Strength to Survive [Mentor/Saber/Private]

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

The family members have tears in their eyes when they welcome Saskia back to the inn from her long journey.

"Thank you so much for coming."

She understands the situation immediately.

The time for departure is drawing near.


Too soon, too soon.

But still, she knows, this day would have come sometime, and not in the distant future.

"I might never see you again," she said to her with a sad smile when she left on this journey, her smiling face almost transparent in its whiteness, so fragile—and therefore indescribably beautiful—as she lay in bed.


"May I see Hanna now?" she asks.

The innkeeper gives her a tiny nod and says, "I don't think she'll know who you are, though."

"She hasn't opened her eyes since last night," he warns Saskia. You can tell from the slight movement of her chest that she is clinging to a frail thread of life, but it could snap at any moment.

"It's such a shame. I know you made a special point to come here for her..."

Another tear glides down the wife's cheek.


"Never mind, it's fine." Saskia says.

She has been present at innumerable deaths, and her experience with the landers has taught her much.

Death takes away the power of speech first of all. Then the ability to see.

What remains alive to the very end, however, is the power to hear. Even though the person has lost consciousness, it is by no means unusual for the voices of the family to bring forth smiles or tears.

Saskia puts her arm around the woman's shoulder and says, "I have lots of travel stories to tell her. I've been looking forward to this my whole time on the road."

Instead of smiling, the woman releases another large tear and nods to Saskia, "And Hanna was so looking forward to hear your stories."

Her sobs almost drown out her words.


The lander innkeeper says, "I wish I could urge you to rest up from your travels before you see her, but..."

Saskia interrupts his apologies, "Of course I'll see her right away."

There is very little time left.

Hanna, the only daughter of the innkeeper and his wife, will probably breathe her last before the sun comes up. 

Saskia lowers her pack to the floor and quietly opens the door to Hanna's room.


Hanna was frail from birth. Far from enjoying the opportunity to travel, she rarely left the town or even the neighborhood in which she was born and raised.

This child will probably not live to adulthood, the cleric told her parents.

This tiny girl, with extraordinarily beautiful doll-like features, the gods had dealt an all-too-sad destiny.


That they had allowed her to be born the only daughter of the keepers of a small inn by the highway was perhaps one small act of atonement for such iniquity.

Hanna was unable to go anywhere, but the guests who stayed at her parent’s inn would tell her stories of the countries and towns and landscapes and people that she would never know.

Whenever new guests arrived at the inn, Hanna would ask them,

"Where are you from?" "Where are you going?"

"Can you tell me a story?"


She would sit and listen to their stories with sparkling eyes, urging them on to new episodes with "And then? And then?" When they left the inn, she would beg them, "Please come back, and tell me lots and lots of stories about faraway lands!"

She would stand there waving until the person disappeared far down the highway, give one lonely sigh, and go back to bed.


Hanna is sound asleep.

No one else is in the room, perhaps an indication that she has long since passed the stage when the clerics can do anything for her.

Saskia sits down in the chair next to the bed and says with a smile.

"Hello, Hanna, I’m back."

She does not respond. Her little chest, still without the swelling of a grown woman, rises and falls almost imperceptibly.


"I went far across the ocean this time," Saskia tells her. "The ocean on the side where the sun comes up. I took a boat from the harbor way way way far beyond the mountains you can see from this window, and I was on the sea from the time the moon was perfectly round till it got smaller and smaller then bigger and bigger until it was full again. There was nothing but ocean as far as the eye could see. Just the sea and the sky. Can you imagine it, Hanna? You’ve never seen the ocean, but I’m sure people have told you about it. It’s like a huge, big endless puddle."

Saskia chuckles to herself, and it seems to her that Hanna’s pale white cheek moves slightly.


She can hear her. Even if she cannot speak or see, her ears are still alive.

Believing and hoping this to be true, Saskia continues with the story of her travels.

She speaks no words of parting.

As always with Hanna, Saskia smiles with a special gentleness she has never shown to anyone else, and he goes on telling her tales with a bright voice, sometimes even accompanying her story with exaggerated gestures.

She tells her about the blue ocean.

She tells her about the blue sky.

She says nothing about the violent sea battle that stained the ocean red when PKers had slaughtered the landers for their own amusement.

She never tells her about those things.


Hanna was still a tiny girl when Saskia first visited the inn.

When she asked her "Where are you from?" and "Will you tell me some stories?" with her childish pronunciation and innocent smile, Saskia felt a soft glow in her chest.


At the time, she was returning from a battle.

More precisely, she had ended one battle and was on her way to the next.

Her life consisted of traveling from one battlefield to another, and nothing about that has changed to this day.

She had taken the lives of countless enemy landers, and witnessed the deaths of countless comrade landers on the battlefield. Moreover, the only thing separating enemies from comrades is the slightest stroke of fortune. Had the gears of destiny turned in a slightly different way, her enemies would have been comrades and her comrades enemies, This is the fate of the mercenary.


She was spiritually worn down back then and feeling unbearably lonely. As a possessor of eternal life now, Saskia ad no fear of death, which was precisely why each of the lander soldier’s faces distorted in fear, and why each face of a man who died in agony was burned permanently into her brain.

Ordinarily, she would spend nights on the road drinking. Immersing herself in an alcoholic stupor—or pretending to.  She was trying to make himself forget the unforgettable. The misfortune of a brewer. You can help everyone else forget their pain, but you can never forget your own.

When, however, she saw Hanna’s smile and begged her  for stories about her long journey, she felt a far warmer and deeper comfort then she could even obtain from liquor.


She told her many things...

About the beautiful flower she discovered on the battlefield.

About the bewitching beauty of the mist filling the forest the night before the final battle.

About the marvelous taste of the spring water in a ravine where she and her guild had fled after losing the battle.

About a vast, bottomless blue sky she saw after battle.


He never told her anything sad. She kept her mouth shut about the human ugliness and stupidity she witnessed endlessly on the battlefield. She concealed her position as a mercenary for her, kept silent regarding her reasons for traveling constantly, and spoke only of things that were beautiful and sweet and lovely. She sees now that she told Hanna only beautiful stories of the road like this not so much out of concern for her purity, but for her own sake.


Staying in the inn where Hanna waited to see her turned out to be one of Saskia’s small pleasures in life. Telling her about the memories she brought back from her journeys, she felt some degree of salvation, however slight. Five months, ten months, her friendship with the girl continued. Little by little, she neared adulthood, which meant that, as the doctors had predicted, each day brought her that much closer to death.


And now, Saskia ends the last travel story she will share with her.

She can never see her again, can never tell her stories again.

Before dawn, when the darkness of night is at its deepest, long pauses enter into Hanna’s breathing.

The frail thread of her life is about to snap as Saskia and her parents watch over her.

The tiny light that has lodged in Saskia’s breast will be extinguished.

Her lonely travels will begin again tomorrow—her long, long travels without end.


"You’ll be leaving on travels of your own soon, Hanna." Saskia tells her gently.

"You’ll be leaving for a world that no one knows, a world that has never entered into any of the stories you have heard so far. Finally, you will be able to leave your bed and walk anywhere you want to go. You’ll be free."

She wants her to know that death is not sorrow but a joy mixed with tears.

"It’s your turn now. Be sure and tell everyone about the memories of your journey."

Her parents will make that same journey someday. And someday Hanna will be able to meet all the lander guests she has known at the inn, far beyond the sky.


I, however, can never go there.

I can never escape this world.

I can never see you again.

"This is not goodbye. It’s just the start of your journey."

She speaks her final words to her.

"We’ll meet again."

Her final lie to her.

Hanna makes her departure.

Her face is transfused with a tranquil smile as if she has just said,

"See you soon."

Her eyes will never open again. A single tear glides slowly down her cheek.



