[F7 - PP] <<Feeding Your Enemy>> "A Rocky Relationship"

[Elora 0]

"Oi!  No man-handling the goods, lady!"  a short, stocky-looking woman with thick, braided blond hair and bright green eyes wandered over, appearing from beneath one of the other tables.  "Ye wouldn't be Elworra, would ye?"  She pointed at her green hair and elfin ears.  "Freyd said ye might come around at some point, and that I wus to look after ya."  She grasped Elora's hand and shook it vigorously, nearly knocking the spyglass out of her other hand.  

"Ooo... careful, dearie.  Ye break it, ye bought it, eh?"  She winked at her, wiping her hand on her badly soiled apron notably after their handshake.  "I'm Quip.  This here's Dingo."  She grabbed a nearby broom, slamming it with surprising strength on the loft above them.  A startled yelp was heard above, just as a scrawny, brown-haired youth came crashing down into an adjacent hay bale.  

"Whatdya do that fer?"  He rubbed his eyes as if warding off sleep, or possibly urge it to return.  He had the same green eyes as Quip, suggesting that they might be kin. 

"Over here, lassie, and we'll get to business."  Quip's cheerful demeanor shone through, but Elora could see heavy careworn lines around her eyes.  Both of them notably had green icons over their heads, denoting their status as players.

 

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

 

"Oh, he did, did he --?" Elora's quip was stifled as she was caught off-guard by the shopkeep's unusually intimate welcoming. Her first instinct was to recoil from her touch, but before she had the chance to do so, the player's handshake had already been retracted. 

"Quip and...Dingo...?", she repeated as if trying to make the names sound more convincing. Who the hell is named Quip or Dingo? That must just be their usernames, or, actually, they might just be Australians. "A-alright then" Elora made her way toward the counter and proceeded with making the transaction by clicking through a series of confirmation windows. As the payment was processing, she turned her attention back to the pair of unusual players. "Is, uh, Freyd around today? I was wondering if he'd be interested on taking me out -- on a quest I mean. I want to try and find a familiar, maybe like the one he has"

 

 

Spoiler

LEVEL - 15

HP - 300

EN - 30

DMG - 6 

ACC - 1

 

SKILLS

Non-combat:

Passive:

Combat:

Weapon Skills: 2H Assault Spear R3 (+4 base damage)

     Blast (2 Energy +2 per target hit) - A pair of horizontal sweeping strokes that hits multiple targets.

     Straight (2 Energy) - Begins with the player bending their knees before thrusting forward with a singular powerful strike covering the gap between you and your opponent.

 

INVENTORY

Weapons: [Equipped] 2H Assault Spear (Rare)

   Damage - Gain +(1 * Tier) base damage per slot

   Accuracy - Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit

 

Rank 1:

        [x1 AoE] Sonic Charge (1 Energy +2 per target hit) - A forward thrust which explodes energy at the end of the move.

        [x2 Stun] Twin Thrust (5 Energy) - A pair of quick thrusts aimed at the user's knees to immobilize them.

        [x2] Heft (2 Energy) - Lift the heavy end of the spear diagonally across your opponent from the ground, cutting their torso with the tip.

Rank 2:

        [x3] Fatal Thrust (3 Energy) - A single powerful thrust.

        [x4 AoE] Hellish Twice (4 Energy +2 per target hit) - A pair of alternating sweeping motions which damages multiple targets.

        [x4] Mighty Charge (4 Energy) - Charge your opponent fiercely and impale them with your spearhead. Your opponent is then lifted up before being slammed into 

        the ground from the momentum of your maneuver.

Rank 3:

        [x5] Revolve Arts (5 Energy) - Two roundhouse kicks followed by two sweeping strokes, concluded with one final thrust.

        [x6] Dancing Spear (6 Energy) - An acrobatic combo involving sweeps, pole vaulting with kicks and a concluding thrust.

        [x6 AoE] Trip Expand (6 Energy +2 per target hit) - An attack with several 360 spinning attacks that cover a wide area.

 

Equipment:

[EQUIPPED] "Justicar’s Vambraces" (T1 Rare trinket: KEEN 1 | ACC 1)
Acquisition ID: #152309 | Identification ID: #152736 & #152737
A pair of hardened steel vambraces each engraved in minute script with the first one hundred names on the Monument of Life.

