Elora

Her curled lips gradually flattened and creased into a thin line. Something about the scenery of this place resonated deeply with her, evoking an unexpected sense of nostalgia for the land where she grew up. Although the climate was fairly warm, droplets of water contacting her skin caused goosebumps to coat her arms and a chill to run down her spine. It was a telling sign that she had successfully distanced herself from the world she'd known outside of the game. Encountering things that reminded her of home brought their current situation to the forefront of her mind, making it all the more difficult to stomach. After all, Aincrad had made it easy to run from her past and to find solace in whimsical environments that rarely reminded her of reality. She tried to shake the feelings of guilt that ensued, but the weight of it all made her heart feel as if it was sinking inside of her chest.

Fortunately, it appeared that Freyd was preoccupied with practicing portraitures, or at least, with creating some sort of artistic piece. His unwavering concentration allowed Elora the advantage to circle around the pond before taking a seat beside him, just far enough away to indicate that she wasn't interested in spying on his work if he wasn't inclined to share it. She withheld a greeting so as not to startle him. Hopefully their little entourage would be enough of a disturbance to command his attention.

"Whatcha want with one of those blasted things?  Mischievous menaces, that's all they are!"

Elora chuckled lightly at the woman's eccentric opposition to owning such creatures. "My parents never allowed me to have a pet growing up. They said that I wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility of taking care of something" She glanced downwards at the spyglass she now held in her hands. "I guess I just think that it'd be nice to have someone to keep me company when no one else can", she added while her eyes adopted a distant expression, as if she was recounting instances from her past where she could have benefited from having the emotional support. 

By now, the trio, or what was left of it, was already well on its way to the so-called 'Slime Farm' The term sounded gross to Elora, and she wasn't entirely sure what to anticipate, Is it a gigantic farm, or are the slimes themselves huge? I wonder if they look like the chuchus from Zelda. Hopefully they're not way uglier. Maybe you can see their intestines through their clear bodies. No, that'd probably only happen if it was a mature game. What was SAO even rated anyway?

"What made you want to come all the way down here, anyway?", asked the girl as she walked circles around Elora, inspecting her for wounds.

"Well, I was hoping to gather some materials for making potions. I haven't really tried to create any yet, but I figured it'd be good to stock up on ingredients for when I do." In case I mess up. "This Floor seemed like a good place to find a wide variety of plants for me to experiment with"

"Yeah, yeah, that part was obvious. Most players don't leave the safe zones unless they're foraging or fighting. I meant down HERE" Cecil gestured to the swamp surrounding them. 

"Oh, that was kind of an accident. I got lost following a river that started at the top of the canopy. It eventually led me here" Elora observed that there were actually several sickly-looking waterfalls plummeting into different sides of the valley.  "Although, they looked a lot cleaner up there."

Elora was starting to hate swimming in this game, as the weight of her armor and equipment always weighed her down more than she was comfortable with. Then again, maybe she was just an inexperienced swimmer. She hadn't had many opportunities to learn how to tread water growing up in a brisk climate. "Yeah, that would be--", It occurred to her that the boatman was probably waiting at the docks, anticipating the return of his treasured canoe. "Actuallyyy, the shore isn't too far from here, and I don't think it'd be much easier for me to try and climb up like this. I think I'll swim over to that bridge", she nodded in the direction of one nearby. Some players stood on it to release their lanterns into the sky while others used it to cast off fishing lines into the lake. On the shore next to it was a sizable bonfire surrounded by passerbys who were chatting and snacking while they rested between searches. That looks like it could be a good place to wind down before heading back home. 

It was difficult for Elora to observe or understand any of the expressions Freyd was conveying as he spoke reassurances to her. Dizzying sequences of verbal and pictorial details distracted her from what little glimpses she had caught of him before he moved -- Wait...where did he go...? The whirlwind seemed to reside momentarily as her mind shifted focus to relocate the familiar face that gave her comfort in a sea of strangers. "S-sorry, I've gotta go do something", Elora barely managed to fumble from her lips. She bowed, moreso with an isolated nod of her head, before escaping to whatever vacancy she could find. She found sanctuary at a nearby table that was only occupied by one other player, a white-haired one in a kitsune mask. It would have to do for now. Seating herself across from him, she began to methodically trace the grains of the wood in hopes that the mindless task would begin to command her attention. 

