[SP-F6] A Time To Train - Working Things Out, Again (Grandmaster Battle-Axe) - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

ID 47344

LD 15

     Sitting at the bar that was attached to the inn he was currently staying at in Urbus, Brax took a long look at his drink, which unlike all the ones he had drunk since first arriving here in Aincrad, all that time ago, was alcoholic.  It was not as if Brax, or rather Brandon, was opposed to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, but rather that he...was a unique individual, with a...certain mental issue...that did not mix well with the product.  He could hear the nurses at Berringer's in his ears, their warnings about his fragile psychological state echoing in his head as he peered at the amber liquid.  Brax had purchased the drink hours ago, for the moment simply using it as a meditative tool by which to order his thoughts, the thoughts that had arisen since he had undertaken the <<Breaking the Unbreakable>> quest.  During the endeavor, he had lost control of his...well, his mind.  While he was assailing the rock with all he had, the emotions he had thought lost came barreling into focus, unstoppable and unbidden, carousing about with his body like it was nothing.  The...pure energy they had provided him...was unlike anything he had felt before, unlike anything he could remember in the year he had been cooped up in the psychiatric facility.  It was...primal; it was...exhilarating, if he could have felt such a thing, which he did during the final leg of the quest; it was...disconcerting.  THAT was the issue, the...loss of control...that Brandon had experienced, that had taken hold of him.  For truly, during those last few moments, it had been Brandon, not Brax, who had been completing the quest.  Brandon, not Brax, who had been congratulated by the quest giver, which...was all the more disturbing.  The Cardinal System had access to his personal records, this could not be denied, but to so specifically target Brandon, to have reached into his...soul?  To have so pointedly given him a response that applied to his life...was an unnerving thing.  Thus, to ease his nerves, here he sat, staring at the same beverage for hours on end.

     "Look, pal, if you ain't gonna drink that, you gotta move on, leave room for the payin' customers,"  the NPC barkeep barked at Brax.  Shaking his head from his reverie, he turned his head to face the NPC and muttered his apologies; "Forgive me, I was...lost in thought.  Much has happened, and my...forgive me, I shouldn't burden you with my issues."  "Hey, that's what I'm here for, to take yer order and listen to ya troubles.  What'll it be, stranger?" the barkeep said, cleaning out a dirty mug and leaning on the counter.  "No, I am...well, I have a...great deal of difficulty...voicing my thoughts.  I...simply need a place...a quiet place...to meditate and...try to understand what happened," said Brax, shaking his head and rising to leave.  "Well, if your lookin' for a place to think, I've heard tell of a waterfall on the 6th floor.  They say the water is some kinda magic, that it helps to, well, clean ya up when ya feelin' confused.  It's called The Waterfall of the Sage, I think.  If ya can't tell me, maybe it could help ya out," remarked the NPC, finished with it's job.  As it turned to walk away, Brax said, "I...appreciate the help.  Here, let me pay for my drink."  "Furgedit, it's on da house.  Least I could do, for a guy like you.  Hope ya find whachu lookin' for, kid.  Take care."   With that, the barkeep walked away, serving up the next in line.

     With the information in hand, Brax made his way to Floor Six, the teleport pad revealing an Amazonian paradise, which was decidedly apropos given the settlement was called Amazon.  Homes that appeared more as tents and huts littered the area, but Brax was not paying attention.  He quickly exited the town, the only question he asked of the female NPCs who worked here about the location of the Waterfall.  His map sufficiently updated, he strode out of there as fast as he could towards his destination, stopping only once on his journey to pick up a flower that might be of use to an alchemist.

