Magic Arts Online (Communist Fluffy and stormwyrm)

[stormwyrm]

Kenneth Tanimura made his way to the back of the dojo to where his little rustbucket of a car was parked. He'd began working at this place, teaching silly white boys kendo, since he'd won a few competitions back in the day when he was in high school. His great-great-grandfather had emigrated to the United States from Japan at the end of the nineteenth century and had been shut in an internment camp during the war along with his whole family, but he had passed down sword skills from the old country to his descendants. As the inheritor of such a tradition, Kenneth thus rather enjoyed kendo, but teaching it to thirteen year old boys who largely didn't have the discipline or dedication to take it seriously was a big pain. It was only a few hours a week though, and paid rather well for a part-time job, so he didn't mind. After the unexpected death of his father a year ago, as the eldest he was now sort of the man of the family, and any extra money he could make was a big help.

He was 20, of medium height, something like five feet and eight inches tall, a bit on the thin side, with short, slightly wavy black hair. He had the epicanthic folds of his Japanese ancestry, but had also inherited his mother's deep cobalt blue eyes, which made him appear rather striking. Waving to one of his students whose parents had picked him up, he got into his own car and started driving back home. He needed to be home a bit earlier than usual.

His house was a small, rundown bungalow in a small suburban neighbourhood filled with houses of similar shoddy construction. Ken worried that the next major earthquake would send it all tumbling down. Parking in the driveway he made his way inside. His sister was there, slouching on a rather threadbare couch, watching television while messaging her friends with her phone.

"Hey Karin, where's mom?" he asked.

"Working at the restaurant already, onii-chan," she replied, not looking up at him. She was seventeen, and was growing up to be rather pretty, if also rather insolent. She had taken more after their mother and probably was better able to fit into high school than he ever could when he was her age.

"Don't call me that," he said, frowning at the Japanese appellation she liked to tease him with.

After a quick dinner of some cold pasta and getting changed into some lighter clothing, he got into his room and shut the door. On the bed was a full-dive virtual reality headset, about a year out of date, but good enough for the game he was going to play. The technology had found many applications after it had matured in the last decade, not the least of which were fully interactive and sensory immersive games like Magic Arts Online. He was among the top players of that rather strange game.

Turning on his computer and putting on the headset, he lay down on the bed and activated it. "Link start!" he thought in his mind, and there was the familiar tingle as all of his senses were absorbed and subsumed into the computer-generated hallucination of the Metaverse, and started his favourite game.

MAGIC ARTS ONLINE glowed in burning letters in his vision, and as the logo faded, suddenly he felt himself materialise in a circle of megaliths in the middle of a small field. In the game he looked pretty much as he did in real life, sort of a slightly more mature version of himself, more tanned and rugged but still pretty much him. The game it seemed would not permit the use of an avatar that diverged too much from one's appearance in real life. His hair was done in a chonmage topknot, and he was dressed in a black kimono and haori, with two swords at his belt, and a jade magatama pendant on his neck. In this world, he was known as the Magic Swordsman Raiken, the Lightning Blade, and was one of the top players.

It was a pleasantly cool spring afternoon as he made his way in the direction of the city of Mathena, where he was supposed to meet his long-time partner Aria. He could see she had just come online and was not far. He sent her a brief private message.

Hey, just got on myself. Meet you at Eadell Square in Mathena.

[MasoKitty]

https://i.imgur.com/eYYYoeI.jpg

An arrow flew through the air suddenly a scream was heard from an elk falling to the ground. A lone figure stood from an outcropping outlooking the scene. The young woman brushed some hair out of her eyes as she never put it up during her hunting missions. A rumbling came from her jacket giving a soft sigh she pulled out her smartphone bringing it to her ear. "Yes?", she asked as the voice was frantic and excited which she recognized right away: it was her bestie though unlike some of her crowds which were outside huntsman this one was more like the opposite. This girl was a nerd, and a basement dweller as she would hear some of her crowd go on about. "Julia! Where are you!?", She asked as Julia let out another tired sigh despite going outside a lot of her time and being pretty fit her best friend often tired her out just with the amount of information alone. "...hunting, you know how I am Sera!", Julia said with an exasperated sigh. The girl on the other side just let out a giggle, "yeah I know you love to hunt and all that but remember you promised to try out this new MMO that I am doing right now! You said this weekend and guess what? It is the weekend!" The girl let out an excited squeal which made Julia sigh even harder as she picked up her bow and then finally spoke into her phone as she headed toward her prize. "Look, Sera, I need to take care of my kill, I will call you when I am about to go log into the damn game! You sent me the link and all that right? By the way, my parents weren't too happy to help me with the equipment costs!" She said angrily as Sera had been bothering her for months to figure out how to afford the super immersive game that it was being broadcasted like. Julia never really gave it much thought and often went to her hunting shows and other things dealing with the outdoors so when she had become with great friends with her unlikely one that suddenly became a priority.

Sure they didn't really mind all that much but it was the thought of them spending to help out was what bothered her. "Girl chill! I know it seems like a lot of cash, and honestly, it was! But it is so WORTH it! Just get home and try out the headset and the game! I heard it was supposed to arrive today right? You told me you got it a week ago or something like that right?!" Sera continued on furthering irritating her best friend. "Yeah, it supposed to come in today and I swore I saw a text from my mom telling me that it has arrived," Julia confirmed with Sera which continued to squeal though unable to handle her friend's constant fangirling she finally hung up on her after saying a hasty goodbye. When Julia stow the phone away in her pocket she dragged/picked up her game to her pickup throwing it in the back she headed back to her family's large house that was nestled in the forest. Sure, not the best place if you wanna use wifi or the internet but her father had paid out the ass to have great internet access. Plus he knew that Julia was planning on doing one of those fancy online courses to get her degree in what she wanted to do. Which dealt with something nature specific at the moment Julia didn't have a major in mind but it was the thought that count at least what her father said to her.

After stowing away her kill, turning the engine on her pickup she drove down a dirt path toward her parent's house. It was a decent trip as she often wanted to go further into the Montana wilderness to kill better and bigger animals, skin them, and then have them for dinner. She was that kind of outdoorsman that she prefers to eat and use her kills rather than just kill for sport. Her father was incredibly proud of her while her mother wasn't so hot with the idea of her only daughter going out into the muck to hunt random animals. So Julia's activities were often not spoken of until this whole deal with the headset and the VRMMO that was now sweeping the world. Her mother was all over that cause at least her daughter would be in the house and away from all of the dirty hunting she was becoming known for. When Julia pulled up into the driveway she opened the garage and quickly moved her kill into it. Her father turned the garage into a slaughterhouse for anything they hunted and prepared most of the meat and skin as he had a huge deep freeze right next to the workstation. Julia worked quick but it wasn't quick enough as her mother awkwardly stepped into the garage noticing her daughter work on the animal made her insides crawl. She was a spitting image of her daughter or more like her daughter was basically her but with animal guts on her hands. "Uh, so...dear...are you going to try out that new game that just came in? I know you must be tired but I did hear your friend was eager for you to get on that." She commented staying behind Julia so she was shielded from the gorey image of an elk being torn apart and skinned. "Ah, yeah mom, I was just preparing this for the house, I know that you and dad are pretty self-sufficient so I thought to add to our stores. I know dad will have some use for this elk meat that I am taking off the bone." Julia explained as her mother cringed at the conversation. Yes, they did pretty much live off the land aside from gallons of milk from a nearby small town but that was mainly her husband and Julia's father that did all of the same things her daughter did.

"Ah, thanks dear, I appreciate that you go out to get us more food, but I just wanted to come out here and let you know that it had come in the mail this morning while you were out." Her mother commented pulling a strand of brown hair from her face though eager to leave the garage. "Ah, thanks mom, again, I will get to it in a bit after a shower cause I need to wash this blood off of my body and then get a change of clothes," Julia announced as her mother made a quick exit unable to handle it anymore Julia knew her mother didn't approve of her lifestyle and she understood why typical girls didn't find this kind of thing enjoyable. Well, she had always been something of a tomboy and this was right up her alley. After a while, a shower later, she walked into her spacious bedroom. It was spartan though it had a nice sized tv and a few consoles here and there. They were influences by her friend Sera as she had bought them cause of some "new game" that Sera thought Julia might be into and it was good for the time being but eventually the outdoors girl just stopped playing to go do what she enjoyed: hunt. Though the box with the strange title "Magic Arts Online" it was something that was truly bizarre and something she wondered if she should play...


Current day...

"Hey, Julia your father would like-..." her mother was cut off by Julia as she was slipping on the headset. "Not right now mom, I am getting onto Magic Arts Online! I promised a friend that I was getting on tonight!" Julia answered back but her mother just smiled to herself. It had been a long time since Julia had gotten the headset and she noticed her daughter was going out less and less. It was stressing her father out but honestly, she was quite happy with Julia locking herself in her room for long lengths of time at end. Julia did what the instructions did when she put on the headset link start! suddenly the connection was mystical and instant. Though there was a constant tingle in her mind and even her soul? She couldn't understand it but what she did know is that her best friend had suggested she play some kind of sorceress and she had a lot of success in that field. Almost like she had an innate talent for it, but Julia didn't really think about that. Nah, she wasn't some kind of magic slinger in real life, when she had time she hunted deer and any kind of game with her father with bows, rifles, etc. She didn't use magic and her mother or father didn't mention anything magical hell thinking that made her blink a few times in the fantasy world as it was a crazy notion. "Alright, where are you at Raikon...I better send him a message," she said to herself as she opened up the interface seeing his name she sent him an invite, and a message telling him she had gotten on. A guy that helped her play the game along with her bestie but then continued on past the time when her friend apparently gotten bored with it. Said something about the game not really being for her and then left it at that where Julia found it more and more enticing to keep playing.

https://i.imgur.com/y6GUkvm.png

Julia had glanced at her appearance in the game from her home that Raiken had helped her get after they had done a lot of quests and built up some money. She adored her appearance in-game as she wasn't as tomboyish as she was in real life. Julia didn't hate herself in real life but she often did wonder how it would be if she was some kind of sorceress girl that looked adorable and actually quite short: 5'3" something that she wasn't in real life which she was around 5'9" a little taller than average but compared to the game appearance she was taller. She kept glancing at her images waiting for him to respond then a message came in, "Hey, just got on myself. Meet you at Eadell Square in Mathena." Julia or more like Aria nodded to his message then sent one back, "Mathena? Alright, I will go ahead and hit a teleport so I can get to you quicker, I got some big quests that I would like to party with you on." She wrote and sent him a message back, the words and terminology she was using was something alien to her or they were but now they seemed all too familiar. Gripping her tome she headed to a local teleport in the town she was in that she had chosen to live in and often came back to when she logged out, it was normally a teleport away to get to her friend on here. So it wasn't inconvenient to do what she did and then just meet up with him.

[stormwyrm]

Like in most important towns, Mathena had a few teleport gates that were used to transport players between cities, circles of stones similar to the one he logged in from. People logging into the game usually appeared at these gates, which were usually in safe zones where PvP combat was prohibited and monsters never spawned, such as within or near towns. The circle of stones where Raiken appeared was just outside Mathena, and he preferred to use it rather than the more conspicuous gates within the town, as he didn't like to attract a lot of attention. People were always trying to challenge high-level characters like him, and after several such aggravating incidents he decided it was probably better to just go incognito as much as possible. He put a cloak over himself.

He eventually reached the Eadell Square and saw that Aria had just arrived. "Let's head on to the Guild in this town and see what they've got then," Raiken said. "There are rumours that a special high-level quest has just been posted and it's causing a big stir."

The Mathena Mage's Guild was a large building that looked something like an inn or a tavern, and it could indeed be used as one, though the prices were steep for those who were not members. There was a big bulletin board on one side of the Guild Hall, and there was a large cluster of people crowding around it. Raiken approached the board to see what the commotion was about.

"It's a quest from the Archmage Ilvator himself!" one of the excited people around the board whispered. Raiken frowned at that. Ilvator was the main character rumoured to be used by the co-founder and CEO of Dweomercraft, the company that developed Magic Arts Online. This was a rare event: he had perhaps seen only a handful in all the years he had been playing. They were always very difficult and only the highest level characters ever tried to attempt them, but sometimes even they failed, which meant that they then became not so high level characters, thanks to the penalties imposed if one's character died.

He found the parchment scroll that had been posted to the message board. It had below it a leaden Seal of Ilvator which was definite authentication in case anyone had any doubt. The scroll mentioned that the fell undead sorcerer Shahaaz had taken up residence in a dark tower overlooking the mountain pass between the northern wastes and the Duchy of Syana. Shahaaz is inciting the barbarian tribes of the wastes to war, and animating the corpses of the slain to build up his army of the undead, in preparation for an invasion of the Duchy. He must be stopped before he is able to invade the Duchy and the rest of the Kingdom. The reward was a very substantial amount of gold, several powerful spells and magic items, and an extra bonus item. Since exchange of MAO gold for real-world currency was sanctioned by Dweomercraft (though it was very heavily regulated), finishing this quest could mean quite a little more extra money to put on the Tanimura family table.

Raiken took Aria aside and whispered: "I think we can do this. I've heard rumours of these quests of Ilvator since I began playing, but this is the first time I've seen one since I've felt powerful enough to even think of trying them. What do you think?"

[MasoKitty]

Aria glanced noticing Raiken, "Alright, I have some idea of the quest but none of the details of it! I am excited!" She said as she bounced with Raiken her eyes glancing around as she took in the large building. The way it was standing against the sky made it imposing but also a strong promise of fortune for the cost of being a team. Aria even glanced at Raiken and noticed his cloak and how he was acting she blinked a bit. Why was he trying to hide? The thought persisted but she just ignored it and just kept moving with him toward the guildhall. "...I know it is causing a big thing in the game Raiken...I mean there must be some good rewards for finishing it!" Aria said happily but quietly to try to fit the 'incognito mode' that Raiken was trying to pull off. Sadly her garb didn't allow that kind of stealthy or subtly so she just acted like herself and knew that she wouldn't really draw anybody if she acted like herself right?

When they arrived at the quest board Aria tried to look but the crowd was impossible to get near, she would have to rely on Raiken to take care of the details knowing that he was taller in the game. Wait the archmage?! That is a lot bigger than she thought it was! Her expression was hard to hide and she knew her partner probably saw it as she was hearing him explain it. The fact that the big guy was doing so much for the quest completion made her wonder what the heck he would do this. Though she knew and probably reflected her partner's thoughts was this quest was gonna be very hard! Aria had spent a good deal of time practicing her magic and executing harder and harder magic spells to try to keep up with Raiken since he wasn't a slouch with his classes. She mainly stuck to air magic so she often focused hard pushing her limits every moment she could.

When he pulled Aria aside and whispered she nodded, "Yeah...I think we can too but it won't be easy Raiken...I mean it! I don't think we ever took on a quest like this! Sure we have done some difficult ones before but nothing like this!" Again her voice was excited but hushed as she knew that anybody could be listening in for any useful information that they may or may not have on the quest itself. "Let's get going! We need to hurry on this in case one of the older players decide to bum rush this thing and take that reward from us!" Aria said quickly though quietly as she already headed toward the door showing off her natural personality as "Julia" since she had been playing her personality was more dainty though not with this quest she needed to get to it and they needed to finish it! 

[stormwyrm]

"Alright, here goes," Raiken said, wading through the crowds to reach the request. He stumbled briefly as someone else a short distance away was much more aggressive at pushing through the crowd, to much cursing, and it seemed that someone was there ahead of him. The man closed one hand over the Ilvator Seal that hung from the bottom of the scroll. As his hand closed around it, it flashed an angry red light, and the man cried out in pain, stumbling backwards away from the board into the crowd of onlookers.

Raiken reached the space before the board and saw the man who had tried to take the Seal. It was a tall young man with flowing blond hair, blue eyes, dressed in shining silver plate armour. He recognised the man at once. "Losvar, are you alright?" Raiken asked, extending a hand to help him up.

Losvar scowled at the hand and got up by himself. "Well, let's see you try to take the Seal then!" he said, with a supercilious smirk. Losvar the Light Mage was one of Raiken's long-time rivals, and he was at this point several levels higher. Even his partner, Vandra the Flame Sorceress also was at a higher level. So if Losvar was rejected by the Seal, it did not bode well for Raiken and Aria.

He sighed, and decided there wasn't any point in hesitating. Either the Seal would accept him or it would leave him on the floor the way it did Losvar. Only one way to find out. He stretched out his hand, and there was a blue glow that covered the seal as he touched it, and he took the scroll from the board. Losvar scowled at this and flounced off angrily.

"Come on, let's go!" he growled at a tall young woman with flaming red hair who stood nearby, dressed in what amounted to a leather thong bikini and knee-high boots with spike heels under her fur-lined red cloak. That was Vandra. She nodded, and gave both Raiken and Aria a similar angry scowl as she followed Losvar out.

Raiken made his way back to Aria's side as the crowd gradually dispersed, amid congratulations from some of the more friendly onlookers, some of whom were known to them. "Alright, you ready to go? The scroll says that we ought to take the Lunar Gates to Syana City and meet with the Duke there who will explain the situation. Shall we get going?"

[MasoKitty]

Aira watched as Raikan attempted only to see a tall man attempt, Aria's face pursed as the scene played out. Only to see the light turn the angry red she recognized as "rejected" knocking the guy back. He was a light mage, she hadn't dealt with too many mages as she focused on getting her own abilities as a wind mage higher. Of course, there were pvp'ers and stuff but she managed them fine with Raiken by her side and even now she suspected she could take on any mage that was about her level or higher with little to no problem. Man if Sera could see me now! Aria thought to herself realizing her best friend from RL was focused on Dungeons and Dragons now rather than this new VRMMO.

Aria watched Raiken attempt to help the light mage only for the man to swat his hand away causing Aria to just frown. She couldn't believe the nerve of the man! Here was her partner putting aside somebody that attempted to take it for himself over Raiken and he was offering his hand in assistance!

She was gonna say something to rebut Losvar's comment but instead, she just decided to watch the scene unfold eyes now peeled on her partner as he attempted the seal now.

When Aira notice the blue glow it made her grow a giant smirk as she just kept beaming even giving a smug look to Vandra who would glance at them. She didn't bother with the light mage cause she couldn't give much of a care for him or even his fire mage partner.

When they walked off Aria wanted to go see if Raiken was okay but he then made his way back to her. "I see that went well, making friends?" she teased as she waited for him to respond only getting the location of the next part of the quest. "yeah, I noticed the scene you okay? That guy was super rude and his partner wasn't any better!", Aria said with a scowl at the words coming out of her mouth describing the light mage and fire mage. They had done enough to ruin anything of a possible partnership with her personally. "...if you have some kind of friendship with them, that is cool Raiken but count me out if you wish to quest with them so you know." She commented as they headed on their way to the Duke first finding the gates.

[stormwyrm]

"Well, I suppose Losvar was a friend, once," Raiken replied, frowning. "Things went bad between us some years back when he blamed me for all kinds of stuff, it's a long story. I don't know Vandra personally; they got together after things went sour between us, but she is pretty damn famous in her own right, with an avatar like that." He did not add that he thought she was probably almost as hot IRL given how the game didn't let people use avatars too different from their real appearance. Raiken had had been partners with Aria for some time, so it was possible that Aria might somehow pick up on this unexpressed thought. "I doubt we'll be doing any questing with either of them any time soon."

They left the Guild Hall and made their way to the teleport gates. There was another square in the town of Mathena that had a megalithic circle that marked out a Lunar Gate. There was a smaller standing stone just outside the megaliths marked with runes, and here, Raiken raised Ilvator's Seal and touched it to the rock, sending a small pulse of magical energy through it. The stone began to glow and soon all the megaliths were glowing, and in the centre of the stones, a rectangle of blue light shimmered, about ten feet high and perhaps eight across.

Raiken stepped towards the Gate, motioning for Aria to follow. They emerged on the other side of the Gate inside another similar circle of megaliths, where a young female mage wearing the light blue robes of an apprentice waited. "We had sealed this Gate to all other uses!" she cried, startled at their appearance. "The two of you must be the ones sent by the Archmage! Please, follow me, the Duke has been waiting for you!"

They found that the Gate was inside a walled city, and that soldiers were quickly attempting to dismantle the gate by removing the megaliths one by one. The young mage led them away towards the main gates to the city, and they would see that around them the city was making all kinds of preparations for war. Soldiers and peasants were running to and fro, carrying weapons and supplies, some of them working to build barricades and other defensive emplacements, shoring up inner ramparts as a secondary defence for the city, bringing weaponry to the soldiers at the walls, and so forth. There was an air of tension in the air as though there were a storm that was about to hit.

They went up a stairway to the central gatehouse, and they were led before a tall man with a curly brown beard, dressed in an elaborately embroidered tabard with the coat of arms of the Duchy of Syana over fine chain mail. On top of his coif he had a golden coronet. The young mage bowed before him formally and said: "Your Grace, here are the ones whom the Archmage has seen fit to aid us in the defence of the Duchy."

"Yes, rise my dear, and thank you," the duke said in a deep baritone. "Please proceed with your duties, child." Dismissed, the young woman scurried off. "So, the two of you have been chosen by the Archmage," he said, appraising the two of them.

Raiken inclined his head in a gesture of respect. "Your Grace, I am known as Raiken the Lightning Blade, a Magic Swordsman, and this is my partner, Aria Stormcaller."

"I see. The Archmage must have chosen the two of you to aid our defence for a reason. Can you explain what your abilities are?"

"Sir, as I have mentioned, I am a magic swordsman, and my main attribute is lightning. I specialise in lightning magic and spells that increase my abilities in combat. I will let my partner explain what she can do."

[MasoKitty]

Aria nodded her head she didn't know the history behind Raiken and Losvar but she had a hard time imagining her friend being friends with him. "Well, I am glad you don't hang out with him Raiken! He sounds like he would have drained the fun out of this game! Kiki said that this game was amazing and that I should get in on it! If I had Losvar as a friend I probably wouldn't have tried this game." She explains as they continue on their way. When Raiken was talking about Vandra and noticed his expressions which she did catch on crinkling her face in slight disgust. She may have been able to appreciate the female form but she also hated annoying bitches. She normally had taken care of them or made an example in school back in the day and probably would have thrown down with the fire mage. She didn't have any time for those kinds of girls and didn't like them looking down on her or her friends! "...Yeah, she seems like she had her head on her shoulders when it came to this game, though I don't know how she acted rubbed me the wrong way and made me think that this Losvar dude was not at all a friend to you." Aria commented as they continued on their way as she gripped her tome.

When they reached the teleport gate Aria still glanced at the Lunar gate and admired the way the developers made it look so awesome. Back in the day she wouldn't have given two shits about how 'magical' things looked. Sadly she was very ignorant when it came to these kinds of fantastical things but as Sara got her more and more into the game she found that it was very immersive and amazing. Julia couldn't believe that somebody could make a world that seemed so deep and draws you in. It made a smile absently flow onto her face as she lost herself in thought. Though she shook herself out of it when she noticed that Raiken was holding up the seal finally. "Oh! This is so cool!", She said with excitement as she watched the whole thing come to life, the magical forces forming in a way for them to pass! No matter what this was the thing that really made her balloon her eyes. Magic! That was the biggest thing and something within her when she saw things cackle to life with arcania came alive as well but she couldn't figure it out.

"Ah! Yeah!", She shook her head and followed him allowing the magical forces to engulf her suddenly appearing in another circle similar to the one they just walked through. Though at this one there was another person, female, mage that greeted them. She was an apprentice since she recognized the robes Aria listened as the apprentice explained that they had locked or sealed this gate. Though she announced that the archmage sent for them then urged them to follow her. Aria gave Raiken one look before nodding to the woman following her out of the circle toward their destination. It was always something about traveling via teleport that amazed her! If only real life had this kind of function! She could have gone to Japan, England, and all of those countries! Yet again Aria found herself shaking her head wondering if Raiken was giving her odd looks by how she was acting. She had been in this game for so long you'd think that she saw everything there is to see about it; not Julia it seemed that there was always something new she ran into and her amazement grew.

When they arrived at the gates Aria watched the guards closely as they opened up; her eyes taking in the actions and trying to find some insight. Though she did this so she didn't have to yak her friend's ear off as she would be gushing about what or where they were. It wasn't a place they visited ever due to being in a different zone and the other zones the monsters were a little higher than they were used to. Thankfully for teleportation or they would have had to deal with some real strong mobs in the surrounding areas. When they finally headed into the city Aria almost swallowed down her fear as she could feel the tension in the air. The villagers and guards alike building for what looked like some kind of invasion which made her wonder what the heck of a quest this was. "Raiken do you think that we are gonna fight in some kind of seige? I mean it seems like it...", Aria commented quietly to her partner as they made their way through the busy city sadly not bustling with the usual merchants and adventurers but more like soldiers and preparation for something BIG.

Aria stood by Raiken as they were brought into the central gatehouse and Aria took in the apperance of the man. She would have whistled but she didn't want to piss off the probably duke of this land. Though her question she asked before was just confirmed even if her partner said or not; they were gonna defend this area from an evil force. At least that is what she assumed due to the quest description though when she noticed the young mage bow Aria did the same to show the same respect hoping the duke felt respected as she knew that if nobility got a hair up their ass it could make the whole quest difficult. Arai focused her eyes on the duke when he sent the mage away keeping silent knowing that it was rude to interrupt those higher than you.

When he brought them into the conversation Aria nodded, "Aria Stormcaller, Wind magician, your grace" she commented quickly after Raiken while keeping her eyes on the duke at all times.

When he asked about their abilities Aria let her friend go ahead then when he finished she nodded, "as he stated our names are self explanitory but I am a wind magician so I have strong control over the winds and can develop devistating tornados and sharp cutting blades out of it." She commented giving him some idea of her abilites as well. Sadly unlike her friend she wasn't much of a melee fighter despite how she is in real life in this game she was more long ranged and avoided close combat.

[stormwyrm]

"I am Rodbert, Fifth Duke of Syana, and I thank you for answering the call of the Archmage to aid us in our time of need, Raiken the Lightning Blade and Aria Stormcaller." He gave them a nod of respect. "This city is closest to the pass leading to the Northern Wastes, and as you are doubtless aware, the Lich Shahaaz, the vile undead sorcerer, has built a tower overlooking the pass. He has been inciting the barbarian tribes of the Wastes into fighting amongst themselves, and animating those killed to serve him. He has by now built up a significant army that will soon be prepared to attack. But I know that even if we manage to repel the undead here, the Lich will only reanimate the fallen and build an even larger army. We need to be able to destroy him to end the threat he poses to the Duchy, and the great Archmage Ilvator has seen fit to send you to accomplish this quest.

