 88/88

The Queen - HP: 500/500 - MIT: 75 - DMG: 200
Bee Minion #6 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #7 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #8 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth

Ava, you basket case... do you think he has the time to listen to you whine? She pondered, thinking about nothing and everything all at once. In times of great distress, she turned into one of those melodramatic fools who grew neurotic to the bone, obsessing over every last detail to paint herself the biggest picture possible. No doubt Mac's feeling terrible about it, the way he was tearing up as he disappeared into town... but it doesn't make sense. He's a Knight of the Blood, a member of one of the most highly regarded guilds in this stupid game. Why would he risk tarnishing the guild's reputation as a just entity to kill a man who was seconds away from imprisonment. It doesn't add up...

Perhaps she'd never get her answer. Perhaps she would have to go through each and every one of her days, repeating the scene in her head over and over, trying to make sense of Macradon's disgraceful actions. Never gaining proper closure was fast becoming a meme in her life - she had a boyfriend who ran away for a reason she didn't quite understand, a friend kill himself in an impossible duel for no apparent reason, and had nearly brought rightful justice to two player killers- until one died at the hands of an honourable man whom she was trying to impart a reason from.

Birdie fled into the wilderness, striking down any undead that stood in her way as she searched for any low-levels battling Elite monsters. One party had openly admitted to looking for them whilst another denied any knowledge of the broker's information, though they both returned to town as she informed them of the true nature behind the rumour. Having swept high and low through the brown fog and done as much as she could possibly do, the level-36 Fencer retreated to the main settlement to conclude her evening with a faux cider, alone in a tavern. A message buzzed in the corner of her screen- she froze on the spot. Mac...

"I think we'll just have to wait and see, then. So long, red-cloak."

Send.

Lifting her head to the door of the dingy tavern, a faint frown crept across her lips.

@Macradon [Not-so-subtle Green Day references ;P]

Seconds before the temporary-orange player would disappear, Birdie caught a glimpse of the man's facial expression. She noticed the terror in his eyes having watched his closest friend die, powerless to help after being frozen by paralysis. He looked straight at the bluenette the instant the portal closed, and the guilt residing inside of her was ramped up to 11. How could he do this... why did would he do that? It was pointless to pose those questions to herself- she set her sights on the Knight as he practically whimpered "Sorry" over and over again, his remorseful words stabbing her in the gut like a sharpened blade. As she tried to take off after him, her legs were met with an overwhelming resistance- an internal, invisible force that kept her put. So many questions shrouded her mind, each and every one of them demanding answers. The crowd whispered among themselves, players hesitantly drawing away until only a small gathering remained.

Birdie steeled herself and swiped two fingers through the air. Messages. Write New Message. Recipient: "Macradon".

Body: "I won't lie and say that I understand what happened back there. I don't blame you for putting him out of his misery - maybe he would've gone insane in Black Iron, it's as close to a mental asylum as you can find in Aincrad. But I will not stop until you've answered me. Why?"

Send.

@Macradon

The atmosphere grew depressive and emotional, two things she really didn't need or want to deal with. Despite that, Aereth's words elicited a quiet "Hm" from the bluenette, leading a smile to tug at her cheeks. "I suppose so." Relationships, commitments, partners... three things that had hurt her in the past. For as long as she had eyes on the proverbial prize of escaping the game and earning freedom, she made a promise to never delve deeply into either of them. If not for literal freedom, then for the peace of mind that they could never hurt her again.

"Hey," she spoke softly, "Please don't say that - honestly, you're fine. If anything, it was a good idea getting that stuff off our backs, maybe we'll be able to focus a little better without those thoughts distracting us." Inhaling deeply, she exhaled a lungful of air and rose to her feet. "Maybe he'll come back. He's got some explaining to do... but I won't hold my breath."

A ding signalled the energy bar regenerating to full. Intent on putting an end to the Queen, Birdie drew her rapier and turned towards the man. "Ready to dance, space cowboy?"

