Freyd

Kicking nonchalantly off to the side before returning to his crouch, Freyd looked like he'd missed his target completely.  The blistering elemental glowered at him in its full blazing fury, burning most brightly even as its flame threatened to burst, flicker and die.  Looming large over the Whisper, it made ready to lunge and engulf him completely when a growing darkness loomed over it in turn.  Grinning giddily, even as he stood irreverently from his combat stance, Freyd extended a single, spider-like index finger up towards the heavens. 

"What goes up," he said, tilting his head and wondering whether the mob knew what he meant.

The lid.  Freyd had kicked the largest fragment of the shattered box lid that originally contained the creature and sent it flying high into the air.  Realization seemed to dawn in the burning coals that served as the beasts eyes, swelling in size too late to prevent its fate from playing out.

*CRASH*

Already teetering on the brink of being extinguished, the large stone fragment sufficiently smothered the elemental's remains to shatter what little integrity remained to its form.  A quick puff and jet of flame and the thing went out with little more than a mute 'Eep' as it vanished into nothingness.

"Seriously," Freyd asked, stretching and scratching lazily at his chin.  "I was kinda expecting more, after the way those yahoos were droning on.  We should probably leave this to the next tier players in the area and move on to the raid.  People will be waiting."

***

Loot Greater Fire Elemental: ID #219600 | LD: 3+9=12 | CD: 12
+2 materials (+2 LD odd)
24500 col (HP[3500]*7 - incl. +2 CD even, +2 from roll)
T4 Rare Armor/Shield 219600

It was heartwarming to hear that Nari had found a renewed sense of companionship.  Given the traumatic events she alluded to from hear earliest days in the game, and prior, it was precisely what others would likely say she needed.  Freyd wasn't good with the whole 'emotion' thing, though he'd learned quite a bit from his own burgeoning relationship.  "Ah. I think I understand," he lied, mostly. "Please don't think I was judging. Call it curiosity and a lack of understanding on my part.  Relationships are new to me.  There's still a lot that I don't understand, though that is slowly and painfully changing."  Laughing at his own expense, he was about to turn to more conversations about their old communal stomping grounds, relatively speaking, when they were challenged by several treants surrounding them with less than friendly mien.

Nari's sudden outburst at the aggressive manner of their hosts was a bit stark, in contrast to the tone of their discussion a moment before, yet Freyd had also noticed a pattern.  She was swift to shift and escalate.  He'd witnessed it several times now.  Eying her to gauge how she handled the situation, he practically ignored the other party.  'She was the same way with the Haelia,' he reminded himself.  It was as if she were tempting - no, daring - fate to put her where she believed she should be.  Nari was more on the brink than most realized, possibly including herself.  He'd been there himself, his mind fracturing under the strain.  

Before Freyd could interject, another arbor wandered over to their midst, several of its still-healing injuries looking suspiciously familiar.

"Youmans... spared... me. Deez youmans... friends... to... treants."

"You?!" Freyd burst out into massive guffaws.   "How did you get back here so fast?  I've seen snails race faster than you guys.  Can I call you Sbruce?  You strike me as a Sbruce."  The treant slowly raised its hand as if to object, but Freyd had already barreled on.  "Look, pal, really glad to see you made it back in... mostly one piece.  We're here to see Ned and talk about how to put and end - or bury the h...hatred between you and the elves."  It was close, but he managed to steer clear of a potentially fatal metaphor that could have completely ruined the moment.

"Is Ned around?  Are YOU Ned?!  Sbruce?!  Why didn't you tell us you were Ned!  That could have seriously saved us all a considerable amount of trouble."

The other treants were too stunned by Freyd's ramblings to interject, his rapid-fire screed leaving them all in lost in the pacing of an entirely one-sided conversation.  From her vantage, Nari could clearly tell that he was doing it entirely with purpose, hoping to badger them into a solution before they could catch up and realize what was actually happening.  Unfortunately, Ned wouldn't have it, driving a death knell straight into the heart of the Whisper's plans with two curt, though jovially delivered words.

"Shut... up."

"They're everywhere, all around us - even here in safe zones.  The trick is to know where and when to look."  Freyd seemed mildly amused by Wulfrin's interest, recalling his own initial ambitions in the days and weeks following his own departure from the Town of Beginnings.  

"More often than not, you can find maps leading to them on random mobs as loot.  They're rare, mind you, but definitely findable.  Many are also far from obvious.  I've had them open up right under my feet, suck me into spiraling anomalies, appear as ruins inconsistent with their surroundings, etc.  There really is no limit to them.  And they are generally worth doing, though I highly recommend bringing a party of capable adventurers along with you.  They can be very unforgiving."  Feeling that he'd whetted the man's appetite enough for one day, Freyd left it at that and parted the clinking curtain.  Wulfrin noticed his appearance shift as he did so.  By the time he reached the other side, Freyd stood as one of Abdullah's fallen goons, right down to the pierced ears, second hand sweat-stained wifebeater and excessively bedazzled vest.  The suddenness and accuracy of the change was staggering.

"S'done, boss," he replied, perfectly matching the dullard's awkward speech right down to the whistling of breath through his missing teeth.  "Twerps got what they deserved fo' sassin' ya.  Boyz an' I took cares of it."

Mad cackling laughter could be heard from inside, followed by an expletive-laden tirade over the perceived slights and injustices the poor, maligned mob had been forced to endure, not to mention the appalling fashion slights inflicted by their very presence within the aura of his magnificence.  Yeah.  It was laid on rather thick.  Freyd escaped back through the curtain during the shrill diatribe, certain that Abdullah had already ceased paying attention to anyone but himself.  His briefly donned disguise faded just as quickly as it melded into place as Freyd turned and walked back the archway in the centre of Fortaleza's main plaza.

"I can't wait to see his face when I show up to do this quest again," he grinned, his smile spanning from one edge of his cowl to the other.

