Elora

Before Katoka could even say the word, Elora was on her way to taking down the dragon. Her feet seemed to maneuver swiftly in rhythm with the music as she twirled around scattered saplings and hopped across mossy rocks. Once she was close enough, she set her eyes on the dragon and --

"EEEEAAP"

A shrill note grated against the woman's ears as Katoka slayed the second elf, causing him to suddenly scrape the high strings of his instrument. The horrible cacophony caused Elora to fumble her attack and miss the dragon completely. She cussed beneath her breath before looking over her shoulder and catching sight of the little samurai busting moves out on the battlefield. Well damn, that's impressive!

An assemble of elves began to pour out from the woodworks and congregate around the players, chanting and clapping enthusiastically as they sent two more elven musicians out to represent them: Maraca Malachi and Tambourine Terry. Elora laughed nervously about the energy created by the crowd. She was expecting to have an audience during this duel. "Leave it to me, I'll get a hit on that dragon next round", she nodded in reassurance to both herself and Katoka. After all, fighting is really just like a dance with higher stakes, isn't it? She looked over to Freyd after a defense of their shenanigans had been properly prepared, "This'll help us learn how to maneuver and time our footwork with our swings. A-and maybe help with performance anxiety?" It seemed like she was half-explaining, half-speculating how the environment of their exercise could serve as beneficial training.

"An old...blueberry...?", asked Elora with squinted eyes and a confused expression. Once the male player standing beside her removed his helmet to reveal a mop of cerulean-colored hair, she was able to make the connection. Looks more like a gooberry than anything else. What the hell is he wearing?, she thought as she eyed his armor from toe to head -- their eyes suddenly locking with one another. Was he glaring at her? Just then he leaned over, seemingly whispering a warning to Katoka. Elora's ears perked up as she attempted to ease drop on the conversation. "I'll stick with you. I don't want you two dying..." She had missed that last part. 

"You'll stick with us by choice or because your armor won't let you get away?" It was a serious question with an admittedly provocative undertone. The ooze looked incredibly sticky, almost like it had the same consistency and quality of honey. "Yeah, I did", she said, finally answering Katoka's question. "I forgot that we were meeting here today and I totally overslept. I hope you weren't waiting too long"

@Katoka

  ♪  A Restful Sleep  ♪  

"Relax" It was the same advice that he had given her that night at Tanabata. Although Elora believed that the word bestowed her with a false sense of security, she couldn't help but feel her muscles unwind in response to his reassurances, and to the warmth offered by his crepuscular companion. "I'm more accustomed to sitting out in places like this than you might think, so I'll keep watch."

"That seems concerning", she said with a weary chuckle, "I've never been good at falling asleep in places I'm not used to..." On the very rare occasion, she was able to feel rested from sleeping in her room at The Humming Bard Inn, but no matter what she tried or how long she lived there, it never seemed to offer the comfort of home. In the real world, Elora had made a ritual of sleeping with the items she cherished most, almost like a dragon that laid over its treasures to protect them throughout the night. Those stuffed animals, notebooks, pictures, and other trinkets were absent from Aincrad, leaving Elora to cope with a sense of loneliness that only seemed to worsen her desire for belonging. 

The small player fidgeted in her resting place, eventually reaching a stillness with her head propped against Freyd's shoulder while the two of them remained upright. It was Elora's intention to stay awake as long as possible to assist him with watching the woods. Gradually though, her blinks became heavier and she struggled to distinguish the details of the evergreens' swaying bows and the animals which scurried beneath them. They grew ever dimmer, until finally, all was swallowed completely by darkness. 

  ♪  Challengers Approaching: Kinsey and Kinsly  ♪  

"Salutations my fellow, elves,...my elvenbloods,...my ele-vations!" Keep digging that grave deeper, thought Elora to herself as she struggled to address them with the proper greeting. "D-don't mind that one! She's just a little uncultured" She wrapped an arm around Katoka's shoulders and hoped that the blonde would pick up on her cues of trying to be deceptive. "Trust me, I don't wish anything more than to worship our dragon...overlord...", she trailed off, sounding less and less convinced of the performance she was putting on. 

