[F4-PP] Iced out

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius stood in the cold as hell square of Floor 4 City. He didn't know the name of the town, nor did the Blood Buccaneer much give a damn. He drew his twinfire sword, and held it out infront of him to give off warmth. Zelrius's suit glowed faintly in the complete white of the falling snow, The maroon on his Dress shirt looking even darker in the barely there light. Zelrius opened up his panel one more time. He had bought the information about some kind of difficult monster from a Info Broker. Zelrius laughed at him, Nothing thus far had stood a chance against the Blonde boy, not in a LONG time. So, He happily took the information from the Broker, Only realizing that the Broker had probably only said that to make Zelrius buy said words off of the Broker. Though the boy didn't care, His money so far seemed endless to him, and he would gladly grind weak monsters. However, The information mentioned something about a rather powerful boss, and to this He knew he needed help. Though Zelrius had no idea where to ask for this help from...

[Nikki Styx 0]

The town portal erupted in a flash of light and Nikki emerged from its depth. The weather was cold, but the sky was clear. She shivered a moment as she pulled open her menu, and equipped her winter gear. Suddenly she felt better now that she was shielded from the cold. She took a second to breath in the fresh air of floor 4. The crisp pine scented air filled her lungs and brought a smile to her lips. She took a look around and sighed with displeasure as she saw how many people had started hanging around her winter paradise. It was definitely more crowded than normal. The portal behind her erupted to life again and she was forced to step away from it as several more people poured in from god knows where. She hated that.

 

It was at this point that Nikki noticed someone who did not belong on her floor at all. Zelrius. For a moment she wanted to yell at him, but stopped herself remembering the last encounter they had had. It hadn't been so bad, in fact he had actually improved her opinion on him. She gave a small sigh and relaxed herself a bit, before briskly walking over to him. She was atleast going to find out what he was doing here. "Well I don't think I've seen you here before"

[Miaki 0]

Another bright light appeared with Miaki coming up behind Nikki, bumping into her in the process. "Sorry, I got distract by a-" He began while not looking where he was going as he came through the portal. "Oops sorry... Vendor." He said, finishing his thought and looking around her at Zelrius. "Well we just keep crossing paths with old friends lately don't we?" He said as he opened up his GUI and scrolled through the menus looking for his cloak. The cloak that produced around him was a winter fur cloak. The cloak ran all the way down to his calves and had a hood with it which he had down. His messy hair flowed in the winter gust that constantly ran throughout the floor in various speeds. The scarf he wore was as blue as the hair of the girl in front of him. He walked around Nikki to get a better view of Zelrius and walked closer. "What are you doing here Zel?" He said with a gloved fist looking to give a fist bump.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius became slightly annoyed at the increased amount of players on the 4th floor. It was one of the many reasons he HATED The floor with a passion. The amount of people who thought the snow was "beautiful" was disgusting. Not only was that displeasing, Zelrius found it even more so the sheer population of the floor. This place had damn near 7/10's of all the People in Aincrad in it at all times. Most players were either here or Floor 1, Hiding out like a ton of panzies. In the midst of all this thought, Zelrius recognized not one, But two voices in which he was more fond of then most. Zelrius observed Miaki and Nikki, Both he knew kind of well, Though one was maybe not so fond of the Blood Buccaneer as the other. Balling his fist and bumping it with Miaki, Zelrius spoke, as Formally and narcissitcally as ever. â€‹"Salutations and Greetings there my Friend and Acquaintance. I am not here to admire your falling frozen water, nor to visit with you. Take that last bit as you will. I am here on a hunt for some monsters of high difficulty that may, or may not exist."  

