[PP-F2] Damned to Time (Zanne, Shield, Atzo)

[Atzo 0]

The day loomed bright overhead, the sun shone down with insane amounts of heat. The Forgotten King sat in the square as everything around him seemed to pass him by. “This is my life, the life I have chosen for myself. A life of solemnity, a life of torture and pain. Why do I keep this up? Keep playing this act? Is it even worth it any more? I fight for my life, day in and day out. Is there nothing I can do to fix myself, is there nothing left for me to be able to control? How can I hope to live this life if I cannot even learn how to save myself?“ He says quietly to himself as he laments. He is making no effort to hide his depression. He couldn't seem to figure out a reason to anymore, everything just seemed to be pointless as it was now. Remembering a quote from H.P. Lovecraft's poem “Despair” he said it aloud "Once, I think I half remember, Ere the grey skies of November, Quench’d my youth’s aspiring ember, Liv’d there such a thing as bliss; Skies that now are dark were beaming, Gold and azure, splendid seeming, Till I learn’d it all was dreaming— Deadly drowsiness of Dis.” There was no real flow or enfaces that he attributed to any one line. He did not attempt to put any poetic flux on it at all. Instead he said it aloud as if it weren’t even a poem, just a quote. A long forgotten piece of him, damned to time as he soon would be as well.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Atzo

[Zanne 0]

Zanne had just finished up some exploration of the second floor with another player named Stryder that she had only met recently, but whom had already proved himself a good friend. Now that they were done though she figured she would take some time to look around the town here and explore her new surroundings. This was her first venture out of the first floor and it had been an exciting time so far, this floor had similarities to the first but this town was far simpler and in Zanne's opinion far more appealing. As she was strolling through the square taking in the sights one in particular had caught her attention. Sitting on his own was a solitary player that seemed to have a think black cloud hanging over his head. Well that was the impression that he gave off anyway, he was clearly in a depressed mood and it twinged a nerve inside Zanne, reminding her of that player she had met on the very first day inside this game that had a similar disposition. Deciding to try and help make a difference to this stranger she approached the bench he was sitting on and as she got closer she could hear him saying something about skies and dreams, it seemed like the player might be remembering better times. 

Zanne approached the bench from behind it and hopped up and over, agilely landing on the other side of the bench beside the player. "One hundred floors of endless possibilities... Do you suppose that there is a floor somewhere above us made of gold with azure skies? Now that would be a thing to see." Zanne trailed off while staring of in the distance in front of her. Turning towards the lone player she tilted her head and smiled. "Is this seat taken?" She asked. A bit of a silly question considering the seat was now taken regardless the answer as she was already sitting in it.

[Atzo 0]

Atzo had heard the player approaching. “I am impressed, it is not everyday that I meet a player that is as graceful as I am” Atzo said repressing his emotions though he wasn’t doing it as well as he used to, an underlying sadness still able to be shown on his face “I doubt that would happen, in this world of pain and death the likelihood of that floor would be slim to none. And apparently it is now as you have asserted yourself right down next to me” Atzo’s tone was emotionless, his eyes were almost dead and the emerald green cloak that he adorned was full of yellow dancing strands of colour. Turning to look at the player, it was interesting to see a woman beside him. They were increasingly rare as it seemed these days. He then reached a hand towards her, offering what would be a firm handshake “I am Atzo, The Forgotten King. Leader of the Emerald Harbingers. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance” He gave his normal smirk as he looked the woman in the eyes, they reminded him of someone he had met a long time ago, strikingly blue eyes like that were unforgettable
 

[Zanne 0]

Atzo... The Forgotten King... Emerald Harbingers..  Zanne's eyes then bulged wide open and her mouth dropped as she realized that this was the person her friend had been searching for all this time. "You are Atzo? Truely?" Zanne jumped up to her feet and did her best at a curtsy. "It is a pleasure to meet you Atzo, my name is Zanne and on behalf of a friend I have been looking for you! His name is Stryder and he has been searching everywhere for you. He had also invited me in to be a proud member of the Emerald Harbingers and as our guild leader Atzo, I am at your service." Zanne was incredibly excited at this discovery as she not only knew how desperately Stryder had wanted to find this man but she had also really wanted to meet the head of the guild she had just joined to truly feel like she was a part of the guild. 

