TheFinal Strike
Darkdale. A haven forthe weary traveler from Copperhorn Mountain. The pale tan sand blewacross the rugged terrain, revealing the small village located is asmall canyon as a shelter from the surrounding desert. The walls ofthe village kept out the dangerous monsters of the dangerousmountains outside. Due to this, many people have died from the trekboth to and from the village, depending on their experience levels.In one of the homes, a young Sylph Blademaster lay resting peacefullywith her sapphire pet at her side.
2nd fan vid of the MMORPG Dream of Mirror Online. This is a vid showing me (Xesolor, currenly lv21 shaman) in a group helping some players to get the powder necessary to learn to fly. Blackwake is an indie naval first person shooter. With a development team of only two creators, Blackwake focuses on team-based tactics and fast-paced combat. Players can take many roles aboard a ship as they battle for survival and supremacy. Melee & ranged weapon combat: Battle with an assortment of 18th century firearms.
Summerstream rouse asper normal in her old home in Darkdale, even though she should bewith her friend Nothgiel. Then again, it was her idea from the startto do this on her own. She had wanted to finish the quest she hadstarted when she was 20, only 5 years ago. One never forgets whatthey learn of the past. As she got ready, a small and familiar voicesounded.
'Good morning!' thesmall blue turtle said, standing and jumping off of the bed. Well,someone seemed cheerful in the mornings.
'MorningHidekio-kun!' Summerstream replied, fixing her brown hair into aponytail that fell to her mid-back. As she looked at Hiedekio-kun,her violet eyes met the small coal black ones of the young sapphirepet. Breaking the glance, Summerstream pulled her Orchid gown overher head to conceal both her armor and the cross branded upon herback.
Walking outside intothe mid-morning day, her gaze was attracted to the green space infront of her home that seemed to be out of place in the dusty townthat had been carved out of the sandstone rocks. The center of thetown was marked with a massive spire. This allowed a spot for peopleto gather to talk to people like the Darkdale Elder and the DarkdaleDestroyer. It was also a place for people to go to the CareersAdvisor to change their jobs. As she walked, Summerstream heard thefriendly calls of the local merchants, returning them with a friendlywave.
Much friendlier thatthe merchants in Eversun.. she thought, remembering her lasttrek through that city. Never again would she go through that trafficaccident waiting to happen. Shivering at the memory, she continued tofloat gracefully forward, traveling down a set of stairs as her gazedrifted towards one of the landing pads for those people takingflight.
'Don't fly..'Hiedekio-kun put in, as if reading her thoughts. 'We don't evenknow where the frog is!'
'I never said I wasgoing to Hiedekio.' Summerstream replied, speaking just as theypassed the Darkdale Destroyer. Waving, she smiled at the Shura male,who waved back. Turning north, she began to descend the two sets ofstairs, each being 25 to 75 steps in total length. Through theupcoming gate, lay the deserts on Copperhorn Mountain.
A sound erupted from ablade blocking teeth, like nails on a chalkboard. Summerstream hadblocked a blow from a Lizard Leader, one of the many creaturespopulating the deserts of Copperhorn Mountain. Hiedekio-kun was ather side, fighting just as strongly.
'Growling Tiger!'Summerstream yelled, finishing off the over-grown lizard. As it fellbackwards, Hiedekio-kun looked up at the Sylph.
'You look a littletired.' he noted, grinning childishly.
'Spring Cleaning!'she said quickly, a green and yellow aura surrounding her in a spiralformation. Looking at Hiedekio-kun, she narrowed her eyes at him.'Not really. Just a little mad that I got aggroed yet again.'
'Just checkingMaster.' Hiedekio-kun said, looking at her. 'Just don't getsarcastic like you usually do. It's the worst form of humor.'
Continuing forward, shesaw the Sandstone Ladybug in combat with another person of the Spriterace. It was Twig, one of her friends. What am I going to do?The question appeared before she could stop it. She knew that Twigcouldn't hold the fort against the creature for very long, let alonefor much longer. Rolling her shoulders back, she ran forward, landingto gain more traction.
'Lash Out!'Summerstream yelled, rushing into the heat of combat. 'First Aid!'She had both increased her attack speed and healed Twig.
The Sandstone Ladybugturned to face the young Sylph. Narrowing her already narrowed eyes,the massive bug charged forward, with her clawed hands outstretchedto attack her. However, Summerstream was ready for the attack.
'Berserker Blow!'
