Morningstar

The massive tree loomed over the party, casting an eerie shadow. The top of the tree peaked above the clouds, making it impossible to see where it ended. Morningstar scanned the base of the tree from a distance before moving up for a closer inspection. Dark brown bark covered the entire tree like scales on a dragon. In some spots, he noticed sap that had solidified in the form of droplets running down the base. His fingers danced along the side of the tree, avoiding the sticky spots. It was rough and yet awfully soft for a tree of that size. Tapping his fingertips against the bark, he came acr

Morningstar fell back into the battered green grass. He gazed up at the sky, noticing the orange and pink shades. The sun was setting. Somehow, he always completed his quests at sunset. It never happened during the night nor during the afternoon. It was at sunset every time. He bent his arms, placing them beneath his head. He had a bit of time before heading back to town was necessary. No monsters would bother him so close to the place that the Monkey King once called home. A yawn escaped his mouth and he shut his eyes. He wondered where he would go next. The ninth floor was so close

The villagers, alongside Sewallus and Remington, parted ways with Morningstar. They walked off into the forest, leaving the blonde to himself. He dropped back down into the grass and stared out at the battlefield. The silence that he had found was beautiful. Not even a bird chirped near it. It was the calm after the storm that was the duel versus the great Monkey King. Perfectly tranquil. Morningstar gave the sword art another try. He activated Shatter, using up the last of his energy. Meteor became green instead of gold and he thought back to the moment he had met Sewallus. Morningstar h

"I have one last gift for you," Sewallus said, "to thank you for your assistance with the Monkey King. I would not have been able to do it without you, my friend." Morningstar nodded, allowing the man to continue. Sewallus mentioned a sword art called Shatter and the image of the guard's axe glowing green returned to his mind. At the time, Morningstar had been unsure of what it was but after the explanation from Sewallus, it made sense. It was a special sword art that only the guard himself could teach. And he wanted to pass it on to Morningstar. Sewallus lifted his axe and with

A menu opened in front of Morningstar's eyes, acknowledging that he had defeated the Monkey King. His quest had been completed and slaying the enemy had given him rewards. A combination of col, materials, and a trinket of some sort were sent to his inventory. He swiped the menu away. Exhaustion had kicked in. He was about ready to drop to the soft but battered grass and take a nap; however, Sewallus' call forced him to stay awake. "Morningstar," he began as the blonde trekked over to the group of NPCs, "thank you for your help today. You've made all of Florenthia proud." Remingt

Morningstar grinned back at Sewallus, who seemed to be cutting himself out from underneath the log. Standing up, the blonde could see that the Monkey King was out of options. Now completely unparalyzed, the beast began to charge towards him. It was slower than he had been in the beginning and due to its injuries, Morningstar had no trouble predicting its attack pattern. It swung its remaining fist at him, missing each time. He swiped Meteor in a horizontal arc, this time with a different sword art. The glow was still golden; however, it was a lighter ability. A swift cut that took less energy

With one last futile attempt to change the tide of battle, the Monkey King wrapped its enormous hand around the base of a tree, ripping it from the dirt. He roared out, tossing the trunk towards Sewallus as if it were a javelin. Morningstar heard gasps from the crowd. He was as surprised as they were. Neither of the warriors had expected such an attack. He lifted his blade but knew there was nothing he could do. His armor protected him, but the tree slammed directly into Sewallus, putting him out of commission. Morningstar gritted his teeth but suddenly realized that a separate tree was b

Sewallus stood back, watching the ape inch its way closer and closer to him. He smashed his axe into the ground, howling one last time. The Monkey King roared back, albeit with less rage and energy than before. It was weak and nearing death. The bleed that Meteor had inflicted was crippling it. It was unavoidable. Morningstar stopped rushing. He slowed down, giving himself a chance to rest. By chance, he looked off towards the tree line. There were a group of people, that he assumed were villagers, watching from a safe distance. Two of them wore the same guards armor as Sewallus. There we

