[SP-F2] Food for the cook <Itzal> Completed--

[Itzal 0]

Itzal decided he'd do Adhae a favor by collecting some more ingredients.  This not only gave her more to work with as a chef, but also gave him some free food as well.  When he told Velnia what they'd be doing she licked her lips, cracking a smile from him.

"It's not for you to eat, though you might find some wild meat along the way."  He winked at her and her eyes sparkled.  She glided from the bed post from the room he rented onto his shoulder.  With Velnia and his more involvement with his party, he'd slowly been doing things during the day time rather than night, though he would on occasion go on a midnight walk.  Today however he'd be scavenging for anything that might be used for food.  He decided not to look in the forest since his recent troubles had occurred there, and headed for the mountains.  When Velnia saw this turn of direction she jumped in the air and made a loop-the-loop for joy.  Itzal forgot that dragons enjoyed mountainous areas the most.  "Alright," he said.  "Off we go!"

Edited July 15, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal walked for a bit before reaching a crossroad.  He looked both ways before asking Velnia where they should go.  She looked at him and shrugged (as much as a dragon could :) ).  He looked both directions again before coming up with a decision.  "We'll settle this with rock-paper-scissors."  Velnia gave him a puzzled look.

'What on earth?' she seemed to say.  He chuckled and explained the rules.  Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she made a gesture with her claws.  He nodded at the point that she had no hands and thought for a moment.

"I got it," he said snapping his fingers, causing her to cock her head.  "We'll have our own version, one that you can do with me!"  Velnia took a seat on a large rock.  "Tail-wing-claw.  Tail," he said as he closed his fist with his thumb and the two fingers directly beside it pointed up "is this.  All you have to do is throw your tail in front of you."  She cocked her head and took to the air.  She tried the maneuver and seemed comfortable with the gesture.  "Wing," he said as he put the base of his thumb joints together with his fingers curved away from the joints, "is this for me.  All you have to do is hold your two wings curved in front of you."  She thought about this before landing again.  First she threw her tail around her instead of under her.  Upon seeing this work she then put her wings in front.  Itzal nodded.  "Ok maybe we should stay on the ground for this."  A stream of smoke exited her nostrils before her look.

'Ya think?' she seemed to say.  He rolled his eyes before continuing.  "Claw.  Simple really," he said as he closed his hand with two fingers curved in the shape of a claw.  She returned by curving her wrist in the way cats do when they rest their paws when upside down.  Itzal knew this because he used to pick up his gray cat like a baby.  He nodded with a smile.  "Alright!  So, being a dragon, what order should it be in?"  She thought for a moment before showing a combination:  Wing came first, then tail, then claw.  Itzal nodded.  "So wing beats tail, tail beats claw, and claw beats wing.  Got it.  Let's get this show on the road."  They did a few practice rounds before doing it for real.  Velnia won and they took the left path.  As they walked Itzal spotted a raspberry bush.  He smiled.  "Nice job Velnia."

ID#  63720

LD:  18

+1 MAT

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

As Itzal collected berries he recalled a little competition he had with his sister.  She loved blackberries and he loved raspberries so they went around town asking people which was their favorite.  Itzal was in the lead by far until his friend found out and joined them.  His favorite was strawberries so, naturally, once he joined there was no competition.  The numbers changed dramatically.  He was so pissed at first but they all laughed in the end.  But that wouldn't be so in this world.  No, the creator of this game had done something you can't just laugh away.  It was unforgivable.

As he continued picking berries from the next bush, he heard a rustling behind him and he turned his head sharply.  His worried expression swiftly changed to a grin as he saw Velnia with a dead rabbit at her feet and one in her mouth.  If he didn't have her he probably would linger in dark thoughts forever.  He went over and collected one of the rabbit's meat before Velnia could devour it too.  He stroked her.

"Good girl!  Getting rid of that disgusting creature."  She cocked her head.

'I find it delicious,' her sparkling eyes seemed to say.  He laughed as she missed his meaning.