Of course, her intentions didn't matter at this point, because the pair of elves were already upset from being attacked. Kinsey barked at the woman wielding the katana, "Oh yeah? You think that you can just flex on us like that and not have to face the wrath of our -- "

"MUUUSIC", announced Kinsly as if it was a war cry. The male elf suddenly spun a lute over his shoulder and into his hands to begin strumming ferociously. His female companion coordinated with him to reveal a formidably funky accordion, "Get ready to face your demise as we praise some ambiguous attributes of our Great Leader!!"

I guess she's probably referring to the dragon. Jesus, this feels like the Scott Pilgrim movie.

The duo did high leg kicks toward them in rhythm with the music. "F-freyd, what do I do?!", she cried turning toward him to ask for advice, "I feel like I should attack them or something, but their dancing is so damn intimidating! Like, how can I even compete with that?!"

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

"Valephtima?", muffled Elora beneath his hand, "Ishshe thaplayar killher?" 

"Has your hair always smelled like mint?" 

She peeled his fabric-covered fingers off of her face so that she could finally speak, "What the hell are you talking about? It's not like we can use fragranced shampoos here" Her hand lifted the backside of his own up and against the length of his forehead, as if to check for a fever, "You sure you didn't get a few whacks to the head?" Whether or not his defense was true, she knew that arguing about it further would be futile.

Quickly releasing his hand, both of her own clasped nervously as they sank into a vacant space within her criss-crossed legs. "Freyd, I didn't find a familiar...", she expressed with a tone of disappointment, "I mean...I guess that none of the monsters there were really in that good of shape, but I still wish that something could have worked for me" Her shoulders seemed to deflate as she sighed before continuing, "I even lost Borris. Apparently he was only following us because I was carrying his headstone around in one of my pockets..." This was the first time that she had addressed the rock golem by a name, the one that she had bestowed upon it at some point during their journey. "I'm sorry for dragging you along for all of this and for wasting your time" 

As Elora spoke, the volume of her words varied depending on the hostility of the environment as it developed around them. The voices of some NPC's grew quieter, while at other times, a few seemed to grow louder. Elora didn't know whether or not it would be possible for her mind to grow calm enough to allow sleep in such a dangerous climate. She only hoped that the programed characters, and their suspected slavedriver, would enter some sort of sleep cycle that would force them to suspend their search.

Sunlight trickled through the window shutters of Elora's cozy little room in The Humming Bard Inn. Cows were mooing, crickets were chirping, and birds were singing right outside of her wooden door. Or, wait -- were those just the hungover squatters that occasionally slept their sorrows away the hallway? Nevertheless, it was a beautiful morning. Elora rolled over onto her other side, burying her face into the soft billowy sheets. Nothing beat getting to slept in as a result of having no obligations. Although...she swore that there was at least one thing that she had agreed to do this week. Her weary mind wandered absently as she struggled to remember when and who she'd made plans to meet with. Already did that one thing with that person...haven't heard back from him yet...I think she's probably...

"WAITING FOR ME!", screamed Elora as she tore her blankets off and made a beeline for the exit, "Sh*t, sh*t, shi*t! I can't believe I forgot! Poor Katoka is probably standing in the woods, being harassed by some vagrant!" 

With clothes wrinkled and equipment askew, she sprinted between portals so that she could make her way to Floor 3 as quickly as possible. Finally reaching the entrance of Delilah, Elora noticed the familiar player and slid to an immediate stop beside her. "Sorry -- hiiiieh -- are you ok?!", she asked frantically between staggered breaths. 

Elora | HP:460/460 | EN:46/46 | DMG:9 | EVA:1 | ACC:1 | L.M.:2 | KEEN:1

"Wait, NO -- FREYD!", she protested as he swept her off of her feet, "What are you doing?! We have to help the animals!" Angry fists batted at his back as Elora insisted that he let her down. Her legs swung frantically and the heel of one boot nearly clipped the bottom of his chin. Damn, how is he so strong when he's only like a few inches taller than me! 

"FIND THEM!  I WANT THEIR SPLEENS!"

Elora's head snapped to attention and her eyes locked to scan the horizon. Dusk had already disappeared and darkness now cloaked the landscape, concealing all but a few distant torch-lights which bobbed like lanterns in a sea as their pursuers chased them through the prairie. 

"N-never mind -- Keep running!!", she squealed, burying her face against him and grabbing onto his body as best she could. There would be no time to stop and reposition themselves so that she could run on her own, so she didn't make demands. The uncomfortable acrobatics would have to do for now.

