Bee

The world around Bee swirled as her body dematerialized and rebuilt itself elsewhere. The rainy, blood-soaked Floor 29 shifted to the Trackers Alliance guild hall. She was sprawled on the floor of her bedroom, soaked by rain and mud. When she remembered that Morningstar was still fighting, she scrambled up and charged out the door.

The hall was empty. Her guildmates must have been out on missions or otherwise occupied.

In the bathroom, she rinsed dirt off her face. It had hardened like scales, but it rubbed off easily when reintroduced with water. Her skin was rosy from the friction of the cloth. The mirror reflected her watery eyes.

She couldn’t help but check her friends list from time to time. Morningstar’s name was still bold at the top. Her messages to the others had all gone unread. Wulfrin, Oscar, Warden… where were they? Maybe they had encountered knights of their own.

She marched out of the guild hall, through the village underhill, and to the teleportation arch in the center of town. “Teleport, Taft!”

Once before, Star had described a Taft man called Kent. Supposedly, he was an NPC that could travel between floors. Morningstar spoke highly of him. He was her last resort.

BEE exits the thread, in search of KENT.

It would have taken precognition to react to an attack so quick. Morningstar lurched, eyes drawn to the slab of metal poking through his chest. A sword? Here? Shamblers didn’t use weapons. So who…?

It disappeared, and the pressure in his back lessened. He dropped to his knees. Bee screamed out. An axe materialized in her grip, but through a succession of harsh coughs, Morningstar dissuaded her from fighting. “Teleporter--” he managed before he was shoved face-first into the mud.

Shit. Bee. Crystal. Quick.

He shifted his head left, and through the muddy mess on his face, he scrolled through his inventory. A blue crystal formed in his hand and he tossed it to Bee.

“Go! Now!” he shouted.

Whatever kept Morningstar pinned stepped off, approaching Bee. In a panic, she activated the crystal, vanishing into thin air.

Morningstar pushed against the earth, wheezing. He cracked a health crystal while his foe was distracted by the dematerialization, restoring himself.

Three. Two. One.

Bee shoved open the front door. Ilridge had become a hellscape. Mobs flooded the street; shamblers, deep ones, mi-go and the like, all fighting for their claim over the lands. Players stretched out along every street and alley, pushing back against the hordes. It was day one all over again.

They pushed past players, through mobs. Morningstar shielded Bee the whole way, keeping her in eyesight at all times, never letting her stray too far. “Keep moving!” he shouted, his sword ripping through a deep one. Creatures clawed at them, kept at bay by his full rotation of sword arts.

At the center of town was the teleporter—the only part of town not overrun by monsters. The wall of players around it was dense enough to guard it from anything that wished to get through. It opened and closed, like a castle’s gate, filtering the players that needed to escape.

Even still, crystals were the most sure way of getting out. Getting to the teleporter was a battle, and the queue was enormous. Not everyone wanted to stay and fight. Not everyone could. Morningstar hacked through another deep one. He was going to get Bee home.

1 King's Core

@KnightessCiela

Leron coughed. His once-pristine silver armor was now marred by streaks of mud. He had separated from his spear during the fall. Where was it? He spun, kicking up dirt as he searched for the Spectral Knight.

It stood no more than ten feet from him, unscathed but for the spear sticking out of its gut and the tiny fracture in its health bar. It ripped the weapon out of itself, tossing it aside and fanning away the blood pixels.

Leron’s face was full of fear. The knight was different than the floor’s common monsters. At the very least, it was as strong as a field boss—if not greater. Unable to retrieve his spear, he summoned a replacement. It was shorter, but equally as powerful. A low roar left his throat as he charged the knight. They clashed, spear on spectral sword, dancing around each other until Calenia finally dove.

Sitting on the sidelines bothered Bee. She wanted to do more; help more; heal more. But every time she stepped into the streets of Ilridge, she ran the risk of dying. Every single monster she came across could end her life in an instant. She was awed by the strength of the frontliners who faced them every single day, keeping the hordes of Floor 29 at bay and challenging the most fearsome creatures. How it was even possible was beyond her.

“I’ll walk you back to the teleporter. The streets are probably still hectic,” Morningstar said. He stood, putting on his red coat.

“If there’s anything else I can do, I’d like to help,” Bee stammered.

Star parted his lips, but said nothing. Sending her away felt like a disservice to himself. He was positive that Bee was the smartest between them, and she only ever wanted to do the right thing. But that didn’t matter in the end. Only numbers mattered. She could dodge a million hits and it would only be in vain; the moment a sword touched her skin, she would die.

“I can’t keep you safe here. C’mon. You’ve done plenty.”

They sat around a table, ignoring the tumultuous screeching coming from the other room. The Shambler was in an uproar, but that wasn’t so unusual. It happened from time to time; eventually, it would tire itself out and quiet down. Morningstar tried not to let it bother him. He was holding it captive after all.

“Okay, but say the sword is the cure. How do we find it?” Morningstar asked.

Bee kicked her feet up on the table top, wobbling back and forth in her unleveled chair. “I dunno. You’re the expert. Where do you normally start?”

“Brokers. Bistro, these days. But I can’t imagine they know much more than we do.”

“Then what do you do when brokers don’t know anything? How did you figure out Stylahm?”

He thought back to his Floor 9 expedition. “I guess I just went into field; looked around myself. It’s slow, but it does the trick.”

“So then step one: we need some ideas. You know this floor better than I do. Where would you start looking?”

Morningstar stared into space for a moment. “It’ll be somewhere notable. I doubt they’d just throw it into the ocean somewhere and say ‘hey, go fetch’.” He placed a crystal in the middle of the table and tapped it on. A translucent blue map materialized, displaying an overhead view of the floor. “We’re here,” he said, pointing to Ilridge.

Dozens of towns dotted the lands of Floor 29, but only two were worth considering. “It could be here in Ilridge. But I figure that’s too easy. There’s also Miremore. It’s here,” he tapped on the town. “It’s a fishing village on the coast. Nobody really goes there, from what I know. Probably because it smells rancid. Perfect place to hide a weapon, though.”

“Assuming it’s hidden at all,” Bee retorted. “The sword was removed, remember? For all we know, someone still has it.”

“Too many missing variables. For a second, let’s assume it is hidden. I’d wipe most of these towns off our list, as well as Graycott. I was just there a while ago. It’s related, obviously, but I’d be surprised if the sword was dropped in the same place as the letter,” he said, unintentionally vague about his findings at Graycott Point.

“That basically leaves Kineallan Parish. What’s that?”

“A church. I’ve only been once,” he explained. “You’re staying away from it. It’s not safe.”

Bee didn’t argue. Nothing was safe on Floor 29.

Bee shut her eyes, waiting for the ringing to end. She leaned over the table and buried her head in her arms. FATAL ERROR was burned into her eyes; even closed, she could still see the faded remains of those two words. She stayed there, waiting, long after the window had vanished, until she heard her name being called.

“Bee?” came Morningstar from the room over. When she didn’t answer, he called again.

She raised her head. “Still here,” she managed.

He stumbled around the corner, his face paler than usual. “Did you see that too?”

Bee could only nod, trying to catch her bearings. She hadn’t full processed the Shambler yet, let alone the mystery message.

Morningstar sat down across from her, stealing a cracker from her mostly untouched plater. After a while, she asked, “what the hell is Fatal Error?”

“Fuck if I know,” Star replied.

Simultaneously, they whipped open their quest logs. Sure enough, something new had been automatically accepted. The quest objective flickered every few seconds. The Sword of Kings has been removed from its rightful place. Until it is returned, the path forward will remain blocked, and the corruption will continue to spread, it read. No additional context was provided, which was unusual for a quest.

“Ominous,” Morningstar finally said.

Bee | Lv.6 | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30

He hesitated before the cage. Dying Sun had the habit of hurting its foes, but it was the only form of paralysis they had. The Shambler needed to be sedated for Bee to safely attempt her skills. He drew his blade and stuck it between the bars of the cage. The Shambler squirmed, letting out a screech at the sight of the weapon.

“I’m sorry,” Star muttered, jabbing the creature as gently as possible. He did it again. And again. Over and over, he stabbed it until the paralysis took effect.

Bee watched in silence.

“Start with First Aid,” Morningstar requested. “Just so we can rule it out.”

She nodded and unlocked the cage. A green glow formed over her hands, shimmering like water in sunlight. She touched the sedated creature and the glow spread across its body like a blanket. The wounds on its chest closed up and its health bar rose.

It worked as expected. The Shambler was healed, but its monstrous form remained. Morningstar made note of this and moved on.

“Try Purify,” he said.

She did. This time the glow was aquamarine. A fresh smell wafted into the air. It was mint, he realized. It hung there while she performed the purification. Nothing happened.

Star rubbed his eyes. “What else do you have?”

“Nothing,” she frowned. “Nothing that would help, anyway.”

He crossed purify off his list. There was nothing below it. He had tried just about every item and skill that existed, minus the ones he couldn’t get his hands on.

“Close the gate then,” he said, swiping open his friends list. “If I could convince someone to go to the Champion’s Hall for me—”

Bee let out a shrill scream, and Morningstar immediately went for his sword.

As Bee went to lock the cage, the Shambler lunged at her, shooting out of the cage and wrapping its inky tentacles around her arms and throat. Her scream was cut short as it constricted around her. In one swing, Morningstar freed her, cutting through all of the tentacles at once. He kicked the Shambler back in the cage and shut the gate with a slam. The lock clicked, and the monster was trapped.

SUPPORT ACTION | Bee tries to cure a Shambler

meep

giving Morningstar:
 

Cluster of Stars 243238

purchasing

Cluster of Stars | [3 Mon] | 243238
Changes the type of an item as long as its enhancements are applicable to its new type.

Bee | Lv.6 | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30

In Ronbaru, everything was pretty.

Loud explosions cast colours and patterns across the sky. Dresses, gowns, and robes of similar styles were donned; Bee had found a pastel pink saree embellished with stones and cut beads. Everyone looked so beautiful.

She stood off to the side of the Gyan Chauper, watching as a pair of girls finished a game. She was intrigued by both the game and by the closeness of the pair. They were basically interlocked while they took turns moving pieces across the board.

When they were done, and it came to her turn, she panicked. "Oh! Sorry--how do I play?"

"Well, start by rolling the die," said Jai.

She did so. The small, side-sided cube bounced across the board, falling on a three.

"Wonderful! Now, you may move your piece forward."

She shifted her tiny little trinket up the board, counting while tapping on each square. "Like this?"

"Exactly. That's all there is to it."

---

ID237023 cd6
ID237024 cd8
ID237025 cd7

6+8+7=21

Bee Receives Krishna's Blessing:

+1 King's Core

Bee continued to rub her knuckles, watching intently as Freyd pummeled the sand shark back into the ground. It exploded. She had never seen anything die before. The corpse turned into blue sparkles, floating away from Freyd's fist. She could do nothing but stare in awe. Is this what the frontlines are like?

With their quest complete, the group immediately began to split up. Left alone with the two women, Bee panicked and scurried off. "Oh, ok bye," she mumbled, hurrying back to Fortaleza.

A new to-do list replaced the old. Screw Rosa. She didn't need her. She needed a weapon, some form of protection, and a whole lot of experience. Where better to start than the beginning? To Floor One she would go, in search of quests, combat, and people to heal. She jogged through the hot city, her shoes full of sand, and climbed aboard the teleporter.

"Town of Beginnings!" Bee called.

Why a whip? And what was a fedora? She laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, maybe." She had no idea what he was talking about.

What a day. Very quickly, Bee went from falling into a lie, to adopting two (extremely pretty) new girls, to watching Freyd beat a blind shark half to death with his bare hands. He just punched it... and cracked its armor...

She frowned, weaponless. The expectation that they were to also contribute puzzled her. She couldn't do what he just did. She didn't think anyone could do what he just did. She rolled up her sleeve and charged at the beast anyway, replicating Freyd's attack with a fierce jab.

"Ow!" Bee shouted, shaking her fist.

She wasn't even sure if it's health depleted at all. A point, maybe, if anything. "You made that look really easy," she said to Freyd, scowling at her throbbing hand and massaging her knuckles. 

To tell another soul that she had been denied (and quite frankly, scammed out of several thousand col) by a woman who was supposedly a top tier support on the frontlines was far too embarrassing. Instead, she lied, plainly offering a tale that, oddly enough, made more sense than the truth. She fumbled her words. "Museum," she blurted out. "I was looking for a museum."

Okay, so maybe it didn't make much sense. Bee wasn't even sure there was a museum in Fortaleza. "I'm a bit of a history nerd," she chuckled, committing to the fib. What was she even talking about? She didn't know two things about history; whatever she'd learned in school was left in the bland old textbooks she'd only ever skimmed. And what history was she even referring to? Fortaleza was like, a second old.

She accepted his party invitation. Despite her calm, if slightly awkward appearance, she was rather enthusiastic about her first quest—particularly "you'll be fine" part. Whether she carried a weapon or not, she was confident that she would die to the first mob she came across. She would work towards autonomy over time; for now, a bodyguard was exactly what she needed.

"Are you on this floor a lot?"

She asked because she sort of hated it and couldn't imagine anyone staying for longer than they had to. It was hot, and she was overly cautious about sunburns (whether they were a thing or not, the sun sure felt like it was burning her). She didn't much like the food either, and there was sand in her shoes.

Bee couldn't say what it was that brought her to Honeydew & Hushwind. In truth, she was lost, but there was more to it than that. The woods on Floor 8 were tricky, complicated. They called to you, stringing you along until you ended up in the cave of a sleeping bear, a fiery treant's domain, or a lonely appraiser's shop. The cabin, located far from civilization, was a checkpoint of sorts; it was the perfect place to rest and recover your trail. The owner tried his best to be of help to lost wanderers. He knew the forest like the back of his hand and could point you in the direction of wherever you needed to go. For the unconfident type, he had teleport crystals on hand. He knew how dangerous it could be for a player, alone in the wilderness.

Bee was that type of player. She wasn't sure how she'd managed her way into the forest to begin with. She stopped in for help, and was immediately greeted by Morningstar.

"Afternoon," Star clanked away on a weapon from the counter. "What brings you by?"

"I was, um," Bee stuttered, embarrassed by her situation. "I was hoping you sold teleport crystals? I'm a little lost."

Star nodded, and then ducked below the counter. He rose a second later holding a blue crystal. "Need to do a restock, but yeah, here you go. No cost."

"Oh, really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Get home safe. And, actually, take this as well," he smiled, grabbing a green cloak from his coatrack.

Bee shook her head. "No, this is too much. Just the crystal is fine."

"Please," Star insisted. "It'll do more for you than it'll do for me."

Bee wasn't sure who this Abdullah fellow was, nor was she familiar with the sand shark referenced; however, if combat was her long term goal then this seemed like a good place to start.

"She must like you,"

Bee smiled, not sure what to say. The shadow that engulfed her shoulders was soothing. It almost felt like the temperature had become normal, like she wasn't smack dab in the heart of a desert city. Freyd's invitation was a kind gesture. She would never have had the courage to take on a creature like Terra Firma alone. Not that it was a bad thing—it would kill her in a heartbeat. "I'd like to join you," she said, her eyes finally leaving the inky weasel.

She knew she would be little help in the coming fight and that there was always some level of risk leaving a safezone, even with the strongest players around. Still, she wanted to try.

And after Rosa, she was happy to have someone offer to teach her for free, even if it wasn't specific to healing.

"I might need some direction. I've never actually fought anything before," she admitted.

Slow down, ya damn mongoose, came Bee's inner voice.

They rounded a corner, past a museum and what might have been a pawn shop. She had almost run straight into the dark-haired man on the other side, stopping just in time. Another player joined them as well. She hadn't noticed the guy following her—or maybe he was chasing the familiar as well.

The mongoose seemed to have taken a liking to Bee, for some reason or another. The shadowy form wrapped around her leg, coiling like a much cuter version of a snake. "I'm Bee," she introduced herself without looking up from the strange familiar. "Is she yours?"

Bee's first observation was not of Persi's perplexing body, but of her eyes that sparkled like crystal. Her second observation came from within—a growing envy that tightened in her chest. She wanted one too. Bee bent down, reaching towards the shadow creature. It climbed up her arm like a slinky, spiraling to her shoulder where she perched, staring Freyd in the face with a tilted head.

"Oh, and, hi," she said to the other man.

Her usual attire, consisting almost entirely of dark fabrics, proved to be a mistake. It was made for mild temperatures—nothing too cold and nothing too hot. She did not have an alternative for desert climates so instead, she suffered. Her skirt made it somewhat bearable. She welcomed what little breeze there was and grew miserable every time it passed. No price would have been too much for an ice cream cone from a specialty street cart or a cold plunge in the ocean. Unfortunately, the only ocean around was made of sand and ice cream on one of Aincrad's hottest floors seemed like an unlikely find.

Sweat and discomfort aside, she was excited. It took thirteen months, but her appointment with a local healer had finally gone through. Rosa, who liked to advertise herself as a top three support who worked with some of the most powerful guilds in the game, owned a small shop at the edge of town. It was there that she took on students of varying skill levels for the insignificant fee of 25,000 col an hour. Bee had already paid up front for a three hour lesson in medicine and looked forward to learning from a certified hero of the frontlines.

She knelt on a cushion on the floor of the shop. The small space would not have fit more than a few people at a time, comfortably at least. It was decorated rather poorly. Rosa preferred bare walls and surfaces, except for a framed award that dubbed her "Healer of the Year." Bee had yet to meet Rosa. She had spoken to her assistant, albeit briefly and ages ago, but never the master support herself. She could hear her though, laughing from the opposite room. Via eavesdropping, she gathered that behind the large red curtain across from her was a lunch room, where Rosa was finishing off a large plate of leftover spaghetti from the night before. Also, she had found herself in a pile of debt and was strapped for cash (mind you, Bee had transferred over 75,000 col a few days prior).

After much patience, what Bee thought was a voice call ended and Rosa swooped through the red curtain, jumping at the sight of the blonde. "Oh!"

She followed her surprise with confirmation that she had forgotten about their scheduled appointment. "Can I help you? If you're here about mentoring, I can give you my assistant's name. The waitlist is quite long at the moment," Rosa smiled awkwardly.

"Actually, we were supposed to meet today? I'm Bee?" She stood up, hands on her hips, speaking each line as if she, herself, was unsure.

"Bee? Bee... Bee... Bee..." the woman tapped the tip of her boot against the sandstone floor. "Oh, yes! Bee! Of course! How could I forget! Unfortunately, I won't be able to meet with you today but contact my assistant—she'd be happy to help you reschedule!" She proceeded to guide Bee out the front door.

"But—"

"Bye bye now!" 

The door slammed before Bee could protest. Like clockwork, she found herself out on the streets of Fortaleza. Grumpier than ever, she glared at the tiny shop, not noticing the critter at her feet until it wrapped around her leg. Her instinctual scream startled them both. Persi unattached herself from Bee, far less afraid than the latter was. The shadow mongoose scurried a few feet away and then turned back to the girl. They stared at each other for a moment before Bee spoke to her.

"Do you want me to follow you?" She asked.

Persi, who was presumably a non-English speaker, did not reply. Instead, she scurried away, leaving Bee to chase the sandy trail the mongoose left behind.

***

Bee consumes:

Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (4/6) - takes one portion. [filled]
Bee | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

ph for misc.

face claim: usagi tsukino (sailor moon)

equipment

consumables