Alkor

Expending <<Handwritten Letter of Appreciation x1>> to Rename "Blightsteel" to Witchfang, and alter its description.

So far, there weren't many people who knew much about Appraising items. They existed, and they were quickly coming into their own as crafters, but Alkor didn't know enough to find "the best" Appraiser in Aincrad.  He decided that any Appraiser would serve his need, at least for now. Eventually, he'd have to find better items and craft a weapon more suitable for the Frontlines.

He arrived on Floor One through the teleporter and looked around for a bit until he found a place with scarlet doors and golden and silver accents. He pushed his way through the doors and looked around. 

The room was worthy of comment, bookshelves and tables cleanly kept and it almost seemed like more of a lounge than a business. Glass stairs and a marble floor made the establishment seem even more regal, almost like he didn't belong there at all. He took a breath. 

"Hey," he called out, "I'm looking for someone to alter the attributes of my weapon. Can someone help with that?"

He rummaged through his inventory a moment and held out an item which he offered. "If you can, I'd be willing to give you this to help with the process."

Alkor surrenders x1 <<Witches Brew>> [Gained here.]

Quote

Item Name: Blightsteel

Item Tier: 4
Item Type: OHSS
Item Enhancements: CURSED / BLIGHT / DMG II
Description: "Some men wield blades to be heroes, others are more pragmatic."

He dreamt of the sky, unshackled from his chains. His eyes tore open, pupils tiny as his thoughts fixated on the freefall he experienced behind their lids. Alkor sat up in his bed. For a moment, he half expected the floor to fall out from under him and the dream to become reality, but Cardinal saw fit not to manifest that delusion. He was relieved after several seconds when he remained stationary.

The Twenty Sixth floor of Aincrad opened immediately after the boss fight, but not a single one of the Frontliners could have described exactly how it happened. What they did know were strange accounts given by the NPCs about a fierce storm, and the rebuilding that occurred thereafter. How long had they been indisposed? How much more time had they lost to this world?

He stood shirtless and glanced at the mirror. His body had changed with the update, all his skills and items changed. The system appeared to have underwent an overhaul, and he had a hefty amount of SP to reallocate. As he reviewed his items, Alkor noticed that his sword slipped back into his inventory, out of his equipment. When he looked, the description was replaced with "???"

He frowned. Did this mean he couldn't use his main weapon? Or, perhaps...

Alkor opened the menu and scrolled to his skills, where he began to allocate the points to a weapon skill. The Straight Sword, which was his preferred type of blade to begin with rather than the Curved. Once he had the first few points allocated, he checked the item again.

The description changed, reflective of the weapon's type in response to his choice. So, the system had given him the opportunity to make the weapon viable? Convenient. Fair, even. It made sense for Aincrad.

He began looking over the available skills other than his sword, which he set to the max and then put aside. What else had changed? Armor types, extra skills, utility skills... 

The system now had three types of armor, all with their own strengths and drawbacks. Under this system, the mediary armor type afforded a reasonable amount of defense but traded some swiftness. Alkor wasn't necessarily interested in being discrete or moving at immense speed. In fact, he much preferred the idea of medium armor, something that afforded him some defense while also giving him an edge in close combat.

The modifiers available on light armor suited him perfectly. Improved accuracy, out of the three options, seemed most beneficial to him. He also had no interest in wearing heavier armor. Then, there were the modifiers to his weapon skill. One that made his actions expend less energy... ideal, given how fast Sword Arts tore through those totals, and another that enhanced the damage output of his those same Sword Arts. Efficiency at its finest.

Now... a Combat Mastery? This was new. In lieu of a familiar, he could choose to enhance his own prowess in battle. That was actually optimal for him. The idea of coordinating with a familiar had grown familiar, but it wasn't ideal.

The finishing touch was a skill that afforded him extra energy for his pool. With that, Alkor looked back up and noticed that one of the mods enhanced his appearance, giving him more toned muscles. It made sense. Some of those changes drastically altered his capabilities and reflected a great deal of training. 

With those things complete, he equipped the rest of his clothing and stood up.

"It's time to go exploring," he declared.

Current Level: 52
Current SP: 224
Link to SP Tracking: Here.
Item Upgrades:

Notes:
I literally realized that there's nothing in my inventory worth tiering up and that this would save you guys a lot of time approving the crossover if I didn't overcomplicate things by rattling off arbitrary item values. However, worth noting is Alkor's Cursed Unique Sword, which has 2 DMG/1 Blight/Cursed. Since Alkor will be changing over from Curved Sword to Straight Sword, I'm putting that note here for reference. Thanks for all your hard work guys.

