Nari-Lanreth

Things had become more lively as of late for Nari, and she found herself once more diving into the rush of experiences as she focused on making headway once more. Even as she'd awoken to the morning light - Mio screaming into the void of sunlight for the food that the small kitsune constantly wanted as soon as Nari was awake and alert enough to hear the yowling - she had risen and completed her morning routine. She knew that much of it was wasted - things like toiletries were unnecessary in this world, but she found that the actual process of following through with them somehow made things mor

The smell was the first thing to hit Nari as she stepped off the platform and onto the floor proper. Lazaro had never been a favourite place for Nari, but as she stepped into the marshland itself, she was reminded of the unappealing wave of scents that came with such a land. Her nose had wrinkled in response, and Nari found herself covering her face with her hand, glancing down to notice that even Mio had begun to show signs of disgust in response. She waved her other hand, motioning for the two to move outwards and away, hoping that they'd either grow used to the smell that surrounded them, o

The soft sigh escaped even before Nari had opened her eyes. She could feel the sunlight beating down on her, filtering in through the window and reminding her that daylight had arrived once more. She wanted nothing more than to remain in the bed and laze the day away, but the consistent yapping that occurred every few moments from Mio, alongside the fact that Onora had risen and left some time ago had both driven her to a wakefulness that was unrelenting. She wasn't entirely sure how long she'd laid there, trying to fall asleep again without any success, but she knew that eventually she'd have

Nari was pleased to note that the player's intellectual awareness of the situation was at least realistic. They were very clearly fresh to the experience - something that she put aside for later review - but they were also aware of their limitations and capabilities. She nodded as the player spoke, feeling slightly more relaxed as they explained their lack of desire to face any dangers. Questions turned towards recommendations, and Nari found herself speaking almost immediately, old memories coming to mind even as she listed off the various information that she'd learnt throughout her time in

The walk had been pleasant enough, giving her time to stretch her legs and talk aloud with Mio without the constant questioning looks of those around her, or the consistent laughter that came from Onora whenever she did it in the blonde's presence. Her pleasant walk was, eventually, interrupted by a voice calling out from behind her, however. Nari turned reflexively, her hand shifting slightly as she reacted, pausing only once she heard the words of the other player. She listened, calmly, to his explanation and purpose, noting that he was headed in the same direction and for the exact same que

NIGHT's final straight had slashed through both spawn and vampiress in a movement of ease, leaving the field open for Nari's engagement with the remaining spawn. She crossed the area calmly, letting the scythe tail behind in a casual manner, before bringing it up in a wide arc that ended with a guarded stance in front of her own form. She focused on simplicity, rather than elegancy with the strike, deciding to place reservation on her attacks - seeing as they'd been less than successful thus far. "More. I...have you ever read twilight? I have a...history with it. It's, well, it's impacte

Nari's eyes widened at the voice, suddenly recognising the form and having the memory of the other individual snap into place. She found herself flushing deeply in response, and a few mumbled words slipped out - lost in the continued voice of the other's questioning. She felt her embarrassment slip away, however, as Freyd asked about the Lanreth portion of her name. Without meaning to, she found herself bursting into laughter, caught off guard by the question itself, and the importance he seemed to place upon it. "A you thing? Pfft, no I can assure you it's not a you thing...I made the wh

It had been a long time since Nari had entered the confines and streets of the Town of Beginning, but as she stepped off the teleporter pad she couldn't help but wonder at the immense size of the cityscape that lay before her. A small tickle of surprise, one that she had felt long ago, when she'd first entered the world of Sword Art Online, reached into her heart and mind, and she found herself marvelling at it all once again. The spell broke quickly, however, as she spotted the towering pillar that signified the area where they had been told their fates. Bitter memories washed over those of a

