[PP Fl3] Into the wilderness [ Lessa][completed]

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Eyes softened a bit as he heard her speak the words hr desperately wanted to hear. Except she was a total stranger to him. But she addressed him as a mentor and he laughed a bit." Far from it.. I'm no mentor..just a concerned citizen." He cleared his throat and shrugged." We can walk and talk. And thank you, Lessa." He made his way toward the opposite direction of the mountain side that haunted him." I feel like I could of done more. She was just like you..inexperienced and lovely to be around. Cheerful and yet a confidence that was of a lion. " He chuckled a bit." But like I said.. she's gone and I'm sitting still. I think I'm moving forward but as soon as I do, I'm trapped in reverse. Like now, I'm making the decision on going the opposite way so you don't suffer the same fate."

He was a man trying to not repeat the same mistake and he would drop everything to save this one. Just one person.. If he could save just one person, it would mean something. " You're going to want to learn battle healing. Also, there is rough terrain out there so be on the look out for quests. They'll help out immensely. " He started to guide her.

[Lessa 1]

"No need to thank me," came the woman's warm reply. She gave him a smile, and added, "of course you're my mentor. You're a more experienced player, and you're looking out for me, a lowly little newbie." She threw in a wink to let him know she was being light-hearted. "But honestly, Kiluia, you've already taught me so much. I cannot think you enough."

She walked along beside him, her claymore strapped to her back, her arms swinging casually at her sides with each step. There was concern in her voice when she finally spoke again. "Don't worry about my fate." The woman had a sudden urge to reach out and giving him a reassuring pat on the arm, but she thought better of it. In a game like this, touching someone when they weren't ready for it could spell disaster. "And while I am so sorry about her, know that you're still moving forward. You've taken me on, haven't you?" She smiled. "Its a start."

At the mention of quests, her eyes lit up. "I've completed one already," she told him, proudly. "It wasn't much, but now that I know how to quest, I'll be doing it a lot more in the future. And battle healing sounds great."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He genuinely clapped for her and gave a smile. " Congratulations. It's a welcoming feeling isn't it?" He gave a grin to her. " No need to think you're a lowly newbie." He looked at the distance again and took a breath. More dragons. Bigger and uglier looking ones too. He sighed and looked at her. "Don't worry about me too much." He watched her and then smiled a bit." Can't have a student of mine be worried about me no?"

He released his dagger and shield from his inventory and gazed at her." Your call. We can do this or go questing." He gave a firm nod to her giving her his life in her hands." You are gonna lead me and I'll support you..You will learn how to make life changing decisions and to learn to trust others." A smile spread on his face as he awaited his new orders from the newbie.

[Lessa 1]

"Ask anyone," Lessa replied, laughing, "I worry about everyone." Then, when she really thought about what he had said, her smile grew. "Your student, eh? I like how that sounds."

She drew her sword, taking pleasure in the satisfying sound it made. "Lets keep fighting," she decided, nodding her head. Pointing at the distant dragons with her claymore, she looked over to Kiluia. "I need the practice, and I can't think of a better teacher to have by my side." She took a few steps, than glanced over her shoulder. "Coming?" She teased, her blue eyes wide and laughing.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Seeing this woman made him feel better. Perhaps it was time to find a new partner and move on with his life. He took a deep breath and nodded he took off like a bullet. He touched her shoulder and grinned. " Tag!" He attempted to break out of his shell. She seemed genuine with her feelings and he wanted it to be known that he had taken her in not as a student but as a friend. Eyes of blue would look back and flash her a wink." Last one to the dragons owes the other dinner!" He would take long strides to break away from her.

In his head , he thought for awhile. He thought of her. Good bye Natalia.. I love you. A brief tear would race down his face as he ran smiling toward a new goal.

[Lessa 1]

The girl emitted another peal of childish laughter as she was 'tagged.' It was so strange to her, being so carefree outside of a safe zone. Yet everything seemed alright. At that moment, she was not afraid. Kiluia made her feel safe, and she was so grateful for it.

Long hair billowing behind her, Lessa lifted her heavy sword. The dragons were close now. She would let Kiluia have the first attack, but she called after him anyway. "You wouldn't want me to buy dinner! I'm poor!"