By the time they had fled into the forest, the voices of the people behind them had grow distant, or at the very least, disconnected from one another. Elora yelped as Freyd half-dropped and half-threw her into a small clearing of moss, his own body practically collapsing in exhaustion from the excursion. 

"A-are you ok?! What the hell happened?", she asked in a panicked voice. Hurriedly lifting his limbs and shoving away his gear, she tried to inspect whatever wounds he may have sustained in the dim light. There was no chance that he had managed to piss off a mob, let alone a psychotic woman, without getting caught up in some sort of battle.

Elora seemed to get a bounce in her step the moment Freyd mentioned their great feats against the Trebuchet. "Yeah? I did do some pretty awesome stuff that day! We were able to cripple that trebuchet in no time once I cleared an opening through the soldiers protecting it!", she hesitated for a moment before adding, "What are you talking about, Katoka? Don't sell yourself short like that. I know you contributed more to taking it down!" Even if she didn't do as much as me, she shouldn't just pretend like it was nothing. 

Her pace seemed to slow as Freyd posed the next set of questions, and she was glad that Katoka had taken the initiative to answer them first. The more the girl spoke, the harder time Elora had trying to concentrate on what she was explaining. It felt like her mind was caught in a state of limbo where her attention was split between trying to understand Katoka's situation and simultaneously prepare to answer in the wake of her response. It was like that excrutiating feeling that crept up during classes when you knew that teacher would call on you to speak next. 

"I'm sorry, I might have gone off a bit there." 

Honestly, Elora wished she'd gone on more. Her response had been brief enough that it wouldn't warrant moving on to another topic. Even worse, the two players seemed to be anticipating her contribution to the conversation.

She didn't feel ready.

"Umm...", she began by awkwardly lifting a gloved hand to scratch at the side of her head, "I don't know, I guess I just want to fit in somehow" She struggled to search for any supplementary reasoning, but nothing came to her mind quickly enough to reinforce the answer that she had already given. Instead, the crude truth of her intensions for joining Firm Anima hung in the air, unprotected by any arbitrary ambition or petty excuse that she would have normally hid behind. The reality was that she hadn't joined with any purpose in mind, and that during her time with the guild, Elora hadn't made any decisions about which direction she should take to help other members the most. 

"I mean, there's more to it than that..." The defense was hardly enough to disguise her admission at this point.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

"Wh--", Elora hesitated and cocked her head to one side, "What do you mean it? Is it a monster?" The green-haired woman summoned her spear as she scanned the terrain for potential threats. "No", answered Cecil gesturelessly, "The one who has been waiting for you"

A chill trickled down Elora's spine as she struggled to make sense of the meaning behind such an eerie statement. "What the hell are you talking about? What could be waiting for me down here?" She shook her head to ward off the NPC's observation, which felt more like a warning. She must be programmed to react like that just to freak players out. "Nothing is waiting for me. Forget it. Just stay behind and slave away at your village if you're scared. I'm going to keep exploring"

Cecil accepted the dismissal and lingered behind as Elora approached the shack to investigate whatever it was she was so afraid of. The closer she got to it, the more she could make out the details of a solitary figure in a rose-colored robe fishing off the end of its dock. Wonder if that's the thing she was on about...it just looks like another NPC to me.

Cecil continued to keep pace beside her, continuing to humor the fruitless conversations that Elora was visibly growing gradually disinterested in. "Yep, sure do. That's the only thing that keeps our village alive. Sometimes when there are violent storms or dangerous monsters along the path, we aren't able to carry the goods to the next-highest level of Krycim. And missing even just one day of trade is detrimental to our society." 

Elora hardly seemed phased to hear this reality. After all, it wasn't actually one. The game was probably just trying to get her to sympathize with its programmed personalities so that she would spend more time crying over them then trying to escape. Well, it's not like that's actually my alternative agenda. Elora would prefer not wasting her time with either endeavour. Then again, it's not like starting her trade as an alchemist was doing any good for the world. 

Cecil suddenly stopped as Elora took a step off of one of the mossy islands and onto another boardwalk extending toward a fishing house. "It's back.", she said flatly, her cold voice emitting the slightest tone of concern.

