Morningstar

Sparks ran up Morningstar's spine at the touch of Reyna's hand. Her words surprised him. He felt like it was on him to support her but there she was, reassuring him instead. Matching her smile, he took a step forwards. He brought his left hand up to his necklace, touching the pendant gently. He lifted it and slid it underneath his cloak, out of sight. "Let's head out," he said, peeking back to make sure she was following. The gates of Urbus stood tall, its guards placed in the same particular way that they always were. Morningstar nodded to them in passing as they left the city, ente

Remington regaled Morningstar with details of his encounter with the beast of the forest. He set off on his expedition with a Florenthian guard by the name of Sewallus. For three days, they lived among the trees, studying the creature's habits and lifestyle. They learned what it ate, when it slept, as well as everything in between. Most importantly, they had discovered where it lived. "Hidden deep within the forest, there is a cave of sorts. Actually, it's more like a big hill that's been hollowed out. That," Remington said, "is where you'll find the Monkey King." He seemed to annoy

Since ancient times, civilizations have passed on tales of creatures that lurk in the dark. Native Americans have the Wendigo. Shapeshifting ghouls are said to roam Persia. Japanese folklore speaks of Jorogumo: the giant spider. Aincrad was no different. Those who lived in Florenthia Village knew the stories of the Monkey King, a beast that dwelled in the forests of the eighth floor. It was said that its size tripled that of an elephant and its strength tripled once more. A ruthless and violent creature that struck fear in the hearts of the villagers who lived nearby. At least, that'

Not long after his previous visit, Morningstar returned to Nari's shop. Two visits to the twenty-seventh floor and still, all he'd done was go shopping. He waved to the woman at the counter. She'd messaged him about his request and he returned immediately. The sword was laid out across the counter. The craftsmanship that went into it was magnificent. "It's beautiful," he told her, running his hand along the face of the blade. The golden frame was simple and sleek. It was exactly what he'd hoped for. He gave the woman a smile and paid what he owed: 950 Col. He'd be back the next time

The Winter Fox. Morningstar had intended on holding off on a new weapon until he could craft his own; however, desperate times called for desperate measures. He held off on his blacksmithing adventure to take on bigger and better quests. The Winter Fox was his first step on his way to quench his curiosity. He needed a more powerful blade, one that was more suited for battles with stronger monsters all while fitting his style. He needed something beautiful. A work of art. The blonde pushed the door to the shop open, peeking inside. He could hear the sound of metal hitting metal;

Fiery hair and a familiar face appeared shortly after Morningstar had become accustomed to the heat of the onsen. He ran a wet hand through his blonde locks and chuckled at the man's observation. "Being the first one in has its perks. For starters," he leaned back, his arms extending out over the rocks, "I picked the best spot here." The rocks formed a sort of barricade that blocked any potential wind coming from behind him. The addition of the space he had around him made it the perfect place to relax. Shortly after Jomei's entrance, a girl he didn't recognize joined them in the hot

Morningstar met the man's eyes. The jewels were the exact same things that Lexa would have liked. He could relate to Zamek in that regard. "If I can help someone find peace, I can't turn away. I'm glad I could help you retrieve your treasure." He placed a hand on the man's shoulder the same way the old man had before. Zamek's smile faded into a look of understanding. "I'm sorry about your friends." Morningstar looked down into the hole where the treasure chest had been hidden. "Thank you. Me too." The two sat there for a while Morningstar grieved in silence. Eventually, a notifi

Morningstar reached into the hole and pulled out a treasure chest of sorts. "Ah, here it is," The elderly man dropped to his knees in front of the skeletal rocks. His calloused hands trembled. His breaths came in short gasps. Despite that, he dusted off the top of the cargo. The container was not large, nor was it ornate, but Zamek wheezes as he drags it into his lap. He slipped a tiny key into the lock, turned it, then eased the lid back. All at once, a variety of emotions exploded across his weathered face. Though he smiled, his dark eyes fill with tears as he lifted out a stack of let

