Okay, so basically, this is just a thread to show any unfinished works that I have. I changed to Blademaster, but had already written two solos that were kinda long for me to give up on, but I did...so yeah. If any of you wanted to know how Teishu got his anima the first time and just how his storyline continued, yeah, here it is.

Just a Note: None of this happened at all, so he doesn't have an anima yet and...yeah. @_@;

Oh, and feel free to leave comments in this thread, too. Thanks!

Enjoy! ;D

Snowy Days...and Dark Nights Part 2

The young Wavemaster stood in the room, an Air Wand in his hand. He looked at the square room in front of him. A Heavy Blade stood at his side, blade glinting in the golden light that alighted the room. He held the powerful weapon in front of him, prepared to tackle the next monster he saw. The Heavy Blade stepped in front of the Wavemaster, his Flamberge held high, a faint glow coming from its interior. The Heavy Blade let out a yell and charged at the portal. The Wavemaster chuckled softly and watched as the portal let off golden sparks before dematerializing. A Headhunter was left in its midst. The Wavemaster grinned and switched wands. The Heavy Blade defended as it swung its blade down, trying to tear into his flesh. He let out a roar of rage and pushed it away with his blade, his eyes burning with determination. He jumped, swinging his blade forward and bringing his blade down on its shoulder. He fell to the ground and defended against the wrath of its blade…

A yell split through the air, making the monster look up, though the only thing that could see anything was the skull in its arm. ”Vak…Don!” A rock hovered over its head for a moment until fire crackled around it. It rocketed toward the ground, colliding with the monster’s shoulders. The monster groaned and fell back for a moment. The Heavy Blade jumped and started to slice at its raw flesh, but it was up in an instant, swinging its sword to get the Heavy Blade away. The Wavemaster frowned, preparing himself for another attack just in case his partner needed it. The Heavy Blade, with a quick switch of weapons, charged forward. The Wavemaster watched as the man leapt into the air, his figure gliding towards the monster, blade pulled back.

His blade was endowed with a great white light. ”Death Bringer! he called, swinging his blade sideways. The blade tore through flesh and bone, making the monster roar in pain. He pulled the blade out and swung down its shoulder blades, bringing the monster down to its end. He was a higher level than it, thus making it much easier for him to take on a monster like this. He smiled and slipped the bloody blade away, a flash of light following. The Wavemaster came and smiled at him before they moved on to the next room.

This was friendship. This was Teishu and Sain.


The party of two were still on the second floor, roaming around the dusty dungeon. It was as if nothing else had happened in the quest. The two were just trying to enjoy themselves, despite the eerie feeling that the dungeon gave. They were just enjoying themselves, having a grand old time with each other. The two ignored the differences between the two and moved on as if nothing had happened in that last room. The two turned right and jogged off in search of more monsters to slay. The Wavemaster wasn’t huge on battles, but he was having enough fun for them to jog and laugh and…be themselves. They were the only two in the field and dungeon, giving themselves free roam without any worry. The two found themselves in a room with a few barrels inside. It was small and it looked like it was full of items. The Wavemaster approached one.

He rolled up his sleeves and tried to get one open with his bare hands. He pulled with all his might, but it didn’t budge. He put his right foot on it, closed his eyes, and pulled with all his might, trying to take it off. You’re not getting the best of me! With a yell, he pulled it off and was sent flying back, crashing and breaking open another one of the barrels. Sain looked over at Teishu and roared with laughter. The Wavemaster shot back up and looked into the barrel. Only dust was in there. He kicked it and almost immediately it broke. His eye twitched for a moment as he looked over to the Heavy Blade, who had cleared three in one slice from his blade. He pulled out his wand and poked one, though again, there wasn’t an item. His eyes narrowed as he saw the last one in the corner of the room. He jumped at it before Sain could even look at it and body slammed into it, laughing. He found nothing…again.

With a laugh from Sain and a grumble from Teishu, the two left the room, seeing as there was nothing left. The two appeared out of the passage with two different ways to go. ”Come on! Let’s get going!” With a laugh, he raced off to the right. The Wavemaster charged after him, almost tripping on his own feet from the fun of it all. Why had they seemed so close after it? Were they just trying to get away from the inevitable? The black-haired Wavemaster turned in the passageway after Sain and found himself in a long hallway with his friend. The two looked down the long hallway, skeletons scattered about. For a moment, pity fell upon the two players, but Sain was the first to break the sorrow. A portal shone in the middle, making Sain give a wide grin.

He laughed once again. ”The monsters aren’t going to kill themselves! Let’s get going!” He sprinted off, his Flamberge out and ready to go, even if it was a really low level weapon. He pulled out his Air Wand, told himself to use it, and prepared it from where he was. He didn’t want to get too close to the fight. He took a few slow steps forward as he saw two Hell Doberman materialize in front of the two. He frowned, thinking about how tough it would be to take them down. So much for using my Air Wand, so I guess I’ll just have to use my Cypress Wand. Sain, too, was forced to take out a weapon, one with no affinity. He prepared it as the two monsters approached, growls emitting from their throats. The Heavy Blade flinched, but knew that they could win, just as long as they didn’t cast magic on him.

Teishu raised his wand and swung it into the air, a blue aura forming around him. ”Rue Rom!” Cold air swerved through the gates and into the area, all the way from the snow. Ice, snow, and water alike formed together in a tornado. His hair swept around his head, as did his cloak, as the wind picked up. His ocean blue eyes gleamed as he watched it speed off towards the two monsters. He prayed that it would help Sain in his battle. The wind dyed down around him, leaving his cloak and hood to stop. His wand fell back behind the protection of the cloak, but the blue aura was still around him. The wind roared past Sain as he started back stepping. The Wavemaster smiled as he watched the monsters roar in agony as the fires that enveloped them were doused with water. It had taken a fair amount of hit points out of both of them, but still, the monsters were still alive, even if they had been soaked with the opposite element.

The two monsters growled and leapt forward, their speed proving too fast for the likes of the Heavy Blade. The first jumped, claws skimming off his cheek. The Heavy Blade swung his blade at the other one, hitting it out of the way. It let out a yelp of pain, touching the hearts of the two, but at the sight of its partner trying to score its claws down Sain’s back wasn’t a friendly sight to see. The Heavy Blade held up his blade in defense. He was pushed back by the monster as it swung its claws at him, its eyes a fiery red. The screeching sound of claws meeting metal made the Wavemaster cover his ears for a moment, but at the sight of both pushing the Heavy Blade back, he cursed under his breath.

His wand was revealed from his cloak. He raised it, calling for the help of Merrows as he did so. ”Rue Rom!” The same icy cool wind came from the gates behind him. The Wavemaster wanted to smile, wanted to laugh at the monster that was soon to perish, but he didn’t. The wind roared in his ears, as if telling him to cast more magic. That would only endanger Sain, as the tornado would prove too big and would hit him too, though it wouldn’t make a huge difference. Faster, faster, faster, or else he’ll die right here, right now! Come on, Merrows! Mind picking up the pace? He knew talking to a virtual god in a virtual dungeon in a virtual field in a virtual world wouldn’t help the slightest, but he needed it! The tornado sped forward, letting Sain know that it had it all handled. The Heavy Blade jumped to the side, watching as the tornado enveloped both of them in its wrath. Sain nodded to the Wavemaster, thanking him for saving his life. They were even now, it seemed.

Sain charged at the monster, blade prepared to rip out the last bits of hit points the two had. He leapt into the air, his blade pulled behind his back. He brought it down on one, cracking its skull. His character landed heavily on the ground. He whirled around, his blade coming around to smash into the other Doberman’s cheek. It fell over to the ground on top of its partner. The Heavy Blade grinned and let out a laugh of victory over the monsters as he slipped his blade away and looked over to his partner, who looked just as happy as he did. Healing spells were in the air at that moment, as Teishu didn’t want them to go unprepared to the next battle. The two still jogged as they went, not wanting to waste their time walking and wondering what to do with their time as they walked in silence. It was boring like that. It was more fun to just run around laughing for no reason, in his opinion at least.

The two players jogged through the next door, finding themselves in a long, narrow hallway. A short staircase was at the end. Teishu squealed in delight at the sight of the staircase leading down to the treasure. But then again, there would also be a hefty amount of monsters guarding it. He frowned at the thought of it, but still kept up his squeal. Sain didn’t squeal, but nonetheless, he gave a wide grin and sprinted off. ”Hey, no fair! Wait up!” The Wavemaster sprinted off, trying to catch up with the Heavy Blade. He was the slowest class and he was clumsy. He sighed, still sprinting toward the stairs where the Heavy Blade was just disappearing in. He jumped three steps at a time, trying to keep up with Sain. He sprinted off, ignoring the darker hallway that appeared in front of him. He kept running in the dim light, trying to find his friend, but he was nowhere to be found. He burst through the passageway, expecting a big room with his friend in it, but there was nothing except an empty square room with nothing but dust. ”Sain, cut that out! That’s not funny!” he yelled into the darkness, still scared as to what was happening around him.

He looked around frantically and turned right. He sprinted through the dark passageway, only to find a long, narrow hallway with a portal in the middle. He tried diving back through, but he couldn’t, as the gate had already closed behind him. He let out a yell and tried to bring the door down, but they only brought big welts to his shoulders. He punched the wall again and again, his fist bleeding. He didn’t know what was happening around him. One second he had been running with his friend, laughing, and now he was gone. He had just disappeared on him! He smashed it with his fist again and whimpered at the sight of blood slowly dripping down his knuckles. With one final smash with his left hand, he fell on his behind, looking at the portal, blue eyes glowing. He waited, waited for the monsters to come, but he wasn’t close enough yet. He sighed and put his head in his knees, trying to think. It was probably a hacker’s doing! Sain couldn’t possibly run that fast! The boy looked at the portal again, the glittering light shattering the darkness that was inside the room.

Hello, boy. It seems you’ve lost your way.

The Wavemaster almost screamed at the noise. He looked around, wondering if Sain was there, but no one was there. He turned around, expecting some kind of weird monster talking to him, but he found no one. He banged his head against the wall, thinking that he was going insane. Okay, first Sain disappears and then I start hearing voices in my head. This is definitely not my ordinary day. What am I supposed to do, answer the voice or something? He held his head in his hands and shook his head violently, trying to defy what he was thinking. Instead, he answered, still thinking that he was going insane.

”W-Who are you a-a-and what do y-you want?”

He stumbled with his words, but found he couldn’t hide how scared he was. He frowned, waiting for the response. What was this thing anyways? It couldn’t be a person, as the man would be standing in front of him. He waited for the response, still shivering, cold air sweeping in from the other side of the room.

I’m Chuck Norris. The voice gave off a soft chuckle.

The Wavemaster laughed himself, not even knowing that he had inserted the key for his character to laugh. But at that moment he realized what situation he was in and stood straight up from where he was in the corner of the room.

”Okay, I get it, you’re trying to make me laugh. But seriously, who the heck are you? Don’t give me that Chuck Norris crap, but actually give me some real information on what’s happening…whatever you are.”

He frowned and crossed his arms. He put his hood over his head, trying to darken his character so the portal wouldn’t start up. He looked down at his murky boots and then up at the ceiling, noticing a hanging skeleton, nothing but bone and marrow on it. He sighed.

I’d love to give yet another joke in response, but I guess you’re not the one that wants to have a fun joke-filled conversation. He paused for a moment to hear a grumble from Teishu. He laughed. Well, this is a test for you, Teishu, my young lad. If you get to the Gott Statue alive, then, well, you pass the test and get something special, I guess. I’m sorry that I had to separate you from your friend so suddenly, but it seemed like a good time to get you to take your test. If you yell at me, fine, you’ll probably just fail and get a Game Over, but if you actually listen to my instructions, you’ll probably do just fine. A short pause. Oh, by the way, my name is Haku and from now on, I’ll be invading your personal bubble. With a final laugh, he waited for the Wavemaster to get up.

The Wavemaster took everything in. So it seemed that he’d have to get through a few battles with a monster or two before he could get back to Sain, it seemed. It would be tough, but he had no other choice to listen to Haku. Whatever Haku was. He was the ‘shrouded in mystery guy of the day’. Fantastic. He questioned, but this time used his mind, wondering if it would hear his thoughts and reply. So, what are you anyways? I doubt you’re a hacker and you don’t seem like a real live person…so what are you, some kind of…?

Haku roared with laughter, surprising Teishu that talking to him with his mind would work. I’m surprised you haven’t realized what I am yet…though I shouldn’t be because you haven’t seen me yet. You’ll see me soon enough, but the question arises: what am I? I’m not a human, though I’m a type of animal, of course. I’m not a liquid or a gas, if you thought I was, and I’m not some weird guy who sits on the other side of the galaxy invading people’s minds by being a nerd. No, I’m what you least expect. I’m an anima, something that you’ve probably heard of once before. Guess what kind of anima I am, then. It might take a while, but you’ll get it.

Gah! How’d he know I hated guessing games?

I heard that. Just guess, boy.