Alkor glanced toward Koga, confused. New do? "What?"

When Lessa called him Blondie, he blinked. That could not be a coincidence. He pulled the mirror that Kayaba had placed in their inventories at the very beginning forth and looked at himself. The reflection caused his mouth to gape open. "I'm-" before he could speak, Alkor remembered her words. 

What you see as the brightest light has become a part of you.

His eyes grew impossibly wide as his cheeks flushed and he looked away hard, staring at one of the many walls to ground himself. How embarrassed do you want me to be, lady? 

The regal woman turned now to face Lessa, only moments after she accepted the quest.

"Dear, you have suffered a great deal, haven't you?" she asked in a quiet voice as she bid the woman come closer. "You have fought and bled, physically and emotionally for so many people in this world. I can see it in your eyes- tired eyes, weary of the struggle. Such strength goes beyond swords, does it not?" the question hung heavy in the air while the woman kept Lessa's gaze. She watched the blonde step closer and smiled. "It is no small feat to endure with a heart so large. No one here can deny the strength that comes with empathy, with loving others above yourself. But always remember your companions. You do not struggle alone, Lessa." 

The Queen gestured toward Alkor, toward Starla, toward all the others, and then brought her attention back to the blonde woman. "These are your people. All of them different, some who you may not know, others you know all too well. Learn to work together with them and nothing can stop you on your quest to be free." She gestured for Lessa to kneel, and to offer up her blade for the blessing of Knighthood. "For your courage, and for your kindness, I name you, Lady Lessa, the Lionheart."

She withdrew and smiled to the collective of Players, and bowed her head. "In time, I may see you again," she said, and she looked to Starla one last time. "Some of you, for a certainty. To the rest of you, I bid good luck and safe travels. Know that even in the darkest night, even the smallest candle burns brightly."

With that, she faded into the night.

Rare though it was, some Players did send emphatic responses to rumors over the Message Boards. When that happened, aside from the Information Brokers losing their minds about not getting there first, people quickly raced to the scene of a purported finding and looked for clues. They tended to seek truth over excitement because in Aincrad new things were dangerous. If there were a Gilded Princess like the Player posited, the chance that someone could get caught in the line of fire was high. It was for that reason that the moment he saw the message, Alkor hurried to the Twenty Second floor to see for himself. When he arrived, there were already a number of Players who doubtless saw the same message he had. Fortunately for them, the Princess was nowhere to be found.

Or at least, she hadn't been found yet- only seen. 

There!

Alkor's gaze snapped toward where the female Player had pointed. Something distorted the water's surface. A trick of the light, perhaps? Or was that strange reflected gold not from the sun? Alkor watched as a shadow slithered just out of view. "Careful," he said to the group of people near the lake edge. "Don't get too close. You could get pulled in and you definitely don't want to deal with a dangerous enemy in the water." He equipped his curved sword and eased himself into a relaxed guard, hopeful that someone with the Fishing skill might attempt to wrest the beast from the water and onto dry land. They had better chances if they didn't have to fight on this thing's terms- whatever it was.

The golden haired youth tensed, eyes glued to the lake in front of him as he waited for any sign that the creature might break the surface and attack. If that happened, even if he wasn't a tank, he wanted to be able to get between it and any of the others. There were some pretty low level Players around, from the look of them. 

The blade touched Alkor, shoulder to shoulder, and then rested on the crown of his head. "Rise, First Sword," she uttered the words. In the instant that the metal touched his head, something changed. Light filtered into the Player, burning away all the doubts he had amassed. Any fear dissolved, drowned in his newfound resolve. The light quenched him in its gentle warmth, quelling the flames that burned inside of him and bringing a sense of peace as the energy cascaded over him. The others would see the change visibly, long before Alkor. His hair, once a chestnut brown color, took on some aspect of the element that irradiated him. As he rose and turned to glance over the group, Alkor was no longer a brunette, but a blonde.

"What you see as the brightest light has become part of you," her words were cryptic. The chill that ripped down his spine forced him to glance back at her, but the Queen only smiled. Alkor took a step away from the altar dumbly, and the woman turned her eyes toward Starla. The girl who accepted the quest now received the Queen's full attention, and all of the warmth that Alkor received. All that and more. "Sweet child," the woman beckoned to the girl before Starla as the lower leveled Player eagerly stepped forward. Alkor felt numb as the girl passed him, but somehow he understood that this place- at least for the moment- intended them no harm. "You have braved great danger to come here, and in this, you are worthy of the highest praise that this land has to offer; but you are not quite ready to walk this path you have chosen. With time, with patience, and with commitment, you will find the way forward. When that time comes, I will knight you proper; but for now, I do have a blessing for you."