Her body begins to illuminate a brilliant white angelic tone, shortly before, shattering like shards of glass.



Saskia's face grows cold, as a frigid sensation chills her nerves. She looks up to the innkeeper, as he tries to console his wife, while trying to hold back tears of his own.


Silently, she grabs her pack, rests a tender hand on the innkeeper's shoulder, and begins to embark on yet another journey. 


She leaves the coin purse on the counter and and begins to place her signature upon the checkout sheet. 


Many adventurers and landers had been gathered at the inn. It was a rarity for anyone who passed through the area on their travels not to know the poor girl. 


Their eyes fell upon Saskia with hopeful glimmers. Saskia shook her head in a negative response, turning their dreams to dust.  


She made her way towards the exit, before eyeing a Elven Assassin, shrouded in mystery, out of the corner of her eye, nursing his drink, she glanced up at his level then gave him a subtle nod of affirmation. 


Behind the Drowsy Drifter Inn, lies a stable, where a white colt lies, with a vanilla coated mane and tail. 


For months now, this animal has proved to be a faithful companion to Saskia on her journey.


The majestic steed had been her sole confidant and held within him a testimony to the things they bore witness to on their journey.


Saskia trusted the steed. Far more than any lander or player for that matter.


She untied the knot that had held the beast attached to a wooden post and spurred her heel into it's side as she made her way through the woods. 


She led her horse to a ravine in the woods where she could let her horse quench it's thirst. 


She began to start digging in her pack for a few moments before noticing a shady figure in the distance.

She stood up, curving slender fingers around her hilt, uncertain of the stranger's potential hostility. She retracted her defensive stance, placing a palm over the hilt of her sword. 


It was no mistaking his eyes, she had seen them before...

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED:None
Words: 2061




TAGS: Saber

template by caesar

[Saber]

Do you believe in ghosts?

“It’s dark today…” Indeed, the day today was fairly gloomy, as compared to many. It was quiet, still, and the clouds teased with rain or something much worse that he could not hope to understand. The air was heavy, thick, and cold as it sapped away his body heat. It made him uncomfortable, even in his armor and many layers of clothing. Now even his scarf, which covered much of his face, could keep his cheeks warm. The wind was like ice and it burned his flesh. Yet, there was not much of it. The world had come to a halt within the past few hours and the swift change in weather made Saber uneasy. For the entirety of the previous night, the monsters were restless. Many beings which were usually asleep were awake, and they assaulted him without regards for their own lives. Now, barely six hours later, there wasn’t a soul in sight.

“Strange.” The musing of an Assassin, however, were quite petty in comparison to the world’s decisions. He had no say in how it would act or what Mother Nature would do. He simply awoke in the morning, put on his clothes, and followed her instructions while performing his own daily tasks. She danced around him, in her beautiful multi-colored dress while he sat in a chair, tied down and forced to watch. Though where many would complain or shout at her, Saber would relax and close his eyes, listen to the sound of her clicking heels, feel her breath on his skin, and deal with her beaming eyes. He was jealous of her freedom, but she was jealous of his patience. Today was a day of rest for the world, but it was a calm before the storm. Saber would be present in both, and he would bear the burden of Mother Nature’s ferocity, unlike many others who would turn away and hide behind doors and windows.

Being someone who hardly rested, Saber was one of the very, very few who did not let the weather impede on his progression. Saber was a level ninety player now, but he had much to do. As Mother Nature danced around him, flailing and whipping at him with her tricks and schemes, he would simply lower his head and push forward into the unknown. Saber wasn’t one to run and hide because of a downpour, nor was he afraid of the icy sleet. He fought against heat exhaustion to the south and swallowed the phantasmal pain of frost in the mountains. Today, he would fight against the heavy weight of the world’s depression. Mother Nature was upset today, for whatever reason, and Saber could see it in her eyes. It was saddening that such a beautiful thing could let itself unravel into such a state.

“All good things come to an end, don’t they?” Saber sighed and tucked his cloak around his body, pulling it over the hilts of his blades and then tight against his chest, bundling up as a gentle whip of wind pushed against him. The man strode forward, continuing down the path on his trek towards a very distant destination. It would take Saber almost a day to reach it on foot, but he had no intention of stopping because there, he would find answers to many of the questions he had. The book which gave him the location of his goal was tucked into the pouch just below his twin daggers on his back, and it thumped against his backside lightly with every step he took. It was a reminder of where he was going, and why he was walking, and also a reminder that he had a hard task set ahead of him.

As he walked further and further, he entered the zone which was designated as the ‘Savill Flower Grove’, and the weather continued to hold in its looming, dark state. It took him much shorter of a time to reach it on this day, but that was for two reason. One; there were no distractions. Two; there were no players. To the man’s surprise, the once well-populated road was empty, void of all life both player and monster. Nothing even made a hiss at him from the shadows. It was strange, but soothing just as much as it was frightening. Saber did not mind being alone and he did not mind the peace and quiet of his walk. However seeing such a happy and usually blooming place filled with noise be so vacant and empty, where the player’s own footsteps were the loudest thing there, was something Saber was not used too. It made him wonder; what could have caused it? Maybe there was a large monster in the area? Word could have spread about it, but Saber wouldn’t have heard it anyways. He had not returned to any places worthy of such rumors for almost two days, as he had been out in the wilderness. Or, maybe there was a new raid boss somewhere that everyone was fighting. That could have been a thing and again; Saber most likely had missed the message if that was the case.

Both reasons seemed logical, but what he did not expect was to see a bunch of people standing by an inn, in a group. Upon approaching the inn and preparing to pass it, Saber caught the words of four whispering mouths. He missed much of the conversation, but he had chimed in at a point where he could at least take in a decent amount of information…

“I heard she was poisoned. Might have been some highwayman or something.” A man clad in thick armor muttered, but the responses to his words were done in unison; heads shaking in a manner which showed disagreement.

“That couldn’t be right. Who would care enough about an Innkeeper and his family? Unless the guy was a total jerk, then I doubt it was poison. Didn’t she have some kind of illness or something?” A higher leveled, short, female’s high pitched voice was hard to conceal, but her words attracted Saber the most. They were enough to get him to stop in the middle of the road, and enough to get him to look at the building as it sat comfortably off to the side of the pathway. The Assassin’s nose wiggled and he rumbled in his throat.

“Either way, she won’t make it. I’d try to make a potion, but there’s no telling what side-effects it would have on the Landers.” Another man, this one dressed in black and red robes with a book and a staff as his weapons, lowered his head and frowned. The man in armor placed his hand on his fellow’s shoulder.

“Or if it would even work. It’s probably far too late anyways so let’s not get caught up. Come on, let’s get back to Londonium. I bet the rest of the Guild is waiting.” As the group of four began to pack up their gear, Saber turned the knob on the door to the inn and slipped inside. He had heard enough from the small group of players and his curiosity was peaked. Without waiting much longer, he had entered the inn and closed the door behind him. Upon doing so, he found himself in a very dreary place.

The inn was as quiet as an abandoned home, even though it was filled with dozens of Adventurers. Upon entering the building, many eyes fell on the Assassin and they stared at him hard. Some were angry, others seemed as if they might commit suicide or start crying and wailing. It was a pathetic sight, and Saber actually felt sorry for all of them. Though, his attention was drawn more to the crowd of people near a door, which he could not see because of the number of bodies. It made Saber rumble a little, and his curiosity burned a little more. Though, he did not dare ask. Instead, he made his way to one of the vacant corners of the room and placed the two heavy blades that dangled from his hips onto the table. Many of the players in the room were below level ten, but a handful lingered between the levels of ten and thirty. No one was above that, and it made Saber wonder what they had been doing with their lives… Then again; Saber’s leveling tactics weren’t exactly a universal thing.