"I mean, yeah, there are some stories about us being a society of warriors, but that was a long time ago. Now we mainly fish and farm"

They can FARM down here?, thought Elora as she maneuvered around a cesspool to access a teetery boardwalk which was riddled with holes and whose posts were on the brink of being sucked into the swamp. "Wait", she spoke as another thought crossed her mind, "If you grow food, does that mean that you're selling your food in the marketplaces up above? There was an innate beauty to it. Imaging how the food going up eventually came down to become nutrients for the food that went back up again. It was also kind of disgusting.

From what Elora could tell, the spongy marshes within the slums were scarce in any other harvestable resources. She would probably have to venture even further from the settlement if she were to have any chance collecting items with enough time to spare for her returning trip to Floor 1.

"Nice! Looks like a scone kind of day huh?"

"Haha, yeaaah...", trailed off Elora with a not-so-well-disguised disingenuous chuckle. She proceeded to take quick bites from her pastry so as to get all of it down her throat before she had the chance to taste it. Still, the residual bitterness of the dried berries left her mouth feeling dry, like her cheeks were sucking in from aversion to the aftertaste. There, I powered through it and they have no idea that I actually wanted to eat something else!, she thought with a lack of awareness to how emotive her expressions of disgust really were. 

Elora shuttered and shook off the sensation, returning her focus to their next objective: killing the third dragon. "Dammit!", she exclaimed as a realization crossed her mind, "I should have saved some for bait to use on the dragon!" Whether or not it would have proven to be an effective strategy, Elora felt foolish for passing up the opportunity to put her mistake to good use. 

Should I get a donut or a muffin...Wait, but there are also apple fritters! Elora stood in front of the bakery display, nervously shifting her weight between legs as she darted around, coming to abrupt stops before each new option. I don't know that I really feel like something as sweet as a donut. Plus, you get more for your money with a muffin because it isn't missing a huge chunk from its center. The apple fritters are even larger, but they just have such a weird tang to them. 

It seemed like the longer she took to analyze the potential emotional and financial payoff of each pastry, the more uncertain she became about making a decision. What is Freyd getting? I can probably just have the same thing as him. She turned to study the shadowy player, only to realize that he was staring at her, watching in amuzement as she struggled to make up her mind. 

"Dammit, why do you have to look at me like that, Freyd! It only makes me more nervous!" Elora spun on her heels and pointed to the next appetizing morsel she could spot, "I'll take that one, please!", she to directed to the baker behind the counter. "The raspberry scone? A good choice!", he said with a jolly chuckle as he handed her the item. Oh...those are...dried raspberries...I thought they were chocolate chips... 

"And for you, sir?" Well, it's too late to speak up now. She would rather pick out the parts that she didn't like than continue to make Katoka wait for them to get back.

Elora | HP:460/460 | EN:46/46 | DMG:8 | EVA:1 | ACC:1 | L.M.:2 | KEEN:1

"You seriously think that I don't know about the damage-increasing lingerie?", she shouted after him.  After all, she wasn't one who wanted to waltz into battle looking like some sort of heavy-weight. Valerie needed something that would hug and accentuate her feminine curves. "And these hair clips are totally multi-purpose! Everything that I choose to wear is both fashionable and practical!" It was too late, the male player had already exited the establishment and was unable to hear her defenses. "That imbecile! He won't know the definition of sadistic until I'm finished with him! Well -- why are you just standing here and gawking?! Help me capture him!" She summoned her battle axe and ran out of the main entrance of the tent in an effort to cut him off from an escape later on. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Elora was attempting to interact with each creature and get a feel for their chemistry through the bars of each of their cages. "Nope, this one's too creepy. Uhh...that one twitches a lot. EEEK! THOSE JUST LOOK LIKE SNAKES!", she decided upon taking a closer inspection of the lizard-like monsters. "This is basically just like shopping for a pet at a shelter", she realized with a sigh. I'm really starting to run out of options here. Maybe my expectations are just too high... Still, the thought of leaving them all trapped in their prisons as she moved onto the next venue left a bad feeling in her chest. It's not like anyone has shown up to stop me yet. The show might have already started. Come to think of it, Freyd hadn't even made his way into the tent yet. She thought for sure that he would be trailing closely behind her. Had he encountered and engaged in a battle of fisticuffs with the player killer? Even worse, had he grabbed popcorn and decided to watch the circus performance without her? "Fuck it!", she shouted as she turned to address the captive creatures, "I'll break you guys out of here, even if none of us were really meant to be together..." The promise sounded more like a coping strategy for moving on from a bad break up than anything else. At least, that's how shows and movies liked to portray the act of a gental let-down. Elora proceeded to bash her staff against the side of the metal pipes with no signs of compromise to their structural integrity. Eventually she just resorted to the tedious alternative of trying to pick their locks with the point of the spear. All the while, the nearby hound continued to bark and howl as a way to either cheerlead or condemn her efforts. So much for trying to be inconspicuous. 

  ♪  Elora's Battle Anthem  ♪  

Elora went to town on the trebuchet like she was mincing it to serve with a side of pain for dinner. Her spear swung and struck all over it's support beams until she finally finished her attack sequence by leaping up and impaling its launching mechanism -- maybe with a little bit too much enthusiasm. With her weapon lodged within its fibers, she had no choice but to haul herself onto its neck and to try to pry it free.

"It's...heeugh...no...hnng...g-good! That sucker is STUCK",  she concluded between heaving breaths and lackluster attempts to gain any leverage on its staff, I'll just have to make it look like I intended for this to happen. 

"Onward, soldiers!, she encouraged as boisterously as she could before choking on another sharp intake of air. Damn, am I really this out of shape? I thought for sure that at this point I'd be able to carry myself for a little longer in a battle. 

While she was sitting and suffocating atop the trebuchet, Elora took a moment to admire the view of the chaos around them. Nearby players fought with an elite - or at least, what Elora regarded it to be - vanguard comprised of various formidable powers. It seemed like they had their work cut out for them. Holy sh*t! Is that a -- Elora had finally caught sight of the gargantuan dragon that was reeking havoc across the battlefield. Glad I'm not over there..., she thought as she imagined all of the carnage that would be caused by its hand, er -- talons. If there are players fighting THAT thing, then there's no reason we can't take down this glorified slingshot! 

"Damn it all!", shouted the 'ringmaster' as he knocked over the buckets of food that had been brought to appease the beasts. The rhinoceroses had ripped free from the clutches of their trainers and were now furiously rampaging around the stadium, determined to kill the ones who had neglected them for so long. "Help us, Valentina! This is your fault! None of this would have happened if you had just treated them kindly!", he yelled toward the PKer as he scrambled up and over the safety wall to find sanctuary among the grandstands. His NPC companions were not so lucky.

"You're all useless buffoons!", shrieked the woman with her arms crossed sternly beneath her breasts, "None of you can even die, so I'm the only one who's taking all of the risks!" Flicking a section of pastel pink curls from her face, she swiftly summoned a battle axe into one hand and entered the arena to end to the pandemonium. With cold eyes, the woman slaughtered the beasts, then finished off the NPCs that had somehow survived being trampled and impaled. After it was over, her head snapped to the side to glare threateningly toward the man who was panicking in the bleachers above Freyd. "This is the LAST time you're going to allow for something like this to happen", she spat as her heels thudded dully against the compressed dirt. "Visitors -- players -- aren't going to come if we can't promise them a phenomenal performance" The sound of her shrill and raspy voice grew louder as she continued to approach them. "We've already promised to show an adorable little couple a good time tonight, and I am not about to miss out on the opportunity to meet them" Valentina paused for a moment to gently caress the blade of her weapon with a well-manicured finger. "Appearances matter, you know..." She leaned over the NPC, hovering the edge of the axe beside his cheek as he trembled in fear. "We can't have word getting out that are carnies showing up in the outskirts of villages to murder players, after all. That would ruin our chances of touring Tanabata next year" A chillingly insincere smile crept across her red lips as she fantasied about the possibility. "It would be so magnificant and so EASY to take pieces out of the stronger players as they wander around in their kimonos, so stupidly unaware and unprepared to defend themselves."

"D-didn't you hear though? There was a gigantic battle that happened during the festival. No one is going to show up there without expecting a fight in the future--" Her axe jerked, slicing a shallow cut across his face. He winced and slumped further between a set of wooden benches.

"Oh -- is that so?", Her expressed barely phased to reflect her shock in hearing the news. "Well", she hissed, "Then I guess we'll have no choice but to remain inconspicuous for now. We'll continue to visit these shantytowns, at least until we can find another venue for the grand finale." Valerie stood and shook the locks from her vision, then straightened her tie and flattened her skirt with her palms. "For the time being...I'll be off to select some healthier candidates for tonight's show. We've only got an hour before it begins, and that's hardly enough time to recruit new trainers." She turned to exit the text before instructing, "Tidy up the place and make sure that everyone is ready for their roles. And do me a favor -- make sure that the players you greeted earlier find their way to their seats"

"Did you just...talk it to death?", she said half-joking. Elora wasn't yet familiar with all of the different status effects a player could inflict on an enemy and vice-versa. However, the strange nature of its dissolving into goo was a likely indicator that Freyd had done just that. "Nice hit, by the way", she acknowledged Katoka's contribution with a nod and the hint of a smile. Redirecting her attention back to her spear, she emitted a sigh, "Don't know what I'm gonna do about this" Elora returned the weapon to her inventory, only to notice that its preview image still depicted it as being completely intact. She quickly resummoned the spear into her hand, watching with a stupefied expression as it materialized into its normal state. 

"Oh."

"So all I needed to do was essentially turn it on and off again" For a system as complex as this one, it sure had its fair share of simple solutions. 

@Katoka

Elora quickly ducked behind a metal water trough as a set of trainers carried out buckets of slop through the tent's entrance with considerable urgency. It wasn't long before a deafening stillness settled over the seemingly vacant facility. Only the occasional stirring of animals or rattling of chains could be heard as they readjusted their positions within a series of less-than-roomy crates. Cautiously, Elora crept with her back pressed along the canvas's wall until she had the chance to peer out into the room and was able to ensure that it was unoccupied. That's a relief, but I probably don't have much time. It'll be best to make it out of here soon.

She began to examine the cages in an attempt to perceive the details of each dilapidated and defeated heap that dwelled within them. There are so many of them and still not a single one is looking out at me... Among their contents she was able to eventually distinguish water-monitor like lizards with missing tails and gouged scales, a gigantic fowl with few feathers, and what looked to be a family of small mammalian creatures cowering in a corner of their confine. F*ck, why are they all so injured? She'd heard rumors about circuses mistreating their exotic animals in the real world, but there was no reason for the game they were in to generate something as vile as  this. It's not like this is part of a quest or anything, we just happened to come across it. While the warnings skipped through her mind like a scratched CD, a nearby canine began to threaten her with a low, guttural growl. "Sh-shhh...", she motioned to it with a wave while she held another finger over her mouth, "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise" She was sure that the words were hardly convincing. How would it know any better? Damn, I shouldn't be here. I don't think there's any time for me to vet through all of these options until I find my f*cking -- soulmate or some sh*t. 

Just as she was about to turn tale, her foot met the edge of something small and heavy. She wasn't falling for, well,  because of that one again. Looking down was hardly necessary as her mind's eye had already predicted what she would find. Standing firmly before her was none other than the rock golem that hadn't failed to follow them as far as they had ventured. "Oh look, what a surprise. God, I can't believe you're still here. Did you really think it would be safe to follow us this far!", she scolded to it as silently as possible. The golem seemed to tense in anger as it condensed itself, then quickly and sternly extended a jumbled arm toward her. "What do you want from me? Water? Food? A PAT ON THE BOULDER?!" 

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground next to her nearly made her jump out of her skin. She was relieved to notice that the noise had come from the rock she'd collected from earlier tumbling out of her bag. Elora grumbled and crouched down to pick up the rock. Reaching out to grab it proved futile as the pebble rolled just beyond the length of her arm, continuing on an invisible path until it came to a halt in front of the creature. "Wait, is that --?" Before Elora could finish her speculation, the piece flew forward and fixed itself to a flat spot situated between a broad set of shoulders. The completion of the golem's geometry was enough for Elora to finally realize the true reason as to why he'd been following her. "Oh...you were just...looking for your lost head..." He nodded curtly and started to hobble away with little hesitation. "So, that's it...? You're not gonna stick around?" She didn't know why she'd said it. The thing didn't have any obligation to stay with her now, especially since it had reclaimed everything it'd been searching for. What am I searching for? This was a mistake...

