.:: Iᴍᴍᴜʀᴇᴅ ::.. [Tsᴀɪʀ & Iʀᴏɴɪᴄ]

[Ironic]

[Indestructible Object]

Ziv breathed raggedly as most of her energy had been exhausted by abusing her weapons. She frowned disapprovingly as the tips of her blades were filed down to nothing, sighing before replacing them with a spare until she could get those fixed. It was no use, Raziel so far out of reach with no sign of getting to him. Her faith was heavy on him, knowing he could manage by himself, but the ‘what-if’s’ were hard to shun away.

“Be careful.” She whispered to herself, but the words were in direction to Raz, her heart growing heavy in worry before deciding it was best to continue without him. Each step was cautious, keeping track of her footing and which corners she was turning. Many corners later, it grew harder to keep track incase she needed to go back. A defeated groan smeared out into the open air, furious hands entangling into her white tresses before gripping them.

“Hey there stranger.” A male voice called out, causing Ziv to quickly cease her dismay and swivel around to catch a sight of the mysterious voice. ‘Trystal’ read about his head, and she remembered the player that used to be a girl, but was truly a guy. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seem a little lost.” He was now in focus, standing a few feet away as his hands casually rested inside the pockets of his pants.

“I lost Raziel back towards the entrance. I’m trying to find my way out to meet up with him.” She replied to his statement, opening her hub to show Trystal that he was nowhere to be seen on her screen. “I can’t find him anywhere, but I know him well enough that he would be trying to get out of here.”

“Hm, I was wondering why you were by yourself, I’m glad you answered it before I could’ve asked.” His lips sprung into a smile, sympathetically looking at her, hidden intent in his pupils that weren’t apparent. “It’s strange not seeing the two of you together, I will admit. But hey, lets work together to get out of here, what do you say?” Cheerily he asked, raising a questioning brow as the question took more than a few seconds for a reply.

Biting her lower lip, she debated on his offer, never working with someone else besides Trevor. It would be purposeful to work with someone else, even if it meant just for the mean time. “Okay, we can do that.” Ziv responded, and Trystal nodded in approval before nudging her to follow him with a slight shake of his head.

Turning. Walking. Dodging. Turning. Walking. It was endless, the maze seemingly going on into infinity. The longer it took to get to the end, the more her fear about Trevor crept onto her. Was he okay? Did he get caught in a trap? Was he lost?

“Are you doing alright over there?” Trystal asked, noticing the stale silence she was giving him. His voice pierced through her imagination, bringing her back down onto the task at hand.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking.” With honesty she replied, the clanking of their shoes reverberating off the walls as they paced evenly. She stood behind him, not wanting to stand right beside him incase another boulder would separate them like before. “What made you decide to enter in this maze?” Zira broke the quiet, wanting to make this situation less awkward for the both.

It seemed to be a tricky question, Trystal having to put some thought into his reply. “Honestly, I heard tales of this place, and wanted to check it out for myself. Didn’t think it was a legit dungeon maze until now.” Gingerly he chuckled, coyly placing a hand behind his head for show. “And you?”

“Raz and I happened to see it while checking out the third floor.” Her response wasn’t as exciting, keeping it short and simple. They had to of at least approached closer to the exit, noticing that a hefty chunk of time passed.

"We should team up together more often. It would be nice. I enjoy your company." Trystal commented, but his line of sight stayed in front, his head un-moving to share a glance.

 

[Tsair]

"...And so I ended up not fighting the boss on the second floor! Silly of me to get sidetracked by a stupid side quest at that kind of time, but I heard everyone made it through! Was that mask the last-hit drop?" Vivi asked. She talked for a large portion of the time they were walking, Raziel's attention only on her as necessary to follow her. He responded with idle remarks but he hadn't truly been following the conversation. Now, however, she had stopped moving and was facing him. It seemed clear she wasn't going to lead further without him engaging in the conversation.

With a sigh, Raziel nodded. "Yeah. Supposed to be his head or something," he responded as he continued walking past Vivi, who gave him a slight frown as he seemed to dismiss her. She continued on though, speeding up slightly to get ahead of him once more. She was just slightly ahead, seeming to do her best to stay even with Raziel's side, the necklace leading them both.

"You don't need to be so cold, you know. There are lots of people in this maze right now, it's a shiny new quest and everyone wants to be the first to get the rewards... And you're lucky enough to have found me, I don't believe anyone else has gotten this drop yet!" she said energetically, pointing to the necklace with a grin that revealed her teeth, only slightly. "And I'm not even asking for anything other than your company! Its exciting to be doing a quest alongside THE Raziel. Only Ziv got to experience this previously, huh?" she hummed along as they walked, seeming genuinely proud of her current position.

Raziel looked over to her briefly, his expression hidden by the skull that covered his face. She was helping him without reward, that was true. He would endeavor to be nicer in his interaction at the very least. He opened his mouth to speak just as the sound of skittering came from the ceiling. Raziel's eyes darted upwards, and he quickly pushed into Vivi, only a few inches from her as they pressed against the wall. Her eyes looked up to him surprised, her mouth hanging slightly open as the scenario escalated in a way she didn't seem to predict. "I'm not necessarily opposed, but..." she began to speak, her eyes lighting up as she looked to Raziel.