"NIGHT," Freyd echoed flatly, feigning mild surprise over confirmation of earlier suspicions.  He'd been wondering what she had been playing at for some time.  "She helped me out a lot when I was starting out, mostly by accident.  We've worked together a few times since, but I can't really say that I know much about her at all."  That the swordswoman had remained on his radar this long without more data coming his way was telling.  He already knew that she was highly competent.  That was never in question.  It was her motives and goals about which he was curious.  "The other you mentioned is unfamiliar to me.  Are you close, if I may ask, or merely rooming together?"  No judgment belied his query.  Freyd really couldn't care less about people's preferences, especially in here.  

"Japanese-Canadi... You're the second other person I've met in the past week with similar connections.  I grew up in Vancouver - well, Burnaby, technically, but what-da-ya-know, eh?  Nice'ta meetcha, hoser!"  Snorting at his own  slip into absurd stereotype, it took him a moment to blink and shake off his surprise.  "Whereabouts from?  My parents were both Japanese, and we moved back to Osaka long before any of this nonsense happened, but still... I miss the Rockies."  It wasn't something he'd admitted to himself before, let alone anyone else.  "I can manage in both languages without an accent, or so I've been told, but who knows how that translates through the system.  Small world."

Giant treants lines the outskirts of the groves, serving as residents and guardians all at once.  Trees of every imaginable species could be found here, coniferous and deciduous alike.  Some looked barely tall enough to walk on their own, where others were so laden by their canopies that they could hardly stand.  Nearly all bore marks of flame somewhere upon their bodies - a testament to the toll of this enduring conflict.  

"Strange that there are no other players about.  I wonder whether the quest is instanced in some way."  

Several of the smaller treefolk gathered round, encircling them but implying no hostility.

"What do you want, fleshlings," asked one of them, its voice gruff and low, as it peered in close with the hollows of its eyes to assess them.  "This is no place for your kind."

"Show us your ears," called another, aggressively, imagining the worst.

"Can I stomp them?"  The third had a great charcoal scar running over its face, and ugly demeanor about him, looking like the type likely to hold a grudge against the entirety of fleshy kind.

"Speak," demanded the first once more.  "We've no time or patience for games or deceit.  If you prove troublesome in the least, Ash will get his wish."  It shook its boughs towards the one that looked about ready to fall over onto them and crush them with the greatest of glee.

"I've completed this quest over half a dozen times, and that was the first ever where he tried something like this."  Freyd seemed positively gleeful, a light kindling behind his eyes at the prospect that Abdullah's behavior had changed.  "Months of baiting was required, but he finally bit!"  Rubbing his chin reflexively with thumb and index finger, the Whisper was clearly deep in thought.  "Imagine what it could mean if we could actually alter the set behaviour of static NPCs.  It's a potentially total game-changer - literally."

Wandering back into the small dusty settlement, Freyd felt compelled to temper his companion's temperament, if just a tad. "Don't be too eager to go smash things in safe zones.  Even if the system allowed it, you'd probably earn yourself a temporary orange cursor, and things would spiral from there.  Every played an MMO when a hostile player from another faction walks into your team's capital?  Ever see every guard suddenly converge and whoop his ass to oblivion?  It's funny as hell, normally, until you see it here and realize that some fool or otherwise unfortunate soul just got themselves killed.  Even if you survived, odds are that all the extra strikes you'd earn scrambling out of town would make that icon permanent.  Nah, if you want to take on someone like Abdullah, you find out if he has a secret lair in a dungeon somewhere and go after him there."

A wicked grin flashed across Freyd's features at those words, while his eyes glared longingly through a certain beaded curtain.  Now was not the time, but perhaps a quest for some other later day?

"Would you mind telling me who the other two are?  You can rest assured that your privacy is safe.  It only tends to make life easier when you know who's avoiding the same tunes."  A sense of satisfaction warmed him, sensing that he'd read the situation correctly enough for a successful outcome.  What Freyd hadn't expected was her curtsey, a single eyebrow raising in surprise, yet falling again just as quickly.  

"If there were more of me in this world, I've have to chase them down and put them in the ground, again.  It's a long story," he added, with a pleasant smile and dismissive wave.  "I can fill you in another time." A short bow seemed appropriate in response to her formality.  Getting too grandiose would just make things awkward.

"You're very formal, aren't you?  Can I ask why?  Not that I mind it in the least, but... it's unusual and somewhat unfamiliar.  Actually," a certain realization dawned, "are you even Japanese?  I only ask because so many I've encountered in the game are not.  Which is strange when you consider SAO's supposedly limited initial distribution, but then so many other things we were told were also lies."

Nodding without hesitation, he needed no convincing to aim at keeping things hopeful.  Convincing others would be all the harder if they couldn't even convince themselves.  A hint of mischief and mirth crossed his features while him companion struggled with terminology.

"I'd just call it a grove, though the word seems slightly lacking in this context." Pointing ahead of them, he clearly meant the one laid out in gigantic and majestic splendor before them.  They had arrived at the Sacred Grove of Baobab.

"Nice moves," Freyd said, eager to see his companion starting to stretch his wings a bit.  It hadn't taken long at all.  Refocusing on their lone remaining foe, the Whisper thought he'd give it a go, just in case.

"Will you yield?"  There was little hope that the mob could actually do so, but a recent experience with treants up on floor eight had revealed that the system did occasionally allow for it.

"Yield?  To your punk asses?  Not happening."  Half the thug's leg was ready to collapse and crumble to dust, but still he chose defiance.  How much of that was Cardinal's influence.  It wasn't like mobs were truly given a choice, in most cases.  A shrugging Freyd swept and dodged low, feigning another knockdown.  The mob fell for it and overreached, only to find his target's fist at his chin, delivering a nasty uppercut that sent him two feet up into the air.  He never came down, or at least not in less than a thousand pieces.