Moving up to the front counter, Morningstar smiled. "Thanks, Rebekah. These look great." He picked up his caribou stew and California roll, giving the fiery-haired girl a wave as he left the café. Snow kissed his hair when he stepped outside. The wind had picked up quite a bit since he had stepped foot in the shop. It was freezing now, more so than usual. He found his way to the teleporter, grinning at a familiar NPC in passing. He considered where he would go next. The eighth floor was calling his name; he felt like he needed more forest in his life. +1 Caribou Stew (PRO 2, EVA 1)

Morningstar was getting better. His mind was still a sorrowing mess but each passing day brought progress. Sometimes, late at night, he would find himself trapped in an unending thought loop. Images of a quiet living room and a guildhall full of mournful faces played on repeat. During the afternoon, however, he felt okay. Not quite good, but okay. He found himself spending more time in forests and other quiet places than in cities. It had been a few days since he had last been in a safezone at all. The business and commotion were tiring; they overwhelmed him. The wilderness was, for him,

She hesitated at first but Morningstar didn't blame her. He had asked a question that, for most, was tricky to answer. Everyone had a backstory and not everyone was proud of it. Reyna's explanation was well put. Morningstar understood where she was coming from, wanting to return to the real world, to her own life. The frontlines existed for that very reason. Even still, there was no telling when they would get the chance to go back. The blonde's eyes widened at her final sentence. Alive. It was an oddly accurate way of describing his ability to carry on in a world so different f

Elwood's House - Floor 22 A clock ticked impatiently in Elwood’s living room. A few words crossed Morningstar’s mind. Discomfort. Uncertainty. Acrimony. His call had been sudden; they hadn’t spoken in what felt like weeks. His idle thoughts wandered restlessly. The quiet of the room made them all the louder. Rain tapped rhythmically on the window. The moon was high but a ceiling light kept it from going dark. He had always hated lights like it. The yellow glow was tiring on the eyes and it always looked unnatural. It only worsened his already uncomfortable state. Periodically, lightn

Remiel had a spark in him that Morningstar admired; a drive to prove himself. Morningstar believed that it was foolish to assume that because he had a sword, the boy would be safe outside the walls of the Town of Beginnings. That being said, he had courage. The glimmer of someone who had grown tired of the comfort bestowed by a safezone twinkled in his amethyst eyes. The boy's movements were methodical. His posture, the way he shook Alkor's hand. It was as if he were trying his hardest to be the man he wanted to be—or, as he put it, the knight he wanted to be. Their grips were released an

The Monkey King was still. It could only watch as Morningstar approached. He aimed for its left side with the intent of slashing through it. Relief washed over him as he inched closer and closer, realizing that they would be okay. In the beginning, he had been uncertain. At the very least, he was worried about Sewallus being unable to withstand the powerful blows from the beast. He had performed better than Morningstar had expected, however. The blonde flew towards the monster, leaping up to reach its waist. Meteor cut through, leaving a near-fatal blow and applying its bleed effect. He l

That being said, the fight was still the most challenging that Morningstar had ever taken part in. If this was the ability of a simple field boss, then what did a real boss look like. He imagined a creature ten times the size with the ability to hold its own against dozens of teams. He was no where near ready for anything that powerful. He sighed, a grin forming on his face. "It won't be stunned for much longer. Let's get another hit or two in before it starts moving again." "I'm tired of chasing it around. You're right," Sewallus admitted, "let's finish this." "I have a feeling

Morningstar's paralysis kicked in and the Monkey King stopped its sporadic movements. He grinned, watching as Sewallus extended his arms with another swing. His shoulders and back rotated with his axe as it slashed into the beast's chest, leaving a long, red line in its wake. A green effect of some sort had enveloped the battle axe as Sewallus attacked and afterwards, it disappeared. It almost looked like a sword art; however, the glow was different from what Morningstar had seen in his own sword arts and those of his comrades. The Monkey King stood tall and unmoving, its eyes gazing

Morningstar stepped into Rebekah's café for the first time in his life. It still surprised him that after all this time, he still hadn't gone to try her food. It sat comfortably on the fourth floor, which he recalled was her favorite floor. They must have walked past it during their time on the floor since it was stationed right in between the teleporter and the town's exit. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. It was cozy inside. Unlike the cafés and restaurants that he frequented, Rebekah's was empty. At least, it was on that occasion in particular. He stepped up to the counter,

Morningstar nodded, taking the offense against the Monkey King. Like a wild cat, he leaped up the side of the hill. A familiar golden glow enveloped his blade once again, illuminating the battlefield. Entering flow, he dodged the raging fists of the beast. The first was easily readable and avoided with a swift roll to the left. The second came in the form of a swing; however, Morningstar was able to duck at the perfect time. The third was the closest to making contact with the swordsman. It appeared as if it would come head-on but instead, it curved. He caught on before it was too late and par

The weight of the beast caused it to fall swiftly, hitting the ground with an explosive crash. The impact caused waves of dirt to shoot up from the ground and the tremors launched Sewallus backward. He smashed into the base of a tree, splitting the top of it from the bottom half. He landed in a lunge, sliding a few feet before coming to a stop in the dirt. He didn't even appear shaken from the attack he had sustained. They locked eyes and Morningstar saw the grin form on the guard's previously intense face. He smirked back, shocked by the animalistic behavior of his partner. The Monkey Ki

Sewallus' voice matched the intensity of the Monkey King's. He shouted proudly, wearing the heart of his village on his sleeve and pulling the attention of their opponent. The Monkey King turned its gaze from Morningstar to Sewallus, lowering its arm. A glimpse of hope entered Morningstar's soul as he dropped quickly to the ground, landing inelegantly on his feet. He stumbled back into his warrior's stance, watching as the king began its slow, heavy steps toward the Florenthian guard. The blonde had believed the guard's shaky hands were from fear but he was mistaken. It was pure exhilarat

His "Charge" skill activated and Morningstar felt his speed increase ten-fold. The Monkey King reacted, however, lifting a heavy tree and launching it at the blonde. His eyes widened, realizing that dodging the log would be impossible. It was a fully grown tree and he was sprinting faster than he could control. He made his decision. As the tree fell towards him, he leaped straight into it and slashed upwards. His blade, enhanced by a sword art, sliced through it cleanly. His speed boost came to a stop but now he was stuck in the air, face to face with the beast. It stared at him, looking

Move. He stared up at the beast, its incredible frame towering over them. His feet shook beneath him but the glare of the Monkey King kept him frozen. Sewallus' finally seemed to take in the situation. Morningstar could hear the guard's panicked voice but couldn't comprehend what the man was saying. It was like he was underwater and all sounds but the voice in his own head were drowned out. Move, now. His trembling hand moved to the hilt of his sword but he couldn't find the strength to lift it. The creature's mouth opened and the speed of its breath increased. Agitation covered

Sewallus stopped, kneeling down in the bushes. Morningstar followed suit. They hid, quiet beneath the greenery, out of sight. The guard blended in perfectly with his tree-like armor. Morningstar's new cloak was black rather than his usual green but even still, it worked in the low lighting. "We'll need to be careful from now on," the Florenthian said, pointing ahead of them. Morningstar saw it. Remington's words resonated in his mind. "There are now craters instead of trees where we were attacked, and rivers instead of forest where it moved." The craters seemed as if they were c

"The Monkey King is the biggest threat to our village," Sewallus stated, turning his head back to speak to Morningstar. The further into the forest they traveled, the more difficult it became. Overgrowth was tricky to pass through for those who were not accustomed to it. That being said, the guard did not seem to have a problem with it, considering he lived there. It was more than likely that he ventured into these parts of the forest often. "If we don't kill it, I fear what could happen to my people." "Is that why you became a guard?" Morningstar asked curiously. "I became

Remington had mentioned beforehand that Sewallus would want to join in on the quest. "This is your village," he stated, "I'm in no position to stop you from coming." His words seemed to relax Sewallus. The man's wide eyes shrunk and a faint smile grew on his lips. "Thank you," he said. Morningstar spotted another guard walking towards them from the left. Sewallus explained that his shift was at an end for the day and that another would be taking his place. He was free to come and go as he pleased. The new guard, whose name was Peter, patted Sewallus on the back. "Off you go, Sewallus