“Can I get you something to drink?” A voice came from Saber’s right, and the Assassin was greeted by the face of an older man. He was a Person of the Land and held the title of “Innkeeper”. This man was not exactly pleased either; dried up tear steaks lingered on his face and his eyes were a little red. He had been crying, and had been doing so recently.

“Just a water will do fine, sir. Thank you.” While giving his response, the Assassin pulled his hood back and let the cloth drape over his shoulders. His hair was a mess, but he didn’t toy with it. He simply leaned back against the wall he sat beside and gazed across the room as he waited. The Innkeeper walked away and made himself comfortable behind his little counter for a few moments. During the timeframe of him walking across the room, two players approached Saber. One of them sat across from the Assassin, another stood beside the table.

“How may I assist you fellows?” The high leveled player spat, annoyed by the presence of the two players; one was a level sixteen, the other a ten. One was a Swashbuckler, the other a Guardian. Both were Wolfhairs, and they made that part very obvious with their ears and markings on their faces.

“Who the hell are you to walk into this place like that?” The man who sat across from Saber scowled and leaned forward. Saber raised an eyebrow and looked at the fool; his name was Akaris. Then, Saber looked up to the other man. His name was Lucerin. Both seemed to be in a hostile state, but Saber was not foolish enough to play along. He simply turned his head towards the group of players across the room and nodded towards them.

“Why are they herding around the door?” Saber didn’t acknowledge the previous question, and placed his own on the table. That didn’t sit well with the other person. Akaris snarled and decided to reach across the table, as if going to grab Saber by his shirts. However, before his hand could reach the docile Assassin, it was snagged, twisted, and yanked. Akaris was pulled forward across that table and a dagger appeared out of the shadows of Saber’s cloak. In a blink, the sharpened, glowing metal pressed against the lower leveled player’s windpipe, pressure building as Saber stared into the eyes of the man. The zone was well out of the reach of the Royal Guard, and Player Killing was allowed.

Yet, Saber had made his point. Akaris’s ears pulled back and his angry face turned into one of complete fear. His brother, or friend, or whoever, froze up rather than attempt to help his ally, and it seemed to remind Akaris that he was alone in his aggression. But, it was his lucky day. Any other time, Saber would have beheaded the idiot and taught him a lesson. Instead, he shoved the Wolfhair back into the man’s own seat and Saber slipped his dagger back underneath his cloak. After he did so, the Assassin sat down and leaned back once more. Akaris didn’t say a word, nor did any of the other dozen pairs of eyes in the room.

“The Innkeeper’s daughter is passing.” Akaris finally admitted after a few moments of silence. It was then that Saber understood the silence and the unrest. So, another Lander was dying. The Assassin sighed and closed his eyes, resting his own soul as he sent a quiet prayer to the unknown being beyond the door. He did not weep, he did not grow angry, but the strange feeling in his stomach did fade. With the reasoning behind everything now explained, there wasn’t much more of a reason to be confused, nor concerned. Still, it was a sad day. Death was a thing which was constant, and it was something people needed to accept. Whether it was met with anger or sadness, it did not matter. Death was a part of the circle, and a key role in the cycle of life. Some avoided it with ease, others embraced it. Saber lived in it.

“I see.” As he spoke, the Innkeeper returned with the glass of water, a hard frown crossing his face. After he delivered the glass, he turned away and quickly walked into the other room, the collection of Adventurers opening up to let him by. When he disappeared behind the door, the room fell silent again. Saber sighed and picked up his drink, swirling it in his hand as he closed his eyes for a moment.

“Your hostilities are misplaced, my friends.” Saber said aloud to the room, the eyes burning with fires of pain and anger turning to stab into him. The Assassin could feel the pressure, but he remained unnerved.

“Death is just another door we must pass… And I can bet that many of you have already seen it here in this world.” He kept his eyes closed as he spoke, and continued to swirl the ice cold water in his hands. Just as he finished talking, he heard the door open again. This time, the door was the front door, and the person who appeared was a pink haired player. She wasted no time in the Inn’s lobby and made her way into the adjacent room where the Innkeeper had gone. Saber stared for a moment, curious, but then turned his eyes back to his drink.

“Mourn the dead, celebrate their life, and do not tarnish their graves with your bloodshed. It will be ill met on the other side.” After he spoke again, Lucerin patted his ally on the shoulder before moving away from the Assassin’s table. Akaris bowed to Saber apologetically before leaving the table as well, leaving Saber alone. Now that he was, Saber set his glass back down and closed his eyes once more. There, he rested and waited. Time seemed to slow and the world dragged for almost ten minutes… and then the sound of a door. There were no cheers, there were no yelps. Silence. Saber grimaced and looked towards the door to see the pink haired woman appear; no good news came from her lips, but he did receive a glance from her. He did not respond to her nod towards him and simply stared at her, watching as she left the inn. Saber sighed upon her disappearing behind the front door, and he looked out the window to his side. The air had not changed, and he doubted it would. Today, Mother Nature was mourning.

“Well. Now that I’ve rested…” The Assassin placed a few gold coins onto the table, leaving his untouched drink behind as he also left the inn. He stretched and cracked his back, adjusted his cloak, placed his blades back onto his waist, and pulled his hood over his head to cover up his skull. Then, he fixed his scarf. It had come a little loose during his small scuffle with the Wolfhair, if he could even call it a scuffle. Once he was ready, the man departed and continued on his journey up the path.

As he walked, the man opened his inventory to summon forth a bottle which was running low on liquid. The man rumbled to himself and drank the last of his water, and then deposited the item back to the void. With the knowledge that his last bottle was empty, Saber opened up his map and sighted a nearby river on it. He scanned the layout of the area swiftly, confirming his path to the water source, before turning off the road and into the trees. It wasn’t a long ways but long enough to annoy him. A few trees had fallen since he had last been in the area and the underbrush had grown a little. There were even a few more holes in the ground; more rodents in the area. They were actually probably rabbits, but they annoyed him all the same. However his trek wasn’t made any more difficult than it was before, he simply had to take a few extra steps to avoid tripping and falling on his face. Doing so was easy, and gave him a much better outcome than embarrassment. Though, there wasn’t a soul in sight to see him fall anyways. Not until he reach the riverbed that was.

Reaching the riverbed caused the landscape to open up, and Saber felt a lot less cramped as the trees and underbrush gave way to stones, flowing water, and open air. It was a lot less stuffy, cool, and not as dark. Saber almost needed a flashlight because of how dark the forest was, but he wouldn’t use one anyways. Though, coming to the riverbed made him feel a little more exposed than usual. Going from the shadows to the open without any cover that quickly gave him a strange sense of feeling naked, but it was fine. There was no threat to him in sight, and the only company he had was the pink haired player from before a bit of a ways up the river. He looked at her for a moment and took note of her horse. Then, he turned away and walked up to the edge of the river. She was getting a drink, just as he was, but she actually was getting a bit more comfortable than he would as her gear was on the ground it seemed.

The man knelt down by the water, brought out his sixteen empty bottles, and lined them up along the edge of the water. Once he had done so, he started to fill them all one at a time, dipping them into the crystal clear flowing behemoth. He was going to gather up as much as he possibly could, as the distant zone was unmapped, untouched, and he had no idea when he would have the luxury of filling his bottles again.

: Post Title :
-A Gloomy Day-

: Word Count :
3072

: Skills Used :
N/A

: Tagged :
Saber, Saskia

: Notes :
They met at the riverbed...