"Regrettable."  By his tone, one might have believed that Freyd actually meant it.  "Hopefully that will be the last of those. Now, let's go tell Abdullah what happened to his men."

***

Loot Abdullah Maniac 3: ID #219425 | LD: 12+7=19 | CD: 2
2786 col (HP[398]*7 - incl. +4 CD/LD even)
T4 Perfect Consumable 219425a
T4 Rare Trinket 219425b

"Agreed," came the response between sighs and the sounds of quickly shifting cloth.  Freyd danced between his assailants with something akin to elegance as they clumsily charged and swung their weapons without guile or talent.  Abdullah really needed higher standards if he thought these goons were going to stand a chance, but then no one could be sure how long the mobster had been pressing Fortaleza under his thumb.  Part of him wondered whether these were the same men who offered the town what little protection it had from the denizens of the desert.  Depriving them of that might be a problem, but on that would have to wait.  The fools and their boss were hardly giving them a choice in the matter.  

A low sweep kick knocked all three enemies prone and sent them scrambling to regroup.  The one already injured by Wulfrin would never stand again.  

"Come on.  Let's finish this.  We have a quest to turn in."

***

Loot Abdullah Maniac 1: ID #219422 | LD: 2+7=9 | CD: 2
2786 col (HP[398]*7 - incl. +4 CD/LD even)
T4 Uncommon Consumable 219422

"Well," Freyd started, disappointed at seeing that the box had remained shut after its tipping, "that was anticlimactic."

Leaning against it while the Cinnabon Lords monologued, he was too busy imagining them growing long flowing mustaches that twirled to ever-growing levels of ridiculousness the longer they droned on.  

"Yeah, yeah, end of the world, supreme conspiracy, you lot are the chosen of whatever... blah, blah, blah.  Dude.  You really need to watch less Pokemon."  Suppressing a laugh while one of them struggled with the locking mechanism might have been the hardest part.  "You, uh... want some help with that?"  If nothing else, it had given him a glance at the shape and type of key they used to secure these things, which seemed like it might become pertinent at some point in the future.

Vig and Krysta seemed more willing to entertain their antics.  He, like Morningstar, just wondered where all of this was supposed to be going.  "I swear, they should have all climbed into a clown car for their getaway," he joked, watching the massive elemental emerge.  Freyd had to admit that he'd gotten a bit blasé about these types of 'ambushes' - using the term in its broadest and loosest possible sense.  Sure, the thing was massive and imposing, but if these yahoos had managed to haul it around for however long, how dangerous could it really be?

"Alright.  Fine, fine... let's do this the 'hard' way."

Punching fire felt a bit weird, but MMOs were like that.  During their brief and half-hearted exchange, Freyd couldn't help but wonder whether he could convince one of these things to open a tanning salon, the risk being a few char broiled players, if the beast didn't get its settings right.

***

"Uh... to be perfectly honest, it rarely actually goes that smoothly."  Scratching at the back of his cowl, Freyd was a little perplexed at the fact that the mob had already fallen.  "Unfortunately, I don't think we managed to get you the skill unlock, but we can always come back and try again once you're ready to smoke this thing on your own."  He patted Wulfrin's shoulder, jovially, proud to see that the man was coming along so quickly.

"Not too many decent fishing spots near Fortaleza."  The burning desert wind and overwhelmingly arid, barren landscape slapped Wulfrin in the face as they crested out of the pit, reminding him of where they were.  "As to Abdullah Fancy-pants, I wouldn't worry too much about..."

"Ahem."  Turning to look up the path, Freyd instantly recognized four of the same fop's goons blocking their way up the path.  "Boss don't like your lack of respect.  Boss don't like you.  So now we get to deal with you, just like the boss said."

Freyd's shoulders slumped.  He figured that the gang leader would try something stupid like this eventually.  "Come on guys.  Only four of you?  This is just insulting."  Even as he spoke, shadows lengthened beneath everyone's fee and rose to stand as silhouettes on their own, oppressively bearing down on the newly arrived mobs and drowning out all light and sound except for Freyd's voice.  Not everyone's version of howl involved a lot of yelling.

***

Donning his usual, maddening grin seemed to be the best retort to Katoka's jibes, not to mention the most effective way to bolster her spirits against any doubts or second guessing.  "Don't worry," he added.  "You're gonna have a halibut time."

Hands raised in defense and proclaiming innocence, he daren't mock or challenge Nari's claims.  Besides, he knew her to be among the most capable tanks currently serving in the front lines.  Making wise cracks about your tank's waistline was a great way to wonder why your hate values were suddenly awry in the middle of a boss fight.  Freyd was far too pragmatic for such risks... probably.

"You know, that was precisely what I thought when I originally set up shop in Angel's Point," he replied, regarding Morningstar's musings on speculative real estate in a plague market.  "As to renovating, isn't that why we're here?  Now, let's get to work."

Each of his companions moved to stand against their respective horseman, pairing off as had been recommended.  His advice and encouragement given, he'd done what he could.  The rest was in their individual, capable hands.

The hulking armored figure on the crispy mare with serious burning scalp issues was to be his.  He was the most twitchy of the bunch, as if Cardinal itself was struggling to manage the big boi's insurmountable rage issues.

"Hey, Bob!  Good to see you again.  Looks like you put on a little weight.  Might want to get off your high horse once in a while."  His grin spread a little wider, hoping that Nari had heard.  "Nice wheels, by the way.  I'm looking forward to test driving them after we do the thing.  Marquess of Queensbury rules, this time around?  Game on!"

***

Like a dervish whirling into being from a breeze, Freyd spun into action instantly.  Scouring their foes with a burst cloud of sand to cover his initial assault, he knew that he tactic could only be so effective.  These things lived in the stuff and their shells were too resilient to be affected for more than a moment.  But that was all they needed. Trusting that the mobs themselves could become their own worst enemies, he bashed their oversized and unwieldly claws against each other.  With a few well-placed kicks, he managed to turn their greatest strengths against them, piercing and shredding their crustaceous shells apart by manipulating their limbs into doing the players' work.