@Aereth

"Guess I can't complain about easy experience," she shrugged, sheathing her blade into its scabbard. At the mention of 'this', she turned to see Itzal holding an interesting-looking potion - the quest reward. "Looks fancy." Meanwhile, the pile of leaves containing Sirius rustled for a second before going completely still. As the dragon's head drew closer and closer, the ghost wolf burst out and leapt into the other pile to tackle Velnia, tail wagging all throughout. Watching them both as they played, a smile found its way to Birdie's lips and she sighed happily. "Yeah, they appear to be fine."

Itzal inquired about their next plan of action and she looked over, sending him a shrug. "I hadn't really thought about it. Hm... maybe it would be best if we headed back for today. I think they've have had enough excitement for one day," she sent a lighthearted scowl towards the two animals, "Plus, there isn't much else to do on this floor. It's pretty unremarkable as far as quests go... but I'll take you up on that questing offer?" As they began along the path back to town, Birdie called Sirius to her side and he appeared within seconds, walking alongside her. "How would you feel about Witch of the West: Tin Man's Heart?"

@Itzal

Silence tainted the air outside the city's Southern gate. Dozens of eyes focused on one centre point, the town guards nearly breaking formation to catch a glimpse of the sight. One pair of blue iris' gazed at the dazzling display of digital shards, watching them rise high and drift away into the sky, failing to fully obscure the Knight stood behind. Those blue eyes belonged to the level-36 Fencer as she gazed endlessly at the spot where a man once lay, where an unforgiving act of murder took place under the pretence of justice and righteousness. "..." Words failed her. The crowd remained silent. The brunette, watching his comrade drift lazily through the air, remained silent.

"He would have been in prison, Mac." Her tone was low, crushed. "N-nobody else had to die, he wouldn't kill anybody... why...?" Guilt, uncertainty... disgust. All were latent in her expression, glaring into his teary eyes. "Why... what purpose did killing him serve?"

@Macradon

When Aereth asked about her colourful vocabulary, she stifled a smile and thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "I've been always been a little potty-mouthed, where I'm from it's common to swear in every other sentence. Earlier in the game I had a reason for speaking with a bit of class, but uh... it feels like there's no point to upholding that anymore." Her brows fell as she lowered her eyes, remembering a certain black-haired Mercenary and how coy she would be around him.

A short time passed before the brunette agreed to the plan, and then silence befell the two.

Aereth had been the one to break it. When he mentioned his fallen girlfriend, her stomach dropped, and she quickly figured out where he was going with it. Arc, she thought as Aereth spoke his name. The orange player tried to backtrack but the bluenette quickly shook her head. "N-no, you're fine asking, it's... it wasn't exactly a secret, I guess." She rested her eyes on the man for a second before dragging them to the sky. "He and I were together. I don't think we ever admitted it in front of each other, we were pretty shy about it for the longest time. He was genuinely an awesome guy- and my best friend, too." She wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them into her chest, smiling. A frown would quickly overwhelm her. "Arc uh... left a little while ago. Something about saving an old friend, chasing ghosts... I never understood what he meant. His name isn't crossed out on the monument but we haven't spoken in months, so... bottom line is no, we're not." Devoid of expression, she gazed endlessly into the fields beyond.  "... sorry about the sad vibes."

Out of combat NRG regen: 2 out of 3

@Aereth

"H-hey, what are you-?!" She struggled to keep ahold of the man as he flailed wildly, breaking free of Birdie's grasp as he knocked her to the floor. She toppled over with a thud and hastily raised her head, only to see him running away with Macradon giving chase. The PK'er didn't last long before the Knight caught up and stunned him, and Birdie sighed in relief as the situation was contained once more.

Better not take any risks. She pushed up off the floor and stood up in an instant, glancing towards the Axe Guy. "Don't think you're going anywhere." Unsheathing her rapier, the bluenette aimed it towards his upper body and activated one of her weakest Sword Arts, Above. A weak blue light enveloped her blade and sparks flew from its tip as she plunged into the bad guy, rendering him stunned for a little while longer.

