[PP-F2] Queen Beedrill

[Mack 0]

Mack stood in the portal plaza of the small town of Urbus on the second floor, Invictus sheathed at his back, the white trimmed hood of his Knights of the Blood Oath guild cloak pulled up over his head, and his massive arms crossed over his chest. This morning he was supposed to be meeting his twin and Samriel to tackle the low-level quest Long Live the Queen. Mack had completed it ages ago and the item drop from it, at this point, would be next to useless to him. Still, since his twin was determined to be a tank and Samriel had put all of her starting skill points into First Aid, of all things, someone would need to tag along with them to make sure the two women didn't get into trouble. The fact that the ginger giant had an area effect attack that could, literally, kill for of the queen bees at the same time was also extremely helpful. If anything went wrong, he could easy address the problem. For now, the more pressing question was the location of his two companions for this morning, in just five more minutes each of them would be late.

[Magda 0]

The hurried footsteps echoed throughout the area as she hurried towards the teleport pad in the Town of Beginnings. She wore the same thing she wore everyday. Which in truth was the only outfit she had. A fact that didn't amuse Magda at all. A black skirt that fell down to hang five inches above her ankles, a teal tunic, and dark leather boots which were mostly concealed beneath the lower hem of the skirt. The tunic's sleeves only extended passed her elbows and with a v-shaped neck. Her hammer was secured in a loop in her belt and she had to keep a hand on it to keep its haft from slamming into her leg as she sprinted down the partially busy street. Once she made it to the teleport she stood directly on it as she frantically tried to remember where she was supposed to meet her brother. She spend several minutes before she finally remembers and practically shouted the words that would take her here. When it didn't work she looked rather puzzled. After she shouted it a few times a nearby player was polite enough to inform her that she had the word wrong. She let out a nervous laugh as she patted the man on a shoulder and stood back. "Teleport Urbus!" When she appeared she stumbled forward as always but she managed to keep on her feet. Rather than moving out of the way in case anyone else teleported in Magda just stood there and waved. "Mack!"

[Samriel 0]

 Samriel came running from around the corner of an Urbus building, the cape of her armor along with her long braid flapping behind her as the wolf hood bounced on her back. She was late. ...Again. She wouldn't have felt bad, but she was feeling mighty appreciative to the man that had pretty much completely outfitted her, gave her an invitation to a pretty nice party and now was offering to let her tag along to a quest with his sister and get some xp! ...And she was late. Part of it was because she had went to the wrong area. She had thought he had meant the first floor portal plaza and scoured the area before rereading the message and giving herself a face-palm. But mainly it was because she had slept past her alarm. She liked sleeping in and wasn't used to having to wake up early for anything. Finally having arrived at the right area, Sam's eyes scanned the area before quickly spotting Mack and Magda. They were hard to miss, tall as they both were, but mainly due to what he was wearing. Jogging up to the blacksmith and his twin, the blonde then leaned over, her hands resting on her knees as she caught her breath. "S-Sorry....late...slept...'larm." She tried pathetically to explain before righting herself and swallowing a large amount of air and finally got out, "Sorry I'm late guys. Hooo... Nothing like a run to wake you up."

Edited March 23, 2016 by Samriel

[Mack 0]

"Sister mine, you would be wise to clear off the portal platform," Mack called up to his twin as she stood there and waved. "That's a good way to get run over, or, in your case, to accidentally run over someone else," he continued, drawing back the white trimmed crimson hood of his cloak and peering at his twin. At her height it was also a good way for some lucky, and shorter, male to run face first into her chest. Then Mack would have to rip the poor guy's arms off and beat him to death with them. The ginger giant was just about to remark that he supposed Samriel wasn't going to be showing up, and that he would be having some words with the blonde about that, when she came tearing up, huffing and puffing, resting with her hands on her knees and making excuses.

"You still have ten whole seconds," Mack rumbled, clapping the armored woman on the back with one massive hand and completely ignoring the fact that she was still trying to catch her breath. The little healer in training would learn. "Alright, this morning we're going to tackle the Queen Bee quest. I'm along to provide, in military terms, heavy artillery support given that I hit hard enough to kill four Queen Bee's at the same time," Mack continued, explaining the quest. "Interestingly, we have a complete party, almost. If we had someone that specialized in finding loot then we'd have a tank," he gestured to Magda, "a healer," he pulled Samriel into a one-armed side hug, "And a somewhat sturdier than normal glass cannon." The gigantic blacksmith shrugged and released the blonde. "Keep Sam alive, Mags. She'll heal you while you tackle the bee, I'm the security blanket."

[Magda 0]

Magda quickly moved out of the way of the teleport pad per her brother's recommendation. She started to walk his way as he drew back the hood of his cloak to reveal that crimson hair that was one of the characteristics that they shared. It looked like he was just about to say something when both his and her attention shifted to Samriel as she rushed into the area. A subtle grin spread across Magda's lips when she realized that she wasn't the only one who had almost shown up late. After all she'd only arrived a few seconds before Samriel had. "That's the spirit," she exclaimed as the blonde elaborated that there was nothing like a morning run to wake you up. Magda might have taken that a bit too literally. "There isn't anything quite invigorating like going for a run before the sun rises!" Unlike most Magda didn't sleep in very late. Back before all of this she was an accomplished professional fighter and trained day in and day out. So early morning runs were all too common place for her. "If you want you could join me on my morning runs through the city." She knew that the act of running here didn't have the same affect here like it did in the real world, but it was a form of ritual she kept up to keep her mind focused. Once they were all together her brother went on to explain what the plan was for the day.