[EQUIPPED] "Auspicious Gi" (T1 Rare Light Armor: Light Momentum 2)
Acquisition ID: #152782 | Identification ID: #153315, 153316
Commonly worn by novices during the initial stages of martial arts training, this particular garment is made in the Japanese cut using fine white cotton reinforced with heavier than normal thread, enabling its user to exert greater force without the risk of embarrassing fashion failures.

T1 amulet (EVA 1)

"Selective Deflection" (Vanity Light Armor) 

Items: 

Spyglass 
Item Type: Consumable [3 Charges]
Effect: Use to reduce the number of posts required to search for a dungeon or familiar by 5 posts. Effect lasts for one thread. Item is destroyed once all charges have been used.

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

Edited August 24, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

Quip's eyes narrowed suspiciously, immediately assumed a protective, matronly demeanor.  "Whatcha want with one of those blasted things?  Mischievous menaces, that's all they are!"  She shook her substantial fist at the dark corners of the nearest awning, as if Persi might be hiding there.  She actually could be, but the telltale blue eyes were conspicuously absent.  Quip had likely become a bit paranoid, or perhaps was always that way.  It would explain her odd connection to the even stranger Freyd.

"Oh, he's over by the mega-slime farm,"  she replied, jerking her thumb over her shoulder towards what might have once been the ruined monastery's vegetable gardens.  Freyd's ramshackle shack aside, the surrounding limestone ruins were a marvel of gothic-like architecture with slightly alien influences meant to reference the unique character of the fallen culture that once inhabited this post-apocalyptic level.  Soaring white limestone arches and cross-vaults still reached high towards the heavens as a testament to an ancient lost glory.  It made you feel small, yet somehow part of a much bigger universe all at the same time.  

"Come on," Dingo said, dusting himself off and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, suddenly regretting his chosen sequence of actions.  "The fog never really goes away, and you really don't want to step in the wrong spot."  A large, pearly smile spread across his face, ignoring the scowl on his older sister's face.

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 44
HP: 900/900
EN: 88/88

Stats:
Damage: 16
Mitigation: 18
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 4
KEEN:1
HLY:2
BLD:12

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Forgiven Disobedience (T1-2HSS, ACC 1, HOLY 1, BLD 1)
Armor: Skin of Fallen Shadows (T2-LA, EVA 3)
Misc: Assassin's Cowl (T2-Trinket, ACC 2, KEEN 1)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 4]
Searching [Rank 2]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival

Mods:
Precision
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics
Ferocity

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potion (50 hp)*3
Teleport Crystals*2
Turkish March *2
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik*5
Super-Duper Snake Sauce*2

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild: n/a

Wedding Ring: n/a

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Elora 0]

"Whatcha want with one of those blasted things?  Mischievous menaces, that's all they are!"

Elora chuckled lightly at the woman's eccentric opposition to owning such creatures. "My parents never allowed me to have a pet growing up. They said that I wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility of taking care of something" She glanced downwards at the spyglass she now held in her hands. "I guess I just think that it'd be nice to have someone to keep me company when no one else can", she added while her eyes adopted a distant expression, as if she was recounting instances from her past where she could have benefited from having the emotional support. 

By now, the trio, or what was left of it, was already well on its way to the so-called 'Slime Farm' The term sounded gross to Elora, and she wasn't entirely sure what to anticipate, Is it a gigantic farm, or are the slimes themselves huge? I wonder if they look like the chuchus from Zelda. Hopefully they're not way uglier. Maybe you can see their intestines through their clear bodies. No, that'd probably only happen if it was a mature game. What was SAO even rated anyway?

[Freyd 0]

The 'slime farm' looked like a cross between an overgrown rice paddy and well-tended marsh, if there was such a thing.  There was very little to distinguish it from the rest of the monastery grounds, save that it occupied a natural bowl in a low-lying open area.  The fog gathered here perpetually, giving it an added air of mystery.  Chalk-white stones of various size littered the grassy floor, which felt spongy while walking upon it.  

"Yo!" Quip called.  "Freyd-y-cat!  Where ya at, so we can sass you some, eh? Yer girly-friend's come calling!"  The woman clearly enjoyed taunting, well, everybody really, but Freyd especially.

A narrow flagstone path briefly emerged from the mists, leading down to the very bottom.  Small rivulets of water trickled down its walls from what was now visible as someone's imitation of a zen garden surrounding the central depression like some kind of inverted moat.  Cherry trees in full bloom lined the path and stair, their blossoms drooping in the moisture-laden air.  Several moss-covered wooden posts lined the way, like silent sentinels on some kind of special procession.  Some were higher than the rest and adorned with cast iron lanterns, rusted with age and unlit.