The Queen stretched out her hands, placing them gently on either side of the girl's face. She locked eyes with Starla, unlike anything she had done with Alkor. There was an intimate silence between them, secrets that none of the others would be allowed to share in. She closed her eyes and in Starla's mind, the words took form. Many hardships await you, more than you can imagine. Darkness will doubtless cast a shadow over you. Brave the danger, fight your way to greater heights. On the wings of your efforts, rise to the challenge, and return here.

Her gaze softened as her fingers moved to Starla's forehead, and she imparted something in her mind. It manifested in the form of another HUD message.

You have been granted the rank of "Squire."

"Learn," the Queen bid her, "and grow. Make your loved ones proud. Never lose hope, or turn your eyes from the path. A true Knight may stray, but he will always find his way home." Her eyes were on Alkor as she spoke these words, and he could feel them burning deep into his soul. The swordsman felt his shoulders sag, overwhelmed by the sudden weight of her message. "Starla," the Queen spoke once more to the girl, "I will remember your name."

Alkor finally looked to the others, now aware that they were engaged with the Faefolk. What had happened to this place? Would they ever know more? He paused as he looked now to Lessa, smiling. "Hey," he greeted her, "glad you made it." Lessa still gazed in uncertainty at him as he took another step down the stairs, and he waved his hand in front of his face. "I'm fine, see? Nothing weird. Well... okay, it's a little weird, but I'm not hurt."

Lessa seemed genuinely perplexed, but before she could open her mouth to question it, the Queen was looking her way. For a moment, there was a strange silence before the window appeared in Lessa's HUD. Where before she had not seemed to qualify, suddenly when there it became clear that there was no danger and she had witnessed something unexplainable happen before her very eyes the system recognized her interest and intrigue. It asked her the same question as the other two, and offered her the chance to accept or decline the Queen's offer.

The faerie near Koga buzzed around his head, then came to rest on his shoulder. She did not speak; not unless he spoke first, but she sought to comfort him with her presence.

Alkor was dazzled by the offer, almost as if-

It felt like Cardinal had processed his thoughts and distilled them. That was one of its functions, wasn't it? Taking thoughts, dreams, robbing them from Players in order to generate new content. The system built upon everything at its disposal to remain relevant. With that thought in mind, it did almost seem like a trap. ChaseR was wary, and that pulled at the rational part of his mind. If there were danger to come, it would pose an extreme threat to Starla. She was still low in level despite braving higher floors. The system recognized hopes and dreams, but it also recognized other things. Alkor heard the white haired girl speak up that she was tempted to accept, and his gaze moved toward her.

So, it had deemed her a candidate for a quest as well. He considered the implications in silence for a moment before his finger moved swiftly to the circle and accepted it. If the game was aware of Starla's limitations and granted her the quest, it had to be something that she could reasonably handle. The system was ultimately fair: it considered individual ability and level into things before it generated content. In the end, inadequacy on the part of a Player in completing a quest was on them- the real unfair thing about Aincrad was how it exposed them in that way, so intimately.

The window in front of Alkor dissolved instantly, and after a moment, the woman turned to smile at him. She gestured toward where the Knight had knelt moments before, beckoning him to take up his position before her. Alkor did so numbly, completely taken aback by how the Elven Queen regarded him directly. The moment he accepted the quest, something ancient and unfathomable seemed to wash over him. He knew the sensation- what it felt like to be surrounded by real, human history, and to interact with something from outside one's timeline. It felt surreal, intense, and humbling all at once.

When he took the knee, he could hear it.

Her voice was a song, a lighthearted, faint whisper on the wind that wafted through the sundered hall. The lights danced in turn, but Alkor was certain of one thing. This voice was only intended for him. The way it rang in his ears was nothing like any voice he'd ever heard call on him. It was a thought, as if it had always been part of him. 

"Brave soul," she cooed. Her hand gestured toward him. "Your journey has been long to come here before me, and you have braved many dangers. I see in your eyes the expression of one who has faced death and overcome it."

Alkor found no words. It felt like this woman could see into his soul, and with the Cardinal system entwined in this event, he was certain that at the very least she knew his mind without any effort. When he thought to speak, his attempt was abolished. The lights transformed around him, green and blue and pink and gold, the winged sprites that he could barely fathom emerged from the pools of water and the dingy moss stretched out across the floor. "Faefolk," the woman revealed with a heart-wrenching smile. He felt immense loss, like her death had been a tragedy. So the system could even simulate that feeling.