By this point, her heart had begun to steady its beat. She gradually subsided in performing the exercise only to sigh in a sign of a relief that the wave of panic had passed. It seemed that the man accompanying her had done the same. He rose steadily and started to head toward what she assumed to be a booth for a bird-related game. "Would you like to compete in a game with me?", she found herself blurting out. It seemed that since she had lost her bearings, Elora was now making a desperate attempt to seize some sense of accomplishment for why she had chosen to come here tonight. 

@Haine @Vie @Kiluia Seiko @Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

"I'm sure it'll be fine", Elora reassured Vie without providing any evidence as to why this would be true. Just after she had stated this, Kiluia had already engaged in an exchange of fisti...ancklecuffs...? with the monsters. Sounds like he's beating the sh*t out of them. I guess I should probably offer some help. Just as she had begun to enter the fray, Asmura briefly bumped arms with her. It seemed like the young player had been knocked off balance in her attempt to damage one of the bats. Attempting to regain her focus, Elora firmly planted the soles of her boots into the sediment that coated the cave's floor. Then, she roundhouse kicked the air, encountering no resistance, to her surprise. These things are probably hovering higher than I can see. Elora attempted to strike the creatures once again by jabbing the point of her spear into the air. Still, nothing happened. Vie...might have been right..., she found her conscience admitting to itself.

Just then, one of the monsters dove between Asmura and Elora, scratching her arm superficially with one of its talons. "That was a close call", she stated to the younger player. Who knows what would have happened if it had hurt Asmura instead. Maybe it would have carried her off somewhere.

@Vie

"Oi!  No man-handling the goods, lady!"  a short, stocky-looking woman with thick, braided blond hair and bright green eyes wandered over, appearing from beneath one of the other tables.  "Ye wouldn't be Elworra, would ye?"  She pointed at her green hair and elfin ears.  "Freyd said ye might come around at some point, and that I wus to look after ya."  She grasped Elora's hand and shook it vigorously, nearly knocking the spyglass out of her other hand.  

"Ooo... careful, dearie.  Ye break it, ye bought it, eh?"  She winked at her, wiping her hand on her badly soiled apron notably after their handshake.  "I'm Quip.  This here's Dingo."  She grabbed a nearby broom, slamming it with surprising strength on the loft above them.  A startled yelp was heard above, just as a scrawny, brown-haired youth came crashing down into an adjacent hay bale.  

"Whatdya do that fer?"  He rubbed his eyes as if warding off sleep, or possibly urge it to return.  He had the same green eyes as Quip, suggesting that they might be kin. 

"Over here, lassie, and we'll get to business."  Quip's cheerful demeanor shone through, but Elora could see heavy careworn lines around her eyes.  Both of them notably had green icons over their heads, denoting their status as players.

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"Oh, he did, did he --?" Elora's quip was stifled as she was caught off-guard by the shopkeep's unusually intimate welcoming. Her first instinct was to recoil from her touch, but before she had the chance to do so, the player's handshake had already been retracted. 

"Quip and...Dingo...?", she repeated as if trying to make the names sound more convincing. Who the hell is named Quip or Dingo? That must just be their usernames, or, actually, they might just be Australians. "A-alright then" Elora made her way toward the counter and proceeded with making the transaction by clicking through a series of confirmation windows. As the payment was processing, she turned her attention back to the pair of unusual players. "Is, uh, Freyd around today? I was wondering if he'd be interested on taking me out -- on a quest I mean. I want to try and find a familiar, maybe like the one he has"

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Elora was unsure of what Vigilon would be able to offer to assist with relighting the lantern. Nevertheless, she nodded in agreement, "Sure, let's give it a shot" Not long after, he was able to ignite the end of a stick, which was whittled down to look more like a twig at this point. She accepted it and hastily began to transfer its flame to the wick of another candle. 

Just as she had begun to do so, several streaks of bright light caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She shifted her gaze briefly to see that a bunch of golden stars were falling out of the sky, and directly toward their boat!

