[SP-F4] Leap of Faith

[Morningstar 0]

This story takes place at different points in the past; all of which are before the boss fight on the 18th floor.

Music

"You ever wonder what it would be like if we never left this place?"

Stephen looked upwards. He felt a few snowflakes touch his face. "Cold, probably," he told the blonde girl next to him, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets. His hood slipped right off of his head, revealing a golden brown undercut. Even in the freezing cold, he didn't look half bad; lucky genes, he guessed. The green cloak, while also keeping him cozy, danced elegantly in the icy wind.

"No, stupid. I mean inside of SAO," Lexa explained, pulling her cloak tightly around herself in an attempt to block out the elements. She continued, her gaze shifting from the bright moon to the snowy path before them. "Maybe this is weird, but I honestly think I want to stay here. A big part of me wants this world to be reality."

For a moment, Stephen said nothing. "We're almost there," he told her, redirecting the conversation. Suddenly, the road ended. The two were left at an open glade surrounded by massive pine trees. "It's been a second since we've had the chance to do nothing, right?" He pulled his hood back over his head as the snow began to fall harder.

They found shelter underneath a large canopy. There wasn't another player in sight, which Stephen found odd. Normally, the Starglades would have plenty of other people around, enjoying the breathtaking view of the night sky. Tonight, it was only them, a small fire, and an oddly comfy bench.

"You know we can't stay here forever," Stephen told the girl, who looked up at him with a bit of a frown.

"Yeah," Lexa sighed, "I know. Eventually, the floors will be cleared."

Stephen wrapped an arm around the woman. "We'll enjoy it while it lasts," he said reassuringly.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"Hey, tell me more about that guild you wanted to start."

For a moment, Lexa looked puzzled. She then let out a sigh. "I thought you would've forgotten about that by now. It was a stupid idea, it never would've worked."

"You don't know that. Maybe we should start it now," Stephen teased. Opening a guild was one of the first things Lexa had wanted to do when they first met. Her dream was to build something that could give players purpose; specifically the ones who didn't know what they wanted to get out of their lives in Aincrad. She wanted to explore the regions of SAO that hadn't yet been touched; take on the deepest, most challenging dungeons known to man.

But most of all, Lexa wanted to create something worth fighting for. She wanted a place she could call home. Coming from a family that had been ripped apart by an unhappy marriage, this was something she'd never truly experienced. It didn't help that she had no siblings and was forced to transfer schools quite often. She looked up at Stephen. "I'd really like that," she confessed.

"Okay. What would we call it?"

Lexa took a few seconds to think before replying. "I'm not sure. Let's each think of our top three choices and we'll decide in a week."

"Deal," Stephen mumbled, his eyes coming to a close. Slowly, he felt himself drift away.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Suddenly, he jolted awake. "Must've been another dream," he muttered, rubbing his left eye as he pulled himself up from the cold, wet ground. He hadn't remembered falling asleep, especially not leaned up against a tree somewhere in the fourth floor's dense wilderness. He pulled up his green hood.

The event that he'd recalled was nothing but an old memory that he couldn't bring himself to forget. He bent down and picked up his long sword. As he did so, he noticed the engraving that was carved into the blade: A circular insignia that to anyone other than him, would have meant nothing. To him, it was a symbol of hope; it was intended to become the logo for a guild that never came to be.

After making sure his gear was all with him, Stephen began to move forward, eventually coming to a steep cliff. He scanned the depths below him, but a heavy fog was growing and it made it impossible to tell how far of a drop it was. "This must be the place," Stephen sighed, following the cliff side further. It was hard to make out, but he believed there was a safe way down (as safe as an icy cliff gets, that is). He adjusted his sword, moving it onto his back in order to scale the wall more easily; however, he was unsure if it would even come to that. 

Then, he noticed an extremely sketchy-looking set of stone stairs, presumably leading to the bottom. Stephen took a careful step downwards, knowing that any moment could be his last. He took slow, calm breaths with each movement, staying close to the rock wall to his right.

It wasn't until about half way down the cliff side that the fog began to lift, revealing it's base to him. Then, he looked further into the distance and noticed his destination. Large, desolate ruins that were once, supposedly, the home of an ancient religious group.

Upon reaching the entrance, he studied the architecture. Massive columns made of a light stone held up the old temple. Stephen looked around, in an attempt to make sure he hadn't been followed. The sun was already beginning to set. He wouldn't have much time to search the area.

Without knowing what he may discover inside, he stepped forward into the unlit and abandoned structure.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Stephen found himself fumbling around quite a bit, since the lighting inside the temple wasn't good. Even if their were any spots that opened up to the sky, he doubted that it would do much in his favor. The sun had already began it's slumber when he had entered; by now it was likely out of sight.

Despite the darkness that surrounded him, he refrained from stopping. There was something here that he wanted—no, that he needed. He couldn't stop until it was in his hands. Stephen's hand was plastered to the hilt of his blade; he was well aware that he could need it ready at any moment. Then...

Thud

"Ow," the near-blind man muttered. There was something in his way and he'd bumped right into it. Through the shadows he could make out large marks; however, he wasn't sure exactly what they meant. They looked like gold to him, but it was hard to tell. He placed a hand on it, feeling the cold stone that made up the majority of the object. Realizing what it was, he gave it a push.

Slowly, the door opened and light flooded out. It revealed what he believed was called a mandapa; however, unlike most Hindu temples, this one didn't seem to have any exits. Aside from the one behind him, that is. Something in the air gave Stephen an uneasy feeling. The door slammed behind him, confirming his suspicion. He drew his blade, scanning his surroundings. The pillars that lined the large room made it quite hard to tell where his enemies were hiding. Suddenly, he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. With it's size, he knew that it couldn't have been human. He exhaled and rather than moving forward, waited for his opponent to make the first move.

When the creature finally revealed itself, Stephen lifted his weapon. His enemy stood well over 7 feet tall and was made completely of rock. In his hand was an enormous mace, constructed out of what appeared to be the same grey stone. At first, it's pace was slow, but only a second later it had begun a full on charge towards the brunette.

Despite it's immense weight, it was fast—significantly faster than Stephen was. He rolled out of the way of a heavy swing of the rock mace, but he was unable to dodge the giant's powerful fist. Stephen flew a few feet backwards, slamming into one of the pillars that lined the area. He often found himself in situations that he wasn't able to handle alone, but this was different. With ease, the rock creature lifted it's hammer and shifted it's gaze onto the now injured man.

Struggling, he picked himself up from the dusty ground. Rocks crumbled off of the pillar and there was a clearly visible indent from Stephen's landing. For one final stand, Stephen lifted his long sword.

"See ya soon, Lex."