+1 material

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47345

LD 18

     Finally, Brax made it to the Waterfall of the Sage.  It was...a very peaceful looking place, a circular pool of water like an oasis in the tepid jungle humidity.  The pool was surrounded by rocks, some larger and some smaller, with a gentle mist rising up from the water to shroud the area in mystery.  And from above, several mossy coated stones housed a flowing waterfall, presumably the namesake of the area, though from what Brax could see, the water did not seem to come from a legitimate source.  Indeed, it was almost as if the flow was...appearing from thin air.  Impossible, but not unlikely, given the...semi-mystical properties that the area was rumored to possess.  They were flowers galore lining the outside of the pool itself, and as he picked one up he found it to be a material, putting it quickly into his inventory before it's limited durability cause the fragile thing to expire.

     But Brax was not here to indulge in a material gathering endeavor; no, the peaceful properties of the pool were instead meant to offer insight into his problems, those...emotions he had so desired, but that had...had disconcerted him afterwards.  Doffing his heavy armor, and clad only with his two accessories and Battle Axe, Brax wade out into the calm waters and sat on a large rock near the center, taking a meditative pose to...focus him on the task at hand: his emotions.

+1 material

Edited February 4, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47346

Spoiler

BD 9 +3 ACC LD 8 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 80/80 EN 20/20

Spirit Boar: Confusion and Beginnings 16/25 [8 + 1crit DMG]

     As Brax closed his eyes and began to meditate, the mists that surrounded the pool began to thicken, closing off the Waterfall of the Sage to outside influences.  Indeed, if anyone were to try and approach, either they would not be able to navigate the swirling mists or be turned around back along the path they had come.  Brax was...alone, on his own to try and make sense of what had happened during his Martial Arts quest.

     "So, you wish to make sense of your tumultuous soul, huh?" said a voice that wafted in over the opaque clouds that shielded Brax from outside viewing.  The voice did not shock him, at least overly much, and with a calm and steady tone indicative of the meditative zone he was in replied, "Yes, I am...but what are you?"  "Why, I...am you, Brandon.  The Waterfall of the Sage...is where people come...to find themselves.  Though...for the moment...people are not allowed to 'engage'...what the waterfall can provide.  You...will not find...what you seek...in this place."  "Then...why are you here, speaking to me?  If you cannot help, I have to question...your continued presence."  The disembodied voice laughed heartily at the jab.  "You are...most correct BRANDON!  What...am I doing here indeed?  Does it shock you that I know your name?"  Tilting his head to the side whilst keeping his eyes firmly closed, Brax, or rather Brandon, answered the voice's question: "Not...particularly, not anymore.  I surmised, following the previous quest, that you are...connected...with the Cardinal System.  Therefore, you have access to personal information, specifically my neurological scans and identification data, for use in recognizing me...as me.  Am I correct?"  "Well said!  Yes...you are, but more than that...I cannot say.  Beyond, that is, what has been said."  "Then, if I may ask a question of my own..."  "Go ahead, I...am waiting..."  "What...are you doing here, if not to help in my current predicament?"  "I am here...to help you..."  "But, you just said..."  "NOT with that, not with...your discoveries...but instead...I can offer a method of control, a...training session, if you will...that can help until I am ready...and when you are, too."  "What does that..."  "ENOUGH!  I...can do no more than what I am offering.  DO YOU ACCEPT?"  The voice rang out loudly, with a tone that Brandon could feel in his bones.  'If the voice can offer help, I...should take it, but...no, I MUST take it,' thought Brandon, as he began to again adopt the person that he was in the game, Brax the Pactagonal Knight, the Stalwart Stoic.  Steeling himself towards what was to come, he answered cleanly and clearly one word: "Yes."

     "Then, open your eyes...and face the test!"  As it's proclamation echoed in the enclosed space, the milky mists began to part, opening up into an arena of sorts with the waist-deep pool at the center.  Brax opened his eyes at the statement, wondering what was in store as he saw the haze begin to recede.  Part of the mists broke off and coalesced into a blob, which after touching the leafy ground began to shape itself into a monster, red eyes gleaming as it formed into a boar, wispy tusks jutting from a familiar frame.  "This is your confusion, your beginnings, where you started, both here and elsewhere!"  With that, the boar began to attack, rushing forward to gut the unarmored man.  With a flash from his Epitaph, Brax leapt out of the way, and began to spin around to activate his Crimson Blood Sword Art.  But, as he spun, he felt none of the help he had grown used to during his time here in SAO, and while the attack caught the misty creature off-guard, Brax did not keep spinning, his Sword Art not engaging.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47347

