[PP - F2] A Second Meeting [Alkor] {Complete}

[Lessa 1]

"Yikes." The woman cringed, then said, "I don't think I could live in a place like that. Not for long, at least." Darkness had nearly claimed the entire field, but she motioned to her surroundings. "I need those wide open spaces." She smiled at the thought. "I need trees, and rivers, and fields, and enough room to run around." Then she laughed, and added, "I know I sound like a complete hick sometimes, but that's how I was raised. And laws against fires?" She gave a small shrug. "Maybe when we have an especially dry season. But that's about it."

The more she reflected on the matter, the more she realized that what her family had taught her was very different than Alkor's experiences. "My parents gave me a lot of freedom. They definitely taught me to love and respect where I come from." She looked over at him, and grinned into the darkness. "As you can probably tell, it worked. I do love my roots. But they also taught me the importance of forging my own path. We traveled a lot, and my parents were always encouraging me to make my own decisions. I would always have a place at home, if I wanted it. And if my decision was to leave, and settle somewhere else, well, that was fine too." She paused. "Granted, I'm sure they never quite imagined me here."

Without stopping to think more about their horrible situation, she jumped into the next topic. "Of course, if you don't have a list of your own, you could always borrow some of mine." Lessa held up a hand, and began to list off her dream destinations on each finger. "There's Dublin, and Munich, and the Matterhorn - that's in Zermatt." She thought for a moment, then added, "and I'd love to see the Palio in Siena. That's just to name a few."

She walked alongside him in a comfortable silence for a while, thinking about the first place she would go visit when she was out of the game.

[Guest]

Alkor remained quiet while she spoke about her family, freedom, and loving her roots. His eyes skimmed over the fringes of nightfall, a contemplative look on his face. He had nothing positive to add, but he refused to bring her down from this stroll through the happy things about her life beyond SAO. Maybe that was the first moment in a very long time when, dealing with someone else, he felt like he knew exactly what to do.

"My grandmother called the way I was raised "Southern," he said with a smile, letting thoughts of the woman who had practically been his mother replace the darker ones about his biological mother and sister. "But a lot of people would say 'redneck' or 'hick,' so I can't really say that you sound like that."

His thoughts moved back to the woman, now very old, and his lips turned down in a frown. He was stuck in this game, but in that world, he had been the one taking care of her. Now that he was stuck here, would his mother step up and start being a good daughter? Would he be able to count on her for that?

She spoke of different places she'd like to go, and his sadder thoughts were abolished. He listened to her as she talked about Ireland, Germany... "I did want to go to Florence," he said. "I'd forgotten about that. He had a strange love for Italian history and architecture, and the rustic feeling of Tuscany had been by far the most appealing to him.

He gave a shrug and fell back into familiar silence, hand resting on his weapon. Their trek took them through the fields outside of the second floor city. At any time, a mob could have easily sneaked up on them. So far, though, their walk had been largely uneventful.

[Lessa 1]

At the mention of his 'southern' upbringing, she could not keep the grin from her face. "I know that feeling," she told him. "I was probably the most southern I could be without actually being from the south." Had there been more light, she may have been able to see his frown. Certainly, she would have toned the positivity down a notch, in an attempt to make him feel more comfortable. But instead, she went on.

"Florence would be amazing," she agreed. "The history there? Man, I'd kill for a few days in a place like that." The young woman squinted into the darkness, and could make out the faintest hints of light from the city. They were close.

"I really like history," she continued. "I'm actually going to school to teach it back home, and I-"

A sudden grunt interrupted what she was going to say. She gasped, and stepped closer to Alkor out of instinct. "What?" She squealed, squinting into the darkness. And there it was, what she had feared the most. An enemy in the darkness.

It lunged at her before she had the time to ready herself. Blindly, she drew her weapon.

[Guest]

When she spoke about history, his eyes lit up. For a moment, there was something he could talk about and really, genuinely have a massive interest in. Just as quickly, his mouth clamped shut, and something jumped out from the shadows. Instinctively, Alkor took a stride forward and his blade whipped free of its place at his side. He angled himself so that the creature bounding toward Lessa would have no way to reach her.