Nari blinked a few times as a figure collapsed at her feet after what she could only describe as a wondrous leapt, tumble and tackle into what appeared to be a shimmering form of a cat, which had somehow become entwined with the very essence of a galaxy. Uncertain of what to make of the entire scene - for it was a scene, no less, having pulled the attention of a large number of nearby NPCs and players - she was caught entirely off guard as the Elfen messenger sighed and invited the figure at her feet to attend the meeting with the queen as well. "Really? Does the queen just invite anyon

Not for the first time, Nari realised just how much of Aincrad she hadn't explored in depth. Her eyes flitted over the wonders to be found within the large city - if it could be called that - of Ellesmera. The settlement had been crafted around waterfall and valley, and appeared to be the spitting imagery of what Nari had come to learn of the Elfen culture within Sword Art Online. She could see lines in buildings that bespoke of excellent craftsmanship; areas that were refined beyond imagination or expectation. The entire view was, in a word, breathtaking. "It does seem a little pompous

She wasn't sure how long she'd remained within the throne room, staring at the throne and wondering at everything that had occurred. She'd let her mind run wild, thinking back to everything that had happened - both amazing and horrible - since she'd entered Aincrad, the world of Sword Art Online. She considered all the horrors she'd seen, the wondrous moments regardless of those horrors, and everything that had brought her to this very moment. She couldn't help but wonder if there was some purpose to all of this, some final moment that would reveal it had all been for something. She doubted th

As the blade pulled from the figure's torso - a shift of frost covering tip and wound - Nari heard the squeal of pain and regret that seemed to emanate from within the hood. A scowl crossed her face, and she raised her spear to deliver the final blow, frustration at the figure's desire to remain alive infuriating her more than it should've. She found the tip of the spear quivering just before her face, pulled back and ready to release - and yet she paused as hands appeared, open palmed and clearly requesting respite. The small sliver of voice followed, filled with pain and fear. "Wait! Wa

The blade in the broker's hand had found an opening in Nari's defences, causing it to drop slightly again before it began to recover. She'd taken advantage of the momentary closeness in order to drive the spear in towards the figure's form, slamming it as hard as she could in order to stun the man. She had no doubts that she'd torn through anything that could be considered armour on his form as the blade had penetrated and the wind was knocked from him. Even as she had responded to the violence that the man had brought forth, Nari couldn't help but wonder why. Why would Cardinal force hi

Her return strike had been wide, passing through open air even as the blade had been pulled backwards from her side. She'd hoped to at least catch the combatant with the shield as she swung around, but instead she'd found herself facing a familiar figure, now several steps away from her. Beneath the hood she could see the slightest edge of a smile, a playful expression that seemed to speak monuments towards what it would do to her given enough time. Nari couldn't help but snort in frustration, realising what she had walked into belatedly. "You chose unwisely." Her words were simple, whis

Hirru had settled, truly moreso now that he had relaxed enough to focus on relaxing, and Nari nodded along as he explained the necessity to wait. It came as a surprise to her that the most obvious answer had avoided her - there would be a reset time, but she'd never considered how long it would take for the creature to return. Before she could really focus on the fact that they would be limited for a bit, however, Hirru had continued the conversation into a new direction. "A dungeon later would be nice. If for no reason other than to...well, to have something to do, if that makes sense?"

No sooner had the giant's form begun to move towards Nari, than it simple shattered into the blue shards that signified it's demise. Confusion sweeping across her for a few seconds, Nari slowly realised that her own skills had brought about the demise of the giant knight. She shook her head, slowly letting her guard down once she was sure that it was gone. Her eyes peered around the hall, taking in the entire environment with a surprised feeling due to the ease with which she'd dealt the final blow to the guardian. "That seemed far too easy..." She mused aloud even as she settled onto th

The greatsword had slammed down beside her as Nari's strike slipped through the minimal cracks in the plate armour that her opponent wore. She could feel the air brush by as the blade had come downwards, wincing slightly as she expected the impact to tear into her - surprising her when it had in fact landed into the ground just to her right, barely a few centimetres from her arm. She'd been quick to disengage, moving backwards and settling into her defensive position before the sword could leave the ground once more, sidestepping even as the giant knight had begun to turn his sight to her agai