"I guess this is where our adventure ends then...I wish that I was as determined as you..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?!", snapped Elora just as he redirected her focus to the bigtop before them. "You don't like...the color palette...?", she expressed with a skeptical sigh. A few moments of further inspection revealed a far more threatening culprit, the looming mark of a player-killer. Elora's stomach knotted nervously as she regarded the symbol and dwelled on its heavy implications. We're still in the safe zone of the town's jurisdiction though...aren't we...? They hadn't ventured far from the city to arrive at the circus grounds, leaving Elora's muddied judgement to guess whether or they had truly passed into dangerous territory. 

"I-I've never seen one before. I mean, it probably won't be a problem, right? She can't be any stronger than you are, and I think that we're still inside of the town" Although Elora was audibly making excuses for them to continue, her conscience maintained that it was probably a bad idea. Still, she was running out of opportunities - and daylight - to find herself a familiar. No way am I gonna return home empty-handed. Besides, I'm not gonna let Freyd think that her being here is to scare me. I can handle this. It was important that she remained resolute in completing the quest she had dragged him out to help with. Too many times before had she failed herself and others with seeing through obligations until the end.

"I'll just make a quick pass through that tent--", she decided Swiftly rising from their hideaway, she fled past a few NPCs distractedly shuffling props and toward the place he'd indicated the captive creatures might reside. The path was surprisingly uninterrupted, save for the occasional hurdle or wandering stagehand. One such worker, the eccentric socialite from before, nearly spotted her as she made her final dash from behind strewn barrels of gunpowder and into the side of the Monster Pavilion. "Alright, everyone! It's time for the rehearsal!", they called out in a loud voice that summoned performers from all over the yard to congregate at the entrances to both tents. "Trainers, don't forget to bring the feed for those - whatever they are - for tonight's show! I think we learned from the last incident that they can't be trusted to do their tricks without at least something in their stomachs" A handful of NPCs guiding the reigns of rhinoceros-looking creatures called back to others floundering in the pavilion to bring what the ringmaster requested. 

"That does it, you little brat!", hissed Elora beneath her breath. She was thankful that Freyd had given her the opportunity to take vengeance on the dragon for destroying her spear. Before the monster even had the chance to release its hold on Freyd's hand, Elora whacked it to the ground and began to beat it senseless with her stubby staff. (Phrasing...) It roared and writhed, managing to wiggle away before she had the chance to finish it. "Katoka, can you hit it?", she called over to the blonde, half-asking, half-demanding. Elora had all but forgotten Freyd's role in the fight as her and the other player now seemed invested in defeating their target. 

Maybe there's some other way I can figure out to try and help her, she thought as searched her surroundings for a solution. There likely wasn't anything she could do to hold the dragon in place, or even to injure it any further. There's a chance I can get away with just distracting it! Elora liked that idea, so she didn't hesitate to provoke the dragon further. "Come get some you spineless hooligan!", she shouted in the wake of hurling the remnants of her weapon into its skull. 

@Katoka

  ♪  Wind Chimes  ♪  

One moment Freyd was scanning Elora's expression, the next he was whisking her away to hide among the piles of barrels, crates, and costumes racks that were scattered between a caravan of covered wagons. "I-I meant just by watching the show when it started, not by setting out on stealth mission!", hissed Elora in a hushed tone. As Elora complained to him, she took notice of something rather strange. Some of the carts they'd situated themselves between appeared to be canvased with an array of animal skins and monster pelts. Paws, claws, and hooves were strung across and between them, almost like Christmas lights decorating a party. The sight was accompanied by an eerie chorus of wind chimes which seemed to serenade the players like a siren beckoning them to a stormy sea. I don't know that this is a good idea, she thought apprehensively. Her slender fingers reached back and wrapped around the cloth of her worn brown hood, pulling it forward to cover her elven ears. Elora couldn't recall any other time, outside of the occasional rainstorm, that she had needed or wanted to use the accessory. Sneaking around seemed an appropriate excuse. 

"Where do you think they're keeping all of the creatures?", she asked as her body continued to sink behind the boxes to avoid being seen. 

   ♪  Elora's Battle Anthem  ♪  

Now wasn't the time to slow down. Players swarmed from behind her, attacking the trebuchet with everything they had. Elora joined them in their onslaught against war machine, jabbing her spear into of its lower support beams. The attack knocked a sizable chunk of wood from the brace as the weapon creaked from the imbalanced strain placed on its perpendicular joints. With any luck, a few concentrated strikes would be enough to cripple it mechanically and prevent it from firing projectiles onto other parts of the battlefield. 

