[SP-F17] Weight

[Morningstar 0]

                                                                                                                   Floor 17
                                                                                        Somewhere deep in the mountains

 

"You should not be here," a voice boomed.

Stephen dropped the hood of his cloak, revealing his face to the giant. "You're Atlas, correct?"

For a moment, the giant stared as if he were deciding how to structure his response. From head to toe, he was dressed in armor resembling that of an ancient Spartan. The giant knelt, pinned to the ground by a space-like orb twice his size. Stephen knew what it was.

"I am Atlas, yes. These mountains are treacherous, boy. I'm surprised you were able to find your way."

"I had a map," Stephen stepped towards Atlas carefully.

Atlas laughed, causing the temple to shake. Even trapped under the orb, the Titan was dangerous. Stephen's blade clung to his waist and he kept his hand nearby. He stopped in front of the behemoth, his body steady.

"What do you want?" Atlas wasted no time.

"Knowledge," Stephen replied, swiping open his menu.

From it, he equipped a dagger embedded with blue jewels. It's blade was short, straight, and sharp. Stephen wasn't a blacksmith, but he could tell the metal was hard to come by. He held it up with both hands for Atlas to see.

The Titan's eyes grew. "Where did you find that?"

"A friend gave it to me," Stephen lowered the dagger, "the original owner of this dagger came here once, didn't he?"

Silence filled the air. Atlas' brows furrowed. Stephen felt an immense pressure in the air, as if gravity had begun fighting against him. He told himself to stay calm; he knew Atlas couldn't touch him.

"That man," Atlas paused, "came here a long time ago. He fooled me and took that blade as his prize."

Stephen almost felt a bit of joy rush through him. After what had felt like an eternity, he'd found a lead on Lexa's killer.

Stephen cleared his throat. "What was his name?"

Atlas frowned. "Cain."

Spoiler

Morningstar | Lv. 6 | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 9

Gear:

• Beginner's Straight Sword | Uncommon
  +1 DMG
• Beginner's Light Armor | Uncommon
  +9 MIT
• Lexa's Light | Perfect
  +3 ACC

Skills:

• Two-Handed Straight Sword | Rank 1
  +1 DMG

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Stephen's joy did not last. The name shook him to his core. Thoughts of the past flooded back to him and he remembered the sight of a well-kempt blonde stabbing a blade through Lexa's back. Atlas said nothing, only watching for a reaction from the swordsman. It was almost as if the Titan pitied him. Stephen wasn't that naïve.

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"Don't trust Atlas. He's good with words when he needs to be," Helios opened a map showing a vast mountain range.

"He's known as a Titan for a reason," Stephen chuckled.

Helios smirked in agreement, pointing out the best route to the temple. It wasn't an easy trip no matter which path you took; however, the raven-haired swordsman had paved a relatively safe way for Stephen. Helios warned him that Olympian Guardians had been spotted before the temple, but provided a solution to them as well.

"I found a tunnel," Helios explained, "that takes you beneath the temple. There's a passage inside that will take you straight to Atlas."

Stephen smiled. "I appreciate all of the work you've done for me. Your scouting is the only reason this is possible."

"It's my pleasure. Besides, I want to see Cain go down as much as you do."

He placed a dagger on the table. It was Cain's once, taken by Helios in a duel. The blade was a gift from Atlas himself after Cain, like many before him, completed the Titan's quest. Stephen picked up the dagger, running his fingers over it's silver face. The blue jewels looked dull in the low light of the room.

"Upon completing his quest, Atlas will grant you a prize of your choosing. The limits of the quest aren't known, although it's true that you can't bring back the dead or escape the game. You'll need to be careful what you choose, since if you pick something beyond his ability you'll get nothing at all," Helios sat down and leaned into a wooden chair.

Stephen passed his friend, stopping at the window of the inn. He stared out, watching the busy players rushing through the streets of the Town of Beginnings. Helios toyed with a pendant, his eyes scanning the holographic map floating above the table. They stayed silent for some time, until the atmosphere became too tense to bear.

"What did you ask for?" Stephen asked, his eyes still focused on the town.

Helios didn't emote. "I asked for my brother back. That's how I discovered that even after doing this quest, the dead stay dead. If I hadn't told you, would you have tried asking Atlas to bring back Lexa?"

Stephen turned to face Helios. "Yeah. I would have."

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"Atlas, son of Iapetus," Stephen stared up at the Titan with ferocity in his eyes, "I'd like to take on your quest."