Morningstar

He'd done it. He'd landed his first stun. He wasn't accustom to the system's Sword Arts yet, but it felt fluid to him. The game helped him move through the motions so well, it surprised him. The boar twitched on the ground, unable to move. This was his chance to get in a free hit. Morningstar dashed towards the paralyzed beast, his sword glowing yellow once more. He swung down, strength filling his body. The boar wheezed. Stephen moved backwards, knowing that the boar would be getting up in a moment. He readied himself, although he was somewhat nervous to take a hit. He told himself

Julius looked at the warrior. "Will he really be okay? I mean, the two of us could handle it easily but he's pretty low level." Joaquin watched carefully, squinting. "We'll intervene if we need to, but he should give it a try. Besides, it's not a field boss or anything. It shouldn't be able to kill him. I think." Morningstar took a breath. He pushed himself off the ground, lunging at his opponent. The Boarlet's Blood fell from his pocket where he'd hidden it. The system quickly took over as he swung his blade. Bathed in a yellow glow, his sword dove towards the boar. It met the beast

Joaquin and Julius didn't speak at first. They stared back at Stephen with wide eyes, seemingly unsure of what to do. "What's wrong? You two okay?" Joaquin pointed behind Stephen. "I think you missed one." The cloaked swordsman turned his head, confused. Behind him was a boar double the sized of the other three he'd fought. If they were boarlets, then she was the mother. Two sharp tusks would make for an even harder hit than the previous adversaries. "Lyle didn't mention this one," Stephen blinked, getting into a defensive stance. It seemed like the right time to bring

He focused once again on the boar, drowning out the sounds of conversation coming from his party. It charged at him, but he was quicker. He slammed the hilt of his blade into it's back as it leaped, causing it to lose momentum and hit the ground. The beast got up without missing a beat and snarled. Part of him wanted to use a Sword Art and deal as much damage as he could in a single strike. It was overkill, but it would have been fun. He rarely got the opportunity to use them, since the mobs he fought were always so weak. He abstained, however. He could be reckless, but he wasn't stupid.

The group was approaching the final boar. "I'll just be a quick second and then we can head back to town." Julius and Joaquin stayed back while Stephen moved on. He withdrew his sword and gave it a swing, instantly becoming used to it's weight. The boar stopped it's chewing as the player got near, noticing and turning around. It snorted angrily. Stephen was starting to get tired of the beasts. They always did the same thing but they were too weak to hurt. "Maybe I'm too harsh on them," he muttered, preparing for the fight. The mob stamped it's hoof, kicking up dirt and grass. He

The three spoke briefly before Morningstar offered for Julius to join them. "I'm working on a quest and he's here for the ride. You're free to tag along as well," he said. Julius didn't take time to think before he agreed. "Sure, I'll join you. You can ask whatever questions you'd like about the artisan profession." "Good. I've got at least a couple." ------------------------------------------ The wind ruffled Stephen's hair. Julius unequipped his hat in fear that it would fly away. Joaquin followed along, entirely comfortable in the heavy breeze. "Okay, one more

Morningstar heeded the girl's advice, withdrawing his two-handed sword. His eyes were drawn by the blade. He glanced back and forth between his weapon and Rebekah's. His was dull in comparison; a simple blade he'd come into the game with. It needed an upgrade. They walked for some time without saying a word to each other. Larbrook led them through the labyrinth, confidently turning corners as if he knew the exact locations. Star wasn't sure what they'd do without the goliath there to guide them. When they'd arrived at the maze, for some reason he'd expected unkempt hedges that weren't exa

Joaquin seemed wary, but Stephen was the opposite. He eyed up the stranger, getting a full look of his attire. It was honestly quite odd. "I'm Morningstar," he stuck out his hand, "and you?" "You can take your hand off of the blade; I mean no harm," he smiled at Joaquin before reaching out to meet Stephen's hand, "I'm Julius, but I'm more commonly known as the Magician." "Magician, huh? Why's that?" Joaquin smirked. Julius pulled several playing cards from his sleeve. "Magic's a hobby of mine. Not spells and that sort of magic, of course. Stage magic." Morningstar shar