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki cocked her head to the side at his comment. What creatures could he be talking about. She was more than curious in this regard. it was not often that something escaped her notice on this floor. Was it possible that like the essence of steel quest something had escaped her notice? not likely. But still this was something worth investing interest in. "Ok... I've been up one side of this floor and down the other. I have seen no creature that is of any considerable strength" She wanted to know now what he was up too, and why he was doing it. IT was more of a simple curiosity, yes things had improved, but she was not one to forget past events so easily. She looked back seeing Miaki had ported in right behind her as well. She had been caught up in the moment and hadn't actually noticed him right away. But now that he was here, this would prove a perfect opportunity to keep an eye on Zel. "Alright, say this thing exists. What is going to keep it from simply tearing you in half? Miaki and I are coming with you. Just to make sure you don't die." She said in a standoffish tone. At this point she wouldn't accept no for an anwser.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki turned his head back to look at his wife and raised his eyebrow in a 'we are?' look. He could tell she saw this look he was giving her and could almost read her mind through eye contact replying 'yes, we are.' He turned back to Zelrius and said. "It does sound interesting and it wouldn't hurt to get out there. We're in." He cracked his right fist while cocking his head to the left stretching it then did the same to the other side of his neck and cracked his other fist. Completing this motor function he crossed his arms and gave Zelrius a wondering look. "So what is this monster you've heard about. It must be something newly discovered if it hasn't circulated the information brokers yet." Miaki, when he first began to grow close to Nikki, learned of her contacts and her own skill in information gathering. Combined with his mapping and exploration skills they sat on a plethora of information collected together. To have something go unnoticed was unusal. But new things did appear often in Aincrad and what his old comrad may have heard of could be one of them.

[Shanok 0]

Shanok had just come out of his shop which was located on Aincrad's fourth floor when he saw three familiar faces hanging out next to the teleportation gate. He got a closer look as he was walking towards them and recognized his friends Zelrius and Miaki, next to them was Nikki Styx, also known as "The River", Shanok had met her a few times during scouting parties and boss fights and heard from his friend Miaki that they had recently got engaged.

As he got closer to them he overheard them talking about going on a hunt. "Hey guys" he said as he walked towards them while waving at them. "I overheard you talking about hunting some monster, I may or may not have info on it. I hear a lot of things from the players that come to my shop, sometimes more than I want to hear, but that's part of the job I guess" he said. He then looked at Nikki, "Oh, sorry, I'm sure that we both know each other, but I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself" he told her, "I'm Shanok, nice to meet you" he added as he extended his hand towards Nikki.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius only stood grinning at the exchange between Miaki and Nikki. He knew (Or thought) the woman had no regard for his safety, She either just wanted a chance to hit him, or steal the boy's loot. Though none of this even phased him, Zelrius simply chuckled at Miaki's quick expressions and the exchanges, and watched only as Shanok showed up, seeming to Zelrius as normal as ever. Well one thing was for certain, There were a number of people in Aincrad who Actually fit into society and were here by choice, Not because it was the only place they could escape being made fun of. Of course, regardless of reasons, everyone was here now, and the reasons didn't matter. What did matter was there much more apparent skepticism of his creatures existing, The Blood Buccaneer had to address this. "Yes, I am positive these creatures exist. My sources have never failed me. Atleast they have not proven to be incorrect thus far. I do not mind if you come along, I've never actually been in a battle with you, Miss Styx, but it should be a thrilling experience. As for Mr.Murakami and The one known as Shanok, I look forward to killing by your side."

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki looked up as another person seemed to come from out of nowhere. This in itself wasn't uncommon as many players inhabited the world of Aincrad, and it wasn't uncommon for people to approach one another asking to assist in quests. It was a general trend, players clumped together to complete quests and achieve goals to level up safely. What was strange was the direct way this player introduced himself. He indicated that they may have known each other but not formally. Nikki frowned a moment, she had made a habit to introduce herself to every person that she worked with or generally met. She was or rather had been a member of the Ebon Vanguard, they were a renowned guild that protected the population of Aincrad. 

 

He had extended his hand to her, to which she responded by taking it. For that brief moment she removed her gaze from Zel, so that she could properly look at Shanok. "Shanok? Its nice to meet you. I am Nikki Styx" She said softly as she gripped his hand giving it a firm shake before letting it go. She returned her gaze back to Zel, watching to see how he would respond to the arrival of Shanok. She was aware that Miaki, Shanok, and Zel were of the same guild as indicated by the icons over their heads.

 

Zelrius began to speak now indicating that he was certain the creatures existed. He also went so far as to flatter the group indicating that it would be thrilling to kill with them. Nikki raised an eyebrow. at the sudden acceptance of grouping up. She remembered the last time he joined a group, how he terrified the smaller players and abandoned them to their fate. At least in this circumstance she could protect Miaki, and Shanok should they be abandoned again. And should he make an honest go of this she could protect him too. "Alright... So with Shanok... four players. If your all ok with that?" She asked of everyone there.