"Tch," he grated loudly at the creature's claws sliced away at his health. He could see it now, prowling, staring him down. Alkor narrowed his eyes and kept his blade level, grazing the dirt with its tip. A plains lion- stronger than most of the weaker lions that one generally saw during the day. It wasn't a field boss or anything, but Alkor had heard of these "rare spawns" happening every so often.

That made this one more dangerous. "Stay back," he warned. The white beast growled its disdain for their trespass into his territory. Alkor refused to give it the satisfaction of fear. He circled with it, as though he himself were a feral beast.

Alkor 13/15

Lessa 13/13

Bazuzu 20/20

[Lessa 1]

"Alkor!" Lessa cried out as the lion swiped at him. He had put himself between her and the danger, taking the damage himself, and saving her. The gravity of the action was not wasted on her, and her stomach knotted. Why did he do that? His level was not much higher than her own, so it was not as if he had the health points to waste. And from the tone of his voice as he urged her to stay back this thing was not a usual enemy. Glancing up at its health bar proved her theory. Twenty health points? That was far greater than what she had. The thought of it made her sick. This was easily the most difficult thing that she had fought since entering the game.

She eyed the lion as it circled them, and she did her best to stay behind Alkor. The man was risking a lot by protecting her. The least she could do was keep herself from becoming an easy target.

Unfortunately, the lion was faster than she had anticipated. It moved quickly to the left, and as Lessa moved to counter it, the beast turned on its haunches and leapt to the right. She was left unprotected, despite Alkor's best attempts to shield her.

Luckily, the lion only slashed at her leg as it passed by, not dealing as much damage as it could have. But the young woman watched her health bar dip with horrified eyes.

{Bazuzu deals two damage.}

Alkor 13/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu 20/20

[it deals two damage?]

[Guest]

"Be ready to run if this gets too dangerous," he called back at her. The creature lunged to his side at perilous speed, and Alkor barely registered the motion. Its claws raked at the girl he had previously protected, but Alkor threw his body toward the mighty white terror to cut off the full extent of the damage with an attack of his own. "This isn't your typical lion."

The blue gray blade of his weapon sank into the lion's opaque fur, and he drew a line of crimson along its neck and shoulder. It howled it's rage and seemed to forget Lessa as it fixed its ravenous gaze on the player that had struck with his sword. Alkor kept his weapon held in a guard, continuing to circle the beast in an even stance. The blade held diagonal in front of his body with the tip pointed down, Alkor stared over his weapon at his enemy.

Alkor deals 4 damage.

Alkor 13/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu 16/20

[it does deal 2 damage]

[Lessa 1]

"Alright," she acknowledged, nodding. "I will be." And at the mention of it not being a normal lion, she gave a humorless laugh. "I noticed!" She kept close to him as he lunged forward, and to her delight, Alkor planted his sword into the lion. Even if they had a long way to go, at least he was dealing damage. It was a start.

Now the lion seemed to have its attention on Alkor, so she slipped out from behind him, and raised her claymore over her head. As quickly as she could, and trying not to draw any attention to herself, she brought her weapon down. It sliced a nice gash in the beast's side. While it wasn't much, Lessa still felt a flicker of pride among her overwhelming fear.

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

Alkor 13/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu 14/20

[Guest]

Alkor continued his relentless assault, weaving another strike toward the white lion in an attempt to strike before the beast could get in a counterattack. His blade flickered like a candle in the breeze as the pale moonlight reflected off of it, and his eyes lit up like a demon's might.

Before he managed to strike, though, the creature swiped its deadly claws at his torso and ripped into his health. Alkor felt his eyes go wide and he staggered back, interrupted in the process of trying to kill the mob. Guess that's fair enough, he thought, still reeling from the blow.

He caught himself before falling over, feet setting in a stance once more as he glared at the lion maliciously. "I'm not going down that easy," he stated flatly.