ID#  63721

LD:  17

+1 MAT

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Now that he'd picked the bush clean, he decided they should continue on.  As they walked he thought he spotted a village with an orchard.  He smiled and gestured for Velnia to follow.  Velnia rolled her eyes and snatched her lunch as she took to the air, gliding beside him.  When he approached the gate he noticed two npcs fighting.  He sighed.  He had no time for this so he tried to slide past them, but they began to fight and one was punched, thrown into his way.  He shook his head and tried the other side of the gate but it happened again, just vice versa.  Growling he approached the one standing up.

"Could you take your stupid and probably pointless fight elsewhere?" he asked.  It was then he realized the npc must be drunk and it threw a solid punch at him.  Itzal dodged it with minimal movement and flipped the npc onto it's face.  The one on the ground was about to kick Itzal before Velnia swooped down and pushed his head into the wall.  With the two npcs unconscious, he moved on.  What a waste of time.

ID#  63722

LD:  2

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal walked through the village, not seeing any players and only npcs.  He wondered why.  He explored the town until he found the orchard and walked in.  His eyes scanned every leaf on every tree but he couldn't find squat.  He sighed.  So that's why no players were here.  Nothing to get.  He heard a strange sound and turned to find Velnia munching on a freshly caught bunny.  She paused and grinned at him.

'Mine' she seemed to say.

"Oh will you quit rubbing it in?!" he shouted.  She shrugged and continued munchin'.  He sighed and sat down on a nearby bench.  As he did his verbana bracelet caught his view.  He looked at it and remembered his sister, as that was it's purpose.  She wasn't the best cook but she did know how to make the best keesh he ever had.  Who knows, maybe Adhae could make something close to it.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

The thought of food made Itzal hungry.  When his stomach growled even Velnia looked up in surprise to the sound.  He chuckled to her which made her grin, which made him laugh, which made his stomach growl harder and gave him pain.  He pulled out the last of his bread and munched on it.

"I'm gonna have to ask Adhae to pack some food for me.  Otherwise I'll have to resort to buying more of this stupid bread."  He hesitated as he recalled his first day in SAO.  He didn't care about food or any comfort at all.  All he cared about was surviving.  In fact...  He realized that he had three new friends as well as an intelligent dragon.  He was enjoying himself.  He wasn't surviving.  He was living.  The thought gave him a smile.  As he finished his bread he checked once more to see if any tree held something for him but they'd been picked clean.  He shrugged and moved on.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

After leaving the village Velnia finished her meal.  She decided to walk with Itzal this time since she weighed a bit more after eating two whole rabbits.  Itzal smiled and noticed that she not only did her personality remind him of a cat, but she walked like one too.  He heard a sound and looked up.  He spotted a sabre cat up ahead and instinctively equipped Niger Natio and Retributor.  He drew the blade and quicker than the blink of an eye, summoned up the sword art snake bite and charged, piercing the sabre behind the neck, followed by cutting behind it's hind legs.  He jumped back as the sabre roared in pain and turned to strike him but swung through only air.  He noticed that he not only landed a critical hit, but he gave it a bleeding effect at the start of the fight.  'Good' he thought.  'this should go quicker.'

Mob info:  Sabre Cat <> 12 hp <> 3 MIT <> 6 dmg

ID#  63725

BD:  9

MD:  4

Result

---------

Sabre Cat:  7/12 (3 base damage + 1 <crit> x2x1 <snake bite> -2 energy -3 <MIT> = 5 damage.  Bleeding added)

Itzal:  24/24

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

The sabre howled in pain and leaped with incredible speed on Itzal, raking him with it's claws.  Itzal had forgotten how strong sabre cats were and couldn't push it off of him.  Suddenly the bleeding effect took the last of it's hp and it fell limp before shattering.  Itzal breathed heavily as the loot menu popped up.  He smiled when he saw 60 col and collected that, as well as the sabre meat.  Itzal wondered if Adhae could make something out of it.  Meat pie maybe?  Velnia landed on the ground in front of him.

'Did you have to act so recklessly?' she seemed to ask.  He chuckled.

"I know I know, why bother working towards being a scout if I'm just going to get myself killed like that.  I get it and I'll work on it."  She eyed him skeptically but fluttered to his shoulder.  He sighed as he rose to his feet.  "Let's get more food.  I'd like a pie or two when we get back."