Clacking and snapping followed half a heartbeat behind him as he moved, but he managed to keep just ahead of them every step of the way.

"Don't worry about it!"  He called out, dancing around like an acrobatic maniac.  "But now would be a really good time to try it again!"

***

From the moment of Nari's backhanded endorsement of his worthiness as a leader, Freyd knew where the rest of the conversation was going.  Only people who'd suffered the most grievous of losses or injuries could see such necessities with selfless clarity.  Though some might debate it, the Whisper also knew when to keep his mouth shut.  He just listened.  It was clear that Nari needed to get this in the open, and that she trusted him enough after such a short time to lay bare the burden seething within her was both stark and striking.  

He offered no apologies.  They were not his to give and would have rung empty in her ears, likely drawing ire for the presumption.  He offered no pity.  She clearly felt that she was unworthy, and this wasn't his judgment to make - it was hers.  All he could offer, and all she might accept, was thanks.

"That cannot be an easy burden to share." Words measured and slow in pacing, the timbre of his speech carefully crafted to thread a perilously narrow path.  How apt that they were heading to peace negotiations.  Such skills might be needed again shortly.  "Thank you for the privilege and responsibility.  Please know that I intend to keep it to myself."

When she turned her gaze upon him, his eyes caught hers from their corners, and she could suddenly see why the elves had branded him as they had. She wasn't asking for guidance, advice or absolution, but declaring the substance and rationale of her continued existence.  It was tantamount to serving up your ravaged heart to an enemy and daring them eat it.  But, Freyd was no enemy.  He hoped any such doubts were settled now, explaining why she'd chosen this path.  They each knew where each other stood.  To stare directly at such an overt revelation could also only be insulting or taken as a challenge to its legitimacy by its adherent.  It was a deeply private thing.  He honored it by glancing only, acknowledging the gift while simultaneously respecting it.  Maybe all those samurai movies he'd watched as a kid had taught him something after all.

"Then you've chosen to meet your fate on your own terms. That is courage, Nari. Nothing could be more meaningful, and no more need be said about it, unless that is your wish."

"Wouldn't it be nice if it were impactful...if it were consistently changing?"

"Most of chose to leave that world behind in favour of this one.  What does that tell you?"

Freyd waits patiently while Nari digests and processes his comments.

"Each of us came to be here by different means and for different reasons.  You're not wrong in your assessment. So many of us were fundamentally broken before this prison ever snared us.  So what are we to do about it?  This fight isn't about freedom.  It's about proving our ability to overcome and endure, together.  Some will just fight for themselves.  It's their nature and immutable.  But others, even those who thought it impossible, will find something greater in this than themselves."  Freyd hesitated for a moment, turning his gaze back to the clearing where they'd just seen the buck watching over his family.  

"I used to subscribe to a ruthless pragmatism devoid of any emotional attachment.  Everything was calculated action optimized towards the same goal you just described.  I was good at it, too; frighteningly so.  My purpose was clear and nothing would stand in my way."  Even his voice gave way to a certain detached callousness as he spoke, a harshness spreading over his features.  "But then the strangest thing happened: I met another who was just the same, except that he had chosen a different path.  Where I had made existence all about my chosen singular purpose to defeat Cardinal and Kayaba, his was more noble by far.  He chose to give everyone back their choice, willing to give up everything about himself in order to do so."  Voice softening again, the man's pale features looked wistful and distant as he spoke.

"That's all any of us can every hope for: to choose our fates for ourselves.  That is what Kayaba truly stole from everyone, yet by doing so granted us the opportunity and perspective enough to see the value of what we had lost or taken for granted.  I made an oath to my friend, who was a tank and leader like yourself.  I swore that if he ever fell, I would take up his mantle and do everything in my power to keep hope alive in players' hearts.  Without that, this struggle is already lost."  Despite the airs of confidence and certainty Freyd portrayed about himself, even in the goofiest of moments, Nari could read sincerity and conviction laid bare before her.  

"I'm no leader or hero, Nari.  Heck, I'm not even really a tank.  Nor am I noble or altruistic.  I do whatever it takes to get the willing where they need to go and drag everyone along until they're ready to make their choice, because that's what I promised.  My goal is purely to give those who choose it that second chance, or however many it might take.  Whether I make it out of here is immaterial. You see, I'm also one of those without a life beyond these walls and don't expect to ever leave."  Through it all, Freyd spoke with calm and level certainty.  No hint of doubt or anger, nor hesitation.  Behind any other form of zealous fanaticism, that sort of devotion might have been terrifying.  When harnessed towards a greater good?  He hoped to find out.

"To your last point, it is not in Cardinal's nature to choose, or present others with that opportunity beyond the constraints of its programming.  It is a jailor and the cage itself.  Make no mistake; so long as it remains as it is, and under Kayaba's direct control, the system is our enemy."

It was a lot to absorb, especially for a casual walk in the woods, so they continued in silence for awhile.

"If I may ask," pensive humility obvious behind his query.  "What would you choose, if you could?  It sounds as if you already want to remain?  If so, why?"

What war are we heading to end, Nari-not-Lanreth?  The elves and treants, or your own?

"If you don't have anything more pressing than helping me solve a war, then you're welcome to come along."

Pursing his lips pensively, Freyd looked down at his wrist.  He wore no watch.

"Sadly, the best we are likely to manage is to pause it for awhile, but I'd argue that's still very much worth the effort.  My calendar is, fortunately, presently clear."  His eyes drifted once more to the youngsters manning the city gates as they passed, a subtle handwave raising their excited eyebrows and encouraging a swift activation of their ancient mechanisms.