Alkor 11/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu 14/20

[Lessa 1]

Watching Alkor fight provoked mixed emotions within the young woman. On one hand, she was awed by his skill and determination. He took hits as if they were nothing, and kept cutting away at the white lion. It was really quite incredible, and she had a hard time looking away from the man and his seemingly effortless string of attacks.

On the other hand, she was horrified by what she was seeing. It was her fault that they were in that situation. Perhaps it was a silly thing to think about, but it was the truth. She had asked him to join her. If she had not, he probably would have been somewhere safe. Stop thinking like that, she scolded herself sharply. Don't put that on yourself. Don't personalize it like that. But it was hard not to.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Lessa scooped her claymore back up, and thrust it forward. She knew that she should not let emotion drive her actions. She should have collected herself first. But there was a stinging threat of tears behind her blue eyes as she buried her blade into the lion's side. With an anguished cry, she ripped it out again.

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

Alkor 11/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu 11/20

[Guest]

When her strike hit home, Alkor surged in and thrusted his weapon forward. His eyes were filled with heavy traces of contempt now, his entire being trembling with both excitement and terror. This was a fight not unlike several he'd had before, though this one seemed far more meaningful somehow. The creature was quite different from the ones he'd faced, and the damage was more to his health.

Lessa's damage proved helpful toward whittling away the boss' health, which would be very useful for them surviving this encounter. When he glanced sidelong at her during his attack, though, he thought he saw that she was crying. Is she afraid? He wondered in silence. The world felt like it slowed down.

His weapon skewered deep into the white lion, which roared out in defiance of the damage that came. Alkor focused his gaze on the beast, tugging callously at his weapon to free it from the rare spawn's hide. He inadvertently ripped a gash open that bled data out into the world around it.

"Don't be afraid," Alkor reassured her with a serious look. "We're not going to lose. Not today."

Alkor deals 6 damage (3 super critical + 1 weapon + 2 skill)

Alkor 11/15

Lessa 11/15

Bazuzu 5/20

[Lessa 1]

Don't be afriad.

Was that what it was? Fear? Of course she was afraid. She was terrified. But was it really fear that caused the lump in her throat, the catch in her breath, and the single tear that finally lost its hold and slid silently down her cheeks? She didn't think so.

Instead of responding, she simply gave her companion a small nod. His reassurance helped her collect herself a bit, and his powerful attack certainly gave her some of her confidence back. But her her arms shook as she moved in for an attack of her own.

With all the strength that her shaking frame could muster, Lessa slashed her blade across her body, raking it across the lion's side, and leaving a crimson streak across its pure white pelt. This time, the only sound that came from her was a breathless cry of exertion. Her blue eyes were wide, and her jaw was clenched. There was a look of raw determination on her face, but it was hard to miss the damp streaks that ran down her cheeks.

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

Alkor 11/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu 3/20

[Guest]

Alkor closed his eyes. Every finger on each of his hands flexed in turn, and he let out a ragged breath. There was only him and the lion now, in the darkness of his mind, and the creature's menacing roar shook his entire body with its power. He heard his heartbeat in his ears, he felt it racing a million miles a minute.

He took another breath, this one to cleanse himself of the terror that threatened to grip his heart. This beast was a chance to become stronger, not a wall between life and death. It would not be some insurmountable force. He concentrated on the king of beasts with both eyes burning his resolve into a palpable aura, his very being refreshed by the tenacious desire to attain victory. The owner of a thirst for strength that could not be slaked, Alkor whetted his appetite with battle.

In an instant, there came only the sound of Alkor sheathing his weapon. "It's over," he said in a firm voice. His back was turned to both Lessa and the white lion that was breaking down into fragments of data. His eyes slid shut, and he bowed his head in contemplation of the victory he'd just achieved.

The hit had been something both wonderful and fierce. Alkor felt a sense of pride welling in his chest, but he subdued it with humility. There was no need to say anything more, nor to dwell on the experience. Lessa was alive. That was his only prerogative, at this point. "Let's hurry back to Urbus," he said.

