Sera mused as she walked through the forest of Brisshal. It was a relatively peaceful place, and while the predators who were in the forest were aggrivessive, they were few. It was, after all, the place where new players often spawned in, so predators were hunted pretty regularly. As such, it was a nice place to just walk and enjoy nature. With a short chant to plead to her naturalmancy spirit, Sera used her astramancy to reach out into the forest around her. To feel the tall trees with their mighty roots and the sun they soaked up from the sky above. To feel the animals which called those branches their home. She laughed with joy and let her spell drop. She frowned shortly after, though. While it was nice to have a break, to not be required to be doing anything right now, she did want something to do. She let out a slow breath of air. She supposed she could practice one of her magics. It was sort of what she had already done, for she so rarely used her naturalmancy. But there was one magic she used even less often, her phantasmia. But what possible thing could she do with illusions right now, that wouldn't just be her making them for no reason? There had to be a point to things, after all. She shook her head and leaned against a tree. She patted it's trunk. "So what's it like, living your whole life in one place?" She asked the tree. "I don't know if I'd be able to stand that, myself." She paused. Did she hear someone coming?
Barren as a baby cub, Akino crept along through the forest in padded feet, silent as one untrained in stealth could be. Meaning not very silent at all. Small twigs, the shuffle of leaves, the cry of a startled bird as the crimson-haired youth entered its sanctuary, they chased him along through the great wood of... Where was he? Pulling up a reference point, he took note to remember this time. Brisshal. Glancing at the fleeing wildlife, Akino bowed his head in a silent apology. All this life, all of this nature. It was almost foreign to his mind. Seeming so real, so powerfully real. And yet some part of the mind knew it was really a distant, near alien place. Strike what he thought earlier, it was foreign to him. "Maybe time will change that, hm?" He said softly to himself, staring at a small critter that he had yet to startle away. A fox, it appeared to be young in its life and not yet frightened. Or mayhaps it was just watching the sway of the ruby tail following Akino's path, almost similar in shade to its own autumnal pelt? He would not know, for at the same time his new ears caught sound of another approaching. Not as loudly as he, but rather as if they were carried along on nature's breath. She was a female of some descent or another, but as he investigated her, eyes glowing faintly white, he found that she was not new to this world. 'One does not turn away when opportunity stumbles in.' He remembered the wise words as he began to forge forward, quicker now! Like a young buck, leaping; or mayhaps a pup eager to see a sign of life. After all, this was the first contact he would really make within this world. Golden orbs held steady on her as he bound near, feeling a moment of hesitation pass over him. 'Yet... What if she is one of those folk sitting around to prey on people like me?' He tossed the fear to the side almost immediately. Like the black ribbon about his waist trailing beside his tail as if they were three, and multi-coloured at that, his concerns were lost in the wind and the beauty of this new realm. The way he saw it, someone with sinister intent likely would not find so much peace in the den of nature. They'd be far too busy plotting the downfall of another to take in all this light with that appreciated gleam in eye. Landing on the bounce, just at the edge of the other's tree-friend, he whispered in a gentle tone. "Are you a tree hugger?"
Sera looked in the direction of the whisper and smiled. "Not normally, no," she said with a laugh. "I just thought it was such a nice day out, it'd be terrible to spend it all at my forge. That, and that I needed a break," she said. She extended her hand toward the boy - a Felis. She didn't know many Felis men, except perhaps Alonso, but he had gone with a much larger body build. Mostly, it was a race played by girls, or men who wanted to play a girl. It was refreshing to encounter one with accurate proportions. She chuckled and shook her head at her own internal joke. "My name is Sera, Sera Phim. I can tell you're new here," she said, examining the boy's armor and lack of weaponry. "Starting equipment. No weapons, so you're either a mage or a martial artist of some kind," she mused. "Am I pretty close?" She asked with a kind smile. "Well, regardless, welcome to Terrasphere. You're in Brisshal forest, right now. It's where new players generall spawn in, but some more experienced players like myself like to come here for some quiet down time. There are some monsters here, but nothing crazy, mostly wolves and other creatures you're likely to find in the real world, or standard rpg beginning monsters like slimes." Sera pointed off in the distance. "In that general direction is the town. The forge I work at is there, I make weapons of all kinds, even stuff to enhance martial arts. Sadly, I can't make anything to help mages out. That's under a different craft. If there's anything about this place you'd like to know, I'd be happy to help." She smiled and shrugged. "It might be my day off, but I get bored as hell with nothing to do."