Nari took the lead in their conversation as they traveled through the nearby woods the calls of songbird mingling with buzzing insects and scampering critters in the boughs and underbrush all around.  He seemed amused at being the subject of polite interrogation, instead of said inquisitor himself.  Freyd was usually the one pressing others for answers to his endless list of questions.  She's earned the right, after that bit of drama in court.  Queen Haelia had already given them their instructions.  All that remained was to find the Treants and end a decades-long conflict in an afternoon.  What would they possibly do with the rest of the day, Freyd wondered jokingly.

His eyebrows cocked at Nari's assessment of the Gemini quest.  "Hrm.  It was my understanding that everyone who faced their doppelganger came away with an unlocked game mechanic, or didn't walk away at all.  Like so much of the game's content, Cardinal is rather unforgiving on those sorts of choices.  The experience is also often very personal.  How many of us actually have the courage and wherewithal to face something that can read our truest inner selves?  Based on what you've hinted at, to date, I can't help but wonder at the details of your encounter."

Brushing his hands lightly against ferns and flowers marking the edges of the trail they followed, Freyd breathed in the fragrances of the woods as if reliving a childhood from a different life.  There was no effort to conceal his softening gaze and smile as her questions turned to his connection with the elves.

"Aincrad is strange in many ways.  Where quest content is repeatable, the conditions will invariably revert to their original conditions after a time, no matter how heroic the players' interventions.  Take Cleansing the Corruption, or the two branches of the very quest we are on.  We might just as easily be marching on Ellesmora tomorrow to slay their fiendish queen, side by side with our treant allies.  The game is replete with localized reset functions - everything returns to the status quo.  But, what about when no quest are involved?"  Pausing a moment in his answer, he let the question sink in.

"Have you ever noticed how some NPCs are static, doing little more than standing in place or wandering in an endless loop?  Others, meanwhile, are more interactive on a pre-programmed level.  The most interesting, however, are capable of some rudimentary artificial intelligence.  They can hold free-ranging conversations and think for themselves, as least within certain confines.  What prevents an NPC from evolving from one of those categories to the next?  Time?  They've had plenty, as have we, trapped within this cage.  And what comes next for those programs that reach the peak of that evolution?"  Another pregnant pause.

"I have built connections to the elves, and many other NPCs, where possible, because they are our future. Our numbers dwindle by the day.  Theirs do not.  At a pragmatic level, it just good strategy.  We need reinforcements.  They could be allies, if we can nurture and convince them to join us.  Even if I'm just being overly optimistic, would it not at least be prudent to cultivate relations that steer us away from ever growing conflict that we simply can't afford?"  Freyd's brow furrowed at the harshness of the thought.  "We don't have enough blood to pay that infinite price."  Arun's recent disastrous foray against the treants came to mind.

A buck and doe entered the small clearing before them, followed by a pair of fauns.  Freyd held out an open palm in front of Nari, signaling her to pause.  The parents paused and looked in their direction, strangely without fear, the buck dipping its head in odd semblance of acknowledgement, then urged their young back into the thicket.

"As to whispers and shadows," he smiled with a glance over at his companion, resuming their walk, "you'd need to be a tad more specific.  I haven't quite cornered either market, yet."  Sparing a moment for a snack, he offereda portion to Nari as well.

***

Freyd consumes:

Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (5/6) - takes 1 portion (filled)

Note: CS (Shades of the Gemini) is in use.  If any other player objects to this, please state in first post and it will be considered inactive.

Freyd | HP: 1160/1160 | EN: 154/154 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 45 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 7 (inc. AA) | BH: 63 | LD: 6 | BLGT: 32 | PARA IMMUNE | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40

Treant Spared:

A swift nod and pivot to reposition.  Wulfrin had reaffirmed his promise by finding guts enough to face this monster.  Freyd gladly resumed his guard as the beast shook off the daze from their previous assault.  A nod was all to be spared.  Freyd dare not take his eyes or attention from their foe, not even for an instant.  It's recover would be no less speedy.  Better to take it down while they had the opportunity, and not take any chances.  Triggering the skill by mental command, the void surround Freyd's hands faded, along with its keening, to be replaced by the more familiar purple miasma that had brought down Mama Boar.

Launching forward, he deftly dodged the bulette's counter, sliding low and beneath the mob - a risky move, but worthwhile as his hands gripped its hind leg and tripped it prone again.  Freyd knew he had to act fast or it would vanish beneath the sands.  Bracing his legs against the same rock wall where it had rebounded, he pushed off and caught the thing around its massive neck.  Every muscle in Freyd's body strained to its limit as he heaved with all his might.  Using his added momentum, he flipped the entire mob over his head and slammed into the ground between he and his companion.  A giant cloud of sand and dust rose to cover the battlefield, obscuring everything.  When it finally cleared, only a massive crater remained, the wisps of Terra Firma's digital remains disappearing into the sands.  Freyd was still kneeling and gulping air like a fish out of water, from the exertion.  His gamble had worked, barely.

"Well," he croaked, throat choked with sand.  "That wasn't so hard."

*cough* *cough* *HACK* *cough*

Laughing only made it worse.

***

"It isn't you," Freyd clarified, regarding custom skills.  "Those things have just brought out the worst in people since they were first introduced.  You wouldn't believe half the nonsense, not to mention outright murder, those things have caused."  Waving a hand dismissively at the topic, he clearly preferred to move on.  "Glad to hear you have a crystal, though.  That's survival gear 101.  Anything goes wrong here, you use it, and don't hesitate.  This thing won't give any quarter."  Assured that he'd made his point, Freyd guided them towards a small, poorly used side path down beside the crest of the ridge.  

