After logging back in and grabbing whatever gear I need, I start to make my way out of the shop. As I approach the front door, I see Midnight waiting for me. A note sticks on to the handle.
"Take this bloody thing with you. I would like my customers to come back and not feel emotionally destroyed for once." I chuckle lightly as I pick it up and strap it to my back. How am I supposed to know people could hear it's rants from inside the chest?
Exiting the shop I look up and see the sky now dark as ever and barely lite by the stars above. Everything was much quieter now. The mass amounts of people running about talking loudly has been reduced to mere whispers. I begin strolling through plaza amd arrive at a massive iron bolted gate.
"Glad to see you still alive and well." I speak while keeping my eyes on the gate. I halt near a alley and smirk as small traces of black fibers trail in the air. A hooded figure wielding a wooden staff, nearly as tall as himself, stands at the end of the alley with his gaze upon me. His outline stands out from the darkness and his staff's head piece gives off a subtle purple glow. He paces half the distance before revealing himself. His short amber hair is cut low, almost looks like a buzz cut. His eyes have this hazel like shine to them. The color of his skin looks almost faded as if he has told the sun to go screw itself. The more he came into the light the better I could make out his face. The small engravings in his face, probably of runes of some kind, going along his left cheek bone. The right side of his face looks slightly sunk in, as if the life was being constantly drained from him slowly. He doesn't really smile much, unless he comes up with a dumb devious idea. He was our in game strategist after all.
He speaks kind of young for a person in their mid twenties. The agitation in his voice from years of raging can be picked out so easily. "Sup man. Where's Kirisai and Ray? I thought they would be with you."
Sighing, I place a hand upon the handle of the sword on my waist. "They will be here Zan relax. There's something we got to address first though." I glance over to him and spot a little flaming ball floating between his head and his staff. I point and raise an eyebrow at him. "What the hell is that?"
He smiles and the ball begins to bounce around in an energetic like motion. "Oh this? It's a minion. This is it's base form to avoid attention. I can transform it into all types of creatures. If the creature, that I want, is too strong for this one soul to hold I'll need to create more minions."
"So you could summon something like a giant bunny?" A high pitched voice sounds off from down the street. We both turn and see Ray walking along side Kirisai.
"A giant killer bunny would cost more than one. So yea maybe, if I felt like it."
"Anyways", I jump the conversation back on track. "We are all set", I ask while watching everyone stand ready.
"As ready as I'll ever be", Kirisai chimes in and we all begin walking for the gate. Out of the corner of my eye I spot a white cat with light blue eyes sitting on a roof watching us. I shrug it off as nothing and we make our way out of the town.

Once outside the city walls, we grab horses and begin riding in a north eastern direction. Zan leads the party, with Ray following up on him, while Kirisai and I ride side by side in the back. We ride vigorously for almost five hours, and for what feels like all day, before stopping. We rest the horses for an hour or so and then pick back up where we left off. We ride for another few hours, passing several types of players and creatures. We don't really stop for anything until sunset hits the sky.
Ray pulls off to the close tree line and Zan, somehow without looking back, catches this.
"Hey! What did we say about running off?" He yells loud enough that I feel my ears ring a bit.
Ray quickly turns her head about and is glaring at him, giving one of those if looks could kill like glares. "I am not riding in the dark! You can but I won't!"
"We should stop anyways it looks like it will rain soon." My attention shifts from Ray and Zan to Kirisai, who is looking up at the sky. Massive dark gray clouds are coming together over the area.
"Let's set up for the night." My horse trots next to Zan's and I look to him with a conformational smirk. "We can pick this back up after it lightens up a bit."
Zan sighs before replying, "Ugh, fine but pick a spot that isn't so out in the open this time." He pulls his horse around to follow the rest of us.
Ray waves him off while tieing her horse off to a tree. "Here is fine Zan stop being so picky. Besides I have to log off for a bit I will be back in a bit." She doesn't wait for anyone to respond while she opens her menu.
"Be careful and message one of us when you are about to log back in. We might scout a bit ahead and will have to come get you." Kirisai speaks with a soft smile as he begins to descend off his horse.
"Will do princess," Ray replies right before disappearing into a pixelated form.
"I still don't know why you let her call you that." I get off my horse and shake my head lightly at where Ray stood.
Zan pulls out a scroll and opens it out on the trunk of a tree. The three of us gather together to review where we are. "We actually aren't far from the dungeon." Zan points at a nearby mountain range with small steps carved out of the stone.
The monsters around the area were silent and very unsettling. As we climb the steps Zan tries to explain what information he knows about the quest.
"So this is a five floor dungeon. It will seem sort of simple, but many recommend that you be level fifty."
Kirisai and I slow down in our stride and look at Zan. "Zan we are only thirty four", I interject.
"Why don't we hold off a bit. You know before someone gets reset." Kirisai adds.
That is the thing about this game. If you died anywhere, you didn't have to worry about recreating a character. You were sent back to your basic gear you had at level one and have to climb back up. All of your inventory and stats would go back to basics. So say you are unfortunate and end up dead. Well remember that legendary gear and rare items you have in your stash? All gone now. It is one of the biggest problems people have with the game, but stops only a select few.
Zan sighs and looks back at us. "Look we don't have Ray in the party at the moment so we have less to worry about. Plus, you both agreed to help me get this artifact in here weeks ago."
Kirisai sighs softly as I draw Midnight from his sheath. "Lead on then let's hurry up so we can get this over with."
"Hm? What's going on? Why did you wake me up now you crazy asshole?" Midnight hisses out in a groggy like tone.
Zan leads us to a door and pushes it open with ease. The room looks mildly lite with small candles along the edge of the cave. The area screams a boss room and I smirk. The three of us stand at the edge of the door.
"Well I guess we fight the boss right off the bat, should be fun." I pull out my other broad sword and stand ready for anything to jump out. Zan murmurs some words under his breath. A small barrier of magic coats us. Kirisai adjusts his quiver on his back and adjusts the falcon feathers on his arrows. The basics of team composition were set among the three of us with one tank, a support and a dps.
The doors shut behind us and a magic seal appears over it, binding us in the area. This always occurs if someone enters a specific area. There are two ways of getting out now. Getting reset or beating out the main boss for the area. A soft melody of tunes play in the background setting the mood of a battle. We take our individual stances and await what comes next.