[SP-F1] Whisper of the Night <<Feeding the Enemy>> - Complete

[Aster 0]

Aster stared up at the dark wooden ceiling looming over her. Night had taken over the Starting City hours ago, but for some reason the girl was restless tonight. Sitting inside her meager alchemist's shop with her back pressed up against a wall, she wasted most of her time here, experimenting with new potion recipes and generally watching Aincrad exist around her. She inhaled deeply, propping herself up after several minutes of self-debate. She nudged a hand behind the rim of her glasses, rubbing at her eye as she headed toward the entrance.

Aster cracked open the heavy wooden door, pulling it towards her as it made a long, audible groan. She peeked her head outside to meet an empty walkway, darkened windows lining the street. She frowned, not surprised but also uninterested at the quiet scene. Feeling a tad adventurous, the girl gave herself a shrug before slipping through the doorway, locking the shop's door behind her.

Declared Equipment:

Spoiler

• Basic Two-Handed Assault Spear
• Cloth Clothing

Declared Inventory:

Spoiler

• Treasure Hunting Socks
• Tunic of Burning Magic
• Beginner's Pack (10 Bread, 15 Water)

 

Edited May 1, 2016 by Asteria

[Aster 0]

'Now what...' Aster's plan was quickly crumbling as she walked slowly along the path leading to the heart of the city. Compared to the hustle and bustle during daylight, the capital almost seemed like a ghost town with the moonlight shining down overhead. She walked slowly, listening to the sound of her footsteps echo in the narrow walkway, but seeing the path widen shortly ahead made her feel less nervous. After another minute the shopping district opened up into the main plaza, and she took in the sight of the quiet city, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The large clocktower loomed in the center of the open area, and at the sight of it Aster looked away before feeling a chill run up her spine. She didn't want to remember The Announcement--she wasn't out here to think about that day.

[Aster 0]

Trying to shake off whatever anxiety had started forming, Aster decided to quickly pass through the main plaza and head down into another district of primarily NPC shops. Feeling curious, she wanted to see if any NPCs stayed out at night, or it they all retired away somewhere until the morning. Were all games like that? She felt like it would be very inconvenient if aspects of the game were only made available during certain times. After all, wasn't instant gratification one of the main selling points for video games? MMORPGs seemed to have a simple enough concept, at least from the limited amount that she'd read about them.

Realizing her thoughts had traveled farther than she had, Aster took another deep breath to clear her mind. Walking more slowly, she looked up at what she could see of the sky behind the wall of tall buildings surrounding her. Stars twinkled against the deep blue backdrop, and a soft smile played against her lips at the beauty of it. She could tell--she knew--that it was all fake, a fabrication displaying itself to her mind, but she tried her best to appreciate it.

[Aster 0]

Focusing her attention back to her path, she glanced to each side of her, seeing that the shops normally run by jovial NPCs were closed for the night, as quiet as the player shops. She frowned, not really knowing what to expect but still feeling a bit disappointed. She continued down the road for a few paces before her eyes narrowed in concentration. She could hear something in the distance, what sounded like a set of footsteps different from her own. The girl froze, and indeed the noise from her boots hitting the pavement stopped with her, and another set of steps could be heard echoing down the street. As if paralyzed, Aster stood completely still, staring ahead waiting for a figure to emerge from the shadows. Her mind became blank, unsure what to expect or how to react.

Edited April 23, 2016 by Asteria

[Aster 0]

From the dark street, an older woman in long robes stepped out into the pale moonlight, her paced continuing steadily regardless of Aster's presence. The girl, who had been holding her breath until now, released it from her lungs in a heavy sigh of relief. After her nerves quickly calmed, she stared quizzically at the woman. Squinting, she couldn't see a player marker over the mystery woman's head. 'Does that mean she's an NPC? I thought most of them left during the night.' She frowned, but her curiosity wouldn't allow her to dismiss the encounter. "E-Excuse me...?" She spoke up hesitantly, and as her voice broke the silence, the woman looked over to her, as if released from a spell.

[Aster 0]

The robed woman looked graceful, despite her years. She may have been a dancer of some sort, and Aster couldn't help wondering if she still performed in town on occasion. The NPC looked directly in her eyes, and the quiet was unsettling as she turned from her path down the street to get closer to Aster. Her expression felt kind, although maybe a bit mischievous. Aster glanced nervously to the side, growing uncomfortable until the woman began to speak. "Ahh, your eyes," She started, speaking with an admiring tone. "They show knowledge not common to children your age." The woman stopped in front of her, looking down slightly as she stood a good few inches over the orange-haired girl. 

[Aster 0]

The mysterious woman tilted her head with a curious smile, kindness still prevalent in her eyes. Aster had remained silent, staring back up at the woman as if studying her, her expression cautious but intrigued. "But those eyes. They are looking for a friend, no?" The woman's smile became playful when Aster's eyes widened slightly in surprise. The woman chuckled at the reaction, bowing her head in introduction. "My name is Taylein. I'm sorry if I startled you. Would you like to speak with me?" With how she approached, Aster was surprised at such a friendly attitude. Snapping out of her frozen state, Aster bowed in return, "Oh, I'm sorry!" She apologized immediately out of habit. "Ahh, yes. What...did you mean exactly?"

[Aster 0]

"If you go outside the city, you will see the monsters, correct?" Taylein asked, Aster obviously nodding for her to continue. "But, if you look in the right places and bring the right foods, adventurers have been known to befriend these creatures. It is said they can create a bond unlike any other." Taylein smiled warmly, and Aster wasn't sure if she was programmed to do so, or if it was in reaction to the look of complete awe on her face. Taylein gave another chuckle, and leaned in close, as if she was about to tell her a secret. "Well? What are you waiting for? Do you want to try?" Aster stood awestruck as a dialogue box appeared before her. It simple read, <<Accept Quest?>> with a Yes or No option. Aster's eyes flicked up towards Taylein's before staring back at the choice in front of her. She raised her hand, finger hovering over the button, before pushing down on "Yes".

[Aster 0]

A small sound played and the dialogue box disappeared. Taylein straightened and clapped her hands together with a pleased look. "Wonderful! If you don't have any food items you will have to purchase one from a vendor." She explained simply, already turning to walk back down the street at a more brisk pace. She gave a small wave, her work here done. "Good luck!" Was all she said as she soon turned a corner and was out of sight. Aster had reached up a hand as if to call her back, but she didn't have any words to call out. She frowned slightly, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. A few thoughts were running through her head at this point, but she forced her feet to start moving again.

[Aster 0]

Aster had a determined look on her face as she marched down the winding streets. She knew exactly where she was headed now, no longer taking in the serene atmosphere of the quiet city at night. Her eyes were alight with curiosity and determination. The walk alone took a generous amount of time, weaving through streets to reach the main plaza, and then travelling the straight shot to the Eastern Gate. When she finally arrived, the girl stopped short, staring out at the moonlit fields of grass rolling lightly with each breeze. The scene itself was beautiful, but her apprehension was holding her back. Inhaling sharply through her nose, the girl held her breath for a moment before letting it out in a long sighing exhale.

[Aster 0]

The orange haired girl perked up suddenly, as if she'd remembered something important. "Oh! Right..." She swiped her hand in the air in front of her, bringing up her inventory. A look of concentration took over her features as she carefully navigated to the right area. She spotted two newer additions to her inventory, and gave them each a press in turn, selecting the "Equip" option. The clothing materialized around her, and she was slightly taken aback by the process, this being the first time she'd equipped items that she hadn't started the game with. She looked over the...eccentric clothing and gave a satisfactory shrugged. The game said these garments would make her "better", so she would wear them.

Equipment Swap!

Spoiler

• Cloth Clothing (Put in Inventory)
• Treasure Hunting Socks (Equipped)
• Tunic of Burning Magic (Equipped)

 

[Aster 0]

Another deep breath filled her lungs, and Aster filled herself with inspiration as she took a step outside of the city walls. Nothing happened, of course--the wall didn't come crashing down around her, and nothing ran up to attack her. Releasing her breath, Aster started at a walking pace,  She surveyed her surroundings carefully, but only the calm night atmosphere lay around her. She looked up to the starry sky again, able to see if more clearly now. A smile tugging at her lips, she picked up her pace, beginning to walk with a spring in her step.

[Aster 0]

"I've never seen anything like it before..." She thought aloud, musing to herself as she crossed the massive fields. She walked for a while, taking in the peaceful sights until she grew closer to a forested area. She approached hesitantly, looking back at the gates of the city. She'd never been out of sight of it since she'd entered Aincrad, and it was a bit unsettling just to be this far away. She took another deep breath, turning her back to the town and steeling herself. Putting on a brave face, the girl ventured through the first line of trees, disappearing from sight into the dense forest.

[Aster 0]

'It's fine, it's fine. Everything's fine.' Aster repeated the words in her mind, trying to convince herself that they were true. 'It's just nighttime in a forest. Everything on Floor 1 is low level. They won't attack you. They'll let you walk right past, it's perfectly fine.' She steadied herself with some consecutive deep breaths. It was true, any stray boars she had seen on the way here, despite making her ridiculously uncomfortable, hadn't bothered her in the slightest. The girl frowned with an expression of forced determination.

As soon as she'd regained her composure, the sound of rustling leaves caused her to whip her head around in surprise. Aster made an audible gasp, stopping dead in her tracks as she tried to find the source of the noise.

[Aster 0]

Aster froze, her eyes scanning the foliage around her. Shortly after the first rustling noise came another, and the girl managed to spot the source. She stared nervously at a shrub about 15 feet away, as if waiting for something to show itself. "Ah!" She muttered under her breath. What if this was one of the creatures Taylein was telling her about. Quickly, Aster reached into a small bag at her belt and pulled out a piece of bread. Hoping what she had was satisfactory, the girl swallowed and squatted down, placing her empty hand on her bent knees and using the other to hold the bread out towards the shrub where the rustling last came from.

Moments later, Aster could see the glow of two green eyes staring back at her, lightly reflected against the faint moonlight that peered in through the trees overhead. The eyes were smaller than she had expected, and the nervous expression on her face softened a bit into a curious one. Out from the greenery stepped small black paws, leading up to bright orange fur that contrasted against the dark green leaves around it. She was captivated by the eyes that stared back at hers. Slowly and calmly, the fox approached her, tail swishing lightly behind it. It paid no mind to the offering in her hand until it was directly in front of her. The fox didn't seem afraid of her in the slightest, sniffing at the bread before moving to her hand, and her arm. The girl flinched, not expecting the animal to be so comfortably close to her.

Familiar Tame:

Spoiler

• ID#: 58005
  • BD: 9
  • CD: 2
  • LD: 20 + 1 = 21 Success!
  • MD: 6
• Familiar Successfully Tamed

 

Edited April 30, 2016 by Asteria

[Aster 0]

In the course of a couple of minutes, the curious fox began inspecting Aster head to toe. The girl simply froze, half afraid and half amazed at the encounter. It nosily sniffed at her, circling around and sometimes nudging lightly at her. Finally, it returned to her hand to sniff at the piece of bread again before picking it up in its mouth. Aster felt a brief wave of fear, afraid that the fox would take the food and run, leaving her there like a fool. Instead, it placed the offering on the ground in front of it and began biting at it. Aster slowly lowered her hand back next to the other and smiled at the fox. The creature paused from its meal to look back up at her, tilting its head slightly before moving back to her. It sniffed at her hand, nudging it with its nose until she picked it up her hand and held it out.

[Aster 0]

Aster smiled as the fox encouraged her to pet it. She ran her hand along its back and the creature immediately took on a playful nature. "Is this what she was talking about?" Aster mused, half to the fox and half to herself. "Were you the one I was supposed to find out here?" The fox that was running in circles and rolling over in front of her, begging her to play, had completely grabbed her attention. The forest, the darkness, the uneasiness she had felt up until now seemed to vanish. With a smile, the girl ran her fingers through the fur on its belly. She stood up slowly, giving her legs a light stretch. As she did so, the fox immediately grabbed what remained of the bread and weaved between her feet a couple of times before settling next to her and finishing its meal. "Alright then, the first order of business--you need a name!" She was suddenly feeling a real confidence, and the fox looked back up at her quizzically.

[Aster 0]

"Hmm..." Aster stroked her chin with a finger as her newfound companion made quick work of the rest of the bread. It remained laying by her feet, ears twitching slightly as it kept watch. After a moment of deep thought, Aster held up a finger, "Got it. I'll call you Reginald." She nodded, looking back down at the fox's green eyes. "What do you think of that? Reginald?" His tail swished back and forth, brushing lightly against her ankles. Of course it wasn't able to answer her, but she took his carefree attitude for an agreement.

[Aster 0]

'Ahh, this was still a quest, right? Which means...' Aster pulled up her menu, navigating to the quest log and pulling up the details. "Return to the quest-giver..." She read aloud, a look of confusion on her face. 'B-but, she disappeared in a hurry the moment I accepted the quest!' Aster frowned, wondering how they would find Taylein to complete the quest. She took in a deep breath of air, looking down at the fox that looked back up in response. "Aright then, let's get going!" In response, Reginald stood up and sniffed at the air. He looked around for a moment before dashing off a few feet and grabbing something in his mouth. He returned to her shortly, dropping a bundle of herbs at her feet.

Gathering Attempt:

Spoiler

• ID#: 58006
  • BD: 4
  • CD: 10
  • LD: 16 + 1 = 17 Success!
  • MD: 4
• Gathering Successful
  • +1 Crafting Material (1 total)

 

Edited April 30, 2016 by Asteria

[Aster 0]

Aster blinked, bending over to grab the herbs laying at her feet. A dialogue box appeared to the side, noting them as materials, and Aster immediately beamed. "Ahh, you'll find these for me?" Her voice reflected her high spirits and she could hardly contain her excitement. As if he was waiting for it, she reached over and ruffled the fur between his ears to praise him. With a satisfied smile, Aster straightened back up and turned back the way she had come, towards town. "Shall we?" Reginald perked up in response, and the pair made their way through the forest's edge, back out into the sprawling fields.