"SH*T!", was all she could yell before they barraged the two of them. The force of one hitting her hand was enough to cause her to release the torch. It clattered as it fell through the seats' planks, then rolled across the haul. Elora frantically picked up her feet to avoid being caught on fire. It was already too late. The canoe erupted into flames in a matter of seconds. Damn, that wood must have been dry! 

The green haired player dove off of the pyre and into the water to douse the edges of her boots and cloak, which had already begun to burn. 

"Just be thankful you got off of it in time, otherwise you'd hit the ground about as hard as anything that falls from the village above. You'd be impressed to know how many deaths we have from coconuts each year"

"That's...uh...kind of grim..." Elora shuffled her weight awkwardly as she searched for a new subject of discussion. 

"Pretty much how it is around here", shrugged the woman, "Grim and dim" After a brief pause, she waved, "I'm Cecil by the way" She had a slender figure with dark skin and hair that rested at her shoulders. Although Elora felt her face grow red upon viewing her somewhat-scanty attire, she did envy the woman for how much cooler she must have felt by wearing fewer layers. It occurred to Elora that Cecil lacked a hovering marker that would denote her as being another player. She's just another NPC, she thought dismissively.

Elora picked herself off of the ground, sliding gloved hands across her limbs to wipe off any residual sludge that had adhered to them. "Well...I guess the only direction is down, now"

With hastened steps, she made her way down another set of slippery steps until she finally reached the bottom, or what she hoped it was, of the city. Sparse strands of sunlight trickled in from gaps in the canopies overhead. It was hardly enough to explain the excessive amounts of undergrowth that blanketed every notable surface surrounding her. This looks more like a lagoon than a tropical paradise...

"Hey, lady!", called out a somewhat shrill voice, "Were you on that bridge up above when it fell? Someone should have warned you that it wasn't safe! No one's used it for years!" 

Elora surveyed her peripherals until she eventually spotted a young woman who looked to be roughly the same age as her. "Yeah, a warning would have been appreciated", she affirmed with a tone of annoyance.

Darkness seemed to swiftly surround her as she continued the descent. The forested scenery once saturated with sunlight became increasingly quiet, and simultaneously, more devoid of life. Smaller saplings creeping out from the slopes were now matted with gooey tendrils seeping strands of ooze rather than droplets of water. The pungent stench of rotted wood and other decomposing matter caused Elora to feel like she was choking on the air. 

I think I might have gone the wrong way, I've never read anything about the jungles on this floor being so disgusting. I should probably just head back

As the female player turned around to regard the incline, she heard cries echo from the valley below. Wha--how did--are there people trapped down there? Elora sprinted to a rickety wooden bridge ahead to get a better view of the situation. "H-hang on! I'll be right there to help you!" Before she could pinpoint the source of the outcry, boards beneath her feet began to wobble and creek. RUN!, cried her mind in alarm. Segments of soggy wood practically disintegrated into the abyss as she frantically dashed to reach the other side. After a desperate dive to safety on a solid surface, Elora glanced over her shoulder to see the structure she had crossed suspended in shambles. "F*CK!", she exclaimed in both frustration and relief from the close call.

Elora took to following a river which was colored a spectacular cobalt blue, possibly due to runoff bacteria from the excessive amount of eroding plantlife. The resource must have served as an essential means to gather fresh drinking water for the town's inhabitants, since the majority of homes were congregated and stacked vertically along its banks. Thankfully, a narrow riverstone path allowed Elora to follow it without having to cut through any of the private gardens that existed around many of the properties.

Not long after, she approached a steeply declining limb with a rut that caused the torrent to pummel down the rest of the tree. It functioned like rapids that uprooted any remaining vegetation before dumping it all onto the distant forest floor through the stream of a narrow waterfall. 

Wow, that's quite the drop..., thought Elora before a group of distant lights caught her eye, Wait, are those torches down there? She used a large vine to assist her with crawling to take a closer look.