Then feeling a little foolish for her outburst and she imagined she seemed out of place standing up so formally like she was yet full of energy she realized that he had his hand out which she shook with a smile before gracefully sitting back on the bench.

[Atzo 0]

Atzo was startled by what happened next. The woman sitting next to him jumped to her feet. And curtsied to him. Wait… I don’t recall having a name for myself like this… just how much happened when I was gone? Then the woman mentioned Stryder That makes more sense, but… does she actually think I am royalty? She wouldn’t be wrong but still. “Indeed I truly am Atzo, I am happy to have you as part of my court.” Atzo was trying to repress his spike in ego, but then again, it wasn’t every day you had people taking their rightful place. “What section were you thinking about joining? I am happy to assist you in getting to wherever seems fit for you. Speaking of which, did Stry explain to you the ranking system?” It would probably be new to her seeing as Atzo had recently changed the structure, he knew this but at the same time he didn’t feel like re-explaining it to her if Stryder had explained it already.

 

[Shield 0]

While Shield's attention had been almost entirely focused on delving into the depths of the twenty-first floor, he knew that he needed to take some time elsewhere. The Town of Beginnings didn't quite seem appropriate after spending so much time on the highest floor thus far, so he settled for the floor above it, teleporting away from the glowing caverns to the bustling main square of the lower floor.

He filled his lungs with air and held them, looking up at what was the first 'natrual' sky he had seen in weeks. It was refreshing, even though he knew it was only a simulation. He still felt the haze from the unearthly, though arguably beautiful glow of the fungi and crystals that had been his main sources of light for so long. Exhaling his breath, he made his way to a bench on the far end of the square from the conversation that Atzo, his once regular quest partner, was having with the newcomer to his guild. Shield had failed to even notice them, his mind was so clouded from his time in the caves. He plopped down heavily onto the structure and let his head fall back against the top of the back rest.

I suppose there's no harm in falling asleep here. Not that I plan to, but...

Even as he thought that to himself, he could feel his eyelids becoming laborious to hold open. He brushed back the long and untidy hair that hung over his forehead, shaking his head slightly to try to wake himself properly.

No, that's how people get forced into total loss duels. I'll sleep when I get home.

[Zanne 0]

Zanne had been told roughly about the ranking system and the different sections of the guild but she was still so new to it that all she really knew was that she would fit in to the Scout category because she was intending to level up her searching skills. "Well he explained the sections a bit and told me about the scout division, that is where I would fit in best I believe! Although I must admit that until I can level up a bit and get stronger I wont be of much use to the guild." She said, the last part a bit more sullen then the first, Still though Zanne had her ever present smile that she always wore regardless of what kind of situation she was in. Zanne was still shocked that she had stumbled across Atzo so simply when Stryder had been trying to find him for so long. "Oh thats right! I should message Stryder and tell him I found you!" Zanne then realized that maybe there had been a reason for Atzo's absence and felt like she should first ask him if that would be alright. "Ummm if that's ok with you of course Atzo, I suppose sending a private message whislt in company in this world is the same as sending a text while in company in the real world! Weird to think of it that way huh.." Zanne had not thought about the real world in quite a while and the fact that she just related something here with it surprised her, wondering where that had come from. 

[Atzo 0]

“That won’t be necessary, Stryder know’s of my return.” Atzo said with a confident smirk. “I do want to duel him though, I am curious if he has become powerful enough to actually properly challenge me.” He wasn’t fully in the conversation as it may have seemed. He recalled his dream of being a true king. How his brother had already pledged to be his loyal bodyguard. When all the pawns fall into place I will rise to the top of this world by sheer force of will. Who needs strength when you have achieved mental domination? “In terms of ranking, I am King.” Atzo said, before saying under his breath “And rightfully so.” He then proceeded “Next is the Crown-Prince, my second in command. Then the Dukes, they are the heads of their respective divisions. Next are Earls, the second in command of the Dukes, Then knights who are members who have chosen a specific group. Finally are the Barons, they are members who have not yet chosen a group. Of course each group has its own benefits and so on and so forth.” Atzo thought for a second “Oh, that reminds me we also have another sect of the guild, The Archbishop is the head of our advisers and the Bishops are her council”

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Atzo