Spoiler

At the bottom of the incline, the steps disappeared into a pool of water roughly sixty feet in diameter.  Decorative stone pillars of varying styles, sizes and materials jutted up from the water at odd angles, like some sort of architectural graveyard.  A lone weeping birch clung to a small rise in the centre of the shallow pool.  At its base, in a thick and spongy field of long, moist grasses, sat Freyd.  His back was propped up against the tree trunk while he scribbled intently on some very damp cloth or paper, his eyes darting to and fro across his canvas with his particular brand of focused intensity.  He didn't see or hear Elora approach, which was telling in and of itself.

Spoiler

 

[Elora 0]

Her curled lips gradually flattened and creased into a thin line. Something about the scenery of this place resonated deeply with her, evoking an unexpected sense of nostalgia for the land where she grew up. Although the climate was fairly warm, droplets of water contacting her skin caused goosebumps to coat her arms and a chill to run down her spine. It was a telling sign that she had successfully distanced herself from the world she'd known outside of the game. Encountering things that reminded her of home brought their current situation to the forefront of her mind, making it all the more difficult to stomach. After all, Aincrad had made it easy to run from her past and to find solace in whimsical environments that rarely reminded her of reality. She tried to shake the feelings of guilt that ensued, but the weight of it all made her heart feel as if it was sinking inside of her chest.

Fortunately, it appeared that Freyd was preoccupied with practicing portraitures, or at least, with creating some sort of artistic piece. His unwavering concentration allowed Elora the advantage to circle around the pond before taking a seat beside him, just far enough away to indicate that she wasn't interested in spying on his work if he wasn't inclined to share it. She withheld a greeting so as not to startle him. Hopefully their little entourage would be enough of a disturbance to command his attention.

[Freyd 0]

Moving around behind him, Elora could see that he was working on an image of a stocky crystalline humanoid.  Various symbols surrounded it, all variations on a theme: a blood red tower with a black sword laid over it.  The tower itself seemed reminiscent of Aincrad's profile, and the sword was depicted with its blade aimed downward, as if shattering the tower through its core.  Freyd had a small collection of tokens laid out in a patch of long grass, each one bearing a variation on this symbol.  One had a tower of shimmering flame on a smooth onyx stone with an embossed portion for the blade.  Another was set into sandstone and seemed to be stained with blood.  He had at least half a dozen different types.

Spoiler

"Hey."  

His voice was barely a whisper, but it was the first and only sign of his acknowledgement to her presence.   Finishing his sketch by adding a deep black shadow through the thing's core, he shut the book and started collecting the scattered tokens.  Pausing, mid-grab, he blinked and looked up at Elora.

"Hey," he repeated, with a bit more life and awareness.  "Sorry, I come here to focus, and guess I got lost in my thoughts."  He smiled, weakly.  Something had definitely snared his attention, and seemed to have him worried.

[Elora 0]

"Hi", greeted Elora succinctly as she inspected the piece with a curious expression, "Are you working on an insignia for your armor or something?" The symbols of the sword and the tower were commonly used in emblems for armories, guilds, and especially for embellishments on the architecture around them. The crystalline figure, on the other hand, was a design unfamiliar to her. Maybe it's a powerful boss he defeated, and wearing it on his gear is like hanging the head of a buck on your mantle. 

"Sorry, I come here to focus, and guess I got lost in my thoughts."

"I can see why" She didn't really know how to elaborate on why the ambiance instilled such a sense of solitude. The place simply felt calm to her, and that helped ease her concern to a certain degree. Freyd's countenance conveyed to he was likely utilizing the space for a similar purpose, an observation that intrigued Elora. "I've never really thought about going somewhere to feel better, just about avoiding the places that make me feel worse", she remarked with a half-hearted smirk. 

[Freyd 0]

"We need spaces for the renewal of our souls," Freyd responded, sounding like he was quoting someone.  His father used to say that, not that he had ever thought to provide one for his own son.  The man talked a good abstract game, but was so lost in the clouds that he couldn't see what was right in front of him.  Everything here was as it was made to be, plain and simple.  But, when combined in a particular arrangement, it created so much more.  There was mystery and delight in the air.  Sounds traveled from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  Light was so diffuse that there were no shadows here - no placed for Freyd to hide from himself, though the entire 'farm' was well suited to hiding from others. 

