“Yeah. She has a few ideas of where it could be, she's been looking into them the last few days. Nothing major yet,” B4hamutt said, then let out a grunt. She couldn't help but smile, as she imagined him trying to find the right outfit to wear for her.
“Neutral territories. There's a nice little NPC shop where we can pick up some delicious desserts. I feel like just eating a bunch of sweets today,” Asura said before a dress formed in her hands. It was backless and went down to her ankles. It was coated in liquid rubies, making the dress seem to almost ripple as it sparked a brilliant red. The front was a little low cut as well, perfect for showing off a small amulet, bearing her angel wing crest. She then pulled out a pair of matching elbow-length gloves.
“Really? You know, you're going to ruin your supper like that,” he said with a chuckle. “I'll meet you on the roof in about twenty minutes, okay?”
“Deal,” Asura said and the call ended. She started getting dressed. Technically she could have the clothes just appear on her, but she didn't want to. She sighed softly as she enjoyed the feel of the fabric moving on her skin while she slowly slid it on. She blushed while she soon looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. “It... is a lot more fun getting dressed for someone else, isn't it?” she said to her reflection before letting out another sigh. She put her hands on the desk and nearly fell over.
Her breathing stopped and her heart beat erratically. The fear of failing, of knowing she would die before she could get a chance to master the sixth class, crashed in on her all at once as she fell to her knees. Tears formed in her eyes and her entire body trembled.
“No... it's fine,” she whispered to herself. “I'm fine. It doesn't matter. I'm with my friends. I'm not alone. I'm not ALONE!” she yelled before slamming both fists down on the desk. After a few moments of panic, she finally managed to force the wave back and breath again. She focused on the evenings plans, the time she'd spend with B4hamutt. Told herself that was all that mattered.
------
Asura gulped and held her arms wrapped around her stomach, occasionally glancing towards the doorway. From her vantage point, on top of the fortress of Everlight, she could see the war raging below. The attacking force was just enough to ensure the defenses were still there, but most the casual fighters had given up for the time being.
A number of people stared at her when they passed, her dress obviously not meant for combat. The only racial trait she had on were her wings. It still didn't stop people from eying her. She couldn't deny, she loved the extra attention, but she still wished he'd hurry up.
B4hamutt finally made his way up the stairs and stopped, staring at her. She blushed and returned the gesture. For one of the first times she'd ever seen, he didn't look like a dragon. He was as tall and muscular as ever, but he had the body of an angel. Literally. His tuxedo was a dazzling white, studded with diamond buttons. His hair was long and tied back in a ponytail. They locked eyes for a moment before looking away.
“So, uhhh, what's he special occasion? You're always so... scaled,” Asura asked before lowering her gaze, her cheeks heating.
The other angel moved over and gently put a hand under her chin, making her look up at him. After a few seconds he leaned in and kissed her and they both closed their eyes. With a gentle hold of her shoulders he finally pulled away. “I wanted tonight to be special. Besides, I thought you might enjoy the look. Not to mention, if we try anything else tonight, it might be nice for you not to have my scales digging into your body. Even if I know you like it.”
Asura's face turned bright red and she punched him in the shoulder. “You... don't... gahhh! Let's just go!” she said with a hiss before turning and jumping off the roof. Within moments the two were flying from the fortress. They flew to the upper limits of the world, the clouds swirling by as the air got colder and thinner. When they came closer to the neutral territories, she felt her hand get squeezed. She looked to B4hamutt and smiled. “Couldn't resist holding my hand, huh?”
“I'd hold other parts of you, but it's dangerous when we're flying,” he said with a smile.
“Heh, you... oh, great. We got incoming,” she groaned and motioned to three players flying towards them.
“Huh? Who are they?”
“Raiders,” Asura said. “They move around outside the neutral zones. They won't attack once we're in, since they'll get both sides of the war on their butts. But outside it they'll attack anyone who moves. Think we should take them out?”