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

Vigilance. It was an aura that adorned her as it painted a penetrating gaze over the assassin. The muscles in her finger began to contract like the string of a bow that was being readied for combat as her fingers tensed around the hilt of her blade. Frozen, like an iceberg in the middle of the Antartica, she stood as calculating eyes began to analyze his data and statistics and estimate chances of survival. Zero. No prayers of humanity , angel’s blessing, or divine favor from the Lord could spare her life if she even mustered the audacity to unsheath her blade another inch. The odds against her, she withdrew into an act of submission, accepting whatever fate the gods had determined for her. She hooked the blade that protruded a mere caterpillar’s length from outside it’s sheath back into the blue scabbard that held an illustrious design of golden silk embroidered about it’s edges.



Shit...no way am I making any progress here. He’s way out of my league. Damn it, why didn’t I check my surroundings to see if I was being tailed...no, wait..he’s an assassin, so he might use certain skills that disrupt my senses of detection. Damn....what does he want with me?



Vulnerability. She her sense of security shatters as any sense of being a nigh impregnable fortress dissolve. It was as if her mere status as a Guardian, cloaked in the bulwark of armor that enshrouded her slim, frail figure, was just smoke and mirrors. A wondrous illusion to mask the true self. A false romantic notion of being heavens chosen and to be given the blessing to wear the armor of God. To be able to be beaten down, broken, mutilated beyond measure, and still hold the strength to stand. However, even the mightiest warrior would have that crack in his armor. That Achilles heel that dented his worth as a soldier. Her pride wounded, she released her cautious grip from the handle.



I’d probably die in one hit if I tried anything stupid now. I don’t have a single damn skill that could help defend me. Even with Icarus growing into a well enough war horse, we both would barely be able to scratch a skin flake off this guy. He could probably end both of us in a blink of an eye....let’s just hope things go smoothly...



Patience was a virtue. Grains of sand fell softly from the hourglass as each vibrant pounding of her heart kept the tempo of each passing second. This swirling surge of energy that caressed her heart like the blackest miasma clouding her emotions in a black fog of infernal seduction, causing her to succumb to a realization of inferiority. She felt a sense of hopelessness that singed her chest as she accepted her reality. She was still fresh, though experienced, she did not possess all the true skills of valor of a seasoned veteran. She was only a squire among knights. The soft rose petals of her hair blew gently as a quiet wind snaked through the forest, carrying several leaves that slid off her armor and cascaded into the river to be carried off downstream. Azure eyes fall on Saber like shooting stars from the sky. Quick glances, trying to discern any possibilities of hostility. His own eyes crashed against hers like burning red meteors causing her body to tense for a moment, before this eye of mordor drifted it’s gaze to her horse, whom neighed wildly and shook his head as if uncomfortable by the outstretched cutting glare. The tightened muscles of her shoulders began to loosen up like a greased up tin man as the man turned away, light footsteps barely audible to Saskia’s ear taking soft steps toward’s the water’s edge.



Seems he’s a bit more decent than I thought...or maybe I’m just small game to him. Not like he’d get much gold or items out of me anyway. Still...there has to be some reason he came all the way out here...



Some would say that curiousity killed the cat, but Saskia couldn’t help but be drawn to the suspense of what brought the man out here. Was he following her? She squinted as her iron greaves crunched on a few leaves from the ground as she inched closer for a closer look. She blinked her eyes in a confused manner as the man systematically organized a fleet of water bottles, void of content, and lined them up in proper line formation by the river. As if he was working on an assembly line, he repeatedly dipped the bottles into the serene waters. Saskia quietly raised a tiny index finger and begin jab in the air at each inidividual bottle and count them silently in her mind. Sixteen. That amount could sustain a person for almost a week. He looked as if he had an air of purpose in his movements, they were both fast and fluid as it seemed like muscle memory had taken over and he was filling them faster by the second.



Water bottles? Oh, so he’s just filling up, nothing out of the ordinary, I suppose...but why so many? Wonder where he’s headed? Maybe some dungeon or long drawn out quest. Must be pretty fun at the top....



Icarus returned to sipping water upstream, his long pink outstretched tongue taking several noisy laps before raising his head curiously, and shaking his head, his platinum blonde brilliant mane dancing in the sunlight. The ivory horse turned about as his hooves stammered about the ground making impatient tracks in the dirt as he trotted back over towards her gear, his nose nuzzling her pack. Saskia returned to the beasts side and began petting him softly. It had been hours since the animal last ate and he had a certain method of gently prodding her for his meals. Without any regard for his master, he began devouring the contents of the bag, eating several meals in one sitting. The gluttonous stallion smiled mischievously as an angry Saskia rushed over with a sharp scowl on her face.



“Icarus! Come on, seriously!?! What did I say about munching away at our rations? We’re supposed to be spreading them out over the next few days, not going out on some all-you-can-eat-buffet!” Saskia shouted as she snatched the pack from the ground and heaved it over to a tall oak tree in the forest. She examined the contents of the bag to see what was missing.



“Well, there goes my dinner...” Saskia replied in an irritated manner shaking her head in frustration. “Well, we were supposed to be taking it easy, but now we’ll have to go out and do more hunting.”



Of course, Saskia could have just returned to the tavern and spent some money at the diner and ordered a meal. She also could have just rode her horse into town to spend money on groceries, but she was a penny pincher at heart. She was a person with a deep sense of frugality embedded within her, who savored every bit of gold coin she had. This led her to become a more self-sufficient individual who adapted to the hunter-gatherer methods of lifestyle. She pushed back the luscious pink strands of her hair as she tucked the loose strands behind her ear and dug through her pack trying to salvage whatever sustenance she could that the horse didn’t manage to devour. A saving grace, there was a folded napkin inside that was neatly wrapped over an assortment of berries that she had picked in the forest. A light sigh escaping from her lips of both relief mixed with bitterness, she held the napkin in her hands an unfolded it, as she sat on top of her pack, near the tree that lie near the water’s edge only about seven meters from the newcomer.



“Well, thank the merciful God in Heaven! Turns out I won’t have to starve today...”



She cast her line of sight towards the ripples in the river as she saw a shiny scaled fish burst out of the water and dive back in as it swam upstream. She unfolded her napkin, and began plucking a berry and shoving it in her mouth with two pronged fingers and a thumb. Her hands were dirty and covered a bit of the filth of the wilderness. She didn’t seem to mind it, as the child of the forest was a bit accustomed to the woods and shrugged off the sight of a bit of mother earth that dusted her fingertips. This was far from the Scottish-British Popstar of Clan MacLaren who spent her days soaking in the lap of luxury, having her wildest desires delivered at her every beck and call by posh, sophisticated British butlers in her villa by the crystal shores of Gloucestorshire. Now, she was an unrefined marvel, an animal of the woods, both primal and reclusive in nature. She had evolved into an entirely different breed of hound. No longer the prized poodle, or celebrity shitzu, the thickness of her hair and canine like features, labeled her a Wolf Hair. A canine cut from an entirely different cloth, bred for battle and hostile encounters. A selection favored by those who valued by those who value raw strength above all else.



Saskia rested her elbow, on the steel metal that hugged her thighs, leaning forward, hunched over her meal. She rested her chin on the back of her hand as she began to speak to herself.



“Would be nice to have a fishing pole, a traveling kit with a tent, maybe a couple of bear trap to set up as snares when camping out in the woods..might also be good to pick up a bow or rifle for pulling wild game...lest I draw too many of them at once...”



Saskia dropped her hand from her chin as she continued eating berries and looking over her gear, inspecting it. It was worn and began to have slight cracks in the metal. It sustained about a seventy percent durability rating, which in turn made Saskia rub her forehead in displeasure. She shifted her iron greaves into the dirt and leaned back, tilting her head towards Saber. Her eyes dilated larger than the sun as she noticed Icarus had snuck his was over to the man and began to sniff away at him, intrigued by some scent he was giving off, possibly food.



