[F23-PP] Chasing Ghosts [Flints]

[Emerath 0]

He'd seen them many times before. They were just tracks in the dirt. Yet each time he saw a set of tracks, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be? This time, maybe it was.

Emerath stood on a precipice overlooking the vast underground networks. It was dangerous for Emerath to be here, he knew. This was the Frontlines, the highest and most recently unlocked floor. But, if he knew her, that's where she would be. So he came here occasionally, braving the dangers that this place had to offer. At worst case, he had a Teleport Crystal if he was ever in too much danger, but he hadn't yet found anything he couldn't at the very least outrun.

But what he found today, surprised him most of all. A set of wolf tracks in the hard underground dirt. Wolves weren't known to reside underground. Perhaps it wasn't impossible, but it certainly would be rare. No, this wolf belonged to a player. Maybe it was someone he knew.

Emerath dared not get his hopes up. What was even the point of seeing her anyway? It would probably just do more harm than good, but to be entirely fair, that had never stopped Emerath before. So, he straightened his tie, fixed his coat, and whistled for Mist to follow, as he jumped off the small cliff that the tracks trailed off of, and followed them to their destination. After all this time of exploring the floors, of living like she had, of trying to find something to live for, something to strive for, maybe he would find her again. Maybe, just maybe, she'd accept him again. Or he'd die. That was just as likely.

@Flints

[Flints 0]

Flints eyed the hard stone outcroppings occasionally, her mind felt as if it was playing tricks on her again, but yet she persisted. If there was anything she was known for it was definitely her dedication to her stubbornness. Lately she lived alone with Antillian, wondering the floors in search of nothing but never feeling lost in anything more than the moment. Was this just a moment for her? A rough sneeze followed her thought as she glared at her wolf. “So you’d just blow my cover like that?” She hissed playfully as she continued her descending journey into yet another place she didn’t belong. Flints tried her best to keep from disturbing the floor, she was just here to explore, not here to gain or lose anything, it had been a long time since she engaged in combat, or tried to find treasure, a long time since she tried at all.

“These floors get more and more breathtaking in the strangest of ways. I can’t ever get over it, I’ll never get used to it. But maybe that’s why I keep on coming back for more..” she grinned to the wolf who stuck close beside her. 

[Emerath 0]

Emerath had been following the tracks for some time, but they kept going. But they certainly seemed more and more fresh. Whoever they belonged to, they were traveling, though in Emerath's favor, not quickly. That was when Emerath heard a sneeze. It didn't sound human. The wolf he had been following, perhaps?

As Emerath rounded the corner, he got his answer. A hooded figure, and a wolf. But not just any wolf, a wolf with horns. "Antillian," Emerath breathed, giving himself away immediately. He didn't care. He knew the wolf tracks would lead here eventually. He knew he'd find her if he just explored, if he just went looking. If he had just lived. "I tried messaging," Emerath explained, "but I got no answer." The wolf turned to look at the man, and Emerath smiled, "Oh, not you Antillian. I didn't message you. That would be silly. Though, if you could message I'm sure you would have gotten back to me much sooner."

Emerath chuckled, and then looked to the hooded figure with a smile, "It's been a long time, eh?"

[Flints 0]

Flints’ eyes had only begun to adjust to the world below when soon she was hit with a bit of a shock, nearly jumping out of her skin she held herself defensively towards the voice that came from round the corner, “Are you daft?!” She growled, not sure how to react. Her heart nearly jumping out of her chest. It ached and skipped, it was as if her past was like a fully stretched rubberband that quickly came back to smack her on the wrist for pulling too hard. Trying her very best to calm herself Flints let out a soft sigh. 

“It’s been ages..Eru..I hope I didn’t worry you..” she whispered. Her saucer like eyes locked onto his. She wasn’t quite she how long he had been tracking her, but she had to at least given him the benefit of the doubt that he was pretty damn good. Flints without warning waved her arm to Antillian who was impatiently shaking his rump with excitement. As soon as she released him from her side he bolted to the crimson haired man, leaping  into his arms and knocking him to the ground with a heavy thud. Whines escaped his muzzle as he groomed his long lost friend. “A part of me knew he had been missing you. It broke my heart but I thought it was for the better..” 