Or did this feeling belong to him?

"It is through them that you are able to see me at all," the Elven Queen explained, "and through them that my voice carries to you now, across eons. This was my home once, in a time before this world rose from the earth and joined the sky. My people have all been twisted and torn, scattered to the wind much the same as my voice. Doubtless you have seen the elves that now dwell here, confined to the darkness, afraid of the light. The light was beautiful once. Revered."

She took a step forward, and her fingers moved over his cheek. The sensation was warm, though he felt nothing tangible. "It is the light that has chosen you, Alkor," she spoke his name, and his heart skipped a beat. The golden eyed youth stared up at her, whatever she was saying only to him clearly smashing against his sensibilities. The others would see him stripped bare of his wits in that moment, doubtless something Lessa had seen before, when he was at a loss for words. Only now, he could not even find his thoughts.

"You see, a Knight cannot serve a Master who no longer exists. I am an echo. A memory. And here you are, alive. Would that we could have met directly, but I am only the conduit through which you will find your purpose."

"Purpose," he whispered. It was the very thing he had been wrestling with for months, since the moment he awoke on the ninth floor. As he confronted the demons of his past, and the pain of losing his grandmother, Alkor had struggled to feel like he had any meaning at all beyond what others gave him. Purpose. With that single word, the woman dispelled any doubts Alkor had left about this quest.

"Indeed," she smiled again. He bowed his head. "Henceforth, you will serve the Light, Alkor," she told him, "which means, you are your own master. Slave to no darkness, to no man. Your duty is to the people of Aincrad, and most importantly, to yourself. Do you accept this fate?"

The question only had one answer. 

"I do."

The HUD prompted him immediately. Draw your blade. Alkor did, and a heartbeat later, he held it out toward the Queen in both hands. "Raise your head," she told him.

The faefolk spun in the air, wildly weaving their way through the other Players. Curiosity drew them closer, hovering near each of them in turn. One alighted on NIGHT's head like a child resting on a beloved parent. You're strong, lady! I wanna be like you! 

Another hovered close to Koga, aware of the darkness that clung to him. Though the others might not since it- even Alkor himself- the fairy got close enough that the man could see its face through the near-blinding light that emanated from it. Her face was sad. Take heart. The path will become clear in time. These words were for him. No one else would see her sad eyes, nor hear her voice.

One of them got close to ChaseR. If he didn't try to bat it away, it would come as close as he dared allow.

At last, one got close enough to Lessa where if she reached out, she could touch it. If she tried, it would touch down on her hand.

Authority cascaded over the ruin as her ancient, unknown words reverberated. Though he could not hear them, their weight bore down on him like the entire world fell on his shoulders. If he measured all the burdens he'd taken on in his life, they could never equate to this feeling. Instead of fatigue or fear though, there was an elation in his heart.

Invisible flames burned away the part of him covered in scars, cutting away the pain and dark thoughts that lingered there and shackled him to the past. In that moment, he felt like he could walk forever in the heat and never be burned. ...the hells going on?

For a moment, the fog lifted. Alkor saw beyond the illusion that played out in cinematic realism around them. Chase was here too. "I don't know what prompted it," he drawled, "but it's some kind of system event. I think we're watching something that happened here, long ago."

They watched as a fully armored man walked down the aisleway. When he reached the woman at the end, he drew his blade and offered it up to her, knelt before her in supplication. "...it's a Knighting ceremony," he murmured, breathless.

Wow.

Alkor turned his gaze toward the voice, and Starla was there with them now watching the strange figures marching to the soundless rhythm. The girl fell to her knees in amazement, the same way that what he saw robbed him of words. They were all effected to different degrees. Even ChaseR was confused, but fascinated. 

When the beautiful woman took the blade in hand, the room glowed faintly. The moonlight that swirled through the room now concentrated on the armored man, and as the sword touched one shoulder, then the other, the world spun. More accurately, Alkor's world spun. There was something intoxicating about the display, something that called out to him even as it wove a mythical tapestry for the others.

Her lips parted a handful more times in the next heartbeat, and when the blade tapped his helmet, the man rose once more. 

He rose a Knight.

Alkor started to speak, but he was interrupted. His eyes were drawn to a window that appeared in front of him, across his HUD. The words stole the breath from his lungs. Was this some kind of joke?

He swiped open his menu and typed off a message, quickly as he could with his hand shaking. Lessa couldn't miss this- she had to see it, even if she only saw the tail end. It was unlike anything they had experienced in the game, something uplifting and phenomenal to watch- and if this quest was to be believed, it wasn't something she should miss.