How stellar! How swell! How absolutely righteous! All exclamations, rather than questions bouncing within! Tail whipping about with absolute delight, the male eyes gleamed with adoration of the female. Yes, there was that crisp scent of unscathed innocence within this new player, and it might even be infectious to one without the cool demeanor such as this @Sera Phim. She was a craftswoman as well, a greater treat for a being who sees all of life as an art, and art itself as a marvel. Wondering over what she was making, Akino reeled; feeling the awe of one experiencing a grand thing with fresh sight, only to encounter another who wielded all this mighty Universe as the game it truly was. Which, as his understanding comprehended long before entering, truly is an art. Every action took true experience to perfect, and you were only as fine at your "Mastery" as you trained to be. Already, he could feel his understanding of this creation grow. Lifting his fist up and flexing it, he felt his muscles brim with fire. It was like every cell in his body demanded, declared their purpose. Mind trailing along at a million meters per a moment, Akino returned to the conversation at hand with a snap up of his gaze. The look of pure, unrequited desire to have some youthful fun overtook him. Many great men said that a child with an ancient heart would grow old faster than the old man with the child's heart. "Right, well you guessed it! Right out of the gate too!" Lowering his stance and prowling about the female mockingly, a true feline's crawl, he then straightened and let out a laugh. "You know why I love MMOs? Not because of the cooperation so much. Sure teams are grand and all, but the real fun is the competition! Friendly competition!" Turning about and snapping his fist out, away from Sera's still form and into the air. The action came with simplicity, yet speed; another basic motion he felt ring through his form. "They say the best way to learn is with the best opponent!" That gleam in is eye never died as he whirled about on a foot to face the magnetic energy of the female, yet his tail did cease its incessant whipping to settle along his leg with a curl. Finally, after a moment of just studying, he offered a slow bow to her, open palm over closed fist. "Akino Ame, a pleasure."
Sera watched as the boy flittered about, with almost too much energy. She laughed. She hadn't seen many people here who radiated such joy. So few people seemed to enjoy this world for the beauty it was, instead seeing all the darkness and evil in it there was to fight, or the heights they could climb to. Sera would admit, she also wanted to climb to a certain height in this world, to eventually rule a small area, but she could enjoy herself along the way. "Competition?" Sera asked. She held her hands up. "Oh, I don't generally do much hand to hand combat myself. I'm a sorceress. I stand back and cast magic from afar. It's why I avoid combat when I'm alone, because if I take damage during my spell chants, which can be a bit length, they are interrupted and I have to start over." Her eyes glimmered with mischief though. "But you're right. The best way to learn is with the best opponent. But do you know who everyone's greatest opponent is?" She asked the boy. She began to chant softly, keeping her hands held and a friendly smile on her face to show that this spell wouldn't do Akino any harm. Her words were of a foreign language that seemed to twist and flow, holding no clear consistant pattern in how sentences were formed. If Akino listened closely, he'd even hear his own name spoken during Sera's chant. When her chant finished, there would be a faint shimmer of light off to the side of the two players. From that shimmer of light would step an exact copy of Akino, a perfect replica in every way, except he would appear to be made of yellow light. "Everyone's greatest opponent is themselves," Sera said, and the copy of Akino would raise his hands into a fighting stance. "Don't worry, he's not real. I have illusion magic, that's all he is. He won't hurt you or deal any damage, and in fact if you focus on him too closely you'll find your attacks pass right through him and he'll start to dissapear. But, so long you don't do that, I think he could be a fun sparing partner for you. Much better than myself, at least."
Witnessing magic up close was exactly as mystical as one might expect. No, there was little swirl and whoosh; okay there was some swirl and whoosh, but more sparkle to it than anything. Knowing the classifications of magic, he studied it all carefully as the spell was cast. It was a fascinating creation of light, a mimicry of his own image. And what peculiar one it was, with its fuzzy ears and tail. Absolutely terrifying! Chuckling softly to himself with this thought, he begins to measure the image up and down. "I think that was a pretty slick way to dodge that, but alright! I'll take you up on the bait. A little mirror boxing for the heck of it? Maybe I'll actually put up a decent fight!" As if to add a sharp punctuation, he whipped about, tresses of red bouncing about his shoulder as he readied his fists. His stance was as natural as the scents on the wind, or the birds that sang out to it. No Master Monk's stance, there was truth in that. Yet, it still rang with the authenticity of one who held real world knowledge in the matters, and the natural skill gifted through comprehension. On the balls of his feet now, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits, the sun was strong on the back of his neck. The intensity of his focus left him beginning to rise in temperature, tail held deathly still, so as not to reveal a single motion. The same prowl, now thick with a layer of deathly sincerity, began as he circled the shimmering creation, which likely was prepared to do the same. Akino felt his fur raised at the tension of the moment. However, instincts told him that it was always wise to let the opponent make the first move, to get a better measure. Does that rule apply with the opponent being a mirror of yourself? As if to find it out for himself, there was the slightest swipe from the fighter. A feint, meant only to test the reaction time of the reflection.