"Nari's good people - I think.  We've only just gotten to know each other recently, after she tanked for another group in the floor boss raid that opened up floor 28." He left out the parts where the knightess seemed to carry a hefty share of personal baggage.  First, because it wasn't his place.  Second, because he hadn't yet figured out what it was.  "I know the quest line you refer to.  It's not an easy one, and the group size is limited."  Freyd paused, looking over his shoulder as if assessing.  "I'd wait a while longer.  You're still just one bad AoE hit away from a permanently bad day.  If we could get you to tier two, you might be okay - provided you had a strong tank in front of you.  Nari could do it, or myself."  The offer was left open.  The first couple of quests were not too bad, but he couldn't recall all of the details of every mob's roster of abilities in the instant.  A single misstep would be all it took for things to go drastically wrong.

"Here we are."

Looking down into the depression below them, roughly a hundred feet in diameter, it had the feel of an arena about it.  Stone walls surrounded it completely, with a dusty series of swales and drifts moving around in the centre, until you spotted the cresting fin of the mob below that was its true motivator.  Whispering something into his cowl, Wulfie saw the tiny black streak of shadow depart from Freyd's pant-leg, disappearing silently over the edge of the rock wall and into the pit. Taking a moment to stretch and limber up his shoulders - a completely unnecessary act - the man casually walked off over the edge.

Crashing into the basin below, the drum sand echoed his impact and instantly alerted his enemy to his presence.  Motion ceased as the dust ring from his landing point drifted back down to ground, and, for an instant, all was eerily still.  Freyd stood, dusting himself off before assuming a combat stance, looking all that stranger in that he carried no apparent weapon.  Only a pair of black on black hand wraps covered his fists, so dark that they sucked in all light and looked to be as voids in the fabric of reality.

It took only an instant for the bulette to pivot and streak towards him, its agile, armored hide cresting the sands and it hurdled in a straight line that gave credence to its title.   Wulfie swore that if he'd blinked, he would have missed its movement completely.  At the last moment, the entire creature leapt up from the sands, looking like a veritable great white with legs - nothing but a giant maw with endless razor-sharps rows of teeth whose entire purpose and existence was governed by an overwhelming need to feed.  Freyd still hadn't moved.  He didn't need to, but only because of the bond and trust he shared with his familiar.

Just as the sand shark was about to wrap its jaws around him, Persi burst forth from the sands on its flank and drove her tiny black form into the beasts softer underbelly, veering if off target just enough to pass Freyd on his left side.  As she did, he too spun like some sort of spoopy matador using himself as bait instead of a red cape.  A keening screech erupted from his hands as Samael's Pride released its seals.  Though it was hard to see at this distance, Wulfie swore he saw Freyd smile at the sound.  Loose dust and sand from all around him converged on Freyd's position like someone had just activated the world's biggest vacuum cleaner.  The hole over his hands suctioned even light itself as he wheeled and struck the passing mob with enough force to temporarily suspend the draw from his twin singularities.  

Terra Firma's underside exploded in a cloud of orange fractal motes and broken digital mesh as Freyd's hands seared through its body like a hot knife through butter, disintegrating its virtual flesh with his touch and instantly redirecting its trajectory perpendicular to its original course.  The bulette smashed against the far wall, hard, crumpling like a car and crash test dummy all in one, in what would otherwise have been considered a spectacularly failed test.

Without a word, Freyd held up a hand and signaled to Wulfie that he could enter the ring.  Everything had gone according to plan.

***

"Don't even go near the whole 'unique skill' debacle." Pinching the bridge of his nose at the thought of the anguish those damnable skills had caused, Freyd swore they had only ever been crafted to sow mistrust and breed envy among the player base.  The entire concept seemed fatally and deliberately flawed.  A quickly sent party invite helped him better assess Wulfrin's progress.  "You're doing great, especially in such a short time, but this mob can be downright lethal.  Your assessment is also correct: it would eat you alive while you could only gum at its tenders and still likely prove to be ineffective.  I prefer not to sugar-coat it, so no one gets any bad ideas," he added, seeing Wulfrin's face pale by the slightest shade.

"Give me a few swings at it to make sure that I've got its complete attention.  When I signal, you can lay into it to your heart's desire.  Even if you don't deal much damage, getting used to the movement patterns and tactics of these types of mobs is important.  And, you'll be facing their like on your own, soon enough."

Quickly surveying his companion's new gear with nodding approval, Freyd tugged and prodded a little as any good appraiser would.

"Good.  Practical.  Not like some of these ridiculous regalias some players kit themselves with that just get in their way.  Nothing scream 'noob' more than getting whomped because your tripped over your own frills and excess."

Gently scratching Persi behind the ears, she purred and trilled, pressing herself against his hand like a back scratcher.

"Come on, you," he added, chuckling.  "It's time to earn your breakfast."

Pointing towards the nearest gate, Freyd led them out of town and down a nearby hill towards a dust bowl in the distance.

"It lives in there, preying on anything foolish enough to draw near.  That'll be me.  Just hang back along the rocky ridge until I say otherwise.  It can't burrow through stone."

"Oh, apparently someone peeled Abdullah's grapes the wrong way, or something equally meaningless," Freyd replied, waving his hand dismissively towards the overdressed fop in the corner. The getup was a bit much, looking like a sultan, wrapped in heavily patterned silks studded with gemstones and precious metals. The mutual dislike between Wulfrin's friend and the NPC was palpable from the moment he'd parted the beads.

"Come to seek permission to hunt in my domain again, pleb?  Why should I grant you such an honour?"  A local peasant girl wearing threadbare rags held a tray out with offerings of wine, sweets and ice-cold water.  Each carafe, alone, was likely worth more than she'd make in her lifetime, to say nothing of their contents.  Freyd's eyes rolled with disdain.  

"Quest says that we need to talk.  We've talked.  Your permission is meaningless.  Have fun parading your alleged opulence within the confines of these four walls.  We both know you'd get ganked by your own people if you ever stepped out the door.  Ciao, asshole."