"...guys, are you seeing this?" he asked quietly.

The moonlight came to life in an instant. As nature filled the room with dazzling flickers that twisted and twirled, Alkor only just saw NIGHT take a place beside him. Had she heard him speak? Perhaps, but if she had, she kept it to herself. Instead of focusing on how such an intimate and reflective monolog may have been embarrassing, he chose to remain level headed and exist in the moment. This scenery was far too beautiful to allow trivial things to sully it.

The music that seemed almost soothingly calm and fitting for a ruined world changed around them. A feeling of warmth welled up in his chest as the room flourished, now golden like a ballroom. It was like the clock had turned back its hands and for a moment, they stood in the past. Translucent reflections of long lost elves bowed and curtseyed to one another, sharing the time honored tradition of a ceremonial dance. Several feet in front of them, a breathtakingly beautiful woman in lavish finery presided over the venue.

Alkor took a step forward to get a better look at her. Her face was etched with a smile so bright, he thought that she might have lit up the room all by herself. Her clothes were elegant, pure white, and unsullied by those countless epochs that separated them. He found himself unable to speak, even as her phantasmal gaze turned toward him.

The swordsman felt his breath catch in his throat. Could she see him? Could he reach out and touch her? Even if he wanted to, the youth found himself unable to move at all. He was paralyzed by the magic of a scene unlike anything he could have imagined.

In the next heartbeat, she looked away, and her smile was almost sad. As with all things, the dance came to an end. The elves all took up spots along the hall like sentries, standing vigil over the path from the entrance to the regal woman at the back of the room. Her lips moved, but no words came from them.

"They were holding some sort of ceremony," he heard himself mumble, awestruck. 

On 3/10/2021 at 9:34 AM, Plini said:

Name: Sankta's Epinephrine
Your Profession: alchemist
Your Rank: 1
Roll ID: 185157
Roll Result: CD: 11 LD: 15
Item Type: potion
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: HP recovery
Description: "Where there life, death follows and so one must be prepared" a mineral rumored to be blessed by a celestial being. Once ground and mixed in a solution, it can enhance the health of the user.
Post Link: here

 

Approved!

Mottled and blackened, the Queen's Tower stood a silent testament to some nameless conflict. Parts of the structure were inaccessible by virtue of dilapidated floors and fallen rubble, while others were difficult to reach without a system skill that allowed free movement across harsh terrain or the ability to jump across a sizeable gap. Alkor stood in the center of the reception room with a thoughtful expression as he assessed the degree of erosion that time had inflicted. The ceiling had been torn away to reveal the sky beyond, and in the dead of night, starlight illuminated the chamber with echoes of the past. The full moon shone down and cascaded through to shimmer across a pool of rainwater that stagnated on the floor. 

Above ground, spring showers were prevalent during this season on the Twenty Third floor. The clouds had parted only an hour or so before, which left his boots saturated and he could feel the cold creeping up his ankles. Alkor interacted with one of the many torches that lined the fringes of the convocation chamber, a place that appeared to have been used for ceremony in Aincrad's early age. The runic symbols were familiar to the Elvish script indigenous to the third floor, but with differences discernable enough that he could only decipher a rough, abstract idea of the purpose. The rest, he gleaned from what he could see in front of him.

Near the very back of the chamber, a strange stone erected in the form of a crude monument stood in full view of the moon. It glimmered faintly in the pale light. The pathway there was rife with moss and rubble, but there was no apparent danger. He could feel the gravitas of the room as he approached the shrine- if that was what it was. Every step he took across loamy ground let out a soggy smack. Once he made his way onto the lowest stair his footsteps echoed loudly. The acoustics in this chamber were intense, even without the ceiling intact. it was built to carry voices across the vast distance from altar to entrance.

"What were you, I wonder?" he questioned as he made his way finally to the tall monument that rested near the rear wall. Alkor crouched and reached out to touch the stone gently. "The rumors call this place the Queen's Tower, but who was she?" he traced the rigid, uneven shape of the rock. "If this was some illustrious hall, you would have been used for Knighting heroes and naming noblemen, if the old stories and customs of the outside are applicable," he mused. "Stories like Arthur drawing the sword from the stone, or the Lady of the Lake," his voice became softer as he recalled Arthurian legend, one of the many stories from his childhood that drove him deeper into the fantasy genre.

"If there was a Queen," he asked of the stone, "would I have earned the right to be called her Knight?"