Spoiler

BD 8 +3 ACC LD 13 MoBD 1 -1 EVA

Brax 80/80 EN 20/20

Spirit Boar: Confusion and Beginnings 8/25 [8 DMG]

     The Spirit Boar was thrown by the attack, but came back around for another round after rising back up and shaking itself several times.  That attack missed, as well, the familiar emerald energy of his Elude Epitaph granting Brax the agility he needed to avoid the animal.  He tried another Sword Art move, hitting the rampaging Boar with an uppercut to try and activate his Ultimate Breaker, but to no avail: again, as his arms moved vertically from bottom to top, taking his weapon with them, Brax only landed a single strike to the creature, vaulting it up into the air and back down a good distance away.  His attack didn't activate any of his Sword Art moves, bringing much confusion to the normally steady stoic.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47348

Spoiler

BD 9 +3 ACC LD 15 MoBD 2 -1 EVA

Brax 80/80 EN 19/20

Spirit Boar: Confusion and Beginnings -10/25 DEAD [8 + 1crit x 2 Whirlwind] = 18 DMG

     Finally, as the Spirit Boar again got up and charged Brax's position, he set his axe to the side just to try and hit the creature with whatever he could muster up.  As his axe stood ready on his lower right side, the head of the weapon began to glow green with power, the Sword Art Whirlwind activating itself at his command, as it had done during his first set of adventures on the first floor.  When the Spirit Boar drew close enough, his body released the energy, catching the beast with both the original attack and the secondary air slash, dispersing the misty monster back into it's basic elements.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47349

LD 10

     "Well done, Brandon!  Recall your first adventures, and where you are now, for your knowledge...is the answer to confusion!"  The voice boomed out once more, explaining to Brax what had been the key to finding his way, at least at the beginning: his training, and the knowledge he had received from that training.  It had...empowered him, made him...stronger...and not only that, had given him a baseline, thanks to the myriad of emotions he had...experienced...during those first few trips.  'I wonder...what will be next?'  As he looked for his next 'challenge', Brax's eyes roam the area, at least what wasn't obscured by the mists.  His sharp vision failed to notice anything...decent, whether it was material or monster related, but he instinctively knew that would change soon.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47350

Spoiler

BD 5 +3 ACC LD 8 MoBD 10 -1 EVA N/A due to stun

Brax 80/80 EN 17/20

Spirit Dark Elf: Past and Present Collide 27/35 [8 x 1 Grand Destruct] = 8 DMG

     "Next, you must face...your fear, the loss...your past and your present...together..."  With that, a new shape stepped forth from the mist: a cloud as tall as a man, but as it took form it grew ears as pointed as spears, a nose like a hawks, with a curved blade swirling in it's shadowy hand.  It was an elf, most likely a dark elf, similar to the ones Brax had fought while on the quest <<Worn out Welcome>>.  As the wispy spirit drew closer, it moved fast  to swing it's sword and take advantage of Brax's recognition of it's form.  But a flash from the Epitaph upon his wrist made the man faster still, raising his axe high above his head and bringing it down hard on the ground, and as the axe fell it glowed green with power and enacting his Grand Destruct.  Transferring that power into the earth, the ground in front of the Spirit Elf exploded, stunning the misty figure with dust and debris.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47352

LD 18

MoBD 5 -1 EVA

     As the ground was torn up and earth rained from the furrows created by his Grand Destruct, Brax thought he saw a glimmer of...something...fall down from amongst the myriad of useless debris.  He reached for the stone he saw, finding a...diamond in the rough, interestingly enough.  The man quickly pocketed the prize, knowing that the Spirit Elf would recover soon to renew it's assault on him, some sort of...reminder...of his past, the spirit's face shifting from non-descript to recognizable from one moment to the next.  Once it was an elf, then one of his doctors, a fellow patient at Berringer's, and further still several adventurers he had traveled alongside.  People from his...recent past...were etched into it's features, like a motion capture of his SAO history.