"Our scouts have informed us that the army of the undead approaches, and they are soon going to arrive. Magical scrying, a very dangerous thing to do against a foe as powerful as the Lich, has also shown us that this master of abominations has actually left his tower and is leading his army from the rear. It appears that he must be present at the field of battle for his command to be as effective as possible. This gives us a window of opportunity. Magister Lethold, if you please?"

The Duke turned to an elderly man with a long beard wearing the deep blue robes of a master mage. He waved his hands and a map of what appeared to be the city and the surrounding lands appeared in glowing light above them.

"As you can see," Lethold said, gesturing at the map, we are here." He pointed at an area labelled Nanthas, presumably the name of the city. "The city is on a high hill that overlooks the valley that makes the pass, and the undead armies have to pass here." He indicated a narrow stretch of valley between two great mountains. "That means that when the vanguard of the armies has begun to attack us, the Lich must be at most only a few miles behind, over here." He indicated another point further down. "This part of the valley is reachable via a secret mountain trail here." At a gesture lines appeared on the map indicating the trail. "That will place you behind the Lich's line and you should be able to engage him directly without the rest of the army getting in the way. Any force using the trail will need to be small, or else it will be noticed by the enemy."

"So that is the plan which we have come up with," the Duke said, as Lethold caused the glowing map to vanish. "We will be assigning you a guide who knows well the lay of the land and the secret mountain trail mentioned. We would send a few more people to accompany you to face the Lich but cannot afford weaken our forces here further. We are stretched thin as it is. Do you have questions or suggestions? If it is something we can do, we will help."

Before either of them could say anything a warning horn sounded. A soldier ran into the room, panting: "Your Grace, a messenger from the Undead Sorcerer is riding up to the gates!"

The Duke nodded, and motioned them to follow, and they came to the battlements at the top of the main gate. They saw a group of horses with eyes of flame ride up before the gates, stopping just out of the range of the most powerful ranged spells and weapons. It was a group of armoured skeleton warriors with glowing red eyes inside their helmets. Raiken felt a shudder at the chill of the grave emanating from the undead riders, and wondered how the game managed to make him feel that effect. He could not remember any other game he had ever tried playing make him feel something like that ever before. Aria would likely be feeling the same thing as well.

"I come in the name of Shahaaz the Mighty!" the lead rider said. "Is there aught within this citadel with the authority to treat with me?" the voice boomed in a deep, resonant baritone that intensified the chill Raiken felt at the base of his spine. The effect was unnerving.

Duke Rodbert stepped forward to the edge of the wall, looking down at the undead warriors. He looked as pale as death itself, but he still had a strong posture and spoke with a firm voice: "I am Rodbert, Fifth Duke of Syana. For what reason do you trouble the peaceful Duchy with your march to war?"

"Duke of Syana," the leader of the skeleton warriors called out, "swear fealty to my Lord, and pay tribute to him, and your Duchy will be spared. A tribute of one fair maiden is to be given every season in perpetuity."

"Take this message to your master. The Duchy of Syana has lived for five generations free in peace and prosperity as a vassal to the Archmage. We will not exchange his benevolent and wise overlordship for the rule of one who would exact the price of the lives of our fair maidens! Begone, and trouble us no further!" The Duke took a bow with a burning arrow nocked to it and aimed it at the undead warrior. It struck the ground before its spectral steed and quivered there before it was extinguished.

Behind the skeleton riders, several phalanxes of zombies emerged, bearing long pikes and shields. It was an unnerving sight, to see ranks of massed zombies in formation scarcely bettered by the best soldiers of the world's most disciplined armies.

The Duke turned to Raiken and Aria. "Go! There is your guide! Griffin, lead them to the hidden trail that they may defeat the Undead Sorcerer!" Before them was a what seemed to be a young man barely out of his teens, with a short blond pageboy haircut and a smooth face that seemed to have not yet grown a beard. He was dressed in a green doublet and breeches, and carried a bow and had a short sword at his belt.

"This way my lord and lady!" Griffin said, his voice seeming to not yet have deepened.

"Aria, let's go!" Raiken said.