Meanwhile, Mac mentioned something a little suspect. She hoped she was just misinterpreting his words but from her perspective, it sounded like he meant to put an end to the dagger guy- for good. A look of concern came over her as she spoke. "It's done, Mac. We can send these guys to jail and let the authorities deal with them once the game is over."  Glancing nervously at the growing crowd, she felt uneasy about bringing up her worries directly. "Let's finish this the right way."

ID: 87702
BD: 6+3=9
Sword art used: Straight - 18*1=18-43=1 DMG STUN

<Orange Axe Guy>         310/680  HP ||  43 MIT || 10 DMG ||  56/68  NRG - Stunned -

@Macradon

An exasperated sigh left her system as she slumped against a tree, "God DAMN it, those things really didn't wanna die." The fight lasted way too long given the light workload - all of their misses added up in energy losses and they weren't in any condition to take on a field boss. Aereth pointed as much as well and Birdie offered no resistance to the idea, nodding as she slid down the tree trunk. "Y-yeah, good idea. I think that's the worst battle I've ever been in, you know," the bluenette smirked, glancing sidelong towards Aer. "Like, what are the chances that the system AI dodges four of our attacks in a row? Seriously, I put money on Kayaba having a hand in that." Though she was only joking around, it was truly remarkable how an experienced Swordsmen and adept Fencer could falter to such a degree.

In the distance, a brand new mob was materialising bit-by-bit until finally <<The Queen>> came into existence, the winds shifting as its nightmarish buzz pierced the air. Thankfully it didn't seem to care about the nearby players just yet, and the blue-haired woman stared with unease. "How do you think we should go about fighting her? I don't mind focusing the Queen while you deal with her minions, then we don't risk one of us getting bombarded all at once."

Out of combat NRG regen: 1 out of 3

@Aereth

"Close friends?" Birdie repeated, "I see..." Albeit to a much, much lesser degree, she had similar experiences with PK'ers. Aereth and Beatbox were two good friends who both wanted to end Laughing Coffin's tyrannical reign, though only one chose to wear the orange cursor and the latter died biting off more than he could chew- perhaps willingly, but she would never know for certain.

Players started passing by as the four neared town. Any low-levels who'd fallen for the ploy probably figured out the lie long ago, or were still farming tirelessly in the wilderness trying to drop one of the fabled materials. Birdie sighed knowing she'd have to head out there afterwards and search for any remaining players, but it could wait until the orange players were sent away and her business with Macradon was concluded. Unsure how else to ask for help, she noticed a red-headed couple passing by and cleared her throat. "H-hello, Sir, Miss? Sorry to ask, but would you happen to have two Teleportation Crystals you could part ways with? We'll pay the costs," she reassured them in a nervous tone, wondering if they'd comment on the orange captives.

@Macradon

If she hadn't witnessed it herself, Birdie wouldn't have believed a group of mobs could work so efficiently with one another - even if the system was controlling them all, normal mob AI would never be this efficient. It must be a hive mind thing, she thought, switching her attention to the agile player. He was suffering the most from the ordeal yet their last four or so attacks combined had missed, entirely, making the situation far more deadly than it had any right to be. Immediately after her Sword Art cooldown timer ran out, Birdie took off into a run and held her blade low, activating Crucifixion as she came up behind a Bee Minion. Her blade was thrust six times into the buzzing nightmare's abdomen six times though its HP drained immediately after the first, causing the insect to fall and shatter into a thousand tiny fragments upon impact. No loot window showed up- Birdie didn't care. She just prayed it would give Aereth enough of an opening to retaliate.