He cut her off instantly as he leapt back, his blade leaving an icy streak in the air as it cut through a giant spider that had been falling from the ceiling. It fell to the ground with a powerful shriek, it's eight eyes glowing red with rage as he scampered to it's legs. It bore a long cut along it, and it's health bar had been lowered by a nice chunk. Raziel moved to engage it, expecting throwing knives to quickly be flying into it... Then he remembered the new situation. He fought assuming himself alone, not familiar with Vivis attack style. "It's a Giant Spider. They have a web attack, don't get hit or we'll lose time waiting for it to wear off!" he shouted as he lunged in, his frozen blade tearing through the creature.

Vivi had frozen up in surprise, realizing that it wasn't quite the moment they were having that she thought. She now reacted, however, her countenance darkening as she drew a greatsword, the massive blade rending into the side of the spider. It's health dropped even lower, and the attacks took it out before it got a proper chance to react. The pair were left standing over the dissipating pixels, and Vivi wore a smile expectantly as she looked to Raziel. He simply turned, however heading towards their destination.

"Hey! Don't ignore me, tell me I was good!" she complained with a pouting expression before she reverted to a grin, following him once more.

"Stop joking around. We need to get through. Seeing an enemy means we're further than other players. We can get there first, which means I can go find Ziv," Raziel said in his calculated tone. They were ahead, but he needed to be able to track Zira. He had a feeling that he'd see her at the end of the dungeon, but if he didn't... Well, he'd run the quest as many times as he needed to.

"You're no fun," Vivi said with a playful teasing tone as she bumped her arm lightly against Raziel's. Her eyes stayed on him for a few moments, as though searching for a reaction before she began leading the way once more.

 

[Ironic]

Ziv was grateful that she stood behind Trystal so he couldn’t see the taken back facial expression she just made. How could he enjoy her company when they barely talked, let alone this being their first encounter alone together? “Is that so?” She replied, reaching a dead end in comments she could come up with.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.” He apologized, revolving his head over his shoulders to give her a lighthearted grin. “It’s just nice to have some company, I’ve been soloing this game from the start. You get lonely sometimes, y’know?” Ziv couldn’t relate to him since she was always by Raziel, but the thought of his absence grew heavy on her chest, understanding slightly what he meant.

“Why don’t you just try and find someone to tag along with?” Ziv introduced the obvious idea to his ears, as if he probably hadn’t pondered on that before.

“It’s hard finding players that are as strong willed as me. They’re not taking this serious enough.” His once sincere chatter was turning hard, noticing the sorrow in his words. “But you, you seem to understand. So that’s why I said I enjoy your company.” He rotated his head back into place, his stride filled with determination and empowerment. Ziv was lost for words, but hummed in approval to let him know she was listening.

“To your left!” Ziv hollered at Trystal, who was already anticipating the attack from a black widow-like spider. It legs were longer than her height, its body bulkier than a feral bore. Its mouth was dripping with venom, the poisonous fluid corroding the area where it landed. It hissed in warning, legs distancing themselves as it readied to leap in their direction. Grasping her measly weapons, she would stand upright, anticipating the attack, Trystal unsheathing his sword to have the spider’s reflection dancing on the mirror-like blade.

Without announcing his anticipated coordinates Trystal would bolt carelessly towards its direction. Ziv had to understand he wasn’t accustomed to working with anyone else, and perhaps not familiar with vocalizing his plans. Attempting to follow his lead, Ziv took the backside while Trystal aimed for the head. Slashing and tearing, scowls and hisses, green-like goo splattering against the cemented walls. It was close to death, only one more tick of its health bar before it would cease to exist.

Desperately the widow switched its positioning, its head now facing Ziv and rear at Trystal. It’s mouth opened, fangs displaying, administering a toxic yellow fluid to build up before shooting it at Ziv’s chest. Luckily, her blades dodged it, taking damage as the toxic fluid began to eat away the knife-edge. Droplets of the liquid dripped onto her left leg, causing it to be immobilized until they reached the end of the maze.
Harshly Trystal finished the spider off, sweat beading at his head before hovering over Ziv who fell to her knees. “You okay?!” He panted out, sheathing his sword that was still covered in green much.

“My leg… I can’t move it.” She tried to budge it, but it was no use. It was pitiful to watch her attempt to stand, falling back down in defeat.

“Here.” He softly spoke before crouching down to scoot her petite body in his arms, carrying her tightly as her body hugged tightly against his chest. Her cheeks reddened, embarrassed that she needed help just to walk, let alone finish the dungeon. A light in the distance came into view, the not-so-distant future close enough to taste.

“We’ve made it!” He smiled, picking up his pace as they exited the maze. The sunlight was covered by the towering trees, the spaces that were opened allowing the sunlight to pass through.

 

[Tsair]

There were more spiders but Raziel's familiarity with their patterns made fighting them short work. Vivi's movements were slow and powerful, and had a nice complement to Raziel's swift precise strikes. She was obviously familiar with the creature, and he wondered if she had been in the beta. Her tactics bore a similar knowledge of the creatures movements, hinting at awareness of their possible attacks.