Even through it's anger and aggression, the giant knight seemed to realise that it was doing nothing more than tiring itself out, and Nari watched as it growled with rage at it's inability to catch her more nimble form. She was far from the faster, most mobile player that she had ever seen - her dance slower, less dexterious than that of NIGHT's, Jomei's, or any of the other lightly armoured and fleeting players' that she had come across in her time in Aincrad. It was, however, fast enough to stay beyond the reach of the greatsword that was slow, cumbersome and unwieldy even in the large knigh

The spear's tip had barely pierced through the armour of the giant figure, but barely had been enough. The statue figure seemed to quiver on the air before Nari, and she quickly disengaged herself, backing up to give space and coming to the left side of the giant's form. Her eyes watched it warily, noting the signs of the stun effect wearing off on it's body as it slowly came back into motion. Almost all at once it leapt forwards, the initial movement of it's strike coming to fruitition as it completed a motion that had been halted halfway through it's momentum. She was content to stand

Nari's head pulled backwards as the greatsword came high and heavy towards her face, forcing her to bend in an awkward manner and allow the weapon to pass by without touching her. She could feel the air from the blade whisping past, causing a ruffling in her hair even as she ducked beneath it. Her own spear had dropped due to her movement, and as the two passed one another, Nari couldn't help but sigh a soft breath of relief. Neither had landed a strike, but neither had been injured - something that she could hold out comfort in knowing. "Could be worse...at least I'm alive, and well."

The large gates gave way to a central chamber, and area that appeared somehow both impressive and massive, and yet less imposing than the gates themselves. Large columns lined the sides, piles of treasure and valuables lined between them in a strewd manner. Nari's eyes barely glanced over the areas, uninterested in the immaterial pieces that were of no consequence to her current goals. Her eyes shifted to the centre of the room, where the large throne sat, filled with an armoured figure that towered above the size of the knights that had stood outside, the greatsword in it's hands drawn and re

Even as her speartip touched flesh, Nari knew that her attack had been successful in it's moment of surprise. The guard reared back, pulling his shield in, in what could only be an attempt to block the close-ranged assault against his form. It was far too late, however, and Nari passed by and around even as the guard froze in place, the weapon pulled up to retaliate and the shield hovering before it, both effectively immobile so long as the stunned effect held place. There was a single tinge of pity in Nari's chest as she stepped back into the guard's range, lashing out with her spear and thru

Her approach went unnoticed, or ignored, for longer than Nari would've considered probable. She was only a few dozen steps away when the guard finally seemed to shift with life, stepping to the side slightly in order to be directly in front of her, before calling out his command. She could see the two others behind it shift slightly, as if waking from some deep sleep that had overcome them, letting them rest until such time as their need for liveliness arrived once more. "Halt! You may not pass this area without permission, and you have not the permission required to enter!" Nari wondere

The Iron Gates were similar to what had been described to Nari, and she found herself almost awed by them. Large, standing well above her height and towering immensely in the otherwise low sitting tunnel, they seemed to emanate a presence of imposing nature to everything around them, as if they not only stood above all things physically. At the fore of the gates, standing before any who would dare to attempt to pass through them, was a collection of heavily armoured individuals that were clearly designed to be the guards of the gate. She'd come to a stop a distance from them, just far enough

The tunnels seemed to flow, never-ending, towards a singular point. A point which she knew she was heading directly towards, and yet somehow felt as if she were making no progress towards it at all. The tapping from Mio's footsteps seemed to echo nearly as loudly as Nari's own harsh footfalls, and she was reminded again how discomforting the area was for the both of them. Cooler than the surface, without question, and yet still overpoweringly warm considering the coverings the two of them wore. "Our next trip will be somewhere nicer. Cooler. I promise." Her voice was soft, and yet still