Episode 113 — Bajutsu
Episode 113 — Bajutsu
Twelfth Day in the Month of Deutzia Flower (July 12) in the Year of the Griffon
Front Line - Floor 65
Bladescape had the day off. The furniture was all received, most of the bedrooms had theirs as well, and the shrine was in place. Gunk, Valk, and Blazon were drafting up ideas for her tower, all three floors. The new Wondercolts were almost done with their training as well. Bladescape had spent her fair share of time in the bars, mostly overnights, and gained multiple levels from it.
Boots had sought her out the other day to go riding, and, because things were going as well as they were, the Council decided to give her the first day off, ahead of schedule. It would allow for them to rotate into their breaks faster and lift everyone's spirits. They already had to pull a team to fight the Sixty-Fourth floor boss a few days prior.
Along with her break, a team of Wondercolts would join the raid on the second field boss on Floor Sixty-Five. Natora was heading that up with Malus, Thunderborne, Kiefer, Reisenki, and Konpeito. They wouldn't be missed for training and it wouldn't take them long to defeat the field boss. Then they would head back to the training camp.
Bladescape wasn’t needed, which was the unsettling thing. She had gotten used to being needed. These new changes brought their challenges and made her rethink them, but, whenever she did, all she could see was the good and nothing that was making her hesitate. She just had to find her new groove with the guild. Besides, it was only a field boss. She still had a perfect score for the floor bosses.
Bladescape almost tripped over the box that was in front of her door. She had no idea Diemond was going to leave something there, but it obviously was her by the bow. Bladescape brought the box inside and opened it.
It did not surprise Bladescape that the box had clothes. It was a complete outfit for horse riding, designed more like the traditional European show outfits, rather than western cowboy. Despite the difference, it was hardy clothing with decent defense stats.
The black leather riding boots were knee height, with spurs built in. The light yellow riding breeches had subtle reinforcement on the inside of the knee and thigh where most of the rubbing contact with the saddle was. The black belt for them was simple, but still had their horse head buckle. The yellow shirt was a high collar, long sleeve top that was comfortable, despite its design to hug her body. It also came with an outer jacket in dark maroon and black riding gloves. It was a relaxed suit jacket, with two buttons rather than the three button style Boots wore.
The defensive properties of it all were impressive. Diemond had certainly come a long way since March. Rendil had taught her a lot and she had grabbed it and not just held on, but expanded her knowledge of the materials. Now that she knew the materials, and how to find new ones, she could make anything.
Bladescape changed into the riding outfit and headed down to breakfast. Most everyone was still in the field, gaining the last levels needed. Konpeito was in the kitchen and Diemond still had a few pieces of armor to make to her standard. The dining room looked amazing with the tables and tapestries. Bladescape caught Diamond eyeing her from her seat as she came in.
“Interesting look,” Natora said, as Bladescape sat down. “I assume Diemond made it.”
Bladescape chuckled. “I almost tripped over the box she left at the front of my door.”
“She should’ve made ya proper riding gear,” Malus snorted. “Good denim with a hat to keep the sun off ya.”
“I’m not working on a ranch,” Bladescape replied. “I’m joy riding for the day. Plus, the defensive stats of this gear is stunning. Especially considering how she had stalled out a few months back.”
“Fair,” Malus replied. She was always sore about Diemond not making her the clothes she was used to wearing on the farm. Usually she was quieter about it, but obviously today was different.
After breakfast, Bladescape headed out to meet Boots. Boots had Plaudit and Wind Rush saddled and ready. It wasn't the same saddle Bladescape had commissioned. It was a cowboy saddle, with a horn on it.
Boots explained the day’s plan. “I figured you and I could go after Marengo. I spotted him the other day and I know he won’t have strayed too far, not yet. Besides, it will be a fun ride out to that part of the floor.”
“Alright,” Bladescape grinned. “What do I need to know?”
Boots handed Bladescape a coil of rope. “That is a lasso. In Aincrad, they are really easy to use. I never did anything with lassos in the real world, but it came easily. The system assist is solid. Then it requires you to throw accurately. That is the hardest part, but I quickly picked it up. Most of the horses that have passed through my barn were wild before I lassoed them and broke them in. Wind Rush was one of them. Just get it over the neck and the system does the rest. Oh, and hold on."
Bladescape had seen AJ use a lasso. She uncoiled it and like Boots had said, the system kept it simple. As she aimed for Tenderhoof who was sticking his head over the corral wall in a vain attempt at getting their attention, the system also recognized Bladescape’s Blade Throwing. The throw was true as Bladescape used both her long hours practicing various release points for the Skill to easily lasso Tenderhoof. He just stood there, shocked and wondering why he suddenly had a rope around his neck.
Boots laughed at Tenderhoof’s expression and walked over to him. She pulled the lasso off and pet him. “I guess you have that down. Was that glow Blade Throwing?”