He allowed the question to hang unsaid, however, as the pair moved on from the final set of corpses. A stairwell led them upwards, into what seemed to be a tree trunk. The stairwell became one comprised of carved wood as the pair worked their way upwards into the tree, finally reaching an exit. The pair emerged on a branch of a tree the bridges across the path towards a final clearing, which appeared to be where the end of the quest would take place. Down below them, another figure emerged from the base of the tree. It seemed that there were more exits than one to the maze. "If we hurry, we can get there first," Vivi said as she darted forward slightly, though she hesitated when she saw Raziel make no movement.

What appeared to be one figure was actually two, and after their time together, Raziel had no trouble identifying Zira immediately. Even if she was being carried by Trystal. Without a word to Vivi, he leapt down the tree, his health dropping by about a fifth due to the fall damage from the distance. Vivi looked on with a faint snarl on her face towards the pair at the base before she shouted, "Oh come on, she's being -carried-. Like literally. I can't make up a better metaphor!" she shouted after Raziel before sighing, beginning to slowly work her way down the tree.

Raziel landed a few feet away from Trystal, who moved momentarily to defend himself and Zira before realizing who it was. "Raziel. Good to see you again, I see you and your partner got separated? She got hit by some of the venom," the man said to him as he came up. Raziel looked from him to Ziv for a few moments before bringing up his inventory tab, pulling out a green Crystal and tossing it over to him.

"Weird that a beta player didn't bring any antidote crystals. What a coincidence." His tone was even and mild, though his expression was hidden behind the skull. He gave a small nod to Zira, as he said, "I'm glad you're okay." He then turned to the sound of approaching footsteps, the redhead huffing slightly as he arrived at the trio.

Vivinalia gave one more exhale before she said, "See? She's fine. In Sir Trystal's arms and everything, she can handle the rest without you. Honestly, people say those two are a better fit anyway," she said as she shrugged with her hands in the air. She looked to Zira, giving a small smile with a hint of venom. "Getting popular now, are we?" she hummed to her before turning towards the clearing ahead, her necklace pulling very strongly in that direction. "Raziel, we can go and clear the dungeon, first people to get the rewards! I'm sure Trystal can handle her from here," she continued before Raziel shot her a look that managed to shut even her up.

Wordlessly, he turned back to Zira and Trystal, moving to the trunk of the tree and leaning against it as he waited for the antidote to be administered. "I'm not racing. I reached my goal, you can finish from here. Looks like it's just a matter of getting the loot. If we can't after that, oh well," he said with a small shrug. He made no eye contact with Zira at this point, but he wasn't about to leave her behind. Vivi made an annoyed grunt as she turned towards the clearing.

"Suit yourself. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon enough, you can thank me then," she teased lightly once more before walking off towards the clearing.

 

[Ironic]

In the corner of her eyes, a figure captured her interests, noticing that it was Raziel. Excitedly she grinned, almost bucking out of Trystal’s arms until she forgot her leg was immobilized. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Ziv praised as he came closer, inspecting him form to see he wasn’t harmed. The female that was climbing down the tree left her in wonder, never seeing her before until just now.

Gladly she took the green Crystal, using it eagerly to cease her immobilized state. Ziv now had both feet in her control, Trystal setting her down when the Crystal took effect. “Thanks, Raz! I knew you had this in the bag.” Her greeting was cut short when the flaming hair of the girl approached the group, a devilish curl of her lips that made Ziv’s teeth grit together in displeasure.

“Oh, is that so?” Ziv responded once learning the suppose ‘talk’ of the town about her and Trystal, crossing her arms nonchalantly over her bosoms. Trystal turned his head around so no one would notice his faint reddening cheeks. Taunting the girl, she would approach Raz to coil her arm around his before resting her head on his shoulder momentarily, gazing up at him with a flirtatious perk of her lips.

“Do you still have that bottle of wine? We never got to drink it in our room the other night.” Her words purred like a satisfied kitten, pleased to see Vivinalia angered over small talk. Ziv’s heart ruptured when he declined her offer, a successful ‘YES’ whispering in her mind before watching the girl travel alone. "Thank you Trystal for your help, I owe you one."

“Hey, I know you would've done it for me. I should go, it was nice seeing you guys again.” Trystal chimed in, pacing towards the remainder of the dungeon. “I’ll accompany Vivinalia, I think she’s biting off more than she can chew.” He let out a coy laugh before following the girl.

“I see you made yourself a friend?” Ziv couldn’t help but ask her question, hiding the snark she felt along with it.

 

[Tsair]

As Ziv took his arm, Trevor instantly relaxed, as though his worry and tenseness faded instantly. She made her question in an unusual tone, that quickly brought a red tinge to his face. He hoped it couldn't be seen under his mask, but he did note that she was probably just teasing him to retaliate to Vivinalia, since she herself had advised against the wine. He smiled regardless, though, so glad that they had joined together again.

As Trystal began to walk away, Raziel spoke to him as well. "I do appreciate you helping to keep her safe, thank you," he stated sincerely. He was glad that Ziv was okay, no matter who she was with. The man simply lifted a hand to wave back as he and Vivi entered the next zone, doing what would likely be the final fight of the quest.

Zira made another question to him, one that he let out a small pained sigh at. "You could say that. If we team up with her ever again, it'll be too soon," he said playfully before looking away briefly. "You're one to talk. I've never carried you like that," he said with a gently teasing tone, his lips perking into a slight smile. He looked her over, as though inspecting for any further injury, though it was apparent that it wouldn't show in the game. "Thank you for pushing me out of the way of the trap... I'm sorry I reacted slowly. The separation was my fault," he explained, as he looked to the end of the quest. It'd be nice if they still got good rewards, but he wanted to go home right afterwards. This was too much stress for one day already.

 

[Ironic]

“You never had a reason to pick me up like that.” Ziv responded to his teasing tone, wondering if he had some meaning underneath the words he spoke. “I let the venom drip onto my foot while it was on my weapon.” Remembering, she pulled out her legendary daggers, displaying how the tip was shaved off on both. “This was from trying to get to you when we first separated.” She would tease, but frowned ever so slightly at his apology.

“It wasn’t your fault at all. We didn’t know that would happen, let alone that we would be separated like that.” Zira would perk up, attempting to rejuvenate the aura to a cheery mood other than a guilty one. “I’m just glad you’re okay, and that she left.” She didn’t attempt to hide her displeasure with the girl, Vivi making a bad first impression that left a bitter taste in her mouth.

A few seconds would pass as she contemplated on their next course of action, debating on if it was worth it to get the loot or not. “How about we let them have their fun and let them be?” She suggested before nudging him in a reply before they left the maze, heading in a new direction, one that was away from Trystal and Vivi.

It wasn’t as hard to find an exit from the dungeon, departing with the lingering thoughts of what treasures were held at the end. “I’m getting a little hungry, want to grab a bite? My treat.” She insisted as they headed back towards town, her eyes in search for a cozy and reserved area to enjoy their dinner. Soon the restaurant’s sign hung on the side of the building, “Leafy Greens”, inviting them inwards as the aroma of food coaxed them.

“I think it’s funny, how they have a lot of vegetarian options yet a good amount of meat for those who enjoy it.” Zira noted as she inspected the menu that was displayed outside of the building, glancing it over before determining if this was the right place to dine for the night. “It captures my interest already. You okay with it?”

 

[Tsair]

Trevor lamented the damage to Zira's daggers, responding, "Zira! You have to be careful, what if you needed them to get out..." before shaking his head as though to clear worry. She was safe now, that was what mattered. He smiled to her as she forgave him, even allowing a slight chuckle at her snide tone towards Vivinalia. "Yeah, I don't think you two would get along. Glad to have you with me again, but I am thankful that she helped get me to you," he replied taking a small step closer to Zira as he gave a softer smile.

She made her suggestion to leave the maze, which Trevor gave a small hint of disdain towards as he looked towards the end of the quest. The gamer in him wanted to see it through and to get the rewards... But he smiled as he turned back to Zira. "You're right. Whatever the loot is, they can take it." The pair walked back through the maze, and found it much less troublesome to escape, as though the option were there for players that were in danger.

He nodded as she suggested eating, the thought relaxing in his mind as they traveled to a cafe within the city. The options were quite diverse as Trevor looked into the building beside Zira. "I'm down for it. Your treat, your pick," he said with a warm laugh. They entered inside, finding a table rather quickly. It seemed that most players were not used to the plant NPCs yet, avoiding such direct interaction as a waiter that seemed to be mostly vines approached, offering each player a menu.

Trevor took it, skimming through before settling on a salad that featured a unique dressing made from ingredients only found on this floor. He wasn't usually the type to get salad, but it seemed to fit with the theme of the restaurant and the floor, so he was excited for it. He did slightly wonder if salads were akin to eating the NPCs, in their eyes... But he hoped not.

"So... Told you you'd be getting attention," Trevor said after ordering, a faint smirk touching the side of his lips as he looked at Zira, his sapphire irises trained on her own eyes. "Ziv and Trystal. Huh, if only I'd known!" he said with a touch of dramatic flair before giving a small hum of laughter that he attempted to keep from bubbling out.

 

[Ironic]

Zira’s fingers curled around the menu as she gazed at her options, concluding to a poppy seed strawberry salad. The display image on the menu looked appetizing enough, let alone the imagery of the juices filling into her mouth from biting the fresh fruit. Trevor’s words caused her to shift uncomfortably in her chair, setting the menu down to gaze into his comical hues. She didn’t find his words to be funny, biting the side of her cheek as she thought of an entertaining response.

“Look who’s talking.” She sassily flicked a stray hair on her shoulder to lay against her back, lowering her eyes as if it were a glare. “Vivi’s face was delighted when you stood by her, but when you declined her offer? She couldn’t hide the disappointment, creating a topic of discussion since she couldn’t get what she wanted.” Leaning inwards at the table, she would grip the corners, eyes piercing before her own smirk would play casually on her face.

“If you haven’t taken the hint, I’m not very fond of her.” Zira finished her comment, fluctuating back to sit straight in her seat. That girl managed to get under her skin, not wanting to truly admit the reasoning why, but wanted to make it apparent that she was scratchy with her presence. Lightly the server sat down their plates in front of them, topping off their glasses of water with a pitcher in hand. Zira didn’t hesitate to eat, the rumbling in her stomach almost being unbearable.

After taking a bite, she gazed at Trevor’s face, wondering what his own thoughts were about Trystal. He seemed to play it off as if he didn’t mind, but did he really feel that way?

 

[Tsair]

Trevor watched as Zira made her opinion on Vivi blatant, smiling lightly as she took her attitude towards her. He hadn't seen her upset with anyway and it was good to know she also felt as though Vivi was unpleasant company. "Understandably. She's... Agitating, but it's good to hear you caught that too," he said with a small chuckle. The waiter came with their food, setting it in front of them readily. Trevor gulped down a few bites before taking a puff of air, looking up to Zira.

"I didn't mean to agitate you. Honestly, it's just the leftover jealous tinge," he admitted with a small shrug, moving past the comment quickly to try and bypass it without response. He didn't know her feelings towards Trystal, but they were her business. His jealousy was unfair to her. "This dressing is so good, we should try and snag some of these ingredients! I was thinking of using our downtime to start practicing the cooking skill..." He took another bite of his salad, lowering his gaze from Zira's eyes as he was unsure of her reaction.

He had been feeling closer to her lately, but it was hard to tell her thoughts. On the second floor they had gotten very close after drinking, but he'd let that get carried away and upset her the next morning. The thought still weighed on him, but he wasn't about to bring it up. "We're already a very nice level for this floor, so we can take it a little easier than we have been," he continued idly, between bites.

 

[Ironic]

"You're right, I'm sorry for being too rash about it." She lowered her gaze and took a pitiful bite out of her salad, feeling ashamed for acting so poorly instead of on a mature level. At this point she was stopping just as low as Vivi was. It was easy to tell that Trevor was attempting to change the object, and she wouldn't question it.

"Yeah, it will save a lot on our currency." Zira chimed in, taking another bite of her food before chewing it awkwardly; the only sound she heard in the stale silence. After making a fool of herself, she was scared to talk, and it was hard enough to try and swallow the food with her built up emotions.

The waiter placed the bill on the table, and Zira would quickly cash them out before Trevor could protest. Too long the silence has drifted, and she was going to be the change. "Trevor, look." She started off the sentence, wondering if she started him with her tone. "I didn't mean to act the way I did, I just care about you a lot, and it hurt to see someone else who knows little about you Be at your side."

 

[Tsair]

The silence was unusual for the pair, and they usually had plenty things to talk about. Now it was hard to get a true conversation going. He worried that she might feel nervous about their conversation, and he wondered what he could do to help. As she purchased the food for them and they left, the air between them carrying a taste of awkwardness. Still, he was glad they were still together. She suddenly spoke up, causing him to jump slightly before listening curiously.

"She knows little about me. I care about you too, and you're the one I want to spend my time with. I'm not going anywhere... And I'm just... Well, it made me jealous to see you in Trystal's arms," he explained, stopping in the street to look at her. "You're... I don't mean... Not that I'm trying to push anything or make you uncomfortable," he explained lightly, trying his hardest to keep the conversation from upsetting her. He looked at her for a few more seconds before turning his eyes downward to the ground.

"Sorry," he said with a small puff before moving onwards, marking the inn they were staying at on the map. He walked just a bit ahead, looking back to ensure that Zira was following. It was getting to night time now, the trees causing the light in the streets to be only barely moonlight shimmering through leaves. The ground was splattered with small bits of moonlight, creating an almost mosaic-like appearance on the ground.

 

[Ironic]

As Trevor spoke to her in his own tone she would stop in her tracks and listen to what was said. He was pouring his heart out to her, and it gave her a feeling that she couldn’t begin to explain. Lightly, her own smile crept onto her lips, looking into his eyes before he adverted them downwards.

“You’re not making me uncomfortable, and I feel a lot better now that I know what you’re thinking.” She hummed before picking up the pace to stand besides him as he attempted to walk faster than her. The silence wasn’t too eerie, but it could be felt in the air around them. “C’mon, I’m sorry for making a big deal out of nothing.” She started her sentence, eyes looking down shortly before they entered at the inn.

“It’s just… I felt like I had to get it off from my chest, and in regard to Trystal, he was just being nice to me and helping me to get to you.” She ensured he knew that he was important to her, stepping in front of him before giving him a cheery smile. “Lets go to bed, shall we?”

 

[Tsair]

Their room at the inn was retained and so the transaction was much easier than acquiring a new one, and after they got back to their room, Trevor smiled softly and raised his gaze to Zira, meeting her own enthusiasm and kindness with a tone in his voice that held all of the warmth she made him feel. "Don't be sorry for anything. Talking about it is important, and I know you didn't intend to be with Trystal, I'm sorry for getting worked up about it. He totally checks you out though," Trevor teased with a grin as Zira stood in front of him. He nodded lightly at her offer as he moved to the edge of his bed, sitting on it before speaking once more.

"Not that I'm one to talk," he added with a hint of a playful smirk to Zira before playing it off with a small chuckle, then reclining into his bed. "Goodnight, we need to get back to leveling! Let's actually finish a quest tomorrow," he added, a smile adorning his face as he closed his eyes, already failing against the specter of sleep.

- - - - - - -

Trevor and Zira were on a walkway of branches, a long way up from the ground. The quest of the day had led them on a hunt for a large acorn for a squirrel the size of a small car. It was slightly ridiculous as a premise, but the quest had proven to be a challenge as the pair had to fight their way up the treeline and survive obstacles, all while keeping their balance from falling the long way to the floor below.

"Fall from this height won't kill you, so unless we're currently missing health, don't worry too much," Trevor said as a reminder for the seventh time since they ascended. His voice held the tinge of fright that indicated heights were not his forté, with him practically clinging to Zira's side as they walked. Up only about two more levels of branches, the large acorn shown brightly, with a quest marker above it."Just... Don't look down, it'll be fine," he said reassuringly, though he was clearly struggling with his own advice.

Ahead of them on their current level, there was a small gap between trees and they would need to jump a fair distance to get across. As soon as Trevor realized the necessary action, he paused in place, looking to Zira as though for an alternate solution, despite the evidence to the contrary. ".... You know, maybe we don't need to finish this quest," he offered.

 

[Ironic]

“Hey, that’s not true!” Zira protested to his comment about Trystal checking her out, her cheeks growing red from embarrassment and a hint of anger. If it would be anyone to check her out, she would want it to be Trevor, but she wouldn’t admit that just yet.

Reclining in her own bed, she would fold her hands up to be sprawled at the back of her head, gingerly closing her eyes before allowing sleep to succumb her for the night. “Goodnight, Trevor, I’ll see you in the morning.”

--

It was apparent that Raziel wasn’t too accustomed to heights, his own voice quivering in fear just before he made his way up the tree line. It wasn’t a time or place to be cracking jokes on something that meant a lot to Trevor, but to break the added tension Ziv would release her sassy remarks.

“Everything will be okay, just stay by me and we’ll be good.” She cheered him on, the acorn high in the tree as it shimmered like jewels in front of their view. “We do need to finish the quest, we got this far, now c’mon!” She rushed him, gently pushing his back to make him jump onto a nearby branch, quickly following behind him to ensure he wouldn’t fall.

“See, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?” She questioned before taking another leap, deeming it safe as long as he would try. “Let’s go!”

 

[Tsair]

Ziv's confidence did help to inspire his own but he still looked at the impending jump with chagrin. It loomed high above the ground, it would clearly be impossible to make such a ju- "Ahhhey!" Raziel scream-shouted, as she shoved into his back with a force that implied a death threat. In his mind, anyway. He was nudged forward lightly but it was enough to make his limbs launch him to the next branch. He let out a breath as he turned to Zira, who landed only a few inches behind him to ensure his safety, saying, "....Thank you," with a sincere grateful smile to her. He breathed out softly as he took her encouragement to heart, following her carefully along the branches. He kept his eyes on her, and that seemed enough to keep.him motivated and his thoughts off the floor below.

With a few more jumps, they were on the next landing, whereupon Raziel collapsed to his knees, the fear now pushing through the adrenaline now that the danger had passed. He looked up to Zira, his hand grasping hers lightly, a gentle squeeze indicating that he found comfort in her. "Piece of cake," he managed breaking a smile. He rose to his feet after a few seconds, leading them upwards then to the next level. One more and they would be at the acorn, and likely the boss of the quest.

The next floor opened ahead of them after a short climb, and it was only a few spiders that laid ahead of them, their fangs bared violently. Raziel looked to Ziv with a confirming nod, knowing that now they could rely on their teamwork to destroy the creatures without danger to either of them. Raziel darted inward to them, his blade leaving an arc of snow as it tore through a spider, dropping it's health quickly as he reacted to defend against another, relying on Zira to keep him safe from attacks he couldn't stop.

 

[Ironic]

“I’m sorry I had to push you like that, but it needed to be done.” She reminded him in a scolding-like tone, backing up her tender words with a sincere smile before continuing their journey upwards. The gentle squeeze of his hand against hers shared a hidden amount of trust, unspoken yet there in a way they both knew what it meant.

Ziv shared an exchange of a approved glance before nodding, the duo heading towards the fanged spiders to eliminate them to get to their main goal. With a slash of her daggers the green goop held within the spiders splattered against the tree branches, her daggers coated in the gooey blood before flailing her weapons again, mimicking the same outcome for another spider.

“Phew…” She breathed out once the last spider fell to its defeat, a new pathway opening up that would lead to a squirrel that held the acorn, needing to defeat it in order to grab the acorn and bring it to the rightful owner.

 

[Tsair]

They arose to the final platform of branches after killing the spiders, Ark leading the way with his frozen blade armed. The eyes of his mask seemed to flash as they came upon their target. [Nuts the Squirrel] was a large figure, taking up the majority of the branch ahead of them. The creatures fur was jet black with eyes red as blood, it's two massive incisors chittering out what were likely squirrel death threats. It's large bushy tail dangled over it, and just behind the massive beast lay their prize: an acorn the size of a horse.

Ark looked back to Zira with a disdainful look before letting out a sigh."This quest is ridiculous. You ready? Let's... Go nuts," he said, visibly holding back laughter at his terrible pun. He returned his focus to the squirrel, lunging in while still wearing the smile, his blade tearing into the monstrosity and causing it to recoil with a hiss. It returned an attack, swiping at him in a pattern that Raziel was trying to learn on the fly, playing defensively as he tried to get the hang of how to dodge it.

"Make sure you keep your footing, some enemies on this floor can shake branches," he said, worry creeping into his voice as he thought of the long way down below them. He was comfortable in the fight, his attention not wavering to that, but the hint of panic still touched his mind.

 

[Ironic]

Zira couldn’t hold back the laughter that was bubbling up inside of her throat at his lame attempt of a joke, but she liked his sense of humor and nodded in acceptance towards his direction. As Raz took the first initiative to attack the rabid mammal, Ziv took the time to dart towards its backside, digging her daggers into the tail before it twitched in pain. It’s battle cry was aching to the ears, causing Ziv to clasp her ears to try and shut out the painful screeches.

As if on que after Raziel mentioned the possibility of the floor shaking, the branches shook vigorously, similar to a earthquake on Earth. Ziv gasped at the sudden movement before quickly falling to the ground, clasping against a branch as she feared she would fall off, but as soon as the shaking had started it ended, Ziv rising back up to her feet to bellow out another attack in objection.

Already the duo managed to nick off a good chunk of health, the squirrel seemingly foaming at the mouth in rage at its failed attempts at keeping its acorn safe from intruders. It’s large tail lifted upwards, slapping downwards to cause a [Rumble Attack], the branches underneath them shaking more violently, some branches even cracking from the strain of the forceful slam.

“Be careful, try not to look down!” Ziv reminded Raz as she feared that his phobia would cause him defeat.

 

[Tsair]

The battle was more unnerving to Raziel than most had been, his footing not as stable as he would strongly prefer. His attacks weren't hitting with their usual force, since he couldn't fight freely. It was frustrating to him, but he couldn't get the idea of just how high up they were out of his head. The creature's shriek almost threw him off balance, but he managed to retain his composure and react, taking the opening to get a solid amount of damage in. He rotated with Ziv, ensuring to hold the aggression of the squirrel in order to keep it off her.

The attack that the creature used once it was enraged shook the branch violently, making it difficult to maintain his offense against the beast. Zira offered her words of encouragement, to which Trevor looked over, the frustration and worry in his face fading as his eyes fell on her. She grounded his senses and he smiled towards her, the confident smile he wore when they were in a fight he knew they would win.

He lunged forward then, undeterred by the monsters attacks as he ripped his blade across its flank, the pixellated red scar it left behind cutting deep into the beast. It let out a vicious chitter as it turned to chomp on him, though it's teeth were caught by the flat of Raziel's blade. With a swift retraction, Raziel flowed into a sidestep as he drove his blade deep in the being's face, causing its health to drop to zero.

He breathed out slightly as he looked to Zira, beaming as he gave her a thumbs up. Then, the situation of how high they were on broken or damaged branches seemed to weigh on him, as he moved by her side once more and clung slightly, as though together they were less likely to fall. "....Piece of cake," he said in a quiet tone, seeming a bit nervous once more.

 

[Ironic]

As the health dropped down to zero, Zira couldn’t help but simmer up a radiating smile ofnapproval, happy to see Raziel get the last hit as well as build his confidence on heights. “You did amazing!” She cheered him on, hugging him softly as he made his way closer by her, his scent infiltrating her flared nostrils before setting in a sense of relief. He was okay, and they managed to beat the quest; all she could ever ask for.

Taking the acorn and placing it into her inventory, they pair had to hike up another tree to get to the squirrel named “Chestnut”, Zira occasionally giving small glimpses of Trevor as he hiked up the tree, wanting to make sure he was okay and stable after learning of his recent fear of heights.

Happily Chestnut accepted the acorn, jumping with joy that made the branches wiggle from the impact, but not enough to break underneath their toes. In token of his gratitude, the squirrel gave the pair a hearty amount of currency and a unique trinket, an acorn that would boost their healing for every time they hit an enemy. It would come in handy, especially for Raz as he was training on the aspect.

After waving goodbye to the friendly squirrel, Ziv placed on her trinket, an item that was invisible to the eye but the effects were still there. “That’s right up your alley!” She commented on their new accessory, standing close by him and peering over his shoulder to see if he would put it on.

 

[Tsair]

When the pair climbed up the tree to the final squirrel, Trevor seemed much more at ease as he smiled to Zira occasionally. She gave him a strength that made it much easier, and he felt much more confident knowing that the quest was almost over and there would likely be no more challenges before their prizes. He would still walk closely with Zira, her proximity further comforting him.

The reward from the quest was impressive, and one that would definitely help on the boss fight that would be coming shortly. Raziel inspected the item with great depth, regarding how much health it would add over a sustained battle. The mental math that he did was cut short as he saw Ziv putting on hers, giving a soft smile as he was glad she finally would be increasing her passive health gain. He responded to her statement with agreement."It definitely is. Along with my equipment, it should almost double my total health as long as I'm landing a hit every few seconds," he replied.

They made their way back down the trees, noting that the quest had been long enough to take the latter portion of their day. It was nice when they finished early, but it seemed today was not one of those days. Raziel began to move back towards the inn once they arrived at the city, and he looked towards Ziv as he stated, "I believe the boss door will be found soon... The dungeon is almost all cleared last I heard, there are just a few more corridors that it could still be down. You ready to take this one on?"

 

[Ironic]

“It’ll make you very suitable for our next fight!” Zira readily jumped off from branch-to-branch, sporadically looking behind her to see if Trevor was following closely, and if he was diffident, she would outspread a supportive hand to his, supervising him down to the security of the ground. A prideful smile shined, cheeks stretching and pearly whites gleaming. “We’re doing awesome compared to the others.” She would show him the charts on her screen, the pair being at the top 5. Trystal was surprisingly up there, Vivi closely following behind but managing to be in the top 10. Distastefully Zira moved her lips when her orbs scanned over her name, tapping out of the menu to rid of the annoyance before gleefully clasping her hands together in harmony.

“Let’s get started on that boss, shall we?” She offered before answering for him in a robust grip of his wrist, leading the way as her heart skipped beats as he stood beside her.

---

A dungeon deep within the forest held the quarters of where the boss resided, the door leading to it mossy, and earthy scent accompanying it. The traditional dungeon group gathered once more together, stopping to stare at the door that was destined them access to the next floor.

<Arbre The Giant> was the rightful boss of this lively floor, stacking four health bars above his expansive head. The lingering smell of his wooded physique encircled the room, the doors creaking uncannily outwards to show the stationary boss at his customary position. Tree nymphs, beautifully displayed, stood beside their master, playfully grinning, almost welcomingly.

“Stay away from them nymphs, I read that they use an ability to enchant you to walk towards them, almost like a siren.” Ziv whispered under her breath to Raziel, even if he already knew this small piece of information. “I’ll take care of them, so they won’t get to you, but just in case one slips away.” Straightening her shoulders, she would roll her head in a perfect circle, cracking her stiffened neck before embracing her weapons. They were freshly repaired before the dungeon, wanting to be ready for the big fight. Her snowflake earrings still shimmered brightly against her lobes, Ziv feeling the added weights moving around as she turned her head from side-to-side.

Excel took the lead, deeming it a perfect time to initiate their fierce battle. As the tanks took their leave, Ziv and the others sprawled outwards towards the charming nymphs, their giggles reverberating in their eardrums; a sickening tune playing in their heads. Zira wanted to wipe the smug look from their faces, the tips of her daggers breaking through their barked attacks, leaves falling and withering away before they soon met their fate.

 

[Tsair]

The room was foreboding as they entered, the trees almost seeming to part explicitly for the fight that lay ahead. Raziel hadn't been looking forward to this boss, due to the questionable mechanics that the fight used with the addition of the sirens. It was one thing to mistime a dodge, it was another to be completely unable to react to an attack due to a rebuff. This was especially true with actual life or death on the line, and it made Raziel wary.

He nodded to Ziv as his partner gave him advice for the fight, though it was more for reassurance than for actual new information. He appreciate and trusted her having his back here, as without the dryads the boss was fairly slow and not a huge problem to take out other than his significant health pool. "Just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt trying to keep them off me," he warned before stepping in with the rest of the front line. The other players had been more wary around him due to his appearance with the skull, and it seemed to be causing them to give him more space as they widened out.

This didn't cause him any hesitation, however, as he lunged in with vicious speed to launch the beginning of the furious assault. His blade sang as it tore through the air to the ent-like beast, a 'thunk' sound emanating to show the weakness of blades against wood. It was still damage, however, and Raziels attack was unrelenting.

 

[Ironic]

The clashing of weapons soon occupied the once silent air, grunts from players churning in with the sound as they flailed their arms, defenses in hand. Ziv had just finished slaying a nymph before she moved over to help another player, knocking down a large chunk of its health before it dissipated into pixilated mush. The rattle in the old boss’s branches creaked with each step it took, the ground rumbling in pain from the grand steps.

It wasn’t easy as the boss’s health wasn’t depleting fast enough, the nymphs retaliating in greater numbers towards the tanks. She would lunge herself forward to slice into the back an unsuspecting foe, causing it to drop to the ground before moving to another one. She was too caught in the moment to notice a nymph behind her, its familiar spell locking in place on Ziv. Her body froze, feet instinctively heading towards the grinning NPC.

Using her <Branch Outbreak> attack, thorn-like branches encircled around Ziv’s body, locking her in place as well as the tiny needle-like spikes embedded themselves into her flesh. She winced in pain, unable to move from the attack, until a nearby player slashed through the damned sprite, causing her to terminate as well as her abilities, Ziv becoming freed from the bounded thorns.

Nodding her head in the players direction in gratitude, she had little to no trouble brushing off losing only 15% of her well-being, her new acorn trinket nicely aiding her to regain the lost chunks of her health.