Alkor

It was not a very colorful conversation, granted. The last time that Alkor and Baldur spoke, it was with weapons more than words. They were fundamentally different people. Baldur was the type of man who could see the struggles of others and held out a hand to help guide them through. Warmth, of personality and of passion, he was a flame in his own right. Alkor was cold by contrast, the way he interacted was aloof and distant, filled with intrinsic value and seeking meaning within himself. Both men wanted to help others, and in their own ways, shined a beacon- it was that Baldur was a lantern,

Twilight came on like Winter's breath. White smoke billowed from his lips as Alkor watched the horizon for the pair he had agreed to meet, periodically glancing toward the eastern sky where pastel oranges and yellows were consumed by deeper reds, violets, and the expansive darkness beyond. Stars began to flicker into existence, several more each time that he did. He was able to count several before Kiru and Baldur came into view, silently welcoming the night as well as the newcomers. The High Fields of Crossing were uniquely lit in several areas, and this one was no exception. It was one of th

Little more than a whisper, Alkor stepped from the shadows of the teleporter and onto the second floor. It marked the beginning of many adventures, a place beyond the first real challenge that Aincrad placed before its prisoners. Dauntless, in a word. To say that he was unshaken by the memories of his first few steps off of the first floor was an understatement. Alkor had become increasingly numb to his earliest memories of this accursed world and the system that controlled it. Every battle, every victory, every conquest hollowed him out a bit more, leaving only the husk. In order to become pa

The notification flashed before his eyes as he hefted the blade from the still free-flowing stream of red pixels. Fragments of data coded to look like flesh, blood, bone, and sinew had decomposed rapidly in the final moments after he carved the behemoth creature in twain; but Alkor did not seem to sweat from the effort. There was a slight frown on his lips. Guess that's the limit of how far I can get with these enemies... Frustration was coming to the apex only to find that the summit was, in reality, higher than he had originally thought. The difference was that instead of facing hi

The bear had thrown him aside, hard enough to slam into a nearby tree and splinter it. Aching in the muck, Alkor had spent the last minute from his spinning head. Koga had seized the moment, jumping in heroically to take Callisto's attention for himself- for better or for worse. That wasn't ideal, even if he had come prepared to do just that. Koga was equipped to hold on to the hate, but not to keep it for long. This was the contingency. Give Alkor enough time to collect himself so that he could do the job he was supposed to be doing. Now, it was his turn to return the favor. Keep Koga alive,

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Undaunted as the creature pounced with a savage grace that seemed unreal given its form, Alkor stood fast. The creature assailed him with putrid breath, roaring in his face as it bared ichorous fangs, flesh sloughing off bone and sinew. He had just enough time to make notice of a chip in its half-gone face, a place where the ursine skull faltered. When it practically unhinged its jaw and brought its wicked fangs to bear, one hand plunged fingers into the hole, securing an iron grip. It was going to get hold of him, but that worked in everyone's favor. Alkor, after all, had always intended

They had only just broken into their groups, but it seemed that the enemy would not give them time to regroup. A guttural sound permeated the pit of death, the unholy marriage between a beastial roar and a charnel house. The others threw themselves full tilt toward the creature, fully eschewing greater caution in favor of destructive output. Rather, in doing so, they placed full faith in the supporting cast to carry out the more grim labors. Keeping the troupe alive. Preventing them from taking lethal damage. Standing between them and certain death. There had been a time when Alkor failed

A wraith shambled into the room, at home with its surroundings. The hood that fell over his eyes cast a shadow over most of his face, beyond the pale jawline and thin line that formed his lips. He blew through the stench of death like a black wind, carrying it with him like an old, haggard friend. Perhaps it was- twice now he had faced the strongest creatures of Aincrad, once to sleep for what seemed like an eternity. He did not fear it the way he once did; yet in not fearing it, the Phoenix had learned the importance of staving it off. Like a creature denied oblivion, he crawled the sur

When the message came, Alkor was sat in the lazy rays of late afternoon orange that bled down over the 24th floor. The endless crash of waves from far below flowed together like a symphony, singing mind-numbingly beautiful Oblivion to someone desperate for silence. This was one of the few places he could isolate himself, on the property that he owned and did not have to share with anyone else. Sadly, the respite was to be short lived. After the boss meeting, there was a short window where they could do what they needed to prepare. For Alkor, that meant the rest and solitude he needed to c

Sunlight spilled out over the falls like gilded ink, slowly spreading to engulf the Elven city. Dawn and Dusk were spectacles unmatched in Ellesmera, designed by the great smiths and other artisans to truly capture the beauty of nature as it was, not as they might wish for it to be. The beauty of life existed in fleeting moments, never able to be captured but for the precious memories that remained in the thereafter. This was a truth the Elves had learned that many other races, other civilizations had not. Mankind attempted its greatest works with the presumption that their greatest minds

He locked gazes with Koga for a moment, though neither of them had to say a word. It was understood implicitly between both parties. The planning portion of the raid was important, mind; but many of them had been there for a time already, and things on that front were already well in hand. The best that Koga or Alkor could do was place themselves, and Koga spoke so Alkor didn't have to. The two of them would be in the third party, acting as the bulwark between their teammates and certain death. It wasn't like his old role as DPS, and after his own brush with mortality, Alkor understood the nee

To be frank, he wasn't interested in the social aspect of the meeting. That was always the case with Alkor, though. Whenever it came to the real meat and bones of Aincrad, the bloody stuff where people could get killed and never come back, he didn't even pretend. The mask that he donned mostly for everyone else's sake came off long before he entered the room, a grim expression and bags beneath his eyes evidence that he had spent far too long contemplating the coming trial. The last boss fight had spent him, sending him into a deep and dark depression that he still had yet to come to grip

He swayed as the others raced into action around him, holding a hand over his mouth to stifle any further vomiting. To say that his equilibrium had suddenly been thrown off would have been an understatement- Alkor felt like he had been afflicted with a sudden and terrible case of vertigo, seemingly induced by the boss' malefic aura coupled with some kind of stunning attack. Two could play at that game. Still channeling his rage and determination, the virulent, hazy red aura surged around him as Alkor drew on his violent and wild tendencies to further enhance his next strike. The darkness

Wushen centered its gaze on him as his defiance mounted. Alkor could feel the blood pumping in his veins, the adrenaline flowing like fire. Indignation coalesced with fury, together with determination to keep him on his feet. He faced down the primordial entity like a man who had come toe to toe with his own maker. It was too late to run, even if he wanted to. But the glare intensified, and the creature balked at his existence. The very fear-turned-strength that brought him to this point twisted inside his gut, wrenching it. Alkor reached down suddenly and grabbed at his stomach, a wave o