ID# 87694 - BD: 7+3=10

[0] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 40/72

• Sword Art Used: Crucifixion - [Damage: 12*6=72-25=47 DMG]

[4 (#3,4,5)] Aereth - HP: 564/880 - EN: 54/88

Bee Minion #1 - HP: 000/250 - DEAD
Bee Minion #2 - HP: 000/250 - DEAD
Bee Minion #3 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #4 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #5 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth 

"Aereth!" A breath caught in her throat as she watched Aer succumb to a barrage of damage. Grasping her weapon, she jumped forwards and kicked her feet hard off the ground, speeding into a full-on sprint in an effort to strike down a bee. A viridescent glow encased her weapon as she cooked up Crucifixion - a Rank 3 Sword Art that traced a cross pattern into the target's body - and aimed it at the closest Bee Minion. Before her assault could land, the minion shot forwards to attack Aereth, and all Birdie could do was in horror as his health bar dropped by 30%. Wide-eyed, her weapon struck nothing but thin air before the Sword Art's light faded, and she dashed away after waiting out the post-motion delay. With a cooldown placed on her next attack, the bluenette was powerless to do more than stand and stare in panicked horror, praying he would finish them off soon. "C-come on, Aereth, you got this!"

ID# 87692 - BD: 2+3

[0] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 45/72
[4 (#2,3,4,5)] Aereth - HP: 564/880 - EN: 54/88

Bee Minion #1 - HP: 000/250 - DEAD
Bee Minion #2 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #3 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #4 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #5 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth

She nodded. Having both players teleported into Black Iron Palace seemed the most logical solution - in fact, it might've been the only way to bypass the town guards entirely. When the time came, she would offer to pay half of the costs herself, but a wriggle from Dagger Guy forced her attention elsewhere. "Hey, quit it!" Tugging hard on the man's arms, his struggling ceased in an instant, leading her to sigh quietly in relief.

"O-oh, uh... sure, anything." The bluenette didn't think too much about what Mac wanted to ask her - that said, she hadn't a clue what the question might be. Instead of dwelling on it for too long, she drew her eyes to the path ahead and squinted through the trees, hoping to get a peep of a town wall or settlement approaching in the distance. Dimly lit street lamps glowed in the distance, a few minutes off at least, so they still had a little ways to go. "So, is this your first time handling PK'ers? I mean," she smirked and looked at t the convict-to-be on Mac's shoulders, "If you can really call these guys that."

@Macradon

"T-totally planned," she confirmed with a stutter, tightly gripping Aereth's hand to pull herself up. Rising to both knees and then onto her feet, she noticed the enemy's hit points - specifically that they'd hardly any left. Again... AoE would have been real nice here... They were each a tickle away from death, and even a rank 2 AoE Sword Art would've been enough to dispatch the monsters. Once more cursing herself for choosing a class with zero multi-target Arts, she drew her eyes up to the man's hazel iris' and nodded. "G-go ahead, I need a sec to recover after that uh... planned distraction tactic..." A lighthearted smile found its way onto the bluenette's lips and she sheathed her blade, preparing for the Bee Minion's end. If this quest were anything like the last, the Queen would make an appearance once her drones were dealt with, and then the real fight begins.

ID# Birdie forgoes an attack~

[0] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 48/72
[4 (#2,3,4,5)] Aereth - HP: 880/880 - EN: 54/88

Bee Minion #1 - HP: 000/250 - DEAD
Bee Minion #2 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #3 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #4 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #5 - HP: 6/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth

When Aereth sped away to dance with the Bees, Birdie watched on from the sidelines. Things appeared to take a turn for the worse as a minion's attack sent the orange player off-kilter, forcing him to re-adjust and cancel the Sword Art lest he waste energy. An endless cycle of mob attack after mob attack crippled his ability to go on the offensive, and Birdie gripped her weapon tightly as he politely asked for help. "Coming right up!"

The woman ran as fast as she could towards the man, eyebrows pulling together as she searched for an opening. Wait for it... now! She pounced when the fifth minion finished its attack animation and prepared to unload on it with Over Radiation, though her foot caught in a rabbit's hole and she fell victim to a hard tumble. Blue hair shrouded her vision as she lifted her head from the ground, a groan escaping her lips as she spat out a mouthful of dirt. "Pweh, pleh... D-does that work?"

ID# 87687 - BD: 1+3=4

[0] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 47/72
[2 (#2,3,4,5)] Aereth - HP: 880/880 - EN: 71/88

Bee Minion #1 - HP: 000/250 - DEAD
Bee Minion #2 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #3 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #4 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #5 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth

The sound of a blade striking four enemies in rapid succession reached her ears, and she turned to watched Aereth backing away from the monsters. Their health points had fallen a little way below 50% - another good hit like that and the mobs wouldn't stand a chance. Birdie nodded, "All good here, pretty sure I can take this one out soon..." A cooldown icon disappeared from the corner of her display, signalling she was free to use another Sword Art. "Aha!"

Leaning forwards into a step, she reared her rapier and darted towards her weakened target. Less than 50% of its HP remained meaning one more hit would be enough to kill, and as a blue sheen encapsulated the length of her weapon, she unleashed another assault and drained the Bee Minion's last chunk of life force. It fell to the floor and shattered on impact, and she smiled back to her ex-guildmate. "Back to you, friend."

ID# 87685 - BD: 5+3=8

[2] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 48/72

• Sword Art Used: Over Radiation [Damage: 12*14=168-25=143 DMG]

[2 (#2,3,4,5)] Aereth - HP: 880/880 - EN: 71/88

Bee Minion #1 - HP: 000/250 - DEAD
Bee Minion #2 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #3 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #4 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #5 - HP: 110/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth

"Minions... would they happen to be those things over there?" She lifted a finger to a group of angry, buzzing yellow nightmares in the distance. Back in the real world, bees and wasps and all flying insects were her biggest fear. Although she couldn't quite put a finger on it, something about their gigantic size in Aincrad made them less fear-inducing, as if they were just any other ordinary monster in the game.

She grimaced before glancing at Aereth. "Alright, I'll pick one off, you focus on the other four. Fair?" Offering the man a smirk, she twisted on the spot and sped off towards the oversized bees, brandishing her Fleuret mid-stride. Of course, that was just the most efficient way of doing things- her main class of weapon had a disturbing lack of AoE so picking off a single target was all she was able to do.

A wave of uncertainty washed over her as their buzzing grew louder, though determination kept her going til the very end as she pushed her blade arm forwards, triggering Over Radiation. The system placed Birdie behind her target and she unleashed a flurry of thrusts and swirls, stepping away once the Sword Art expired.
-----
ID# 87683 - BD: 8+3=11 - MD: 7-3=4

[1 (#1)] Birdie - HP: 720/720 - EN: 72/72

• Sword Art Used: Over Radiation [Damage: 12*14=168-25=143]

[0] Aereth - HP: ???/??? - EN: ??/??

Bee Minion #1 - HP: 107/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #2 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #3 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #4 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125
Bee Minion #5 - HP: 250/250 - MIT: 25 - DMG: 125

@Aereth

Poor Sirius barely knew what was going on as Velnia lifted him up and flew them to safety. Relief swept through Birdie upon seeing her familiar saved, and she silently turned towards the Money King with a glare. Itzal unleashed a devastating attack that drew two-thirds of the boss' HP... that couldn't have been it, right? Little thought supervised her actions as she sprung into action and pushed her blade arm forwards, tilting the tip of her Fleuret just a little to trigger Over Radiation, the most powerful Sword Art she knew. The aim assist system launched her towards her target and she struck the beast with reckless abandon, passion fuelling every thrust and stab until the fourteenth hit, where she flipped back before dashing away from the king.

The beast shattered into a thousand digital shards marking the end of its reign. Birdie parted her lips as if to speak, two seconds passing without a peep until words finally left her mouth. "...Hmm... that's disappointing." She blinked, facing Itzal and then the animals not so far away.  "We might have overestimated this boss a little bit. It sorta just rolled over for us... Did the animals get hurt at all?"