“No, three of them,” B4hamutt said quickly. “I don't want to ruin my suit, either. Let's just lose them in the cloud cover.”
“Ruin your... fighting won't ruin it,” Asura said with a quick laugh. “I think you're just lazy and afraid to fight a bunch of... huh. I wonder how many masteries they have. They might even have five, like us.”
“Maybe, I'd rather not find out. We're almost to neutral lands, anyway,” he said before tugging on her hand and the two descended rapidly. The wind blew by them, whistling through their feathers and hair. Asura glanced back and saw the three trying to chase, but giving up quickly. It was near impossible to keep up with such a dive without going in one themselves, and even harder to pull up from one correctly while in pursuit.
Once the raiders disappeared from view, the two pulled up and flew straight, gliding over trees until they saw a big brown wall. “There's the wall of Orphan Gully,” Asura said before glancing to him. “How about we head north and head to Diacoz?”
“Sounds good,” B4hamutt said before the two flew up, and over the wall. Down below, near the wall, they could see a few players mingling about and chatting away in the small outpost. “I'll never understand why everyone goes here.”
“Because it's the main entrance,” she said with a smile. “If you have business in the neutral lands, not much point to going deeper than you have to. This is the best place to find a few people, after all. If you want to find a group.”
“So, why do you want to go to Diacoz? It's just a bunch of farm land.”
“Because the cheese delights they have there are amazing! Didn't you hear? They've finally added pizza as a purchasable treat. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had pizza?”
The other angel cringed. “P-pizza? I... I can't eat any of that. I'm lactose intolerant. If I do that I'll... well...”
“It's a game. It's not real.” Asura burst into another soft chuckle. “I can't believe I have to remind you. Come on, we can enjoy our first pizza as a couple. I promise not to laugh if it makes you gassy.”
B4hamutt turned bright red and looked away. “It's not... it doesn't... fine. Let's go get your pizza.” He flapped his wings faster, taking great care not to look at her. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand as they went.
“I'm happy I'm with you...” she whispered.
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” she said with a blush. She remained quiet until she caught sight of fields and barns off in the distance. “We're almost there! We'll be passing over the farms soon! Hee hee!”
“I can't believe how fast these wings make us,” B4hamutt said with an exasperated sigh. “I kinda wish I'd chosen them over dragon to begin with. The combat advantage is nice, but all this cut in travel time is just amazing.”
She snickered. “See? You should have just leveled up with me. It's fine though, we needed a tank after all. I doubt you could heal at all.”
“Hmph, healing is easy,” he said before starting his descent towards the small town as it appeared. “I'll just do what you do. Charge in, swinging a sword, and occasionally toss out a heal if no one has died yet.”
“I did a lot more than that!” she said with a glare. They touched down after a few moments and she looked around, pulling away from him. The town was small, only a few buildings, a prison and a handful of shops. She looked around before pointing towards a small stone building with a cut-out of a barrel over the door. “There! That's probably the diner.”
“We got dressed up... for this?”
He cringed when a rat ran by. “No.”
“What? But it has pizza! Just because it looks like a slum, doesn't mean--”
“No,” he said again before grabbing her hand and flying off, dragging her behind him.
“H-hey! Where are we going?” she shrieked, flapping her wings to keep up.
“You'll see.”
------
Asura blushed while she sat in her chair. The entire building, tables and furniture seemed to be carved from ivory, with a single golden candle glowing between them. Unsurprisingly, there were a number of other players in the restaurant, though they had a window view. Said window was slightly ajar, letting the soft summer breeze blow in from outside and ruffle their wings. “I didn't think you knew places like this,” she said sheepishly. “Especially not in the neutral lands.”
“I don't,” he said with a smirk. “But, with someone so special, I figured I'd have to take the extra effort.”
“How much gold is this costing you?”
“Not telling.” He reached out to take her hand in his, stroking it gently. “I have enough and I can always get more. The blush and smile on your face, though? That is much harder to acquire. You're usually making me blush.”