A gentle breeze answered his question without words. Night sent a chill down his spine that prompted him to turn around, and when he did the room was alive. The way light oscillated off of the pooled water caused it to dance along the walls. It was as though the room were not a ruin at all, but a banquet where unseen guests danced in his honor. He smiled softly at the thought. 

"What a silly fantasy," he chuckled softly to himself. "I'm not a Knight, or a Hero. I'm just me."

And for the very first time, when he spoke those words, Thom found himself quietly at peace with them.

He faced her, and Alkor gave a respectful bow. The words she spoke were somber but careful. She understood the gravity of her actions even if she did not want to face their consequences. But who ever did? The sour taste of repercussions was never beloved by humans, and society constantly sought a means to mitigate the negative aspects of any decision. That was why technology advanced.

No one could be blamed for pulling back from fear or from pain. It was an ingrained, evolutionary response. "You can only be who you are," was his simple response. It didn't seem weighty compared to the heavy words she spoke, but wisdom was often cut and dry. If someone asked you to do something you couldn't or be someone you weren't, they were asking the impossible.

"I'll keep it in mind," he said with a smile as he waved a quiet goodbye to Noctua. How would he explain his chronic inability to keep in touch to someone he didn't know? "Maybe I'll see you again sometime. Enjoy the rest of your evening," Alkor added before he headed back toward the settlement.

"I've heard too many times that trying to make everyone happy will ultimately end in no one being happy," he shrugged. "Don't know how true it is. Seems like a logical conclusion, though. Even if you somehow made that kind of peace, someone will have compromised along the way and not gotten everything they wanted." His eyes had closed now and Alkor was only listening to the breeze gently pull the waves onto shore, and how the water withdrew back in a vicious cycle. The sound was immensely soothing.

"But for what it's worth, I think avoidance only delays the inevitable. You're probably better served ripping off that band-aid and finding the best compromise you can." When he looked back up toward the crescent moon, it reflected a pale color off his gold eyes so brilliant that they appeared to glow faintly. "Anyway, I'm glad I could help," he told her as he slid down the rock face and landed deftly on the balls of his feet. He took a moment to adjust his shirt and smiled toward the woman..

"You've been pleasant to converse with, Noctua. I hope that things get sorted out for you."

Alkor understood the awkward feeling after a verbal thrashing all too well. It was weird for him, too. He wanted to grab drinks and wash it down, hopeful that the mood would ease over some of the hurt. That was too optimistic of him. Koga had taken it pretty hard, it seemed. 

"Well, if you're sure," he said without hinting that he was at all worried. The best thing Alkor could do for Koga at this point was give him space. It was obvious he wasn't really in the mood for conversation anymore. With some luck, he'd get over it in a few hours, maybe a day or two.

"I'm gonna go on ahead back to town and get back to work," Alkor glanced at the other man as he thumbed toward the settlement. "If anything comes up, you know how to find me. Give NIGHT and Starla my regards," he waved stiffly as he left just before the group rejoined them. "I just remembered something I have to do."

[Alkor leaves the thread]

Alkor glanced sidelong toward the blue haired man as he spoke, a smirk creasing the edge of his lips. "Sorry for being such a disappointment," he jested after the man quietly mentioned how quickly he'd run through all of his skills. "But hey, there's plenty of time to make up and by the time we're at your level, you'll have more skills to research than you can handle."

He looked then to Koga. "Chase helped me out a ton when I was trying to get things back together," he explained, "he's really great in a pinch and figures out group dynamics pretty fast." They made their way to the teleporter and stopped. He gestured toward the device and prompted for ChaseR to lead the way by calling out the destination. 

"And I think once we're all on the Frontlines together, we'll make a pretty great team," he added.

The way Koga answered was short, but flat. Curt, even- the man was browbeaten for the chastisement he received, understandably. There was a visible degree of standoffishness in the way he avoided further conflict, but that was the best way for a person to prevent people from approaching them unwanted. 

Another person entered the fray at this point, but Alkor kept his attention focused on Koga. The man pulled up his hood, a defensive gesture, and pointedly kept his back toward the newcomer. Someone he knew, perhaps? Or someone who he didn't want to deal with given the circumstances?

It was difficult to tell one way or the other. 

NIGHT and Starla had a moment right up until the new arrival made his way over and spoke to them, but Alkor couldn't make out what they were saying from the distance he and Koga had traveled. The intention had been to give Starla more space, but that was already foiled.

Alkor glanced over to see NIGHT hand in hand with the lower leveled woman, and he took that to mean some of the stress was alleviated. That much at least was good.

He wasn't about to hold Koga's hand, though.

"If you're feeling up to it, we can grab some drinks," Alkor offered. "No reason to stick around now, I reckon."

"They say art mirrors life," Alkor mused as he laid back and stared up at the stars, arms folded behind his head. "Art was really the only form of expression that ancient cultures had. Things we know from back then are largely gleaned from pictures on cave walls, or oral history passed down between generations. The fact that we have anything remotely close is... well, it's the same kind of advancement that eventually went into creating Full Dive technology." The constellations in Aincrad weren't like the ones in the real world. This was a fantasy setting after all. Anything they saw was derivative of the Castle's own lore. Something that looked remotely like Cassiopeia had different meaning altogether here. "But my point there is actually, it's entirely possible it could have been some crazy farmer who killed his neighbor and pissed his wife off and had to sleep on the couch. Those stories get exaggerated, we hear them as myths hundreds, even thousands of years later. Is it possible that some god with a spear created Japan? Maybe. Maybe not."

His eyes slid shut. 

"Really, what you believe is entirely personal, and if you find merit in myths then you believe in a magic far older than time- something deeply spiritual." Alkor didn't want to jump straight into his beliefs, about how life was anecdotal or a simulation, or that everyone manifested energies and how those energies interacted often dictated the flow of events through time and space. There were plenty of ways to believe out there, and none of them were wrong. Life was an experience, and how someone experienced it was entirely their decision.

Alkor believed that was incredibly vital.

"Even in ancient times, people hated each other and had reasons to disagree," he summarized. "Society is just getting better at finding reasons, I think."

He took the opportunity to switch gears entirely away from the awkward, uncompanionable silence that threatened to fall between them. Noctua was making every attempt to keep the conversation going, but if it came down to it, they didn't have much else to talk about. Not much, at least, other than a common interest in mythology, a fact which Alkor exploited now. When she said that she knew the Greek myth, he nodded along. Most people went straight to that, and it was the most prominent ancient mythology taught in schools. Far older and less well known was Babylon, and then, the Japanese had a unique and niche mythology that was relative only to their own islands. It quickly fell to the wayside when traditional Shintoism and the Confucian elements of reverence toward one's ancestors became prevalent in the Far East beyond China.

"In the beginning, there were two gods. Izanami and Izanagi. The world was all water and darkness. Izanagi dipped his spear into the vast ocean and when he pulled it out, the drops that fell back became the Islands of Japan," he explained as he climbed up and took a seat atop the rock. It was an ancient tale, and while incredibly important to the History of his ancestral nation, one not often passed around. "In a tragic accident, Izanagi was killed; so her loving brother and husband went into the underworld to visit her. Because she had partaken of the food there, she was no longer allowed to leave. When Izanagi left her behind, he went out to purify himself, and bathed. The moon god, Tsukuyomi, was washed from his left eye."

It sounded so silly when he said it aloud, but in ancient times, this was probably some important allegory. "Tsukuyomi had a sister, Amaterasu, who was the goddess of the sun. However, their relationship was strained when Tsukuyomi became disgusted with the goddess of food for the means by which she performed her duties and killed her. Because of that, Amaterasu refused to ever look upon her brother again- and that is why the night and day are separated."

He took an extremely deep breath before he raised his head.

There was rage burning deep in the pit if his stomach, but more, he felt relieved. They made it in time to stop the very worst from happening. No one was dead. He wanted to make sure nothing like this happened again, but the bad part was over. There was no more need to yell, even if it felt satisfying to do so.

Koga checked up on the girl, and really, that was the most Alkor could have asked for. She seemed more deeply shaken than he'd been when the Phoenix on floor nine nearly carved through all of his health in a single blow, or when the Hydra swallowed him up. Brushes with death were commonplace in this world, but for someone to experience one so early on their journey to the Frontlines could be extremely jarring.

His expression softened. "All's well that ends well, I guess," he sighed quietly as he turned to look at NIGHT. She was more worried than she'd initially let on, almost like a stern mother who was actually quite frightened for her child. She'd displayed this kind of instinct before, when Alkor thought about it. Deeply protective, nuturing. How very tsundere. 

With a glance toward Koga, he crossed his arms. "You gonna be alright?" he asked the man. Everyone was concerned about Starla, but despite the fact that he was a higher level, he'd still brushed pretty close with death himself. Alkor wanted to be sure that things would only get better from here. 

Starla was crying. That was something Alkor just wasn't equipped to deal with. His proclivity for bluntness and being an all around airhead was too high- he'd say the wrong thing and exacerbate the situation. His gilded gaze twitched toward his guild mate, and he jerked his head quickly in the direction of the other woman. 

His expression said everything.

You handle this.

