[Guild]Bonding with Bones

[cortana]

The trotting horse was a very handy partner, not just for Saskia who got an easy trip riding atop it, but also for Cortana. Still a little shaky on her legs, the horse provided a bit of reassurance to her as she walked, one hand gently on the horses side. She would occasionally rub its coat in appreciation, though she doubted the horse knew why her hand was on it. She never actually had to lean on the horse, but simply being in contact with a sturdy structure, like a building, a tree, or even a horse just settled her mind and made the trip a little easier.

"So, you ever seen these things? A Pirate Skeleton? I heard a few guys at the inn one night talk about the larger ones, hits like hell they reckon!" Cortana spoke with excitement. This felt like her first ever combat quest, and it wasn't going to be against something meek like slimes.

Cortana had found the quest a few weeks prior, well before she had met Saskia or the others. She was a gutsy girl, but knew she couldn't really take on the quest by herself, even if it was to only deal with a single monster. She didn't have the combat experience or strength to solo it, not yet at least. However, her new found allies offered a solution. So with a bit of begging Cortana had successfully managed to drag Saskia out to deal with the three trouble makers.

The quest was quite simple, there were thousands, if not more, just like it and every game seemed to have them. Some <<Pirate Skeleton>> had become aggressive and taken to ambushing travellers to the coast. The NPC wanted them dealt with so that the fishermen could have safe passage. So all they had to do was find the <<Pirate Skeleton>>, and considering they were attacking anyone that travelled the route shouldn't be too hard, but killing them might be a challenge. Even with two people, it was still a strong monster.

Taking her hand away from the horse Cortana decided she better test a few things, and prepare for combat. As to not scare the horse she moved several steps to the side but kept her pace with Saskia. As long as she was moving, she was alright. Any mistakes, balance mishaps and the such were absorbed by the movement, and corrected instep. She wasn't even making that many mistakes anymore, but she wanted to move away from the horse as to not scare it with the flashy animations.

Pulling up the interface she navigated the minus a bit. Adventures had become used to seeing other adventures poking and prodding at the air in front of them, unable to see others interfaces. It however did still look strange, and Cortana made no attempt to do it subtly. Through the menu she changed out of her casual attire and into the leather armour she started the game with. It wasn't too her taste, but it did the job and wasn't too bulky. She also equipped her sword, a sturdy katana that looked like it needed some love from a blacksmith. The starter gear wasn't up to scratch, but it at least did the job.

Putting away the interface Cortana prepared to trial one of her skills while they walked. Quick Swap, which was associate with her Pistol, was a skill that in a way made up the core of Cortana's intended fighting style. It gave her the ability to fluidly move from different ranges and push whatever advantage she could. The trick was getting used to it however. Drawing her katana she gave it a few swings at the air in front of her, mentally simulating a fictional fight. She then gripped the handle tight and activated the skill. Her Katana shattered into shards of anima that then were sucked into Cortana's chest, finding their way into her digital inventory again. At the same time the reverse occurred, and a cloud of anima shards moved from Cortana into her hand and formed the pistol. The whole animation happened in a second, but Cortana had to react quick as to not drop the pistol suddenly as it formed. She managed this time, after all, she had been practicing, but more practice never hurt.

A sigh of disappointment left Cortana as she waved the pistol around. "Its so small-" she whined, disappointed at that she hadn't acquired a larger gun yet. She desperately wanted a two handed gun. She didn't even care what it was, through her preference was for some kind of rifle or shotgun. Just anything with more oomph than a pistol. "I hope we earn a bunch from this quest, I wanna buy a big gun!"

While Cortana was practicing aiming with the gun she spotted something in the distance ahead of them. Unsure of what she was seeing she stopped walking for a moment to focus her eyes. However her body didn't agree with this and after just a moment of looking she fell to the ground with a bit of a squeal. She normally was used to falling, but this time it was unexpected. On the ground, her legs bend at odd angles under her, Cortana quickly regained her composure and strained her eyes to see what was ahead of them. At first she thought it might be the skeleton. It would have been roughly the right height and shape, but whatever it was, it wasn't a skeleton. A girl maybe, it was too far to tell.

(OOC: WC: 928)
[Anarchist Valentine]

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

 Saskia rode upon her steed, like a woman with a fierce determination in her eyes. The horse bucked lightly as it trotted through the uncharted territories. Saskia watched as bits of her map began to illuminate, marking the lands she had just voyaged beyond. Her wild at heart companion, Cortana sat behind her on the beast rather comfortably. Saskia smiled gracefully at Cortana as she gave the horse’s coat gentle strokes as they progressed through the open terrain. However, she would shoot several sharp glances to the fields and down towards her makeshift map as it highlighted more and more of the lands formerly unknown. Saskia was slightly familiar with the Thames coastline in general, but she never frequented the area for combat, but more for secret romantic getaways by the pier along the riverside for a tranquil evening with the gentleman Bailin.



The blonde wolf hair seemed to be very ecstatic as she asked question after question about the Guardian’s experience with the of the infamous creatures of the night. They were called ‘Pirate Skeletons’ A rather nefarious name for nocturnal creatures of the night. Saskia tried to maintain a cheerful but wary tone as she retracted her head back to speak to her partner.



“Aye, I’ve seen them a couple of times before at night when crossing into the pier. They typically never really gave me much trouble because I was on horseback. Not much the old bag of bones can do when Icarus is stampeding through the coastline like a wild madman.” Saskia chuckled as she bounced up and down upon the horse.



The sensation of adventure was refreshing, she remembered when she had voyaged out with her first party in search of wild game to conquer, kill, and destroy. She was a nervous wreck herself the first time she cowered at the sight of a pittered boar and hid behind her fellow guardian in her first group ever. She began to wonder about the emotions and feelings that surged through Cortana’s mind and her heart.



She seemed excited, but deep down, was she afraid, was she worried, or was she confident and feeling bold as ever? The thought was interesting to Saskia as she remembered that the wolf hair had chose a rather offensively based class. She wield a sword, but at a moments notice she could enable sleight of hand to draw her pistol.



Saskia was intrigued by the usefulness of such a skill. She had heard about the epicness of jousting and fighting as a cavalier or mounted knight. Long has she awaited the moment where she can wield her two-handed lance with one hand and carry a shield as she drove her lance deep into the belly of an enemy and splattered them against a tree or a large boulder. She snickered quietly at the thought as she began to reflect on the nature of their quest.



They were offered honest pay for an honest’s days work by an NPC that needed several of the undead goons cleared out by morning so the next convoy could arrive without having their shipment raided. It seemed like a simple quest for two people. It made Saskia more cautious however, when she thought about how by scaling her level down to near Cortana’s, she would be missing out on her healing ability that she had just picked up recently. A rather costly trade of, as they had little in the means of potions or medicinal herbs.



That would mean that they would have to excerise tactics and etreme vigilance and patience. The slightest stroke of brash behaviour could send them flying towards the cathedral in bitter defeat. Saskia already experience countless deaths through trial and error, but this time she was determined to succeed, still she would feel a little bit better with a supportive class, if she found one lurking about.



The blonde wolf hair groaned as she grimaced at the sight of her tiny peashooter. She was very ambitious and eager to buy something that had a lot more firepower, Saskia remembered how wide her eyes had gotten at the sight of Bailin’s sniper rifle.



“Oh, we’ll be loaded in no time, don’t you worry about that Cortana! You’ll be an original Billy the kid or sharpshooting outlaw when we’re done with you!” Saskia exclaimed as she looked back to noticed Cortana toying with her gun.



Icarus neighed wildly as the girl began to slip off his side, Saskia winced at the sight and tugged on the reigns sharply to get the colt to halt. Quickly, Saskia hopped of the side as a stalwart knight to come to her aid. The whole ordeal seemed to be quite excrutiatingly painful as she watched the wolf hair become a humanoid pretzel. She dropped down to a knee and looked over the girl, examining her for injuries.



“Damn, what the hell happened there? Did Icarus buck wildly again? I’m so sorry about that. I do hope you are alright.” Saskia muttered embarassingly, still nervous after hearing the girl squeal.



“Let me help you up to your feet...” Saskia said as she offered the girl her hand. “Or...do you think you can stand on your own?”



“We haven’t got much further now...by the looks of it the Pirate Skeletons make their nest just beyond that ridge..” Saskia stated before noticed an approaching figure in the distance.



Saskia turned sharply on the heels of her iron greaves, as she withdrew the shield they was strapped to her back, and began to curl slender fingers around the steel sword that had been properly nestled in the blue scabbard with golden lacing embroidered around it’s edges. She stood in a cautious and vigilant posture as she intended to protect Cortana from whoever it was, be it player killer or beast.



Saskia squinted at the seemingly harmless girl and began to tap her blade on her shoulder and smile gracefully, noticing that the girl was a cleric, slightly lower level than herself, and there for not intimidating by any means.



“Sorry about that, almost mistook you for a skeleton...you hunting them too? Maybe you’d like to join our party for a bit of security and feed you pockets with a bit of gold?”  Saskia smiled gracefuly with an vibrant adventurous twinkle sparkling in her sapphire eyes. 

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED: None. 
Words: 1100
Post Theme Song: Arise



TAGS:cortana Valentine

template by caesar