Rencesvals

Quick thinking by Austerlitz kept the rest of them alive. The man was ever sharp. Agincourt had pulled Ren back by the collar to keep him from diving after the others. It was already too late. She saved his life that day. The sound of blood and rage thrummed in his ears remembering as pulsing adrenaline overrode his good sense. That and the sound of the rain. What began as a light drizzle had turned to virtual typhoon by the time the attack came. No wonder they hadn't spotted the threat. Their 'friends' had made sure that they'd be easy prey. The shrill cry of some distant bird o

That was where he'd met his peers. Ironic, given the handle he'd chosen. Each of them had been major history buffs, favouring foreign studies. In a total pique of nerd exhibition, they'd all vowed to take on the name of a famous battle, whether real or fictional. Arguing that some sort of theme or cohesion, Arakawa had convinced them all to randomly determine the country that would have to be connected to the name. France was selected, much to Kano's delight. She had long studied the language and quickly chose Verdun as her title. Everyone just called her Verdy. A smile came unbeckoned

Branches creaked and snapped overhead, placing him immediately on alert. By now, the roots of the surrounding trees above had begun growing together, weaving an awning canopy that bridged the gap between both faces of the crevice. Light still shone through, but only because the sun remained high in the sky. It had to be close to noon by now, serving as a warning that he could find himself lost in the dark quite quickly if he lingered too long down here. More cart tracks, and this time a broken iron-shod wagon wheel discarded off to the side. "Maybe the ruts weren't made so much by fr

"These look like iron ore deposits. Could this be why anyone was down here?" The exposed rock face looked like it was bleeding, with rust-red streaks running down its face as the oxidized mineral was gradually being exposed and washed away. There were signs that some excavation had occurred, but only at a superficial level. Soft, moist earth had given way to bear grey rock as Ren climbed higher up the hill, though the ravine still concealed most of this location. Animals could be heard flitting about above, but ominously preferring to avoid this sheltered passage. "Out of sight and o

The ravine walls showed no evidence of a slide or collapse. No claw or finger marks marred the damp earthen surface to indicate he'd tried to climb his way out. The mystery man's footprints still lingered, notable in the muddy ground and ending where he fell. Parting the tall grasses that obscured it, Ren found traces of old cart wheel ruts as well, pulled by booted feet by the looks of them. "Strange. Why would anyone be carting anything down here?" Things didn't add up. On a whim, he pulled out the strange compass and held it aloft. The needle spun slowly back and forth, now, goi

It didn't take long to find their destination. Giovanna, who introduced herself after a bit of polite coaxing, claimed to be looking for her husband. Whatever backbone she still retained melted away when they crested a nearby ridge. Below, on the floor of a shallow ravine, was a body. The crevice wasn't particularly wide from their vantage, and easy to overlook. "Are you alright?" Ren asked, sympathetic to the quivering squeak that was all she managed in response. "I'll go down and take a look. There are no signs of battle. He may simply have fallen." The fact that a body remained

Wincing slightly, Ren realized that the pain was more instinct that reality. He'd expected it to hurt, but the game's suppression filters dulled most of the impact. Hesitantly, he lowered his hand to confirm that there was no cut, nor any blood. Of course there wasn't. Not here. Golden eyes softened as he looked again in her direction. She was shorter than him by at least a head, wearing green robes consistent with the locals throughout this level. Bright emerald eyes stared more lethally his way than the dagger still shaking in her grasp. The yellow icon spinning over her head reveale

Scouring the outskirts of the floor and map out all the best mining nodes had been the plan. It started off well enough with a thoroughly boring survey of the boulder fields and quarry face on the western outskirts of Tolbana. Life got a bit spicy when a raucous pack of wild boars with nasty dispositions showed up and he had to circle the long way around to avoid them. Having recently fought wolves alongside Illi and Enya was lesson enough that there might be another pack just around the corner and that they were all too squishy to be taking foolish liberties for the sake of a handful of sp

