Morningstar

Stephen stretched his arms as he prepared for battle. The boar took instant notice of the swordsman and snorted. Even boarlets were aggressive and mean, but compared to the bigger boars they were a cake walk. The blonde swung his longsword, getting used to it's weight, before dashing forwards. He sliced up from the ground, aiming at the beast's throat, but felt that his footing was off. His sword missed it's mark, but just barely. "Damn it," he muttered, trying to catch himself. The boar didn't allow it, though. Stephen felt it's dense head ram into his back with enough force to knoc

The boars weren't as close to the town as Stephen had remembered. He wondered if they ever moved locations. They spent their time walking catching up and talking about life in Aincrad. "How's the guild?" Stephen asked. "Same old. Actually, Katar's been promoted. He's leading his own exploration team now. I think he wants me to convince you to join," Joaquin chuckled, scrolling through his inventory. Stephen played with his pendant. "My answer's the same as last time. No guilds for me. Solo exploration only." "I won't try to change your mind, but expect Katar to come find yo

Star laughed. "I don't know if I'm that good, but if I can help then I'd love to." He'd always been more of an explorer. Aincrad was a big place and he intended to see as much of it as he could before he left. Morningstar considered the idea of joining a raid boss fight. NIGHT obviously had experience with them; maybe he could ask her to show him the ropes some day. Morningstar viewed idly as another match came to an end. NIGHT seemed to avoid—at least partially—his question. He didn't press, but he did appreciate her offer to watch out for his friends. "It's okay," he crossed h

"Both, I suppose—my match with Hirru just finished and now I'm waiting for the next round to start," Morningstar tried sliding his hands into his pockets, but realized that his kimono had none. How long had it been since the quest on the first floor? It felt like months but truthfully, he couldn't remember. Star hadn't kept in touch either, although he'd originally intended to. Morningstar returned a smile. "Nice to see you again, NIGHT. Just watching today? I don't think I saw you in the bracket." Speaking of which, he had no idea who his next opponent was. An uneven amount of

Stephen found his way back to the observer's area and sighed. After his match with Hirru, he couldn't help but feel tired. The mental power it took to fight another player instead of a mob made it taxing. He wondered how many more he'd have to take part in. That being said, he didn't regret signing up. Stephen watched from a distance as the ongoing matches continued. He pouted. A blue-haired player that looked interesting to him seemed to be losing. "Maybe he's still got a chance," he mumbled to himself. Stephen felt like he'd been pumped with adrenaline. He'd never played any s

Star was almost surprised when he felt his blade touch Hirru's side. "Good match out there!" The hunter called out. He'd blown away his own expectations and come out with his first, and hopefully not last, win of the tournament. He met his opponent's eyes and felt something he'd never experienced before: the joy of competition. He smiled. "I'm glad I had the opportunity to face you. Let's do it again someday—maybe with our own gear." He didn't bow, nor did he offer a hand shake. Were there unspoken rules involving the ending of a duel? If there were, Stephen wasn't aware of

Hirru's attack was unexpected and Star couldn't block it quite in time. In attempt to dodge, he leaned to the right. He thought he was in the clear, for a moment, but the midway stop caused the sword to touch Star's chest. Hirru claimed a point and while it was well deserved, Star didn't like it. "Damn," he muttered. He'd made a mistake and it'd cost him his lead. He pushed down his sword, colliding with his opponent's. Star took the chance to back away while Hirru's blade bounced back. A close match was better, he told himself. While not daring to turn his back on Hirru, he wondered

Stephen, irritated, stormed out of the smith. Lyle was, without a doubt, the most unpleasant NPC that he'd met. Still, he accepted the terms presented to him. Lyle requested—or perhaps it was more of a demand—that Stephen brought back a few boar tusks from the fields. It wasn't a hard job, thankfully, so he was willing to do it. He walked through the Town of Beginnings, smiling at strangers in passing. It wasn't quite as busy today, for some reason. Maybe it was a holiday. When he reached the gate at the edge of town, he stopped and pulled open his friends list. It was time to call a