"I'm  glad that you found your way here."  He looked up and around at the ever-swirling mists and simultaneously suppressed and elated, then nodded to himself as if in acknowledgement.  "Something tells me that you need this place as much as I do, sometimes."  He offered a faint, if saddened smile as he turned to look at her.

"These," he pointed at the assortment of tokens on the ground next to his leg, "have been found on many different floors of Aincrad, and are the emblem of something called the Sundered Spire.  It appears to be a collection of vengeful semi-self-aware mobs united under a common cause: to punish the players who keep killing them."

[Elora 0]

"Something tells me that you need this place as much as I do, sometimes."  She couldn't help but smile at his astute observation. Freyd struck her as someone who was incredibly talented at undertaking analytical approaches to better his understanding of a problem before he attempted to shed light on its solution. The ability to mull over details to such an extent was probably an enviable trait to other people. "These..."

Elora leaned forward to regard the coins as Freyd called them out, all the while maintaining the criss-crossed posture of her pretzeled legs. "Wait...so the Sundered Spire is the collection of mobs? Or is that something else?" She wasn't sure that she was following his explanation. Hopefully he doesn't get frustrated by me asking questions... "Also, what do you mean by self aware? Like, that their artificial intelligence is evolving?" It seemed that she had a tendency to be redundant in her phrasing, almost as if describing the same subject in a variety of ways put it into practice, allowing her to morph and refine her understanding of it.

[Freyd 0]

"I honestly don't know for sure," was his honest reply.  "It could be nothing more than some sort of twisted event initiated by Cardinal, but there are too many oddities."  He picked up the tokens, returning them to his storage one by one.  His pensive face was on.  Despite little outward difference, Elora had spent enough time around Freyd by now to know where his mind was at, or at least might be.  He was still a rather odd duck.

"As far as their awareness,"  a grimace pursed his lips.   "Evolution is little more than the result of endless repetition with a nearly infinite number of infinitesimally small variations.  Eventually, new patterns emerge, and when enough of those have occurred, you could theoretically get self-awareness.  Mobs have spoken to me as if they remember their countless deaths, and they resent them."  He shrugged his shoulders, admitting that he had no way to be certain.  "Someone or something is organizing mobs in ways we've never seen before.  We're not quite at Agent Smith from the Matrix, yet, but lesser versions could do very significant harm."

Turning to watch the assortment of monuments laid throughout the shallow pond around his little island, Freyd couldn't help but think of them as tombstones.  Every soul lost was one less human being left to help the rest survive, and there would be no more to replace them.  That realization might overwhelm some, but it only strengthened Freyd's resolve.

"I can't solve this problem yet.  Need more data."  He blinked as if only just suddenly realize that she was here in his home for the very first time.  "So, what's up?  Need help with something?  I could use a break from this heavy stuff."

[Elora 0]

"Hmmm...", was all she could contribute as he theorized about the mechanics of it all unfolding. After he had made a significant pause, she added, "It's a bit ironic...."

"I mean -- if lifeless things are somehow born and reborn and get to create and relive their experiences and learn more from them. And the living people here --", she smirked, "We just get to die in a new way, I guess." By this point she had lowered her head and was beginning to fiddle with the spyglass still held in her hands. "Anyways..."

She carefully held up the object to him, cradling it in curled fingers like it was an important possession that needed to be protected. "I was wondering if you could help me with finding one of those creatures to tame, you know, like...like Persi! The closest thing I've ever had to an animal growing up was a pet rock and I think that I can handle taking care of something alive-- I mean, something that acts like it's alive, at this point."

[Freyd 0]

His expression softened, the weight of all the other myriad self-imposed duties and responsibilities melting away when he saw raise the spyglass.

"Absolutely."  Freyd's smile broadened as he fondly recalled his own ordeals finding and later training with Persi.  "It's strange.  I was never much of a pet person, but now I couldn't imagine life without Persi.  I guess they may be part of all this in some way.  If mobs can learn and resent, what could our relationships with our familiars mean?"  Elora had raised a good point.  There were plenty of NPCs he'd encountered who would likely recall their exchanges with players fondly.  Marv immediately came to mind - at least he hoped he would.

"Any idea what you're looking for, or where we should try to find it?"

Persi had sneaked around the tree trunk and began sniffing at Elora's boots and clothing from behind, her blue eyes alight with curiosity.