The boy glared at the ceiling, still listening to the portal as it whirled around in the darkness. A lion? A bear? A hyena? A fox? A wolf? A tiger? A snake? A falcon? A raven? Umm…a bald eagle? He only got multiple chuckles from Haku. He decided he needed more, so he went on to other things. A squirrel? Some kind of dragon? A dog? A cat? More laughter. It has to be something! Haku seemed relaxed as he spoke his hint coolly.

I reside in trees.

I already guessed squirrel. An owl? A bat? Some kind of mosquito? Wait a minute…a raccoon! I’ve got it! There was silence for a moment and he heard a squeal of entertainment.

Well, boy, congratulations. I’m a raccoon, but it took you, what, eighty times? Teishu grumbled and glared up into the darkness, his thoughts full of insults directed at Haku. The raccoon laughed at the insults that came from the Wavemaster’s mind. Calm down, calm down. You’re taking all the fun out of it. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned that clan or whatever, Anima Mundi. Yeah, that’s it. You’ve discovered your anima and now it’s time you opened it. Get to the Gott Statue alive and you just might find your anima…

The Wavemaster frowned, but got up, his Air Wand out and prepared. He didn’t like the idea of fighting monsters solo, but if this was a test, he was up for it. He had done the recruitment and gotten into the clan; now it was time he found it. He slowly approached it, still thinking about the anima. If he was right, his anima was a raccoon. He approached the spinning portal, examining the golden light that seemed to shatter the darkness. It made a whirring sound and slowly dematerialized. His legs shook as a Headhunter materialized in front of him. With shaking hands, he held up his wand, as if to warn the monster not to hurt him. The Headhunter let out a groan and swung its sword down. He sprinted back, stumbling on the stone floor before tripping to the ground. He got right back up and sprinted away behind a pillar as the sword came swinging around again.

The sword collided with the pillar. The Wavemaster ducked and covered his head as granite came down to the floor, breaking at impact. He sprinted off in the other direction, staggering this way and that as the Headhunter took big steps forward, chasing after him. He huffed and puffed as he went, trying to escape the giant monster. Why wasn’t he casting a spell? He was scared. If he stopped, he might leave himself open. He turned and started back stepping, though he was sure he’d come tumbling down to the ground in seconds. ”J-Juk Rom!” He stopped and watched as a swirling tornado of leaves came in front of him. A cold wind blew through the gates and formed in front of him. Thickets, branches, and dirt formed in front of him and sped toward the Headhunter. The Headhunter roared with rage as the wind tore up at its flesh, only making Teishu’s skin stand on its edge. He reared back and sprinted away as the monster swung around and charged at him. Seeing no better way to describe his fear, Teishu started to run and scream.

The Wavemaster tried to speed up, but the monster was too fast for him. He kept running and running and running, not stopping as the Headhunter charged after him, splitting the pillars in half as he went. The Wavemaster dove out of the way as the monster swung its blade, making a huge dent in a pillar. ”Vak D-D-D-Don!” the Wavemaster called, raising his Fire Wand that he had just pulled out. A fiery red aura came around him, but he ignored it as it brought a huge wind around him. He watched as the rock fell out of the sky. A light shone in the middle, then more and more until it was engulfed in flames. It collided with the monsters shoulders and brought it down on its back, roaring. He sprinted off again, not daring to look back at it as it got up from its place on the ground. It got up and made big steps forward toward him.

The Wavemaster yelled in fear and kept sprinting. ”Whoa!” the Wavemaster yelled as he was sent staggering forward. He hit the ground, knocking one of his teeth out. He groaned and got back up, ignoring the skeleton that he had just crushed as he had run. Loud bangs for footsteps came behind him. The Headhunter brought its sword sideways, sending the Wavemaster spinning into a wall. He let out a yell of pain and grimaced at the sight of blood leaking out from a wound in his chest. He winced and looked up at the ceiling, mumbling a Repth as he did so. Most of the wound was sewn up, but there was still a bit that he hadn’t managed to heal. He closed his eyes and got up, his wand raised up, pointed at the Headhunter.

I have to stand up and fight or else I’ll never be strong!

The Wavemaster raised his Fire Wand again, muttering a prayer that it would finish off the Headhunter. He slowly raised his wand up into the air. He frowned and looked up at the Headhunter, still thinking about the test. He slowly brought it down and slowly turned, bringing it smoothly up, a red aura already surrounding him. His eyes were a gentle ocean blue, just what they hadn’t been before. If I am to pass, I have to…I’ll have to give it all I’ve got. He looked up. ”Vak Don,” the boy muttered under his breath. He put his right foot gently on the floor and raised his wand, calling upon the power of Vulcan for aid. The room was alighted with uncontrollable light as the meteor came down once again to take down the monster. He sprinted forward as the meteor collided with the monster’s shoulders again. He came up to it and started to whack it with his wand, yelling as he did so. He didn’t know what he was doing, but bravery…it had somehow found him in the depths of darkness.

The Headhunter fell back on the ground, its gray body starting to fade. He watched with pity in his eyes at the Headhunter, panting a bit, but happy that he was able to…win. The thought seemed all too far off for him to clutch. He had won his first fight. He fell back and leaned against a pillar. He smiled smugly, satisfied with what he had done, but knowing that there was a hard path ahead of him. He looked up at the ceiling, at the skeletons that hung. A skeleton fell from the rope that held him and his body crashed down to the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces. He looked at it with pity. He leaned back, still staring at the ceiling. I did it, I won my first battle alone. I guess, I guess if I believe in myself, anything’s possible. Maybe I just got lucky, but I’m still happy that I was able to win. Yeah, I did it. I won.

Nice performance, kid. You overcame your fears and won the battle. I think I might’ve just found my user, but I don’t know yet. You still have two battles to go. Each should prove harder than this, I assure you, but you did good, I can tell you that much. I hope to see you at the Gott Statue soon, Teishu.

His usual jokes were nowhere to be found. The raccoon could be serious and funny and sad and all kinds of personalities. He liked that, he really did. He sighed and muttered another healing spell under his breath. A blue aura fell over him, sewing the rest of his wound back together. He smiled, wanting to fall asleep right where he was. The Wavemaster wanted to just sit there, watching the ceiling for the rest of his life, thinking about how he had done in the battle. Oh, kid, I almost forgot. You scream like one of those opera ladies. It’s pretty funny to watch. Not trying to hint that you’re fat or anything. I, for one, don’t weigh that –

Haku, shut up.

Well excuse me, Mr. I-hate-awesome-raccoons.

His presence seemed to fade at that moment, leaving the Wavemaster to think. What was the next battle? It was probably some kind of Hell Doberman thing. He didn’t like those things, but he knew he was prepared. He pulled out his Cypress Wand and looked at it, examining the multiple signs of the element on it. He sighed and got up, his spell points replenished. He turned over to the gate that had opened behind him and then to the one in front of him. I have to go. The Wavemaster walked towards the passageway to the next battle. A red carpet was on the floor, candles flickering around him. He was in the same kind of room, this one only more narrow and long. He took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling, closing his eyes and hoping for the best. He walked forward and watched the golden light pierce the darkness before it faded, revealing a Hell Doberman, just as he expected.

The lion-like monster let out a roar and charged at him with big leaps. He stood where he was, inhaling the cold air around him. He held his wand with both hands and held it up, a blue aura surrounding him as he swung it around him. ”Rue Rom.” He swung his wand up and watched as the sapphire color came up in front of him. Ice and water slithered out from under the gate that he had come through, coming to the tornado. It was like a storm coming up in front of him. The monster didn’t slow its approach, but rather sped up. It leaped through the tornado, despite the massive amount of elemental damage it did, and raked its claws on the Wavemaster’s chest. Only a tint of hit points remained as he stepped back, watching as it was caught up in the tornado. He muttered two healing spells before he was satisfied with his hit points. He looked at the blood that was on his hand and watched it as it trickled off and splattered to the floor, crushing a miniscule mosquito. He looked up at the monster as it approached again, a low growl emitting from its throat.

The Wavemaster rose his wand again and muttered the word under his breath again. ”Rue Rom…” He watched as the swirling tornado of blue burst out toward the monster. The monster was going to die, but it wouldn’t die without a fight. It rose its mouth and roared. Fire came around him. He pulled out his Fire Wand, sure that it would help defend against the spell. The monster let out a roar of agony as it hit the ground, already ghosting after the two elemental hits that it had taken. The Wavemaster crumbled to the ground, only a tint of his hit points left. He closed his eyes, not knowing what else to do. The last of the flames licked at his leg, making him yell in agony as it burned his leg. He pulled himself up and looked at his legs, the skin having peeled off after the burns. ”Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!” He, of course, could not feel it, but his character automatically mumbled the words as he felt at the skin. It burned his hand, whittling his hit points lower. He fell back and started to stare at the ceiling, wondering what he was supposed to do at the moment. He could just wait for his spell points to recharge and heal himself, then go to the final room. He could…

He really didn’t want to go to the next room. He wanted to just go back, satisfied that he had gotten a level up or something. He didn’t want to go to the next room. He was scared because he thought he’d die. He wondered what the next monster would be. He didn’t know, but he was sure that it would kill him. He frowned and touched the dust that had stuck on the carpet. He wondered what Sain was doing at that moment. He hoped the Heavy Blade wasn’t worried about him. He looked down, still wondering what he should do. He wanted to get off the game, go back to the real world and just play the game regularly. He didn’t want to go and fight more monsters. He really didn’t. The Wavemaster poked a spider on the floor with his wand. It jumped up, making Teishu lean back, but it was only spinning a string back up to its web. He sighed and looked up, a fly crashing into the wind. It seemed to whine, but he didn’t bother to pick it up. He listened to the soft crunch of the spider munching on its flesh.

The presence of Haku came to him. He sighed, looking at the ceiling. You did great, kid, seriously. I won’t make another joke for you this time, because all you need is luck to get past this last monster. All I can say is to have the best of luck. Maybe I’ll be your anima after all, but maybe not. Be confident, fight that thing like you mean it, and…kid, what are you doing, kid?

The Wavemaster mumbled two Repths under his breath and got up, his Air Wand in hand. I’m not sure what to do, Haku. I want…I want to go back and find Sain, tell him where I am. I don’t want to get mixed up with all this anima stuff. The Administrators don’t like it…I didn’t know what I was getting into when I went into that recruitment. I-I-I want to leave this test. I don’t care if I fail or not, I just want to live my life regularly and play the game, like, like a regular person. I’m sorry, but can’t you find another person for your anima.

He heard a sniffle from the raccoon. He was about to go and comfort the raccoon, but Haku started speaking. Beautiful speech, kid, beautiful to say the least. Just know that we anima are on the run and probably won’t survive for long. If you don’t take me, who knows how long it will take for me to get another one of you people to take me in? You seem perfect, even if you don’t like the jokes and stuff that I do. It’ll all work out, kid, but just think about it before you leave. If you’re going to quit the clan and leave us, fine, be that way, but you’ll be a big help to the clan. Everyone needs you, Teishu, not just me. I’ll help you when you need aid, give you advice, bring happiness when you need happiness, and just…be a big help, I guess. So, kid, you up for it?

The Wavemaster fell down on his rear end again, forced to think about the words. The clan was on the run and an extra helping hand was what they needed, huh? He frowned, still thinking, knowing that the raccoon was holding his breath right now. He looked up at the ceiling again, thinking about the final test or whatever it was. He frowned, but got up and turned to the dark passageway that led to the next room. He heard the raccoon laugh and knew that Haku was smiling. The Wavemaster, too, smiled and approached the door. The presence of the raccoon faded as he walked into the next room. It was a wide, circular area, with a spinning portal in the middle. The carpet led forward toward a portal. Candles flickered around him and made him shiver, despite the slight warmth they gave his avatar.

The Wavemaster slowly approached the portal, his Fire Wand out instead of his Air Wand for once. He watched as the golden portal slowly spun around in front of him. He took a deep sigh and continued to walk forward toward the portal. It spun around, cast off a last brilliant light, then faded, revealing a Mushroom King. He had expected a giant werewolf or something that would eat him, but he guessed it hadn’t. It’s Uncle Fungus! The Wavemaster almost fell back as he heard Haku speaking.

……….WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, HAKU!?

Chill, chill, kid; you actually get some hints in your last battle. That should make things more fun, right? He laughed, making Teishu shudder.

The Mushroom King was of the Juk affinity, making him smile. His most powerful spell was of the Gan affinity, so he’d be able to take it out no problem. What was so good about this thing anyways? It sure as heck looked like Uncle Fungus to him. He raised his Fire Wand, ready to call on the power of soil and rock. He paused and watched the Mushroom King stumble forward, sharp teeth appearing at its core. Its eyes were a pale white as it charged forward and prepared to swing its head forward at the Wavemaster. He raised his wand. ”Gan Zot.”

The earth thundered from under him as he called the words. The Mushroom King kept running, though, seeing as there was no reason not to. The spell would hit it anyways. It let out a roar, showing off two rows of razor sharp teeth, though it’d be impossible to sink them into Teishu’s skin without straining itself. His hair was brought around his head, his ocean blue eyes shining. The earth rose from under him, splitting the carpet in half as it did so. The Wavemaster watched the Mushroom King stagger back at the sudden power of the spell. It took a good chunk out of its hit points, but it still wasn’t enough. He sprinted back as it came at him, its leaf-like hands swinging this way and that as he did so. He let out a yell as it charged at him and swung its giant mushroom-like head at Teishu. The Wavemaster was sent spinning out of the way of the room and slid on the dirt. The Mushroom King came at him again…

Oh come on, kid! Just use a spell! You might be able to beat it with it. I guess these monsters weren’t exactly hard enough for you…my standards are low, what can I say?