"Sorry to hear about your guild." Morningstar wasn't the only one who'd lost people and he knew that. Still, it always shocked him when people confessed that the people they'd known and fought beside had perished, whether in battle or due to other reasons. It was never easy to hear. She asked him about his reason for joining Sword Art Online. He took a moment to respond, pondering the question. Why had he enrolled in the death game? Could he even remember? Of course he could; how could he not? "I had an argument with my parents. Something stupid, I'm sure. I booted up the game h

"The heavy ball thingy on a stick" made him chuckle. He'd been thinking more of the biblical figure, which he thought fit with his last name, but whatever worked. It was nice to hear the thoughts of another player who'd been in his shoes. It gave him perspective. "I'll be sure to take you up on your offer as well," Star returned to Freyd, "I've got a million quests to do and I could use the extra hand." Morningstar memorized the pairs names and faces. He had a feeling he'd see them again in the near future. Maybe he'd even stop by the next boss fight. He glanced around the dojo, fidd

Nari-Larenth. Morningstar gazed in her direction for a moment, listening to Jomei's advice. Yet another opponent he was excited to face. His thoughts were interrupted by another new voice. The stranger's dark hair matched his traditional outfit elegantly. He had a piercing gaze that gave his words even more meaning. "Well said," he nodded to the man, "in all honesty, I don't know many people. I've spent a good portion of my time here alone. This has been a nice change, I'd say. Hell, even the rush I get from competing feels great. Even if I don't come out with the win, I have a feel

Morningstar agreed with the decision to bring the guide along. Getting lost in the forest, let alone the maze, sounded like a nightmare. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rebekah peering into the woods. It seemed they'd both seen the wolves hiding behind the trees. Despite this, he felt safe in the group. Rebekah's stats were intimidatingly high and Larbrook... well, he was just scary looking. She questioned his weapon choice. His brow raised and he look down at his blade. He hadn't thought about it before, but maybe it was an uncommon pick. He didn't know anyone else who used a tw

The question didn't surprise him—players always seemed like they were willing to work together in this world. He adjusted his cloak, which blended in quite well with their surroundings. A partner didn't sound bad at all. "I am here for the Hoyas and if it's not too big of an ask, I'd love to join you. Honestly, I was a little worried this quest would be too much for me to handle on my own," he ran a hand through his messy undercut, blonde locks enveloping his fingers. A popup appeared before him, indicating a party invite. Star pressed the accept button and it disappeared, leaving hi

Aruyt. Morningstar was by no means a master explorer, but he'd been around the third floor quite a few times. Aruyt was at the bottom of his list of settlements. The rabbit people, as he thought of them, were friendly but the town itself was... sketchy, for lack of a better term. After all, it was built in the trees and if you weren't careful, you could fall out of trees. The last time he'd visited Aruyt, he and a friend had been chasing a tip they'd received from some broker about a rare item—he didn't remember what anymore. The lead turned out to be false and after nearly killing t

"Yeah," Morningstar said proudly, "although I'll admit there was some luck involved." He used his training sword as an anchor, leaning on it while he fiddled with the angel wing pendant around his neck. He liked Jomei's cloak. It almost reminded him of his own, although his was a lighter shade of green. He looked back to the duels. Truthfully, it seemed like the strongest players were the ones losing. It surprised him. "Sorry to hear that you're out so early. Who'd you fight? Anyone I should be worried about?" Star half joked. He hadn't watched all of the matches but from what h

Morningstar dried his wet hand on his kimono. The bird, finding nothing but stone, flew away into the trees. He stretched his arms, extending them above his head. He was beginning to feel comfortable; however, instead of staying and relaxing he forced himself off the ground. Star gazed up at the tree line. "Thanks for the company." He was sure someone had mentioned beverages when he arrived, but couldn't remember where. The dojo made the most sense. He walked back up the stone path until he reached the entrance to the dojo. The fights were almost done, although that was the case when

While they walked, Stephen periodically shifted his attention to the ground and nearby bushes to see if he could pick out any materials. "If you see something, let me know," he told his friend. Joaquin agreed. "What kind of profession are you thinking of learning? Hopefully these quests have come in handy." "As much as I dislike Lyle, I actually think smithing could be fun. "Fitting. I had a feeling you'd stay away from performer." Stephen chuckled. "Years of acting will be going to waste. Artisan is my second choice." "Artisan, huh?" A voice called. The duo

Joaquin's eyes grew wide as he watched his protégé attack. "That's better." Stephen swung hard, his blade penetrating the boar's skin and slicing cleanly through. A perfect hit. He came to a stop, kneeling behind the explosion of particles where the boar once sat. He hadn't even given it a chance to attack. He stood up, sliding his blade into it's leather sheath. "One more to go," Stephen's attention turned to the sky, "let's take our time and enjoy the weather though." Joaquin smiled. "Let's." The pair wandered through the fields, laughing and chatting together. The next s

"Stop slacking or we'll be here all night. Go fight that one." Joaquin gestured towards a boarlet in the distance. Stephen saluted, rolling his eyes. The banter was a nice change from the silence that he was used to. He'd been by himself for a while now and the isolation was getting to him. He heard a crunch behind him followed by some chewing. Joaquin had helped himself to an apple while he watched Stephen prepare. He approached the boar nonchalantly, not worried about the outcome of the fight. He anticipated another quick fight, although this time it'd be a bit cleaner. At least, h

Morningstar returned a smile. "Thanks for the tip. Maybe we'll get the chance to fight later." He waved lazily, heading towards the exit she'd gestured to. Honestly, he almost felt disappointed that NIGHT wasn't joining him. But he understood. The first round would be ending soon—why risk missing the next? Besides, some time alone to clear his head seemed like an opportunity to prepare for his own match. At this point, it was hard to tell who he'd fight. He wasn't worried. The sun was high, although it felt like he'd been there for an eternity. Star wandered away from the dojo, stayi

Recovering quickly, he kicked off the ground. This time, he aimed down at the boarlet, looking to end the first fight as fast as possible. Joaquin watched, pleased at Stephen's speedy improvement. It wasn't long ago that he watched the blonde struggle fighting boars. Now, he could even tank a hit from one. "Still," he muttered, "I'm not sure he's ready for the big ones." Stephen touched the ground again and brought his blade down with enough force to eliminate the boar in a single strike. It shattered into pixels as he sliced into it. Stephen wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. T

Stephen stretched his arms as he prepared for battle. The boar took instant notice of the swordsman and snorted. Even boarlets were aggressive and mean, but compared to the bigger boars they were a cake walk. The blonde swung his longsword, getting used to it's weight, before dashing forwards. He sliced up from the ground, aiming at the beast's throat, but felt that his footing was off. His sword missed it's mark, but just barely. "Damn it," he muttered, trying to catch himself. The boar didn't allow it, though. Stephen felt it's dense head ram into his back with enough force to knoc

The boars weren't as close to the town as Stephen had remembered. He wondered if they ever moved locations. They spent their time walking catching up and talking about life in Aincrad. "How's the guild?" Stephen asked. "Same old. Actually, Katar's been promoted. He's leading his own exploration team now. I think he wants me to convince you to join," Joaquin chuckled, scrolling through his inventory. Stephen played with his pendant. "My answer's the same as last time. No guilds for me. Solo exploration only." "I won't try to change your mind, but expect Katar to come find yo

Star laughed. "I don't know if I'm that good, but if I can help then I'd love to." He'd always been more of an explorer. Aincrad was a big place and he intended to see as much of it as he could before he left. Morningstar considered the idea of joining a raid boss fight. NIGHT obviously had experience with them; maybe he could ask her to show him the ropes some day. Morningstar viewed idly as another match came to an end. NIGHT seemed to avoid—at least partially—his question. He didn't press, but he did appreciate her offer to watch out for his friends. "It's okay," he crossed h

"Both, I suppose—my match with Hirru just finished and now I'm waiting for the next round to start," Morningstar tried sliding his hands into his pockets, but realized that his kimono had none. How long had it been since the quest on the first floor? It felt like months but truthfully, he couldn't remember. Star hadn't kept in touch either, although he'd originally intended to. Morningstar returned a smile. "Nice to see you again, NIGHT. Just watching today? I don't think I saw you in the bracket." Speaking of which, he had no idea who his next opponent was. An uneven amount of