Morningstar

Morningstar jolted at the stag he had knocked back. The glow of his blade became less and less faint as he charged forwards, preparing to unleash his most powerful attack. He pulled the sword back and then thrust it into the stag's chest. From behind, Fonsa had returned from her unconscious state. She stood valiantly, determined to help Morningstar. Hearing her footsteps, he rotated to face her the best he could with the sword still deep in the beast's chest. He motioned to her to back up, but she continued to hobble towards him, dagger in hand. The other stag was now capable of moving on

The stag ripped its antlers from the wall, charging forwards without aim. It went into a frenzy; the bloodthirst was clear in its eyes. Fonsa was directly in its path. If he was not quick, she'd be trampled by the beast. Morningstar jumped in its way, using his sword to hold back the stag's attack. His blade stuck to the stag's tough antlers, unable to damage them but strong enough to stop it from killing Fonsa. He peaked back to look at the woman, unable to tell if she was still conscious. He groaned as the stag pushed harder but didn't lose balance. Then, he pushed back, breaking its poise a

What went through the stag's mind as it stepped past the other that lay in the dust? Did it worry for a friend or had its curse made it emotionless? It didn't matter. Morningstar gasped, still exhausted from the climb. The stag moved slowly, more cautiously than its partner. He pushed forward, gritting his teeth as he swung his heavy sword upward. The stag dodged to the left, stabbing at Morningstar with its antlers. Star deflected the attempt with the flat end of his blade. As they fought, he'd turn his head periodically to check on Fonsa. She was in a bad state and at this rate, he wasn

Morningstar had been caught off guard by the Cursed Stag. The beast had a golden glow to it that almost looked beautiful had it not been twisted into a monster. In reaction to the attack, he lifted himself up and drew Meteor. The slicing sound of the sword silenced the room. Then, it began to shine. Morningstar's sword art matched the stag's aura almost perfectly. He instinctively activated Charge and as he stepped off to form his attack, he felt his body move at an unnatural speed. The blade felt heavy in his hands. He raised it swiftly, bringing it down with rage into the stag's back. A

He reached the window of the seventh floor and used the last of his strength to force himself inside. He rolled off of the edge and onto the hard, stone floor below. His breathing was erratic and he'd become tired from the climb. For a moment, his eyes glazed over to the wall. The beaten figure of a person lay motionless against it. In a hushed tone, Morningstar called to the woman. "Fonsa?" Her eyes opened. "Who are you?" "I'm here to help," he picked himself up, dusting himself off as he stepped towards the girl, "Tythen sent me to find you. He was worried. Rightfully, I guess

"Alright Stephen," he hyped himself up, "you've got this." Then, carefully, he twisted his body to gain a better position on the wall. He held both daggers tightly and planted his right foot on a brick below. When he did the same with his left, he felt an immense strain on his body as he tried to hold himself up. His core tightened and his forearms burned. He took his time, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hold himself for long after drawing a dagger from the wall. Morningstar knew that quick precision would be key to his survival. Like ripping off a band-aid, he ripped the dagger

It was a stupid idea but Morningstar's options were limited. After trying (and failing) to pile up some of the rubble to reach the part of the staircase that stayed intact, he found himself desperate to reach the next floor. A dagger formed in each of his hands as he peered out the window once more. Once he knew that he was clear from falling rocks, he lifted himself onto the window sill and stood as tall as he could. He tried not to look down but that was easier said than done. It was a long drop from the sixth floor but he was pretty sure that he would survive the fall. The higher he got, th

The third floor was much like the first: empty, aside from debris. Fonsa was nowhere to be found. From high above, he heard the crashing of rocks. It drew his attention and he rushed towards the only window available. He stuck his head out, peaking upwards. He couldn't see anything from outside. The sound did not seem natural to him. Someone—or something—was inside the tower with him. His pace quickened as he moved up the floors. He passed the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth before coming to a stop. There was another crash but this time he could have sworn he had heard the voice of a wom