"Queen Bee quest," she muttered in response. Hmph! Queen Bee indeed. She'd show that insect who the real queen was around here. The thought incited a rather large grin to work its way across her face. Though she was slightly disheartened when she figured that Mack wouldn't let her do much fighting anyway. She felt a sting of pride when Mack referred to her as a tank but her gaze shifted over to Samriel when Mack called her a healer. "A healer eh?" Her bright-eyed gaze seemed to appraise the young woman as she nodded approvingly. Per the explanation she'd received over the various roles in games such as if if the tank was the backbone of any sound party then the healer was the glue that held it all together. That bright-eyed gaze didn't remain on Samriel for long though. Soon her eyes snapped over to her brother as she stared at him wide eyed. "Wait what?" She remained silent for a few moments before she took one step closer. "You mean I get to hit it? With my hammer?" She took the hammer out of the loop on her left hip as if it'd been overlooked before and to express her point. There was a hint of excitement in her tone at the prospect of actually getting to fight something. Finally! She'd managed to raise her level some but it was mostly through just tagging along like a follower rather than taking any real lead in a situation.

[Samriel 0]

At the news that she hadn't been entirely late since she made it with ten seconds to spare, Samriel let out a relieved sigh before immediately choking as a shovel like hand knocked the wind out of her lungs with a heavy clap on the back. Coughing roughly with wide eyes, the blonde was able to catch the gist of what Magda said and replied evasively with hoarse voice, "Oh, uh...sure, maybe sometime." She was not an early riser. Not that she couldn't rise early should the situation call for it...she just preferred not to if she had any choice over it.

Standing up and rubbing the area of her back where Mack had hit, the blonde wondered why on earth the amazon woman would do such a thing every morning. Perhaps she was simply a healthy person. But in a game...? Focusing on what Mack was telling them, Sam nodded along, glancing at Magda as her twin named her the team's designated tank and smiling back at her when she gave approval at her role of choice. Everybody loved the healer. At least until they lost...or in this case died... Then it was all the healer's fault. Mack's one armed hug was sudden, but she shrugged it off. Perhaps he was simply a 'touchy person'. When the statuesque man told them what to do when they fought, Samriel nodded again before quirking an eyebrow and chuckling. "I got it, but...security blanket? Not that your presence isn't comforting." She placated somewhat jokingly.

Glancing sidelong at Magda as she seemed to perk up about something, the blonde's eyebrows raised at her questions and then focused on her hammer. A surprised smile spread across her face before she quickly swiped to equip Dawnbreaker and hold it out towards the fiery haired woman. "Hammers! Unite!" Samriel declared in deep thunderous voice. This was a first for her, she'd never encountered someone else that wielded the one handed warhammer. It seemed rather unpopular compared to the flashier and higher damaging weapons.

[Mack 0]

"Oh god, it's Hammer Time, isn't it," Mac rumbled in a soft groan, realizing for the first time that both Magda and Samriel had chosen to be warhammer users. The weapon simply didn't have the kind of damage table that Mack preferred in his weapons. He'd keep his trusty axe, even though the whip could deal out more damage. There was just something, something unmanly, about being a dude and using a whip. Unless you were Indiana Jones, then it was ok. But, Indy was the exception to the rule and not the rule setter.

"Yes, you get to do the leg work this time, Mags," Mack continued, turning his dark eyes once again on Samriel. "And my presence better get comforting, because you're going to need to get used to it. All your points in first aid," Mack said in a low tone, a scowl just barely tugging at the corners of his mouth. Healers always had their place, and there would likely come a time when the ginger giant would be very glad that Samriel was an accomplished healer. But, to not start out by either giving yourself a defensive or offensive boost just seemed a needless risk to take for such a low level player. It made them dependent on others, in Mack's opinion, not that the blonde's seeming dependence wasn't an attractive quality in an equally attractive woman.

[Magda 0]

Magda's eyes shifted from Mack to Samriel as she shrugged out of his grasp and then insinuated that the big oaf's presence was comforting. Her brows rose as she looked between them again. A budding romance perhaps? A slow smile played across her lips but her amusement quickly shifted focus when the healer declared in a loud tone for the hammers to unite. Her expression quickly shifted as she took her hammer in and and tapped it against Samriel's and shouted in a boisterous tone, "Hammers united!" She grinned at her and simply beamed at Mack when he made the comment about it being hammer time. She was just about to say something like "Can't touch this" but that might have been completely misconstrued in many different ways so she just let that joke slide. Instead she focused her attention back on Samriel. "You're not going with a shield too are you?" If that were the case then they'd be practically wielding the same equipment. It was a refreshing thought that someone else had chosen the same weapon as her. It meant that her choice hadn't been so ill advised after all. "If so we could be Shield Sisters," she offered. Much like the warriors of old she'd often read about. Having an ally fighting by your side with shields interlocked. She silently mused it was akin to the Spartans only Samriel and she would have on way more clothing and were in fact women.