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He smiled as he slowed to a jog. Eyes would glance back at her and shrug a bit." Then I guess I'll have to go cook or something." He hadn't made anything in a while for anyone. It had been a long time since actually been in any kitchen. Despite that though, he would at least offer as another alternative. Azure eyes would stop on the dragon and he would tilt his head at it. Crimson scales. An elemental dragon, he thought staring at its rarity. A brief smile would cross his face as he managed to catch the attention of one. "This one may get rough." He spoke as be placed his shield back up with his dagger drawn.

He had hoped that all this wasn't an illusion or an elaborate game. He was enjoying himself as he took off at the next second to go swing at the dragon. He caught the dagger into the dragons claw ..but no damage was given. There just wasn't enough power behind it. Body was thrown back as the elder dragon stared the two down, challenging them to come at it.

He caught himself and stared at the red scaled beast and muttered." We meet again." He looked back at her and spoke." All yours leader." A hand would motion at her with a smile on his face. But before anything else, he would close his eyes releasing a blue aura. His body began to intensify from his new goal and new outlook. Spiritual light Activated when his eyes opened releasing a blue aura around the dragon." Here we come."

Kiluia 26/27

Lessa 11 / 11

Elder dragon 17/17

[Lessa 1]

The first thing that Lessa noticed about the dragon was its beauty. The way that the sun caught the crimson scales was just stunning, and she couldn't help but admire the beast. 'This one may get rough,' Kiluia had called out to her. This snapped her back to reality, and reminded her that despite all of the fun the two of them were having, they were in a dangerous situation. She would need to stay alert.

"You got it!" The woman called out, racing past her companion. In her peripheral vision, she could see that he was activating his Spiritual Light. That was her cue. As the great beast lumbered by her, now fixated on her tank, Lessa raised her sword. With as much force as the small girl could muster, she brought her claymore down across the dragon's scales.

But it was not enough. The blade bounced harmlessly off of the dragon's tough side.

"You weren't kidding," Lessa cried out, the first hints of doubt creeping into her voice.

{Dragon deals one damage. Kiluia takes damage, due to his Spiritual Light.}

Kiluia 25 / 27

Lessa 11 / 11

Elder dragon 17/17

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Seeing her hit but no damage made him hope she wouldn't waver with her courage. He looked at the dragon and dashed forth with shield tucked against the body. When he closed the gap between the enemy, his body lowered and he pushed off leaping at it with his right arm extended backwards.

He gave a battle cry to the beast and placed his dagger straight into its right cheek. He yanked downward with the help of gravity having him slide down its flesh and carving it up. At the end of its jawline, Kiluia kicked off its face going towards Lessa. As he landed on the ground he spoke to her." Don't falter. You will do just fine against anything this size." He offered her a path to the dragon." After you."

Kiluia 26 / 27

Lessa 11 / 11

Elder dragon 14/ 17

[Lessa 1]

Lessa nodded. "I won't," she told him confidently. Lessa knew that she would only improve if she pushed herself. That meant not backing down from a fight like this. And she knew that Kiluia had her back. If she wanted to take risks, now was the perfect time to do it.

And take a risk is exactly what she planned to do. With a high-pitched cry, the girl tucked her head and took three great strides toward the dragon. Pushing off of one foot, Lessa launched her small frame into the air. As she fell back to earth, she thrust her blade into the beast's side. She left a deep hole in the dragon, finally breaking through the scales. Her blade was yanked free as she landed on her feet.

"Yes!" Came her victorious scream.

{Lessa deals 3 damage - +1 for critical, +1 for two handed skill.}

Kiluia 25 / 27

Lessa 11 / 11

Elder dragon 11/17

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

She was cruising with the damage now as he smiled looking at her. He tucked his dagger against the inside of his wrist and he took off once more. He passed her on his way back and winked. " Be back in a flash." He was loosening up to this woman. Maybe it was good that he was becoming more open and that he decided to open the doors to the path of light once more. It felt relieving and scary.. he had been closed off for so long that if he even thought of it, it would draw darkness.