Suddenly, he thought he realized why Fonsa had come to the tower in the first place. There wasn't much in terms of volume but scattered among the rocks and rubble, there were jewels. Morningstar saw red, blue, green, and yellow rocks laying there, waiting for someone to take them. There were too many for one person to carry but he didn't think bagging a few would hurt anyone. He squatted down, picking up a few of each colour and tossing them into his inventory. He wasn't sure what he would do with them but if he had no use, then surely someone else would. Had Fonsa come for the Queen's tr

The tall tower loomed over Morningstar. He stared up, getting a better look at the opening in the clouds. With a grim expression, he entered, his eyes reverting to the path ahead. The entrance to the tower had already been opened, presumably by Fonsa. Inside, it was quiet. It felt different than it had outside, however; he did not feel like he was alone. He scanned his surroundings, glimpsing mostly rubble and decaying overgrowth that had snuck its way inside through cracks in the stone. He noticed nothing of value but picked up a sharp rock that looked like it could be used as a spearhea

The closer he got to the Vale, the sadder he became. What once was a thriving kingdom was now nothing but history. At the top, the clouds parted and light escaped through whatever exits it could. The soil beneath him was long dead. He could see the battered ruins of an army around him and wondered what they had felt in its soldiers had felt in their final moments before the sacrifice. Were they proud to serve? Did they have regrets? From beneath his hood, he scanned his surroundings. The silence was deadly. He was alone. After some time, Morningstar found himself at a gate that had long s

"I'm afraid I don't know much," Tythen said, almost disappointed with himself, "other than that she mentioned a place called The Queen's Tower. I'm not familiar with its layout myself but it's at the heart of The Vale of Ruin." Morningstar nodded. "I can't imagine there are any guides here to help me out." "I apologize for the poor welcome. These are dark times," Tythen looked out at the town, his expression grim. "I'll look for your wife. What was her name?" Morningstar asked. "Fonsa," Tythen replied, "her name is Fonsa." With that, Morningstar set off. Each step he t

The air was different outside of the cave. It felt warm and smelled of flowers and trees. It was refreshing. The breeze was soft and the ends of his hair moved gently in its wake. Morningstar heard Reyna's compliment but had no words in response. He simply smiled back at her, holding the child steadily on his back. Fatigue crept up on him and he imagined his partner was experiencing the same weariness. It had been a long day for them both. The village was not far now and, if they kept to the path, they would be back before dark. "What'll you do when we're back?" Morningstar asked, out of

Morningstar looked at Reyna, nodding in agreement with her statement. He stood, reaching out a hand to the child. She was quiet but managed to thank the pair with a whimper. The tip of his sword disappeared into its scabbard; however, his free hand stayed close to the hilt in case another bat appeared. His attention moved back to the girl, who was staring off at the exit to the cave. As they moved, he noticed that she was having trouble walking and guessed that fatigue was overcoming her. He stopped, kneeling down once more. "Here," he said, "Hop on." She watched him nervously for a

Returning to darkness, Morningstar could hear the voices of Reyna and Koko mixing in with the heavy drips of water that fell from the ceiling. It was difficult to tell, but he thought they were to his left He traversed the pitch-black cave, avoiding puddles and weaving around spiked rocks when he could. His eyes were beginning to adjust to the lighting, or the lack thereof, and he caught a glimpse of what he thought was Reyna sticking out from behind a rock. With some speed in his step, he jogged in their direction. A screech from the void caught his attention. A large shape glided throug

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Morningstar noticed a bit of colour trickle into her pale cheeks. She broke their eye contact, looking back at the path, so he did the same. Reyna's question came expectedly. He wouldn't have taken her if he wasn't one hundred percent sure that he could protect her. The blonde left that part out, returning a half-truth. "It wouldn't have been much fun to go alone. Besides," Morningstar chuckled, "I don't have many friends." The path split off to the right and, according to his map, turning would lead them to their destination. Guiding Reyna along, he motioned for them to follow the n