ID#  63727

BD:  1

MD:  10

LD:  19

Result

-----------

Sabre Cat:  Deceased <bleeding effect:  8>

Itzal:  20/24 <7 dmg -3 <MIT>>

+60 col

+2 MAT

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal and Velnia kept walking and soon found a valley.  At the other end of the valley what seemed like a mountain range.  Velnia began to get excited when he pointed towards them and he laughed.

"Alright we can go there," he said.  "Just remember to keep an eye out for anything we can use ok?"  She nodded then flew a loop-the-loop.  He chuckled and changed directions.  As they walked he made sure to stay out of the aggro range of any more saber cats, seeing as he didn't want to mess with them for now.  As they walked he stumbled on something he never thought he'd see.  There was a chicken.  A chicken in the middle of the valley?  Then he realized that it was sitting on something.  He shooed the chicken away and though it clucked angrily at him it moved away.  Two eggs.  He picked one up and put it in his inventory, leaving the other for the chicken.  One step closer to a keesh! he thought.

ID#  63728

LD:  19

Result

----------

+1 MAT

Edited July 15, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

They were walking past a large jagged rock when Velnia screeched.  Itzal made the mistake to look at her than check his surroundings and was rewarded by a massive claw striking a critical hit on his back.  Itzal grit his teeth and turned around to see a hungry saber.  He rolled his eyes.  Not this again.  He charged his snake bite sword art before slashing at the saber in the eye and throat.  The creature roared and it's throat opened up, pixel blood pouring out.  A bleeding effect.  He jumped backward before it could hit him again.

Mob details: Sabre Cat <> 12 hp <> 3 MIT <> 6 dmg

ID#  63731

BD:  9

MD:  10

Result

----------

Itzal:  20/24 (6 dmg +1 crit - 3 MIT)

Saber:  7/12 (3 base damage + 1 <crit> x2x1 <snake bite> -2 energy -3 <MIT> = 5 damage.  Bleeding added)

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

The saber leaped after him but he step sided just in time.  He dodged the the saber again, watching it's movements to anticipate it's next move.  'Just a little longer' he thought.  Right as it was about to hit him again it went limp as the bleeding effect took place.  It shattered and he just found meat.  No col.  Slightly disappointed he turned to Velnia and smiled.

"Now that that delay is out of our way, we can-"  Suddenly he heard a howl and turned to see a lone wolf stalking it's way towards him.  He let out a sigh of annoyance.  "Wolves, wolves, why always wolves?  WHEN WILL THEY GIVE UP?!"

ID#  63733

BD:  4

MD:  3

LD:  2

Result

------------

Saber:  deceased (8 dmg <bleeding>)

Itzal:  20/24

+1 MAT

Edited July 15, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

The stupid wolf climbed up the large stone quickly and leaped on Itzal.  He was getting pissed so he simply jabbed upward at the beast, allowing them both to take the hits.  The wolf let loose a deep cut on him while he scraped it's side.  For some reason these wolves seemed to have all the luck in the world.  As the wolf landed he turned around.  They stared at each other.  He could almost see Velnia putting on referee clothes.  They both charged.

Wolf info:  12 hp <> 3 MIT <> 6 attack

ID#  63735

BD:  5 (+2 accuracy)

MD:  8

Result

----------

Wolf:  11/12

Itzal:  21/24

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

This time Itzal backflipped off of the huge rock and landed on the wolf's back.  He slashed his blade into it's back repeatedly using snake bite.  The wolf howled in pain and drove Itzal into the wall.  Before it could hit him however he rolled to the side and threw a nearby rock at it's face, dazing it momentarily.  Itzal regained his feet.  Dang it.  He didn't land a bleeding effect.  Those wolves really were lucky.  He looked up and almost cried out in shock as Velnia held up a sign that said ROUND 3.

ID#  63737

BD:  8

MD:  2

Result

-----------

Wolf:  8/12 (3+snake bite - 3 MIT= 3 dmg)

Itzal:  21/24 <> 4/6 energy

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

The temporary distraction gave the wolf the very chance it had hoped for.  It ran up and jumped at Itzal, it's teeth sinking into his neck.  Itzal roared in pain and as the wolf knocked him to the ground he knew he couldn't move.  The pain was just too much.  'NO' his thoughts protested.  'AIMI I WILL COME BACK FOR YOU!!!'  Itzal grabbed the wolf and tore open it's jaw.  He met it's eyes and made sure it knew he wasn't going to die to this stupid creature.

