Acanthus

Acanthus raised a single eyebrow watching Wildfire light the caves with <<First Aid>>. “That’s a clever trick. I hadn’t considered other uses for that skill,” she admitted. It was the kind of thinking that would make them a valuable addition to the frontlines. “Do you find yourselves on this floor often?” “Unfortunately. There are a few quests here. I’ve been down here twice to fight Cerberus, once before to take on the bandit camp. There are a few other important quests here. I wish the game designers had chosen a more scenic floor for them.” A geyser of lava erupted in

Nymoria’s “voice” carried above the clamor. “Bandits. South. More.” A horde of cutthroats approached the camp, weapons drawn and eager for blood. Acanthus did her best to remain calm. The situation was unexpected, but they’d handled the first round well enough. The real problem would be how many. Any monster was a threat when they didn’t stop coming. And Ryo… She glanced over to see him holding his own. Acanthus shouldn’t be worried—she’d seen him fight. He was no pushover. But even still, paying the ransom had been her suggestion, and now things were flying off the rails because of it.

Things were not looking good. Putting antifreeze on her armor had just caused Wulfrin to hone in on Kiyabu. It had been a good move, and one Acanthus needed to put a stop to. “Sorry, Jomei, I’ve gotta split.” She flashed him a quick smile before kicking up a cloud of dirt to disengage. “But I’m sure we’ll cross blades again.” Wulfrin had just finished a punishing combo that left Kiyabu on his back foot. It looked like he was preparing for another one. She tried getting his attention. “Wulfrin! It’s been too long. Don’t suppose you can spare me a little time, can you? Kiyabu deserves a lit

Wildfire appeared embarrassed after mentioning something about their mom’s cooking? Acanthus thought the emotion seemed out of place, but knew better than to press. “If we’re geared up, then I think we are ready to go. You said we need to find a dragon’s nest, correct?” Acanthus opened her guide to peruse what information they had. “Hm. There’s not a lot of information on this quest chain. Seems like it’s not a popular one. That could make things difficult for us.” While in her inventory, Acanthus began swapping out a few of her items. “Looking at the stats for this part of the quest, it

Acanthus sensed it as well. She thumbed botan from its sheath, prepared for the worst. The bandit's leader loped towards Ryo, eyeing the two sacks of col hungrily. With a swipe faster than her eyes could register, he snatched the col and tested their weight. "Yea… Oh yea, that's good. The money's all there. Alright, pack it up boys, we're—" The leader's eyes bulged. A falchion burst from his chest, ripping through his armor with an ugly sound. The man behind him cackled as he tore the leader off the end of his blade. The first leader sputtered in confusion, then shattered. "That

“You either forget the past or accept it. I don’t think there’s another option.” She hoped he would not continue down this line of thinking. Even still, she could not practice what she preached. —“she felt a peculiar desire not to win—but to KILL.”— Without a word, Acanthus slipped into the dark alleys, intent on resuming her search of the town. Acanthus collected herself with a deliberate sip of tea. She replaced the mug gently before speaking. “I disagree. Combat is stressful. Prolonged exposure to war and death does not reveal the soul—it warps it. Take a look at veterans

Wildfire stopped, urging the pair to move on. Acanthus refused to budge. “I don’t care if we’re only just outside of town, I’m not letting you fall out of sight. Monsters may not spawn this close to Yogan Village, but it’s not impossible for them to be drawn here if a player leads them, whether on purpose or by accident.” Arms crossed, she kept watch patiently while Wildfire dug up the small shard of obsidian. A smile began to bubble up from her chest. I remember being excited about gathering as well. And he reminds me of Ren, the way he’s so excited about these little rocks and minerals

“Holy and phase?” Acanthus paused for a moment to think. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find that. I’ve only ever seen one of those in the game, and the swordswoman that wields it is unlikely to part with it. Your best bet is to find some good spots to hunt monsters, earn col and items, and make friends with an appraiser. Morningstar and Freyd may be able to help you there. I could introduce you.” And I am not very sneaky. Even though I sound silent. Acanthus found the joke hilarious, so she made sure to let Nymoria know with a small smile. “That was very funny.” Enough humor, back