When Mack revealed that the healer had put all of her points into it she would receive a curious gaze from the fiery crimson haired woman. "You did?" Silently Magda wondered if she did it in order to help others or if she was just uncertain of what else to go for. If it hadn't been for the fact Magda had to go through that very character creation process and gained a few levels since she'd arrived she wouldn't have had any idea what Mack talked about. Now though she at least had some idea that with each level you gained more points to use. "There isn't any point in dwelling on that. It just means we need to get her more points right," she asked as she turned to look at Mack. Her weapon was leaned back against her shoulder.

[Samriel 0]

At Mack's groan about what time it being, Samriel guffawed at the reference, wishing dearly that she knew how to do that dance just to annoy him further. But she was much too taken up with the friendly meeting of weapons with her new 'hammer buddy'. With a wide grin at Magda's enthusiasm, the blonde began to nod at her question before her eyes widened exponentially. The look in her eyes at the phrase 'Shield Sisters' could only be described as ecstatic, they were practically glistening with euphoria. "Really?!" The blonde asked with greater enthusiasm. To say that she usually had a lack of female friends would be an understatement, this was a monumental occasion for her! Quickly swiping into her inventory once more, the blonde equipped Twilight, the rounded silver shield that had countless gems inlaid into it that mimicked its namesake appeared strapped to her left forearm. Sam's ears were a bit warm, still getting used to having such a frankly bedazzling piece of equipment as it was very unlike her usual plain tastes and a bit girly to her, but it was a fine shield nonetheless.

After Mack confirmed to his excited twin that she would indeed get to fight, her lavender eyes rolled at his tone  when he scowlingly berated her for putting all of her points into the only healing skill in the game. "See if I heal you then." Sam replied with fake sniff, knowing of course that should the ridiculously high leveled man truly need it, she'd heal him regardless of what she said.

Catching Magda's questioning glance and query, she felt as if an explanation was due as she nodded with a shrug. "It seemed like the most useful. The guild I was in already had everything else covered anyway. I figured I could always level up other stuff later but healing people was more important at early levels."  At the red haired woman's sound logic, Samriel nodded firmly with an easy smile. "That's the plan. So who's that Pokemon~?" Clearing her throat at the old joke to cover a chuckle she amended, "Where's this Queen?"

[Mack 0]

OOC: I'm going to do a touch of Mob farming for some more mats, I'll spawn four wolves in my next post. Then... I'll kill four wolves in my next post. :)

Mack didn't like where this was going. He didn't like it one bit. The last thing he needed was for Magda to corrupt Samriel over to her way of thinking about things. Then there would be no living with either of them, if they formed a united front against him. Still, there was one little matter that needed to be quickly clarified. "No, we need to get both of you more experience, and the safest way to do that is for me to come along to watch your backs," the ginger goliath replied in a low tone, starting to head towards one of the few gates in the walls that surrounded the town of Urbus. They needed to get this show on the road. Just then, something Samriel said stuck out to him. Apparently, the blonde had been in a guild once already.

"Now, that is a good idea," Mack said musingly, as he passed beneath the arched oaken beams of the northern gate of the town of Urbus, taking the two women out into a wilderness that, quite frankly, he had no fear of. "You should follow the lead of my dearest twin and our baby sister. The Knights of the Blood Oath could always use another healer. Right now, we've only really got Shizuka though Lawfer is working on those skills as well. Mags wants to be a tank, we've not got a true front line tank at the moment either, but Xion is close." Mack swiped a finger in the air in front of him, thumbed through his inventory, and replaced St. Michael's Fingers with Grandmaster's Honor, the jeweled ring suddenly appearing on his right ring finger even as the gauntlets disappeared.

"As for the Queen Bee, her hive is out in this direction. Maybe a hike of a mile or two," Mack replied easily, his dark eyes searching the growing shadows of the forest for any signs of a potential threat. "It shouldn't take us too long to get there, then we can track down another quest and get cracking on that one as well. I'm going to try to power level both of you to level ten by the end of the day."

[Magda 0]

Samriel’s show of enthusiasm caused Magda to offer her a wide grin in response. The young blonde quickly equipped her shield to show just how enthused she was about it which only made her smile deepen. “Yes really!”  Never the one to leave a challenge unanswered Magda opened her menu with a quick swipe of her hand. It was finally time to show off the hard work her brother had put into crafting her gear. Not many had seen her clad in it yet and this would make for one perfect opportunity to show it off. She cycled through the menu until she opened her inventory and highlighted one of the items within. Suddenly her clothes started to glow briefly which was an indication that she was about to swap her gear. Then as swiftly as the light emanated from her clothes it vanished to reveal her armor. Armor forged of titanium and dyed a bright white which only enhanced her fair skin. Skin that stood out in stark contrast to her brother’s tanned skin. Bright red trimmed the armor to mark her as a member of the Knights of the Blood Oath guild. The trim not only matched her crimson locks but it was enhanced by it.