He took of running at the dragon, just like he did once at the Hydra. He slid on his knees going underneath the belly of the dragon. Blade would extend forward and he would once again slice into the gut of the dragon. Blade simply seared across the scales and the muscles of the dragon causing damage. He felt alive once again. He crossed the threshold of the dragon on the other side and smiled at Lessa. He would definitely owe her a thank you for awakening something inside.

He ran around the dragon avoiding the tail and slipped over to her." You look like you could be a front liner soon.." He grinned from ear to ear." Soon though, we will take on harsher monsters together." He would nod at his new partner. She didn't know that but he would soon tell her if she hadn't already established it.

Kiluia 25/27

Lessa 11/11

Elder Dragon 7/17

[Lessa 1]

Grinning broadly, Lessa watched Kiluia expertly slash away at the dragon. It was incredible, how well he handled himself and his weapon. She could hardly imagine being so skilled. He made it look effortless, and for a moment, all she could do was stare. Her plump lips were parted in silent awe as he finally brought down his weapon and smiled at Lessa. Then, he told her she looked like she could be a frontliner. The words managed to make her heart swell and her stomach plummet at the same time. But regardless, that fire within her only grew. Her desire to fight on the front lines was even stronger now.

Unfortunately, her next strike was not nearly as effective as her first. All of the desire in the world could not ensure that her weapon would not strike a thick plate of scales protecting the dragon's leg. That was precisely what it did. The woman had not expected such a tough spot, and her blade bounced off harmlessly.

"I have a long way to go!" She called back, refusing to let it get to her. She had done a good chunk of damage before. She could do it again.

Kiluia 24/27

Lessa 11/11

Elder Dragon 7/17

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

"And I'll be there to watch your back." He offered a warm smile. " It'll be easier if you had a partner around to help you." He ran off now with his dagger drawn out in a side position. Blade was pointed upward at dragon as he lunged forward at it. He was doing his best trying to get the core of the Dragon to drag it to the point where Lessa could finish it off.

His dagger met the rough exterior of the dragon and it hit hard. The dagger sunk in the outer scale and traveled into the inner scale of the beast. The serrated dagger began cutting into the muscle and shredded its vital organs. Kiluia managed to scramble backwards after inflicting the amount of damage needed to bring it lower. Eyes would shoot over to Lessa. It was almost dead.. she needed to focus everything into her strike now.

When he reached her, he gazed upon her and spoke." Would you like to be my partner?" He would offer a grin to her. It was a genuine offer to be partners in combat. A pact if you will. Kiluia was dead serious on being by her side until a final blow would end him or til they cleared the game. " I would like you to. " He would finish up after gazing at the almost dead dragon.

Kiluia 24/27

Lessa 11/11

Elder Dragon 3/17

[Lessa 1]

His partner?

It was a phrase that she had not heard used within Sword Art Online yet. For that reason, she hesitated momentarily, trying to determine what it was that he meant by it. Surely, they did not know each other well enough for this to be some sort of romantic proposal. Instead, she determined it probably had more to do with what they were doing now - fighting side by side, and keeping an eye on each other. If she wanted to join the ranks on the front line, fighting with Kiluia would be the perfect way to ensure that she is ready, and safe.

"I would love to," she replied, returning his smile.

Unfortunately, his words had thrown her off her groove. There was not nearly enough power behind her attack when she finally dealt the blow, and it bounced off the scales harmlessly.

I wonder why he asked me while we were fighting, she found herself asking.

Kiluia 23/27

Lessa 11/11

Elder Dragon 3/17

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Seeing her miss the mark, he could tell that she was distracted by his question. They would have to work on that together when the battle was over. Dagger twirled in circles as he ran at the dragon. The dagger kept spinning in circles as fast as a buzz saw. He lunged at the dragon when it became in his distance. Of course , when he struck the scale, it deflected into the scale and shards of the scale struck both his corneas after it had pierced and shattered his glasses.

With a reflex , he jumped back wiping his face a bit. Blood? Was that possible in this game? He felt a tinge of pain from his vision and dropped his dagger to hold his face a bit. Shield clattered to the ground and a light moan escaped his lips. He was afraid to open his eyes as he clasped them shut. The feeling of the scales left him a bit unbalanced and surprised that he hadn't paid close attention.