+1 material

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47353

Spoiler

BD 9 +3 ACC LD 13 MoBD 7 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 [9 - 3 MIT] = 6 DMG EN 13/20

Spirit Dark Elf: Past and Present Collide 0/35 DEAD [8 + 1crit x 3 Ultimate Breaker] = 27 DMG

     As it had recovered from the stunning effects of Brax's Grand Destruct, the Spirit Elf moved like the mist it was constructed of, fast and smooth through the shrouded pool and its' surroundings.  Not even the power of the Epitaph at it's best could shield him completely from the spirit's assault, and a red line was drawn across his face as the shadow sword managed to strike home.  Brax dodged the next few moves, swiftly shifting from left to right, cursing himself for not wearing his armor like he had done before in battle.  It would have made the fight much more...survivable, given Brax...more leeway to take the blows.  Instead he was at the misty mob's mercy, trying desperately to avoid a killing blow.

     "Enough!" he yelled in frustration, "I will not be done in by a shade of my heart's own design.  Yes, my lost past haunts me...and I know it guides the path I walk...but that path is mine, walked not in fear, which I cannot feel, but because of my drive, the drive that will take me home, where...I will find...who I am.  I...AM...NOT...AFRAID...!!!!!"  With that bold statement, Brax set his axe low, a greenish glow signifying the Ultimate Breaker Sword Art, and with two uppercuts he sent the Spirit Dark Elf flying up into the air.  Still brimming with power he finished the move, bringing the axe-head down on top of the mid-air creature and slamming it to the ground, dispersing the spirit with all the force he could muster.  The voice called out again as the creature vanished: "The past and the present are nothing to fear...for rightly so, they define WHO YOU ARE, and...who you are meant to be...everything that has been lost...can always be found...again..."

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47354

Spoiler

BD 5 +3 ACC LD 7 MoBD 4 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 EN 13/20

Spirit Avalanche: Elemental of Future and Failure 67/75 [8 DMG]

     "Now, you must confront...your future...and the inadequacies...you think that you possess...regarding it..." And after the reverberating voice died out, another form stepped out of the mists, this one much larger than the spirits before: Brax shook his head, for before his eyes stood a Spirit version of Avalanche, the giant elemental that he had faced off against during the quest of the same name on Floor Four.  The Elemental was exactly as he remembered, save that instead of blocks of ice it was constructed of hardened mist, swirling in formation as the pieces of it's body clinked together.  It roared loudly and began to lumber towards Brax, raising it's arms high above and brought them down hard, but unlike last time Brax was able to dodge the powerful blow with a flash of green from the Epitaph, slicing across one leg as he passed to at least hit the freakish spirit.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47355

Spoiler

BD 9 +3 ACC LD 13 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 EN 13/20

Spirit Avalanche: Elemental of Future and Failure 58/75 [8 + 1crit DMG]

     Brax continued the dance, the dance of death that had been his life for the entirety of his time in Aincrad.  His Epitaph fueling his impressive footwork, the emerald flashing of his Battle-Axe as it rose and fell over mobs too numerous to count, the heavy armor of the Pactagonal Knights that kept him secure in the midst of chaotic battle; all these things were...his trappings...the things that made him strong...yet also made him weak.  Without them, what would he be?  Just another player, waiting to die?  What did he, Brandon of Berringer's Psychiatric Hospital, have to offer...anyone, without a past to rely on...or a future to look forward too?  These thoughts and more flashed across the pages of his mind, as he avoided Spirit Avalanche's attacks and laid into it with a few of his own, managing even in his unfocused state to score a decent critical hit on the misty former field boss.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47356

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 14 MoBD 1 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 EN 8/20