 

Now that she had donned her armor it covered her from neck to foot leaving next to nothing of her body revealed. Which was more than likely her brother’s intent when he forged it. It didn’t seem to bother her though as she never looked like the one who was quick to show anything off. Her finger tapped against another item and a shield phased into existence and was secured to her left arm. She held it up to show Samriel. Like her armor it was forged from titanium and dyed white. The outer edge of the shield was trimmed in the same red as her armor. The shield itself was a massive tower shield but when held by someone of Magda’s stature it didn’t look all that bulky. A red cross lined with rubies split the white field into four sections. It was a little flashier than she would have preferred but she never voiced her opinion on it beyond thanking Mack for the work he’d put into it.

 

There was one last item she needed to equip. Her finger hovered over an item called <<Blood Rage>> and when she equipped it the basic hammer she held in her right hand suddenly vanished and was replaced with a clawed hammer that looked quite vicious. Its surface would appear black upon a brief glance but if a closer look was taken it would be revealed that it wasn’t black at all. In fact it was a very deep shade of red. Magda tested the weight of it as she listened to Samriel’s reason for spending her points the way she did. “Admirable,” Magda offered in response. When she asked where the Queen was Magda looked at Mack to see what he had to say in response. When he suggested that Samriel follow suit and join up with the guild Magda’s eyes lit up and she turned towards the young blonde. “Oh now that is a grand idea!” Mack continued to talk and a smile split across her face in response to the revelation that there weren’t any true tanks on the front line and Magda was fully intent on becoming the first one. “Not yet,” she quickly corrected her brother with a wink.

She continued to follow her brother and rested her new hammer back against her shoulder. Its clawed head reached over her shoulder. She wanted to keep it at the ready in case she needed to put it to immediate use. “Two mile hike? Easy.” That would offer her a nice warmup at least.

Spoiler

Mitigation: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 14, Dmg: 1, Acc: 1

 

[Samriel 0]

As Mack shot down both her and Magda's cheer about getting her some more skill points, Samriel frowned, glancing at the statuesque woman in confusion. "Both of us?" It was hard to imagine the muscular red head needing to do much leveling. Since she had heard that the blacksmith was a frontliner, she assumed the same of his twin. She knew that they were going on a fairly low levelled quest, but had simply assumed that it was because the two had quickly moved on to bigger better quests and skipped it, or were simply humoring her because of her own level.

But her focus quickly switched from the woman's level to what said woman was wearing. As she changed her equips, Samriel blinked against the light as the items began to appear on her avatar before finally revealing them. She looked spectacular and the color scheme was much the same as her brothers. Maybe it was a twin thing. But her wide eyes immediately snapped onto the tower shield. "Whoa, that thing means serious business! Are you sure that isn't a weapon? Jeez...nothing'll be able to get by you." She had been standing stock still admiring Magda's equips but then came to her senses when said equips began moving away and the blonde followed the siblings as Mack lead them out of Urbus' safe zone. Sam glanced down to reassure herself that she was in fact wearing her new armor and was thus protected, deciding to keep her hammer in her hand than at her side for now. She didn't have any doubts that she would be well looked after with the two redheads, but it didn't hurt to be prepared from what she had learned.

Glancing forward at Mack, her eyebrows raised at the mention of another sister and she blurted out, "How many sisters do you have dude?" She was slipping into her tomboy ways. It was too easy when in a party like this rather than one on one. Her focus shifted off of her language and onto what the blacksmith had suggested. "Knights of the Blood Oath huh?" That explained the matching armor then. Another guild... Sam was quiet after Magda's concurrence that it was a good idea, as she thought. Was she ready to join another guild? Did she want to be? Surreptitiously glancing at the redheads, the blonde knew that she could easily see herself continuing like this. But who knew how big their guild was. She counted three other unfamiliar names and there could be more. And Mack fought on the front lines. "I dunno if I'd really be cut out for it. Don't you guys fight on the frontlines? I mean, you know my level Mack..." She had told him back at his shop.

Glancing up towards the path that the blacksmith was leading them as he told them where the mini boss was and how far away, Sam pulled a face before attempting to school it into a more neutral expression when her Shield Sister said that it would be easy. She supposed she had walked and biked farther before...she was just feeling lazy since it was so early. She'd take it easy the rest of the day. Maybe treat herself. But that idea was soon dashed when Mack voiced his plans. Eyebrows shooting up to her hairline, Samriel protested, "Level ten?! In just one day! Is that actually possible?? I-I mean...even if I were to get to level ten, I'd still be nowhere near your level." The healer gestured towards Mack. "You guys can't need an under-leveled healer that badly."

Edited March 24, 2016 by Samriel

[Mack 0]

ID: 53091
LD: 9 (No Mat)

"Ah, but if we power level you then you won't be under-leveled and once you both get to level twenty-five I can make you Tier Two gear," Mack rumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to scan the leafy surroundings in which they found themselves. As they moved along the ginger giant idly swung Invictus into a passing tree, on the off chance that a chunk of lumber would fall out it. Alas, no such luck. "And only some of us fight on the front lines. I have two sisters and neither is a front liner. Most of the Knights aren't front liners, at least not yet. Magda's only a level or two ahead of you, Sammy. The Knights of the Blood Oath do not use low-level players as cannon fodder, unlike some other guilds," the blacksmith rumbled in a dark, almost ominous, tone.