[Miaki 0]

The sight of Shanok was another old sight. Both he and Zelrius were making pleasant greetings to Nikki which hinted to the team comp that they would have later with this battle up ahead. "Shanok, you seem to be looking well." He said as he held out a handshake to give when he and Nikki were done greeting one another. The idea of facing a decent enemy with these two would be a little nostalgic it had been a long time for them and he felt he owed it to them. "If you are joining us then we should be perfectly set. It's not wise to have a very large party. Having smaller grouping will do better here for us." What they needed was a tight knit group with the agreement to work as a team and taken down their enemies. But from past experiences that proved to me nearly impossible.  Hopefully what would transpire today would prove differently.

 

Miaki waved open his GUI and manipulated the controls for a moments time as he scanned his inventory. "Hun, did we leave the- oh never mind they're in here." He said to Nikki as he was checking what they had in the shared storage space. Making a few selections he closed the screen. The temperature was dropping and the skies were a dull grey. This was the kind of weather he preferred. Dark and grey. It relaxed his mind and put him in a good mood. Even if this hunt was a bust he would make the best of the experience.

[Shanok 0]

"You seem to be looking well too" Shanok answered to Miaki's comment. Shanok had just got up and gotten out of his shop so he had rushed outside without equiping his gear, he only had regular clothes on, clothes that were made especially for the cold of the fourth floor. He put his right hand in front of him and slid it downwards, making the menu appear. He then selected the tab called "Equipment" and equipped his sword, gloves and armor all at once. His equipment appeared on him in a flash of light blue light.

 

Shanok turned around to face Zelrius, "So, any idea of where we're headed?" he asked as Zelrius had seemed to be the one who came up with the idea of going hunting. "I've been to a lot of places on this floor, if it's someplace I know, I can get you there" he added as he opened up his map and waited for Zelrius' answer.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius stopped for a second and opened his own menu, opening the map and having a look. After he counted the distance on the litte grid on the Map, Zelrius was more then happy to announce the Location. "As it would seem, Our little point of interest is about Eleven to Twelve Miles Northeast, Most of the Trail is on a mountain pass, Do you think you guys can lead me along? I am unfamiliar with the area, for good reason too." Zelrius too ended up equipping all his gear and was ready to go. His Boots of agility, Small as could be and all grey. Over his current Maroon Dress shirt was covered with a nice Blazer which had tiny pinpricks running up and down it, Along with all that Zelrius drew his twinfire sword in a flare of blue and red, Holding it out infront of him so that it would give off warmth. The Blood Buccaneer was Ready to depart.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki stopped a moment looking puzzled as Zelrius spoke. She knew the trail he was talking about. In fact Miaki and herself had been there several days earlier. It wasn't a well known place here, and in fact the pair had stumbled on it (Literally) In a rather accidental way. For a while it had been there own private spot as they had rarely seen anyone there. Of course during there last visit Nikki had noticed that not only where there alot of player tracks in the snow, but there was a greater deal of players actually there. She wondered if this supposed creature had anything to do with that now.

 

She looked to her husband and smiled. "Remember the trail where we..." She hesitated now smiling from ear to ear. "Ya know... Anyways," A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "I thought it seemed awfully crowded the other day. That's where he wants to go." It was sad to think that there trail was now public knowledge but the thought of a larger more challenging creature on their floor almost made up for it. The bluenette took a moment to pull open her menu's and check her supplies. While the pair shared inventory now it always paid to know what you had on hand.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki made a fake expression as if he were completely clueless to what Nikki was talking about. "Oh right, that place." He opened his map display and double checked the place. "Its maybe 3 or 4 kilometers from here. Maybe not even that much. Should take just under an hour to get there now that I think about it." He began to walk in the needed direction and spoke over his shoulder. "We'd best get moving while it's still daylight. If neither of you are familiar with this floor then you don't know what comes out at night. And how difficult it can be to navigate if you haven't memorized the landscape too well." The path only had a thin layer of snow to mark it as a main path for players out into the wilderness. Eventually the path ahead would fade and they'd have to become pathfinders, atleast that is how it used to be before players took notice of the region in question. Now the path was worn out from being used often.