The blow struck theladybug strongly, sending it staggering backwards. In reaction, thecreature ran forward to attack. Although the attack was blocked,Summerstream was still sent backwards into a stone pillar. A sling ofcurses escaped her lips as she looked up at her foe. There was nosign of Twig, to her relief. In that one moment of distraction, inthat window where she wasn't paying attention, the Sandstone Ladybugran forward and forced the Sylph into the pillar behind her. Yellingout with pain, Summerstream kicked forwards to try and get thecreature off of her stomach. No effect.
Hiedekio-kun growledloudly, springing forward. 'Blow Off Steam!' he yelled, attackingthe Sandstone Ladybug. Noticing Summerstream go down on one knee assoon as the monster turned to face him, he stood before the Sylphprotectively. No one hurt her without paying for it in blood.
As Summerstreamcrouched down, she felt anger and shame wash over her. She wasstronger than this! Pushing aside the pain, she stood gradually.'First Aid!' her voice rang out, feeling strength come back toher as her wounds were healed. Running forward, she used her burningrage to an advantage. 'Burning Rage!' A red aura surrounded her.Letting out an angry cry, she ran forward as energy fell into hertired limbs. 'Menacing Moo!' she yelled, attacking like an angrybull. The Sandstone Ladybug couldn't compete with the swiftness andpower of the attacks and eventually, after parrying as well as thecreature could, the massive monster fell defeated to the stainedearth. The battle was finished.
Hiedekio-kun turned,going to Summerstream's side a she went down on one knee once more.'Are you okay?' he asked, pushing his nose into her leg.Speechless and tired, Summerstream nodded in reply. Using her bladeto assist, she weakly stood before floating into the air so it wasn'tas strange to see. As the pair continued, Summerstream took out achuck of dried lizard and nibbled on it to help her get her energyback. In honest truth, she was really tired from the fight.
The pair continued fora while, still heading north. As the day wore on, it became hotterand hotter. It was nearly mid-afternoon before they stopped.Hiedekio-kun was perched upon Summerstream's shoulder, right beside amassive blade. The blade was called the Heartsinger, Summerstream'sblade that was made with the help of a weapons' smith at thecompletion of her Trials. The style of the weapon was a saber, theweapon of the Blademasters of the Mirror World. At 5 feet long, theHeartsinger was only a few inches shy of being it's wielder's heightof 5 foot, 8 inches. Even more so, the blade was nearly 150 pounds.Massive for a mere Commoner to wield when they're just beginning.This massive weight was just the right amount for a Blademaster,depending on the years they had spent training. For Summerstream,that was 15 years and counting. Despite how heavy the blade seemed tobe, the weight felt like a feather for the Sylph.
'Let's rest here.'Summerstream finally said, pausing by a tree that over looked ariver. In the sunlight, the river appeared to shimmer like a diamond.This one spot was one of the remaining green spaces with grass in themassive canyon-like mountains. The other two areas were around theGuild Castle and Grizzly Garrison. After setting Hiedekio-kun on theground, Summerstream took the Heartsinger off of her back and satdown at the base of the tree. After placing her bare feet into thewater after taking her shoes off, she placed the blade on her lap tobegin cleaning it. The cloth had been dampened by the river's water,leaving a small trickle of water as the cloth was dragged over thesurface. To the young Sylph, it felt nice to relax for a moment in ahectic day.
Hiedekio-kun was at herside, watching her as he took a drink from the water. 'What are youthinking about?' he asked, noticing the pondering look in herviolet eyes. It made him curious to know.
'Nothigel. I wonderif he's okay..' Summerstream replied, not looking up from herwork. She was working on a scratch on the beautifully crafted blade'ssurface.
'He'll be fine.'Hiedekio-kun said reassuringly, 'I know Thorn is helping him outlike he did during your Trials.' He loved watching Summerstreamclean her blade, even though it usually took a good hour or two.
'Thanks Hidekio.'Her voice sounded, glancing up as she continued to work. The more sheworked with the blade, the more it seemed to reflect like the water.The ripples of the blade going into the water were like the sandbarsof shallow waters. They seemed to not move, although everythingaround them was shimmering with life. It seemed to emit from theblade itself.. As if it was giving off a light of it's own.
After Summerstreamfinished polishing the Heartsinger, the two began to travel northonce more. This time, they would know have to watch out for themammoth Warrior Whipping Grasses. One was enough to deal with, butthree was more than enough for a job without an AoE or Area of Effectskill to handle. Summerstream glanced back every few yards to see ifanything was following herself and Hiedekio-kun. Satisfied nothingwas following them, she turned her gaze forward to keep a lookout forthe violet grasses that were 8 feet tall. Ahead, there lay the stonearch that showed the grassy plains of Swan Lake Basin. The pathappeared to be full of harmless Orange Whipping Grasses, until threepurple grasses came into sight.