"Compared to a lot of guild members, you're not under-leveled. The big hitters are, really, only Heathcliff, our leader, Opal, the second in command, myself, I'm third in command and I lead the Guild's Strike Team, and Macradon. The rest are anywhere from around level twenty-five on down to players like Mags and Michi. Except for Shizuka, she's a front line healer." Slowly the group continued to meander through the forest. "With us you'll gain the benefits of being in a large guild, easy to find parties, easy to complete quests, easy to level up safely. Like we're going to do today and, yes, level ten is very achievable in one day... with a bit of work." The towering red head also left out the small fact that, in the guild, he'd be better able to keep an eye on the blonde and keep her alive throughout the game.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Mack

[Magda 0]

Magda smiled at Samriel’s reaction when she saw her shield. To better answer her question Magda lifted the tower shield up and leaned in close where she said, “Anything can be a weapon.” She leaned back and let out a soft chuckle. “Back before all of this I was a fighter.” Her expression hardened slightly as she thought of how weak she was now in comparison to how she used to be. "Oh! I heard there is a martial arts skill that I can unlock. Now that's going to be fun,” Magda said with a huge grin that revealed her teeth. There was a slight malicious look to that grin but it quickly shifted back to a kinder expression as she looked ahead and started to whistle a soft catchy tune. She only stopped long enough to smirk at the blonde’s reaction to the fact there was another Mack sister before she picked the tune back up.

That is until Samriel expressed her disbelief that she’d be of any use on the front-lines. “Hey don’t overthink things.” Magda patted her Shield Sister on the shoulder. “After all Shield Sisters have to stick together right? And don't forget once I am a full-fledged tank nothing will touch you anyway.” She might have been a little too care-free about the true danger fighting in this world actually represented. Her lips picked up that soft melody once more while she listened to the other two as they talked. Until that moment Magda wasn’t aware achieving level ten in a single day was that big of a deal. It wasn’t that she was confident in the ability to shoot up through the levels. The truth was she just didn’t know how long it was supposed to take. So as to not reveal her noobness as some called it she kept silent on the matter content with just whistling.

Mack revealed that it the two of them wouldn’t be under leveled for long and new gear would be forged once they hit level twenty five. That thought was definitely pleasing. The better her gear the stronger she’d be. Magda had at least picked up on that small but important detail in her time here. She didn’t pay too much attention as her brother went over the finder details of the guild. Her eyes were too focused upon the trees as they passed and the pondered why her brother had randomly hit one with his axe. Was it a pre-battle ritual perhaps? A subtle smile crept across her face as she lifted her hammer from against her shoulder and held it at the ready. Since she was going to help fight today she might as well give it a shot too. Her hammer struck out at a tree as she walked by though she didn’t know that was one of many different ways of collecting materials within the world of SAO.

She was about to keep walking by the tree. The dark red hammer rested against her shoulder once more but suddenly a piece of wood dropped to the ground at her feet and she froze. "Eh?!" She looked at the tree and then at her hammer before her gaze finally fixed on Mack as if to ask him what the heck just happened.

 

ID: 53097; LD: 19 > +1 Material

Edited March 25, 2016 by Magda

[Samriel 0]

Seeing Magda lean in, Samriel did the same and a wide grin spread across her face at the other woman's statement. "Ain't that the truth." She replied, bumping elbows in a friendly manner. Upon her statement of her real profession, the blondes expression blossomed into one of surprise and intrigue, though the smile became a bit wary at her intense enthusiasm about acquiring a martial arts skill. Chuckling, she told her Shield Sister, "More power to ya girl."

"Twenty five..." Samriel's mind reeled at the thought before latching onto something, "What's tier two?" She gathered from what he said that apparently one needed to be at least level twenty-five to equip it, but she hadn't yet heard of equipment having tiers. Then again, she wasn't a crafter and she and her friends were all very low leveled...nowhere near level twenty even. The blonde blinked as she watched the muscular man hurl his great axe with a casualness that belied the amount it cut into the thick tree. She was about to ask why, but was distracted as Mack further explained about his guild. When he stated that his twin was only a level or two ahead of her, the healer's eyebrows raised as she glanced at Magda for confirmation. It was rather hard to imagine this women being as passive and casual as she had been since they arrived in Aincrad.

When Mack referred to her by her less used nickname, Samriel smiled gently, thinking of another who had called her that. But it soon fell into a serious and none too pleased expression at his reassurances. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, she just still couldn't believe that some guilds did such a vile thing. She had heard rumors of big guilds that had visited the lower floors to recruit and all had assumed that they just needed fresh blood, more members and all that. Until a few months later when it began to circulate that those very guilds had simply thrown the numerous low level players at mini bosses and floor bosses until they gave out. No regard for human life. It was one thing when one was throwing their life away, but to manipulate innocent and naive players like that? It was unspeakable.

Finally the blonde swallowed thickly and replied, "That's good to hear." Turning to Magda as she received a pat on the shoulder and told not to overthink things, the blonde smiled slightly and nodded. But it became a little wan when the red haired woman reassured her that nothing would touch her when she became a full tank. "I'm more worried about you. Just because you're a tank doesn't mean you're invincible." Her tone was utterly serious as her expression before she looked away, bothered by her new found friend's casualness. "But don't worry, that's what First Aid is for."