Elora reached out to offer the player her arm before hesitantly retracting it to instead extend it toward his free appendage. "Sure thing, I don't know if you're gonna get any leverage without a second hand though -- er, well, a third I guess if you're counting mine" The wake created by her boat caused ripples to crease the surface of the lake. Flickering lanterns bobbed from the disturbance and twirled in and away from one another in a mesmerizing dance. One of the paper cylinders floating above them grew faint before gracefully drifting downward and into the canoe. Aw, this poor one couldn't stay lit..., she said with a sympathetic tone. As she held up its crinkling exterior, many tiny gold stars poured out onto her lap, then fell to her feet. "Hmmm, maybe these things were just weighing it down, actually" Just then, Elora happened to catch a glimmer of something streaking across the celestial void above them. "Was that a meteor?"

Navigating Krycim felt like an obstacle in and of itself. Thick clambering vines that served as walkways literally wound in every direction, although primarily up and down the trees that they attached to. Elora practically had to use her spear like a walking stick just to traverse down them. Slippery overgrowth and jutting branches only made the trip more treacherous. You know, I wouldn't have been opposed to them placing the portal at the BOTTOM of the town.

As she descended, Elora felt as though the scenery around her adapted to suit its location. It was almost like each level of the canopy contained different districts with characters that specialized in new occupations. Contrary to the top, where stylish storefronts flashed frivolous wares, the middle sector offered more practical products. Fresh produce, work attire, and tools fashioned from wood and stone were up for sale at many of them. Elora even spotted a flower shop adorned with suspended pots of flowers that spilled from the basket, cascading in a colorful display around them. Bundles of pink and yellow roses wrapped in banana leaves drew the majority of her attention. Wow...those are so beautiful. I'd love to buy some just to keep in my room... Her wish waived as she again reminded herself that there was little money for her to spare, especially when it came to impulsive purchases for the sake of aesthetics.

Before Elora could even offer an introduction, the three players had lunged into the thick of battle. Considering they had all expressed concern for her safety in this situation, she felt it wise to heed their advice and remain distant from their excursion. Contently accepting the invitation to reap rewards without putting in any actual effort, Elora proceeded to sit in the sand and watch as the action unfolded. I've never seen anyone fight a monster as strong as this before!, she excitedly anticipated, One day, I'll be doing just the same. If I'm lucky, I might even be strong enough to handle it on my own. 

It seemed that things were developing somewhat slowly, so Elora directed her attention to building a sand castle instead. The only problem was, there wasn't really any water around to use for adhesion. Actually...! She opened her inventory and found one of the cactuses she had harvested. This might work. Slicing it open, she mixed some of its sap with the sediment until it formed a small batch of malleable material. I feel like a child making mud pies while the adults handle the real work. 

@NIGHT

"Oh, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that", Elora responded to Kiluia with a mischievous grin. He probably wouldn't be able to notice the expression due to the rapid depletion of light. By the time they had reached the cavern's floor, Elora could finally sense the sounds that had been causing Asmura to panic. Had her hearing really gotten that bad? Damn, I'm getting old. 

SCREEEEE 

A secondary, much louder screech pierced the air, resonating sharply across the stacks of stones surrounding them. 

"I take it that isn't the little girl...", stated Elora with a shutter. Jesus, I don't want to go any further into these tunnels. "I know!", she exclaimed, planting a fisted hand into her other, open palm, "Why don't -- we just use -- Asmura as bait? That'll bring the monsters right to us instead of delivering all of our heads on a silver platter to them?" She waited for confirmation as to whether or not this would be a popular opinion, since she wasn't really able to glean responses from body language in this environment. 

Elora's oar caught some resistance as she rowed, causing her to pause and inspect it. She pulled it out from the water along with an extensive trail of mangled seaweed that had spun itself into an intricate knot around the paddle. Gold stars were tangled within the heap like the clams and snails that could typically be found suctioned to the underwater vegetation. Elora began the meticulous task of unwinding and freeing each item from its clutches. Momentarily, she lifted her sights just in time to see Vigilon hauling himself into Dazia's boat. She couldn't help but laugh beneath her breath. "You know, I would have waited if I knew that you weren't able to get one", she called out to him, "Was it a refreshing swim at least?"

The water droplets that landed on her told her it was probably more like a freezing swim. He was probably going to be shivering the rest of the night unless they got to a fire somewhere. Thinking this prompted a question to pass through her mind, Does the game automatically dry you off after awhile? I wonder if you could just change outfits in the menu so you wouldn't be wet anymore.