The scritch and scratch of quill to paper serving as harbinger, the man's shock of white hair peeked above the large bound tome he held firmly trapped between his left arm and black armored chestpiece. "Hmm? Sunlight? Here? Where have I wandered this time?" Golden eyes peered up to the spec of blue sky peering in on their present location among the otherwise thick foliage of the forest. "Is this supposed to be here? It doesn't seem like a very practical location." A glance upon his manual gave no indication, not that he'd yet had much time to annotate its barely sketched

Quick glancing and checks. No significant injuries. "Thank goodness for that." Words mumbled aloud to ease fears and tensions alike. "Nicely done, ladies. You both earned your stripes today. Sorry that I couldn't be more help." Pressing the plain-looking hilt and pommel of his battered blade to his forehead, Ren silently mouthed a few words that might have been prayers. "The sign of death? I ran in circles where latin was common, but I'm surprised to find it spoken so fluently by others. Where did you study it?" Illi's combat-speak had not gone unnoticed. "The scythe is

Dimos' words sounded hollow, yet also tinged with desperation spoke about how he needed them to be true. Had he also been betrayed? Listening to Enya's plea and argument reminded him of the debate he and the others had the night before agreeing to enter this blasted game. Friends and allies? What did they mean when they turned against each other? But going alone was also certain death. What remained? What path could be walked under such circumstances? A butler's grace. A fart in the wind. A price to be paid. "Heh. So that's the trick." The words were meant only for him, but esc

"Easy?" He stood, transfixed by the stupid spot of green at his feet that still refused to yield, struggling to grasp Dimos' meaning. Drawing his sword, he poked at it, gently like he'd seen Enya do. Somehow, that didn't seem to help. "Am I just missing something?" Scratching his albino mop didn't seem to glean any better ideas. Following Illi's approach was strangely tempting, though not truly his style. "Is it a matter of leverage?" Peering down revealed no latch of release. The damned this was just stuck, or painted on. "Maybe over there would be better. This one seems glitch

More baying and howls from the woodlot as another wave parted from the trees. "Seriously? How can there be more hunters than prey? That doesn't seem quite right." Gritting his teeth, Ren spun to dodge like some sort of doggy matador, but lacked the grace to actually pull it off. At least it gave him power enough to cleave the one that launched itself his way in twain, showering the field with a brief, albeit fading glow. Two more raced by, barking but uncertain as to which player to attack. The ladies were proving more troublesome than their would-be tank. "Yeah, yeah. I'm

Ren stared dumbly at the plant at his feet. No matter how hard he pulled, the damned thing just wouldn't budge. "Is this one not actually a spawn node or something? I've yanked at it seven ways from Sunday and it just won't budge!" Breathing heavily, he'd actually come within a hair of losing his grasp and flipping a full hundred and eighty degrees backwards. Illi would never have let him live it down. "Isn't it weird how this game can turn crystals into sandwiches, or daisies into swords, but if you try to pick the wrong thing for the wrong quest it gives you the finger?" Pull

Ren stood, stunned, just watching the sheer carnage unfold. Why did the short and seemingly harmless anime girls also always turn out to be the most gratuitously brutal of the lot, possibly excepting the tsundere among them? Illi's reaction didn't really come as a surprise, but Enya's gleeful encore he'd not been expecting in the slightest. So much for that particular herd of... Instantly alert, the white hairs upon his neck bristled at the sudden dawning. Red eyes gleamed in the thick brush and tree line just beyond the road and recently tilled fields. The girls had just stolen someo

Ren’s eyes squidged together for a moment while processing the mildly disturbed notion of stitching backsides back together. Opening his mouth, he soon found that Illi had moved on and his opportunity to question the phrasing had long since passed - probably for the best. “Yeah. I guess? I mean, sure. Not quite sure that I have any talent for this stuff, but I’m certainly willing to try.” His stomach loudly growled its support, much to his wide-eyed embarrassment. “Actually, this might be a really good idea. Verdy’s been really good to me, but the food options over at the