She tried to shake herself from her dark mood as Mack continued to speak of the Knights. The more she heard, the more that it wasn't sounding like a bad idea. Her interest especially peaked at mention of a front line healer, Shizuka. Smiling lopsidedly as the blacksmith admitted that it would take some work to get them to level ten by the end of the day, Sam admitted, "Alright...I have to admit I'm interested." Glancing away from the male twin to the female, the healer saw a material drop to her feet. "Oh look, you got a mat. Good job." She casually congratulated her Shield Sister and wondered if she'd get as lucky. Walking to the next tree, she gauged it before shaking her head and passing onto the next one and finally knocking her hammer against the trunk but having as much luck as Mack had, shrugging at the twins.

[ID: 53107 ; LD: 9 = No Material]

Edited March 25, 2016 by Samriel

[Mack 0]

OOC: You know, either of you can spawn the Queen Bee whenever. I've equipped my ring and I have concentration so if I have to provide a rescue I can score a hit on a roll of 3 or better. :)

ID: 53108
BD: 8 (6+2 Ring)
LD: 6 (+4 Mats)

Mack: 137/137 (0/32) [Sword Art: Explode Catapult 3x3x16=144 DMG] (6 Weapon + 5 Skill + 3 Charge + 1 Base + 1 Athletics)

Wolf 1: -1/115 (Mit. 28) [144-28=116 DMG]
Wolf 2: -1/115 (Mit. 28) [144-28=116 DMG]
Wolf 3: -1/115 (Mit. 28) [144-28=116 DMG]
Wolf 4: -1/115 (Mit. 28) [144-28=116 DMG]

The ginger headed man continued to listen to the two women chat away while his head remained on a swivel, watching for any potential danger to the two women in his charge, one of whom was his twin sister. When the mention of 'Shield Sisters' sticking together came up again the hulking axe man pounced on it. "Yes, Shield Sisters should stick together, another good reason for you to become one of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Generally speaking, we help low level players, complete quests, and those who are able to do so with minimal risk are front line fighters. Like me." Plus, it would be a good way to keep an eye on the blonde, a not unattractive prospect to the gigantic warrior. "Plus, Chewie likes you." The fact that the bear liked, basically, everyone was irrelevant. Mack listened to the question posed by Samriel and then weighed in with an answer.

"Equipment is tiered. Tier two equipment became available to all players level twenty-five and above as soon as the tenth floor was cleared. It is assumed that equipment will continue to progress like that, so eventually there will be tier three gear for all players level fifty and above when the twentieth floor is cleared and so on and so forth," Mack said, gesturing with his hands. "Tier two gear is twice as good as tier one, which is what you and Mags have. I'll upgrade your gear when you can use the upgrades," the smith rumbled. They were getting close to the Queen Bee's nest now, any moment. Suddenly, the blacksmith stopped, both hands shot out. One latched around the back of Magda's armor and the other around  the back of Samriel's, pulling both women to a stop and actually lifting the smaller blonde off of the ground for a second.

"Stop," the ginger giant hissed then, abruptly realizing that he was still holding Samriel off of the ground by the back of her armor. "Sorry, but listen." Mack's remark was punctuated by a long howl, that was followed by a chorus of answering howls from other wolves in the pack as he set Samriel back down on the ground and released his grip on the two women. Dark eyes narrowing, the soldier scanned the forest surroundings and, after a second, he spotted the canines. "The wolves are mine," Mack rumbled in a low tone. The wolves weren't part of the quest and, because the women were with him there was a remote chance that the mobs might be leveled for him instead of for Magda and Samriel.

Crouching down, Mack slipped through the underbrush and avoided his usual tactic of charging headlong into the fight. It was unlikely, but if something did happen to him then Magda and Samriel needed to be able to slip quietly away. Not that Magda would be likely to do that. When he was close enough, the gigantic warrior burst out of the underbrush and charged down on the wolves. With several wide, sweeping attacks from Invictus the dogs were reduced to free floating pixels. "Come on," Mack called, dividing out the loot from the kills. He tossed one material to Samriel and another to Magda, keeping the remaining two for himself. "Now, let's find that bee."

 

Edited March 25, 2016 by Mack

[Magda 0]

Magda didn’t speak up when Samriel asked about what tier two mean but she certainly listened. She was actually happy that someone asked as she didn’t like to look too inexperienced with this whole gaming scene. Magda let out a hearty laugh when her Shield Sister announced her concern for her well-being and stated that she wasn’t invincible. Of course she didn’t think she was really invincible. Magda just had confidence in her own ability and that of her friends. A fact that Samriel seemed to understand when she said that’s that First Aid is for. Once more Magda clapped her on the shoulder and nodded enthusiastically. “Now you’re getting it! I may not be invincible on my own but with you there healing me,” she said with a wide grin. “I think I’ll be close enough.” The larger woman offered the blonde a quick wink before she continued to whistle that soft melodic tune.

When she successfully got a piece of wood from the tree her eyes remained focused on it for a while. The revelation that it was a mat caused her eyebrow to rise slightly and Samriel got a look. “Of course,” she said right before she crouched down to pick it up. The item was quickly stowed away. She frowned when Samriel’s attempt didn’t turn anything up and for a moment Magda pondered why she was the only one to get anything. Mack jumped in to try and persuade the blonde to join the build once more and then explained what the various tiers of equipment meant and how they were beneficial. The fact that gear scaled with these tiers did catch Magda’s interest. Still she remained unusually silent on the matter content to sit back and listen for now.