Saskia shoved a handful of the rest of her berries in her hand and darted over towards their position, knocking over her pack, causing a map, her journal, and several trinkets to fall out, one of which was a sketch of her kneeling down with a arm around Hanna, who had a bright smile on her face as the girl held a a ivory bunny rabbit doll tightly in her arms. The wind blew more rampant as Saskia gripped tight the reigns of Icarus and pulled him back towards her, and away from the man.



“T-..terribly sorry, he has a habit of not knowing how to mind his own business...” Saskia spoke in a soft and tender tone as she squinted at the colt, before shaking her head, her scowling glare, softening as she looked into it’s innocent eyes. She couldn’t help but let the incident slide as he wagged his vanilla coated tail happily and let out a light neigh. “He’s usually just always trying to nick your food if you aren’t careful...bloody beast took off with mine. Now I’ve got to go out and do a bit of hunting...”



Saskia smiled warmheartedly, trying to give a proper greeting as the winds wrapped up the sketch of her and Hanna and swept it away, as the sketch danced through the wisp of the wind, and fluttered in front of them, causing Saskia to panic as it swirled past Saber, headed in the direction of the sea, though within Saber’s grasp, if he decided to reach for it.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED:None
Words: 2075
Post Theme Song: The Wolf and the Moon




TAGS: Saber

template by caesar

[Saber]

Do you believe in ghosts?

Very slowly and gently, Saber dipped the next bottle into the water, his eyes narrowing slightly as he felt a ping of exhaustion cross his body. It was no fierce enough to knock him out, but it was enough to make his head bob. He rumbled at the sight and blinked hard several times, waking himself from the slight daze. His energy levels were probably low, though the lack of a rumbling in his stomach worried him. As he pushed the bottle in his hand beneath the water, his eyes drifted to the clock; it was nowhere close to the time of “dinner” but was too late to be that of “lunch”. If he wanted to eat, it would have to be something small. Maybe he would have a snack or something, something light. He was no chef so his food would have to be carefully prepared, or at least burnt enough so that it tasted better than salty crackers. Simple things which required no fire were his specialty. It was enough to survive and his stomach couldn’t complain. He didn’t remember much of how he lived in reality, but he doubted he lived extravagantly. If he couldn’t cook here then there was no way he could cook on the other side of the clouds he now knelt beneath.

Though, it was then that he began to wonder. What kind of a person was he before he came to this world? He had been here for so long, for so many months, and the actual “Saber” had somehow been lost in the pages. These days, he lived his life with the idea of perfection and getting stronger while also using the few memories of his father as a blueprint. After his mental break, he didn’t know much of who he was outside of this realm, and it hurt. It hurt so much to look at his own reflection and not know who he was, but only who he is and who he is wasn’t something to look up to. It wasn’t visible, but the pale white hands which pulled another filled bottle out of the water were soaked in blood. That blood was a mix of fellow Adventurers, People of the Land, and possibly thousands of monsters which he had slain. To him, his hands were like a curse…

“Idiot…” A light sigh escaped his lips as he pushed the cork, which was tied to the bottle in his hands, into the open “lid” or hole. Once that was done, he deposited the bottle into his inventory, turned to his left, and grabbed the next bottle. He had done three so far, and the line wasn’t getting any shorter it seemed. Man, his expeditions were getting more and more costly it seemed. Long, far away from Londinium, and a pain in his arse; that’s what the quests were. Well, if they could be called quests. He was a fool who followed the tales in books rather than talk to Landers for things to do. Though, they were far more interesting than the quests which asked him to run around and capture sheep, kill a certain number of wolves, or some other stupid request. They also yielded better rewards.

The Assassin let out a rumble and turned back to the water, but as he did he heard a shout; a name. His eyes shifted to the left again and he watched the pink haired player begin to wrestle with her horse. Something about eating too much, but it was enough to make Saber huff. He dipped the bottle he held into the water and watched the air bubbles flow out from the top. The horse was hungry and she was angry for it. Rather than be angry, she should be thankful she even had a companion to feed. A horse would have been nice to have and would have made traveling much easier to say the least. Though, it probably was also expensive to take care of. She didn’t seem awfully high of a level either, so money was probably difficult to come by, if she could even get any of it in the first place. Saber didn’t start go profit from anything until he reached level twenty and could actually leave the walls of Londinium without worry. Then again, he had also reached twenty in two days so he didn’t really have a lot of time to worry about money.

With his crafting class initially being Blacksmith, he was able to forge his own equipment with the rewards he gathered and saved money. The food he ate was horrid, but was enough to fill his stomach and kept him going until he learned to just eat fruit. Eventually, money no longer became a problem, and he had no issues after that. Quest rewards become far more worth their weight and the end rewards didn’t suck. Unlike many players, Saber was not dealing with Persons of the Land. No, he dealt with people who had long since passed, spirits who lingered in the dungeons, and beasts with vengeance issues that were willing to offer him powerful weapons. After just two days of grinding and getting a feel for the game, Saber shot through the levels with ease. Well, not with ease but without much difficulty. He never worried about food, slept wherever he wanted, and didn’t have to deal with anyone he didn’t want to… It was lonely.

As the third bottle topped off, Saber pulled it from the water and capped it. It vanished a few seconds later as he deposited it and he reached for another. Just as he nabbed the fourth bottle, he heard footsteps. Er, hoofsteps. The clicking was loud, and the huffing of the obvious creature made Saber rumbled. He didn’t turn to face the encroaching entity and simply dipped the fourth bottle into the water. The horse, which was a curious and brave fellow, walked right up to the Assassin and nudged at him. Saber rumbled at the thing and took one hand out of the water. He placed that hand on the center of the horse’s head, petting it and gently pushing it back.

“Food…?” The skill which Saber had hidden away activated automatically as the creature spoke to him. The Assassin shook his head.

“No.” The response was short and Saber never looked over as the creature continued to neigh and stepped forward again. It nudged at him a little more, most likely attracted to the sweet scent which was barely seeping out from his back pouch. Too bad for the horse; Saber did not share his treats as they were few and far in between. He hardly got anything he could consider sweet and rarely indulged in anything exotic or mouthwatering. Doing so made him feel far too luxurious, and he did not live a life close to that. He was a lowly person who groveled in the dirt and had to fight for his keep. He was no noble.

“Please share?” The horse’s speech was simple, but direct. It made the Assassin sigh, and he pushed the horse away again. This time, he did not respond to the creature or even acknowledge that it had spoken to him. Its master’s footsteps were loud and the sound of her coming echoed in the silence. Just as she reached him, the fourth bottle let out the last bubble of air. He grimaced beneath his scarf and pulled the bottle out of the water. The apology he heard made him frown even more than he had before and he opened his inventory. First, he cast the filled bottle away into the void. Then, he pulled back from the water’s edge slightly. Once he was a safe distance, he navigated through his menu screens quickly and scrolled to the tab of edible foods. Upon reaching it, he scrolled through the screen and tabbed on a bag of grain. It materialized quickly and Saber snagged it. It was a decent sized bag but he held it firmly with one hand, lifted, and placed it between himself and the strange pairing.

“For your horse.” The grain was supposed to be traded off to a Person of the Land, but Saber had three other sacks of the item stowed away so he had backup. A loss in exchange for the life of a kind beast wasn’t something he would worry too much about. It wasn’t a necessary trade either. It was moreover one that would cause the Lander to “owe” him. That Lander would be running low on grain to feed his livestock in three days’ time, and Saber would appear just as the right moment to supply the items he needed. Yet, that wasn’t all he pulled out of his inventory.