“Yes,” Bladescape replied. “Although, it’s only supposed to throw something with a registered blade or edge. The throwing picks are technically an early shuriken design. They sail straight, with their point as the blade, but this is new. I'm sure I just accidentally found a way to combine the action with the Skill. My own OSS."
“I wouldn’t know,” Boots shrugged. “But let’s use it to our advantage and capture the legendary Marengo.”
They mounted up and headed out. Bajutsu’s sheath was easily attached to the saddle and Bladescape also had quick access to a few lassos. Boots had her sword on her saddle as well as a few lassos. If they missed and lost their grip, they would not need to worry about retrieving it or struggling with their menus to get a new one.
“I assume your friend Diemond made that outfit?” Boots asked. “It looks great. It compliments you well.”
“That she did,” Bladescape replied. “I don’t know how she knows this style of clothing, but she does. Or rather how she remembers all of them since we are cut off and no one rides horses in Aincrad. She had to learn it at some point, I just don't know when or why. Also it is highly protective. The defense stats probably are better than your combat armor.”
“I could use some more protection in my normal riding clothes,” Boots absentmindedly stated.
She kicked Wind Rush into a faster pace and Bladescape couldn’t reply. Plaudit knew who to follow and enjoyed being able to stretch his legs into a good run. A low fence came up and he took the jump with ease and without losing pace. Wind Rush was the same way as Boots laughed, enjoying the jump.
It was a good, long ride out to the area Boots had spotted Marengo. They had to cut down a few bandits along the way, but it was nothing to stop at, or even slow down. Marengo was a grey Arabian and he led a herd of about two dozen horses. Once they located the herd, they just had to find him in it. He was smaller than many of the horses he led, just above 14 hands by Boots' estimate.
They stopped a decent distance away, to observe and plan. They would not get to Marengo without first separating him from the others. Then Bladescape could hit him with a throwing pick to paralyze him and they could rope him and bring him back to the corral to break in.
“We both have solid war horses,” Boots said. “Our best bet is to use them to physically force him out of the group. The wild horses will not like being cut off or touched, while Plaudit and Wind Rush will have no problem doing it. They won’t even hesitate.”
“I think we will end up relying on your skill more than mine,” Bladescape replied. “But as soon as we get him singled out, I will be right there to hit him with the paralyzer.”
“Eh,” Boots shrugged. “Good enough. We can make a go at it and see how he reacts and how we do.”
Bladescape nodded and Boots kicked Wind Rush into gear. She was going to go at them from the far side. Bladescape began to move Plaudit forward a bit, picking her entry point. She started moving him in faster as the herd began to shift from their presence.
Out of nowhere an aggressive whinny sounded out and the herd bolted. Plaudit quickly matched their group speed. Bladescape glanced over and saw Boots was in a similar spot. Plaudit didn’t flinch as Bladescape transitioned them from outside the herd to inside it. The cut in forced several horses to stop and break away in fear. Plaudit stayed true, enjoying the chase. Boots did the same and shaved off another group.
They could see Marengo, but getting to him wasn’t going to be easy. He was ahead of them and surrounded by a few larger horses. Boots made the next move. It removed a few more horses, but most of them shifted. Plaudit bumped shoulders with a mare as he refused to move. It freaked the mare out and she slid to a stop, taking a few others with her.
Plaudit took over, cutting in behind the last few horses and then charging forward, slicing them off. Bladescape grabbed a pick as Plaudit kept the charge up. She threw it and it landed in Marengo's flank as planned.
Marengo kept going. Boots got rid of the other horses and it was just the five of them as Marengo began to bolt with a new speed.
“Why isn’t he stopping!” Boots called out over the thunder of their hooves.
“The paralyzer failed,” Bladescape yelled back. "He's immune."
Boots responded by holding up a lasso. Bladescape grabbed one and held it up as well before she shifted Plaudit further away so that he didn’t get roped accidentally. Boots let the lasso go. It struck Marengo in the face. He didn’t flinch or slow down.
Bladescape threw hers. It was just behind him, going over his shoulders. Bladescape pulled the rope back in as Plaudit thundered on. Boots threw again, and Marengo dodged left to avoid it. It put him almost directly behind Plaudit. Bladescape didn’t let the opportunity of such an easy throw go to waste. The rope went over his head and the system locked it in place. Bladescape wrapped the rope around her glove to better anchor it in her grip.
The fight wasn’t over as Marengo pulled away. Plaudit couldn’t adjust to the direction change and Bladescape wasn’t going to let go. Bladescape was pulled off the saddle by the deceptively strong stallion and hit the ground. She held on as she was dragged along.
That didn’t last long as Bladescape rolled into a position to get her heels dug in. She was too strong for Marengo as she braced against his surging body. He was forced to slow down and Boots threw a second lasso onto him to better secure him.
