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[PP-F4] In Search of the Frostbitten Phoenix <<Feeding the Enemy>> (Completed)


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Birdie smiled thankfully in light of Arc's compliment, followed by her cheeks glowing a light red. Her eyes promptly wandered to the Yeti as her head sunk deeper into the cover of her jacket, preventing the embarrassment that would befall her if the man had caught her rosy expression. 

As the beast bellowed a war cry she stumbled to the side a little, grabbing the trunk of a nearby tree to keep her balance. She noticed Arc positioning himself to be in the line of fire, putting himself in the path of danger so that harm wouldn't come of her. "Caution, got it." She nodded to Arc and stood a ways behind him, her weapon at the ready as she shifted into a more defensive stance. Waiting to observe its behaviours was a strategy she'd employed in the past, turning up quick effective in the limited times she'd used it.

The <<Lesser Yeti>> hobbled closer to the two, its injuries proving ineffective at inhibiting its ability to fight. Despite the man's small missing chunk of HP,  things were swung in Arc and Birdie's favour. They had managed to keep control of the fight's pace, having the beast stumbling around after them instead of beating them senseless.

The end of a wooden log stuck out from the ground nearby, serving as a perfect ramp for a player to run and jump off. Thehe mock-up ramp as it sought to reach the two players. Birdie hatched an idea; granted it was a reckless one, the pay-off would be far greater than the risk. Arc would no doubt disapprove of the manoeuvre, hence why she'd already started running before consulting the cloaked fighter over her shoulder. "I have an idea, cover me!"

The woman was sensible and fully aware of her limits, springing at the opportunity to make life easier for both herself and Arc. She couldn't bare to watch the him take a hit again, and she had just the right tools at hand to stop that happening for a moment. Her hate hadn't been high enough to garner the aggression of the Yeti, something that worked in her favour as she approached the wooden log. Birdie ran along the surface and kicked into the air once she'd reached the peak of the fallen tree, rising above the Yeti as her ascent hit peak height. 'Aaand..' "Hyah!" In a similar fashion to Arc's aerial cleave, Birdie dropped towards the Yeti with her weapon reared backwards, eyes narrowing as she lined up swing to strike the foe's head. Retaliation lit up, glowing bright yellow as sparks fizzled from the weapon's point.

As she came close to the beast's head Birdie swung her blade in arc and drove the blade deep into the yeti's skull, her hand twisting around the hilt of her weapon as she dropped past it, landing just in front of the Yeti's planned path. Sparks surrounded its body as all it could do was groan and grumble, unable to wiggle or even move its limbs. "I can't believe that worked.." She glanced over her shoulder, giving Arc a wave and a cheery grin. "It's immobilised, at least for a moment. It should be safe to breathe." The tone she employed wasn't like her usual social awkward self; the adrenaline of battle brought with it a temporary remedy to her shyness, though its effects wouldn't last very long.

Spoiler

ID# 67484 | BD: 8

Arc: 131/140 HP 11/14 Energy (2 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 3/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Uses 'Above' sword art, deals 5 damage and stuns <<Lesser Yeti>> for one turn.

Lesser Yeti: 38/75 HP

 

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Immobilized though it may have been, the creature was unaffected by the incoming strike when Arc ran at it again. Whether it was a lucky movement as it strafed the blow from Birdie or Arc was just that overconfident in his abilities, the Mercenary did not manage to make contact. "Whuh?" he asked with a hint of confusion in his voice. The adrenal flow was upset only for an instant, but that was enough. The creature did not manage to break free of its paralytic situation to strike at Arc, but the mercenary knew better than to count that as a victory. "Watch out," he warned. "It's starting to not differentiate between us. You're catching up with me."

Dangerous. I can't count on out DPSing her to keep aggro like this. She's going to get hurt if I'm too reckless.

"Looks like your big move paid off, though," he said appreciatively. "That thing would have hit me pretty hard if it had an opening."

He wrinkled his nose and spat on the ground. This thing was getting the better of him. It was good for Birdie, though. He could see the experience was making her open up a bit. She wasn't as nervous when she was caught up in the flow of battle. That was a good thing for anyone. The fear was losing its grip on her.

"I should be able to pick back up the momentum in a minute," he said. "Caught me off guard with that last dodge." To be more realistic, he was really surprised by her sudden use of the terrain and the awesome attack that followed. Part of him didn't expect that at all. Arc gripped the pommel of Levantine and nodded. "Alright," he told himself. "Now we're on the highroad to victory."

If they could keep this pace going, there wouldn't be any problems. "It should still want me when it comes out of the stun," he called over to her, "so as long as you stay back, it should keep its eyes my way. For now, at least."

Arc: 131/140 HP 10/14 Energy (3 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 3/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 38/75 HP

 

 

ID: 67490

BD: 3

Mob: Stunned

 

Edited by Arc
Criticals generate 2 hate instead of one, recalculated to reflect.
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Birdie retrieved her blade and fell back to a safer position, nodding along with every word that slipped from Arc's mouth. It was true that the creature's hate level for the girl was building up due to her successful hits, something she'd have to take into account the next time she wanted to make a risky move. Everything seemed to be under control, for now at least, and she took point away from the monster's inherent attack range. Now that her heart beat had slowed and the adrenaline was calming down, she felt herself tense up at how risky that move was in hindsight, and how badly she would've been damaged if she'd missed and fallen right into the Yeti's path of destruction.

"R-right, I'll keep away for now," she said in accordance with the man's orders, her eyes fixated on the paralysed beast. Its limbs had slowly begun to twitch, moving more with each passing second. It wouldn't be long before the fight would be back in full swing, and the girl would be fully ready to combat the enemy once more.

In the mean time, Birdie's eyes began to wander around to the neighbouring trees, desperately searching for the familiar they'd set out to find. For a moment it seemed like the creature had fled in the wake of battle, though through the trees she caught sight of the creature's majestic blue wings, observing the fight as it unfolded from a afar. Birdie's eyes stared in wonderment, 'why hadn't it fled yet?' There was no time to think about the implications however as the beast unleashed a thunderous roar, its crimson eyes staring at the man store ahead of it. 

Spoiler

ID# 67534 | BD: 5

Arc: 131/140 HP 10/14 Energy (3 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 3/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 38/75 HP

@Arc

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Arc wasted no time in his effort to keep the Yeti's attention. His warning paid off and Birdie hung back, which was good. There would be less danger to her if he could keep ahead in terms of hate, and he wasn't too worried about his own health. This creature was strong, but it didn't seem to have a massive advantage on him. He held Levantine ready as he rushed back into combat headlong.

"Yaaaah!" he cried out as he brought his blade along and pierced the creature with a wicked jab. It let out an agonized yelp.

The mercenary slid to a halt in the snow behind the creature, which quickly turned about to face him. Its eyes burned with intense hatred, magnified by the red cut that adorned its chest. He slowly rose to a proper stance, knees slightly bent, and assessed the beast with a thoughtful glance. "Alright, I've got its attention totally on me," he called over to Birdie. "Nothing to worry about, now."

His jade eyes moved over to the girl, who seemed distracted for a second. When he saw where he gaze was locked, he noticed the creature watching them from on high. "Focus!" he told her gently. "We'll get to that when we get to it, I promise."

Arc wore a gentle smile as he spoke despite the gravity of their situation. It was almost as though he were at total peace with the situation, despite everything on a one way trip to hell. The Yeti gave another roar, but its haymaker punch failed to make its mark. Arc shifted his weight from one foot to the other impatiently. "Sure does have a ton of HP, though..."

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (4 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 3/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 33/75 HP

 

 

ID# 67535 results:

Battle: 6

Craft: 3

Loot: 18

MOB: 2

 

Edited by Arc
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"Focus!" The words pierced through Birdie's eardrums despite them being calmly put, her vision shifting from the creature to the man in a frightful manner. Birdie gave a nod as he reiterated they'd tend to the bird soon enough, gaining a smile from the woman as she caught the considerate look in his eyes. 'He's so calm and collected.. how can he look so tranquil at a time like this?'

She gripped the hilt of her weapon tightly and kicked off the ground, breaking into a light job as she sought to get closer to the battle. She stopped by Arc's side, eyes fixed on the menacing Yeti as stumbled closer to the pair. "Our health bars are still high though, t-that's what matters, right?" She gave him an assuring smile, eyes glancing to him for a moment before switching back to the beast ahead of them.

The battle was going far better than she could have hoped for, given this was both hers and Arcs first encounter with a monster on this floor. Her thoughts didn't linger on the creature's strength for more than second. There was no doubt far tougher assailants lurking in the woods, roaming aimlessly as they waited for a player to pray on. The fact that this beast was only a lesser version of the real Yeti was almost harrowing, how tough would a <<Yeti>> be?

Birdie's mindless thoughts came to an end as she refocused her attention on the fight ahead. The Yeti jumped forwards and swung its club overhead, intent on crashing it down to deliver a devastating blow. Although the attack wasn't directed at her she dashed to one side, her eyes desperately searching through the cloud of snow. "Arc!"

Spoiler

 

ID# 67536 | BD: 4

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy

Lesser Yeti: 33/75 HP

 

@Arc

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Winter winds whipped up white between the players as the Yeti came at Arc. The blistery gale bit at the mercenary, but he showed resilience to the weather- it was the least of his worries, just now. The club came down shy of his body, his movements swift and sleek as though he had been training without end for moments like this. His muscles undulated as he brought his blade round in a wicked circle, shaving past the beast with a powerful stroke that caused it to step backward warily.

It was a feint.

Arc spun rapidly through the motion, employing the centrifuge of his swing to carry the blade and his body along. His tight spin ended alongside the beast, his weapon dug deep into the creature's midsection. If Birdie managed to witness any of it, there would be no doubt that Arc resolved to cast aside fear and doubt to move the way he did. His attacks resonated with his tenacity. "You're right," he called back to her when the creature doubled over for that single instant. His green eyes found the woman in the haze, and he smiled back at her. "What matters is that we get through this, not how we do it."

With a vicious tug, he ripped the weapon through and turned to face it again. The blade pointed toward the ground, its edge angled up at the Yeti. "Keep on fighting," he told her in a voice just high enough to pierce the wild winds. "I'll keep you safe, Miss Birdie. Don't let this thing frighten you!"

The Yeti roared in apparent defiance of his words, but its eyes were on him. Exactly where they ought to be, he added mentally.

Arc tightened his grip as the Yeti slammed its fists into the snow. The ground trembled, through not nearly to the degree it had the last time. Arc smiled thinly. "Come on, then," he whispered.

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (5 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 28/75 HP

ID# 67558 results:

Battle: 8

Craft: 6

Loot: 20

MOB: 4

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The snow cloud whisked away in the heavy winds as the man's steel cut through the air, first with an attack that would appear like a miss to the untrained eye. The fact that Arc was able to react so quickly and fluidly buried BIrdie's fears under a mountain of relief, followed by bewilderment at how skillfully the man employed his blade. The air cleared up enough for her to see the Yeti recoiling in excruciating pain, along with the sight of Arc's eyes who stood by the creature.

The woman released the hilt of her blade, a calmness overcoming her that hadn't been felt since she first arrived at Snowfrost Town. The promise of her safety at the hands of the mercenary sought to instil confidence into Birdie, Arc's words doing just that as she gave him a brief but acknowledging nod.

Glancing to her energy gauge, the woman knew she'd be robbed of a meaningful hit if she went in to attack. The creature's preoccupation with Arc, followed by its inherent injured state, meant she could take a moment to rest easy, though it wasn't fair for the man to continue fulfilling the first line of defence all by himself. She almost cursed at herself for how useless she was, her low level letting her down once again. "Give it hell!" she called out, her hands cupping around her mouth in an effort to amplify her voice.

Her eyes caught a glint of the bird in the distance, its watchful gaze falling unto them once again. Though it was likely sheer coincidence, she couldn't shake the thought that it was assessing the battle unfolding before it. ""What are you doing..?" she asked under her breath. Her wild thoughts would halt promptly as she was brought back to the fight, the yeti's hostile groaning sending a chill down the girl's spine as the beast scrambled onto its feet with a stumble. "It's weaker than before, don't let up your guard!"

Spoiler

 

ID# 67587 | BD: 4

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (5 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 28/75 HP

 

 

Edited by Birdie
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"You got it," he murmured beneath the storm as she cheered for him. His gaze never left the raging Yeti. He couldn't afford to tear it away. As the creature slammed yet another volatile fist to the floor, he exploded into motion. His blade sheered upward viciously, and the beast let out a pitiful yelp. Levantine's edge ripped through digital flesh and sinew, dug away bits of data, and interrupted the brutal punch intended for Arc's face.

His green eyes scrunched a bit as he watched the enemy waver. That can't be it. There's more to this.

Arc took a step to one side just to be sure, and was rewarded when the creature followed him intently with its gaze. As I thought. Far from over. It's rethinking its strategy. His eyes stole a look toward Birdie, who was patiently looking for an opportunity as she called out for him to be careful. The mercenary gave her the slightest of nods. His thoughts were on the Yeti entirely and his grip on the blade tightened.

It rose yet again, this time with a more guttural roar than he had heard it give before. He looked from one side to the other as the snow seemed to respond. Winter's rage cloaked them in a bitter haze of opaque air. His experience with MMOs had him wary of secondary and tertiary mobs coming out of the woodwork, but none seemed to be responding. Tobias narrowed his eyes to slits. What's your game, beastie?

The world barely seemed to move as a fist materialized through the wall of white. Arc recognized it in time to get out of the way, but not without a grunt of effort. He dodged nimbly to one side, one hand gripping his bastard sword tightly, as though it were no more than a single handed blade. He was rewarded with a disappointed scream from his antagonist.

How's my hate? He looked through the snowstorm for his opponent. It continued to fumble on after him, not nearly as deft in its movements. Arc nodded again.

"We're getting there!" he called to Birdie. She seemed distracted, or was it something else? "Let's pick up the pace and send this thing packing!"

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (6 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 23/75

ID# 67660

BD: 6

CD: 8

LD: 9

Mob: 6 (-1) =5

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'He's fast,' she thought, 'To be dodge an attack after barely watching the windup.. does he have evasion gear?' Birdie watched on with curious intent as the battle's pacing kicked up a notch, the beast pulling new tricks out from its metaphorical hat as the fight drew on longer. The new moves weren't enough of an effective assault on the cloaked man, it seemed, and Birdie needn't worry about taking damage from the mob unless it performed an Area of Effect attack or she scored multiple criticals; in which case, the beast would've surely perish somewhere along the line.

Her gaze shifted, eyes falling upon the man as his voice broke through the cold air. "Right behind you!" she called out to him, picking herself up whilst she scrambled onto the battlefield. She knew to be wary of the Yeti, the stage that it was in proving to be a nuance the duo shouldn't take lightly. Its use of the environment as its greatest ally meant that the odds were beginning to stack up against them, though the fight was still strongly in their favour considering the disparity between their health %'s. "Three or four hits left, I think. It's like the mob is being smarter with its attacks now that its weakened up a bit, smart behaviour like this isn't something the first floor mobs exhibit.." 

The Yeti stumbled around, no doubt biding its time until its next attack. "Try not to sell the beast short, the enemies on this floor are stronger than the low levels.. at least whilst they have an environmental advantage on us." The blizzarding snow wasn't in their favour, certainly. "My energy's too low to hit it yet, I was reckless with my attacks earlier.. will you be okay on your own for a sec?"

 

Spoiler

 

ID# 67682 | BD: 5

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (6 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 23/75

 

Edited by Birdie
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The breakneck brawler watched his adversary as she spoke to him. "Yeah," he responded quickly, "I'll keep it busy for you." Arc ducked away from a monstrous jab and wove through the snows with practiced fluidity. His weapon dragged along the ground as he moved, his concentration on forcing the Yeti to give chase. Each backward step was carefully measured, such that he did not stumble once.

He was waiting for the right moment. "No good," he shook his head as the beast brought its knuckles down toward him. Arc brought his weapon up masterfully and caught the attack on the flat of the blade. Inside Sword Art Online, a person with no real skills could grow into a swordsman of great talent. If nothing else about this game was amazing, Tobias found that aspect of it to be a redeemable quality. The beast's arm slipped ineffectually away after being denied, and Arc glanced sidelong toward the girl.

His eyes slipped shut as he smiled from ear to ear. "Hey now," he said, "you're getting really into it. That's great!"

Tobias found himself slipping out of the fear and hatred, and even the anger filtered away as he gave himself over to the battle. There was nothing else. "Guess it's my turn to give it my best shot," he called out as the Yeti came around for another round. Arc hefted the blade with an immense effort. "Here I go!"

With all the power he could muster, Arc ripped through the Yeti and left a jagged scar in his wake.

The Yeti stood, frozen in place for a moment. A pained bellow spilled from its lips.

Arc:131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (8 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 16/75 HP

ID# 67684 results:

Battle: 10

Craft: 2

Loot: 16

MOB: 3

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Birdie admired the man's gusto amidst battle, there wasn't a moment where the fight had taken a dull turn nor failed to strike his target. "Y-you could say it's hard not to," she spoke in reply, her voice suppressed behind the wind's whistle as it picked up in that instant. Her eyebrows pulled downwards, 'If it gets too cold, we might start incurring stat deficits..'

Brushing that thought aside, she witnessed Arc's devastating strike on the mob that left behind a nasty tear in its body. "Nice shot!" She gripped the blade of her sword excitedly, the creature in such a state of immobilisation that she any attack she made was sure to connect!

Her legs covered longer distances with each stride, accelerating towards the beast with incredible speed. One hand kept the rapier held backwards as she prepared for a charged assault, her smile growing larger as every fraction of a second passed. "Ta-huh?" Hidden beneath the snow, Birdie's foot caught on a vine that barely protruded from the ground, the woman fumbling her attack as she stumbled to the ground metres past the Lesser Yeti. "Oof!" She fell face first into the snow, leaving a Birdie-shaped hole as she groaned from within the layer of white fluffy ice crystals. "Y-you got him!.. ow.."

Spoiler

 

ID# 67686 | BD: 4 *screams internally*

Arc:131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (8 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 16/75 HP

 

 

Edited by Birdie
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Arc saw her fall and his eyes moved rapidly from the Yeti "Woah, hey, are you alright?" His voice was filled with concern for the girl as he barely evaded a nasty blow from the Yeti. The mercenary took a leap backward from the beast as it committed to a powerful downward stroke, and he ran over to where she had fallen. "All good?" he asked from his kneeling position next to her. His face scrunched up with a look that said 'bloody hell, that's gotta be cold.' He carefully reached down to help her up, then realized that a shadow loomed over him.

"Nope," he muttered as he pulled the girl to her feet. Arc took a step toward the hulking monstrosity, his body between the Yeti and his ally. "You're not gonna get anywhere near her, big guy." The snowbeast screeched. Arc slammed his blade into its exposed abdomen. Its outburst raised an octave. "Take as long as you need," he told Birdie softly. "I've got this one. You get the next one."

With a howl of rage, the creature ripped his blade free of its torso. Arc watched impassively as it beat its chest with undue bravado. The dark haired man let out a sigh. "Looks like it's gonna take more than a few good hits to get you down, isn't it?" he muttered. "Fine by me."

Mentally he stored accounts of their combat with the creature. He might be able to offer her helpful tips and tricks for later, if she wanted them. Either way, he bounced on the balls of his feet and kept in constant motion. Even when he'd stopped to check on the girl, he was aware of his foe's movements. It was important to keep apprised of the smallest of details.

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (10 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (2 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 9/75 HP

ID# 67688 results:

Battle: 10 I'm not cheating I promise, wtf dice.

Craft: 10

Loot: 8

MOB: 3

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Birdie's face had lit up from the sheer chill of the snow, though no undue pain had been felt as the effect was mainly cosmetic. "I'll b-be okay," she replied with a shiver to her voice, the collar of her jacket covering the lower half of her head to heat up a little. She got to her feet and stumbled away from the mob's range, regaining her senses whilst the man kept the Yeti occupied. She turned when Arc had spoken those protective words, her cheeks would've glowed if the bitter cold snow hadn't turned them bright red already. "G-gotcha," she replied, giving a understanding nod toward the instructions.

The beast's howling was far louder, Birdie almost cringing at the terrible noise. 'It'll alert the whole forest at this rate..' she thought. She caught Arc's eyes as she looked back to check on her, an idea hatching in Birdie's mind seconds later. With the mob's eyes carefully following Arc, the woman gripped the hilt of her blade and ran to the mercenary's side. "It's too mad at you to notice me, I think I can pull of an attack while it's distracted." She pulled Retaliation from its sheath, pointing the blade to the ground by her side. "I'll pull away before it catches me, then it's all yours." She looked to Arc with a hint of confidence in her eyes, "Wait for my signal!"

With that, the woman rushed away and disappeared through a set of trees, leaving the monster's field of vision. Most people would've been taken out of a fight from a tumble out of that, whether by embarrassment or true injury, but neither of those things applied to her right now. She'd cringe later on when thinking back to the scenario, but her mind was simply too focused on other arrangements to care about much else.

She kept close to the battlefield, never more than fifty feet from the beast at any one time as she waited for a good time to strike. "Come on.." She perched behind a fallen log, observing the Yeti from afar to find an opportune time to strike. "... now!" She jumped over the log and kicked her feet against it, Retaliation held in both hands as she drew the rapier back. The Yeti had no time to react as she approached from its left side, pulling the blade forwards as it connected with and promptly shredded through a small section of the monster's torso. The blade left a digital gash in its wake, Birdie slowing down as she reached a safe distance from the scene to observe the damage afterwards. With the creature wailing in pain and a sliver of health left on its HP bar, she screamed to Arc "We've nearly got him!"

Spoiler

ID# 67705 | BD: 8

Arc: 131/140 HP 9/14 Energy (10 Hate)

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy (3 Hate)

Lesser Yeti: 4/75 HP

 

Edited by Birdie
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Arc locked eyes with the woman for a brief moment as she announced that she had a plan. A smile stretched thinly across his face as he continued to accumulate the beast's aggression like a precious commodity. Its raging eyes stuck with him as he offered her a nod. "Go get 'im," he muttered as she went racing off. He continued to back up as it increased its tempo and lashed out with blow after monstrous blow. He could feel himself wearing down a bit, which caused him to curse quietly.

The powerful blow broke through his defenses as he cringed and bore it. Arc knew he had to maintain, even if part of his tenacity wavered. He knew that if he could just hold out, then Birdie could pull through. He put his faith in her.

And she delivered.

The Yeti let out a pained yelp as her rapier bit deep, and she did another bout of damage that made Arc give her a big fist pump. "Kick ass!" he called out. "Keep at it, Miss Birdie!"

She said that they nearly had the thing, and Arc could see from its health that this was the case. He only had to endure it a bit longer, then they could resume their search. "We're that much closer to your familiar!" he called out to boost her morale. "Fight for the Frosted Firebird! or whatever!"

It came again with a powerful sweeping stroke, and the Mercenary barely managed to get out of the way. She had been right when she told him it was too soon to let up his guard- the monster started fighting harder, faster, and more angrily. He could feel himself starting to become irritated, too. It made him burn up inside, this smallest of slip ups.

Up until that moment, he had done everything right. Calm down, Tobes. As long as she's safe, it's fine. Don't worry about your health.

Arc: 127/140 HP 8/14 Energy

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy

Lesser Yeti: 4/75 HP

 

 

ID# 67766

BD: 3

CD: 6

LD: 3

Mob: 10

 

Edited by Arc
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"Frostbi-" she began to correct him, her need to inform him of the creature's name coming to a sudden halt as the Yeti recovered almost instantly. 'What? He was groaning for literally minutes at a time before..' Her thoughts paused as the beast and Arc were engaged in combat once more, giving its one final stand before it fell to either player.

Her head perked up, 'It's too distracted, it'll never see me coming!' Just then a smile warped onto lips, the girl gripping Retaliation's hilt one final time as she prepared her strike. Choosing her time carefully, she waited patiently until the beast wasn't swinging its arms backwards to avoid getting reverse blindsided, and an opening presented itself only a few seconds later.

She kicked her feet off the ground, getting as much grip as she could in the slippery snow as she advanced toward the Yeti's position. Not wasting a single second, she held her blade forwards and rapidly approached her enemy from behind, the beast only noticing once it was too late.

Her blade struck its back, the point of the weapon poking through the front as it pierced its body like a hot knife through butter. "Got him!" The Yeti gave one final blood-curdling howl as its body was torn apart, disintegrating in a flash of thousands of digital fragments as its health bar finally hit zero. She breathed as the fight had finally drawn to a close, her eyes staring blankly into the snow before snapping to Arc. "H-hey, are you okay?"

ID# 67775 | BD: 7 (So I hit when it counts, hm. >_>)

Arc: 127/140 HP 8/14 Energy

Birdie: 80/80 HP 0/8 Energy

Lesser Yeti: -1/75 HP (Dead)

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Arc slammed his blade into the snow and leaned on it for support as the girl moved to deliver the final blow. He telegraphed the Yeti's downfall before it landed at his feet, so even as its data rose like ashes from a pyre. He watched the colors blur upward into the blistery gale and as the illuminated his face, the girl hurried over to him. She asked if he was alright, and the Mercenary gave her a nod. "Just fine," he answered. "Ya done saved me, ma'am."

His mind went over parts of her form that he could see from the few instances where she engaged the beast. With some time, practice, and a few more levels under her belt, this girl would become a terror to beasts on any floor. He was glad that he got to meet her on the fourth floor, quite by accident. Players like this one encouraged him to keep going on his quest to become the best.

The creature was gone, but e remained in that position for a few moments as he regained his breath and collected his wits. Arc had not anticipated to tank anything, but the experience was a good one- even if he had improper equipment for the task. It occurred to him that Birdie might have had certain expectations for the combat. "I hope you don't feel like I slowed you down too much, what with not being kitted right for tanking," he told her. "Still, for what it's worth, you did great. You're a natural at this fighting thing- erm, I think that's a compliment, at least."

He glanced sidelong for a moment. "What I meant was, good job." He reiterated the main point with the hopes that his words would seem more sensible the second time around. He wasn't quite sure what he meant. Giving people praise was difficult when you started reading into it.

"Wonder where your potential pet has got to," he added quickly, a futile attempt to cover up his awkwardness.

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Birdie raised an eyebrow, her smile diminishing for a moment as she looked to Arc with mild confusion. "N-no, not at all. I should be apologising for slowing you down. I.. hesitated a lot back there.." Her gaze moved to the left of the man, a smile returning to her lips. "Thanks.. you were awesome too."

It was then that the subject changed, and Birdie's eyes shifted in a feeble attempt to locate the bird's watchful gaze. To her discontent, she was met with nothing but empty branches. "It must've flown away near the end of the fight. Maybe.. maybe the Phoenix thought I was threatening it when I ran further into the trees?" The woman stood still, her arms going limp down her sides. "Stupid Yeti.."  

She considered where it might've disappeared to - it didn't seem afraid of the players from a distance, so there was the possibility that it'd just flown deeper into the forest's depths. "I know it's quite a lot to ask, b-but uhm.. would you still like to continue this quest?" Birdie gazed nervously to the boy, afraid that the fight might've swayed his decision of joining her. The woman was still intent on see it through, after all, the bird stopping to observe the fight was a good sign in her mind. The storm hadn't shown any signs of letting up soon, something that added to the surprisingly short list of negatives plaguing Birdie in that moment.

