Morningstar

"Coming right up," Dante said, turning from the pair to grab a few bottles from the shelves behind him. The stranger began speaking to Morningstar, a hint of enthusiasm in his voice as he curiously questioned life on the higher floors. The blonde obliged his questions, interested in his new acquaintance as well. "Each floor is different. They all have individual histories and themes to them. I'm sure you've already guessed that the difficulty of the monsters is consistently increased as you climb but if you stay within the safe zones, even you could take a look," Morningstar smiled b

Morningstar turned his head upon hearing the sounds of another player taking a seat at the bar. His initial assessment of the man was that he was inexperienced; it was possible that he had never left the walls of the Town of Beginnings at all. Morningstar held no judgment towards the stranger. It had not been long since he was in that position himself. The player had snow-white hair that puzzled Morningstar. He was sure that it had been dyed. Either way, he thought it suited him well. His attention returned to the bar, noticing the door to the back swing open. Out popped an older gentlema

Town of Beginnings - Floor 1 Silence was rare in the Town of Beginnings. If you looked hard enough, however, you could find it. That's just what Morningstar had done. Somewhere between the market and housing districts, he found an empty street. His raggedy brown cloak was draped over his shoulders, shading him from the sun. He missed his old green one but did not regret giving it away. After all, the elf he had lent it to needed it far more than he did. He swiped his hand, his menu popping up in front of him. He liked quiet places but still enjoyed the company of others. Cyclin

The hot springs group had grown to a fair size in the time since Morningstar had arrived. To Yona's comment about "moving too quickly," he replied with a not-so-serious smirk and wink. He zoned out for some time, listening to the split conversations that were happening around him. He welcomed Astreya and Astralin with a lazy peace sign, warm water dripping from his weary hand, and then returned to a semi-conscious state nearly beneath the water. His brain, tired from the day and fried from the heat, was not sure how long they had been in the pool. It fell somewhere between twelve minutes and t

How much time had passed before his arrival and Elwood’s return to the living room was a mystery to him. He funneled back in, a small tray in his hands. On top sat an ornate teapot and two cups. It was rare to see the man dressed in anything that did not look kingly. Morningstar wondered if he was one of the few who had seen it. "I hope you don't take honey or anything. I'm afraid I'm all out." "I'm sure it's fine how it is," Morningstar smiled. Elwood poured tea for the both of them. He was slow and precise, in the same way he was in all aspects of life. He hated to rush. Earl

They stepped into the safe zone, backtracking toward the spot where Tythen and Morningstar had met. Morningstar recognized the elf immediately, huddled at the edge of the street. He was covered in the same cloak as before and he looked a bit cold. The moment he saw Fonsa, Tythen drew his weary wife into a fierce embrace. Over her shoulder, he mouthed "Thank you." When they finally drew apart, the grateful elf wrapped an arm around Fonsa's shoulders, holding her tight to his side. "I cannot thank you enough for bringing my Fonsa back safely. You have already done so much, but if you would

"There's honor in that. What is your name?" Fonsa asked. "Morningstar." "I'm grateful to you, Morningstar." He took another bite of his apple. It was sweet and firm. He hated soft apples. They lacked all of the qualities that he thought made apples decent fruit. They weren't crisp, they were never as juicy, and they just felt bad to eat. He had chosen these two well, he thought. He tossed it to the side of the path when he had eaten all that he could. "We're here," he said, coming to a stop outside of the gate. She looked at him briefly. "Do you have a spare cloak?"

"Want something to eat?" Morningstar asked. They were close to the city but he thought he would offer anyway. They had both had long days. With a swish of his hand, a blue screen opened inches from his face. He tapped different sections of it and, suddenly, an apple formed in each hand. It wasn't much—he knew that—but it would do the trick. He stuck one out to Fonsa and she took it graciously. "Thank you," she said. "It's no problem." Morningstar didn't mind gaps in conversation but these didn't feel like gaps. They were like voids. He bit into the apple, the satisfying cru

They walked the first stretch of the way back to town in silence. Morningstar's hood was up once again but now his face was more visible. They passed through the dead wasteland at a slow pace so that Fonsa could keep up despite her injuries. "Why come here?" Morningstar asked. She said nothing in response, her eyes kept on the road ahead. "I saw the treasure. You didn't take any though, so that's not it." Still, he received nothing but silence. "Did you at least find what you were looking for?" "No," Fonsa said, finally. Morningstar could not tell whether she

Morningstar's blade burned gold for only a brief moment as he made his final attack. Fonsa stayed low while Meteor arced in a bright wave, hitting both of the stags simultaneously. The stumbled for a moment, bright red pixels falling from their wounds, before shattering into a storm of blue. He rushed to Fonsa's side, looking down at the drop they would need to take. She could not have made it alone but with him there to help, Fonsa would be fine. Morningstar crept down the few stairs that remained and leaped down to the sixth floor. "I'll catch you," he told Fonsa. Skeptical, F

The wounded stag swung at Morningstar with its horns but it was too slow to come close to hitting Morningstar. He had weakened it enough for it to become far less of a threat than it had been before. He used this chance to retrieve his sword by grabbing hold of the hilt and using a leg to help pull it from the stag's chest where it was stuck. This angered the stag even more, causing it to lash out in a flurry of weakened attacks. Morningstar dodged and blocked them all with ease. Fonsa had made it to the stairs but looked down hesitantly at the drop. Morningstar looked at her in between a

Morningstar cursed and let go of his weapon, leaving it with the dying stag. He rushed to Fonsa's side and watched as a pair of heavy antlers closed in on them. He stood in front of her now, the hood of his cloak falling and revealing a blonde mess and amber eyes. Crazed, the stag swung its horns wildly. Morningstar felt a stabbing sensation in his abdomen. He had taken the brunt of the damage, but Fonsa was not left unscathed. She lay on the ground, clutching her arm in pain. The stag tried stomping on her with its hooves but Morningstar threw a pair of quick punches at it, forcing it to

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