Outflanked, he calmed down. Boots tied her rope onto her saddle’s horn. Plaudit seemed to have a laugh in his whinny as he calmly stepped over to Bladescape. She pet him as a reward.
“I put some sugar cubes in the saddle bags,” Boots said as she gave one to Wind Rush.
Bladescape nodded, out of breath, and pulled one out and fed it to a happy Plaudit. She mounted the gelding, anchored the rope on the saddle horn, and patted him on the neck while she caught her breath.
“At least Aincrad doesn’t exactly give grass stains,” Boots grinned.
Bladescape snorted a laugh. It was true. Her outfit was perfect despite the distance she had been dragged. That was something she would miss once they were free.
Before Bladescape could respond, a message popped up in her view. It was from Natora. It wasn’t an update that the field boss was beaten. It was a call to all Wondercolts in the Assault Team to respond to the fight as reinforcements. Whatever they were fighting was causing a huge problem.
“Can you get him back alone?” Bladescape immediately asked Boots.
“Yes,” She nodded. “What is up?”
“The Field Boss fight on Floor Sixty-Five has gone terribly wrong,” Bladescape explained. “All I know is that they are calling for reinforcements.”
“I’ve got him,” Boots reaffirmed. “We still have to break him in, but the system separates that fight from the capture code. He is mine, just unbroken.”
Bladescape never replied as she tossed her lasso away and teleported to the town on the Sixty-Fifth Floor the troops were responding too. No one was expecting a horse and rider to appear on the plaza. Bladescape immediately began to use Search to track Natora, which guided her on the fastest way out of the city.
Bladescape yelled every warning she could to NPCs and players, who were forced out of the way by the big horse. She saw several parties of Clearers and Assault Team that were rushing out in response to similar messages that had been sent. As she broke free of the city Plaudit could open up and he did. She passed a squad of DDA players and then two squads of KoB. They were making haste to the battle, but Plaudit was significantly faster than they could run. Bladescape only sought to get there as quickly as possible and then aid however she was needed. She would not let anyone die if she could do something.
Floor Sixty-Five was mostly open, at least on this side of the Floor. The hills rolled a bit, but it was flatter than most floors. Just not totally flat. Bladescape saw the battle from a long way off. She wasn’t sure what the Field Boss was until Search finally gave her the details.
Fafnir the Lindwurm popped up, along with four health bars. Two were depleted, but that was poor progress judging from the simple fact that by lunch they were supposed to be done with the battle. They were well over an hour from the start of the raid and about half strength. The Lindwurm was like a long dragon snake, except it had no wings and only two front legs. It knew how to crawl and slither, and reared up on its legs, it stood a good thirty-five feet tall. The main body alone had to have a diameter of at least eight feet. Bladescape saw its powerful tail throw several players back in a whip attack.
Plaudit closed the distance as two of those players teleported out before they died. A group of tanks converged and set their line, trying to draw the aggro of the beast. They unknowingly assembled directly in Bladescape’s intended path. She was going to keep the Lindwurm on her right, slicing along its left in a regular charge. The tanks had no idea of her plan, but Plaudit wasn’t going to miss the opportunity as the tanks locked their shields together and bent down, bracing for the attack.
Bladescape drew Bajutsu and yelled their motto. Plaudit jumped over the tanks and the Lindwurm hesitated as it swiped at the tanks with its clawed hand. They were its left claws, which was perfect for Bladescape to slash. Bajutsu glowed as Bladescape continued to yell. She slashed the claws with the blade and then held Bajutsu out. Plaudit kept true and straight, allowing the blade to slice the side of the serpentine beast without a Sword Skill being triggered.
Plaudit dodged left as the tail was whipped at them in response to the attack. Bladescape ducked and it safely passed over them with no room to spare. Bladescape couldn’t slash at it from her angle and speed.
Plaudit slowed a little to make the turn tighter before he charged back up to full speed as they came at the Lindwurm from behind. The beast punched the tanks with a fist. Only the Iron Bulwark at the center of their formation held.
Right as the punch was stopped, Bladescape cut at the body again. She saw the Lindwurm turn to address the real threat but it didn’t deter her from making several more downward slashes into it. They were too close to it for it to use its claws at that angle. Bladescape spurred Plaudit straight ahead.
As they got to its chest, Bladescape pulled Plaudit right, to move in front of it and to keep them from getting a swipe from the claws. It worked and Bladescape also got a stab into the chest of the beast. They dodged left to avoid a whip from the tail. It was stopped by the Iron Bulwark and Bladescape blitzed right behind her friend.
Bladescape slowed Plaudit as they turned, to better survey the scene now that she had provided a solid distraction. Bladescape had been the only one to land an attack as the others reorganized. The third health bar was gone, thanks to her.
Bladescape encouraged Plaudit forward and he happily began another charge. She was cutting a diagonal path from their left to their right. The Lindwurm saw the straight path and took the bait. It used its left claws for the swipe. At the same time Bladescape pulled Plaudit left, taking them out of the path and back in front of the chest. Its claws were deadly, but it was restricted in how they could be used. It needed one leg to stay fully upright, and the balance point for it was towards its chest, not further back like a snake.
Bladescape yelled as she sliced Bajutsu deep in the chest. She didn’t stay in line with the central body like the first charge. She kept going left, away from it. The tail was lashed at her. Plaudit didn’t hesitate as he expertly timed the jump and cleared it with ease. Bladescape savagely sliced down with Bajutsu, into the tail, before they galloped off.
She pulled them to a stop to pick their next move. The raid party was still not responding. They were exhausted and short on morale. Even her arrival was not changing that. They knew messages had been sent out and that reinforcements were on the way. They were content to wait it out, doing the minimum required to protect themselves.
Bladescape could tell who the Wondercolts were, even at their distance. At least Malus and Natora were easy to spot as they moved and gave rallying speeches. The other three were probably Konpeito, Thunderborne, and possibly Kirito, as the player was not using a shield. They were moving slower and strategizing, while the others were pulled back out of the immediate targeting zone of Fafnir the Lindwurm, who kept advancing on them.
Bladescape slipped her hand into the saddlebag and fished out a sugar cube. She gave it to Plaudit as she rubbed his neck. “Ready?” She asked him. “I am going to need you to be absolutely true and trusting.”
He snorted and reared up, legs kicking as he begged to ride into battle again. She nudged her spurs into his side and he came back down. The graphics of the horse as its virtual muscles rippled was stunning. He was up to full speed after a few paces and he wasn’t stopping.
The Lindwurm wasn’t either. Bladescape saw it swipe at a figure who could only be Malus because it just stood there, and then it didn’t move. That was exactly what she needed: it to be focused on a new target.
They approached, keeping the boss on their right. Bladescape stood up and then jumped, landing in a run. She landed on her feet and charged up the back of the Lindwurm. It turned to look at who was on its back. Bladescape had expected the turn, which meant she had to adjust as the body beneath her rolled. It didn’t stop Bladescape as she charged up the back. As the angle of the beast went fully vertical, Bladescape jumped, using Acrobatics to the best of her ability.
Bajutsu was lifted above her head, tip pointed down and in a reverse grip. She let the jump carry her to the Lindwurm’s head then used gravity to ram the sword as deeply as possible. It immediately pierced to the hilt and Bladescape held on while her legs dangled by its jaws. It couldn’t snap her into them, despite its best tries. Bladescape got a firm grip on the ridge above its eye. She yanked Bajutsu free and let go.
Plaudit was there to catch her. She landed backwards in the saddle, but at least he had figured out where to stand. He didn’t hesitate to begin running to safety, despite her reversal. Bladescape easily fixed that as he took off. The transition left her with Bajutsu in her left hand and a lasso in her right. Bladescape glanced backwards. She saw the claws coming. Plaudit only needed her knee pressing into him to realize he needed to make a sharp turn.
As they turned, Bladescape threw the lasso. The claws passed through the extra large loop Bladescape had thrown and she pulled hard. The Lindwurm needed control of both limbs to be effective, but she now had one trapped. She was ready for the response and stayed on Plaudit, who was forced to slow as they were pulled back by the strength of the beast.
Bladescape jumped off him to counter the yank it made. She landed and was dragged a bit while she got her feet under her. Once she was back up, she ran straight for Malus.
“Catch!” Bladescape yelled as she threw her friend the rope.
Malus caught it, expertly took in the excess rope, and countered with her own pull. Their battle of strength was only just beginning, but Malus was not going to be outdone by an overgrown serpent. She was too stubborn to lose.
Bladescape hopped back up to a happy Plaudit who then reared up, giving his own war cry. The Lindwurm was down to its last health bar from Bladescape's critical head strike. Bladescape called out to the others while Plaudit had their attention. “It’s vulnerable! Lancers, change!”
Plaudit heard the word “charge” and dropped back down. He was off, leading the raiders in their newfound morale.
Bladescape got another savage slice into the chest which she then pulled down the length of its body until they had to turn to avoid the back half and tail. Plaudit couldn’t jump that high. They looked back around at the final moments of Fafnir the Lindwurm.
Malus had the beast pulled down, its leg still trapped and being pulled further out as Malus fought to drag it behind her. The lancers had their spears as deep as they could go. Other fighters had flanked their assault on its chest to deal more damage. Bladescape saw a lone tank charging behind the others. She realized it was Reisenki.
Reisenki slid to a stop and threw his tower shield into the ground, bracing himself. Natora came from farther back at top speed. She stayed in stride as she used him to vault even higher, spear at the ready. She had reversed her grip, with both hands, so that she could ram it down into its head like Bladescape had done.
Natora’s entry was better than Bladescape's had been, as her spear went straight into its eye. There was a second of resistance as the spear pierced the squishy flesh of the eye and then it broke in polygons. Her leap had been amazing and her stab was flawless, but her fall was not pretty. She had no control as she failed to calculate for a disappearing boss and landed in a crumpled mess that would normally have broken many of the bones in her body.
Bladescape encouraged Plaudit to rush to her aid. She trotted up, forcing the gathering warriors to split apart for the horse. Natora was laying on the ground, with Reisenki, Malus, and Thunderborne by her head. She was coherent and Bladescape could see that her health was in the red, but not dangerously so. She was probably on the ground because she didn’t need to get up. She could let things hurt for a bit.
She smiled up at Bladescape. “I guess that horse wasn’t a dumb buy.”
“Plaudit never was,” Bladescape grinned back.
“Yeah, but unlike most players, you didn’t ditch the horse,” Natora shot back. “You didn’t even respond and then dismount once you got here. You two charged it! Its midsection was as tall as you two are!”
Plaudit neighed in response.
“Plaudit is a warhorse,” Bladescape reminded her. “That is what he loves to do; charge and jump."
“Your horse sword carved the boss up better than what we could do all morning,” Natora pressed. “What exactly did you have made again?”
“A short, light, two-handed sword,” Bladescape shrugged. “But its name is Bajutsu.”
Several of the other players, including Kirito, recognized the name and meaning.
“The Japanese art of martial combat on a horse,” Bladescape explained to those unaware of the name.
“You are still in your clothes,” Natora followed up. “A sane player would have changed! Even in the field! I know Diemond made them strong, but one hit without proper armor and you would be dead!”
Bladescape never realized she wasn’t in her armor. She was focused entirely on the job, on responding. Armor was the last thing she was thinking about.
Bladescape dismounted and put her hand out to Natora. Natora firmly grabbed it and Bladescape pulled her to her feet. “And did we get hit?” Bladescape asked. “But enough about my stupidity. I didn’t end up on the ground because I forgot the tall thing I was stabbing wouldn’t exist when it died.”
“Yeah, I forgot,” Natora laughed.
“How bad was it?” Bladescape asked. It wasn’t to anyone in particular, but everyone had gathered around.
Kirito spoke up. “We lost two before you got here. At least a third of our group teleported out. That includes the back up squad that came with us. Konpeito and Kiefer were the Wondercolts who had to bail.”
Bladescape nodded quietly in response. She had forgotten who exactly had been sent. As long as they were safe, that was what mattered.
“Well, your call got a lot of responses,” Bladescape stated. “Others will be here shortly. I passed several on the way out, but it’s a distance even at their quick pace. Still, they will ask the same question I will. Why didn’t you just retreat?”
“It was too fast,” Asuna quietly said. With no one else speaking, everyone heard it. “Every time we tried, it flanked us and kept us out here. That is why we called for reinforcements. Even if we teleported out, then what? We would just have to come back with a significantly larger party, and more players on standby in case the same thing happened again. We decided it was best to keep fighting.
"The deaths happened during the opening attack. They were unprepared. We all were, but they paid the full price. Malus's shield stopped others from dying and we rallied. That's also when your members had to teleport out.
"Despite the deaths and teleports, we figured getting fresh troops to us was better than undoing all the HP we had worked to shave off. Although, it’s apparent that you could do more with that sword than what we could do as a whole."
It was quiet. The mention of the deaths silenced most players. The rest were unsure how to take Asuna's ending comment.
"Asuna," Bladescape calmly said. "I was on a charging horse. That gives my attacks a different angle. Plaudit's speed and strength magnified the damage Bajutsu could deliver. It wasn't just me behind the swinging blade. I came to help and I did. It's fitting that someone in your raid party got the LAB. However, as evidenced by my clothes, I'm on a free day to enjoy after tough leveling quotas."
“I thought you were going riding, not wrangling,” Malus said, shifting the topic to keep morale up. She held up the lasso.
“I thought so too,” Bladescape grinned. “Instead, Boots and I headed out to catch the special horse on Floor Twelve. We finally roped him right before I got the message. I came straight here after teleporting from the field we were in. Plaudit had already done a lot of hard riding to catch that wild stallion.”
Malus nodded, accepting it. She tossed the lasso to Bladescape. Bladescape hung it over the saddle’s horn for the time being.
“THERE YOU ARE!”
They all turned to see Godfree running up to them, at the head of the two KoB squads Bladescape had passed. Bladescape mounted Plaudit, leaving the raiders to explain what she had done.
“Malus, Natora, I’m going back to riding,” Bladescape said. “It's my day off after all, so try not to need me. Again."
The three of them laughed. Several others joined in the laughter.
“Oh, Asuna,” Bladescape said. “This is the hobby I found. I experience Aincrad and all its majesty from horseback. With minimal combat and only if we want to fight. Thanks for the advice.”
Asuna wasn’t sure what to say. She obviously remembered the conversation.
Bladescape pulled out a blue teleport crystal and held it up high. Plaudit reared back so they could all see the palomino's glory and she teleported them back to Floor Twelve.
Boots was back at her stable, with Marengo running freely in the corral. He was the only horse in the corral at the moment and he was wearing a halter. Boots heard Plaudit bray at their arrival and met them at the stable door.
Bladescape dismounted and led Plaudit to his stall for the rest he deserved. As she took care of him, she told Boots exactly what she did.
“After that escapade, I guess breaking in a stallion like Marengo will be boring,” Boots joshed.
“I might have run up the back of the Lindwurm, but I didn’t ride it,” Bladescape shot back.
“You failed to mention that,” Boots stated.
“Oh,” Bladescape chuckled. “That was a good moment in the fight too.”
Bladescape finished catching Boots up as they watched the gray Arabian run around the corral.
“Okay,” Boots declared. “Nowadays, we train horses, not break them in. But that lingo has stayed. And for Aincrad, you break a horse in the cowboy way. You have to ride it, bareback, until it stops trying to throw you and lets you ride it, steering with its mane. Marengo won’t break easily.”
“Let’s go then,” Bladescape said, jumping the fence. “I look forward to this. If I could stay on a charging and jumping warhorse, while dodging attacks by a field boss, how hard could this be?”
Boots broke out laughing as Bladescape jokingly flaunted her abilities. Boots knew Bladescape was in over her head. Bladescape was certain she was going to be very sore by the end of the day. More sore than she already was from being dragged, twice, by a lassoed beast.
Breaking in a virtual horse was hard work, but Marengo was eventually tamed. Bladescape was left exhausted and hungry. She got dinner with Boots at a local cafe Boots recommended. It did not have many patrons, which was a shame because the food was better than most player owned restaurants. At this point, few people were on the twelfth floor. An NPC took their order, as the only cook appeared to be in the kitchen, doing everything on his own.
After getting back to their castle, Bladescape decided to go to her balcony. It was still early enough to catch the straggling rays of light from the external setting sun. She was tired, but she was not quite ready to go to bed. She needed to process the day's events, specifically the battle, and hopefully the rays would allow her that.
Sunset stepped out onto the balcony to the south. She preferred the north view, but the mountain blocked the west. She leaned against the rails and looked out over their gatehouse and front lawn. Her gaze turned west-southwest. Only a ray or two was visible and they were quickly gone. The still waters of the lake began to reflect the fake stars.
Bladescape let out a sigh and stood up. She had missed the moment she wanted. She stepped back from the railing and headed back inside.
From behind her she heard a noise. It sounded like the beating of wings and then clack of talons as they gripped the railing. She slowly turned around and saw a very large bird of prey perched on the railing. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was golden and ruby, with sharp, black eyes, beak, and talons.
The bird took off, hovering in place with impressive control of its wings and tail. The body was strong like an eagle, while the wings were shaped more like a falcon. The tail was longer than most birds of prey and more like a kite’s, having a split, except it was more pronounced, with two long sets of black feathers on either side of the tail. With a flick of the tail, it stopped hovering, and flipped around to the west, out of sight.
Bladescape stepped out to see where it went, but didn’t catch sight of it. She dashed to the other side and looked north and west. She couldn’t see it. The beautiful bird was gone.
As she stepped back inside the tower she heard something rapping the side of the wall. It was the part that was up against the cliff. The rapping was persistent, slowly moving along the wall. Suddenly the noise was very different. It sounded like a door being pushed into the frame when someone tried to open it in the wrong direction. The bird kept it up.
Bladescape stepped over to the wall and knocked where the sound was. The knock ceased the noise. She gave it a second and then pushed. The wall cracked open slightly, as Bladescape was pushing near the external hinges. She shifted down to push it open and was first greeted by the sight of the bird.
The second thing she noticed was the steps cut in the stone. There was a tiny gap in between the tower and the peak. The bird took off, disappearing over the mountain' ridgeline. Bladescape stepped out onto the peak. Nothing stopped her like it would below. She ascended the short staircase and was stunned for a second time in a handful of minutes. The mountain was actually flat topped and decently spacious. The roll up on the palace side was to hide the top where there was more than the stone on the peak. Four cherry blossoms were squared off, with a flat stone bench in between them. The bird was perched in one of the trees.
Bladescape followed the clear trail to the cherry blossoms and looked around. It was her own, private, retreat. No one knew about this except for her. Up here was more than enough space to practice Iaido, something she had been doing in the palace’s extra room. More importantly, it had an unobstructed view of the west. She could sit on the bench and watch the sunset.
Bladescape paused at the bench, opting to not sit down. Instead she looked at the bird perched in a tree. It was preening itself. It had no cursor. It was not a monster or an NPC. It was a feature of the game, like the trees themselves, and without a cursor, it could not be tamed. Colorra, like every Ruby Krait, had a cursor, although hers was currently blue while the other Ruby Kraits were red. This bird was the most beautiful feature she had seen in the game to date. The feathers were more than real, they appeared to be alive and moving.
The bird stopped preening itself and looked at Bladescape. Then it looked above her. Bladescape spun to follow its gaze. A shooting star was streaking across the sky, except she realized it wasn’t in the ceiling above, an imitation of the real night sky, it was coming down from the ceiling, straight for them.
Bladescape glanced back at the bird. It was not moving. If anything, it looked excited, having its beak slightly open. Bladescape looked back at the meteor and realized it did not exactly appear to be a hunk of rock burning up as it entered the atmosphere. It changed directions, swooped west over the water before turning into a loop that flipped it back towards Bladescape.
That was when she realized what was arriving. The flaming bird braked, wings out wide as it skidded to a stop. It flapped its wings a few times so that it could land on the mountaintop. It ceased being on fire and the other bird landed beside it. They looked nearly identical, yet there were some minor variances. The arriving one had a slight crest on its head. The tips of its wings were black, but that appeared to be fading since it was no longer on fire. The two birds rubbed their beaks and heads together in greeting and then they looked at Bladescape.
Bladescape bowed to the phoenixes. That was the only thing they could be. Many legends and myths placed the phoenix, or its equivalent, as the sole bird, in a constant cycle of death and rebirth. In Equestria, they were rare birds, but there were multiple and they did mate. Bladescape remembered Princess Celestia’s phoenix, Philomena. They were not the same birds compared to what was in front of her, not at all.
These two commanded a presence much more than the Equestrian version did. Plus, they were significantly larger. These were the size of a golden eagle, if not a little larger, quite robust and powerful creatures, while the Equestrian ones were slim and elegant birds.
“You two are beautiful,” Bladescape said, breaking the silence. “I am Bladescape, Kaisho of the Wondercolts. I reside in the tower of the castle here, known as Thorn Island. Please, make yourselves at home. And thank you for showing me the door that I didn't know existed. This private garden retreat is something I would love to enjoy, assuming it does not interfere with you.”
The first bird looked directly at her and nodded its head at her. There was no doubt in Bladescape’s mind that it understood her and agreed. After all, there was no reason for it to show her the door if her arrival would be disruptive. There were no nests in the trees, but that assumed they built nests and that they built them in trees. They might have a nest below, on the cliffside, where Bladescape could not see it. Many species of hawks, falcons, and eagles built their heavy nests on the sides of cliffs. Being a bird capable of bursting into flames, a tree might not be a good location for a nest.
“Thank you, again,” Bladescape said bowing. “I appreciate you showing me this place. I need to go to bed. It was a long day.”
The bird nodded to her again and Bladescape turned around, heading back to her tower. The door was closed, she had heard it automatically swing shut behind her. From the outside, a handle could be seen. Bladescape pulled it open with ease and stepped into her tower. The door closed behind her on its own. From inside, it was impossible to see where it was. The only way Bladescape could remember was the boards on the floor. There was a short board marking the exact space of the door. It just looked like any of the other boards because they all varied in length, but once she saw the marker there was no way to unsee it. Bladescape secured both doors to the balcony and went below, to bed.
BLADESCAPE: Level 92 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics — Greatsword — Rend
NATORA: Level 86 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint — Mugen Yari
MALUS: Level 88 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend — Sprint
THUNDERBORNE: Level 86 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing — Search
KONPEITO: Level 84 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard — Extended Weight Carry — Rend
DIEMOND: Level 84 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation — Rend
DOOMBUNNY: Level 90 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche — Search — Sleight of Hand — Armor Pierce
KIEFER: Level 85 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts
SORYUTO: Level 83 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 86 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation — Two-Handed Weapon Creation
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 81 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry — Armor Pierce — Search
LOBELIA: Level 81 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Search — Meditation — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Painting — Armor Pierce — Extended Weight Carry
KAMISHI: Level 82 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Katana — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Reveal — Trap Dismantling — Martial Arts — Carpentry
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Good to see this story still going!
MAKE SURE TO STAY HAPPY, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL LIFE!
12159466
Thanks!
He? wasnt the mare the one not moving? Also if there isnt a scene of people talking about that battle and Blade showing up on horseback ill be surprised lol
12159528
Plaudit is staying on his course. As he stays on it, he bumps shoulders with a mare. He does not stop, staying on course. She freaks and stops, taking out more horses behind her since they cannot continue forward.
12159546
ohhhh
MY FAVORITE CHAPTER FROM THE OG STORY!!!!! YEESSSS!!!!!
Noticed as soon as Bladescape gained her new outfit! I freaking love the original version of this chapter and was excited to read it remastered, and you didn’t disappoint! The battle on horseback, the maneuvers in the air between Bladescape and Pludit, the epic image of the Kaisho of the Wondercolts appearing in a horse and destroying the Worm in minutes! SOOO GOOODDDD! I want more battles like this one, it was a highlight in Aincrad, it’s a Highlight here in Ruby Palace.
And the final with the Phoenix is an interesting addition that I suppose it’s to put on the foundation for a Falconry future Skill? I would love to see Sunset using a Phoenix in battle!
Excited for next week and for us to fight against the Floor Boss and for the reveal for the rest of Aincrad about the new and improved Wondercolts!
And here I thought Tenderhoof would have some reaction over having a rope around his neck.
Huh.
What does she mean by '14 hands'?
Is there a reason they need to get him?
Oh boy...
Not to mention Diemond would flip the outfit got ruined.
So she wanted to tame him is all?
So much for her day off.
Nearly there!
How unfortunate.
Even if the boss wasn't defeat by the time she teleported, she still put a lot into helping them.
Woah!
12159592
First off, next week is a chapter that is only in Ruby Palace. It's one of my favorites. One of my favorite titles too. You're going to love it.
Yes, there is a lot of epic fun on horseback in this chapter. There will be more epic fun on horseback. I have been writing chapters for it. Plaudit is part of an arc and present in many other parts. This chapter set the bar for the rest.
Actually, the Phoenixes were cut from the Aincrad Story. They were originally going to nest on their little tower that Bladescape had as her room. They simply were an insertion to slide in the legendary birds of fire. I have been waiting a long time to see them in Aincrad. The original story had them nest only a few chapters before the end, so I cut them since I knew I was going to do Ruby Palace and rolled it over. They will pop up at times, now that we know about her special garden. I gave Bladescape a real tower this time, much better than the original. I slowly developed some things, like needing phoenix feathers for something, but it is really just a slow burn, bringing in something iconic from MLP and Sunset and so much other amazing lore. It never felt right without them being in Aincrad. I've expanded the story way more than I originally anticipated. It has tripled from this point to the end and still is growing.
As to the other: I should have just removed that line. It was the exact name of the bird, not a species. Yes, both of the phoenixes are named, you will learn those names in due time (by a really fun NPC I can't wait for y'all to meet), however, they are the only two phoenixes in Aincrad. The exact lore about that will come later. Also Falconry Birds come from the sole NPC who trains them. He is not raising phoenixes. They are half magic, not tamable or trainable, and would not cater to the folly of a mortal NPC who wants them to perform tricks for food (at least is how they would see it). They are too regal to be owned. It absolutely would be awesome to have Bladescape with a phoenix, but, the legendary fire birds and their use predate the Falconry skill by 2-3 years. Dang, I have been writing this for so long.
12159711
OSS = Outside System Skill. She got Blade Throwing to pair with the lasso and make it work with it to be more accurate.
A hand equals 4 inches. 14h / 56in / 4.666ft / 142.24cm / 1.42m. That measurement is always taken at the withers, the shoulders, of the horse.
Diemond would flip if the outfit was ruined because it didn't hold up to her standards. It was supposed to be durable, protective, yet comfortable and very stylish. She would be most mad at the system, then herself for failing.
And yes, I have been waiting so long for both the phoenixes and her private garden to be revealed. It's good to have that secret out. It actually is in the map image, you can see 4 cherry blossoms on the top of the mountain top.
I love phoenixes. Them and dragons are some of my favorite mythological creatures.
12159729
Noted and thx
12159953
Both are really cool and each has a wide variety of lore from all over, many different cultures.
At this rate, if there's a level cap she's going to find it
And then frog march Lobelia to it like a good leader should
12160474
There is no official level cap. Now, realistic cap in the time they have, that will be discussed in due time.
12160854
If its game logic then they might assume 100, with the final boss being like 120 or something, though by then the exp requirements would be ginormous!
12161259
SAO was billed as no level cap. In Canon, Kirito went into The Skull Reaper fight at 97. They will need at least 6 more months to clear the last 25 floors. That would be 7.2 days per floor, no breaks, for 180 days. Between floor s50-75, they are averaging about 2 weeks to clear a floor. As the floors do shrink in size after 50, slowly to start, but there will be a moment where it doesn't take long to clear them, when they are shrinking by half each time. Small floors, less time to level, while facing tougher enemies. It is a good amount to balance.
But no, the final boss will be so far above Level 120. lol.
12161272
I recall how that one looks from the one time she's shown...