Haku, shut up, I’m busy.[/orange]

The raccoon went silent and he could tell that the animal was not pleased with his attitude at the slightest, but he needed to focus on it. He raised his wand and called out the same spell, as the spell would be the only one he could use well against it. [color=orange]”Gan…Zot.” Soil and dirt slipped from the crevices in the ground and came around him. He stared at it and crouched down, his cloak billowing in the harsh wind that was around him. He stood up straight and swung his wand slowly up. He watched as the earth came up from under the Mushroom King. It let out a yelp of pain and fell back, though it still wasn’t dead. I really should’ve expected that… The Wavemaster grumbled as it fell to the ground, the pillars of earth already coming down. It was quite a powerful spell, but still, it was not enough. He muttered a Repth under his breath and sprinted off, a bit scared. He didn’t want to take another chance with dying. The Mushroom King let out a laugh and charged at him, its stubby like feet making the ground shudder under its weight.

He let out a yell and picked up the pace. He dared a look back and found it was inching closer and closer. There was no use in running from these monsters. He ran and ran and ran, not daring to look back. He was forced to slide back as he came to the wall. He held up his wand and looked at the Mushroom King that cast a vast shadow over him. He frowned. Just my luck… He held up his wand in defense as it swung at him. He was hit back into the wall, but he got up, his wand still raised. The Mushroom King came at him, its leaf-like hands lashing out. He sunk against the wall and closed his eyes, waiting for it to kill him. It was another twenty seconds before he opened them. The monster was struggling with his stubby hands to get at him. The hands were mere inches away, but the top of his head prevented him from getting closer. It pulled back its head and swung down.

The Wavemaster yelped and rolled under it. He got back up and sprinted back, his wand already turned. The moment of fate was there. ”Vak Doooooooon!” He raised his Fire Wand into the air, watching as the meteor formed over the Mushroom King’s head. He swung it down and watched the meteor crash down to the ground, flames crackling around him. Rock collided with mushroom, letting him stand back and watch the fireworks. The monster let out a screech of pain as the fire licked at its stubby-feet and leaf-like hands. It let out one final roar and crumbled to the ground, finally finished off. It grayed and dematerialized, its eyes lifeless. He fell back on his behind and looked at the space where it had just been. He didn’t know what to think. The raccoon was still silent. There it was, the last battle of the day. He looked up at the ceiling and smiled. Well, there was for winning a battle. Now it was time to help the clan. He got up and turned to the double doors that lay in front of him. He walked across the red carpet, the candles flickering around him, and opened the door. He was in a dark passageway at first, but he found that there were lights in front of him.

The Wavemaster stumbled forward, joy in his eyes. He looked around, finding no dust in the area, but rather a light-filled room. A statue was floating behind the treasure. He didn’t know who it was (it was Merrows, if any of you were wondering), but he was glad to see it. It was the Gott Statue. He looked around, looked for the raccoon. He kneeled down on the floor and slowly opened the golden chest. It fell back, leaving him to look in. He didn’t find any treasure. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. There it was, it was his prize. But his mouth wasn’t open more in surprise, but in disgust at what exactly the prize was…doing.

A small raccoon with long ragged pants on was dancing. ”Oh yeah, uh-huh. Let’s work it. Uh-huh. Yeah!” The raccoon looked up and stared at Teishu, golden eyes bulging at the sight of his new ally. The Wavemaster frowned at the raccoon. ”Ehehehe, sorry ‘bout that, Teishu; one moment please.” He jumped and closed the chest over him. ”Okay, now you can open it, my young lad.” With a grumble, Teishu opened the treasure chest, only to find the raccoon ready to pounce on him. The animal crouched down and jumped on the boy, laughing and going around in his stuff. The Wavemaster laughed and so did Haku. The boy fell back, only to find the raccoon on his chest, staring at him with the golden bulging eyes again. Teishu got up and picked the raccoon up in his hand. He was a light comrade, that much was for sure.

”Well, glad to have you…Haku. So, what now?” The Wavemaster had no idea what the raccoon was going to do at that moment. He frowned and looked over Haku. He turned over the raccoon and then set him back on the ground. Haku looked up at him.

”Well, I’ll be around with you this whole time from now on. You’ll get a few new character features and the like, but yeah, nothing that will really give you advantages in battle. I expect that you’ll be a good partner for the two of us. So, are you ready?” The small raccoon held out one small hand to the Wavemaster. Teishu smiled and nodded. He took the hand and shook it. The raccoon disappeared and an eminent light surrounded him…

His avatar fell back on the ground. Teishu closed his eyes, wondering just what was going to happen to his data. Would he get ears? A tail? Maybe he’d get a golden eye or something. Maybe even a mask or something. Who knew? The gray light surrounded his character and two ears materialized on the Wavemaster’s head. His right eye was no longer the same ocean blue, but a great golden, like the raccoon’s. A gray tail with black stripes materialized behind him. His character grew about an inch smaller due to the size, but it wasn’t a lot. A raccoon mask was slipped into his inventory, just for cases of hiding or something else. His black hair had turned a slight gray color, but it wasn’t extremely noticeable to the human eye. Other than that, he was the same Wavemaster, but with a lot of different features. It was over and the raccoon was now one with Teishu’s character data.

You can open your eyes now, Teishu!

The Wavemaster’s eyelids slowly opened. At first, nothing had changed. He was on the floor, looking at the ceiling, nothing else. He looked up to find no Gott Statue. It had crumbled to the ground. He pushed himself off the ground and looked at himself. A tail wagged behind him in his cloak. He was happy that he had that. It would be quite useful indeed. He scratched his head, only to find gray ears there. He looked at his feet, but they were the same old murky boots. He didn’t care, though, because that was that. He smiled and looked up at the ceiling and then down. He’d have to look into the Mac Anu river to see more of his…makeover or whatever they called it. He smiled and approached the void of space that was behind the treasure chest. He sat down and hung his legs over the void, wanting to talk to the raccoon.

Well, this is it, I guess. Oh, and please, promise me this much. Try not to talk to me when Sain’s around? Unless it’s the most extreme of emergencies or something, I don’t want you talking or anything.

It’s fine with me, boy. I’ll be looking through that golden eye of yours, but I doubt you’ll need any help with that kind of stuff. Anyways, excited to have an anima?

The Wavemaster sighed and looked down into the dark. I’m not in the slightest interested with running away from Administrators, but if it means helping a family of other people like me, I guess that’s fine. There’s no going back now, I guess. Wait, I have a golden eye? Oh god, Haku, that’s going to raise quite a bit of suspicion!

The raccoon laughed. Sorry ‘bout that, Teishu, but you have a cloak. You have a raccoon mask too! It’s “in-style” as some people say it. But yes, you have a cloak with a hood and a mask. Avoid being seen in Mac Anu or else rumors will spread. All that fun crap…yeah. Anyways! Anything you want to do right now, or do you want to talk a little longer, get to know each other a bit more? The raccoon seemed laid back at the moment, but he didn’t really care.

The Wavemaster shook his head slowly. Sain might be looking for me, but right now, I think you can get to know me while I get to know you, though there isn’t much to know about you… Anyways, as you can tell, I’m new to ‘The World’. I quested with another character, one that really had taken a liking to wolves and the like. His name was Mizu, but yeah, he’s the only other person I’ve quested with other than Sain. Nothing else to know, Haku, unless you really want to know what my real life is like; it’s boooooring.

The raccoon chuckled. Well, as you can tell, I was in that treasure chest hanging out, dancing, having a grand old time while you fought the monsters. I gave you a bit of advice here and there with Uncle Fungus there…wait, I didn’t give you any advice. And I think I was supposed to too. You had a few close moments there, kid, but overall, you got out alive and that’s what’s so special about ‘cha. Umm…isn’t much to know about me, except that I’m a raccoon, I like messing with people’s heads, I love jokes and pranks, and I make a lot of comments about people. Your friend Sain’s a nice guy, just so you know.

The Wavemaster took it all in. He was basically a prankster who made comments about people who were weird…how fun. I heard that, Teishu…

Sorry, keeping thoughts to myself was hard enough, but now I get to share them. Yeah, this is going to be tough for the two of us, though I’m sure you’d like to share all your pranks with me, right? And don’t you dare give me any of those stupid comebacks. I hate those… He glared into the darkness, as if the raccoon was floating in the middle of it all, laughing and making jokes.

Don’t tempt me, Teishu, I might just make one…just for you, though I know I’ve already offended you with a few. Yeah, we’ll have a grand old time doing this, but yeah, if you’re in need of any pranks for people, I’m the man for the job. Any comebacks, I’m there. But if there’s a really weird joke that someone says, I’m not there, because…yeah, some people don’t know what they’re saying.

The Wavemaster nodded his head. Yeah, guess so. There isn’t much to us, but I guess we’re a simple pair who’s looking for…fun, I guess? Yeah, guess so… We should head back out of the dungeon now. It’s getting late and I think I should get to Sain so I can…yeah. Again, stay away when I’m talking or going out adventuring with him. It might make things a little less secretive, so yeah, stay quiet and don’t…yeah, you get my point.

This time, he actually walked out of the dungeon. He had a Sprite Orcarina, but he was bored and wanted to talk to his anima for a while before they exited out of the field. Okay, okay. Wow, you look suspicious with those ears and tail of yours…and the eye. He laughed and Teishu frowned. I’m thinking there’s another party here in this snowfield. There were a few rumors about it, but there were rumors, nonetheless. If they see some boy with raccoon ears wandering around, they’ll become quite suspicious. Anyways, just…go in disguise mode or something. The raccoon laughed at his own saying, but Teishu only frowned. He knew more players around the field troubled the raccoon, so he might as well listen to him. The Wavemaster slipped on the hood and took out the mask, slipping it on. You look funny in that, too. Just kidding!

The boy grumbled and stuffed his hands in his pockets, moving up to the next floor. Oh, just shut up, Haku, for once in your life. You were the one who…added all the features and the like. You probably like funny-looking people in raccoon masks. Well, that’s not really funny. How would you like it if you were a supermodel running around wearing funny-looking clothes?

I’d look pretty hot. He meowed and the Wavemaster sighed. It would surely need some getting used to.

The two continued on to the next floor, back the way Teishu had come. The soothing dungeon music reached his ears and he smiled. Haku started humming as they went, sometimes laughing after he stopped humming. The Wavemaster opened another door and walked into the room, finding another empty hallway with skeletons. There was silence, but that was what the Wavemaster enjoyed. His boots clicked as he went in the hallway, the sound resounding off the floor and coming up to the ceiling, reverberating off to echo around the room. The Wavemaster himself started humming as he went up another set of steps to the first floor. The raccoon laughed again and the Wavemaster started off in a jog, bursting through the doors and finding himself at the steps to the field again.

The Wavemaster emerged from the dungeon and crossed the bridge, watching as a dozen or so crows set off from the tip of the castle roof. They cawed as they went, as if to warn the Wavemaster. Do you know how to speak to animals? The Wavemaster laughed at the question, but found no answer from Haku. There was only a grumble and he could’ve sworn that he actually heard the raccoon shake his head in disapproval. Maybe he could, but he didn’t want to. Yeah, that was it. The Wavemaster shivered in the cold air and looked around. He noticed some shapes in the distance. He sighed and let the golden rings fall around him.

Mac Anu, the aqua capital, was a bit dark. The last rays of the sun were fading when the Wavemaster materialized. He watched as multiple people logged out around him, ignoring the Wavemaster. Teishu, despite a few wandering eyes, walked down the steps and started off to the other side of Mac Anu. You do know that Sain will know that something happened eventually? the Wavemaster questioned. The raccoon sighed.

Well, he seems trustworthy enough, and if he’s an…AI, then we have nothing to worry about. Unless he’s messing with our heads, we’re fine, I guess. If he doesn’t know about the clan, good, but yeah, just try to be yourself and like nothing happened. Whatever you do, don’t mention anything having to do with raccoons or the word ‘Haku’. If you do…then I’ll tell on you! So there! The raccoon laughed, but only found that the Wavemaster was frowning as he went into the alleyway. He slipped off the raccoon mask and slipped it back into his inventory before pulling off his hood and stretching in the darkness.

He sent off the quick flash-mail.

Satisfied with it, he sent it off, hoping that he would accept his apology. It was only thirty seconds that the Heavy Blade emerged, coming in a slow walk. He laughed and walked over to where Teishu was. He looked at the ears, then at the tail, and then at the golden eye. He looked confused as to what had happened to the Wavemaster, but didn’t ask. ”It’s good to see you, Teishu. It seems you’ve got yourself a nice costume piece. You like raccoons?”

Heck yes he does!

I told you to shut up, Haku, please, just for now. The big boys are talking.