'Uh oh..'Summerstream said quickly, stopping. There was no way around but up.It was either that or to engage in yet another fight.. That was,unless they moved. 'Hiedekio, can you see an opening?'
'No.. Even if wewere to fly we would end up in Tranqulation before we could land.'Hiedekio-kun replied, his voice plainly worried.
'And I'm not too fondof teaming up with other people.. I would much rather take on a soloattempt.' she added on. Summerstream sighed. Flying on her oldsword was a bad idea, leaving the option of fighting. Not being inthe mood, she realized she would have to wait for them to move.
One of the grassesturned, scanning the landscape. Summerstream froze. Hiedekio-kungrowled. Appearing not to notice the two observers, he turned back tohis other friends and resumed the conversation. Both Sylph and petlet out a sigh of relief. As Summerstream landed, the pair ranforward as to not be noticed by the grasses. They didn't stop runninguntil Summerstream felt grass under her feet.
It was pitch black inSwan Lake Basin. Night. Two small eyes opened, as if sensingsomething familiar.. Something from the past. What the creature hadsensed was a presence from the past that had defied him for nearly 24years now. The moonlight shifted, revealing a green body with a creamstomach. His large brown eyes moved, showing they were at the sidesof his head. It was a frog, the Pearly Frog. He would leave his huntto the next day, wanting to finish what his workings did early.
The two awoke at thesame time. The sun was just peaking over the trees to hit the lakeand make it shimmer like a diamond necklace under the sameconditions. The elegant, yet dangerous Neptune's Tower rose fromthe center of the lake, the only way of getting there was to fly.However, this was of little importance to Summerstream. As theylooked around, the dew that had gathered on the young Sylph's bodyrolled down like raindrops on a window. Even the grass was bendingfrom the weight of the water.
Hiedekio-kun shook hisbody, scattering water droplets everywhere. Looking up at his master,he saw that Summerstream was pulling her Encyclopedia onto her back.He could tell that the Heartsinger was beside her, resting delicatelyagainst the tree.
'Are you carryingyour blade?' Hiedekio-kun asked, watching as she stood with themassive blade in hand.
'Yes, I am carryingmy blade Hiedekio.' Summerstream replied, pulling the blade up soshe could rest it on her shoulder. This moment reminded her of herTrials, the memory coming up different from what had happened.
It was during theTrials. The second day to be more exact. She had been fighting twodemons, one male and the other female. She was seeing the fight as ifshe had received broken bones from the kick to her chest instead of acouple bruises. Summerstream had failed to block a blow from thefemale's scythe, leading her with a large gash on her chest overthe broken bones. There was no energy that she had left to lash outwith a stronger attack, or even heal her. Hiedekio-kun was lying offto the side unconscious. The two demons moved in as the vision faded.
Summerstream shookher head to clear the fake memory out of her mind. If she couldsurvive that, then she could win the fight. Walking forward, theyoung Sylph pushed the memories back so she could focus on theupcoming fight. As she came to a crossroad, she looked around. To theeast was the Guild Castle, as well as a farming area. To thenorth-west was the small village of Trranqulation where Summerstreamgrew up.
A rustle sounded fromthe trees, causing both the sapphire pet and Summerstream to look inthat direction. Only a few seconds passed before a large green figurejumped out into the path.
'Good to see you,young Sylph,' the figure ribbited, the mid-morning sun revealingthe Pearly Frog in full living colour, as well as size. With hisgreen body and his stomach being a light cream in colour, he appearedto be harmless when he was actually quite dangerous. Under normalcircumstances, he would 'aggro' or attack anyone who attacked thecreatures around him, among the Orange Whipping Grasses and Dairy PuDadas. This Sylph was a different story though. This frog had killedboth her parents when she was young, but missed the chance to killthe youngest daughter, a baby at the time.
Summerstream narrowedher violet eyes at the frog. When she was 10, she had managed toavoid contact with the frog as she ran to Eversun City. She hadwanted to get one of her job qualifications as a Doctor, but shedecided to change into a Blademaster after a few months. It even tookher a little time for her to become a Musician and a Shaman. Shewasn't even sure on how she had managed to do so, seeing as she hadrun past a clearing similar to this where the Pearly Frog traveledto. Most likely, it was her timing that had allowed her to do so.
'I suppose you alsoknow why I'm here…' Summerstream said, bringing her blade offof her shoulder. As she spoke, her voice was dull and emotionless,showing her uncanny calmness in these situations.
'Vengeance,' thePearly From replied, springing forward to attack the Sylph. Inreaction, Summerstream swung the Heartsinger around to block the blowwith ease, 150 pounds of metal crashing against teeth. This was shewanted, and expected. By letting the enemy attack first, it allowedher to gage where she should be fighting at, a very useful tactic.She had learned this during her training and applied it during herTrials. From this, she also pushed the frog back, making the PearlyFrog step back a few feet.
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How did she becomethis strong? he thought, attacking again. A hit. Although theRhino Armor she was wearing under her costume prevented a fair amountof damage, there was still some damage done.
Summerstream narrowedher eyes, slicing the Heartslinger at the Pearly Frog to deal a highdamage blow. Hiedekio-kun watched before acting.
'Blow Off Steam!'he yelled, attacking the frog. He always fought alongsideSummerstream, no matter what happens in the fight, or any fight forthat matter.
'Eagle Shriek!'Summerstream yelled once more, attempting to take down the frog'sattacking power. She managed to do so, but was unprepared for thenext attack from her enemy.
'String Cannon!'the Pearly Frog finally yelled, the attack hissing Summerstream inthe upper stomach.
She was thrown into atree from the impact. There was a bad wound on her stomach, appearingto be more like a really bad burn than an actual cut. Sitting therehalf-dazed, it felt like Summerstream had lost a fair amount ofblood, but she wasn't too sure. From the rough bark on the tree,there were small cuts on the exposed back areas on her back. The frogwas laughing at his foe, mocking the female Blademaster. Two choicescame to her. Run or continue fighting. Picking up her blade, shechose the later one. Using both her blade to stand, she leanedagainst the tree behind her. 'I'll never give up…'Summerstream whispered quietly, 'Be it my death or my savior.'Taking the blade and turning her body after recovering, she liftedthe massive 150 pound blade to be parallel with the earth as sheturned her body.
'Burning Rage;Berserker Blow!' she finally yelled, a red aura surrounding her asshe ran forward, swinging the Heartsinger with speed, strength andskill in spite of her injuries. There was a pained scream and thensilence. The Pearly Frog had been defeated as Summerstream began tofloat in the air, one of the characteristics of her race.
'First Aid!' shecalled out, healing what she could of her wounds. Picking up thedreamstone that had been dropped, she felt Hiedekio-kun come to herside. The pair had no clue they had been watched by the people inTranqulation…
Hidekio-kun ranforward, running into the small village of Tranqulation, which wasbuilt alongside the beautiful lake. Summerstream had limped into thevillage behind him, showing a leg injury from the fight. Severalfamiliar voices sounded at various times.
'Thank you for doingthat task!' one called out, seemingly male
'Yes, thank you forthat!' another yelled. 'Defeating the Pearly Frog is a bigaccomplishment! I heard the Darkdale Elder was looking for someone todefeat him.'
The pair looked at eachother. Shooty skies all characters. 'Huh?' Summerstream said, surprised at the happenings.'All I did was avenge my parent's murder..'
'Sharon and Shaun?'another voice yelled, walking outside. It was the Hunter. 'Appearsmy prediction was right. You were and did going to become a master ofthe saber, or a Blademaster. I'm the Hunter that was with them whenthey had been attacked. Even I couldn't take down that frog.' Thepair smiled in union.
'Thank you.'Summerstream replied, dipping her head respectfully. There was ataught smile on her face. She could feel that her trust was startingto run down. That was able to be blamed on her past.
'I think those boysare sorry for beating the living daylights out of you to the pointwhere you could of died. I believe that Summerstream.' the firstmale said once more, a Shura. 'Still, if your trust is wearingthin, you should leave.'
Summerstream smiled.They remembered her trust problems, as well as her name. 'I will.Thank you for that.' she said, sheathing the Heartsinger beforetaking out the sword she now used for flying. Picking Hiedekio-kunup, she mounted the blade. As Hiedekio moved onto her back, she wavedgoodbye before ascending into the air.
The pair was headed toDarkdale, taking the chance to fly instead of walking. Finally, afterall of these years the Sylph could move forward in her life. Shedidn't know what was next, but she knew that she was ready for thechallenges that the Mirror World would throw at her next. That wasthe one thing she was completely sure of these days.. The fact thatsomething can and will happen to her every day and week she lived.All that mattered now was getting home.
The end,for now..
StephanieDocs, 8S
- Author: admin
- Category: Category
TheFinal Strike
Darkdale. A haven forthe weary traveler from Copperhorn Mountain. The pale tan sand blewacross the rugged terrain, revealing the small village located is asmall canyon as a shelter from the surrounding desert. The walls ofthe village kept out the dangerous monsters of the dangerousmountains outside. Due to this, many people have died from the trekboth to and from the village, depending on their experience levels.In one of the homes, a young Sylph Blademaster lay resting peacefullywith her sapphire pet at her side.
2nd fan vid of the MMORPG Dream of Mirror Online. This is a vid showing me (Xesolor, currenly lv21 shaman) in a group helping some players to get the powder necessary to learn to fly. Blackwake is an indie naval first person shooter. With a development team of only two creators, Blackwake focuses on team-based tactics and fast-paced combat. Players can take many roles aboard a ship as they battle for survival and supremacy. Melee & ranged weapon combat: Battle with an assortment of 18th century firearms.
Summerstream rouse asper normal in her old home in Darkdale, even though she should bewith her friend Nothgiel. Then again, it was her idea from the startto do this on her own. She had wanted to finish the quest she hadstarted when she was 20, only 5 years ago. One never forgets whatthey learn of the past. As she got ready, a small and familiar voicesounded.
'Good morning!' thesmall blue turtle said, standing and jumping off of the bed. Well,someone seemed cheerful in the mornings.
'MorningHidekio-kun!' Summerstream replied, fixing her brown hair into aponytail that fell to her mid-back. As she looked at Hiedekio-kun,her violet eyes met the small coal black ones of the young sapphirepet. Breaking the glance, Summerstream pulled her Orchid gown overher head to conceal both her armor and the cross branded upon herback.
Walking outside intothe mid-morning day, her gaze was attracted to the green space infront of her home that seemed to be out of place in the dusty townthat had been carved out of the sandstone rocks. The center of thetown was marked with a massive spire. This allowed a spot for peopleto gather to talk to people like the Darkdale Elder and the DarkdaleDestroyer. It was also a place for people to go to the CareersAdvisor to change their jobs. As she walked, Summerstream heard thefriendly calls of the local merchants, returning them with a friendlywave.
Much friendlier thatthe merchants in Eversun.. she thought, remembering her lasttrek through that city. Never again would she go through that trafficaccident waiting to happen. Shivering at the memory, she continued tofloat gracefully forward, traveling down a set of stairs as her gazedrifted towards one of the landing pads for those people takingflight.
'Don't fly..'Hiedekio-kun put in, as if reading her thoughts. 'We don't evenknow where the frog is!'
'I never said I wasgoing to Hiedekio.' Summerstream replied, speaking just as theypassed the Darkdale Destroyer. Waving, she smiled at the Shura male,who waved back. Turning north, she began to descend the two sets ofstairs, each being 25 to 75 steps in total length. Through theupcoming gate, lay the deserts on Copperhorn Mountain.
A sound erupted from ablade blocking teeth, like nails on a chalkboard. Summerstream hadblocked a blow from a Lizard Leader, one of the many creaturespopulating the deserts of Copperhorn Mountain. Hiedekio-kun was ather side, fighting just as strongly.
'Growling Tiger!'Summerstream yelled, finishing off the over-grown lizard. As it fellbackwards, Hiedekio-kun looked up at the Sylph.
'You look a littletired.' he noted, grinning childishly.
'Spring Cleaning!'she said quickly, a green and yellow aura surrounding her in a spiralformation. Looking at Hiedekio-kun, she narrowed her eyes at him.'Not really. Just a little mad that I got aggroed yet again.'
'Just checkingMaster.' Hiedekio-kun said, looking at her. 'Just don't getsarcastic like you usually do. It's the worst form of humor.'
Continuing forward, shesaw the Sandstone Ladybug in combat with another person of the Spriterace. It was Twig, one of her friends. What am I going to do?The question appeared before she could stop it. She knew that Twigcouldn't hold the fort against the creature for very long, let alonefor much longer. Rolling her shoulders back, she ran forward, landingto gain more traction.
'Lash Out!'Summerstream yelled, rushing into the heat of combat. 'First Aid!'She had both increased her attack speed and healed Twig.
The Sandstone Ladybugturned to face the young Sylph. Narrowing her already narrowed eyes,the massive bug charged forward, with her clawed hands outstretchedto attack her. However, Summerstream was ready for the attack.
'Berserker Blow!'