“And for you…” A small box appeared in front of Saber, and the Assassin grabbed it tight before extending it towards the Pink-haired woman. From her gear, she seemed to be a Guardian. Also from her gear, it was easy to deduce that she was indeed a low level. Scuff marks, cracks in the seams, and a few signs of rust and age were all the signs of a young player, or one who was quite determined to level. Saber probably didn’t look much different, as his outer and visible cloth wear was on the verge of falling apart. His chest piece, the level fifty piece of armor, which actually protected him and probably the only thing on his aside from his weapons that looked decent, was hidden beneath a slightly oversized shirt.

“Eat. It will make hunting easier.” If she didn’t take it, Saber would put the box onto the top of the sack of grain he had passed. The box contained three handmade simple sandwiches that were comprised of ham, cheese, salami, and turkey. Beside the sandwiches were apple slices, banana pieces, and carrots. A simple meal for a simple man, and one that he could put together without even being a chef because of how pathetically easy it was. The lunches he packed didn’t taste like dirt either. The only serious work he had to put into the lunch bins was creating the bins themselves. Though, he had created a mold for them to make the process even easier.

Once he had passed lunch along, Saber grabbed the next bottle and turned towards the water again so that he could continue with the filling process of his containers. Yet, just as he started to move back towards the water, he noticed a piece of paper flutter towards him. The man rumbled and nabbed it by the corner, flicked it, and caught sight of what was on it. His look was swift, barely a second as that was all it took to see what was on it; a personal picture. Without staring at it, he turned the paper away from him and rolled it up. Once it was in a cylinder shape, the Assassin extended it towards the woman without a word. It was not his business, nor would he dare try to get her to speak of it. Instead, he held the paper out for her to take and dipped the next bottle into the water without saying a thing about it.

: Post Title :
-Sharing with a Beggar-

: Word Count :
1879

: Skills Used :
N/A

: Tagged :
Saber, Saskia

: Notes :
Food~

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

 Saskia would have blinked in a confused state as the lone gentleman had offered his Grain to her as to provide a better meal for her horse. Her first instinct was to decline as she was not the type that enjoyed being slave to the lender of anyone, nor feel any sense of being indebted to another in anyway, however as she saw the excitement in Icarus’s eyes as he neighed enthusiatically upon the unveiling of the tan bag, Saskia felt her heart soften towards the creature, thus making her more vulnerable and open to taking avenues of approach she normally wouldn’t otherwise. She began to reluctantly accept the gift with a welcoming nod.



“Thank you..” The words slipped from her mouth like the droplets of dew upon the grass. She squinted skeptically at the package of grain. She wondered what task he had to get it and if he wanted some form of compensation for it later. Saskia’s pockets weren’t lined with gold and she was a miserly woman at the time. Not having much to lose, she figured it was a safe bet to place a few chips into building a nice acquaintanceship with the man and not insult him with stubborn arrogance. She concluded that such an act may be deemed disrespectful and dishonest. She knew as a pet owner that it was the right thing to do. The animal would barely be sustained by the meager snacks that Saskia had tucked away. It was a good while since he had ate anything of true value. She stepped forward slowly smiling faintly wih her dusted lips as she heaved the bag, dragging it from the soil over against a tree, as she began to open it and inspect the contents. It was a healthy serving of grain. Her hair blew in front of her face, distorting her vision, as she turned her head as she bent over the bag, her hair still flapping in the wind.



She squinted at the box, trying to identify the contents as the man gestured it was a meal he was offering for her. Saskia watched as he extended his arm in a courteous manner, prompting her to take the box. She was unable to discern that he had been sizing her up, due to her attention being drawn to the box. She reached out, cupping both hands as she carefully held the bottom layer of the box and retrieved the item from the man. She took the time to examine his clothing, most of his garb was worn and tattered, yet he seemed to have that thousand yard stare in his eyes. She didn’t even need to look at his level to tell he had scoured the globe and possible had conflicted feelings about this new world they existed in.



He pressed the box into her hands and suggested- well...more like demanded that she eat. Her eyes drifted down to box as she blinked then raised her gaze toward him. The corners of her frown jumped up into a smile, as she held the box close to her chest and cracked it open examining the contents. The sandwiches looked appealing, though she doubted that they would have any flavor due to the food system in this world. It didn’t strike her that the man was a chef either, as surely he would have had some higher quality cuisine, and this seemed like a meal he had prepared for himself. The food didn’t seem like it had that lovely quality and love of a tender housewife catering the meals, so she was under the impression that he wasn’t the kind that had someone to come home to, or at least not someone steady. Not that she was interested, but she couldn’t help but notice that like her, he was a drifter. He seemed pretty lonely, though secure and comfortable in his solitude. It was definitely a rare path the man walked. Most adventurers around his level traveled in groups to conquer raids. Most would travel with a litter of companions and scour the globe on wild adventures. However, here he was on a journey by himself, with no companion in sight but his sixteen water bottles that lined up along the coast. They might have possibly been his only solace in his travels. Saskia pondered the thought as she noticed the flapping of a drawing blow into the wind as the man turned. She released her gasp, nearly dropping the container, as she erratically would try to hold the contianer like a football, tucked neatly into her armpit as she reach out at the air, taking a step towards the paper.



However, the agile assassin would save the day by catching the drawing by the edges and rolling it up into a cylinder to hide the contents, before handing it to her. She leaned inward, not observing the split second glance he took at it and she tucked it deep within her satchel for safe keeping. She shook her head and fell down on bum, as she sat down with the bowl placed in her lap.



“Thanks.” She said as she hung her head over the bowl. She popped the lid her mind drifting to thoughts of mourning over the girl’s death. Though the fruits which she so adored as if they nuggets of gold laced the bottom of the bowl. She would be void of any excitement or emotion for the brief moment staring at the bowl as if it were suddenly unappetizing. The rumble of her starving stomach broke the silence however as she was still hungry. The berries she ate barely did anything to keep her cravings at bay as her hair swung over her shoulder and draped down past the chest of her breastplate. She reached for a Banana and began to dig her fingernails into the edges, prying the peels off, one line at a time.



As she held the Banana in her left hand, her right hand began to play with the grass in the field, as she wiped the condensation from the grass. She began to bask in the sun as she nibbled a bite of the banana, enjoying the sensations of taste that had escaped her tongue for so long, save for the berries she ate earlier. She began to chew timidly, as she cast her gaze over the waters meticulously. She muttered a few words as she gazed up at the Assassin.



“You must not waste a bit of daylight..” She insinuated as she munched on her banana her arms resting over her legs as she sat indian style. She began to tap her knuckles on the ground a bit, her mind still wandering towards thoughts of the girl dying. She frowned her face and started staring blankly at the dirt as she finished her banana. She licked her lips, savoring whatever tasty residue was left upon them, then reached her fingers into the bowl, withdrawing one of the sandwiches inside the container. There was something clawing at the back of her mind. She tried to shrug it off, but it was still there...lingering. Something seemed oddly off about the death of the girl. Saskia couldn’t seem to put her finger on it just yet, but there was something off-kilter about the timing of her death and when the condition seemed to have worsened. She took a small bite of her sandwich and began chewing slowly as she seemed deep in thought.



Meanwhile, Icarus would be feeding on the bag of grain, and would have his head nuzzled into the bag, munching away mischievously after conning the duo into getting so many meals in one day. He was a glutenous horse, but all too clever as he used his stallion charms and coltish charisma too woo a bag of grain from the traveler.



“A thousand no’s and one yes, means yes!” The horse chuckled as he began devouring the grain, then proceeded to neigh wildly in satisfaction.



Saskia finished off her sandwich, and packed off the rest for later.



“Should be able to make do with a couple of crag cows...” Saskia mentioned as she stood up, tapping on the hilt of her scabbard. “I appreciate the food, it does not go unnoticed. And I’m sure Icarus enjoyed his fair share, though he definitely should work for his meal. You seem like you have a long ways to go in your travel, tell you what, if you don’t mind tagging along while I clean up a couple of crag cows, I’d be happy to give you a ride to wherever it is you’re headed. “ She smiled, but then added. “But you do strike me as one that tends to journey alone...like a bit of a drifter. So that’s your call.”