"Alright, you convinced me," Alkor said. He knew Chase well enough to know the guy was pretty direct and didn't mince words. If he wasn't inclined to take no for an answer, then it was better just to go with the flow of things. Besides, a unique item would be a real boon for the Swordsman. His sword was incredibly strong, and armor that had a similar level of quality was highly likely to be useful for raids and quests in the future. As he got stronger, things would become more difficult and dangerous. "I'll follow you."

He spared a look in Koga's direction. "You should come along too, since he's offering." He gestured toward the direction that the blue haired man was moving in. "That way both of us will get stronger. Items are a big part of the game, y'know?" Alkor picked up the pace and trailed Chase toward their now-shared destination. "I'll admit, it's pretty exciting. I've been meaning to try upgrading my equipment, but just haven't really had a chance to do it. So hey, win win, right?" 

"Do you see a shield?" Alkor asked, his tone scathing. He made a sweeping gesture across the area to indicate any number of places where the item could have been but was not. What he did not do was give Koga a chance to answer the rhetorical question. He managed to catch his breath after nearly thirty seconds of hyperventilation, and pulled himself up on two feet. "It's one thing to endanger yourself, but it's completely reckless and irresponsible to bring a fresh Player into harm's way with you. You see that?" He thrust a thumb accusingly at Starla, still shivering as NIGHT dressed her down verbally. "Come on man, we've been out here putting in work for years, it's up to us to set the example for people who get the courage to step up and join us."

The entire debacle was enough to make his head spin, and in truth it did. Alkor was so outside of his element getting angry or concerned with someone that the words just flooded out like vomit. He knew that Koga hadn't intended to put them in this situation, but the fact remained that intentional or not, he had done it. Now Starla was shaken and unless NIGHT worked some kind of sorcery, she was unlikely to feel enthusiastic about the world outside of the Town of Beginnings. Situations like these created a negative association. He didn't want to watch anyone shut down. Not after everything he had been through.

"Apologize to Starla," he said, spinning around to bow low to the new girl. "I shouldn't have just let you follow him, I'm sorry," he said.

Still bowing, he shot a sideways glance toward Koga. "And after this, you're going to apologize to every single name written on that damn monument," he muttered. "All those people who died and couldn't have stopped it if they tried, and you drop through a fucking hole in the ground that's been fenced off." He huffed and squeezed both eyes shut, fighting back the rage that threatened to overtake him. This wasn't a safe zone, and he wasn't about to turn his cursor orange to pummel Koga for being an idiot.

Oh, that was lucky.

He tilted his head slightly when Haine declared that she was in fact the person he was looking for. "Well that saves me a lot of time looking," he mused with a lazy smile. "Yep, the bee, exactly," Alkor told her as he opened up his HUD and sent a party request. He wasn't particularly worried about her strength- either she was more than a match for the enemies and they would breeze through the quest without an issue, or he was and he'd carry her through it without much effort. 

Alkor looked down at the familiars as they flocked to him. Only one of them belonged to the woman, but the other, he remained close to Alkor even after being recalled. Who did it belong to...? "That's interesting," he muttered as his gaze moved back to the blue haired woman. "I've never seen this happen before." He laughed. "I know he's with you, but he's obviously not yours. He would pay better attention if he were." Alkor knelt down next to Pingu and reached out to pat the creature on the head. "So, you're pretty familiar with this quest?" he asked. "I mean, with what we need to do to finish it. If not, I can give you the rundown. It's not that hard."

When he made it back to the board at last, Alkor found exactly what he'd been looking for. Specifically, there was a message about the higher level Matriarch encounter and that meant someone looking for a group. He opened the window on his HUD and found coordinates for where to meet the other Player... Haine. 

He wasn't sure of much about who they were, but from the attached message, they were interested in having a good time. A younger Player, perhaps? Or someone who hadn't had a great deal of experience in this world and thus lacked the jaded attitude of some of the more veteran Players? Alkor stopped himself from drawing any further conclusions, because the meeting place wasn't far from where he already was.

As he jogged into the deepest part of Urbus, near that central fountain he saw people talking and flirting. This wasn't an uncommon place to meet for parties or dates, as it was closer than the High Fields of Crossing and made it easier for people to connect right out of the teleporter. His eyes found a lone Player- a blue haired girl from the look of her, but he couldn't tell what her weapon was.

"Hey, uh," he raised a hand to wave. "I'm Alkor. I came here looking to respond to a request board message. I'm looking for someone named Haine- do you happen to know them?" he asked. It was a shot in the dark, but he couldn't just assume that the only person alone in the area was the person he was looking for.