The blow struck theladybug strongly, sending it staggering backwards. In reaction, thecreature ran forward to attack. Although the attack was blocked,Summerstream was still sent backwards into a stone pillar. A sling ofcurses escaped her lips as she looked up at her foe. There was nosign of Twig, to her relief. In that one moment of distraction, inthat window where she wasn't paying attention, the Sandstone Ladybugran forward and forced the Sylph into the pillar behind her. Yellingout with pain, Summerstream kicked forwards to try and get thecreature off of her stomach. No effect.
Hiedekio-kun growledloudly, springing forward. 'Blow Off Steam!' he yelled, attackingthe Sandstone Ladybug. Noticing Summerstream go down on one knee assoon as the monster turned to face him, he stood before the Sylphprotectively. No one hurt her without paying for it in blood.
As Summerstreamcrouched down, she felt anger and shame wash over her. She wasstronger than this! Pushing aside the pain, she stood gradually.'First Aid!' her voice rang out, feeling strength come back toher as her wounds were healed. Running forward, she used her burningrage to an advantage. 'Burning Rage!' A red aura surrounded her.Letting out an angry cry, she ran forward as energy fell into hertired limbs. 'Menacing Moo!' she yelled, attacking like an angrybull. The Sandstone Ladybug couldn't compete with the swiftness andpower of the attacks and eventually, after parrying as well as thecreature could, the massive monster fell defeated to the stainedearth. The battle was finished.
Hiedekio-kun turned,going to Summerstream's side a she went down on one knee once more.'Are you okay?' he asked, pushing his nose into her leg.Speechless and tired, Summerstream nodded in reply. Using her bladeto assist, she weakly stood before floating into the air so it wasn'tas strange to see. As the pair continued, Summerstream took out achuck of dried lizard and nibbled on it to help her get her energyback. In honest truth, she was really tired from the fight.
The pair continued fora while, still heading north. As the day wore on, it became hotterand hotter. It was nearly mid-afternoon before they stopped.Hiedekio-kun was perched upon Summerstream's shoulder, right beside amassive blade. The blade was called the Heartsinger, Summerstream'sblade that was made with the help of a weapons' smith at thecompletion of her Trials. The style of the weapon was a saber, theweapon of the Blademasters of the Mirror World. At 5 feet long, theHeartsinger was only a few inches shy of being it's wielder's heightof 5 foot, 8 inches. Even more so, the blade was nearly 150 pounds.Massive for a mere Commoner to wield when they're just beginning.This massive weight was just the right amount for a Blademaster,depending on the years they had spent training. For Summerstream,that was 15 years and counting. Despite how heavy the blade seemed tobe, the weight felt like a feather for the Sylph.
'Let's rest here.'Summerstream finally said, pausing by a tree that over looked ariver. In the sunlight, the river appeared to shimmer like a diamond.This one spot was one of the remaining green spaces with grass in themassive canyon-like mountains. The other two areas were around theGuild Castle and Grizzly Garrison. After setting Hiedekio-kun on theground, Summerstream took the Heartsinger off of her back and satdown at the base of the tree. After placing her bare feet into thewater after taking her shoes off, she placed the blade on her lap tobegin cleaning it. The cloth had been dampened by the river's water,leaving a small trickle of water as the cloth was dragged over thesurface. To the young Sylph, it felt nice to relax for a moment in ahectic day.
Hiedekio-kun was at herside, watching her as he took a drink from the water. 'What are youthinking about?' he asked, noticing the pondering look in herviolet eyes. It made him curious to know.
'Nothigel. I wonderif he's okay..' Summerstream replied, not looking up from herwork. She was working on a scratch on the beautifully crafted blade'ssurface.
'He'll be fine.'Hiedekio-kun said reassuringly, 'I know Thorn is helping him outlike he did during your Trials.' He loved watching Summerstreamclean her blade, even though it usually took a good hour or two.
'Thanks Hidekio.'Her voice sounded, glancing up as she continued to work. The more sheworked with the blade, the more it seemed to reflect like the water.The ripples of the blade going into the water were like the sandbarsof shallow waters. They seemed to not move, although everythingaround them was shimmering with life. It seemed to emit from theblade itself.. As if it was giving off a light of it's own.
After Summerstreamfinished polishing the Heartsinger, the two began to travel northonce more. This time, they would know have to watch out for themammoth Warrior Whipping Grasses. One was enough to deal with, butthree was more than enough for a job without an AoE or Area of Effectskill to handle. Summerstream glanced back every few yards to see ifanything was following herself and Hiedekio-kun. Satisfied nothingwas following them, she turned her gaze forward to keep a lookout forthe violet grasses that were 8 feet tall. Ahead, there lay the stonearch that showed the grassy plains of Swan Lake Basin. The pathappeared to be full of harmless Orange Whipping Grasses, until threepurple grasses came into sight.
'Uh oh..'Summerstream said quickly, stopping. There was no way around but up.It was either that or to engage in yet another fight.. That was,unless they moved. 'Hiedekio, can you see an opening?'
'No.. Even if wewere to fly we would end up in Tranqulation before we could land.'Hiedekio-kun replied, his voice plainly worried.
'And I'm not too fondof teaming up with other people.. I would much rather take on a soloattempt.' she added on. Summerstream sighed. Flying on her oldsword was a bad idea, leaving the option of fighting. Not being inthe mood, she realized she would have to wait for them to move.
One of the grassesturned, scanning the landscape. Summerstream froze. Hiedekio-kungrowled. Appearing not to notice the two observers, he turned back tohis other friends and resumed the conversation. Both Sylph and petlet out a sigh of relief. As Summerstream landed, the pair ranforward as to not be noticed by the grasses. They didn't stop runninguntil Summerstream felt grass under her feet.
It was pitch black inSwan Lake Basin. Night. Two small eyes opened, as if sensingsomething familiar.. Something from the past. What the creature hadsensed was a presence from the past that had defied him for nearly 24years now. The moonlight shifted, revealing a green body with a creamstomach. His large brown eyes moved, showing they were at the sidesof his head. It was a frog, the Pearly Frog. He would leave his huntto the next day, wanting to finish what his workings did early.
The two awoke at thesame time. The sun was just peaking over the trees to hit the lakeand make it shimmer like a diamond necklace under the sameconditions. The elegant, yet dangerous Neptune's Tower rose fromthe center of the lake, the only way of getting there was to fly.However, this was of little importance to Summerstream. As theylooked around, the dew that had gathered on the young Sylph's bodyrolled down like raindrops on a window. Even the grass was bendingfrom the weight of the water.
Hiedekio-kun shook hisbody, scattering water droplets everywhere. Looking up at his master,he saw that Summerstream was pulling her Encyclopedia onto her back.He could tell that the Heartsinger was beside her, resting delicatelyagainst the tree.
'Are you carryingyour blade?' Hiedekio-kun asked, watching as she stood with themassive blade in hand.
'Yes, I am carryingmy blade Hiedekio.' Summerstream replied, pulling the blade up soshe could rest it on her shoulder. This moment reminded her of herTrials, the memory coming up different from what had happened.
It was during theTrials. The second day to be more exact. She had been fighting twodemons, one male and the other female. She was seeing the fight as ifshe had received broken bones from the kick to her chest instead of acouple bruises. Summerstream had failed to block a blow from thefemale's scythe, leading her with a large gash on her chest overthe broken bones. There was no energy that she had left to lash outwith a stronger attack, or even heal her. Hiedekio-kun was lying offto the side unconscious. The two demons moved in as the vision faded.
Summerstream shookher head to clear the fake memory out of her mind. If she couldsurvive that, then she could win the fight. Walking forward, theyoung Sylph pushed the memories back so she could focus on theupcoming fight. As she came to a crossroad, she looked around. To theeast was the Guild Castle, as well as a farming area. To thenorth-west was the small village of Trranqulation where Summerstreamgrew up.
A rustle sounded fromthe trees, causing both the sapphire pet and Summerstream to look inthat direction. Only a few seconds passed before a large green figurejumped out into the path.
'Good to see you,young Sylph,' the figure ribbited, the mid-morning sun revealingthe Pearly Frog in full living colour, as well as size. With hisgreen body and his stomach being a light cream in colour, he appearedto be harmless when he was actually quite dangerous. Under normalcircumstances, he would 'aggro' or attack anyone who attacked thecreatures around him, among the Orange Whipping Grasses and Dairy PuDadas. This Sylph was a different story though. This frog had killedboth her parents when she was young, but missed the chance to killthe youngest daughter, a baby at the time.
Summerstream narrowedher violet eyes at the frog. When she was 10, she had managed toavoid contact with the frog as she ran to Eversun City. She hadwanted to get one of her job qualifications as a Doctor, but shedecided to change into a Blademaster after a few months. It even tookher a little time for her to become a Musician and a Shaman. Shewasn't even sure on how she had managed to do so, seeing as she hadrun past a clearing similar to this where the Pearly Frog traveledto. Most likely, it was her timing that had allowed her to do so.