Finally given the chance to survey her surroundings for longer than half a second, Elora caught sight of a young girl wielding a sword that looked disproportionately large for her little frame. The cursor floating above her head flashed the phrase "Firm Anima" as she ran across the map. Not long after, Elora noticed the same title appearing atop the heads of two other blonde-haired women who fought valiantly nearby. Firm Anima...I think Freyd mentioned something about that to me. Yeah, those two other women at the festival, Haine and Vie...? They were also a part of it. Is it a cult or something? 

@Asmura @Katoka @Freya

Vanity Tags: @Haine @Vie

"How the f*ck did it even dig something like that?", speculated Elora with shock, "It probably just has dinky little dragon arms --" Just as Elora was about to finish speaking, she heard a loud creaking sound, then a SNAP! A hefty branch that had been looming overhead broke from its trunk and came plummeting toward the ground. She quickly lurched out of the way, narrowing avoiding the trap as it clipped the end of her spear. It yanked the weapon from her grasp and splintered it violently, ripping the point out from its connection to the staff. 

"SH*T!", she swore loudly before noticing the damage that the projectile had caused, "Uh...is that...repairable?"

A kaleidoscopic light filtered through the canopy above as Elora caught the glimpse of a serpentine shadow moving toward them. In a moment's notice, the dragon descended upon them, prepared to chase the party out of its forested home. Elora, now at loss of a complete weapon, readied her staff which more closely resembled a baton. "Let's f*ck it up, Katoka!"

@Katoka

Elora smiled at Katoka's compliment as she let the pride in her abilities go to her head. She'd need to redeem herself for floundering on her first attack against the Emerald Hatchling. On the other hand, she felt that the concept of an infinity scarf probably went over Freyd's head. Maybe he just didn't have the same connotations associated with them as she did. It seemed that the accessory had been prevalent among female teens at her high school until around the 2010s, when the trend finally died. Maybe Freyd would single-handedly be the instigator its revival and would actively attempt to make them have a comeback? God, I hope not.

"Besides, I haven't done these quests yet myself, and will be better able to gauge their usefulness for future training if I tag along."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Katoka and I started training new guild members after very long", she noted as they happened upon a lush grove of trees. "Oh boy, another forest", commented Elora unenthusiastically. Just as she entered it, the toe-box of her boot caught a root that was arching up from the ground. She stumbled a few steps forward before catching herself with her staff. "Sneaky little bastard probably made that so I would trip over it"

"Are you alright?", Elora asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern for Freyd's dizzy spell. He seemed to regain his footing and his wits shortly thereafter, leaving her to feel a little less worried. Persi-Freyd territory?, she didn't know what to make of that, He clearly inherited more from his grandfather than just reiterating reassuring words.

"Are you sure that you wouldn't prefer a fish or something?"

"A FISH?", something about that suggestion seemed insulting to her, "What, so I could have it stare soullessly at me as I try and command it to attack things on land? I'm certain I can find something cooler than that! Just -- notascoolasadragon...", she mumbled bitterly. "Well, let's give it another go! We've already used up half a day and it won't be much longer before night rolls around." 

After lunch, the player's enthusiasm was restored and she quickly reverted to bouncing between storefronts and bulletin boards in search of a lead. They soon stumbled upon a precarious-looking maroon tent surrounded by cages, crates, and carnies of all shapes and sizes. "What'dya think that is?", she inquired of Freyd, who was probably more knowledgeable of anomalies like this from his days of travel. Before he had a chance to respond, an androgynous-looking NPC wearing flamboyant face paint and an florescent flowing gown pipped up, "Oh, hello~! Will the two of you be attending our traveling circus this afternoon? We have all sorts of enchanting attractions from the trapeze to the trappies~!"

"The 'trappies'?", commented Elora flatly.

"Why, yes! Those are all of our trapped fantastical creatures who give beautiful performances! You really should come and watch!"

Elora grabbed Freyd by the arm and tugged him down until one of her ears was close enough for her to whisper, "Freyd, this could be our chance! What if we get one of those creatures to be my familiar! They're already trained and I'm sure they could do a bunch of awesome stuff!" 

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows