[PP-F1]<<Blade Of Dreams>>

[Rynn 0]

<< Continuing on from Learning the Fundementals

Early morning continued into Just-plain-old-Regular Morning. Shop keepers went about their business, as did assorted players. Walking, or rather slowly Jogging, among them was Rynn, smile wide on her face as she passed by the stalls and city streets. Didn't matter that, as she now understood, physical exercise did absolutly zilch for her character stat growth, since she just found the action itself enjoyable. That, and She was jogging more because she was anxious to get to the groups destination anyway. "Is it much further?" She asked, her tone a dead ringer for the way a 8 year old would ask if its time to open Christmas presents.

[Kane 0]

Kane squinted in the morning sunlight. He had spent the last day inside of a cave before coming back here, so it made sense that his eyes were still adjusting to bright sunlight. He walked briskly forward, his faded cloak of green swirling behind him as Rynn jogged beside him.

He grinned wryly, pointing a finger ahead at a little out-of-the-way shop that was situated on a side street. The sign out front read, "Pepper's Armaments". "We're here. Now, I have to warn you, Pepper... probably isn't what you'd expect a master blacksmith to look like. And for an NPC, she's wickedly clever."

[Rynn 0]

Rynn nodded "Alright, I'll try and brace myself appropriatly" She answered, now rather curious as to what Kane meant by 'not what Rynn expected. Really though, she was just grateful that she understood what the abbreviation N-P-C meant. In the midst of the mass panic and turmoil following the games start, there hadn't been anyone around to explain the difference to her. She'd spent the better part of that evening trying to get a grasp of what was going on by talking with a shopkeeper, only to find out that regardless of what mental state Rynn was in at the time, he was only interested in selling her some furniture that he was certain would look lovely in her very own home. "So how'd you find this place, if you don't mind my asking?"

[Kane 0]

Kane's mind flashed back to the recent memory, where he'd been stumbling along, alone in the streets. "It was only a little while ago, but I was on my own, and it was raining pretty hard here in the city. I got caught out in the rain, so I ducked into Pepper's shop to dry off. After she tried to sell me a battle axe that was way out of my price range, she offered to make me a weapon better suited to my strengths, provided I could come up with the materials. And that turned out to be my first brush with death here in Aincrad."

As Kane finished speaking, he motioned for Rynn to follow him, and he entered the store, pushing open the old-fashioned wooden door. -Ring-a-ding!- went the chime above the door, as Kane entered. The shop was of modest size, though every available inch of wall-space had a weapon of some sort hanging from racks on the walls. Axes, pole-arms, and swords of every shape and size filled the space, leaving only the floor uncovered.

Behind a counter by the far wall, a diminutive young girl sat on a stool, barely able to see over the counter. Her cherry red hair was tied up in pigtails, and she looked for all the world like a little girl that was waiting for her mother to pick her up. As soon as she saw Kane enter, though, she leapt up, standing on top of the counter. The tag above her head read, NPC: <>. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer!" she shouted cheerfully, waving to Kane. "I see you haven't broken that sword yet! And who's your girlfriend?" she asked cheekily, pointing at Rynn. Kane was mortified. "Haha, umm, just a friend, Pepper. Please, stop embarrassing me!" Kane's face turned the same shade as Pepper's hair.

[Rynn 0]

Welp, he was right. Not at all what I suspected. Thought Rynn, trying to take in the whole shop at once, but finding her attention drawn to the petit young girl who, despite every instinct in her body saying otherwise, appeared to be the Eponymous Pepper. Some of the weapons adorning the walls had to weight twice as much as this girl, minimum. Many questions came to mind. How could she forge such mighty weapons? How did a child have the time to devote to mastering metalsmithing?

But, recalling it was a game, and Pepper was an NPC, helped to alleviate some of the confusion. Peppers comment about her and Kane's relationship status, however, replaced confusion with embaressment. A single large sweat drop rolled down the back of Rynn's head, and it had nothing to do with her workout this time. "Uh, Hi. Nice to meet you Pepper. Er...I'm Rynn. Yeah, we're not a couple or anything. Kane just told me about your fantastic shop here, and said I had to come down and take a look for myself. "

[Kane 0]

Kane recovered quickly from his mortification, and whispered quickly to Rynn, "Don't worry about it, she's programmed to mess with our heads." Turning around to face Pepper, Kane sheepishly smiled and engaged her in conversation.

"So, Pepper, my friend here is looking for a weapon. A pole-arm or spear, something really special that can help her the same way that you helped me by forging the <>." Pepper's face was thoughtful, and Kane could swear that he coud see the wheels turning in the vertically challenged program's head. After a second, she snapped her fingers. "Well, I don't see why not! So," she said, addressing Rynn. "Tell me: What's your dream weapon look like? And be thorough, I want to get all the details right!"

[Rynn 0]

"Dream weapon huh? Ok..lets see" Rynn said, folding her arms across her chest, one hand absentmindedly gripping at her chin, as she bowed her head in thought. "Well, I guess for starters I was thinking that I'd like a spear. Not the most exciting weapon, I'll admit. But its practical, and something I'd feel comfortable using. It should probably be about...oh" Rynn held out her hand and indicated a height about six inches shorter than she was "Yay big, or thereabouts. I'd like to be able to throw it like a javilin, so it needs to be aerodynamic, and have a very balanced weight." She paused a moment, looking over the various weapons on the walls, trying to draw inspiration "For the spear tip, I'm sort of picturing a sort of Lozenge...arrow head type shape. Nothing barbed or serrated though. I don't want it getting stuck inside some monsters hide and yanked out of my hands or anything. That'd be a nasty way to go. I'm not an expert on materials, but it needs to be lightweight and strong, so probably some high quality metals. If its not to much trouble, I think I'd like the shaft to be a steely blue, with the spear tip black like obsidian. That'd look real nice, I think."

It was tough, trying to describe an ideal weapon. Rynn liked some of the more ornate designs on the weapons, but found herself questioning if she'd really want something like that when it came time to actually use it. Looking good didn't count for much if you still got killed. But she got a small thought, a minor aestetic tough that was suited to her. "If possible, It'd be really neat for the upper portion of the shaft and the spear head to have a sort of blue 'fire' motif, then I think that would just be the icing on the cake"

Fire, to Rynn, was a powerful motivator. it reminded her of the olympic torch, and the constant drive to achieve greatness that the flame inspired in her. She wanted a weapon that would bring forth those same feeings whenever she looked at it.

"I hope thats not asking to much...I mean...I don't have much money"

[Kane 0]

Pepper nodded and listened as Rynn spoke, taking parchment and quill in hand and jotting down every detail as she described her ideal weapon. When Rynn was done describing, Pepper turned the parchment around, revealing the sketch she had done. "Is this what you had in mind?" On the page was depicted a spear of middling length, with a light blue metal shaft, the butt of which was a tapered spike. Near the blade, the pattern of blue flames began spiraling around the spear-head, ending in a flare of cerulean on the otherwise midnight-black spear head. The head of the spear was around six inches long, and looked like an extremely sharp diamond.

[Rynn 0]

Taking a moment to admire the artistic rendering on the image, Rynn was forced to reach one conclusion. It was a masterfully well done piece of art. "Wow, Yeah, that's...Really good!" Rynn Exclaimed, suprised that the blacksmith had managed to so perfectly recreate the spear that Rynn had just put together from her imagination, and do so in virtually no time whatsoever. "Kane mentioned you were a talented blacksmith, but I think we need to add artist to your skill resume."

<< Woot! Level 3!>>

[Kane 0]

Pepper smiled widely at the compliment, then grabbed her quill pen again, making some calculations and drawing some overlays on the design. "Here we go... Right. So, for this design, I'm gonna need two different metals if you're going to have an efficient weapon. I'll need Cerulean Steel, and Ebonglass. The Cerulean steel is a strong, flexible steel that will allow the spear to flex when you block with it, and not shatter. It'll also add some weight to the whole thing so that it can penetrate targets with ease. The Ebonglass is the material for the spearhead. It's like a dark, smoky glass, but a hundred times more sturdy than regular glass. Plus, it holds an edge like a dream!"

She presented the list of materials to Rynn, adding a quest marker to her map. "I'll mark your map where you can find the materials. The Cerulean Steel you can find right here on the first floor, out by the Lake of Beginnings. There are monsters out there called "Gillmen", they're pretty weak. If you hunt 10 of them, they'll drop a Cerulean Steel ingot." Pepper furrowed her brow, thinking of the other part of the quest. "Ebonglass isn't going to be easy. You'll have to travel to the fifth floor, and harvest the Ebonglass from an Ifrit's lair. Ifrits are fire monsters, kinda like giant flaming goats. It might be out of your capacity to go it alone, so bring help if you head out there."

<>

[Rynn 0]

"Ok then" Nodded Rynn "That sounds doable...mostly" The mostly part was added as she thought of her current status and inventory, which could accurately be labeled as 'minimal and 'next to non-exsistant', respectively. Most of the gear she had was either bog standard starting equipment, or just random objects she'd accidentally purchased when talking to NPC merchants. And while Rynn considered herself a fairly quick study, the time frame of 20 minutes or so between when she'd learned how to actually improve her skills and the present, was insufficient for her to actually make any such improvement. Well, unless of course the walk here somehow counted as an epic quest, which seemed unlikely. Nothing sucks quite as much as starting at the bottom of the heap She thought.

But moping is not, nor will it ever be, a part of Rynn's personality. "It'll probably be tough going, but I think I'll manage, one way or another. I look forward to meeting you again, Pepper" As she turned to leave, Rynn paused in the doorway, looking back at Kane "Then again...I would really appreciate some company for my first quest, if your not busy or anything"

[Kane 0]

Kane had listened quietly during Pepper's dialogue with Rynn. He was slightly worried for the headstrong woman, since the quest that Pepper had given him that had given him the needed Mithril and Adamantine had been extremely dangerous. Turning to her as she paused in the doorway, Kane nodded, tightening the straps on his gauntlets. "I'll come with you. I know how dangerous the upper levels can be, and I wouldn't attempt this quest alone even at my level."

<>

[Rynn 0]

<>

"Excellent, great to have you onboard" Said Rynn with a warm smile. "Probably should start with the Gill-men, since they sound easier to handle" She added while opening up her inventory. Much as she liked her current attire, which she found to be lightweight and comfortable, Rynn knew it'd be best to go into battle with some protection. She exchanged her clothing for the standard issue player armor that had dropped into her inventory at the games start. She also withdrew her starting short sword. Were they good pieces of equiptment? Not in the least. But they were better than nothing.

Giving her sword a few practice swings, Rynn frowned a bit "Not exactly my weapon of choice, but I think I'll mange for now. Either way, lets get this show on the road before we lose all our daylight"

[Kane 0]

Arriving at the lake by mid-day, Kane scouted the area from the top of a hill. The far side of the lake near the city had a sandy shore, and many players were swimming in it, or splashing each other, enjoying the virtual equivalent of a warm Spring day. However, on the side that was closest to Kane, there was a mob of enemies.

Bulbous and horrid, the gill-men were a cross between catfish and cavemen. Dark blue skin the color of a choking man met purple, gaping lips, and their wide faces were stretched in a perpetual look of hunger. They were shorter than most humans, the tallest capping out at 5'4". They gripped short spears, with which they hunted frogs, fish... and players.

Returning from the hill, Kane gave his report to Rynn. "All right, there are around five gill-men down there, and I'm sure once we start fighting, more will show up. Now remember," he instructed, pointing at her sword by her hip, "Your sword skills can do a lot more damage than if you blindly swing it about. Remember the basic stances and poses that activate your skills, and you'll be fine. I'll go in first and try to clear the majority out, but five enemies is more than I can keep my eyes on at once, so I need my back covered. Sound good to you?"

[Rynn 0]

While Kane was off scouting, Rynn was looking through her menu screens. While she initially had only intended to see if she had a shield or buckler of some kind, she'd ended up accessing some of her weapon skills. Admittedly, there wasn't much there to find. But amid the meager tools, there was a few tutorial windows that covered the basic sword skills and how to activate them. Forgetting about changing out her gear again, Rynn instead redirected focus into reviewing the basic sword techniques and attack patterns.

She was still reading through when Kane returned. Swiping away the menus, she nodded, drawing her blade "Worse comes to worse, We can always fall back and try again." She said, the comment derived more from a realistic mind set than fear "I might not know much about how game works, but I'm betting I can outrun a fish at the 400 meter dash"

Loosly holding the hilt in her hand, Rynn felt her heart rate rising. Here it comes she thought, anticipating the rush. Didn't matter if it was swordplay or sprinting, real or virtual. Moments like this, testing her mettle, was what Rynn Lived for. "Lets go!"

Taking off at breakneck speed, Rynn practically flew as she cleared the top of the hill and dashed towards the shoreline. Sure enough, there were the Gill-men, looking like a family reunion of creatures from the black lagoon. Not breaking stride, she let her momentum carry her forward, and gave a mighty war-cry as she held her blade with both hands and slashed it at the first monster she reached.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And she completly missed, the loose sand shifting under foot and throwing her entirely off balance. She only just managed to keep hold of her blade as she took a tumble, momentarily loosing sight of which way was up, before landing at the waters edge. She did her best to spring back up onto her feet, instincts telling her that she was about to face the gill-mens counter attack. And they wern't likely to miss.

[Rynn 0]

<>

[Kane 0]

As the gill-men shrieked and closed in, the sun darkened in the sky above them. Looking up, the first of them only had time for an inquisitive, -SKREE!?- before Kane came crashing down on its head. Sweeping his blade in front of him, Kane activated one of his combination attacks, <>. He flipped over the head of one of the gill-men, swiping his blade down at him.

------------------------------------------

If his sword had been any shorter, Kane's flip would have carried him too far over the gill-man's head to strike at him. As it was, the massive broad-sword cleaved through the blue abomination's head, slicing it open as he landed, covering their path to Rynn with his blade. "I've got your back. Let 'em have it!"

[Kane 0]

Kane's die roll: Sword= +1 to hit.

[Rynn 0]

Rynn, back on her feet, was ready to press the advantage granted by Kane's well timed, and rather dramatic, entrance. Recalling the skill attacks she'd learned, she tried to shift into an activation stance. After a moment, the edge on her short sword gained a soft glow. Her movements felt more natural as she brought the sword up, almost reflexive. Leaping forward, she thrust the blade upwords towards the jaw of the Gillman she'd attempted to slash on her first attempt.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Some people might say that all the time and training Rynn had put in over the last month was a waste. That the game didn't track skills that way, and it had its own set of rules. To them, what happened next has no explination. The blade connected with the catfish-faced monster-man, and the impact shook the beach like a cannon had gone off. The beastmans head was blown clean off his shoulders, and must have flown at least thirty meters through the air, landing with a large splash in the middle of the lake. The Gill-mans body disintigrated in a shower of light.

Seeing the onslaught, the other monsters seemed to hesitate. Their big, round eyes were black as pitch, yet for a second, you could see fear flash acoss each and every one of them.

[Rynn 0]

<>