The door to the blacksmith creaked as Stephen pushed it open. "Excuse me?" Inside, you could hear the clanging of metal against metal. Even from the entrance it was warm, almost uncomfortably. Stephen scanned the room, looking for Lyle, the NPC he'd been sent to speak with. Weapons lined the walls; straight swords almost like his own, katanas sharper than the horizon, and spears that made the man question his weapon choice. Lyle was obviously skilled in his craft. Even the armor looked high quality. Stephen moved his way through the store, admiring the craftsmanship while he followed the

Hirru's attitude suddenly changed and Morningstar took notice. It seemed like his verdant-haired opponent needed to find his bearings and now that he'd found them, he was ready to attack. Star was up a point but wasn't quite in the clear yet. He stepped backwards, his anxiety disappearing. There was power in Hirru's step as he lunged at Star. The tip of Hirru's blade nearly touched his shoulder but Star swiped his own sword left, blocking the attack. They clashed their blades for a moment before disengaging. "Too close," Morningstar caught his breath, quickly imagining his next play.

Other duels had already begun around Morningstar. He gave his training sword a swung, getting used to it's weight. It was lighter than his straight sword. His first opponent, and hopefully not his last, was a green-haired gentleman who went by the name "Hirru". "It's nice to meet you," he leaned on his sword, it's point touching the floor, "you can call me Star." Star's nerves were building up. He wasn't unconfident in himself, but Hirru looked like he'd been in a fight or two before. Star tried focusing on having a good time rather than the outcome, but truthfully he wanted to win;

Morningstar had never been to the 24th floor; it was above his skill level. He'd heard stories of the sandy beaches and coral reefs, but his low stats and fear of sea serpents caused him to stay far away. What better chance to take a look, he thought, than a Valentines Day tournament. The sea breeze pushed back his hood, revealing dirty blonde hair and a pair of golden eyes. "Will you be taking part in the tournament today?" A voice asked. The boat rocked slowly. Star met the gaze of Takumi, the one paddling it. "You know," Morningstar smiled, "I think I will be." He was ex

Current Level: 4 Current SP: 13 Link to SP Tracking: Morningstar's Character Sheet Item Upgrades: N/A

Stephen's joy did not last. The name shook him to his core. Thoughts of the past flooded back to him and he remembered the sight of a well-kempt blonde stabbing a blade through Lexa's back. Atlas said nothing, only watching for a reaction from the swordsman. It was almost as if the Titan pitied him. Stephen wasn't that naïve. ----------------------------------------------------------- "Don't trust Atlas. He's good with words when he needs to be," Helios opened a map showing a vast mountain range. "He's known as a Titan for a reason," Stephen chuckled. Helios smirked in agre

Morningstar eyed the details of the tournament. "What've I got to lose?" (count me in chief)

Floor 17 Somewhere deep in the mountains "You should not be here," a voice boomed. Stephen dropped the hood of his cloak, revealing his face to the giant. "You're Atlas, correct?" For a moment, the giant stared as if he were deciding how to structure his response. From head to toe, he was dressed in armor resembling that of an ancient Spartan. The giant knelt, pinned to the ground by a space-like orb twice his size. Stephen knew what it was. "I am Atlas, yes. These mountains are

After receiving a message from Noctua, Stephen returned to The Ring and Sword to pickup his item. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. Once again, he examined the beautiful jewelry and well-crafted weapons that covered the shop. Then, he made his way to the front desk. "Hey there. I'm here to pickup my item," he explained, sliding one hand into the pocket of his cloak. Upon retrieving the necklace, he smiled, happy with the finished product. Stephen held it by the chain and fixed his eyes on the silver wing attached to it. He knew that Lexa would have liked it, had she been able to

Stephen weaved through crowds of people until he eventually came across a cozy looking shop. According to a sign, it was dubbed "The Ring and Sword." Curious, the man stepped inside. For some time now, he'd been in search of an artisan. They were a rare find; good ones especially. He, however, was not ready to give up. The brunette scanned the store, eyeing the variety of weapons and armor that sat out front on display. His first assumption was that it was owned by a blacksmith; however, upon further inspection he realized that this wasn't completely accurate. Parts of the shop were fille

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