Big boys? Ha! You’re an old grandma compared to us! I’ll stop now, I guess. He ended it and Teishu was left to answer.

”Yeah, guess I got lucky!” The Wavemaster scratched the back of his head, smiling. ”Yeah, sorry again for leaving you like that. I guess we both got a bit excited and anxious there…yeah. Anyways, I’ve got to go, Sain. Talk to you later!”

”Yeah…later then.”

With that, the Wavemaster was off in a swirl of gold. Sain sighed and left the alleyway, going off to find somewhere to sleep or maybe go fight some monsters late at night. The Heavy Blade had gotten a few levels and items, so he might as well use them well!

Tom took off the VR goggles. He wasn’t used to the voice of Haku in his head. He pushed his chair away and slid it back in, silently getting into bed without a word. He looked out the window before he drifted into sleep. Snowy days, dark nights, gray skies, rainy mornings. He sighed, then drifted off into a soundless sleep, lulled by the soft pitter patter of rain drops hitting the window.

BTW, this is probably just going to be the only two solos that I didn't post up...so yeah, they're finished, but I didn't post 'em up. Any other unfinished works will be posted up soon...but really, I doubt that there will be any more.

I wrote this one before Snowy Days and Dark Nights part 2, but....yeah, just know that his anima won't be bothering him in this one. As I noted in the last one, the anima doesn't bother him when he's around his party mate. Just a note.

Enjoy! 8D



Eyes closed, Teishu the Wavemaster lay there on a building top, as far away as he could get from the crowd. He was smiling and humming a tune out of boredom. If somebody saw him, they probably would’ve thought he was trying to sunbathe, though in real life, it would have no effect. They probably would’ve noticed the person opposite from him, hands tucked behind his head, a smile on his face and his eyes closed like the Wavemaster’s. They were friends, of course, enjoying their free time by hanging out in Mac Anu like most players. The sun was almost down and it was almost dark, but the two couldn’t care less if it was night or day, raining or snowing, or if the sun was burning at a high one hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit. The two were pondering whether or not to talk to each other, make a conversation to make them laugh, smile, or frown. Sain enjoyed his time on the building top and seemed quite comfortable, but then again, Teishu really didn’t like to stay in the same spot forever. Even when he was asleep, he managed to move around and grumble, sometimes even falling out of the bed. Well, that wasn’t exactly a good thing, but he was always on his toes, ready for something. Finally, he cracked one eye open to look at the sun as the last sliver made its way down over the horizon.

“Bored?” Sain asked, reading his mind. The Wavemaster frowned and pushed himself off the ground to face his Heavy Blade friend. The Heavy Blade opened his eyes and got up himself, sitting across from the Wavemaster, a smile painted on his face. “I knew you weren’t going to say anything; it’s just like you to not bring up the subject when you want to do something else.”

The Wavemaster frowned. “It’s just…well, you seemed to be enjoying yourself and I didn’t want to ruin anything. Well, I guess I have now so…nothing we can do about it right now?” The Wavemaster looked with hopeful eyes at his friend. He hoped he’d agree to go do something else.

The Heavy Blade raised a brow and shook his head slowly before looking him in the eyes. “So, what place do you want to go to today, my friend?” He sighed. He liked relaxing and he looked a bit drowsy, but Teishu had a place in mind that Sain would probably agree to without too much of a hassle.

The Wavemaster grinned at the Heavy Blade. “Well, if it’s okay with you, I was thinking of going to a place or two to sightsee, might be fun for the two of us.” He looked at the Heavy Blade, hoping that his friend would agree to go look at a place or two. He didn’t know many of the places that were interesting, but he really wanted to find one or two of them.

Sain didn’t seem surprised at what Teishu said. He didn’t disagree with it and he really didn’t agree with it…but he’d go out to sightsee as long as it didn’t include fighting someone. He nodded. “I guess if you put it that way, I might go. Any place you have in mind or should I take you somewhere that I’ve heard is cool…”

And that I’m too lazy to go to, Teishu said in his head. He didn’t really know of any places that seemed very interesting, so he shook his head. “I don’t really know of any places that players flock to,” he started. “But then again, there are all kinds of rumors floating around about that cathedral place. I think the keywords are Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground and it’s supposed to be some church…” He didn’t know what else to say, but maybe that was enough to get Sain’s attention.

Sain half-smiled. “I guess I could go to the cathedral, though if there are rumors going around, I’m sure there’s going to be some weird thing waiting in store for us…” The Heavy Blade got up and stretched. “But promise me that we won’t stay too long? I don’t want to be staying there too long.”

Teishu beamed at his friend and started marching off to the ladder. The Heavy Blade followed, a bit sad that he missed some shut-eye, but he had all the time in the world for that. He slid down the ladder after his friend and landed in the middle of the alleyway, boxes, crates, abandoned stands, and garbage thrown around the area in random positions. The Wavemaster stepped over a stand that had fallen. The words were faded out on the title, making it hard for the Wavemaster to read. The Heavy Blade made it out; it was probably the name of a group of players that were trying to figure out a mystery, maybe of one of their friends that disappeared or something like that. He knew that it was in pieces for a reason; fights had broken out and more people had disappeared looking for it. Just a few scraps could tell him something huge and he was sure that there had been a lot of hardship in this. Looking for something dangerous only got you in trouble…huge trouble. The Heavy Blade continued to follow the Wavemaster, sure that these alleys carried nothing but trouble, a place used by players that tried to do something in secret. He tried not to think, but he knew for sure that CyberConnect was having trouble handling players all the time. The two players came out of the alleyways and headed to the Chaos Gate.

There was no crowd now that night had come. Most players had left for bed, but others had stayed to look at the stars and the moon, or maybe quest a bit. The party of two headed up the steps, one excited, one looking slightly drowsy, but still looking ready for a quest. He was ready, but he didn’t feel like fighting monsters or doing anything else. The ocean blue colors and golden colors on the Chaos Gate fit together in Teishu’s opinion, but Sain could’ve cared less about anything like that. He didn’t exactly examine the beauty of the game, since he had always been there in ‘The World’. The Wavemaster raised his hand until he could raise it no further. He closed his eyes and whispered the words, not wanting to attract unwanted visitors. Golden rings materialized and dematerialized, only a second passing by as the party of two dematerialized into the darkness of the night. A few players looked at the party of two, but eventually went back to their conversations. Some wanted to follow, but they couldn’t hear the words. At least there wouldn’t be any unwanted visitors there.

~Hulle Granz Cathedral~

A pale sky rose over the Hulle Granz Cathedral. It was the same darkness that enveloped Mac Anu, but this field still had a sliver of the sun left. Golden rings descended, revealing the party of two, one still as enthusiastic as ever, the other not so excited. Both got their first look at the cathedral and for a moment, they were left speechless, pure beauty seeming out of the question. The immense structure stood tall, casting a shadow over the pathway that led to the double doors. Soft music found itself ringing in the Wavemaster’s ears. The pale crescent moon was surrounded by a variety of stars, some forming constellations, some holding galaxies, some holding unknown worlds, and many others carrying things beyond ‘The World’ and the real world alike. Sain snapped out of his drowsiness and stared all around him, trying to make out everything. The pathway behind him was cut off and there was nothing behind the cathedral. He ran to the edge and looked down, staring into a dark void. He bent over as far as he could without losing balance, staring down at a small little piece holding the cathedral up. He looked at it with a peculiar gaze, but looked up as soon as he saw his friend approaching the cathedral.

Teishu was easily mesmerized by beautiful landmarks and amazingly put together buildings…this one easily made his list. He wished he could’ve seen one in real life; seeing as it was virtual, it didn’t really fulfill his true desire, but still…it was a sight to see. Sain followed Teishu up the short flight of steps, only to stop and stare at the double doors, one of them cracked open, the other closed shut. The Wavemaster reached a hand at the half-opened door and pulled it. A loud roaring sound followed as it opened and hit the wall, dust filing up into the air and making Sain cough. The two slowly walked into the dark cathedral, only a few lamps making the path visible for the two. Sain walked in first, Teishu following behind, both the Wavemaster and Heavy Blade a bit crept out, but still excited. The Heavy Blade stopped at the sight of a pedestal in the middle. There really wasn’t anything really special about it, but they both just stared it, a tint of wonder floating around. The two moved on, both going in separate directions.

Sain bent down and picked up a small book (in his hand at least). He blew the dust off of it and looked at the cover. He wasn’t exactly the best reader, but he could tell that it said ‘The Bible’ on the front. He opened the book and stared at the manuscript that was in it. He sat there hunched down for a little while, reading and staring in wonder. He closed it and looked at the back, but there was nothing. It was a handwritten bible as he saw it, the writing being all in a cursive kind of writing, or maybe it was in a different language. He went to one of the aisles of chairs and set it down on one of the chairs, sighing. The Heavy Blade looked in the direction of where Teishu was standing before he sat down in one of the aisles. He didn’t know what to do at the moment, but he was sure they would leave soon.

The Wavemaster slowly walked forward, each step making a clicking sound that echoed throughout the whole cathedral. Teishu knew the front would probably be the interesting, so he had obviously gone to the very front. He looked down and saw an iron fence that stood blocking his way. He looked up from it and noticed a pedestal, faded letters on it. He leaned over the fence, but still, he couldn’t make out any of the words. That was probably one of the many elements of mystery in this place. He looked up from it and saw what the place was really all about. A statue of a girl, a small girl, and one that looked sad. He stared at its face for a moment and knew that if she was really alive, she would be crying. He could imagine the wet tears flowing down her cheeks. A robe flowed down her body, blocking the view of her hands and feet. Her hair went down about shoulder-length. He didn’t know why he was examining the statue so much, but maybe it was because she seemed like an important part of ‘The World’. He frowned, not knowing what to do now that he had seen the whole cathedral. He turned back to Sain, who had his eyes closed, whistling a bit while he was at it.

“Come on, Sain, we’ve seen it, now let’s get going,” he said. The Heavy Blade opened his eyes and pushed himself off from where he had just been sitting. He looked over at Teishu and stared back at the statue, then looked back. He sighed and followed the Wavemaster outside.

The Heavy Blade knew that the thing could depress any person with ease. The eyes, the frown, and the whole statue itself seemed to be alive, spreading tears. The Wavemaster kept on walking, though they could’ve just gated out to Mac Anu by now. Maybe it was that he wanted to stay and think about stuff for a while longer, maybe he wanted to go back inside and look around a bit more, or maybe he just wanted to cry. He really didn’t want to do anything at the moment. The cathedral was, to put it simply, an incredible sight, but then again, it depressed him enough that he knew he wouldn’t be sleeping at all that night. The Heavy Blade still followed back to the edge of the pathway, where they both looked across into the darkness. If it had been bright, they would’ve been wondering what could’ve destroyed so much of the land. A meteor was an option, but no meteor could be that size. Neither was thinking about this, though, but only thinking about life in particular, nothing really special. Teishu didn’t want to go to bed right now…he felt like staying a bit longer.

A shudder through the whole area snapped Teishu back to his senses. Both were sent flying to the ground as if an earthquake had occurred. The Heavy Blade was the first back on his feet, helping the Wavemaster up. Screaming, or yelling, it seemed, echoed out of the walls of the cathedral to their ears. The Heavy Blade only acted on instinct by trying to gate out, but the Wavemaster didn’t seem like he was doing that. Teishu sprinted off to the cathedral, wonder glimmering in his eyes. This was probably some kind of occurrence; he didn’t care what it was, but something was happening in this field. He wasn’t thinking about the dangers at all, really, but what was going on inside. If there was a person in need of saving, fine; if there was a huge man-eating worm, he was fine, because he knew he could probably fight the thing off. He heard yelling, yelling from his Sain. He knew he was acting stupid by doing this, but he wanted to see, he wanted to find out what was in there.

He leaped over the steps two at a time and sprinted towards the door. He heard words like “Get back!” and “You idiot!” as he tried to open the closed doors. They both were jammed shut, both doors refusing to be opened. The Heavy Blade had caught up in seconds and stood in front of him. The ground was still shuddering beneath them, causing him to almost lose balance and smash into the door.

“Teishu, what the hell do you think you’re doing?! We need to gate out before you get yourself in a bad situation!” He yelled them harshly into his ears, but knew the words wouldn’t reach the Wavemaster. He knew the Wavemaster wanted an adventure, a true adventure, one that he’d remember. One where he was brave and strong and the only person who saw it; it was something that humans did. Curiosity killed the cat, cat meaning human in this situation. He grabbed him by the hand and hoped that it would work, hoped that he could gate out both of them somehow. He gated out, but found that he couldn’t. He frowned. He was saving his own life here, he wasn’t just going to lose it. With one last yell, he pressed the ‘Gate Out’ button and found that the golden rings were…no longer working.

“What the…” he muttered, but at that moment, the doors burst open, smashing him and Teishu out to the pathway. The impact to both their heads made both of them dazed for a moment. Sain had worse damage, however, and for a moment, he couldn’t see anything even when his eyes opened. He clutched his head with both hands, trying to think of what had just happened. His senses came back to him and his memory of what just happened, but he still felt like he had just hit his head on a metal bar. He slowly got up and looked at the Wavemaster, who had had worse damage, in terms of HP at least. The Wavemaster was up and all, but blood slowly dripped down the side of his head. The Wavemaster muttered a quick “Repth” before he was back and running. Sain really didn’t like how he was the only one out of the two who had to feel pain. But damn, that door really hurt when it could hit you in milliseconds without you noticing it.