ID#  63738

BD:  1

MD:  10

Result

---------

Wolf:  8/12

Itzal:  17/24

Edited July 13, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

The wolf looked startled from his stare and he threw it to the side, rolling to his right to get to his feet.  He was readying his sword art but the wolf struck at him, knocking it out of his hand.  He dodged to the left and right, sometimes over the wolf's attacks.  He didn't think, he just acted.  When it's claw was close enough he reached out and grabbed it, throwing it over his head and into the large stone.  At least he would have if he hadn't tripped, causing him to fall to the ground with the wolf on him.

ID#  63760

BD:  1

MD:  2

CD:  10

Result

------------

Wolf:  8/12

Itzal:  17/24 <> 5/6 Energy

Edited July 14, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Growling, Itzal punched the wolf in the gut and let it roll off.  He jumped to his feet and into the air, letting his sword art charge.  As he plummeted down he noticed Velnia holding a sign that said ROUND 5 and shook his head.  He'd talk to her later.  He slashed his blade at the wolf as it rose to it's feet, striking twice at it's neck.  Once from above and once from the side after he landed.  The wolf howled in pain as red pixels came out.  Bleeding effect.  Bout time too.  This fight would be over in a moment.

ID#  63761

BD:  9

MD:  1

CD:  7

Result

-----------

Wolf:  3/12 (3 + crit + snake bite - 3 MIT = 5 damage <bleeding added>)

Itzal:  17/24 <> 4/6 energy

Edited July 14, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

This time the wolf charged with all it's strength and recklessness, being in the low health levels.  Itzal jumped onto the side of the rock and leaped off away from the wolf.  He used his sword to block it's attacks, waiting for the bleeding effect to kick in.  And then it happened.  The wolf suddenly fell as the blood spilled out and he watched it shatter.  He nodded when the loot screen came up.  60 col?  Good.  It's about time his luck with wolves started turning for the better.  He looked at Velnia who wasn't holding any more signs.

"Next time tell me you're planning on doing that ok?"  She made a dragon's chuckle and nodded."  He sighed.  "Let's just get a move on."

ID#  63772

BD:  3

MD:  4

CD:  11

LD:  17

Result

-----------

Wolf:  deceased

Itzal:  17/24 <> 5/6 energy

+60 col

+1 MAT

Edited July 14, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal shook his head as Velnia took flight beside him.

"No, I need a breather."  Velnia nodded and flew high into the sky.  In a few moments she came down again and gave him another look.

'Found something' she seemed to have said.  He grinned.

"You always do."  Her eyes sparkled at the comment before leading him to a patch of soft grass, a tree and a couple of logs with no nearby monsters.  He sat down beside the tree, finding a comfortable spot easily.  He looked to his left and saw a flower.  He recognized it as an edible plant and picked it up.  "And hey!  We got one more ingredient!"  He sighed as he looked up at the sky.

ID#  63773

LD:  19

+1 MAT

Edited July 15, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal leaned against the tree as Velnia landed on his lap and he proceeded to stroke her, rewarded by a soft purr emanating from the purple dragon.  He smiled contently as he stared at the sky.  It was a beautiful day he thought.  He would have missed all this if it weren't for his friends.  Friends he thought.  When he came into this game, friends was the last thing on his mind.  He intended to become strong enough so that he couldn't be pushed around anymore.  Then again, he never expected it to be a death game.  That's when he ran into Verus.  He smiled as he recalled the memory.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Verus and he had run into each other.  Itzal intended to use Verus to get onto his feet before heading out, but his encounter with Verus became much more.  He met Adhae, a tough tank player who also practices as a cook.  After that Itzal was curious and wanted to know more about them.  And that was it, he'd been with them ever since.  Not too long after they met Itzal found another player named Kooh.  He shook his head as he recalled every solitary time Kooh teased and embarrassed him.  He chuckled as he saw himself blushing.  These friends of his were the greatest thing that ever happened to him.  After all, he never had the good fortune to know what a good friend was like.  He only had one friend and he was a digital friend.  They never actually saw each other.  But here, he not only played with them, he fought side by side with them.  The feeling was more than gratifying.