[Emerath 0]

Emerath was going to respond, but the wolf wasn't about to let him. Instead, Emerath found himself covered in wet kisses from the animal, and Emerath laughed and had to slowly push the wolf off of him before, pulling a towel out of his inventory and wiping himself off. As Emerath found his feet again, his hands instinctively scratching the wolf's back end, Mist landed on his shoulder again and gave a concerned hoot. Emerath gave the owl a pat on the head to soothe her worries, before turning his attention back to the woman.

"Well, I should have expected that. I didn't, but I should have. Better than you turning and running your spear through me though, I must admit," Emerath explained, as he thought to what she had said before he was lovingly assaulted by her familiar. "Worry me? No, no more than you were probably worried about me. Which I can't imagine was much. We've always been able to take care of ourselves, really. Even standing here, on the Frontlines, are either of us ever that worried about danger?"

"Though I do have to ask, better for who? Certainly not Antillian. Just look at his cute little puppy face and how much he missed me," Emerath jested, petting the wolf's head. "No, I figure it was just better for you. I haven't really been looking for you. Not specifically. But you set me on the path I am, at least. I've been exploring, searching the world, and living in the wild. Just like you have. It gave me a new perspective on life. On this game. I made a whole bunch of maps!" Emerath excitedly pulled one out of his bag, a rolled up sheet of paper to show.

"Honestly, I just followed any wolf tracks I saw. I figured one day they would lead me to him, and then you. But when that day came was a mystery, until now," he admitted.

[Flints 0]

Flints couldn’t help but tense up, sure she knew Emerath well and all but being alone for so long made it hard to fall back into understanding people, she was already admittedly bad at it to begin with. Watching Antillian greet Emerath as if nothing had ever changed was something Flints envied him for. Maybe she never visited or talked to Emerath to insure he was fine in life was because she was wracked with guilt. Making decisions on her own made her more wreckless than she wanted to admit but here they were, chatting as if nothing happened. If anything she still sort of hoped he held some resentment for her, something to teach her a lesson. Not this, she didn’t deserve this. 

Recovering herself from her own mind she quickly fumbled to take the maps Emerath was proud of, she giggled softly, trying to cover up her own mental war as she looked at all his hard work. At least he had been keeping himself busy. Stealing glances at the man she realized he was in a better state than the last time they met. He certainly had purpose.  “Better for me I guess..I’ve been having a hard time coming to terms with a lot of things..guess this place has driven me a little mad after all. But certainly not in the way I expected. I don’t worry of danger, I worry more for humans, they are the most painful thing about this game..” she sighed. Maybe she could have put on a front and pretended she wasn’t tired from her own emotional turmoil that never ceased within her. “I’ve made too many wrong choices..you’d think by now someone would stop me..” Flints gave Emerath a small grin. “So this is all you’ve been up to? Not sure if I’m proud of you or not but who wouldn’t be proud of you. You found me without even trying, and here I thought I was good at this whole “hiding in plain sight” thing. But I’m glad you’re here..I’ve been lost in my thoughts for far too long.. H-How..how is your brother..?” Flints knew her curiosity would slip. But she couldn’t help herself. 

[Emerath 0]

Emerath's eyes scanned Flints, as she looked over his maps. It was clear that there was still turmoil boiling within her soul. Emerath had tried to move past it. Living in the past was a painful thing, he learned. So was not living at all. Emerath decided to do neither of those, and explore the world, his life, and all it had to offer. If he was going to be stuck in this game for the rest of his life, he would at least make the best of it. Flints hadn't made that decision though. She was running, and though Emerath wasn't chasing, that might be what it felt like.

As Flints finished looking at the maps, Emerath would neatly roll them up and put them back in his satchel, before looking back to her. "Honestly, I don't know how Endilix has been. We lost contact shortly after we went on a couple quests together. I messaged him too, but never received any reply. To be sure, I checked the Monument of Life, and he's still alive. That's how I knew you were still alive too."