Acanthus had already moved on so fast that she accidentally ignored Wulfrin’s attempts to ease the tension. Her shoulders sagged. It’s impressive to consider that I took an awkward moment and somehow made it worse. Before she could respond and defray her ever-increasing embarrassment, Freyd launched into a fantastic, near-unbelievable description of his time with Rencesvals. Acanthus listened, [description of her excitement]. Morningstar broke the spell when he nudged Acanthus. "What's a kessel run?" he whispered. "Is that like a fathom?" “Kestral Run? No, I think they fly.” Acanthus

Her eyes flicked over to Wulfrin. Unlike Jomei, she had seen him in combat. Her assessment had been clear: dangerous—avoid at all costs. The plan was to burst down the duelist. She had hoped his fighting style would be more suited to one-on-one combat, and weaken in the face of two opponents. If she and Kiyabu committed to squaring off in parallel one on ones, it would be over too quickly. Wulfrin was dangerous, but Jomei was no slouch either. She’d recalled the gritty feeling of the arena’s sand, digging into her knees as she struggled to orient herself, hoping that this wasn’t the end, prayi

“Looking for better gear, hm?” Acanthus glanced at his equipment. It didn’t seem bad, just… maybe outdated? “Well, Nymoria is right. I believe the Cave of Wonders operates as an effective way to gain plenty of money. Eden also offers plenty as well, Nymoria and I have done that quest already. There are also plenty of zones off the beaten path that offer col and items. I’ve found quite a few, and have a comfortable amount of money for new gear and equipment.” Out of the corner of her eye, Acanthus caught Nymoria signing to her. Her face reddened further. She tried waving her off silently.

[Initiative. 241258: LD 1] Any person can tell you that a good song and a good story have the same form. But it takes a performer to tell you why. Scene one: exposition. The explanation; the stakes, neatly written out in a way that the audience is meant to understand. The swordswoman and her partner walked into the Cathedral, hand in hand. It would have bothered Acanthus; she hadn’t much cared for physical contact at all. She took a glance into the stranger’s eyes. He was mathematically attractive; she could make the dance convincing. The stakes? There were none. Who cared who d

She could hear the rhythm of the fight rising. Feet shuffling in the sand. Metal scraping against metal. It was a driving beat, one that made her happy to move from bandit to bandit. Move, dispatch, move, dispatch. The next group: move, dispatch, move, dispatch. The rhythm of the fight would have won out even if she hadn’t been fighting it. But times like this let her cut loose. Besides, none of it was real. The beat changed when the bandit king boss materialized. "Hmmmm if you like to kill so much you must not be afraid to die!" Oh no, I’m terrified, Acanthus thought lazily, slicing

The frantic swordswoman was so relieved by the turnaround she forgot her usual formalities. "Ren, you're a genius!" She leaned over the counter to hug him (assuming he didn't leap back to avoid the sudden lunge), and swiped the improved armor. "Anything you need after this, you name it. After all the work I've rushed through your shop, I don't think I'm even close to paying you back. Quests, items, hell, even some shards or scales, just say the word... Oh, *shit*." She interrupted herself, checking the system clock. "I'm late. I'm never late. Deep breaths, Acanthus. Remember the routine.

The door to the Knight Shift nearly flew off the hinges as Acanthus frantically burst into the shop. She appeared half-dressed: In one hand, she held her familiar thistle armor, in the other, a strange and heavy fur coat. Her tunic had been hastily thrown on, and a few fastens were still loose. "Hi hello thank you for responding at such a last minute." Her words, clearly enunciated, lacked the punctuation that provided her usual poise. Rather than apologizing for her behavior, she threw both the items onto the counter and immediately began to scroll through her inventory to drop the reque

Receiving Heavy Coat. And immediately running off to Knight Shift. Fusion request for @Rencesvals: Heavy Coat | Light Armor | 236444d | Antifreeze | Evasion | Recovery A coat made of heavy animal hide. What it lacks in mitigation, it makes up in cold resistance and flexibility. Resilient Thistle | Light Armor | 234598 | Mitigation | Regen | Fireproof | Vamp-D This simple breastplate features delicate engravings and patterns of the eponymous wildflower, accentuated by soft hues of green and violet. It bestows the thistle’s qualities upon the wearer. When worn, the user hears wh