Zamek nudged Morningstar's shoulder and pointed in the distance. "There," he said, "that is where my treasure is buried." Morningstar nodded with a sad smile and they continued towards the spot. The rock formations were oddly skeletal. They were almost dragon-like in appearance, he thought. He could make out the head, if he tried hard enough, and a spine that connected to it. The spine was spiked with jagged rocks and curved around in the shape of a tail. "This is it?" Morningstar asked. They stood staring at the face of the beast. It almost looked like it was staring back. Zame

Katar was gone. The party of five had been reduced to two. Morningstar looked to Zamek. "I'll finish your quest," he said wistfully. The old man nodded and they stepped back through the hole in the wall, leading them into the heart of the sandstorm. Another mile into the desert was all it would take, he thought. His steps were slower and weaker now. Zamek's coughs and the powerful winds were the only things filling the blonde's head now. He hadn't felt a pain like this in a long time. He gripped the angel wing pendant in his fist and with the other hand pulled his hood back over his

Morningstar's breathing was heavy. His entire body was. Whatever motivation or spirit he'd had when they'd begun their journey into the desert had left at the sight of Grace's body hitting the soft sand. He couldn't even look at Katar, who was still leaning against a nearby building. Zamek peered out from the safety of the house. He approached Morningstar slowly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. He turned his attention to the old man and they shared a defeated look. Katar slammed his fist into the wall, leaving behind dozens of cracks. Morningstar glared in the man's direction. "W

Seconds turned to minutes and those minutes felt like an eternity. The sandstorm had begun to cover Morningstar's body as he lay there, unmoving. Even his brain had slowed down as the panic had left them. One question still lingered, however: Why was he still alive? If they had killed Grace, then why leave him there? Was Katar still holding them off? The clashing of blades answered his last question. It was hard to hear with the intensity of the sandstorm, but somebody was still fighting. A twitch in his left foot told him that the paralysis was wearing off. He struggled but even as it su

"Same as her. Chocolate milkshake for me, though," Morningstar added, ordering his meal. The Ox Burgers came quicker than he'd expected. Even for a virtual restaurant, he was surprised that there was little preparation time involved with cooking. He took a bite of the burger before trying his milkshake and fries. The taste was far different than the burgers he was accustomed to. Superior, even. The condiments, whatever they were, mixed nicely with the spices of the meat, and the vegetables tasted fresh. "You're a cook, right? I need to stop by your shop sometime and try your food." H

With some effort, the door swung open. A shrouded figure stepped inside and without hesitation, Katar unsheathed his katana. The horizontal arc made by the man's blade shocked the bandit, causing him to duck outside. The NPC called out for backup and two more bandits revealed themselves, weapons in hand. Katar dashed outside, giving no chances for the bandit to escape. His Kraki Gazan met the bandit's silver curved sword, clashing on impact. "Shit!" Morningstar exclaimed furiously, withdrawing his own blade. Simon and Grace did the same, asking Zamek to stay put. They stepped outside

Rebekah agreed to head back to Coral and they trekked back down the beaten forest path that lead to town. He glanced towards trees and bushes in case there were any more materials for him to find. There weren't, however. Morningstar didn't complain; he'd found his haul and he was content with it. "I was thinking about getting dinner," he said in response to Rebekah's question. "What about you?" There was a restaurant on the second floor, in a lesser-visited part of Urbus, that he had been meaning to try. The establishment had supposedly risen to fame due to its popular Ox Burgers. "I

"Not much," Morningstar said, meeting Rebekah's eyes. "Although, I did find a cool gem." He turned back to the lake, giving it one more look before giving up on his search. "Two materials should be fine for now, I guess," he chuckled. It looked like Snowball's training had been completed. The owl's final kill was a boar. Morningstar stood up, dusting bits of sand off of his pants. It was sufficient to say that they'd both been successful that day. He looked back at Rebekah. "Should we start heading back to Coral soon?" He asked, unsure of the girl's schedule for the rest of the

He peered out the small hole. There were three bandits standing in the path leading up to the house. They appeared to be speaking to each other but he couldn't tell what they were saying. Their faces were covered, like the previous men they'd encountered. Morningstar ducked away, avoiding the chance of being spotted. "Yeah, you were right. Bandits." "Well, what do we do?" Katar asked, accidentally raising his voice. Realizing his mistake, he toned down. "Should we wait for them to come to us?" "Honestly, I think we should talk to them," Morningstar returned. "Talk?" Katar s