Emerath rubbed his neck, "I don't know if exploring is anything to be proud of. I didn't do anything but walk around a lot. I ate a lot of different foods, met many different players, seen all sorts of shops and items. It's kinda like traveling in the real world. Just as aimless and unproductive. But it has been fun at least." Emerath smiled, "It helped me come to terms with everything. Just, SAO. The people in it. I feel like I can make all new mistakes because I learned from the last ones."

[Flints 0]

Flints bit at her lip and listened more intently to Emerath’s words than she probably intended to. At least he was well, her heart dropped at the idea that either of them could have been killed, it sort of haunted her daily, but what could she do? Sure she could have checked the monument, but it was so full of sadness, the whole area reeked of sorrow and pain for the players everyone loved and lost. And even more so the ones that didn’t have anyone. Their names hurt the most. They didn’t fair so well. No one would know. No one would care. That was a death no one deserved. Shaking her head Flints coughed to clear her throat of sorrow over something that she didn’t usually think of. 

“Well now I have to know all about your adventures, made new friends then? I’m shocked at how much better at this you are than I..” Flints chuckled softly “well at least one of us is doing good. I can’t say I’m any better than before. Not that I really tried to be..I’ve made a lot of..mistakes Emerath. And not matter how much I want to believe that it’s okay. I feel like it never will be..” she wasn’t planning on throwing all of this at the man, for goodness sakes The was the first time they had seen each other in ages. And here she was. Opening up like an old wound. It was pitiful. But maybe it’s what she needed.

[Emerath 0]

Emerath cocked his head, and folded his arms, his face contorting a bit into that of confusion. "You know, I've tried to make sense of it all. But, really, that just ended up hurting a lot. I sat in my shop for so long by the firelight. Asking myself why, how, and what I could have done differently."

Taking a step back, and then over to a nearby edge, he looked out into the darkness surrounding them in the underground space. At the ruins barely visible without any sort of night vision. It was suffocating, but also oddly calming. Emerath had explored Floor 23 only a few times in his long absence from home, and he hadn't once ever worried about getting lost, or being afraid of what lie in the darkness. No, what had scared him the most was his past. But he had since moved on from that.

"Honestly," he said, out into the nothingness, "we can't change what happened." He put his hands in his pockets, and stared into the distance. "We look for ways to change the past, the one thing we can't. Only the future can be changed. That's what we have to focus on. That's what I'm focusing on. If you can't let go, then I'm sorry, but I don't know what to tell you. Usually you'd be the one beating me over the head with the idea that I should just get over it, but now you're lost in the same trap I was."

Emerath paused for a moment. He had expected Flints to run away, to attack him, or to simply ignore him. He hadn't expected this remorse. She wasn't the type. But he supposed from what he knew of her failed relationship and marriage, and the fallout that had come with her decisions, that even the most stubborn person could be weighed down.

Emerath thought about him burning the page with his story about the Avalanche quest. About him erasing it from his past, and moving on. How he had saved the other pages. How they had been important in some way. But how that one piece of his past just... didn't matter to him anymore. Slowly, he drew his hand from his pocket, and he held in it a wedding invitation. One he had never accepted or attended. He turned to Flints, and then also produced a matchbox from his other pocket. He turned to Flints with both in hand, and then drew a match from the box, before striking it. The small flame lit up the space around them like a beacon. Small creatures that had been hiding in the darkness scurried away.

"Sometimes, it's best to let go and pretend it never happened. Some things just can't be gotten over, but they can't ever be changed again. They are set in stone, but our future isn't," Emerath said, as he put the match to the wedding invitation. He would hope the symbolism wouldn't be lost to Flints, as he watched the colorful envelope and paper go up in flames. The seal had never been broken. Emerath had never needed to look at what was inside. He had never wanted to. And now he would never get the chance to. He held the burning invitation out to Flints. "Maybe it's time you let go like I did. You can put out the fire, and live in the past, or you can take this from me and just let it burn. The choice is yours."