Saskia would grin then proceed to carry the satchel over to her pack and then tuck it inside, while grabbing various straps of the rucksack and tightening them down as to reduce the sensation of weight. After she was finished doing that, she gripped the pack then bent at the knees, before hoisting it up, and walking over towards her horse. Placing the pack along the top of the saddle she strapped it down and secured it. Satisfied with her work, she tugged on foot as she walked on foot to the north.



“Well, I’m headed North, unless you know better hunting grounds, then I’ll follow you.”



She would then either lead him North, seperate, or follow him, dependent upon his response. It would be apparent that her mind was still consumed by thoughts of something else gnawing away at her serenity. She slid the drawing from out from her pack as she stood there looking at it. She wanted to cry, but that day their would be no tears from a queen. She just embraced the beautiful memories as she gazed into the picture. A small weary grin branched out from the corners of her lips.


There was something in that smile...

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED:None
Words: 1673
Post Theme Song: Joy and Sorrow




TAGS: Saber

template by caesar

[Saber]

Do you believe in ghosts?

With the paper passed, Saber kept his focus on his bottles. He didn’t have a lot of time before he wanted to be on the move again. Staying in one place for too long always made Saber uncomfortable, especially when he was out in the middle of a forest. Player Killers were always lurking during midday and the weather wasn’t exactly the kindest at the moment. The overhanging clouds and the dimness of the sun left Saber with very little to work with, and he didn’t like walking in the rain. He would still do it, as his trip would be a long and tiresome one, but rain always slowed him down. The terrain would become slippery, wet, and a lot of the stronger monsters would come out sooner. Saber didn’t like getting wet either. Getting soaked to the bone wasn’t a very appealing thing for the Adventurer and it would mean time lost. Every second Saber spent trying to dry off his clothes was time added to his trip. He needed to get North as soon as possible. The objective he was chasing was known to be fickle, but he was more interested in how the North looked.

For all Saber knew, Londinium was the only place Players had been placed in the server. During his previous travels, he had only met People of the Land. No matter which direction Saber went, whether it was East, West, or South, there were no signs of other Adventurers in the area. Sometimes, Saber was the first alien being to every step foot in a town. It made him feel quite strange, but the Landers mostly accepted him… Except for that one group of cannibals, but they got what they deserved. Though, the simple thought of that made Saber frown beneath his scarf. His hand underneath the water paused, allowing the bottle to overflow for a few seconds. He could still hear them screaming and shouting… even now… Three weeks later; Saber could still see their faces… His chest filled with pain and his eyes closed. The Assassin took in a deep breath, cleared his mind, and pressured the painful memory back into the depths of his soul as he exhaled.

When he opened his eyes, Saber pulled the next bottle out of the water and capped it. He wiggled the water off its side, sent it to his inventory, and then snagged one of the remaining water carrying objects. Just as he grabbed it, he noticed the pink-haired horse rider, the Cavalier, looking at him. Then, she made quite the observation about Saber. It made him huff for a moment and he turned back to the water. It wasn’t just daylight that Saber didn’t waste; it was everything. Saber was used to living on the bare minimum of things because he wanted to increase efficiency. Everything he did had its place and everything had a certain amount of energy and time he limited himself to. If he wasted time, then he had fewer things he could do during the day. If he wasted energy, he would have to sit down and eat sooner, or spend time snacking. Over the course of several days, weeks, months, and even years; the wasted units would stack up. Three minutes of eating three times a day became somewhere around three-thousand minutes spent eating over the course of a year. Saber was not a fan of spending three thousand minutes doing nothing but gnawing on food. In reality, he was content with it, but not here. Here, Saber had missions to finish and the world would not wait for him.

After a few moments, Saber capped his last bottle and began to hear shuffling to his back left. He glanced over his shoulder as he sent the object to his inventory and noticed that the other player and the horse had both finished their meals. Well, at least they ate. Saber knew how it felt to go hungry because of the way he operated when he first started. Because of that, he always carried extra food both for himself and those who needed it. Sure, he sucked at cooking and could only put a simple sandwich together without making the game yell at him, but it tasted better than the crap he would make otherwise. Though, it seemed lunch wasn’t enough. This woman planned to head North and kill some cows, probably for their meat. She also offered him a ride, which was not too much of a surprise as Saber had just fed her without asking for anything in return. He would have gladly accepted… but...

The thought of being so close to a woman made Saber’s stomach tighten. He didn’t do well in close quarters with the opposite gender and always had issues communicating with them. Doing anything that would involve touching the female body would probably cause Saber to become something of a statue, and that was a no go. The Assassin brushed off his wet hands on his second shirt underneath his oversized one and then returned to his own feet. He would have loved to ride on the horse as it would have saved him the pain of walking but his sanity probably would have been the cost. He would accompany the Guardian, but on the horse? Not a chance. He needed the exercise.

“There’s a field straight ahead of us that I’ve used a few times. In about ten minutes, a herd of cows will come from the North-East to graze in it. After about two hours, they’ll come this way to the river, drink, cross it, and then head south towards London where lower levels will most likely kill them. Tomorrow, another herd will come.” Saber opened up his menu and checked his digital map. He didn’t look at the field he described but more over at where he was headed. It was a two day walk from where he was, and this was the shortcut. That time didn’t include Saber getting sidetracked by players like the Guardian, People of the Land, and, or, Giant monsters. All of the above things would slow him down. Thankfully, he had four days left to reach his destination before his objective would be lost. Yay for time.

“I thank you for the offer, but I’ll pass on the horse ride. Seeing as I’m going through the field anyways, I will give you a hand. Killing off some of the stronger cows will help the lower levels anyways. With you on horseback, it’ll be easier for you to cross the river here. I’ll find another way across and meet you at the field.” With that, Saber walked away from the pink haired Guardian a few paces and headed up the river. After about thirty feet, he turned back and hopped out into the rapids. A few large rocks stuck out of the ravishing waves and created stepping stones for the Assassin, allowing him to hop across with ease. They were slick, but Saber kept the pressure on his foot flat to keep from slipping. Only a few hops were all it took for him to get across. When his feet hit dry land, the Assassin glanced over to his right towards the distant bridge; it was about a quarter mile away, and that was way too far.

“It’s always more fun this way.” Saber chuckled and turned forward, making his way towards the field.

: Post Title :
-Crossing the Rapids-

: Word Count :
1241

: Skills Used :
N/A

: Tagged :
Saber, Saskia

: Notes :
THREADREVIVESKILLGO

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

 After giving the picture one last glance, she discarded it by gently tucking it into the sack for safe keeping. Her calloused fingers slipped over the straps as she tightened it around her pack, making sure that it was completely secure and that nothing would fall out. She looked over at Icarus who was already starting to retrieve his head from the bag of grain after finishing his meal. The ivory stallion neighed gently and then shook his brilliant blonde mane loose of the leaves that were in it that cascaded gently from the trees. The soft breeze that blew through the forest gave a slightly refreshing air into the atmosphere as Saskia heaved a heavy breath.



Running her slender fingers through her hair she gazed out at the sky as she tried to find some ray of light that could shine through the darkness of her heart. She didn’t want to have to bear witness to the terrors that engulfed her travels in seas of misery. She tried to focus her attention away from the burden of pain. She had been so willingly desensitized before. Why was this overwhelming sensation clouding her emotions?



Her empathetic nature was seeping out as she reminisced on how her parents sat there weeping their loss as Saskia stepped back. Her heavy grieves lifelessly falling on the steps back then as she made her way down. She had to do it. No matter what, she couldn’t look back.