Katar didn't respond verbally. Instead, he finished off his wrap and picked up the apple, moving towards the door. There was a tiny hole in it that Morningstar had noticed upon entering. It was low, towards the bottom of the door. Katar knelt down to stare through it. He sat there for about thirty seconds before looking back at the blonde. His impatience had turned to worry, for some reason. "I swear I just saw something out there," Katar said. "What? Where?" Simon asked, sitting up to take a look through the hole. Grace pulled him back down, shaking her head. Morningstar looked

"As I said, I've come prepared," Morningstar revealed five wraps filled with chicken and vegetables as well as an apple each. "I'm starving," Simon said, scooching over from his corner to take his portion of the food. Morningstar handed out food to each of the crew members before taking his own. He withdrew the wrap from the parchment that covered it and took a bite. Judging by Simon's face, he was enjoying it the most. The poor kid hadn't eaten since morning. Even Zamek seemed to like the food. The idea of NPCs still perplexed the blonde. They seemed just like regular people to him,

"Only one of these buildings still has a roof. Not to mention sturdy walls," Katar said. "If you call these sturdy," Simon returned, a brick crumbling as he tapped his knuckles on a wall. Morningstar peeked inside the safest building, the one that Katar had mentioned. It was quiet inside as if the sandstorm didn't exist there. It seemed safe enough, he thought. At the very least, he felt confident that they could rest without being eaten by a giant toothed worm. He swung around, widening the door to let the motley crew inside. The walls were brown and dull. There were cracks on every

The gasp of a stranger took Morningstar by surprise. He jumped, startled. By the look on the bartender's face, he was as shocked as the blonde. He exhaled his lagging breath; a sigh of relief as the gears in his brain began to turn and he figured out what was happening. He hadn't even noticed the man standing behind him, peering over his shoulder. He scrambled for words at the realization that he was being asked a question. The stranger was dressed inconspicuously. He wore a cloak that, for the most part, covered his identity. It was similar to Morningstar's own, albeit longer and duller

Morningstar's gaze was stuck to the gem. It was similar in shade to the gems he had found on the Paradise Islands; however, unlike them, this one stayed intact even after being ripped from the earth. Ideas for a blade filled the man's mind. The crystal and the blackwood he'd found before could be used for a hilt of a sword or the shaft of a spear. Perhaps an ornate dagger. Thoughts like this had been appearing more and more often. It seemed as if it were the time for him to begin his blacksmithing quest and open a shop of his own. He stashed the gem in his inventory for save keeping, stic

Reyna's level took him by surprise. He raised a brow as if he were thinking about how to approach the situation. He was confident that he could handle the quest alone but holding the life of a level one player in his hands almost made him uncomfortable. If something were to happen to her, it would be his fault. Morningstar caught the woman gazing at his necklace. Smiling faintly, he wondered what Lexa would have done in his position. The staring of passersby finally came to an end, relieving some of his tension. He cleared his throat, committing to an answer. "If we go together, you'

"Yeah, you're right," Morningstar began, "the path itself isn't dangerous." Morningstar recalled the route to the mountain. While it was a ragged path, he hadn't run into any mobs on the way. That being said, he dreaded the length of it. The walk would take about an hour if they weren't rushing, which they had no reason to do. "The first sections of the cavern are just lizardmen, from what I've seen. Nothing too difficult. After a bit of walking, we'll come to a fork and one of the three paths will lead towards the boss. The others are dead ends. Assuming it doesn't change every time

Much to Morningstar's surprise, Snowball swooped past him. He soared towards the center of the lake but the fish stopped their leaps. After a few failed dives, the snowy owl flew back to Rebekah. He commended him for the effort, finding humor in the fact that the familiar took an order from someone other than Rebekah. He turned his attention back to the water. Small ripples flowed over his fingertips as he played with small pebbles, smoothed by the lake. Tiny fish swam nearby, curious of what Morningstar was. When they were satisfied with what they had seen, they disappeared deep into the