Spirit Avalanche: Elemental of Future and Failure -2/75 DEAD [8 + 2crit x 6 Crimson Blood] = 60 DMG

     Brax was...unsure as to why this beast was summoned and what it had to teach him.  Was it...something to do with his skill?  His lack thereof?  Was it, indeed, the fact that he had...nothing to offer of himself...as he had no self to offer?  He had chosen not to fear, as much as he had been able, that his past was lost, but that fear had morphed anew into something else: that his lack of history might, in fact, leave him with nothing to give to others.  That...must be the inadequate feelings that might have driven his fury, his exhilaration, while he had been breaking the rock.  Brax's eyes shone with inner fire, his driven personality burning forth from inside: he had solved the equation!  With newfound determination, he sidestepped ever projectile thrown by Spirit Avalanche in his direction, weaving forward to assail the creature that embodied his...formerly shaky, though not entirely certain, path.  Spinning three times once he got close enough, Brax's turning body flashed with the power of his Crimson Blood Sword Art, cutting clean through the misty monster and forcing the Avatar of Failure to return to the haze from whence it came.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47357

LD 2

     "Now you see...now you begin to understand...the future you have...is not set in stone...I wish I could offer you more...but all I can is this...your 'feelings' do not define you...and they are not yet the basis of what you have to give...remember...your final test awaits..."  The voice trailed off momentarily, giving Brax a slice of time to rest, to recuperate, and to contemplate what he had just heard and, most importantly, felt.  His burning drive and his relentless obsession, combined together with that sense of satisfaction that was always with him when he succeeded, created a...feeling...that managed to bring him...a measure of peace.  That peace, however, was not entirely complete.  He somehow knew that the next task, his final test, would be the most dreaded one yet, if in fact he could feel that dread.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47358

Spoiler

BD 5 +3 ACC LD 8 MoBD 4 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 EN 9/20

Spirit Shark: A Shadow of Emotions 77/85 [8 DMG]

     The voice spoke again, the booming tone again sounding deep within his body: "One more foe awaits...one more Shadow to tame...your most prevalent sensations...that which you cannot express...summon the Feelings that long elude you...confront...and comprehend..."  Just as quickly as it appeared, the ghostly voice vanished itself, departing for places unknown until the stoic had finished the task.  As always, the task was what focused him, even in the midst of his...tumultuous situation, one that he...still did not quite understand.  He had faced spirit creatures from his past, present, and future, and now was about to confront...his emotions in spirit form.  But, his inability at times to use certain Sword Arts at the start was...strange.  What did it mean?

     The mists began to form up once more, a final foe before his prize...whatever that might have been.  His errant 'Feelings' were shaping themselves together into a spirit beast, that coalesced then vanished, leading to Brax experiencing some confusion.  What happened?  Did he win?  Where did the spirit go?  His questions were soon answered, when from across the leafy ground he saw a shadowy fin swimming as if...it was in water, or perhaps...sand.  The last enemy was a manifestation of the Sand Shark in Spirit Form, sneaky and underhanded like those wayward feelings that surprised him during the Martial Arts quest.  But, unlike the last time he faced the beast and was unable to avoid it's attacks, with the emerald energy of his Epitaph Brax was able to effortlessly dodge the shadow blows, applying one of his own in response.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47359

Spoiler

BD 1 +3 ACC N/A LD 10 MoBD 1 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 EN 10/20

Spirit Shark: A Shadow of Emotions 77/85

     Brax was as engaged in this combative relationship as much as he could be, with the knowledge that afterwards, he would be...rewarded somehow.  Though, as he sidestepped wild attacks thrown about be the rambunctious Spirit Shark, he wondered briefly what the prize would be.  There was no quest, at least that he knew of, and his logical thinking process did not recall either a quest marker or a rumor on the boards relating to the Waterfall of the Sage.  Perhaps it was in older records, older posts that were deleted?  But even then, if such an important test like the one he was currently engaged in was here, why would no one speak of it, why would no one...know of it?  Perplexing, that was the word he would use to describe the situation.  So distracted was he by his errantly moving pinball-like reasonings, that Brax was unable to take advantage of his expert dodging to assail the Spirit Shark.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47360