[Flints 0]

remembering the past was far more dangerous than Flints had envisioned. For a second it seemed to open old wounds for Emerath too. She eyed him as he seemed to pulls his words from the darkness below them. The more he spoke the more she tried to make sense of it all but she knew this wasn’t something she could ignore anymore, something she could pretend to handle on her own. Married life had weighted her. Caring for someone who wasn’t mentally around was tiring. He tried. But it wasn’t enough to quell the wild from this woman. She left without a word one day, just like she did so long ago. A repeated action for yet another that couldn’t give her the attention she craved. They trusted her too much. Watching Emerath’s hands carefully Flints felt her heart drop.

there it was, a small soft cream colored invitation; Embezzled with a small shield shaped wax stamp in deep crimson. It’s print held an intricate lion, his mane spread like a sun over the shield and at his core a sleek lioness. How could such a small detail hurt so much? Flints couldn’t help but gasp. “Eru..” her voice broke at the realization. He kept it all along, the malice and anger she was met with when she presented the small envelope to the brothers was something she never forgot. It burned her skin to this day. But as he lit the match Flints didn’t Flinch, she watched the flame dance and tickle the paper, licking it softly as it began to change, from the warm cream color to a cold black. 

“But how could I pretend it didn’t happen...how could I ever forget..” she choked. Reaching out at the paper and snatching it from his hands, but instead of saving it she watched it carefully, turning the blackened card in her fingertips, the then harden wax began to melt, the shield dissipated and the lions became a muddled stream that dripped down her fingertips and along her arm. This was it. The thin paper soon crumbled from its own changed form. And just like that it was no more. Walking to the edge, that darkness that emerath peered into Flints let fall the pieces she last held. Her eyes meeting Emerath’s without another word. She stepped closer to him, her stance fitting closely to his, like some strange puzzle piece no one asked to be found. She couldn’t come up with any words. With anything to tell the man she wronged so long ago. Brief flashes of the moments she spent fighting Emerath tooth and nail most of the way was all she could see. The slow build in friendship they had was all she had known. She shouldn’t have wronged him so long ago. But this was it. If anything she would try her best not to disappoint him this time around. 

A deep howl echoed from behind her and into the darkness they stood so closely to, Flints quickly moved away from emerath and patted the wolf before speaking, her actions were loud and clear, Emerath wasnt as dense as his brother, maybe he didn’t need words for what had happened. “Well now, what should we do..?” Flints whispered, a little breathless from the sudden weight off her chest. It was like she had finally stopped running. Maybe that’s all she needed was to be told it was okay to let go. 

Edited December 8, 2018 by Flints

[Emerath 0]

As Emerath watched Flints take the envelope, watched it burn, he felt his chest tighten. He had felt the same way with the Avalanche quest. The idea of something being gone forever. If he had ever wanted to know what was in that envelope, that would have been the time. What if Flints had written some sweet letter that he had never written? What if there was a memento that would have made all his anger seem pointless back then? But did it matter? No, he supposed it didn't. Not anymore. In response to her asking how she could pretend it didn't happen, how to forget, Emerath simply said, "We never truly do, honestly. But what's the point of sitting all alone, or running away, when it's always going to be there? Even if you can't forget completely, thinking about it does nobody any good."

Once all was said and done, and Flints seemed to come to grips with what just happened, she seemed to come back to her normal self. The Flints that Emerath had come to know best. "Well, I don't know about you," he explained, "but I'm going to keep exploring. Another floor is about to open. I'm not really one to fight on the Frontlines yet, and maybe I never will be, but that doesn't mean I can't still live my life until this game is over." Emerath looked at the ground, "Floors below us, countless people are living their lives as if nothing ever happened. Living, loving, losing, dying. just like in the real world. Making do. While I sat in a shop and wallowed in my own self pity and hoped that the day would come when I could just go back to school and pretend to be living. But I realized that the real world isn't much better. Sure, monsters don't run around, but am I any less capable of dying? So, I figured why not live life to its fullest until I have to go back to being a simple student or worker bee with less way of impacting the world than I do here. Rather than fighting against billions of people for time in the spotlight, I only have to fight against the less than 10,000 left alive here. The odds are better, at least."