Asura squirmed and squeezed his hand. “How on earth... never mind. Let's just celebrate, okay? To telling my parents and not having them get mad.” She reached out and took her drink, filled with a red wine known as Fae's blood. They clinked their glasses together.
The world around her disappeared. Everything turned black and silent as she stood, floating in the void. She tried moving her arms and calling out, but nothing could be heard or felt. Panic began to rise and she tried touching the menus, but nothing. She finally realized where she was as she felt panic bubble up within her.
Asura was in the real world. She was Asher again. He couldn't feel, couldn't see, couldn't move. They'd disconnected him from the game. Why? His blood ran cold as the only answer he could think of filled his mind. It was time. They were going to execute him. If he was able to breath on his own he'd have started breathing faster. He struggled to move, even the slightest. Tried to blink, gurgle, beg for mercy, though even if he could he couldn't feel or hear it.
It felt like hours before something flashed into his vision. 'Connection lost, re-establishing.'
Then, as quickly as it begun, she reappeared in her chair. Her drink was sitting, undisturbed, on the table. Her arms wrapped around herself, her body shaking violently. “O-oh god... I just...”
B4hamutt didn't notice, he seemed to be talking to someone, though no sound came out. He looked surprisingly pale. After a few seconds of her return, his hand tapped the air and he jumped to his feet. “Asura? What's wrong?” He gripped her shoulders, she could feel he was shaking just as badly as her. “Is something going on in the real world? You were gone almost ten minutes.”
“T-ten minutes?” she asked softly before shaking her head. “I-I don't know. I-I think they decided to pull the plug. To finish me off. I-I don't know why. I-I guess my parents were more upset t-than I thought...” Tears began to flood her face before she stood up. “I-I need to go. I-”
Suddenly she found herself pulled into his chest, his warmth enveloping her. “Easy girl, easy,” he whispered and stroked her back. “You were only gone about ten minutes. I bet the connection just cut out or someone tripped on the cord. You're not dead. Your parents aren't going to finish you off like this.”
“B-but, I just... I told them today. They're angry, they're going to kill me. I know it. They don't want me to k-keep playing Asura.” She sobbed and felt the panic bubble up inside her.
He shook his head as his hand moved up behind her head, gently patting it. “Shhhh... it's okay. It's okay. They aren't going to do that. You aren't going to die like that. Your parents wouldn't go through all this just to cut you off now,” he whispered before leaning down and kissing her forehead. “You told me about them. How much they care about you and look out for you. They wouldn't just let you die now because you play this character. Okay?”
Asura trembled against him, but slowly his words sunk in. She let out a soft sigh before smiling to him. “You're... you're right. They wouldn't. Someone probably just... just tripped on it or something.”
He nodded and continued to stroke her head. “There, see? It's all okay. Just relax. We'll order our food and have a nice date, okay?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered before looking up to him. “You... said you don't have work tomorrow, right?”
“Probably not, just on-call.”
“Then... can you stay on with me, today? Just... as long as you can?”
He nodded before kissing her once more on the lips. “Of course. I won't go anywhere without you...”
She hugged him tight one last time, content that, at least if she did pass away, she wouldn't be alone when it happened.
------
Asura's death didn't come, at least not yet. Days passed until, finally, she found herself hiding amongst dirt and rubble, staring up at an obsidian fortress, a darker replica of Everlight. Dark clouds hovered high overhead, tossing torrents of rain down on them. “So, that's Voidhall?” she asked.
“That's it,” B4hamutt whispered. The main entrance was already under assault, albeit only with a small force. “This will be difficult, so keep an eye out for the siege weapons.”
She nodded. “I know. It's been so long since we've done something like this. Excited?”
“And nervous. If we fail, that's it. The rest of the assault fails as well.”
She grinned and reached out to squeeze his hand. “I know. We'll be fine though. If anyone can do it, we can.”