 

"Small expeditions are made by some players on older floors to find things that might have been missed the first time round when the floor was made open and being mapped out by those who were stronger and looking for the labyrinth. It's typically safer for them by this point because they know the recommended level to be and overshoot the requirement to make it less risky." He kept quiet for a bit as they moved along, keeping his eyes to their surroundings. He broke the silence with a question. "So how is the Brigade?" It was an awkward question with his pulling a fast one on them and disappearing with little to no warning to them at all.

[Kosan 0]

Kosan heard some info about some monsters that were a higher level and probably powerful.. He was walking on the road really slow as he heard some voices from behind.. Turning he saw a group of people.. Around 4 or so.. He noticed Zelrius , Nikki and others.. Kosan stopped and waited for them to catch.. "Hey !" Kosan spoke to the group.. "Where are you all heading.. ?" As he got his hood down and went to salute the one he knew.. "Hey Zelrius , Nikki.. So.. Where are you guys heading ?.. I heard about some creatures really powerful at north of here.. Around 3/4 kilometers (2 miles) or so.. Are you heading for them ?.. If so , count me in.." Kosan said as he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck at the same time..

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius smiled when he saw Kosan. The boy enjoyed the hooded figure, and his company would be a little make this journey just that much better. He looked back to the party and then back to Kosan. "Well, Greetings and Salutations there, Old Friend. And Yes, There are some unique and powerful creatures up the road ahead, or So I have been told by what you make 3 Sources now. My Guess is they do exist. And as for the Increasing number of players in the area: I wouldn't worry as far as they go. My information tells me that there is a hidden Pass that actually leads to the Monsters, And as far as I can tell, No one has found it yet, hopefully." Then he stopped and turned to Miaki to answer the inquiry about the Brigade. "With the disappearance of a Certain Female Officer, The Ebon Vanguard lost power, Fast. We have thrived since, No thanks to you, Mr Murakami,"

[Shanok 0]

"The Brigade's doing fine" he answered to Miaki's question, "Also, there's always a place for you in it, I'm sure everyone on the council would agree with me on that" he added as another player appeared and started talking to Zelrius without really caring about the other players around him. "Zelrius, who is he?" he asked pointing as Kosan and as he did, he realized that he could see the player's name and that he had the Brigade's icon next to his name, indicating that he was part of the guild.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki could over hear Zelrius talking about the Vanguard. The female officer he spoke of was in fact herself. And then to say that Miaki had no hand in helping the Brigade thrive. She nearly laughed. If Miaki hadn't have dragged her away she would have stayed on the front, the Vanguard would have remained in power and the Brigade would not be as well off as it is. If anything, he single handedly created a power vacuum that allowed the Azure to rise higher than it could have. Of course that was a stretch of an argument even for her. Instead of saying anything she simply held her tongue as the party began to venture out. She was going to lead them to the main path along the mountain, from there on it was up to the group to discover the secret cave entrance, that everyone else was looking for. 

 

-----------------------------------

 

It took the group just over an hour at there pace to get to the mountain path. Along the way there had been continued conversations between the players, as could be expected. But once they arrived Nikki silenced all by announcing loudly that they were here. She then turned to look at Zelrius, a smile on her lips, Alright so what are we looking for? secret cave or switch? Or is it just a hole in the ground?" She had a mild degree of skepticism in her voice, but continued to remain polite about it.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki gave Nikki a knowing smile and wrapped his arm around her waist when he realized that it was them that Zelrius was talking about. He then turned his gave off the path and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about there buddy." In truth, it wasn't their intension for the Vanguard to lose a member and to eventually fall apart. It was a topic they brought up the night they became engaged. To avoid neopotism by Nikki staying with the Vanguard where she was doing alot of good and Miaki staying with the Vanguard where things were going well. Shortly after they were engaged they changed their minds and just went off the radar.

When they arrived at their destination Miaki observed their surroundings and recognized the place immediately. He would never speak of the things out loud and only gave his love a look as if they had a great secret to share. "I sure hope there isn't a hole in the ground but maybe there is something here."

[Kosan 0]

Kosan walked with the group for some time as they arrived at their location.. Or what he though it was their location.. "What now..?" Kosan asked as this was all the information brokers said to him.. "There should be a secret way or something ?.. Or the creatures will appear here ?" Kosan asked while facing the group .. He withdrew his sword waiting for something to happen... He didn't knew what they were supposed to do now..

As they sat there , if you watched closely you could see a small enterance that leads within the mountain and probably to the creatures.. Kosan didn't observed it but maybe the others mightve saw it..