Elora's face was burning from embarrassment, the blush now extended to the bases of her ears. She hadn't expected to encounter anyone at this event. This was just supposed to be a safe way for her to explore another floor. "H-hi, I -- uh, yeah, sure" Did that even answer anything he asked? Elora nervously regarded the other women. It was difficult for her to feel confident in this sort of encounter with how out-of-place she felt. Meeting new people in social settings was usually second-nature for her, but for some reason, she had always had trouble with making female friends. 

Fireworks began to erupt and crackle in the night starry sky. All of the lights, noises, motions, and memories culminated into a daze. She felt so disoriented and unsure of what to say or do next, so instead, she just began walking. Wherever it was they would be heading, she would absently follow behind. As they meandered, she couldn't help but glance over to study Freyd's accessories, particularly his mask. How had I been able to recognize him underneath that? I guess his hair and eyes MIGHT have given it away. Or maybe, it was the awkward prolonged stare they had exchanged as both of them had tried to decode the other's appearance. Yeah, that was probably it.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows @Haine @Kiluia Seiko @Vie

Well, this is awkward, thought Elora as walked not far behind Kiluia, Isn't this how people talk when it's their first day on a new job? Oh well, guess it's just something I'll have to get over with. "I haven't exactly done anything pertaining to the guild yet, or really met anyone who's a part of either. Well, aside from Kil and Freyd I guess, but I don't think they were members back then", she glanced at Kiluia in case he wanted to confirm or deny the detail. She lifted her arms behind her head, clasping her hands to secure them in a leisurely posture "I guess I'm looking forward to having some advantages when it comes to advancing my Alchemic skills. I haven't made much progress on them yet. Haven't really felt like there's been a need to."

It wasn't long before the quad squad reached their destination, a cavern with slopes that stretched like staircases descending into darkness. "Well that looks f*cking terrifying", remarked Elora, "Why the hell would a little kid run into THAT to feel safe?" She began to carefully situate the soles of her shoes so that she could sort of slide across the surfaces of the damp and mossy stones. It probably wasn't much safer than picking up her feet and committing to taking single steps.

So this is Freyd's shop, eh? Looks a bit...run down. The decor seemed a bit out-of-place for his personality. Then again, she didn't really know what she'd been expecting. Something more, plain, maybe? Elora made her way into the establishment and began to look for her friend. He didn't seem to be around. In the meantime, I guess I'll just take a look around. She began to prod at some of the crafted knickknack on the shelves, accidentally knocking a few over and haphazardly having to catch them. "Huh? What's this?", a specific item gleamed, catching her attention. She interacted with it, prompting a description to appear:

Spyglass – (@ 880 col)
Item Type: Consumable [3 Charges]
Effect: Use to reduce the number of posts required to search for a dungeon or familiar by 5 posts. Effect lasts for one thread. Item is destroyed once all charges have been used.

"Thaaat, could be useful" She lifted up the item to hold it, But, where do I go to pay for it?

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

"Uhh...alright...", agreed Elora as she eyed the establishment's grandiose exterior. Geez, this looks pretty legit. She felt small in comparison to its stoney structure and stoic stature. By the time she had worked up the courage to turn around, Freyd was already on his way to, well, wherever he was headed next. 

"B-but...I'm a newbie...", she found herself pleading beneath her breath as he disappeared among the forest's vegetation. Elora groaned nervously as she encroached on the entrance of the Guild. She wasn't good at introductions, so her hope in Freyd being a reputable connection was all that she had to carry her onward. Slowly lifting a large circular knocker on the main gate, Elora waited a handful of seconds before attempting to pull on the door. Dammit, it must be locked, and no one is even coming to let me in!

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to leave for now and try again later. Her uneasy feet carried her off a ways before stopping, then once again bringing her back to confront the barrier. No, no, no -- I have to figure out some way to get in there! M-maybe this is some sort of test of aptitude? Yeah, actually, I bet it is! They're trying to find out whether or not I have the wits to figure out how to get in there. Man, I gotta think of something creative....I could climb the walls with some sort of rope? Or -- I know -- if there's a tall enough tree...then I could..."NNNGG!", she groaned loudly before frustratedly kicking in the door. It slowly creaked open, without offering any resistance.