“Oh, gag,” Skyth grumbled. “Why don't you two keep the make out sessions to when you're home?”
Asura's cheeks flared up. “We aren't, we weren't, we were just, I was just helping him calm down!”
“Sure you were,” Scalios said with a snicker. “Please try to remember that we are on a mission here.”
“I know,” Asura said angrily. “Okay, let's go. Remember, Scales, you take up the rear. You're the only one without the demon's stealth, so we don't want to risk you alerting them to the rest of us.”
“Don't worry, I got it. Let's go!” Scalios said before they looked to each other and nodded. One by one, they all disappeared into the shadows, aside from him. Asura activated her party finder, allowing her to see the outlines of the others before they took to the air and began their approach of Voidhall. She glanced back to the forested area they left behind, though it looked completely empty. She smiled at the thought of the dozens, possibly hundreds of players hiding in stealth, underground or any other assortment of locations throughout the trees.
The five approached as low to the ground as they could fly, struggling to stay in the shadows, each solid ray of light revealing them for a few seconds. They soon disappeared within the shadow of the fortress and flew straight up. She skimmed by the windows and glanced inside, frowning at the people she saw within. “There are a few people inside...”
“There is bound to be,” Scalios said with a sigh. “I wouldn't be surprised to see a few dozen. Once they realize what we're trying, there will be a lot more.”
Asura nodded before they cleared the roof and landed. A few NPC guards stood on the top, but they were quickly dispatched. The five looked around nervously, but nothing was there. “I thought this would be harder...”
“We haven't penetrated their defenses yet,” B4hamutt said before moving to the doorway. “Once we go inside, the alarms will go off. Remember, we'll be--”
“We know what we'll be doing,” Asura said as she moved up behind him. “Come on, the longer we wait, the more chances of someone coming out here to leave the fortress.
The dragon nodded and pushed open the door and the five charged inside. For a second, the world froze around them, before movement returned. They charged down the stairs into a large hallway. “Okay, separate!” B4hamutt yelled. “Keep moving, don't sto
p unless you find the siege master! Go!” He exited at the top of the stairs while the others continued down. Each level one left them, running into the floor. NPCs and a few lower level players barred their way, but were quickly cut down. On the fourth floor down, Asura ran into the hall.
“Okay, I'm in. I haven't seen any high level resistance yet, anyone else?” Asura asked before her dagger blocked and then cleaved through an NPC's axe.
“Nothing yet,” Andremedia said, though her breathing was fast. “Resistance seems fairly light.”
“Won't be for long,” B4hamutt said with a grunt. “Reinforcements should start arriving any moment, so be prepared for masters. Keep going!”
Asura nodded and ran down the halls, peeping into rooms as she went. A few players quickly disappeared, though she didn't try to stop them. She neared the end of the hall when a she heard someone call out from behind her.
“Asura!”
She turned, a large demon stood at the end of the hall, his polearm held with the blade near the ground. “I've been waiting a long time for this. I'm sure you recognize me, it's time we finish our rivalry.”
She stared for a few moments before enabling local speak. “Star?”
“W-what? No! Caelite!” he yelled, his hands quivering now. “You... you do remember me, don't you? You crushed me back before I had my masteries? It was... you really don't remember?”
“I'm sorry,” Asura said before glancing to the side. “I used to fight a lot of people. Were you one of my bounties?”
The demon's eye twitched. “Yes! My entire guild, we, gah! Never mind!” he yelled before charging at her and thrusting his spear at her head. Her dagger shot out, deflecting the blow before she turned and ran. “What? Get back here you coward!”
“Sorry, can't!” she yelled before re-enabled her party speak. “Okay, I've encountered a master level player. I don't know if he just arrived, but I think he did. Expect company. I'll try to lose him!” She said before lifting her sword up, snuffing out the candles as she ran.
Landasy Reality: Angel's Escape Page 39