"Enya?" His voice was soft and pleasant, glad to have stumbled again into a recent acquaintance, and not to mention the least likely to manipulate him into some sort of half-baked scheme. "It's me, meat-shield...err... Ren. Sorry. I heard it so many times from Illi and Dimos during our recent foray that it's kinda gotten stuck in my head." A goofy, disarming smirk spread across his pale features. Wispy strands of white hair danced over his eyes, making him look slightly older than his youthful features otherwise might. "Getting up to more mischief? I was just looking

Having been course-corrected by the sensible brunette, Ren was contented to know that someone in their group apparently had some sense of direction. Goodness knew that wasn't him. He used to get lost in his own own bedroom closet, and forget about any hopes at properly sorting his laundry. His parents had people for that sort of thing. Here, he had his own two feet and hands. The thought made him appreciate having companions, no matter the sort. "I can be the meat shield when the time comes." Golden eyes widened. He hadn't really meant to say it, yet couldn't stop himself. A f

Shadow passes over the worn wooden threshold to the toll of tiny bells and the swish of fine cloth. Darkness cast by the late afternoon sun contrasted against a shock of white hair capping a curiously searching pair of golden eyes. Ren spotted the shop during a casual stroll in the city's east end, drawn to enter by some of the fine workmanship in its display. "Ah. You must be the owner then, yes?" A gentle chuckle matched the caretaker's purring as he gently nuzzled the feline custodian beneath its chin. His former roommate's cat had taught him a few things. At least here his all

Ren nodded thankfully towards Enya as she collected the package, noting for future reference how he'd clearly misunderstood her name. So many players in these games created strange handles for the characters that he'd grown accustomed to just accepting oddities as he heard them. This group was apparently a bit more considerate of their own virtual identities, which was admirable. He and his friends had spent weeks in debate over every detail as they nerdishly crafted their future selves. If only they'd known their fate. "Thank you, Master Dorian. Could you be so kind as to provide di

Haggard best described Ren's state by the time they reached the small, sleeping market town of Tolbana. Tiny plumes of smoke and scents of meals already being shared signaled the lateness of their arrival beyond the dinner house. Memories of an old 'cat-herding cowboys' commercial kept flitting through his head as he pondered their trek. Not that he truly minded the company, but his travel mates all seemed to be trying to lay claim to him in ways beyond familiarity or comfort. Still, lessons learned. Never travel alone in the open wilds. Even if it meant these three 'uniquely' different f

Had he walked into some sort of argument. Purple-hair relentlessly dug at the one in discount formalwear, the two nattering at each other like they were destined for an arranged marriage. Tides turned, and interest, the moment he mentioned the prospect of work. A hook had sunk. "Dorian's the mayor in Tolbana, which is apparently having some..." Dimos was already smooth-talking his way into some profit-sharing Ponzi scheme, dragging Ren along gingerly by the elbow. Snowy hairs raised on the back of his neck at the feel of the man's spider-like touch, his mouth motoring at a mi

Pride grapples with yet another flesh wound. It wouldn't be the last, by far. Dust that smells like ash clings to Ren's black and purple gear as he stands, mixing with his latest mouthful of dirt. A single gulp swallowed both. "Apologies," a quick turn and spit matched a raised finger requesting a pause. "I must have missed a step." Wiping a sleeve over his face achieved little more than sullying the same clothes he'd just sought to clean. Three strangers gazed back upon him, each exuding distinctly different vibes. A sheepish, disarming smile was all he managed, shrinking sli

Purchasing: 2*Field Rations | [2,000col]

Few sounds are quite so distinct as the telltale biting of pearly whites into the crisp, thick flesh of a ripened apple. One can instantly imagine the flowing juice that curls about and saturates the lips, pooling at their edges and threatening to overflow. An explosion of sweetness follows as saliva joins the fray and finger rushes to reinforce or catch the spillage already and inevitably underway. A smile perks the face at the absurdity. So it was for the white-haired man with golden eyes who wandered in from the gates, a fresh bushel under one arm. Most of his daily catch had alr