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She praised him, and Arc felt a small smile tugging at his lips. It felt good to be appreciated, and to feel like she had actually benefitted from his efforts. She had not suffered so much as a point of damage. That was good.

"No way, you did fine," he protested gently. "Hesitation is only natural as more daunting challenges come your way. Fools rush in, and whatnot. You've developed a healthy cautious nature. No shame in that." As she looked around for her feathered friend, Arc listened to her words. When she looked to him and asked if he would continue, he did not even need 5mto 

"Hey, I told you I'm here for the long haul. I'll pack it in when you get your familiat and not before. Can't have you out here running around in the wilds of floor four on your own." Arc grinned at her and slung the bastard sword across his back. "I'm a man of my word."

He took a few steps toward her and placed a hand gently on her back. "Let's chase it down," he said, determined. "That bird is as good as yours."

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Her expression soon eased up, shifting from caution to one of gratitude. Try as she might to consider him just a mercenary, the man held good intentions and she began to trust that he wasn't in it to dispose of her at the final second. The hand to her back evoked a faint cringe from Birdie, though she replaced it with a smile a fraction of a second later. "If you're sure.."

Birdie's gaze soon shifted to where the bird had once been, "It went that way. If I'm remembering this right, I think there's a waterfall down this way." Before the snowstorm had kicked off, she'd taken the time to talk to some of the local NPCs. One told her of the popular landmarks surrounding Snowfrost Town; the Starglade, Frostbite Lake and a once-flowing waterfall that had since frozen over, were all included in the list. The wind rushed past them, picking up so as to remind the players of its presence. "The storm's getting worse.. let's hurry." She began to trek deeper into the forest, her hands packed tightly into the warm pockets of her jacket.

Nothing noteworthy came into fruition straight away; the occasional twig snap being the only recurring sound other than the harsh wind's whistle as it continued to abuse the players. Birdie began to consider why the creature had flown away from them, perhaps losing interesting upon seeing how messy the fight had been. The absolute worst case scenario was that it'd despawned, essentially rendering this entire search a colossal waste of time. "It was a poor idea to head out during a snowstorm, in hindsight.." She looked back to the man, "How are you doing?"

Her eyes surveyed their surroundings after the brief conversation, the girl giving a quiet huff. "If we don't find the Phoenix at the waterfall, we should turn back. It's not sensible to be out here if the weather's just getting worse.." The truth was hard to accept, but being alive and warm in a tavern was far better than freezing to death in the cold.

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Arc watched the storm for a moment as she spoke. His eyes were almost as cold as the dancing snows reflected in them. "I'm sure," he uttered quietly with a nod. The winters were never this bad back home. It made him think about when his father had gone north, to a much colder place than he knew. He listened when she explained that they needed to go in a direction toward a frozen waterfall, and nodded in compliance.

If he registered the cold, it did not show in his demeanor. In reality, his fingers were numbing a bit and his only recourse was to tense and contract his muscles in order to maintain proper blood flow. None of this was visible through his clothing obviously, but if Birdie looked she might she him opening and closing his right hand. The left remained tightly woven around the hilt of Levantine, poised to ready the weapon if the need arose.

"Well, you were enthused," he replied, "and this floor's weather patterns are largely unpredictable, I hear. We couldn't have planned things around that." Arc's eyes wandered in her direction. "All in all, we're doing the best we can with what we have. No use in regretting that now."

His words echoed with a positive attitude that Tobias couldn't quite understand himself. It was important to reassure one's friends and allies in times of hardship, he supposed. Part of him actually believed his own words, enough that he could say them with confidence. Another part was gripped by frigid fingers, chilled to the bone. He stifled it with willpower alone. "I'm doing just fine," he replied. They would be back to the town soon enough, and then he could be truly warm. That thought alone kept him moving forward.

When she said that they should turn back if they did not find the creature soon, Arc tilted his head a bit. "If that's what you want, ma'am," he responded. "We can always come back out later, when the storm isn't so bad. Either way, let's see what we find, first."

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