Freyd spun and left the room to the clatter of beaded curtains that twisted and interlocked against each other, possibly because he'd smeared them with a contact adhesive as he passed.  Cursing could be heard behind them as Abdullah's grand entrance became a tangled mess to his own gilded cage.  It seemed a fitting way to lock such an impetuous child in his own room as a time-out.

"Hey, Wulf," he added, his mood instantly and drastically instantly at the sight of his young protégé.  "First bit's taken care of.  You want nothing to do with that guy.  I don't even know why he's part of the quest at all.  Personally, I take great pleasure in tweaking his nose about it every chance I get.  Useless git."

"Fishing, right?  I swear, a fish will be the end of me someday."  Freyd groaned with an exaggerated aura of gloom about him, as if past experiences had taught him to expect the worst from such sources - ironic, given that Wulfrin had watched him sitting and fishing through most of his first lesson. 

"So, I can definitely help with one of those goals, but not necessarily the other.  Terra Firma's actually the easy one.  I have that all lined up and will give you a should when it's time to meet me in Fortaleza... err, Floor Five.  As to Freya's cooking, you might be out of luck.  I think she and Gaius decided to finally get hitched and they've been AFK for a bit.  You can probably expect signage to match on their shop doors.  Fortunately, I'm well stocked and like to share."  Freyd flipped him another honey bun, even as he headed for the portal.  "Finish it before walking through. Otherwise, the heat will melt the glaze, and then it just gets everywhere."  

With a flick of his wrist, the oddball they called the Whisper flipped his new companion a quick informal salute and vanished into the crowd, a disembodied voice calling back to Wulfrin from afar.

"And keep up the good work!"

***

Thread Closing:

Wulfrin receives:

784 EXP (Word Count [4415/10*1*0.7] + Quest [475])
900 col (1 page [400] + Quest [500])
Unlock <<The Third Lesson>> Quest. 
1x Boar Jerky | T1 Perfect Consumable | DMG II, MIT I
1x Tealeaf Armor | T1 Uncommon Armor of Choice | MIT I

Freyd receives:

4,939 EXP (Word Count [4415/10*16*0.7] + Quest [0])
740 col (15% P5 Reward [740])
 

"Hold up, you're an Elf?"

The resulting smile and laughter were more heartfelt than she would have expected.  Freyd found her reaction delightful.

"That...explains a lot, actually. Surprising, still...but explains a lot. I feel like you and I are going to have some very, very interesting conversations going forwards..."

Waiting until they were out of sight and earshot, he let his borrowed elfin traits recede to normal human length - as she had seen them at the gate earlier in the day.  The cowl returned to its customary resting place just as quickly to maintain the corresponding charade.

"I am an elf when I need to be an elf, and other things as circumstances dictate.  You've heard of the gemini, yes?  Many people spare theirs when it finds them, learning to hone their focus through its arts.  Mine and I did not get along so well.  Suffice it to say that I gleaned other lessons from it before it fell.  In some ways, I suppose, it wouldn't be far off to call myself some version of a changeling.  The elves call me Daedhrog - the Shadow Wolf.  It's a persona that let me get to know these people on a level most players don't even consider possible, or would never bother to invest enough effort into"

Strolling through the palace grounds and gardens, Freyd expressed his admiration for Nari's stand.  

"It was refreshing to see someone take such an impassioned view.  Too many of us just come here, take what we think this place and people have to offer, then move on.  It's a tale repeated nearly everywhere we've encountered in Aincrad thus far.  We're like locusts plaguing their world, and yet we need them - far more, in most ways, than they need us." Gesturing for her to take the lead, he followed politely a step behind.  He'd have to show Elora this look at some point in the future.  She'd probably get quite the kick out of it, what with her own default elfin appearance.

"You'd be surprised what mobs can know and remember.  Speaking of which, I believe we have a war we promised to end.  If you've decided that my mischief is worth tolerating, and worthy of further discussions, I look forward to hearing what you have to say along the way."

***

Vanity Tag: @Elora

Thread Closing:

Note: Treant was spared.

Nari receives:

7,699 EXP (Word Count [11,114/10*9*0.7] + Quest [700])
1,804 col (1 page [400] + Quest [250] + 15% P5 Reward [1154])
Unlocks <<Elvish Treaties>> Quest
1x Elven Fire (Consumable) Applies a T1 Burn Effect to a weapon for a single thread. This item has 3 charges and is destroyed on the third use. 

Freyd receives:

12,443 EXP (Word Count [11,114/10*16*0.7] + Quest [0])
1,866 col (1 page [0] + 15% P5 Reward [1866])
Unlocks <<Elvish Treaties>> Quest

Freyd stood behind Nari, looking relaxed with hands stuffed into his black hoodie-like top, legs spread wide for stabler stance.  He truthfully wouldn't know how to relax if he was required to do so, and was equally ready to spring into action, especially if Arun did something impulsively stupid.  Watching the plates of Nari's armor grind and shift against each other was like watching a coiled spring winding near the point where it would either be forced to release or break under its own stress.  Intensity was good, but this level and extent tended to carry some downsides.  Fortunately, the need never arose.

"What?"  

Freyd had to bite his lip to keep from snorting a little laugh, counting on the depths of his cowl to fulfill their duty and shelter his reaction.  Nari's boldness had played beautifully into the plan, and he was perfectly content to let the rest of things play out as they should.  His only remaining role was to eliminate the random elements that occasionally seek to ruin these moments.  Haelia seemed to have things better in hand, this time around - probably thanks to Nari making the Commander wet his slinky metal pants.  When his companion turned toward him, as if searching for guidance, he offered a simple affirmative nod.  Aside from things going as he'd already hoped, she'd proven principled and honorable - two rare traits in a chaotic work.  He had her back, and let her know it.