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 11 MoBD 2 -1 EVA

Brax 74/80 EN 10/20

Spirit Shark: A Shadow of Emotions 69/85 [8 DMG]

     Again the Shark dived beneath the ground, though Brax was...intrigued that the Spirit did not churn up earth behind it as it moved swiftly under the dirt.  He supposed that the creature, being insubstantial in origin, was less...confined...by the rules that governed most monsters in the game.  Much like the speed of the Spirit Dark Elf, this beast was able to appear and disappear almost at random, attacking out of the shadows with malicious purpose and devastating power.  Even so, Brax was able to ply his powerful accessory for more and more, his fast moving feet almost blurring the lines of physics as he dodged every assault.  Leaping over the Spirit Shark as it swiped a pair of powerful claws at him, Brax sliced into it's cloudy head as he passed overhead, cutting into it's head as he flew and sending the pieces to rejoin their brethren above.  These normal attacks, though, were not going to cut it.  Brax would need to apply another Sword Art to the foe, but his...unsure attitude...tried to stay his hand.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47361

Spoiler

BD 5 +3 ACC LD 5 MoBD 2 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 74/80 EN 6/20

Spirit Shark: A Shadow of Emotions 53/85 STUN [8 x 2 Smash] = 16 DMG

     As he had been thinking of his Sword Arts, and as he wondered at the power this...emotional shadow...brought to bear against him, Brax was doubting he would be able to activate a higher level attack, for such an attack would be necessary to bring down an enemy such as this.  As he was distracted momentarily by his...indecisiveness...the Spirit Shark began to advance, taking advantage of the distraction to get in a most destructive blow.  Brax barely had time to react once he realized the creature was going to kill him, or at least seriously wound him, for without his armor he was a VERY soft target.  Acting quickly, Brax set his axe low as if to activate his Ultimate Breaker, but had set his weapon on the wrong side for the Sword Art.  Instead, the side he had chosen began to glow with power, and a single uppercut to the shadowy shark stunned the beast upon approach: he had hit the rampaging Spirit with his Smash attack, stopping the beast in it's tracks and giving him time, time to think.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 47362

Spoiler

BD 8 +3 ACC LD 12 MoBD 7 -1 EVA

Brax 47/80 [30 - 3 MIT] = 27 DMG EN 0/20

Spirit Shark: A Shadow of Emotions -3/85 DEAD [8 x 7 Crescent Avalanche] = 56 DMG

     Time...Brax had all the time in the world...now that he was in Aincrad.  Back in the real world, he had given himself a goal, the goal being what always drove him: to remember his past, and find a way to fix his emotions.  Here, in SAO, he had lost some of that.  His hunting trips had occupied his mind, and Brax had kept pushing off thinking of things, saying that he would find time later.  Well, it seemed as though that later time...had finally found him, though definitely not as he had expected.  His 'inner self' was assaulting him with visions of his...weaknesses, which begged a pertinent question: did Brax view his emotions as...a weakness?  In this world, was an errant emotion...a trapping?  If so, was that the reason he...had reacted so violently to the outbursts?  He was so unsure...left with more questions than answers, until he felt a blinding pain radiate from his chest as the Spirit Shark barreled into him, the stun effect from his Smash having worn off.

