Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 #1 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) It was his first time being somewhere as high as the seventh floor, and he had to say he did thoroughly enjoy the change of scenery. Nimbus was a quaint city nestled within a mountain the fact that the ceiling that blanketed was embedded with stones that shone like stars in the night sky made for a peaceful atmosphere. Seul also took note of how the player population drastically decreased once one passed the fifth floor. Sure there were still those who dared to venture higher but he felt at ease with his perfect gear equipped. The monsters on this floor would only barely scratch him and any damage he sustained would just be restored thanks to his shield. He found a nice tavern in the midst of town where he pulled up a stool at the bar, but instead of ordering alcohol just opted for a glass of water. Edited November 8, 2015 by Seul Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #2 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 The water arrived surprisingly fast for it being a crowded bar. The boy gazed down at it and saw the reflection of his avatar looking back as if reflecting all of the adventures he had gone on in its face. He had made it far and was extremely close to being at a satisfying level. Just the fact alone that he could stand against creatures on the seventh floor by himself without dying was impressive in itself. He thought about his friends who were still achieving their own goals and many of whom were on the lower floors. The only real question left was 'where do I go from here'? Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #3 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 As fate would have it, the Cardinal system once again delivered a sign that would point him toward his next adventure. The woman sitting beside him at the bar had her face veiled which the boy found particularly strange as the other patrons had no problem with revealing themselves. Under the hood she wore Seul thought he could see the faint outline of a smile spread across her lips and the flicks of ruby red hair which came down straight just past her shoulders. The woman took note of him as well and now directly acknowledged that he had been looking by speaking up. "You know it's kind of rude to stare." Seul could feel his cheeks flush from the embarrassment of being caught but shook it off with a meek acceptance of being caught. "Well sorry..." He mumbled before turning his attention back toward the glass before him. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #4 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) "Well actually..." The woman began. "I'll forgive you if you'll hear me out." Seul thought a moment before following his hunch and inspecting the woman further. There were no signs of a cursor above her head or any other indications that she was a player. She didn't even seem to be carrying a weapon. in other words this was an NPC he was conversing with. He offered her a look with a raised eyebrow as there was no telling what sort of crazy mission this lady was going to send him on. "You have my attention." The woman laughed with pleasure from his response and began her little spiel. Edited November 8, 2015 by Seul Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #5 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "Did you know that there is a method that exists for taming a monster? Although it is rare, if you feed a beast it may join you on your travels afterward. Perhaps even aid you in battle." So that was the aim of the quest. Obtaining a familiar could prove to be useful, but so few people actually possess useful ones that it made him doubt his chances of getting one altogether. "I'll try it, but do you know of any powerful monsters around here?" The woman paused before digging into her memory for the perfect beast to fit his description. Her face lit up once she had it. Boy, was it a hell of a pick. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #6 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "North of town there is a cave where a terrible black dragon is said to have set up a lair. In terms of raw power, this dragon is among the strongest. Maybe even rivaling the power of the floor boss." Of course there was no way to know for sure if what this woman said was true unless he actually sought it out. He thanked her for the information and took care of the first order of business before leaving the tavern. With a steak now in his inventory he swiftly left town and began the trek north through the mountains to locate the dragon's lair. "Hopefully I don't get my butt burned off for pulling a stunt like this." Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #7 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 The trip brought him to a rocky cliff which upon scaling left him at the mouth of a cave which he assumed was the dragon's lair. He took a deep breath before taking one last look at the outside world as he wasn't sure if this trip would be his final endeavor in the world of SAO. "I think I'm losing touch with reality... Never thought I'd be coming face to face with an actual dragon. All I know is that every story I've heard about people seeking dragons never ends well." He kept the thought at the edge of his mind as it only served to hurt him now. He had to let the dragon know upfront that he came in peace. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #8 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 The end of the tunnel opened into a massive room and in the center sat a massive pile of treasure. Gold, gems, and high quality weapons as far as the eye could see. It would have been a really amazing find if it wasn't for the massive dragon resting atop of it all with skeletons strewn about all around. He could feel his heart sink with each breath the dragon let out. Just how the heck was he supposed to convince something like this to join him?! It was mad. He was mad. The dragon was probably going to be mad once it realized there was somebody trespassing in its domain. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #9 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "WHY IS THERE A HUMAN HERE...?" Seul stopped dead in his tracks as the dragon's eyes locked with his own. Even in the darkness they seemed to glow with a brilliant red as all monsters did. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing seemed to come out. The words were being choked in his throat and there was nothing short of being burned to a crisp by the dragon's fire flashed through his mind. "SPEAK HUMAN... YOU'VE CAUGHT ME IN A GOOD MOOD..." The monster said while using its tail to seal off the only exit. This wasn't good. He had to do something or the chances of him dying here were higher than not. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #10 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "I'm here because I want your strength. Having a fearsome beast like you on my side would aid me greatly." He was unsure if his honesty would be taken as an insult or a compliment. On the one hand dragons usually looked down on humans as lesser beings. On the other hand the boy was acknowledging he was weak without the monster's help and thus respecting the beast's power. Though in truth why would the dragon even care about what he thought? He simply closed his eyes and hoped for the best as he was at the monster's mercy. His fate was literally in its claws. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #11 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 When he opened his eyes he realized that he had not been burned to a crisp and was still very much alive. How? The dragon seemed to be considering his request. At least he thought it was as it didn't have any noticeable facial expressions. When it opened its mouth he was sure it was the end but in stead of an inferno, laughter erupted from the beast. The cave shook fiercely with each bellow from the dragon's gut and it was becoming hard to even stand through such a storm. As the monster began to quiet down its voice took on a serious tone. "HOW'S THIS FOR AN INTERESTING FACT... HALF OF THE CORPSES YOU SEE HERE ARE FROM HUMANS LIKE YOU... FOOLS WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD CONTAIN MY POWER AND KEEP ME AS A PET... DO YOU WISH TO MEET THE SAME END...?" Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #12 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "Well... I'd rather not." He said in a somewhat defiant voice. "Also you're wrong about the pet thing. I want you to be an ally! A friend... Doesn't it get lonely in this cave? Why not join me on my travels?" The dragon kept silent as the boy's words sank in. It seemed to be pondering its own existence just as Seul had done earlier at the tavern. Could it honestly be considering joining him? He'd be happy to have it along. He realized in his own time spent travelling Aincrad that meeting fellow players and adventuring together was always more fun than these solo missions. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #13 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "IT IS AN INTERESTING IDEA... THOUGH I AM UNSURE AS TO WHETHER YOU ARE WORTY OF MY POWER OR NOT..." Well just how exactly was he supposed to prove his strength? It's not like he was about to fight the dragon. That was just out of the question. He thought about what kind of power a dragon would value before looking to his weapon. That's right! The story surrounding the item's origins was something that a dragon might value. He raised the blade high for the monster to see and let the light piercing through the ceiling glint off the black blade before starting his story. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #14 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) "The weapon I hold here is Kusanagi, the regalia of an ancient land! It was used to smite a foul monster that wreaked havoc across the land and only ends up in the hands of heroes. The fact that it is now in my possession should be enough evidence to show how strong I am! But I still wish for you to join me!" Most of the story was true. But the monster didn't have to know that. Seul awaited its reply when the idea struck him to follow up on the woman's advice. He removed the steak he purchased earlier from his inventory and held it out with both hands. Though compared to the dragon's size he didn't think it'd exactly be filling, it would make for an extremely tasty light snack. The dragon accepted the offering without hesitation and surprisingly was careful enough with picking it up that it didn't take Seul's hands with it. Edited November 8, 2015 by Seul Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #15 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) Once again the laughter came as the dragon finished the meal in a single gulp. "YOU'RE ALRIGHT FOR A HUMAN... BEING WITH YOU SHOULD BE INTERESTING..." Did he actually do it...? The dragon seemed to be on board with joining him and his doubts were cleared once a window appeared before him requesting for a name to given to the newly tamed familiar. "Um... What should I call you? Dragon just seems too impersonal." Seul said while rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Roll: #37913 | LD: 16 - Success! The monster has been tamed! Edited November 8, 2015 by Seul Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #16 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "I HAVE GONE BY MANY NAMES IN THE PAST... CALL ME WHAT YOU SEE FIT..." Seul looked to the dragon before staring at the text window for another good thirty seconds. He simply entered the first name that came to him and the window changed to say 'Congrats on successfully taming the familiar: Legna!'. The once fearsome looking dragon had shrunken drastically. Now he stood at less than a foot tall and just barely over six inches. No bonuses seemed to have come with taming him either, but that didn't really matter as his only aim was the experience that came with the quest reward. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #17 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Legna flew up to Seul's shoulder and effectively perched there while tucking his wings in to roost. "Yes... This will be quite a comfortable journey..." It was strange to see the dragon still had the same speech pattern despite being drastically smaller. Legna's voice actually wasn't awful to hear as long as it wasn't loud enough to shatter every glass within a 20 mile radius. "Well buddy, looks like we'll be partners from now on. Though, I'll be doing all the fighting it seems." Legna shrugged in response and only raised his head to get one last view of his treasure as the boy turned to leave the cave. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #18 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 When the pair reached the end Seul realized that time must have been distorted or he had just lost track of it as the sun was starting to rise on the horizon. It felt good to be able to share a moment like this with someone. Even if Legna was just a familiar, he was his familiar and they'd be together from now on in the adventure of trying to clear Aincrad. Just one more achievement for him to hang on the fridge. 'Seul the Dragon Tamer' did have a nice ring to it after all. Perhaps could even call himself a dragoon now. These thoughts and many more flooded his mind as they made there way back to Nimbus. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #19 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Nimbus was still the same as when he left it, but it wasn't like he really expected much to change in his absence. The tavern was a little busier than earlier and Seul could only scoff and wonder how anyone could drink so early in the morning. Legna seemed intrigued by the town as well, gazing at all the sights and tall buildings with wonder on the way to the bar. "That's right, this must be your first time in a human settlement right?" The beast nodded in response as Seul took a seat at a nearby table. Ordering his usual water and a bowl for Legna, the waitress left to retrieve it and the two were left to be the attention of a crowd wondering how a dragon like that got tamed. Link to post Share on other sites
Seul 1 Posted November 8, 2015 Author #20 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 "Well, I see someone got awfully lucky!" The voice came from behind him but he already knew full well who it belonged to. The woman that started all of this had walked up and taken the seat at the opposite end of the table. Her face was still veiled but that didn't really matter as he could hear the approval in her voice. "You could say that." He replied before sipping his freshly delivered water. Legna had been ignoring the woman but then again he didn't really have a reason to acknowledge her as she was just a stranger to him. "In any case, you did a good job. Make sure you keep that little guy around." Link to post Share on other sites
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