Alkor deals 5 damage. (2 critical + 1 weapon + 2 skill)

Alkor 11/15

Lessa 11/13

Bazuzu (Dead)

[Lessa 1]

Alkor killed it. It was over. The threat was gone. She could breathe. She could relax. That was what she told herself, at least. But she simply could not will her body to cease its shivering. Slowly, weak arms brought her claymore above her head, and slipped it into the sheath on her back. Its over. Its over. Its over.

Hurry back to Urbus? Yes, that sounded like a good idea. She nodded, and moved to her position beside Alkor. While they had been fighting, darkness had completely consumed the level. A few twinkling, virtual stars had been all the light they had to see by. Once, she may have stopped to think about how beautiful her surroundings were. And maybe she still would, once she calmed down. But for now, all she could think about was the rare lion, the panic, the damage Alkor had taken, and the fact that she was to blame for it all.

She inhaled sharply, then took a few seconds to release the air from her lungs. It was as if she was trying to expell the emotion that still racked her body. The lights of the city were ahead of them. They just had to reach it. "Okay," she told him in a small voice. She was ready to go.

[Guest]

It startled him to hear something come from her that wasn't confident, and he looked over at her beside him with a confused look. He patted her shoulder with a firm, yet fleeting hand that removed itself almost as soon as he had placed it there. "We're safe," he reminded her. "It's alright."

Alkor felt like a lion that strong should have dropped something decent, but they'd received nothing for the effort. Maybe that had bummed her out? His eyes flitted back and forth between Lessa and Urbus, and then to the ground. "You did good," he said, "mobs that strong don't spawn often. You handled it well."

She seemed quieter than he was, and that bothered him just a little. It never occurred to him that he'd taken damage, or that she might feel something about that. Excitement and a drive to become stronger had overcome his fear of death over time, until now it was just second nature to fight stronger enemies. He wanted to inspire others, to keep them safe, and to make certain no one would ever need to worry about death again.

Lessa seemed shaken. "Is everything alright?" He finally asked, breaking the tension that had mounted. They were much closer to the city now, in much safer territory. The stronger monsters never came this close. Lights danced in the distance, the city alive despite it being nighttime.

[Lessa 1]

His hand on her shoulder caused her to flinch. It was not that she didn't appreciate the gesture. Quite the contrary. Lessa realized that this was the first physical contact that she had had with another person since entering the game. It had been a long, long time since she had felt the touch of another person. The briefest pat on the shoulder sent sparks through her, and raised goosebumps up and down her arms. He has no idea what he just did, she found herself thinking.

At his compliment, she gave a small smile, and a nod of thanks. It was good to hear from a more experienced player that she was on the right track, and despite her emotionally-driven performance, she had done alright. Later, she would think back on his words, and feel a growing sense of pride. His opinion meant so much to her, and hearing his praise meant the world. But for the moment, all she could do was stare at her feet, watching every step that she took toward the safety of the town.

'Are you alright,' he had asked her. AM I alright? She asked herself. No, the truth was, she was far from alright. "I'm sorry." When she spoke, her voice seemed foreign to her, as if she was listening to someone else speak. "I lost it back there. But when I saw that lion, and it began to deal you all that damage," her voice seemed to go up an octave as she began to ramble, "and if anything happened to you it would have been my fault, and I was scared. I was scared for you." And there it was, out in the open. She knew she could have probably put it more delicately, but it was all that could be expected from a shocked, tired, frightened young woman who had just been thrown into her first real fight - and almost watched the one person she trusted fall victim to her mistake.

[Guest]

He let out a huff through his nostrils and smiled, shaking his head. "I'll be fine," he told her. There was no doubt in his mind that he was being honest. Alkor placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair, steadily keeping his gaze on the city. "I told you, didn't I? Nothing to worry about."

Inwardly, he felt the pangs of what she'd said. "We killed it," he said. The words came out hollow, but they held a vastly deeper meaning. Just because it had been a tough battle, and dangerous, didn't mean that it was an indicator of how things were going to be moving forward. Still, it was best to reassure her, if she was intent on going to the front lines.

"It's only going to get more dangerous," he said, stopping and turning to look at her. "And we're going to keep getting stronger with it. This isn't even close to what waits on the front lines," he folded his arms and looked her up and down. "Are you sure you're alright with that?"

[Lessa 1]

She drew a deep breath, cheeks warming as he rustled her hair. Though she was twenty years old, the action had made her feel like a child again. It really was comforting, and Lessa found that her breathing was returning to normal. This man that she had worried about was now helping to calm her down. It was a complete change of roles - he was comforting her - and the irony was not lost on her. Finally, the girl gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Alkor," she said finally, wiping the final tear away on the back of her sleeve. There was no need to expand on that. She knew that he would understand what she meant by those simple words, and the enormous impact his kind words had on her.

The woman slowed to a halt beside him, her eyes still glued to the city in the distance. She was lost in thought for a while, processing what he had told her. It will only get harder from here. But that thought did not bother her too much. It hadn't been the lion that scared her. It had been the risk of losing Alkor that had sent her into a panic. A feeling of guilt, throwing him into a dangerous situation without the knowledge or skill to protect him. The monsters did not scare her. What did scare her was something that she could fix. She could grow stronger, and truly help those that she cared for survive. "I am alright with it," she replied, finally looking up to meet his gaze. "I am more sure of that now than ever before." I never want to feel helpless again.

[Guest]

He turned to face Urbus again and nodded when she looked back at him with a gaze that bespoke her resolve. That was enough for him. "Good," he said, "doubts are anchors. A ship can't move while it's weighted down." He had grown up a lot like his grandfather that way- he didn't deal well with emotions and he was no good at consoling people beyond a point. It seemed to him that Lessa didn't need any more support (at least not direct support). He stretched out and looked up at the sky, thinking. "You might look into joining a guild," he said suddenly. "They'll help you get stronger and keep you alive."

It was true, the dangers of this world were lessened by working with groups, but Alkor tried to isolate himself from doing that. "When you're ready, meet Caelam and I on the far side of the floor," he instructed. "Get some rest and heal up. Urbus is a pretty big safe zone."

He took a breath and ran his thumb along the hilt of his sword.I'll go do some training on my own, he thought. Get stronger so that I can protect them. I'll need a stronger weapon, and some armor. That means I'll need money. "If there's nothing else," came the hurried words.

Alkor had never been one for goodbyes. Obviously.

[Lessa 1]

"A guild?" Lessa repeated softly. A few players had approached her about joining their guild in the past. She told Alkor as much, and then added, "but I turned them all down." The girl hesitated. Then, in a more positive tone, "but hey, I'll look into it." It was not a bad idea. Now that she had her heart set on fighting, a guild could be really beneficial. The support, the protection, and the knowledge that they could provide would be very worthwhile. She made a mental note to look into it further.

The conversation was winding down. The pair had nearly reached the city's entrance, and the faint light of the buildings was almost within reach. But they stood alone, cloaked in darkness, only silence and a coule of feet of space between them. "No," she said finally. "There's nothing else." Against her better judgement, Lessa reached out her hand and gingerly touched Alkor's arm. "Thanks again." Withdrawing her hand, the young woman took a step backwards, toward Urbus.

[Guest]

His gaze shot up when she touched him, and he glanced at her. Alkor didn't speak, but he noted her features as she receded toward the city, and he stood there waiting for her to be safely inside its walls. Once he was satisfied with that, he went to get himself healed and took a few moments to stretch and yawn.

"Didn't realize I was so tired," he said out of nowhere. "Guess I should get a nap before I go practice on my own." He headed into Urbus and toward the closest inn, where he would rest up and be ready for their field boss battle come the next day. He wondered how Lessa would fare against an enemy decidedly tougher than the lion they'd just faced.

Maybe she'd be more determined this time. Alkor certainly hoped so. He knew that Caelam would be excited.