Emerath sighed. It was odd, explaining to someone why he did what he did. Why he felt the way he did. So few people actually understood the concept of how this game mirrored the real world. Everyone just focused on the fact that they could die. But as they sat here in this game, their bodies lay motionless in the real world, most likely wasting away, even with hospitalization. Who knew how much longer they had before they just stopped ceasing to function. Life was actually shorter here doing nothing. Like a patient with a terminal illness. "So in my opinion? We just live. That's all anyone should ask of us. If someone told you that you would die tomorrow, would you want to spend it crying, or laughing? I know what I would choose, at least now. I spent that time crying. I don't want to ever do it again."

[Flints 0]

Flints held her head high, taking deep breathes trying to process all this. Trying to process the life she threw away. It wasn’te much of a life to begin with, but it was a flame, strong and bright at first, full of life and passion. But as it went on the light slowly died out, the passion was gone, the familiarity was gone. And soon the love she had fell with it. How could you love someone who became a completely different person? It pained her to think the same thing happened with Endilix, or maybe she was just so caught up in whimsy she didn’t realize her mistake. 

“I’m done hiding. I never made anything of myself, not that I was trying to, but some how I became a whisper, a murmur upon everyone’s lips. I wasn’t even relevant. My husband was. But that’s what made my name known. Times have changed, it’s time to be myself again...I’m done with children Emerath...” Flints growled. “I’m done with coddling these men like their fresh babes, if I’ve learned anything it’s that love isn’t something that should be chased in a place like this. If I’m going to live in Aincrad, I guess I should make myself useful. My relationship wasn’t a complete failure. I did gain some nice things from it.” Flints chuckled. Before walking further into the depths of the cavernous new-to-her-floor “Lets live then shall we?” She called back to him. 

[Emerath 0]

Emerath was glad to see Flints returning back to her normal self. He smiled and stood back as he watched her move forward. Emerath wasn’t a child in her eyes. That was a bit of an important distinction. As someone who had spent so long trying to earn her respect, only to be scorned by her, him trying to live his life. Him helping her let go of the past, had finally gotten him the respect he desired.

“Well, fighting things on this floor probably isn’t a good idea,” he mentioned, as he followed after her into the darkness. “Kinda goes against the whole living thing. Hold on, let’s look at the map for this floor and we can decide what I haven’t done yet,” he explained as he pulled the map out of the satchel once again, and unfurled it for them. “We can look for treasures, but that has it’s own degree of danger. Or we can simply survey the land and draw what we find that doesn’t match what I have drawn. What do you think?”

Edited December 12, 2018 by Emerath

[Flints 0]

Flints glanced around the area, it was so dark but yet, not scary. As the floor opened up into a natural decend Flints couldn’t help but make her way further down, whilst talking to Emerath letting her curiosity get the better of her. “Well I don’t really think fighting anything right now would be a good idea, admittedly I haven’t been doing much of that.” She frowned, had she really changed? Even coming from her own mouth it sounded..wrong. “Surveying the land huh?” Flints’ occasional glance back at the man was more for her sanity than anything else. She wasn’t sure how to behave around another person anymore. Was it really that hard? Probably not. Unable to both keep track of the crimson haired man and her own steps Flints felt something catch beneath her footing, letting out a loud yelp she tripped over, and stared at her feet in disbelief, then up at Emerath, blushing and hoping he wouldn’t say anything about it. Before she could complain about it she realized what caused her to fall was glowing brightly beside her. Some strange plant, it seemed to pulse in the dark, and have a vaguely minty scent to it, “what in the world is that?!” She growled, the warmth in her face had yet to reside, though she had no one to blame but herself. 

[Emerath 0]

Emerath was a bit surprised as Flints gave a yelp and fell over in front of him as he had gotten a bit lost in his map, using another match to look over it in the darkness, but careful not to hold the flame too close to the paper. That was when he looked up and saw Flints on the ground, blushing like crazy. She seemed to have tripped over some sort of glowing plant in the darkness. He cocked his head, and blew out the match before wetting it and throwing it aside. Quickly, he rolled up the map and placed it back in his satchel, losing all interest as the strange plant seemed much more interesting.

Emerath walked over, and bent down next to Flints and the plant, thinking it best not to mention the whole tripping over the plant part of things. Though Flints seemed okay, hurting her pride was the worst idea Emerath could think of. Instead, he looked to the plant, and he wasn't sure he had ever seen anything like it. "Well, this is a find," Emerath commented, as he reached out and took one of the glowing red leaves of the plant in his fingers, lightly. As he touched it, it seemed to glow even brighter. "I wonder if I can use this in my alchemy. I'm certain I would be able to, but what would I even make? Why do you think it glows like this?"

Emerath looked back to Flints, and then next thing he knew he couldn't move. His hand was still connected to the plant, but he couldn't move his neck, his hand, his mouth, nothing. His eyes widened involuntarily, as he realized he had been paralyzed. But he couldn't tell Flints. He couldn't speak. He just sat there, staring at her.

[Flints 0]

Flints tried her best to recover herself and her pride. Picking herself up and dusting off she scoffed. “Stupid plant picked an odd place to grow. Though it’s very resilient, you would think me trampling it would have ruined it. It feels thick like a root.” Flints noticed Emerath’s eyes widen in what she assumed was disbelief. “What?!” She growled. “Can you use it or not?! Don’t tell me that my tripp- I mean me stepping on it ruined it for you. I can always find you another stinking plant!” Flints’ eyes searched Emerath’s but he didn’t respond. His surprises look made her heart drop, it looked like fear, it only took a split second but it finally clicked for her, and even Antillian whos mane was bristling as he growled deeply. “Emerath?!” Flints snapped at him but nothing. Quickly Antillian snapped at the plant and Flints realized his hand still had a hold on it, how terrifying, was he..paralyzed? Without putting too much thought into it Flints quickly ripped Emerath off the ground, and away from the plant he once held between his fingertips. Heaving the, oddly enough petite man from the ground and carrying him bride style wasn’t all that shocking. Flints was a small woman but surprisingly strong. Although honestly Emerath couldn’t have weighed more than 140 lbs soaking wet. That was well under what Flints could carry, though Aincrad had a way of making that not matter much. Running in the opposite direction, more into the darkness in her confusion had the Familiars a little confused, Antillians snarling and nudging didn’t stop and Mist seemed to cry out into the darkness, both seemed to warm the woman but her heart raced. What if he was stuck like this forever? What if she needed to become a dirty alchemist just to save her friend?! Running until her feet couldn’t anymore wasn’t her best idea, she settled in a clearing and pressed him tightly to her chest. Her eyes frantically searching the area only to have her heart stop once again. 

Looking up from her bubble of panic she realized the Familars were a ways away. Then it set in why. She was surrounded by heavy red glows. The light that ebbed in the darkness wasn’t the light of day, it was the light of all the plants that froze Emerath in time, this wasn’t good. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Flints

[Emerath 0]

Emerath wasn’t really sure what to do, but when Flints picked him up and ran off he was even more surprised. There wasn’t any immediate or obvious danger in the area, but there was also no way of knowing what lurked in the darkness. But Emerath was glad that Flints had taken him away from the plant. He wasn’t able to move quickly, or a lot, but he found feeling slowly returning to his fingertips and toes, and it slowly spread to other parts of his body. 

He tried to move his mouth, but couldn’t get out more than incomprehensible gibberish. He grunted and have a weak flail against Flints’s body as she carried him, trying to find something, anything to take back control of the situation, but the fact of the matter was that he was still too paralyzed.

Slowly, his eyes scanned the area around them, and as Emerath saw the other plants around them, his heart raced. Slowly, he found the strength to eke out the word: “Mi...ne...fie...ld...”