"O-oh..."

She slid through the opening and prepared to announce herself, "HELLO, EVERYONE! I'M ELORA!" 

Elora continued to row further out into the lake. The scenery was so peaceful. She enjoyed moments of solitude like this, at least every once in awhile. Whenever she spent too much time alone, she would spiral into an existential crisis. Oftentimes, the depressive episodes would be self-perpetuated by her worries of not spending enough time making progress on reaching important objectives. Ironically, this sometimes discouraged her to a point where she was debilitated from undertaking quests, leaving her room, or even getting out of bed. 

Yes, moments like these occasionally assisted Elora from repeating this harmful behavior. When she felt that there were things in the outside world worth experiencing, it gave her a greater cause to ignore her internalized thoughts in an effort to focus on moving forward.

Streams of bubbles billowed from beneath the water's surface, carrying stars with them from the rocky depths below. Elora continued to gather them, now considering the observation that she had made, Could there be volcanic vents at the bottom of the lakebed? She noted that the body of water did hold a circular shape, at least in relation to the coniferous trees that encompassed it. Huh...I wonder if that means this lake was formed from a crater. That's a bit concerning that it doesn't seem to be dormant. Oh well, I can't imagine that the game would generate a volcanic eruption to kill any of its players. That would kind of break its mechanics. 

"Haha", chuckled Elora as she sniffed and wiped away her tears with the inside of her glove's cufflet. Her arms were cut up with a few, now smaller, serrations from the wolves' claws and teeth. Her bad arm, on the other hand, was blotched with bruises that were simulated to surround at least a dozen dime-sized puncture marks from the Venom Snapper's teeth. "You always somehow get covered in dirt or -- pfff -- molasses when you're fighting" She also fondly recalled how both of them had gotten completed soaked with water before they'd even begun to fight the large fish from the previous mission.

"I think it's starting to feel a bit better", she assured Freyd. As her larger injury began to heal, she fashioned her spear into a sort of crutch to help her off of the ground. After some residual unsteadiness, she managed to get on her own two feet again. "Is it always gonna hurt this bad?", she inquired naively, unaware of the much deadlier monsters that she would one day need to face, perhaps even alone. Considering how afraid she had looked during battle, she now wore a broad grin, one that was certainly in response to Freyd's affirmation of her success. 

"I've been on Floor 22 before, remember?" A slight blush crept across her face as she recalled how both of them had been dressed during their encounter there. "Actuallyyy, don't worry about that"

Elora turned to begin heading back in the direction that they had came. "The Cathedral of the Forgotten, huh? That's got a bit of a ring to it. That and Angel's Point are both...what would you call it...kind of dramatic names. It still sounds like a cult.

Elora looked up at Freyd with watery eyes and pale knuckles, which continued to clench the end of her spear. A handful of seconds passed after Freyd had killed the monsters before she finally realized the battle was over. With hands trembling, she released the weapon, causing it to clatter against her knees before rolling off a short ways. She wanted to bury her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment, just like before, but she knew that that wasn't what Freyd expected of her. "D-did I do o-okay?", she struggled to ask through rattling teeth. I probably look like such a coward, she couldn't help herself from thinking. No matter what she did, or how much she tried to convince herself, the reminders of her failures never went away. They resonated within her like a lesson she was force-fed for years, until one day, they finally became thoughts of her own.

Elora nodded to the girl in affirmation of the introduction and in acknowledgement of her welcoming wave. She wasn't entirely sure how to make small talk with new people, especially ones that were so young. Should I talk about toys or something?, she thought, taking a moment to regard to player as she floundered around nervously. That might only make things more awkward for her. Maybe I should draw everyone's attention to the quest instead. "Ah-hem", Elora raised a gloved fist to her mouth as she cleared her throat and formally accepted the objective, "Looks like the four of us will need to go to..." She squinted her eyes to make out the details of the map that were surrounding a small blinking cursor, "Uh...somewhere nearby...in a chain of mountains, maybe?" 

Turning her head to regard a formation that encompassed the town, she sighed, "This is gonna be one hell of a hike"

@Vie