     The damage done was extensive, and Brax was knocked away like a rag doll into the pool and it's calming waters.  He found no rejuvenation in it's aquatic depths, though, only feeling the red hot fire racing throughout his chest, ironically enough centered on his heart.  The attack left him...cold, and not from the water.  He saw his fight in black and white, light and dark, pushing aside the emotional turmoil that he was probosculating upon and dealing with the matter at hand: the Spirit Shark.  "Whether I can or cannot recover my emotions is pointless, if I cannot survive the confrontations that are to come," Brax said, a strong and resolute tone echoing through the glade.  "I may not know all of the answers now, but for the moment...they are unnecessary.  If I die, I will never find them at all.  Ipso facto, my cold and calculating demeanor...will be required.  Unfortunate, but required.  My emotions...will have to wait.  My past...my future...and my survival...must take precedence, for now.  Farewell, my heart...I will find you again, when I am ready...for what you have to give."  With that final statement, Brax charged forward and activated his Crescent Avalanche, summoning itself to his side like a lost friend.  With seven powerful strikes he cut the misty mob to shreds, watching as the Spirit Shark disapparated into thin air.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax sat down on the ground following the revelations he had just seen, as well as to rest his frame from the extended exertion expended during the battles.  His disembodied voice reappeared, saying "To conquer one's emotions...to hold mastery over one's heart...that is the key...to unlocking one's self...know thyself, adventurer, and take this, thy prize..."  With that, Brax felt the presence begin to leave him, but as he looked around, he could not see the prize that it had offered.  Like a cartoon character voicing it's confusion, one could almost see the giant question mark appear over his head as he spun from side to side in search of the treasure he had been promised.  The mists began to swirl about, closing in on the man from all sides and enveloping his body in it's soft and freezing tendrils.  There was no escape, and Brax felt his consciousness slipping away...

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     "Wakey, wakey, Brandon!  Rise and Shine!!!"  The voice had returned, ringing like a bullhorn in Brax's ears.  Coming back to himself as if he had been fast asleep, Brax did not open his eyes but instead felt the sun warm on his face, and the mossy stone he sat on beneath his butt.  He found himself where he had started, sitting cross-legged on the rock in the middle of the pool beneath the Waterfall of the Sage.  'Was that just a vision?' he thought to himself, and the voice answered his inner thoughts.  "Yes, very good, logical one!  Way to hit the nail on the head!"  Brax could almost see the smirking behind it's tone of voice.  Speaking aloud, he answered back: "So, what was the point...of that endeavor?  I found no reward that was worth...the experience."  "Yes, well, what I would NORMALLY give...isn't quite ready to be applied yet.  We all are here to do...what we are here to do.  Even programs...such as I.  But, you are not so ungifted as you might think, Pactagonal Knight.  Open your eyes, and take a look in your status window.  If you can, you might be...surprised."  Unsure as to whether he should follow a disembodied voice's directions, Brax nonetheless chose to do as it said.  Opening up his menu to observe his current status, he saw a new icon next to his weapon rank: he had advanced to the rank of Grandmaster in his Battle-Axe!

     Once more the voice spoke: "As you can see, I am not so heartless...heh-heh-heh.  You might not have completely mastered what you need...but this power you have obtained...can offer you some control...you used just about every Sword Art you possess...to confront and combat every enemy you faced...shadows that could be found in you...apply what you have learned, both to yourself...and what you seek...remember to come back to me, when I am ready...I am REALLY looking forward to messing with you again...farewell..."  With that, Brax felt the voice leave him a final time.  Sitting on the rock, he kept his senses trained outwards, just in case the voice returned, but it did not.  Brax was again alone in meditative repose.

     'So, that was the point, then,' he mused to himself, contemplating the experience.  'I was...rewarded with my rank of Grandmaster.  Interesting, but...I am left with more questions than answers.'  Brax wondered what the situation meant for him.  Yes, he now had more power, power to apply to future conquests, and to protect himself.  In addition, the lessons he had learned would offer him some control over what had happened, probably making sure it did not occur again in the near future.  But, what of his past, the past he long was searching for?  Was he to give that up to help others on their quests?  Was he to...forgo his emotions, in lieu of saving the people of Aincrad, his fellow players trapped in SAO?  What...was his future to be?  With these questions and more rattling around in his head, Brax rose from the rock and, after re-equipping his armor, strode back towards Amazon, for a time of reflection.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Brax