She would have been happy to just keep whistling but suddenly her brother hissed at them to stop and then grabbed hold of her armor. She was just about to voice her protest over what he’d done but she listened to his advice and listened. The howls proved to be the harbinger of a wolf pack that very well could have been attracted by her whistling. She offered Mack an apologetic look as she tried to grin. It all ended a bit too quickly though and in no time they were off once more to seek out this Queen bee. She kept walking along the trail as her gaze shifted from one area to the next. She figured they were getting close so she quickly took her hammer from where it had been secured to her shield. Samriel wouldn’t be getting any more pats on the shoulder from here on. At least until they defeated this bee anyway.

There was a feeling that caused her abdomen to tighten up. It was sensation she was all too familiar with since she felt it before every match she had where she faced a new opponent. Magda definitely felt excited since this was going to be her first true fight since she arrived in Aincrad. Granted her brother would be there to swoop in for the rescue if she did something to mess it up which did dampen the feeling a bit. Then again she just would just have to avoid messing this up. The grip of her hammer felt good against her hand as she tightened her grip on it. The trees started to thin out and as she moved to take point. A soft buzzing noise flowed on the wind and as she stepped out into a clearing her eyes grew wide and she looked back over her shoulder as she pointed. "Found it," she said with a low laugh. She was definitely having entirely too much fun considering the amount of danger that was present with every fight that took place here.

The largest bee she’d ever seen hovered above the ground in the center of a small clearing. The insect’s yellow body was held aloft by six wings which were divided on each side of its body. Its black stick like legs remained tucked close to its body and its glowing red eyes flared at the sight of the players. There was a big grin on Magda’s face as she stepped forward. “Let’s do this!” Madga rushed forward with a should. Her hammer was held low down by her side as it started to pulse with teal light. The instant she closed the distance between her and the Queen her hammer rose in a savage strike against the base of the Queen's skull. As the hammer's momentum carried it passed she allowed it to circle around her hand and she brought it around to deliver another devastating blow that sent the Queen flying to the side. Despite the dangerous situation there was a wide grin upon Magda's face that left her teeth bare. The Queen turned as it tried to stab the large crimson haired woman with its rather large stinger but the momentum of its flight took it out of range so it was unable to reach her at all. Well this was a good start.

Magda (ID#53111)
HP: 12  EP: 3-2=1 Mitigation: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 14, Dmg: 3, Acc: 1 Hate: 2
BD: 11 {10+1=Crit}; Upper Swing {(3+2)(2x1)}=10 Damage

Queen Bee
HP: 50-10=40 Damage: 12
MD: 1 {Crit Miss}
Turns
Magda > Bee > Samriel

Edited March 25, 2016 by Magda

[Samriel 0]

When Magda only laughed in the face of the danger, Samriel was tempted to roll her eyes but kept them in check as she received a pat on the shoulder. The other woman's enthusiasm was hard to hold against and soon Sam found herself smiling back, shaking her head in amusement at the wink. Maybe she could get some of her old confidence back. This would be different. Especially with a player like Mack around. As mildly annoying as his protectiveness was, she actually did appreciate it. Though when he tried to use her and Magda's new 'Shield Sister' status to get her to join their guild, this time she couldn't keep her eyes from rolling. Though when he tried to bring Chewie into it, she just laughed. "That dog would like anyone that gave him anything remotely edible! Why do I get the feeling that you won't let this go?" She was starting to get ridiculously amused at his efforts to convert her.

The information about tiers was quite useful, she had yet to learn about such a thing and filed the new info to save and write down for later. No sooner than she processed what he had just told them when Samriel suddenly felt like she was being strangled, her feet dangling uselessly off the ground in a mirror image of her past and she immediately panicked. Her left free hand tried to pull at whatever was strangling her, but it was only her own armor and hood. Processing Mack's voice and words, she stopped kicking and forced her fear back down her throat as she did as he said, hearing the howls. As soon as her feet touched the ground again, Sam touched her neck, tugging her armor away from it for extra breathing room and specifically looked anywhere but Mack and Magda as she pulled up her hood, her expression mostly hidden by the ruby eyed fox head due to her shorter height.

Not wanting to get left behind, the blonde followed behind the twins, keeping her shield arm up as a precaution. Ducking down, she easily slipped into the path the two larger players had carved through the under brush and by the time she had moved from behind Magda, the wolves were already dissolved into shattered pixels. Seeing something tossed towards her, the healer caught it with her free left hand and nodded thanks to the thrower. She wasn't sure why he was giving her anything, it wasn't like she had even helped. Even as moral support or healer. But who was she to turn down free things? She already knew how generous the man was anyways.

The blonde remained quiet as they continued their journey towards the insect monarch, finally finding it in a clearing that Magda had walked into. She wished she could share her Shield Sister's enthusiasm for battle currently, but she was still shaking off the sudden reemergence of old emotions and memories. Now wasn't the time to reminisce though and as Samriel set eyes upon the giant insect, she realized that it was a wasp, not a bee. "Great." At least bees were kinda cute and chubby with their fluffy little bodies. There was absolutely nothing nice about wasps though. Widening her stance, the young woman nodded at Magda's battle cry and assured her, "I've got your back." She could focus on the fight. She had to. The blonde watched as her battle partner unleashed a 'sword' art on the nasty looking monster, deftly avoiding an attack from its stinger in the process. "Keep it up." She encouraged, glad that the fight was off to a good start. "I've gotta save my energy in case you need healing."