Bahr's exit from the shadows had provided Morningstar with the perfect opportunity to reset the tempo of the fight. Backing away, the blonde watched as the knight burned from Bahr's blade. It was quite an extraordinary weapon. Using their short burst of words to his advantage, Morningstar re-engaged, a green blaze of light crackling along his blade. He activated Shatter once more but, this time, the soldier had no chance to block it. The edge of the blade dropped down, sliding from the soldier's right shoulder to his lower abdomen. Morningstar's sword retreated for a moment before he swun

Morningstar felt a twinge at his waist where his sword was secured. He agreed to Bahr's plan, watching as the man entered the shadows. His attention shifted to Levi, whose body shook from behind him. He'd be okay. Like Bahr had said, they would protect him. "We won't take too long," Morningstar flashed a smile. Levi nodded, preparing his slingshot and hiding within the trees. The blonde gazed out at the lone soldier, who chewed on his dinner with animosity. His frostbitten hands looked dead and his face was no better. His hand touched the hilt of his blade and with a ring, Meteor was

He was familiar with the twisted wastelands and what they lead to. What once was a forest was now dead, left behind to rot after countless wars. It was clear from the man's expression that he believed that his wife was in danger. Morningstar gazed down at the man, pitying him. "What's your name?" The blonde asked. The question appeared to surprise the man. It was as if he had expected Morningstar to ignore him like all the rest. "Tythen. My name is Tythen." Tythen's hood had dropped a bit, revealing more of his face. Concern had weathered him. The elves were a race that, by defi

From Levi's explanation, it was difficult to tell what they would be up against. That being said, it interested Morningstar. He glanced back at Bahr. It was unlikely that the man knew anything about the fourth floor and Morningstar was not familiar with much outside of Snowfall. "Let's accept it," he said, swiping open his inventory and finding his equipment. Meteor appeared at his waist with a golden glow and his armor switched out with his regular clothing beneath his cloak. His amber eyes fixed on the white-haired NPC. "We would appreciate it if you would lead the way. Even if it is st

Battered and dreary, the twenty-third floor was a place of war. The two tribes of dark elves that called it home lived in constant conflict. The lands were bleak and the settlements unwelcoming. Morningstar avoided it for those reasons. Notes of an eerie piano played in his head as he treaded through the city known as Kalanaes. He could not put his finger on where he had heard the strange song but it was ingrained in his mind so deeply, you would think he had composed it himself. Gloomy scowls were plastered on the faces of the city's inhabitants. It was obvious to Morningstar that he was

The festival reminded him of Christmas, although it was not the right time of year for that sort of celebration. The warm sun solstice, as the villagers called it, had arrived after two hundred years. Bahr asked him a question that puzzled him. Did he look two hundred years old? "No, I didn't even realize this festival existed," he replied, scanning the stalls around them. There weren't any games he'd played before, actually. It was like they were specific to the festival, aside from a game involving tossing snowballs into a hole that resembled a sandbag throwing game that he'd playe

Morningstar took a moment to listen to the men talk back and forth. Already, they had found comfort among each other. He grinned at Alkor, whose attention had moved to Morningstar. The group piqued his interest; he wanted to see how where it would take him. "Dragon Adventure it is," the blonde said. Like clockwork, a notification screen popped up in front of him. It hovered a few inches from his face, offering him the chance to accept the quest. Without hesitation, he pressed the large, blue circle on the left side of the box. Quest <<Dia

The massive tree loomed over the party, casting an eerie shadow. The top of the tree peaked above the clouds, making it impossible to see where it ended. Morningstar scanned the base of the tree from a distance before moving up for a closer inspection. Dark brown bark covered the entire tree like scales on a dragon. In some spots, he noticed sap that had solidified in the form of droplets running down the base. His fingers danced along the side of the tree, avoiding the sticky spots. It was rough and yet awfully soft for a tree of that size. Tapping his fingertips against the bark, he came acr