"I do not promise success, but I will speak with these Treants, to see if they will at least halt the conflict enough to begin peace talks between your two kind."  The queen seemed pleased, and Arun molified.  Despite his rash temperament, the lives lost earlier in the day were still fresh in his memories.  'Their families still hadn't been told,' Freyd surmised.  'That'll put a damper on the firebrand.'  Nari turned and extended a more formal offer than he'd expected.  The queen was turning to depart, but paused to witness the exchange.

"While I have little to offer, I would enjoy if you would join me in such peace talks. It would be...well, it would be interesting to continue some of our earlier conversation. I feel as if there's much to talk about...and much that you could enlighten me to, given some-"  Words faltered against something struggling within.  Haelia caught the queue and filled the void with the finer level of tact he'd come to expect from her.

"What say you, Daedhrog?  Will you assist a knight in need?"  She seemed pleased to present him with an opportunity he could ill afford to decline without losing face.  He saw the smirk barely concealed behind her practiced courtesan's mask.

"Of course, your majesty," Freyd replied, pulling back his cowl to reveal the same elongated ears as the rest of those gathered in the chamber, turning his focus solely upon Nari.  "It would be my pleasure."  Straightening his stance, legs suddenly tucked side by side, the Whisper dipped forward and offered her a formal bow, one worthy enough to have been given to the royal in the room, yet saved for her.  Haelia smiled and turned before her subjects could notice the unspoken exchange.  Having held his posture long enough for the Queen to depart, he rose again and made towards the exit.  "And I agree, that we have much of common interest left to talk about."

"The hardest part of starting out is accepting that you can't do it all yourself.  Some have, and succeeded.  Vastly more failed, some selling their lives to feed their egos.  It isn't worth it.  It's been my pleasure to help, and we'll go smash Terra Firma into avocado paste as soon as you feel you're ready.  Let me take the carry on that one, and then I suspect you'll be more than ready to stand on your own."  Freyd smiled appreciatively as Wulfrin bowed with respect.  As odd as it seemed, given his often irreverent attitude, Freyd deeply respected such gestures and returned in turn. 

"Come on, bud.  Let's go wrap up this business and get you going on the really fun stuff.  You've got reams of adventure laid out before you, ready to be explored.  And, if you ever need me, you know how to call.  I'm generally around... pretty much everywhere, actually." Freyd laughed, deliberately neglecting to explain.

"Go!" Freyd shouted as harshly as he dared, pushing Morningstar to run faster down the alley.  "I've got this and will meet up with you later."  Before he could protest, the player watched Freyd's features shift, his cowl melting into draping long hair and form changing proportions to matching those of the fairer sex.  Sally's broken form was still sinking into the cobblestones as the Whisper assumed her guise and stepped out into the open street to greet the guards.  When he spoke, he did so with her voice, matching her intonations perfectly.  Few truly appreciated the extent to which the man had studied the ways and means of the Gemini, dissecting their talents and refining them into his own custom art.  Though it was hard to tell amidst the flurry of cries, whistles and alarms, shadows engulfing the alley to cover his escape, Morningstar swore Freyd's green cursor also disappeared.

Whatever scene he caused, it was enough to draw everyone away from the centre of town and give his ally a clean line of escape.  The mysteries they'd uncovered would have to wait to unravel in a separate, later tale.

***

Thread Closing:

Dungeon Wave #1 (Flr 28) = 56 mats per player
Dungeon Wave #2 (700*2*20) = 28,000 col per player
Dungeon Wave #3 (2000*50) = 100,000 col / 2 players

Dungeon Drop | ID 219219 | LD 3 | Additional (2000*50 = 100,000) col and (28*2=56) mats per player

Morningstar receives:

7,883 EXP (Word Count [8058/10*5*0.7] + Quest [3000] + Dungeon [1350]+ 10% Advanced Training [716])
188,882 col (1 page [200] + Dungeon [178000] + Loot [9500] + 15% P5 Reward [1182])
118 Materials (Dungeon [112] + Loot [6])
1x Essence of Titanium
T4 Perfect Armorshield 219158a
T4 Perfect Weapon 219158b
T4 Perfect Weapon 219158c
T4 Perfect Armor/Shield 219216a
T4 Perfect Consumable 219216b
T4 Perfect Consumable 219216c

Freyd receives:

18,616 EXP (Word Count [8058/10*16*0.7] + Quest [0] + Dungeon [9600])
192,142 col (1 page [200] + Dungeon [178000] + Loot [11150] + 15% P5 Reward [2792])
114 Materials (Dungeon [112] + Loot [2])
1x Essence of Titanium
T4 Rare Consumable 218886a
T4 Rare Weapon 218886b
T4 Rare Consumable 219154a
T4 Rare Weapon 219154b

"Sounds like you might actually have learned a valuable lesson after all," Freyd mused aloud, chuckling to himself.  "Who knew these old quests could still do that?"  Pulling his hands out of his pockets, Wulfrin saw that they were wreathed in a blue-black cloud of vapours that roiled like dark plasma - almost like a halo orbiting his palms.  "This?  Heh.  This is one of several weapons that I carry, each tailored to different needs.  These happen to be called The Thing Behind All Lies.  They have a penchant for inflicting particularly punishing misery on any soul unfortunate enough to feel their touch, and that's without even adding the weight of a sword art behind the blow."  Slipping them back into the pocket-sheathes, Freyd swung the conversation in a different direction. 

"Don't be afraid to rely on more standard fare for the first little while.  Some weapon effects are tied to tier and will become obsolete quickly as you level up.  I can help hook you up with better and more customized gear once you hit tiers 3 and 4.  There's little point before that."  Accepting Wulfrin's friend request without hesitation, he also tossed him another honey bun while conjuring one for himself.  "My friend Freya makes these.  It took her awhile to get the recipe right, but she's definitely nailed it.  You don't want to know how many of these are packaged in stasis in my inventory," he added, laughing at his own strange addiction to the sweets.  In truth, they just reminded him of the things and people he cared about most.