Samriel
HP: 4/4  EP: 1/1 Mitigation: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 7, Dmg: 2, Acc: 1, Eva: 0, Para: 0 Hate: 0

Queen Bee
HP: 40 Damage: 12

Edited March 25, 2016 by Samriel

[Mack 0]

OOC: Sammy, edit your last post. Your alt isn't here ;)

"Don't let your head get too big, sister mine," Mack rumbled as he rejoined the ladies after vanquishing the pack of wolves. "The fact that those fur balls dropped mats means they were all strong enough to have killed you and Samriel. Without much effort. A side effect of traveling with me is that, sometimes, the floors will produce enemies that are tiered to me and not you. If I tell you to stop, you need to do it. Healer or not, those wolves would have one hit you," the blacksmith rumbled, his lips a tight line as he considered both the women. There was, definitely, a risk to them traveling with him. But, the risk would be infinitely worse if he wasn't there, so far as the ginger man was concerned. Then the topic swung around to Chewie.

"That's not the point, Chewie will be lugubrious if you don't join," Mack said, nodding earnestly. Perhaps it would be good to put a bit of fear into the blonde as well. "And, there are PK guilds in Sword Art Online. That scum is every bit as bad, if not worse, than Kayaba," the gigantic man growled in a dangerous sounding tone. Then he noticed Samriel rubbing her throat. "Sorry, gut reaction," Mack said, actually sounding and looking genuinely chagrined. Before the conversation could go much further the group reached the clearing where the super bug was waiting. Planting Invictus in the ground, Mack watched as the battle began to unfold.

"You can attack, Sam," he called to the blonde. "Your energy will replenish fast enough that you'll still be able to heal with no problems."

[Magda 0]

If Magda noticed Samriel’s reaction to being lifted up she certainly didn’t comment on it. It was possible she was just being sensitive to the blonde's privacy or Samriel's attempt to conceal the reaction had worked better than she planned. The most likely scenario though?  It was closer to the fact that the redhead was just simply too engrossed with the pending battle that she didn’t have any attention to spare on anything else. She did spare her brother a meaningful look when he advised her not to get too ahead of herself. The phrase "Sometimes the biggest step precedes the largest fall" entered her mind at that point and it just made her grin. Her lips seemed to be permanently grinning lately with the sporadic frown. “Me? Getting  a big head? Ha! Oh how well you know me oh brother of mine,” she added with a wink. He explained on how the wolves were strong enough to kill them with a single strike which was what he said with just about everything. The only exception to that rule seemed to be this Queen they were meant to kill. It was an intriguing quest and anytime she got to bash one of these beasties with her hammer she'd happily tag along.

 

Now that the battle was underway her pulse quickened and her blood surged through her veins as her adrenaline started to take hold. Sometimes back before all of this when she was in the middle of the fight she got something that could only be described as a fighter's high. She got so excited that she had the tendency to go a little overboard in her matches. This often led her into getting into trouble frequently but it was never severe enough to see her kicked out of the league. Here though? These beasties weren't living creatures so she had no need to hold back. No matter how carried away she got though she never came close to causing any true harm to her opponent. After all she had no desire to kill anyone. She just loved to fight and the thought of fighting monsters, well it was just too much for her to take in all at once. It was like one of those novels she used to read when she was younger. Samriel shouted a few words of encouragement that only enticed Magda to push forward and try to pummel this insect into paste with nothing more than her hammer. “Watch this,” she boasted with a quick grin flashed towards her Shield Sister. Magda suddenly charged forward with her hammer held low once more. The weapon emitted teal light as she prepared to unleash the Upper Swing Sword Art that she initiated the battle with. If she could only score another solid hit here the battle would nearly half way through. That thought alone sent a wave of passion flowing through her veins as she let out an audible shout.

The hammer's clawed head slammed into the side of the Queen's skull and sent it reeling to the side as it fought to remain aloft. Its wings worked frantically. Magda's hammer swept in an arc over her head and dipped towards the ground before she brought it up and slammed it into the side of the Queen's head once more. The Queen recovered more swiftly this time as its stinger struck out and hit the redhead in the right shoulder. The unexpected blow sent Magda back a step but no sooner had her HP gauge started to lower it was quickly replenished. A sinister smile spread across Magda's face when she noticed that the Queen had taken more damage in its attack on her than she took. Which was simply icing on the cake at this point. "Samriel! I've got this things focus! Circle around to its side and show me what you've got!"

Magda (ID#53114)
HP: 12-{12-18+9}=12  EP: 1+1-2=0 Mitigation: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 14, Dmg: 3, Acc: 1 Hate: 4
BD:  10 {9+1=Crit}; Upper Swing {(3+1)(2x1)}=8 Damage

Queen Bee
HP: 40-8-14=18 Damage: 12
MD: 8 {HITS and takes 14 Thorns Damage}
Turns
Magda > Bee > Samriel

Edited March 25, 2016 by Magda