“We can’t ‘Gate Out’, Teishu, so what do you suggest we do now that you’ve gotten us both stuck in this mess!” Sain yelled, anger burning his eyes. The ground shuddered under him, making him almost fall back to the ground.

The Wavemaster looked back at him and rolled his eyes. “This is no time for arguing about me ruining your life, Sain… Anyways, what can we do but stop the source of what’s happening?”

Sain pulled out his blade and held it in both his hands. “Well, I guess we could always try that plan. If that doesn’t work…?” He looked at the Wavemaster with a dull expression. If they couldn’t get out…

“Well, we’ll think of something by then, won’t we?” he asked. That made the Heavy Blade uneasy, but every battle made him uneasy, so the Heavy Blade said to himself that he could handle it.

With that, the two sprinted towards the open door, still a bit uneasy about the whole idea, but still determined to stop the source and hopefully get back to Mac Anu alive. The Heavy Blade was the first to get to the door, his Magnifier held high, Vak energy flowing around it. The Wavemaster found himself next to him, one of his numerous wands prepared. He held it high, still wondering what was there in front of them. The doors closed behind him. Both of them frowned at the darkness that enveloped around them. A laugh echoed around them, one of a woman. The lamps, though not casting a great light around them, lit enough of the room to reveal a woman. She wore a green robe around herself and had flowing blond hair that swept around her head. Her eyes were a piercing emerald green and she stood taller than both of them, probably six and a half feet high. A sly smile was on her face and she looked like an A.I. to both the players. Sain flinched as she took a step forward on her bare feet, no clicking sound coming like when the two walked around in their boots. The Wavemaster shivered as cold air swept through a millimeter big crack in the door.

“Shiroi,” Sain mumbled under his breath, venom in his tone. The lady stopped at the sound of her name, though an ordinary person shouldn’t have been able to hear something that low.

She laughed; a laugh that sent shivers down Teishu’s spine, one that made the word ‘evil’ mean nothing, one that defined someone that meant trouble and only trouble. “You must be Sain…yes, yes, you serve under Vulcan.” She reached a hand to touch the boy, but his hand whipped out, slapping hers away.

“Don’t touch me,” he said, his blade held with one hand this time, his other ready to lash out if she attempted to try it again. “Let us out of here, Shiroi…now.” The Heavy Blade had never seen her in person before, but rumors alone of a lady in green robes had wandered around from maybe one or two players, no more. She wasn’t very popular, but he knew very well from other A.I.s that she wasn’t a very nice one.

“But that would ruin the fun, now wouldn’t it?” she said, a smile on her face, her emerald green eyes glittering. She started to walk back to the statue, her eyes still shining. Sain scowled at her.

“And where do you know her from?” Teishu whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

“I don’t know her, really, but in terms of A.I.s, she’s…a troublesome one to handle, though I’m sure we can handle it,” he said, trying to stay confident. The Heavy Blade knew that if they were lucky, they’d get out of there. If they weren’t, well, then they were thoroughly screwed.

“Then,” she started, still walking towards the front of the church, “if you were not on my side the slightest bit, it means that we will have to fight, my boy.” She whipped around suddenly and raised her hand, a glow coming from it, alighting the whole cathedral with green light.

The battle had begun.

She let out a yell that echoed around the room. Vines surrounded her, thorns jutting out of them, their edges a dark purple color. The party of two prepared their weapons, both knowing that if the vines trapped them, they’d die pretty easily. Vines flowed around the woman, guarding her from any attacks. Sain charged at her, his eyes aglow, and his blade ready to rip into flesh. He let out a yell as the vines that once enveloped her shot forward at speeds that Teishu himself thought impossible in the game. He yelled to Sain to watch out, but knew he had to watch out for himself. He raised his wand and spun it around, swinging it this way and that while yelling two words that defined defense for his character.

“Gan Zot!”

The ground rumbled under him and a piece of earth jutted out, dirt and rocks hitting the ground. The Wavemaster was on the ground, watching the vines smash into the rock, trying to get past it. He could see the dents coming into the pillars. He frowned as dirt and rocks flew out of the sides as more vines tried to get past. What was he supposed to do now? He was helpless. The pillars started to slowly move down, letting the vines come in ever slower.

“Get away, Gan Don!”

An aura of Gan energy surrounded him. He kept on using the Gan spells for a reason that was smart. He knew that they were both opposite in terms of elements so it would be effective and plus, Gan was probably the strongest element and Juk was obviously going to be crushed under the weight of any boulder, pillar, or any kind of dirt. Out of nowhere appeared a boulder about the size of Teishu’s body. The Wavemaster watched the boulder fall down on three vines that had once been trying to penetrate the pillars that he had summoned with the previous Gan Zot spell. He jumped over them and looked in the direction of Sain. The Heavy Blade looked…okay, he guessed.


Sain, on the other hand, was not in his best mood. As soon as he saw the vines come up and start after him, he knew that it’d be troublesome. He knew the Wavemaster would have an easier time since he had magic and Mage’s Souls everywhere, but Sain on the other hand had to use his instincts and his blade. He leaped into the air, flames already burning around his character. He yelled the skill that the Magnifier had and swung in a circle as the vines surrounded him. He closed his eyes and let out a roar of rage as the vines started to close in, trying to trap him in a tangle of thorns. The blade sliced through the vines with ease, ripping through more and more as he swung it around in the air. Flames engulfed the vines, immediately crawling through them until one had diminished into ashes. He landed on the ground, only three left from Shiroi’s arsenal. He frowned and swung as one of them whipped out, lashing at him with a swift motion. The blade sliced through the vine, leaving it limp and dead for a moment. The other two came at him, surprising him and lashing at him. Only to hits got in before the Heavy Blade swung up, flames engulfed around his blade once again, slicing both clean in half with a quick sweep. The ends turned a dull gray color and disappeared, leaving the Heavy Blade to stand, examining the hits that he had taken. A deep cut ran down the side of his chest, though there was no poison on it, just blood. He winced and looked over to the long mark on his arm. A pinch of purple lay smoldered across it.

“Ah,” he muttered as the poison started to take effect. He knew that it wouldn’t heal, not until he was either dead or someone had used a massive amount of antidotes on him. He ignored the stinging pain that inched around his arm and charged at Shiroi head on, his blade pulled back and his lips curled back in a snarl. She let out a roar of laughter as vines enveloped her character again. She gave him a sly smile.

“Do you think that your weapon will get through these vines, let alone touch me? Ha!” She raised her left hand and a startling wind burst from behind her. Her laugh echoed in Sain’s ears as he flew back, vines already starting to surround him. He let out a yell of surprise as one squeezed around him and others starting whipping at him. The vines swung him back and forth, onto the ground and in the air. He was finally sent flying back, spinning and doing multiple flips before he collided with the wall. His HP was near depleted and all he saw was a blur. He got up and prepared his blade, though he didn’t know even if he’d be able to stand up long enough to even attempt to try and evade or block an attack. Before the vines could tackle him again, he dug into his back pocket and found a Health Drink. He gulped the green liquid down in an instant and watched the skin clot up to leave all of his wounds healed, though the one on his side was still there. He looked up as vines from all sides were about to swing at him.

He wanted to sprint back, but all he felt was the cold touch of cement at his back. The Heavy Blade swung his blade up, about to slice into one of the vines, just when they stopped. His blade stopped mid-swing and he watched as each and every one of them fell limp on the ground in front of them. It revealed Shiroi, who didn’t look so happy. A boulder lay cracked over the vines, having smashes through it and left her with nothing but two vines to protect her. She seemed a little too tired to summon any more, so that was a good thing. She let out a soft laugh like nothing bad had happened. Teishu looked over to Sain with a look that said ‘Well, I think we’ve gotten through the worst of it’. The Heavy Blade rolled his eyes, giving the Wavemaster a bad feeling about what was going to happen. Shiroi let the vines retract into her robes before she pulled out a long blade, one that looked like a katana. It glinted in the moonlight, reflecting off pale light into both their eyes. She waited for one to come at her, though she already knew that Sain would be forced to attack eventually.

Teishu frowned at the situation in front of them. Two low levels against some high level A.I. That seemed…fun. The Heavy Blade on his side sighed. They’d have to work really well if they were to finish it alive. Sain charged at her right as the Wavemaster pulled out his Cypress Wand and yelled a ‘Rue Rom’ to distract her. A tornado of salt water and ice swirled under her character and swept her up off the ground for a moment, dealing minimal damage. She laughed and let her arms spread out, the ground shaking beneath her and sweeping away the wind as if it were nothing. The water was sent back in the direction of the Wavemaster, the water making him slip on the floor, a few ice shards finding themselves in his back. He was glad for some magical defense in this game. He got up and brushed himself off, watching Sain still charge at the woman. This is your battle. You can do it.

Sain let out a battle cry and swung forward with his blade, flames already having engulfed it. Shiroi laughed and deflected the attack like it was nothing. Sain skidded back and brought his blade back up, flames still engulfing his blade. A green aura surrounded Shiroi as she swung her blade, sending Sain’s blade spinning out of his blade like it was nothing. Leaves glided around her character as her blade swung across, hitting Sain straight in the chest. He let out a scream of pain and was sent back across the cathedral by the power of the blade. The Wavemaster waved his wand and muttered a ‘Repth’ for his friend. The wound was healed in an instant and the player stood on his two feet. He pulled out his Flamberge and readied it. Blood still oozed down from the wound in his chest. He winced and looked to his opponent. He could do it…

The player charged, eyes burning with rage. The red eyes were still determined as ever. He leaped and slid forward on the slick floor. His blade dragged down on the floor as he slid before he swung it in an upward sweep. She laughed and easily blocked it. The Heavy Blade smiled and let go of the blade in his hand. Shiroi fell forward just enough for him to knee her in the chest before his fist found itself in her cheekbone. She slid back towards the gate with a small bruise on her cheek. He picked the blade up from where it had clattered to on the ground. Sain held it up, examining it before he charged forward at Shiroi. She laughed and jumped to the left, leaving the Heavy Blade running towards at the steel fence. With quick thinking, the Heavy Blade jumped, whirling around in the direction of Shiroi and launching himself off from the fence’s top. His black hair swept in his eyes as he swung his blade down at her head, all of his power used in the move, and his eyes still having that determined look. She sidestepped with ease and swung her blade up, hitting him back despite his quick attempt to land more damage on her. Blood dripped from a cut on his chin. He got up despite the pain in his arm and chin. He wouldn’t let himself be killed by her. He charged once again and swung his blade up, only to find that her blade had shot up and collided with it. He spun around, swinging his blade in the other direction, finding that her blade protected her again. He swung in the other direction and found the same results. He swung in a downward sweep, only to find her jump and let one of her bare feet collide with his cheek. He skidded back and winced as the poison seemed to take more effect.

“Why do you still fight when there is no hope for you, boy?!” She let out a soft laugh again. Sain frowned and charged forward, blade dragging on the ground, giving out a screeching noise. He brought the blade up and swung down, trying to land a hit on her head. The blades locked and sparks hit the ground below them.

“Maybe it’s because,” he started through gritted teeth, “there are some people who drive me,” he pushed forward and skidded back, “to beat people that,” he charged forward and swung his blade in a sideways strike, “think they’re invincible!” The Heavy Blade swung hard enough that the blade was knocked aside and he landed a hit on her side. Her character was hit to the side a ways, but she got up instantly.

Shiroi raised her blade and charged, a low hiss escaping her lips. Her legs carried her quicker than Sain expected and before he knew it, he saw a blur as he smashed into a pedestal and crumbled to the ground. He was sure that the impact had at least broken a few bones in his back. He tried to get up, knowing that he was dead if he didn’t. She let out another laugh of hysteria. Then the sky lit up over her head, surprising her. The Wavemaster that had been ignored for a few minutes didn’t like to be ignored. His wand was raised and flames surrounded him. His cloak billowed behind him and his hair whipped around his eyes. The meteor hit her with full impact, fast as a bullet coming from a gun. Flames surrounded her character and smoke came from the area next to her. The Wavemaster cast a quick ‘Repth’ on his partner. The Heavy Blade heard a small crack and smiled as his bones found themselves in the right place again. He nodded to his partner and gave him his best grateful expression. Shiroi let out a scream of anger, a heavy wind flowing around her and spreading through the whole cathedral. The double doors flew open and both players slid back. Teishu put a hand in front of his eyes as leaves flew forward and started cutting at his legs. Sain was sent flying back, being so close as he was. The Wavemaster grabbed his hand and braced himself to try and hold onto the Heavy Blade. The wind slowly came to a stop, but the doors still lay open, barely on their hinges. The two players looked at Shiroi, who slowly walked forward, leaves still surrounding her. Her expression wasn’t very friendly and her eyes were burning with rage after the Wavemaster’s surprise attack. A few small holes in her clothes were still burning from the attack. The Heavy Blade stood in front of Teishu and held his blade up, eyes burning with determination to beat the lady to a pulp.

Shiroi held her slim blade up into the air, a green aura surrounding her. Vines surrounded her, her laugh already echoing in the two boys’ ears. “Get back!” Sain yelled in Teishu’s ear. Both players took multiple steps back as more vines surrounded her. This almost seemed like her final attack…or it was her final attack. A roar came from behind her, from the back of the cathedral. The Heavy Blade and the Wavemaster were running in the other direction and were soon at the edge of the path. Vines still raged around her, her eyes closed, and her expression straight. Her eyes opened and her blonde hair swept from behind her. She shot forward like a cannon had propelled her. Vines came at her sides, thorns sticking out of them, but no poison tips. The Wavemaster swung his wand up.

“Gan Zot!”

A pillar of earth jutted from the ground, blocking their view of Shiroi. Sain prepared his blade, prepared to burn something if it dared come at him. The Wavemaster threw a Mage’s Soul up in the air and watched his SP replenish to full. His wand spun desperately in the air as the pillars slowly started to crumble, huge dents showing from their side of view. A brown aura surrounded him, filtering the dark area with brown light. More brown light followed. Boulders came crashing out of the sky, one after the other. There were only five in all, but it seemed like there were more to Teishu. The Heavy Blade stood in front of his friend, his blade already burning. He heard multiple cracks on the other side. Silence followed, but he knew it was not over. The pillars were smashed to bits, dirt and rocks flying around the area and spinning off the edge of the area. The Wavemaster could only see Shiroi and three vines. The green aura still surrounded her with the leaves and she still looked the same. She let out a soft laugh and came at Teishu. The Wavemaster let out a yell and swung his wand to try and hold her off for even a millisecond, but she was already in front of him, her sharp blade being brought down on his head. Sain roared and threw his whole body weight on the woman, flames burning around his character. He jumped to his feet and raised his blade, prepared to tear into her flesh.

She laughed and kicked him in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. He gasped as he hit the wall behind him. She charged at him, a green aura still surrounding her. One hit from her blade would slice him in half. If he had a Game Over, he didn’t know what would happen to him. Would he appear back in Mac Anu, would he disappear? He didn’t know what would happen as it had never even occurred to him that it would have a chance of happening. He rolled to the side, his blade flashing out and smashing her cheek in a quick motion. He got up and swung sideways, trying to land another hit. She hissed and ducked. His chest was open for an attack! Teishu charged at the lady and screamed, tackling her side and bringing her down for the count. He could care less if he died. She kicked his character off the ground and he was sent back. “How dare you!?” she hissed, but Sain stood in front of her.

“You’re my opponent…bitch.” She let out a scream of rage and charged at him. Flames enveloped his sword as she ran at him, her blade ready to cut into flesh. He pressed his foot forward and swung in an upward strike, the flames hissing at his adversary. Her blade met blades with his, vines and flames clashing. He spun around, his blade coming around for another hit. Both blades clashed again. He jumped back, pulled his blade back, and swung it forward into thin air, flames shooting out from the blade like an angry hive of bees charging at a little boy. She laughed as vines came up, protecting her. Sain panted, tired from the countless clashes he had made with her. It was time to end this.

She charged with her blade held at her right side. Her sprint was quite fast, but that would help to end this. He knew what sacrifice would be taken to do this. He knew she would drag him along too. He’d just have to do it…for the two of them. He slipped his blade away and he was sure that she was thinking ‘Fool! You will die without the aid of a weapon!’, but he knew what he was doing. She leaped into the air and swung down with her blade. The Heavy Blade rolled back, his legs in the air. Her breath was knocked out of her, but that wasn’t what he was planning. He rolled back and sent her off the edge of the path, into the abyss. Despite that her breath was knocked out, she wasn’t going to give out without a fight. She fell back into the abyss and let a vine loose, the vine grabbing his leg before he could even say ‘We won!’ The Heavy Blade knew it was coming and he knew that if he was saved, she’d be saved and the battle would go on.

Teishu was at his side, hacking at the vine, but it was no use. Sain didn’t have time to prepare a skill and swing at it. He wouldn’t have time. The Wavemaster yelled something in the Heavy Blade’s ear, but the Heavy Blade could not hear his friend. With that, Sain, the Heavy Blade, flew back off the Hulle Granz Cathedral, never to be seen again, or so the Wavemaster thought. Teishu stared over the edge as his partner disappeared into darkness. ‘Even in death, I am still brave.’ The Wavemaster didn’t know why he had thought of that, but he was sure that the Heavy Blade was maybe thinking of that. His partner, his best friend, was now…dead. The Wavemaster could still see the look on his friend’s face as he found himself flying down over the edge with Shiroi. Teishu stood there for almost an hour, but what seemed like a millennia. Please come back, please come back… he thought, but he knew it would not come true. Whatever he did, no matter how much he looked, he’d know that he was gone. He started cursing at himself, saying that it was his fault that his friend had died, died for a boy, died for nothing. They could’ve worked things out in the end as long as Sain had managed to hold on a bit longer. Maybe his friend thought it was destiny for him to perish with another A.I. Maybe, maybe that was it.

The Wavemaster stay there, dumbfounded. He remembered how they had gone through two dungeons together, how Sain had been the one who had taught him what to do. He hated thinking about what the man had done, how the man had inspired him to play the game more often. He clenched his fist and dug his nails into his palm, still looking into the empty darkness under the pale, full moon. It was destiny. He couldn’t change that. The Wavemaster, with that, gated out and logged out, unsure of what there still was to do. There wasn’t anything left to do. Nothing.

Tom slowly took off the VR goggles and gently set them aside. He lay himself on the bed and looked at the gray ceiling and the unmoving fan. He couldn’t just disappear into another dimension. That guy was alive…somewhere, but that also meant that she had survived too. Maybe, maybe he had just restarted in Mac Anu. No, no, that wasn’t it. It was too simple. He lay there thinking for almost another hour before he fell asleep on his bed, his hair ruffled and his body motionless as dreams washed over him and swept the memory out of his head for the two hours of sleep that he would get.

A solo that I never finished...mainly because that was when I decided to change my class. Too bad I couldn't change any of it so I could post it up. Enjoy, I guess! xD

~Real World~



“…3…”

Everybody stretched and got into position for the race that was coming up. The crowd cheered as approximately eight boys prepared for the final race, the race for the win. They all had determined expressions on their face, each and every one of them.

“…2…”

The crowd went silent, each and every one of them watching the man who sounded out the word. There were a few whistles and anybody could hear a girl cheering at the top of her lungs. It was her brother after all.

“…1…”

The boys tensed, each and every one of their heart’s beating quickly. Tom stood at the end of the line, his fingers on the ground, holding up his weight. He heard the words clearly in his head and set off sprinting with the other kids.

“GO!”

The crowd roared and cheered as each and every one of the boys ran as fast as they could go. Sweat was already dripping down Tom’s forehead as he moved to the right, circling around the track. Almost halfway, I’ve got to win this. He sprinted, his eyes bulging as he sped in front of the kids, then in back. Come on, come on, come on! He put on some speed, but there were still two kids inching ahead of them. He couldn’t accept third place! He panted and turned again, already circling around for the final fourth. The crowd roared and he thought he could hear his sister calling and cheering him on. He was edging closer, closer, closer! He but on a burst of speed and sped in front of one of the kids, coming across the finish line. The boy looked over to him and then to the man. Both had sweat beading down the side of their heads. The man turned over to a few of the others. The crowd was silent, waiting for the announcement of the winner. Tom held his breath, his mind racing. Come on, come on, come on…

“Winner: Tom Shenu!”

Tom’s eyelids slowly opened, the gray ceiling above him giving him a gloomy feeling. He turned in his bed, shoving his face into his pillow. He frowned, thinking about his dream. He remembered it clearly in his head how he had won that run. It had been, what, three years ago? He remembered his family patting him on the back, the other racers being infuriated at how he had won, his sister beaming at him. That was all gone now. His sister wasn’t here, she wasn’t anywhere; she was dead. His parents were still here, but they weren’t what they used to be. His friends had moved on and matured to become perverted. He was mostly lost in his life. He had one friend, and that friend was gone for the whole summer, going off to do something else. He frowned and turned in his bed, his head turning to the window, stars glinting in the darkness of the night. He wanted some comfort. He didn’t want the comfort from Haku or some digitalized friend, but comfort from a real live person. He turned again, facing the dull, gray ceiling again. The fan slowly moved, creaking as it went. He didn’t bother to pull off the covers, because he just wanted to go back to sleep. All of his worries of life were coming back to him. That was the last thing he wanted to handle. He turned and looked over at a family picture. He slithered under the covers again and tried to fall asleep there, but he couldn’t fall back asleep. Too many thoughts racked at the recesses of his mind and he couldn’t protect himself.

He pulled off the covers and slid out of the bed silently, hoping to not wake his parents who were in the next room. He opened the bedroom door and slipped out of it, closing it behind him. Tom took a step down and then another, finding himself creeping down the steps to the family room. He sat on the couch and made himself cozy, trying not to think of anything at the moment. He turned on the TV and squinted at the light of the channel. He flipped through the channels, careful to keep it on Mute as he did so. There was never anything good to watch in the middle of the night. He turned it off and sighed. What was he supposed to do now? He could try to sleep, but then again, he’d have absolutely nothing to do. Tom frowned and got up from the couch, seeing as there was no point in trying to sleep. He walked upstairs again and slipped silently into his room, again careful not to make noise. The boy walked over to the window and opened it, letting a cool breeze in. He shivered, but liked the gentleness of the wind. He looked out from the window, leaning down and watching a few cars go by. A boy walked out of the car and slipped into the house. The car sped off again. He sighed and looked at the pale full moon that shone above them. The street lamps dimmed the stars, making it hard for him to point out constellations and the like.

The boy slowly took off the screen and slipped out onto the roof. It was nearly flat on the top, so it was easy to sit down on and watch the stars at. His stomach growled as he went outside, but he ignored it. There was a glint from the corner of his eye. A shooting star split through the sky, disappearing within two seconds. The boy had actually closed his eyes and made a wish, though that was kept to him and him only. Tom continued to watch the night sky. Mac Anu would be such a nicer view…and it’d be much quieter too… The roar of cars on the freeway rung in his ears and he frowned. He might as well just go on and see what was happening around Mac Anu, but still, he was bored and, of course, he was just going to sit there a while longer. I wonder where Haku is when I’m gone. Well, he’s immersed with my character data, as I’ve learned, and…yeah, that’s about it. Does he just shut down or something when I leave? I hope not. That would be kind of…boring. Even more boring than this. He scowled into the darkness, hoping for something better than this life. Sain was dead, but at least he still had a bit of family in the clan. There was Xantos, Aiko, Light, Mizu, or even Reinier if he needed anything, but they weren’t on all the time.

“What are you going to do, Tom, what are you going to do,” he mumbled under his breath, still staring into the endless darkness. ‘The World’ was a safe haven for him, but ever since he had gotten his anima, it had been hard because the Administrators were always sweeping the servers, looking for suspects. Those were times when he stuck to the alleyways and the darkness. It had been hard for him, but having Haku to talk to him was always good fun. He sighed and laid himself back on the roof, his eyes closing. He didn’t want to think about anything, so he left his mind blank. It left his mind to wander around about random things, though he kept away from the subject of real life. Ten minutes passed, another twenty minutes passed, thirty minutes past. It had been an hour of just laying there, eyes closed, and thinking about nothing. Tom clambered through the window and slipped into his chair, watching as the screen went alight with a manifold of colors for his background.

The news, as usual, was bland and boring. Nothing but new technology and maybe a crisis here or there. It was always ‘The Government did this’ or ‘This person made a miracle’ or something bland that he didn’t want to hear. He clicked on his e-mail, only to find nothing but a few forwarded messages from his friend. He clicked on a link and frowned. He was Rickrolled…for the umpteenth time. The boy clicked out of the e-mail, still troubled, and sighed. He moved the mouse over to the icon of ‘The World’. It hovered over it for a moment and for a moment, Tom was tempted to just unplug the computer and throw the plug out the window where he would never find it, but instead, he clicked on the icon. The screen came up, leaving him to admire the graphics for a moment before typing in his username and password. He slipped on the VR goggles and adjusted them to the right position on his head. He grabbed the controller and clicked the ON button before the game came alive in front of his eyes.

“Welcome to ‘The World’…” Tom muttered.

~Aqua Capital: Mac Anu~

Golden rings fell down, revealing a whole new Wavemaster, his costume completely redone. The Wavemaster sighed and looked at himself. The blue cloak was tucked away, as he didn’t need it even at the moment. His ears were nowhere to be found, as the expansion took them away. He had white hair now and gentle orange eyes. He wore a light scarf around his neck, orange with black stripes. He wore a kind of sailor’s shirt, a bit ragged, but it was still okay. At the top near the collar, it was strung together with strings. He wore ragged jeans with a small belt in the middle. On his right arm was a bangle with multiple steel thorns sticking out. His wavy white hair was swept around in the gentle breeze in the night. The boy pulled out a black pole from his back and looked it over. He smiled.

The wand’s end was used as a walking stick, but when in battle… The Wavemaster watched closely as the wand glowed a fire-red and the tip split into two, slanting so each looked like an L. It glowed and then reversed back into place for the regular black, walking stick. He gently slipped it away and stuffed his hands into his ragged jeans. It was a bit cold out, but the clothes he wore were good enough for him. He didn’t feel like wearing a cloak and acting like he was hiding something. His tail was a bit small, a bit unnoticeable, but still, he could hide it when he needed to. One eye was still golden like Haku’s and the other was the regular orange that it was meant to be. Tints of gray faded into his white hair, making it unnoticeable except for someone who really looked hard. He was satisfied with it, for now at least.

Teishu looked up, waiting for Haku to butt in and say ‘Hey, kid, how’s it going’, but he didn’t. The boy didn’t feel like talking, so it was really no use. Haku hadn’t spoken to him for a while, but maybe he was waiting for him to talk. He really didn’t feel like talking, so thus they weren’t talking to each other…for now at least. He looked up at the pale full moon and at the players that hung around in Mac Anu. Around fifty or seventy five were lounging about, either buying stuff, going out on a late night adventure, or just talking to a friend. The boy looked around, his long white hair brushing past his eyes as he looked. He found nobody that he knew, but it seemed like there was something going on in the back. Ten or so people were there and more and more people were gathering around. A small computer-like object floated in the air, revealing the objective and what the event was. The Wavemaster read it over, trying to think of whether or not to do the event. It suited him…kind of. It was a survival/gather treasure/fight monsters kind of event. It was on an island a few miles back from Mac Anu. The objective was to try and get the treasure, though it wasn’t guaranteed that you’d gain anything at all for entering.

The Wavemaster frowned and looked over, noticing a brown mass at the far side of the river. Most of the people’s gazes averted to it and a few rushed to it, pushing past him. So, they were supposed to survive and fight their way to find some treasure. It was more a treasure hunting kind of quest, but at the moment he was just looking for a bit of fun. Want to go, Haku? It was brief and his voice showed excitement. The boy was already off in a jog towards the ship, though, and the raccoon really couldn’t complain.

The raccoon laughed at his anxiety. Sure, kid, go wild. We’re not quite as noticeable, but yeah, you actually look suited for this job. Kind of funny that that new expansion pack of yours helped us a bit. I’d suggest taking off that scarf, though. Knowing a tropical island, it’ll be warm.

The Wavemaster smiled and walked up to board the ship, a plump NPC organizing them to go on. Teishu looked about, finding that there were a lot of people around, some just getting on for the morning, others having stayed on all night. A rope led up to the top, where you could see the view, though it looked a bit high and scary. The boy shrugged and got up on the rope, climbing up with a few other people. Most were aiming not for the top, but to just sit atop somewhere near the mast or something like that. The Wavemaster wanted the top view, even if he got a bit woozy and seasick. The boy lifted another leg up and started his way up, ascending quickly and sometimes hoping that he hadn’t chosen to come up. He passed other excited players that had stopped halfway or so, but he was aiming for the top where nobody had gone. He pushed up again and slid off to the top, sighing and looking across the sea in front of them. The last three players had come on the ship and the NPC had closed off the bridge, causing some players to get mad and try to actually jump to try and reach the boat. He laughed, but held onto the rope tight before depositing himself to his destination. He looked down, his eyes bulging, but the cool ocean breeze seemed to wash away his worries. He looked across to the sea and then to the black dot that was going to be the island. The boat set off, making him grab onto the railing tightly, but going at a steady pace so he could stand up and look across at the sea.

He relaxed. So, it seems that this quest is something like a pirate kind of quest. I’m not quite a pirate and I don’t admire treasure all that much, but it seems like something that’ll get my mind off of stuff…what’s your thoughts, Haku?

The raccoon sighed. Sounds like fun, but yes, watch out for these people. The vast majority of them look strong, though it’s more about survival skills and the like. Your staff won’t help you too much, but your spells, at least, will. A pause. You know, Teishu, I think you’ll be ‘The World’s’ new Tarzan. Maybe you could act like Peter Pan or something. Throw some mangos at people. It’d be fun!

The Wavemaster sighed. Sounds like fun, but I’m no Peter Pan. I’m not Tarzan either; Tarzan hangs out with gorillas and I doubt you’re a gorilla. Yeah, mango throwing sounds a bit like fun, though, but I don’t want you saying ‘Look, it’s the legendary mango thrower of doom’ or some kind of crappy line like that. That’s a big no in my book, though it’s probably not in your book… The island was growing closer and a few men were pulling out their blades and axes and getting ready to charge off to the island and raid it.

The raccoon laughed. Wow, I can imagine a bunch of nerds behind their computers…anyways! You actually look like the type for this, really…have I already said that? Well, I’d just like to say that you go enjoy yourselves, wake up some Indian tribes, find some treasure, discover Tinker Bell, and survive through the event! Yeah, good luck, kid, luck’s not going to be very common here, judging your level. There was another laugh and the voice of the raccoon’s faded. The Wavemaster grabbed the rope and slid down, the island already coming up and a few of the people getting ready to be deposited in boats, party by party. The Wavemaster went to the edge and got into a boat before an NPC dropped the line and he went into the water. He grabbed the oars and started to row, Haku’s usual humming and singing of ‘Row, row, row your boat’ coming afterward.

A few players from their own small little boats looked over, eyeing him as easy prey. Any who looked at him got a smile from the Wavemaster, making them flinch and move on. He headed to go around to the other side of the island, as maybe there there’d be something else on the other side to find. Maybe there’d be a heavy supply of mangos to throw? He didn’t know, but he sure had his hopes up for something good other than a dense jungle filled with monkeys that would strangle him with vines and the like. The Wavemaster, being lazy as he was, deposited himself at the side, seeing as no one was following him. He jumped out of the boat and slipped off his boots and scarf, throwing them off back into the boat. The sand, as it seemed, was burning his feet. Ignoring that his feet were red, he bent down and examined the sand, staring at it. He stared at a shell, one that was white with orange stripes. He picked it up and tried to slip it into his inventory, but it only bounced off. He frowned and threw it into the water, watching the flat shell bounce across three times before being swallowed up in a wave. He dipped his feet into the water and slipped the boots and scarf into his inventory, just in case he needed them. And of course, he didn’t want to lose them either.

Teishu was off, hearing yells of excitement and screams of worry from the jungle. He rushed off, enjoying the waves and remembering times when their whole family was on the beach. Most had tried to avoid the water, but he had laughed, running into the water and getting his clothes wet. He remembered seeing multiple kinds of seashells and slipping them into a baggy to see at home. He wasn’t sure if he still had that, but he was sure that he still had all the great memories. He kept running for what seemed like an eternity, but he knew that the boat would’ve been much slower than running, even for someone like him. With light clothes, it was easier to run and enjoy the breeze while others wore heavy armor that made them sweat. He might’ve been vulnerable, but he already was, even when he had the “special” kinds of robes on…or leather armor…or something else that Wavemasters wore. The boy’s stomach growled and he remembered the one word that had been mentioned thousands of times before.

Survival.

He grumbled and looked at the sun that was rising higher into the air. Okay, fresh water and food was what he needed. Maybe even a small shelter, though he knew that he’d be looking around more than sitting down and trying to feast on squirrels or something else. Yuck! The Wavemaster looked to the jungle, where everything was at, the traps, the people, the monsters, and everything that he would need to survive. He couldn’t waste time sight seeing; he’d have time later for that, but now was the time to act, which didn’t sound like such a great thing to him at the moment. The Wavemaster frowned and slipped on his light boots and rushed off into the jungle, the echoes of screams still in his ears. The trees proved nice shade, but he found himself sweating just because everything was so close by. It was quite stuffy indeed.

The Wavemaster pulled out his wand and used it as a walking stick to get through the dense amount of trees. He was more looking at the ground and up more than where he was and the like. The wand proved nice, as he could check what the ground was below him, but really, it was only activated for humans. The Wavemaster continued forward at a steady pace, the echoes of people still around him. He stepped forward again and for a moment, everything was blurred as a rope yanked him up. He frowned and looked around, trying to find who the user was, but there was none. It was just something for stalling. He sighed, pulled his wand back, and easily sliced the rope in half with the end. Teishu fell to the ground in a heap and lay there for a second, a bit dazed, his face a bit red after the blood had rushed up to his head. He sighed and slowly got up, taking care to look around for once. There were a few open spots where light filtered in, but other than that, he was unsuccessful in finding food or a spring for some fresh water.

The Wavemaster took another step forward and then another, slowly moving forward, hoping to not find himself caught in a trap. People would be looking for any players to kill, so as to narrow down the competition. He, for one, was a puny Wavemaster, probably the weakest of all of the players that had gone into the ship. He inched forward and turned his head left and then right. A wooden sign stood up with the words ‘BEWARE’ edged into it. The sign was pointed into the one path he could follow. There isn’t much choice to it, so I might as well go so I can maybe find something of use. He stepped forward, expecting a hole to come up, but nothing came. He walked forward, a narrow set of trees coming around the path he had taken. There was a faint [I]click and eight arrows were set off, a surprise attack ensuing. The Wavemaster yelled and ducked, three pillars coming around him as he whispered the words under his breath. [color=orange]”Gan Zot…” He stood up straight, his wand not having changed form. He looked around the area as the pillars of dirt sunk back into the ground. There wasn’t anybody there, but there were small little holes edged into the tree where arrows could be shot through.

You’re going to need to watch out for that stuff more often, kid. This is a game and all, but games can always get dirty. You should try climbing that tree and finding your location. It’s going to be a bit hard if you don’t know where you’re going. You could just find yourself in an ambush, just like this one. There were people, of course, all archers, but I’m guessing they thought you were dead the second they shot, so they sped off…hmm… The raccoon was silent as the Wavemaster made his way up the tree. He might’ve looked like some kind of acrobatic Twin Blade, but he sure as heck wasn’t. He clumsily climbed up the tree, having trouble reaching for branches and the like. He grabbed onto a branch and pulled himself up and looked around for more holds. The next one was a ways up into the air, so he’d have to stand up…

Teishu carefully set himself on the branch and stood up, his legs shaking this way and that. He reached for the branch, grabbed onto it, and lifted himself up, finding himself at the top of the complex tree. He frowned and looked about the area, finding himself looking across a vast island expanse. Up in the tree he could still hear everybody around him. He thought he heard a scream and a pierce as somebody died, but he wasn’t sure. The breeze from the sea came up, sweeping his white hair to the left. He sat there on the branch for a while, staring out at the island, but knowing that there was still stuff that needed doing. He hadn’t found anything but trouble yet…and hunger. His stomach growled, as if on queue to tell him that he needed food on his stomach before he could move on. The Wavemaster reached back with his foot, feeling for the branch. He slipped one foot onto it and the other reached for it. His hands slid off the other branch and for a moment, he thought his other foot would gently hit the branch and he’d be able to move down.

His foot slipped on the branch and the Wavemaster was sent tumbling down the tree, his head colliding with multiple branches and his arms flailing about and getting smacked this way and that as he tumbled down the tree and hit the ground with a loud thud. His vision was black for a moment and it eventually became a blur. It felt like minutes he had been sitting there, hours almost, but only a few seconds in reality. He looked about the area and slowly got up, his eyes looking this way and that. He grumbled and looked about, trying to think where he was. His throat was parched, as he could see from a bar in the corner of the screen, and his stomach was growling. He groaned, but didn’t bother to ask how long he had been unconscious. It had only been a few minutes, because they couldn’t fast forward time, right? He rushed off, bruises all about. A spell wouldn’t do him good, but water would. He didn’t bother to pull out his wand and poke at the ground, but he just ran carelessly, trying to find something that would help him.

He slid to a halt and made a sharp turn to the left, going down another pathway, this one full of sharp rocks and small plants sticking about. He sprinted about, ignoring the numerous rocks that poked about the area. He jumped over a big-sized rock, landed on the ground, stepped forward, caught onto a sharp rock, and was sent flying to the ground. He let out a yell as the rock cut into his leg, making the Wavemaster shiver and pull his leg away. Hit points really weren’t a matter, but it was more getting something to eat and drink. He wasn’t sure if anybody else had found something to eat or drink, but boy was his character thirsty. He mumbled a quick Repth under his breath and watched it sew up the wound in his leg before he rushed off again, being careful to dodge about. He looked left and right, frantically trying to look for water or maybe even a squirrel hanging about. There was always trying to spear a fish, but that would be something hard to do with a wand. The Wavemaster turned and noticed a glint in the distance, a glint of blue, a glint of a spring. Now we’re talking!

The boy sprinted off to the spring, his eyes alight with bliss. He slid to a halt at the end and took the water in his hands and gulped the water down. The meter slowly, but surely, went up. Water dripped down his cheeks and he smiled before standing up and turning, his wand already out and his expression surprisingly serious. A man stood at the edge, a long battleaxe in his hand. The man held it in two hands and looked it over while eyeing the Wavemaster. Teishu turned, his tail already waving about in an excited manner. He frowned, looking to the Heavy Axe that had his axe glimmering in the sunlight.

”So, boy…you look like you could prove to be a bit competitive in this game, even if you’re puny. Excuse the stupid speech, but really, one of us will eventually get rid of you.” The man smiled. He would’ve had armor in a regular place, but that had been taken off for the sake of not sweating and being so slow to find anything. The Wavemaster frowned and slowly shook his head. ”You know that one of us will die and one of us will live. I will be the one to live and you will be the one to die, as I see it. Even if our levels are close, I’ll still kill you, little boy.”

The Wavemaster tapped the ground with his wand and a blue cloak came around him in a flash of light. A sapphire orb came up at the end of his staff, three golden dragons coming up about to hold it in place. The black pole was no longer black, but blue with Rue wave signs all about it. Teishu raised his Cypress Wand and pointed it at the Heavy Axe, his gaze unwavering. ”I’m not just going to run away, scream, and fall under your axe. It’s about time I actually won a fight without a party member dying. This will help me a bit, even if I die. So old grandpa, show me what your little stick can do.”

The raccoon laughed. Yes, go Teishu. Beat the Heavy Axe. Beat the nerd. Beat the…yeah, whatever. Just beat the guy and show him your stuff. I know you’ve been through worse stuff than this, kid, so I expect that you’ll pull out with the win. Good luck, as per usual. The raccoon went silent again, leaving the Wavemaster to smile, slowly shake his head, and point the wand at his opponent, his wavy white hair being swung about. He closed his eyes for a moment before they flashed open as he heard the Heavy Axe move forward.

The Wavemaster pulled his right hand back, holding the wand so it came over his head and pointed itself at his opponent. His orange eyes were determined as he swung his wand up, the spell already taking action. ”Rue Rom.” The Wavemaster frowned and ducked down as the axe was swung at him. It stopped in mid-air, the wind proving too much for it to swing forward, even with the momentum of the swing. Ice and water came around him from the spring and pushed the Heavy Axe slowly back. Water raged around him, ice following as the wind grew louder in his ears. The Heavy Axe was blown back, his magic defense proving to be too small for him to handle even a spell used by a small level one weapon.

The wand slowly changed form, the orb of sapphire dematerializing along with the golden dragons that held it in place. They were replaced by the wand being split into four places, forming a small diamond around the center, where flames crackled and licked at the sides. The rest of the wand had multiple Vak marks on it, the base of it all being orange. The Wavemaster looked at his opponent, his eyes intense. ”You might have good odds on your side with strength and one hit might just take me out, but…the same goes for you, only easier. Choose your opponents wisely next time! Vak Don.” A meteorite pierced through a cloud and was sent spinning towards the man, flames ready to engulf the man. The Wavemaster waited patiently, his wand held at his side, a fiery aura still surrounding him, though it was faint. Smoke rose, revealing the man on the ground, flames licking at his sides, burn marks covering him from head to toe, literally.

He got up and held his axe in front of him, preparing himself for another spell. ”By now, it’s already clear that you’re going to die. I’m not one looking for competition, really, just fun, but if you want a pointless battle, you can surely have one.” He relaxed, but the man didn’t lower his axe, nor did his eyes of determination changed. The Wavemaster waited, waited for the man to leave. He didn’t want to kill on a day meant for treasure hunting. He wanted to leave in peace, dig on the beach, roast some food, and maybe kill a monster or two. Killing players wasn’t on his list to do. He waited for the man to run at him and he knew the Heavy Axe was pondering whether to live or die with pride in his heart. Though that pride wasn’t good, the Wavemaster didn’t care. It was whatever the man wanted.

The Wavemaster raised his wand as the man charged at him. The wand started to change, forming into his Air Wand. Leaves rustled in the soft breeze. The man yelled what the Wavemaster recognized as a skill. The boy took a step back and watched as his Air Wand came up, a green covering coming up, followed by a green orb held by what seemed to be trees. He pointed his wand at his opponent and muttered softly, ”Juk Rom.” The Wavemaster closed his eyes and heard a scream of peril. His character was sent spinning back into the water and by the looks of things, a huge chunk of his hit points had been taken away. He fell back into the spring, floating for a moment, the blood being soaked with the water. He frowned, staring at the sky and listening to the thud that followed, the man having crumbled to the ground. He stared dully at the sun, his body being soaked with water. He blinked at the sun, sure that the water was helping somewhat. The Wavemaster’s white hair was soaked, though it didn’t make his hair any other color due that it was already white, just plain white. He put himself up in an upright position and looked around, finding that no one was there. There were still people to find, places to be. He had his water, but he still had no food. He sighed and got out of the spring, his sky blue cloak disappearing in a flash of light. He ran a finger through his wet hair, a few strands floating to the ground as he did so. His now-black wand dematerialized from the water and materialized in Teishu’s right hand.

The Wavemaster stepped over the rotting corpse of the lifeless Heavy Axe and continued on in the direction of the jungle. He looked up at the promising blue sky, the puffy white clouds, and then in the direction he was going. He was heading down an open path, craggy rocks covering the left side and a great manifold of trees covering the right side. The Wavemaster wouldn’t have anywhere to go if someone came down this path but the other way. It was probably a trap, but right now he wasn’t in the mood for thinking about how people would slit his throat. He tapped the ground with his wand and heard a rustle in the trees. A bird glided through the air above him, but for only a second. In seconds it burst into flames, a quick ”Vak Don” having been mumbled by the Wavemaster. The bird was sent down towards the ground, leaving Teishu to catch it with his right hand. He looked at it closely and smiled at it, satisfied with his catch. How I love how simple it is to eat something in a game… A quick icon showed up in the corner of the boy’s screen, giving him the choice of throwing away the cooked bird or eating it whole. He chose the obvious and scoured it down before moving down, his character still a bit hungry, but not very.

The boy continued slowly forward in the path, his eyes coming around to look left and right as he made his way down the pathway. His carroty eyes looked out to the rocks, the clang of swords and the rumble of thunder in the distance. A storm was coming, it seemed, and he’d have to find shelter before. He didn’t pick up his pace, but rather continued to walk slowly, smoothly, as if nothing was wrong. He was sure that a few other people had found bits of treasure in their search, but right now, he was just wandering around, seeing the sights, wondering what he would do once the storm came. The Wavemaster could always use his spells to make a shelter, make a fire, catch some animals, and then enjoy himself, but it seemed harder than he thought it would be. There was another roll of thunder and he sighed, deciding to turn into the deep forest instead of going on the obvious path. It’d be easier to hide and find some stuff this way. The white-haired boy wove through the endless sea of trees, looking around for anything, though he didn’t find anything that seemed useful in the slightest. There was a rumble of thunder again as he continued through the trees, trying to find something that hinted of shelter, maybe a cave. His wand slid back into his back pocket before he jumped up to grab on a branch. He pulled his small body up and moved on to the center of the tree. It was getting a bit windy now and the clouds were gray, portraying darkness. There was a flash in the sky that startled the Wavemaster a bit, but didn’t too much. He could hear yells from people, yells of anguish, yells of pain, yells of fear. The Wavemaster leapt up to another branch, his fingers wrapping around the sturdy bough before he pulled himself up, his energy barely holding. He panted once on the bark and looked up at the gray sky. A drop of rain accelerated down and tapped him on his palm. It wouldn’t be safe here much longer, not for long. He got up and swung his left foot over to another part of the tree, feeling if it would hold or not. Once he was satisfied, he pushed his character over and looked out from the end of the tree, staring at the sea in front of him. The waves were crashing down hard now and it seemed that eventually something huge would come, something like a tsunami, a tidal wave, or something big. The wind howled and swept his white hair back, making him flinch.

The boy tried to lean closer, but he heard the quick snap of a branch and he pushed back closer to the base of the tree, seeing as he didn’t want to fall. He looked up at the waves. They were far enough away that it didn’t seem like a danger, but in a few minutes it would. He noticed people using their blades to dig up in the sand, ignoring the weather that was ongoing. The Wavemaster wanted to yell at them, yell at them to get out of the way, but he couldn’t. It was like they were in a trance, as if bots were controlling them to find the treasure in the area, as if they didn’t care if their life was put in danger by lightning or the weather. The boy was tempted, oh so tempted, to yell at them, incinerate them with one of his spells, but he couldn’t. He was too far away. The wind howled again, threatening to push the tree back a little. It was huge and sturdy, but the top branches couldn’t hold the weight of someone and the wind that was trying to break them. The Wavemaster carefully inched down, sure that there were footholds and that he had something to grab on. He jumped the last few feet and landed heavily on the ground. His legs buckled for a moment from the jump, but he was back up and ready in seconds.

Teishu looked around for something, whether it be a cave, whether it be a clearing that had trees protecting him from the wind, or something that would provide shelter from the storm. He sprinted to the right, trying to find his way around the area. He slid to a halt and looked up, raindrops coming more frequently and the thunder being a bellow from where he was. The Wavemaster didn’t know what to do; he couldn’t hide from the rain, nor the wind, but all he could do was run, attempt to hide, but never find the way. He looked at the sky and fell back, his body hitting the ground and his head spinning. He felt dizzy, as if everything was coming at him fast. His eyes closed for a moment, but opened seconds later, the soft pitter patter of the water reaching his ears. He got up, his character still a bit shaky, but other than that, he was fine.

You okay, kid? Really, don’t scare me like that. You looked pretty bad, but other than that, I think you’ll survive through the rest of the event. At least you didn’t pass out for too long, only a minute, really. I’d suggest trying to find someone to help you, someone to aid you to find a treasure or shelter. He paused, the rustle of leaves coming up from in front of the Wavemaster, behind a few bushes. Okay, there’s your ticket. Don’t mess up, kid. The boy froze for a moment, his wand out and his eyes a bit weary from what had just happened.

Don’t mess up is a little bit of an understatement… The boy looked up, watching as a man came out of the bushes, a spear in hand, crimson eyes glowing. He had spiky gray hair that was ruffled around, as if he had been messing around with it for a while. He looked a bit old and wore a button-upped white shirt, though it wasn’t button-upped at all. He wore long shorts that were torn in multiple places, but didn’t wear any gloves or boots. His spear was long, the whole thing painted crimson. The man looked up at Teishu. His expression was troubled, but by the looks of things, he didn’t seem like the one to try and kill him. The boy frowned, clutching his wand a bit tighter as the Long Arm approached him.

”Yet another solo player. Wow, I’ve seen a lot of ‘em today, it seems. What’s your name, chap?” His voice was clear and had a tone to it that made the boy feel a bit more comfortable with the man. The man looked him over from the front, examining the small boy in front of him.

”Name’s Teishu.” He stretched his arms and wrapped his fingers around his neck, trying to do the relaxed pose. ”Just wandering around here, looking for some fun, really. What’s your story? Looking for trouble or…?” The boy raised a brow at him, as if to question him on what he wanted with him.

The man laughed. ”The name’s Shinku Albadoras if you wanted to know. Anyways, I’m looking for fun too and numerous people have crossed my path that have tried to kill me. I’ve died a few times here already, but it seems that it’s a fun enough event. The waves are pretty harsh and I’m thinking that all the food and water’s going to get washed up, so I’m more or less looking around for something to eat or to raid on a few players…haha, yeah. Got anything…Teishu?” He looked expectant, as if the boy looked like he was the one to be storing food and water into his pockets, but all the Wavemaster could do was shake his head and frown.

He raised his hands, trying to act guilty. ”I’ve got nothing, look in my pockets, try to raid me, but I’ve got nothing that will help in the slightest. I’ve been trying to look for a kind of shelter or for signs of life around here, but it’s not very active. The mosquitoes are pretty alive, though.” He bent down and examined the multiple ants that crawled on the soft soil, that were going to the pile of dirt that held most of them. He had stepped in a few before and it sure as heck was painful when they all bit him. Yeah, that was a bit of a problem. ”I’ve got nothing,” the Wavemaster said, still looking down as the bugs crawled up the bark, looking for a kind of shelter to protect them with. His shadow alone protected them from the wind, but it wouldn’t last for long. He got up and stretched, looking to Shinku, who still had his spear up and ready for action at the notice of anything. A squirrel shot out of nowhere and leapt across, trying to get to the other tree…

The Long Arm leapt into the air, his spear flashing out as a crimson aura surrounded him. He laughed, watching as his spear connected with it and sent it spinning down to the ground, its heart already stopped from the harsh blow the Long Arm had dealt on it. The man stood over it, marveling at his catch, and picked it up from the ground with the tip of his spear and swung it over to Teishu, who caught it with his bare hands. Somehow, someway, the fire that had enveloped the spear before had cooked it immediately. Wow, games make things too easy, though cutting its fur and making it good enough to eat seemed like a bad idea in his opinion. He clicked the activation button and his character consumed the thing within three bites. With his food meter at max, he looked to Shinku, who was drinking water from a glass bottle. It looked like a bear bottle, but it looked fine enough to drink from. Going scavenging on the beach wasn’t half a bad idea after all…

Teishu still heard the rumble of thunder above them and the rain was still coming down. Making a fire would be pointless, but shelter would make them warm and cozy. His character shivered for a moment, trying to tell Tom to do something about how cold he was. The sky blue cloak came around him, his teeth still chattering, but his character just a tad bit warmer.