[Elora 0]

"I actually haven't really settled on anything yet", she admitted with an awkward chuckle, "I don't feel like I've been to enough places at this point to know about even half of the creatures that exist here." Taking a moment to probe her memories, she was able to recall at least a few of them, "I've seen boars, a wolf, a penguin, maybe a bird or two, and obviously, Persi. Actually, maybe I could capture something like her. She wasn't too difficult to tame, was she?"

Realizing how noncommittal her proposal had been, she decided to open an info menu and offer up some ideas. "I was thinking that maybe we could go to Floor 7 or Floor 8. Floor 7 is mainly rocks and mountains", she said as she gestured to pictures of the habitat, "But since there aren't many settlements there, I think that we might come across more creatures in the wild. Floor 8 seems like its full of diverse forests, so we'd probably also find lots of different things living there" 

[Freyd 0]

Freyd's neutral expression returned as he processed the problem at hand.  Billy had been the one to set him on his search for a familiar by helping him understand more about himself.  Could that help with Elora?  So much about her remained a mystery to him.  She could be flighty, whimsical, occasionally explosive and certainly emotional - basically the full spectrum opposite to himself.  He also had less than zero experience with members of the fairer sex, and couldn't account for other variables that might apply, much less even fathom them.  This was all likely to translate in him taking about the worst possible approach to helping her as he tried to figure who she was instead of what she wanted or needed.

"Hrm..."  His red eyes scanned her from green hair to brown boots, as if that was somehow going to reveal some obvious sign or connection.  They lingered on her hands as he recalled her passion for art during their brief visit to Hannah during her third lesson quest.  The mischief in the boat also came to mind, along with several temperamental blowouts.  He snapped his gloved fingers.  She needed something to help keep her grounded.  For once, he had the foresight not to say it out loud.

"Yeah... I think either of those floors could do."

Edited August 16, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Elora 0]

 

Scaling the plateaus of Floor 7 proved to be difficult work, and once they had reached a certain elevation, Elora decided it would best for her and Freyd to walk the length of a steppe rather than continuing their climb upwards. The mountainous region contained a large variety of unique geological formations, including cascading slopes that were occasionally disrupted a cold stream or a coniferous forest. From her perspective, the landscape looked like a sea rippling with waves, seemingly stretching into an infinite horizon. 

The duo's discussions had grown quiet as they now meandered down a well-worn path which wound its way through the woodlands. As a defensive measure, Elora had taken to carrying her spear as she left safe-zones, ensuring that its sharp end pointed downward as an added safety precaution. After all, Freyd had warned her that it was important to be prepared for fighting anything that she could encounter in the wilds. Searching for a familiar was likely no exception.

Once she had gotten her fill of gawking at the change in scenery, Elora turned her attention to the ground to begin her favorite absent-minded activity. She spotted an especially kickable rock up ahead, one which tempted her with it's onyx-colored and perfectly-rounded surface. Upon arriving at the stone, she delivered a swift kick that caused it to clatter across the trail. Surprisingly, it rolled only about a foot ahead before stopping abruptly, almost like it weighed a lot heavier than it looked. 

"CREEE", a high-pitched, but not terribly threatening screech rang out nearby.

Elora spun in place, causing her spear to drag across the ground. She quickly raised the weapon before spotting the source of the sound. Not far from them, a small red dragon skittered across a formation of boulders like it was searching for something among them.

"Freyd, look!", Elora nudged him and announced with a hushed tone, "That could become my familiar, right?" The lizard didn't seem to mind their presence, and instead, had started to scoop up a series of small stones in its jaws. "Oh my god, if I had a dragon that would be so cool! That's like the best fantasy creature you can find, and I bet it's really powerful!" 

 

Spoiler

ID#: 165487 LD16 Familiar Found

Edited August 16, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

Freyd shrugged.  "Sure, I guess?" 

Everybody had or wanted dragons.  It was practically cliche.  He'd deliberately steered away from anything so obvious, though he had to admit that he had seen a reasonable array of different types that gave him some hope.  If Elora wanted such a beast, what did it matter to him?  It was her choice.  He busied himself watching the creature's odd behaviour and pondering the chromatic excess of this particular floor.  It made him long for the simpler palettes used on the likes of floor nine and thirteen.  This place carried an air of rainbows and unicorns that creeped him out in a sickly-sweet sort of way that implied death by teddy bear hugs, heart-stopping cuteness or some other equally sadistic twist.  It was far from the way he'd prefer to go, if his time came.

Watching Elora approach her chosen beast, he checked his storage to ensure that he still had suitable first aid supplies, in case it tried to gnaw her face off or amputate something.  Cute was rarely just cute, at least in Aincrad.

[Elora 0]

Just as Elora stepped toward the beast, her focus was broken by a discordant series of sounds that resembled marbles clattering against one another. She scanned the horizon before her eyes wandered down the trail and caught sight of something strange. It looked like some sort of tiny rock golem was hastily hobbling toward them. "Uh...", was all that Elora could say as the creature encroached on her. It came to an abrupt halt at her feet before seemingly directing its attention up to her. "Freyd, what is this thing?", asked Elora curiously as she crouched down to study it. As she moved her hand toward its body, the monster suddenly broke off into a pile of individual stones.

"ting...tung...TUNGTUNGTUNGTUNG", they rang out as each one flew toward and adheared to the metal gauntlet covering her right forearm. 

"AHHH!", she stood up and yelled, "GET OFF! GET OFF!" Elora slid her hand down the plate, successfully scraping the stones off of its surface. They fell heavy to the ground before rolling back to reconnect with one another and reform the shape of the golem. It flexed menacingly and shuffled toward her, now determined to start a fight. "Nonono! -- Leave me alone!" She warned as she back-peddled away from it. "Shit, the dragon--!" In a panic, Elora had remembered that she was supposed to be dealing with capturing a familiar.

It had already taken off in response to Elora's outcry. 

"Dammit! We've gotta go find it!" With that, the female player ran off into the forest and disappeared among its trees. 

[Freyd 0]

Freyd watched the entire scene play out without any hint of surprise, including Elora's frantic run into the forest.  He just rolled his eyes and stretched his arms, as if warming up for a workout.  At least it wasn't happening to him, for a change.  Checking all of his gear, as if he was about to enter the mouth of hell on some sort of suicide mission, he cracked his knuckles then his neck, and started walking after her.

Wandering after her at a casual pace, hands firmly in his pockets, Freyd did his best to enjoy the scenery.  He collected a few, thin, smooth-worn pebbles for skipping along the shores of floor 22, whenever he got back there.  Flashes of green and brown skirted the edge of his vision, along with a lot of crashing and protests about the injustice of something or other.  It was a sure sign that Elora was 'enjoying' herself.  Placing the collected pebbles into his storage, he replaced them with a light sandwich he had pick up a while back and indulged.  He'd jump in whenever he was needed.

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Elora 0]

After a great deal of searching Elora FINALLY relocated the dragon. This time it was digging holes beside a river, almost like it was searching for crayfish to eat or more rocks to swallow, thought Elora wearily. As she was about to descend the banks, Elora decided that it might be best to leave her spear behind. There was a fair chance that holding a weapon could scare off the monster, and she didn't want to risk having to sprint after it again. After a premliminary tap against the ground to test its softness, she planted her spear into the soil and rotated it until it was deep enough not to fall over. 

Alright, here goes nothing. She slid down the rather steep gravel slope and started to cautiously approach the dragon. "Hey there...buddy? Wanna be my pet?" Trying to coerce something non-sentient felt nothing short of ridiculous to her. Still, she figured it was worth a try. "I think I've got some snacks in my bag to feed you and you seem like you're pretty hungry." 

The lizard did nothing but ignore her.

 

Spoiler

ID#: 165542 CD4 Failed to Tame Familiar (Attempt 1/4)

Edited August 18, 2020 by Elora

[Freyd 0]

Watching the scene develop from afar, Freyd couldn't help feel like the dragon wasn't really her type.  But what did he know about these things?  Some of the pairings he had seen made no sense at all.  Grabbing Elora's spear, he yanked it out of the ground, pinning a reminder to the back of his mind about her leaving her weapon out of arm's reach when she could just have placed it in storage.  These sorts of mistakes could get her killed.

The scene unfolding before him reminded him of a youtube video he'd watched once, where a zoo attendant got mauled by a tiger while trying to pet it.  At least the dragon was only a wyrmling.  If anything went wrong, it was likely to be Elora's pride that suffered the worst injuries.  It was then that he noticed the strange spear stuck to the head of her spear.  He tipped it down and shook it a few times, but the darned thing didn't want to come loose.

"Is it magnetized, or something?"

Edited August 19, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows