Morningstar

The question came as a surprise. He'd landed his first strike, but the girl's counter came quick. Where would she know him from? He nearly stumbled backwards, eyes shifting from Astreya to her blade. His left was completely unguarded; he'd made a mistake. Morningstar pivoted, his right foot planted steadily on the ground. As he repositioned his arms, her sword clashed with his. Maybe she'd seen him around previously that day and didn't realize it. Their blades bounced, giving him a chance to step back. Morningstar didn't go to raids and normally quested alone. The chances that they'd met

The deeper into the maze they moved, the colder it seemed to get. The air was stale and breezeless. Larbrook seemed tense. Star's grip tightened around his blade as their guide abruptly stopped. They had arrived. Their path changed from a dreary corridor to an open room, dimly light by flaming braziers. A terrifying beast faced them from ahead. In one hand was a sword the size of Star's two-handed blade. In the other was a shield. It's eyes were dark and rageful. The minotaur was even bigger in stature than Larbrook and was covered from head to toe in silver armor. Larbrook raised his axe

Morningstar's fingers wrapped his ankles as he gave his hamstrings a stretch. He didn't know his next opponent or what they were like. He stood up straight. The gradual buildup of stress and excitement before a fight was something he was unaccustomed to. He observed the remaining players. Nine had become ten with the addition of the boy who had taken the swordsman to Baldur's estate: Takumi. "Interesting," he mumbled to himself. He stepped towards his adversary, sword in hand. She seemed familiar. He'd seen her once or twice in the stands prior to the second round. Straight dark hair

Morningstar shook his head. "I didn't have anyone to play with. I've met a few people here that have been with me since basically the start, though." His friends stuck with him, those that survived until this point. They were all a lot stronger than he was, but he never felt like a burden to them. He hoped the girl's brother was okay back home. Periodically, the swordsman peaked behind him. He wasn't too worried, but wanted to make sure they weren't being stalked. "Thanks for letting me join you, by the way. I don't know many people within the game so I'm normally soloing these quest

Stephen left the shop feeling calm. Lyle wasn't that bad of a guy after all. He unequipped his old sword and took out the Tealeaf Blade. It was a bit fancier than his starter blade, for sure, but it wasn't some sort of powerful weapon. It was a useful tool, that was all. The boar tusk handle was obvious, but maybe that was because Lyle had admitted it to him earlier. He walked back towards the front gate. "Just in time for the sunset. I'm lucky." Shades of pink, orange, and indigo painted the horizon. From behind him, the moon smiled back. Another quest had been completed and he cou

The unlikely crew wandered back to The Town of Beginnings together, parting ways at the front gate. "It was nice to meet you both," Julius bowed respectfully. "I'm sure we'll meet again," Stephen replied. "If you need anything, I'll be around. Just let me know," the magician smiled, before turning away from the pair. Stephen's eyes moved from the distant magician to the present warrior. "You should probably get going. You did mention a guild meeting that you've got tonight." Joaquin placed a hand on Stephen's shoulder. "You sure you'll be alright?" "I'll manage,"

The fight was over with one last swipe of Morningstar's yellow blade. The boar shattered into shades of blue, leaving nothing but a consumable. "Boar Jerky, huh? Not bad," he muttered, turning to meet his friends while pocketing the jerky. The Boarlet's Blood he'd found earlier was gone. He assumed it'd been dropped during the fight, but he didn't see it in the grass anywhere. It'd been replaced with a better item anyway, he thought. He slid his sword back into it's scabbard. "Nice work, man," Joaquin called. Julius followed alongside the warrior. They met face to face with

The boar shook itself off, a squeal coming from it as it pushed forward for a last resort hit. It's single tusk pointed at Stephen, but the man's fear was gone. He'd seen everything that the mother boar could throw at it and was no longer worried. He confidently allowed the boar to come near him and kicked it away. It fell to it's side, slowly picking itself back up. The boar was weak. It didn't have much health left. Stephen was tired too, although not enough to stop him from finishing the fight. He looked over to his friends and gave them a thumbs up. "See, I told you I had it cove

A grin grew on Stephen's face. He'd never seen Joaquin like that before. He took a breath even deeper than the last, calming himself as he prepared to attack once more. He raised his blade and the yellow painted it once more. The boar went in for another attack, but Stephen countered it with his own. It attempted to impale the swordsman's leg with it's sharp tusk, but he parried, slicing the tusk off in the process. "Woah, that's one tusk down," Joaquin bumped Julius' arm. "Star's not so bad, huh?" Julius replied. The boar trotted away, putting enough distance to make it a

The boar picked itself up, shaking the dirt off of it's body. It grunted, kicking up more grass. The beast started to move towards him, gradually picking up speed until it was directly in front of him. "As expected," Julius started, "he was bound to take some damage." Stephen, keeping up his defensive position, stayed planted on the ground. He held his two-handed sword in front of him as the boar's weaponized tusks inched towards him. They clashed with his blade, stopping the mob in it's tracks. He pushed it back, causing it to slide a bit, before retreating to a safer distance.

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