When the pain subsided, he opened his eyes slowly to regain eye vision. He blinked a few times looking at Lessa who was perfectly clear to him. His once beautiful deep azure sky like orbs were replaced by a crimson fire orbs with near perfect vision.

" Am I still bleeding ?" He said as he reached for his items on the ground.

Kiluia 23/27

Lessa 11/11

Red elder dragon 3/17

[Lessa 1]

"Kiluia!" The young woman cried out, panic heavy in her voice. She lunged for him, letting her claymore fall to the ground. She reached out and clasped his arm, her blue eyes wide. When those eyes met his, she let out a small gasp. "What?" She asked, breathlessly. "I-I don't know," she finally stuttered. His beautiful blue eyes had changed shade. Was it blood? Was that where the color came from? She had never seen anything like it, or heard of this happening.

It had been hard enough to watch the beast inflict damage on him when the only result was a dip in his health bar. Now, seeing the pain, and the blood, an angry fire burned within her.

Once she was confident that Kiluia was alright, she scooped up her claymore, and took off at a sprint. Pumping her arms, and tucking her head low, she picked up speed. But this time, rather than leaping into the air, she simply rammed her blade deep into the dragon's side. All of her weight was thrown behind the strike, and with a satisfying crunch, the weapon sank past the scales and into the meat below. The dragon bellowed in pain and outrage. It was almost done for.

{Lessa deals 2 damage - +1 two-handed skill.}

Kiluia 23/27

Lessa 11/11

Elder Dragon 1/17

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Watching her pull him up by his arm, he was a bit bewildered as to why she had behaved the way she did. When her responses came to him, it set a chill down his spine. What the hell was she freaking out about? He simply glanced down at the shield and noticed the blood like tear but his eyes. His eyes were crimson. He watched as the tear dropped down and struck his shield.

He was stunned but the pain brought him to reality. With his dagger clutched tight, he passed his partner and went to thrust his dagger into the dragons frame. The blood got caught in his eye and he suffered for it. His visibility had become a bit more strained with the drops of blood.

This wasn't fun as the tail of the beast caught him square in the face sending him backwards towards Lessa. His frame fell back just short of her and he laid sprawled out." That was painful." He admitted to her.

21/27

Lessa 11 / 11

Elder dragon 1 / 17

[Lessa 1]

He really isn't well, Lessa thought to herself, lips pulled into a tight line of worry. Of course, he would not admit that. He continued to rush the dragon, as if his eyes had not mysteriously changed color, and his vision was not blurry with blood. The sight was terrible, and it tore at her heart. She moved toward the dragon again.

But her mind was elsewhere, and her heart just was not in the fight. The dragon easily dodged her attack, even with its low health. Once it had avoided her, it lashed out, and took another chunk out of Kiluia. The woman gave a strangled cry. Things were falling apart.

Kiluia 20/27

Lessa 11/11

Dragon 1/17

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He would gather whatever he had in the tank to run at the dragon once more. He had noticed that she was worried about him. He had been fighting along side several people to know when worry would appear. But he had to push. Seemingly though, the dragon knew it as well as he pushed forward. The tail of the derailed his attack sweeping him off his feet and to the ground.

He landed with an incredible thud to the ground. Eyes would glance over to her and he would shout

" Let's get this done , Lessa! Don't worry about me"

Kiluia 19/27

Lessa 11 / 11

Elder dragon 1 / 17

[Lessa 1]

His words did little to reassure her. She knew that he was hoping to motivate her, and it a way, it did. She wanted all of this to end. She just wanted it to be over so that she could check on him, and make sure he was alright.

With a high-pitched cry, Lessa lifted her sword one final time. Her blue eyes burned with anger, frustration, and fear - not for herself, but for Kiluia. The image of blood collecting in his eyes, and running down his cheeks like tears haunted her. It was the power that pushed her to run faster, try harder, and put as much power as possible behind her final strike.

The tip of her claymore disappeared into the dragon's side, and the rest of the blade quickly followed suit. The dragon's body shuddered, her weapon now buried in it to the hilt. Then, its red scales burst into silver fractals, raining down around her.

It was over.

{Lessa deals three damage - base, +1 two-handed skill, +1 critical.}

Kiluia 19/27

Lessa 11/11

Dragon DEAD