'I suppose you alsoknow why I'm here…' Summerstream said, bringing her blade offof her shoulder. As she spoke, her voice was dull and emotionless,showing her uncanny calmness in these situations.
'Vengeance,' thePearly From replied, springing forward to attack the Sylph. Inreaction, Summerstream swung the Heartsinger around to block the blowwith ease, 150 pounds of metal crashing against teeth. This was shewanted, and expected. By letting the enemy attack first, it allowedher to gage where she should be fighting at, a very useful tactic.She had learned this during her training and applied it during herTrials. From this, she also pushed the frog back, making the PearlyFrog step back a few feet.
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How did she becomethis strong? he thought, attacking again. A hit. Although theRhino Armor she was wearing under her costume prevented a fair amountof damage, there was still some damage done.
Summerstream narrowedher eyes, slicing the Heartslinger at the Pearly Frog to deal a highdamage blow. Hiedekio-kun watched before acting.
'Blow Off Steam!'he yelled, attacking the frog. He always fought alongsideSummerstream, no matter what happens in the fight, or any fight forthat matter.
'Eagle Shriek!'Summerstream yelled once more, attempting to take down the frog'sattacking power. She managed to do so, but was unprepared for thenext attack from her enemy.
'String Cannon!'the Pearly Frog finally yelled, the attack hissing Summerstream inthe upper stomach.
She was thrown into atree from the impact. There was a bad wound on her stomach, appearingto be more like a really bad burn than an actual cut. Sitting therehalf-dazed, it felt like Summerstream had lost a fair amount ofblood, but she wasn't too sure. From the rough bark on the tree,there were small cuts on the exposed back areas on her back. The frogwas laughing at his foe, mocking the female Blademaster. Two choicescame to her. Run or continue fighting. Picking up her blade, shechose the later one. Using both her blade to stand, she leanedagainst the tree behind her. 'I'll never give up…'Summerstream whispered quietly, 'Be it my death or my savior.'Taking the blade and turning her body after recovering, she liftedthe massive 150 pound blade to be parallel with the earth as sheturned her body.
'Burning Rage;Berserker Blow!' she finally yelled, a red aura surrounding her asshe ran forward, swinging the Heartsinger with speed, strength andskill in spite of her injuries. There was a pained scream and thensilence. The Pearly Frog had been defeated as Summerstream began tofloat in the air, one of the characteristics of her race.
'First Aid!' shecalled out, healing what she could of her wounds. Picking up thedreamstone that had been dropped, she felt Hiedekio-kun come to herside. The pair had no clue they had been watched by the people inTranqulation…
Hidekio-kun ranforward, running into the small village of Tranqulation, which wasbuilt alongside the beautiful lake. Summerstream had limped into thevillage behind him, showing a leg injury from the fight. Severalfamiliar voices sounded at various times.
'Thank you for doingthat task!' one called out, seemingly male
'Yes, thank you forthat!' another yelled. 'Defeating the Pearly Frog is a bigaccomplishment! I heard the Darkdale Elder was looking for someone todefeat him.'
The pair looked at eachother. Shooty skies all characters. 'Huh?' Summerstream said, surprised at the happenings.'All I did was avenge my parent's murder..'
'Sharon and Shaun?'another voice yelled, walking outside. It was the Hunter. 'Appearsmy prediction was right. You were and did going to become a master ofthe saber, or a Blademaster. I'm the Hunter that was with them whenthey had been attacked. Even I couldn't take down that frog.' Thepair smiled in union.
'Thank you.'Summerstream replied, dipping her head respectfully. There was ataught smile on her face. She could feel that her trust was startingto run down. That was able to be blamed on her past.
'I think those boysare sorry for beating the living daylights out of you to the pointwhere you could of died. I believe that Summerstream.' the firstmale said once more, a Shura. 'Still, if your trust is wearingthin, you should leave.'
Summerstream smiled.They remembered her trust problems, as well as her name. 'I will.Thank you for that.' she said, sheathing the Heartsinger beforetaking out the sword she now used for flying. Picking Hiedekio-kunup, she mounted the blade. As Hiedekio moved onto her back, she wavedgoodbye before ascending into the air.
The pair was headed toDarkdale, taking the chance to fly instead of walking. Finally, afterall of these years the Sylph could move forward in her life. Shedidn't know what was next, but she knew that she was ready for thechallenges that the Mirror World would throw at her next. That wasthe one thing she was completely sure of these days.. The fact thatsomething can and will happen to her every day and week she lived.All that mattered now was getting home.
The end,for now..
StephanieDocs, 8S