Her ears burned as Nymoria laughed. This is exactly why she wanted to wait a little longer before trying it out. She wasn’t a natural with the hand signs, and her attempts just made her look like a conspicuous idiot in front of a stranger and a friend. “Wait, did you say you were wanting to run Arabian Nights?” Acanthus returned her attention to the stranger. Nymoria finished the rest of her thought. “Would you like to search for the man with us?” Acanthus nodded in agreement. “Ali is the person we are looking for. The info broker’s guide says that he’s usually at a tavern here in Fortale

With a hammer that was somehow soft and firm, the pile of moss pummeled Acanthus into the ground. She was half-expecting the game to throw up some comical birds to fly around her concussed head. And she felt… weaker? Her health bar was still full, but she had the vague sense that she probably shouldn’t get hit too much more. Probably just her imagination, but it was good practice for a real fight. Pulling her ankles up out of the earth, she focused on the pile of moss again. “Hammer against hammer time,” she said, before whirling the weapon over her head. She aimed for some of the firmer

A clear whistle shattered her concentration. Minako stepped down from the stands, quickly dusting off and checking over the players. Acanthus looked down at herself, covered in dirt, shoulders sagging, chest heaving. Then she looked back up at Minako. “...Thank you,” she said simply. Acanthus allowed herself to be fussed over before promptly moving back to her corner. “Hey.” Jomei was calling out to her. Acanthus twitched, ready for a much-deserved scolding. Acanthus couldn’t bring herself to look him in his eyes. “That is more than I deserve. I’ve said things that were pe

Confident in her unshakeable stun, she relaxed for a fraction of a second. It was her fifth mistake. Or maybe sixth? She’d failed so many times that she lost count. Acanthus panicked as Jomei vanished from her vision. Shit! His cleanse was on cooldown. He’s cheating, unless— Jomei stooped to swipe his rapier from the ground, putting him in a prime position to strike from below. She still hadn’t learned there was no time for “unless.” She was too tired to block and too tired to dodge. Angling perfectly underneath her breastplate, he drove the weapon straight into her gut, her pain indicato

Jomei took a step back, frozen by request of the Cardinal. His fingers twitched at his side, reaching for something. “You should know by now you can’t wiggle your way out of a stun. Once Cardinal says you’re stunned, you’re stunned.” She paced slowly, preparing to take advantage of the stun. No evasion, no movement—now was the time to turn the tide. Acanthus raised botan high, ready to secure her lead. Botan replied with a flicker and a fading hum. I’ll run my body into the ground. But my sword doesn’t seem to be on the same page. Scowling, she squared up her form. If the sword art wouldn’t he

Jomei was hitting hard as ever. She defended against the initial part of Jomei's combo, but his follow-up went low, cutting her ankles. She cried out as the pain indicators rattled her skull. I need a little more time. The edges of her vision blurred, and she stumbled backwards, swinging wildly. If I can swallow my pride, maybe Jomei would be willing to take another breather if I suggested it. Then we can finish the fight gracefully, no matter who wins. A dry, raking laugh chilled her bones. Every pore of her skin prickled. IN A REAL FIGHT, SHE CANNOT REST. SHE KILLS OR SHE DIES.

Exhausted, she could only watch as Jomei broke her defenses yet again. Sweat and dirt stung her eyes, working against her attempts to keep a bead on the duelist. With a shaking hand, she hastily tossed her hair back. I don't think I've ever fought this long before. Even Callisto. As chaotic as that was, it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes. Her energy bar rested squarely on the bottom line. But her exhaustion ran deeper than that. She'd been out of energy before. Whenever that happened, Cardinal slowed her down, giving her the sense of mild sleepiness. Right now, she felt like

Acanthus blocked out the sounds of combat. The frontlines were not in danger. Nothing else mattered. Nothing except finding the next floor. She approached a broken house carefully. Shingles fell through a hole in the roof, sounding an alarm that made her hairs stand on end. botan gripped tightly, she peeked into the house, concealing herself as best as possible. Nothing. Acanthus breathed a sigh of relief, dialing her guard back slightly as she crept through the house. It was unlikely she would find clues for the labyrinth, but neither had she given up on the mystery of the town and why t