ID# 87681  BD:  4+3 
12x14=168-50=118 DMG

[1] Itzal:  1,300/1,300  <>  119/130
[1] Birdie:  720/720  <>  60/72

Monkey King:  0/250  - DEAD

@Itzal

"Miles?!" she asked wide-eyed. Plenty of information regarding the boss had made it into circulation, and it seemed both players were well-informed of its strengths and weaknesses. The only thing left to do was make the arduous trek to their destination, and although the ex-scout wasn't a stranger to long walks, an hour or so of non-stop exposure to the Sun was going to be a problem. She navigated through her inventory and materialised 'Azure Shawl', a piece of clothing gifted to her by the player Arc long ago, and quickly fashioned it into a headscarf to keep herself cool.

Small talk filled their journey in the meantime and an eternity (one hour) later, any sign of civilisation had been long lost. All around them were sandy dunes, sandy hills, sandy plains... lots of sand. Birdie's makeshift headscarf did well to keep the abundance of fine rock from getting into her eyes though it obscured her vision just a little too much for comfort, so it would have to come off for the boss fight. "Can you see anything? You know, other than sand." She turned to face Jonathon, hoping he'd spotted any trace of the boss.

@Morgenstern

She couldn't help but crack a smile. "Hmm, let's see..." In an attempt to recall the recent transpiring of events, the bluenette faced forwards and looked up at the sky ahead. "We heard a little rumour about unique materials, came out to here to find them, figured out what is probably the lamest plot ever to commit murder in this game, saved a bunch of guys from death, saved a bunch of guys from you two-" the bluenette briefly glared at the man in front of her. "-beat 'em up in a pretty horrible excuse for a fight and now we're escorting them back to town... huh, that actually could've gone way worse." What started as a comical list turned into a fairly cohesive summary of the evening, it was a miracle how nobody had gotten seriously save hurt- save for the perpetrators, of course. She focused on the road ahead, growing more comfortable with the situation. "Hm... hey, how are we getting these guys past the town guards? Wouldn't they be attacked on sight?"

@Macradon

Helpless, pathetic, and defeated by the likes of the very guild he despised, the brunette gave little more than a whimper and a groan as Mac heaved him over both those armoured shoulders. In his mind, the fight wasn't over, and he would struggle and wriggle all the way there, but a life of confinement until Aincrad's end was inevitable.

In another part of the forest, Birdie felt her arms growing weaker. She knew it wasn't real fatigue - nothing that happened in SAO had any real effect on her body, save for dying of course. Before she had a chance really think about it, a set of clunky footsteps caught her attention and she turned sharply, gazing at the source of the noise. Phew, Birdie thought. "Back at ya Mac. I see you caught up with our little friend in the end," she said, glancing to the player he was carrying.

Carefully, she stood over the dagger guy and pulled him up by the arms, getting him to a stood position. "Here's the deal - you try to run, I'll stick this rapier where the Sun don't shine and drag your ass back to town. Got it?" She fastened the man's arms further across his back and he gave a reluctant nod, eliciting a smile from Birdie. "Good. You all set to head back, Mac?"

@Macradon

Hmph, 'never would have agreed', you got that right. A look of concern overwhelmed her as Aereth mentioned surviving with 20% of HP the first time around. She truly didn't understand what compelled him to try the manoeuvre more than once, but it was hard to argue that it wasn't the fastest way down. Arms crossed, she eased up with a sigh and nodded in resignation. "Ugh... F-fine, I guess it was pretty fun. Just like... warn me the next time you try something like that?" Looking up to Aereth, she hoped to get verbal confirmation from him but didn't quite hold her breath.

Taking initiative, Birdie huffed and headed along a dirt path. "So," she started, swinging her eyes to the man. "What do you know about this quest? Does it have something to do with Long Live the Queen?" Flashing back to the time she took on the first Wasp Queen, she'd sought the help of another- Zandra, of all players- though it ended up being a painful waste of the axe-wielder's time.

@Aereth