She clutched at the cowl that adorned her neck and tucked her chin into her chest, closing her eyes softly and whispered a small prayer for her own sake. She wished for the patience to endure her struggles and to be able to adapt to this wall of adversity that stood before her.



She turned her head to face Saber as he advised her about a field towards the North-East of their position where a heard of cattle lie. From the sounds of it they still had time to farm a few of them for training before they make their migration to the city. It seemed that the beasts followed the same ragged routine over the countless years. Somehow this man was able to estimate their movements like clockwork. How long had he been studying them? And how on earth was he so calculating?



There was so much experienced that dripped from his essence as he spoke so confidently. It was a reassuring feeling he gave, that made her feel hopeful about securing a nice meal from the woods that could last her a few more days. She began to wonder if he would accompany her and help out, too. There may have been a slight chance that he needed food as well. Though he seemed much more prepared by the amount of food he had prepared. However, a man like that would no doubt resupply after expending his resources to a random traveler.



It was odd that after wearing such tattered gear one would think that the other player would have jumped on the opportunity to get off of the soles of his feet. Hiking throughout all of the landscape from distant lands would cause the average person to get massive blisters on their feet. However, this was no average man, he was cut from a different cloth. While other people savored their leisure time, he made every second count towards attaining the unthinkable. She cast him one final gaze before watching him march away then she walked over to Icarus and mounted him by gripping the knob of the saddle and hoisted her heavy body on top of the horse. Combing her fingers through the gallant steed’s hair, she held the reins loosely and guided him through the rapid waters and Icarus raked his legs through the rough waters.



The terrain advantage that her war horse, Icarus, had boasted was one of the great pleasures that think pepto bismol haired guardian enjoyed as a stalwart chevalier. The luxury of a horse during travel was unparalleled, even by most of the speed boost mechanics offered by food items or layer skills short of the call to home skill.



Once she past over the wild river, she traversed over the field of fresh flowers from the savill grove. Once she felt comfortable she looked over to her right and watched as in the distance the elf assassin hopped across rocks in the dangerous rapids. Saskia began to wonder how on earth he was able to manage to maintain his balance on the slick surface, but somehow it appeared as if he had achieved this effortlessly.



Watching take off towards the location she decided to ride her horse at a steady gait and follow him. She kept her sword sheathed at her side and her shield occasionally slammed against her back as the metal tin can bobbed about on her horse.



Once they reached the field, the ounces of daylight grew thin, and Saskia allowed Icarus to feed from the bag of grain again.



“Alright..should be any minute now. I think I see a few figures in the distance heading our way.” Saskia whispered loudly as she withdrew her blade from it’s scabbard.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED:None
Words: 876
Post Theme Song: Distant Lands




TAGS: Saber

template by caesar

[Saber]

[attr="class","quest"]

-|-Quest-|-

Eliminate the Crag Cows!

LvL11 Crag Cow - 0/8
LvL12 Crag Cow - 1/10
LvL13 Crag Cow - 0/6

Party:
-Saber - 90 - Assassin
-Saskia- 11 - Guardian

Do you believe in ghosts?

Once he stepped out of the tree line and entered the field where the cows were expected to be, the Assassin took a moment to admire the open land in front of him. It was an oversized meadow, and the hills rolled on for miles into the distance until ultimately they ran into another massive batch of trees. The entire area was surrounded by trees, actually, and Saber could see a small cluster of log houses far off to the east. They were built atop a set of three hills and connected by some sort of path, allowing for safe transit between them and around the area. Even a well was visible from where Saber stood. Though, there was no sign of life. The people who lived there were either gone or hiding inside. Good.

His attention did not last long on the log homes, but instead drifted back to the meadow. Saber’s hands fell on his two swords and the man waited for a moment as he scanned the horizon. The field was strangely empty, for a few moments. As expected, just below the crest of a hill, Saber was able to make out a few small bodies. The numbers increased rapidly as the creatures climbed over the winding grassland until the first cow made its appearance. Behind it and steadily crawling out from beneath Saber’s line of sight a herd of Crag Cows, which were destined to continue towards London where they would feed the mass of Adventurers there, emerged like a flood. Saber let out a huff and blinked twice to ensure that he wasn’t in some kind of trance. His eyes then narrowed and the grip he had on his blades tightened. There were a lot of Cows on the opposite side of the hills, much like he had expected. He had seen this herd several times before when he was a lower level and had wiped the entire group out once. Now, he had no need to. The day he eliminated all of the cows, several players were left hanging back at Londinium. Saber would not be such a fool again. Instead, he would target the Cows the lower levels would have trouble with. For one, it would save the other players the headache. Two, they were the only ones which yielded enough experience and items to justify his loss of energy.

Just after he sighted the cows, Saber looked to his left towards the sound of rustling leaves. Out from the forest, the pink haired player made her appearance as well. Unlike Saber, she traveled on horseback so she didn’t seem very tired. Saber was used to the long walks so he wasn’t bothered by the march. Thankfully, she was ready. The woman dismounted her “mighty” steed and drew her blade. Saber let out a huff and turned his eyes forward towards the cows once more. They were steadily making their way closer, allowing Saber to pick out his targets more and more easily with each passing moment. His targets were the cows that lay within the eleven, twelve, and thirteen range. The destination of the cows generally was where level six and seven players trained. Having monsters above level ten would prove to be a bit of a challenge for the foolish.

They also provided Saber with a bit of resistance, as compared to the creatures level ten and below. It didn’t make too much of a difference, but the level ninety had to leave some kind of buffer zone. If he killed too many, he would wipe out too large a portion of the population. If he didn’t kill enough then the numbers would become far too much of a burden for the other Adventurers. With his level, Saber no longer could only think of himself whenever he fought. He had to play with a bit of balance. The Assassin had to target the enemies which benefitted him, but he could not kill too many of them. Killing too many would not leave enough for someone else, and he couldn’t be selfish anymore. Well, he could but his power made such a thing far too easy. Plus, Saber enjoyed helping other players level. It made things more interesting…

And so, Saber left his twin blades locked in their sheathes. Instead, the Assassin pulled free his twin daggers and twirled them in his hands. He didn’t need to be too overbearing this time around. His targets would fall with two or three well placed strikes and the use of skills would only slow him down. In the herd, there were six level thirteens, ten level twelves, and eight level eleven cows. The rest was made up of the lower leveled beasts. Most of them were also congested fairly close to one another, making it easy to target them all with one glance. However, there were two small subsets of the higher leveled Cows spread out through the herd. Targeting them all would require speed and quickness, or precision. So, before he moved, Saber exchanged his twin blades for his bow and his quiver of arrows. They sat nicely against his back, needing only a slight adjustment to make them ready for battle.

Once he was set, the Assassin glanced over towards the pink cavalier. He glanced towards her horse to see it eating and then let out a huff. She was a rider, but didn’t ride into battle. Strange, but it was none of his business. Rather than dwell, the man let out a loud and sharp whistle for the female to hear. After doing so, he waved one of his daggers forward in a swift and curt motion; time to go. Whether she understood or not, Saber did not know and rather than wait to find out, the man kicked off his feet and burst forward. He lunged across the landscape at a rapid pace and let his agility fling him towards the herd. He twirled his daggers into a reverse grip and counted down from five…

At the end of the five seconds, he reached the top of a small mound and hurdled up into the air. His eyes narrowed on the Crag Cows in front of him and then locked onto first target. The man clutched the hilts of his daggers as he began to descend, curled his body up slightly and raised his arms into the air. A few seconds later, blood splattered onto his scarf and painted the grassland red.

: Post Title :
-Blood Stained Meadows-

: Word Count :
1082

: Skills Used :
N/A

: Tagged :
Saber, Saskia

: Notes :
Kill zem all~

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

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