"I'm wearing light armor," Sera said. "Dodging an attack is the only way I don't die to attacks," she laughed. "And light armor is not designed for dodging." She gestured toward her outfit. "Rather, light armor works for boosting magical power, but provides no defensive capabilities." At Akino's feint, the illusion would raise his hands to defend from that side. Sera grinned. "I'm going to let it be relatively autonomous, otherwise we'd both be standing here waiting for the other to make the first move, wouldn't we?" With a flick of her wrist and a brief sentence in that chant language from before, the illusion would shimmer a bit. The illusion then charged toward Akino, leaping into the air and twisting in a round house kick toward the Felis boy's chest once it was in range.
"Something tells me that if you trained to dodge in light armour, you could make it so! Anything is possible in this world, including magic. So surely there is light armor made for dodging? If not, I will continue on wearing my robes and toughening my hide, because dodging is as vital as defending, no?" Sensing the sudden free-will thrive in the being, Akino's fire burned even brighter with the assault. Rolling backwards as he saw himself fly through the air, he moved beneath the kick seamlessly, before coming up in a crouch. Kicking low as the light image collided with the ground, his heel dragged to raise a cloud of sand. Again, no masterful move. Just a quick evade, thanks to sharp eyes, and a maneuver to distract as he swiftly paced to the manifestations side. It reminded Akino of dancing with a waterfall.
Sera laughed when the boy said anything was possible in this world. Not a cruel laugh, or a mocking laugh, but the laugh of someone who'd heard something they found genuinely heart-lightening. "To some extent," she said. "But medium armor is what you would be looking for if you wish to rely on avoiding attacks. Light armor is more accurately 'mage clothing', with medium armor being actually light armor. There's no real middle ground between defense and mobility. Light armor is magic, medium is mobility, heavy is defense. You can mix them and match them, though." The illusion spun as it hit the ground, turning back to face it's opponent. The sand did nothing to it, as it lacked any real eyes to speak of. "Yeah, that's something to be aware of," Sera said. "There's a lot of things in this world that sense where you are, more than see you." The illusion feinted a jab toward Akino's right, before throwing a slash at his left. It's tail remaining pointing left the entire time, as if possibly hinting at it's intentions, or preparing for something else.
In this world of intrigue and mysticism, one would believe that there was a middle ground for every madness. The step between dark and light, the moral window of the grey area, and the balance between skill in range and close quarters. Yet games, as often as not, were set in place with rigid systems. It was the mission of the gamer to exploit and maneuver about such obstacles as they arrived in his way, find his own sense of balance in the fabricated universe. "I'll likely settle on a medium style armor myself then. As long as it doesn't stop my movements. I'd hate to be stuck on the ground!" Sensing was no danger to Akino. His tail was thrashing back and forth, his finely-tuned ears twitching about as they waited for even the slightest noise. The waterfall was never still, never truly silent, and always filled with life. Akino strived to match the mythical teacher, comprehending and studying the motions of energy through the sand cloud, drifting lazily about the area. The fist that had punctured the veil was that of the Mirror-Akino, stabbing out one way while striking a claim at his opposite side. Of course, he realized! A mirror projection of light made no sound! At least, he conceded, this was a predictable movement similar to what he had pulled earlier, but that was to be expected. Shoulders and head ducking low, the red-head flowed like river water in the wind, gliding beneath the strikes. Now in a low horse stance, his half-closed fists lead with a fury, sending a couple of blows at the "body" of his opponent, before dogging back a step or two. It was all a game between the two, since neither's hits truly connected, but it was fun! The boy craved this sense of light-hearted, obligation-free fun; it was part of the whole reason he was present. As he danced with his partner, the corner of his feline gaze occasionally settled on Sera over there, watching the events with amusement. He knew he was green as the grass beneath his feet, or as green as she looked even! But that he would never take no for an answer. Discipline would make all things possible, no matter how you turn it! Smiling at her mirth, he reckoned it was good that she was not telling him what a fool he was. A good sign for the attitude one might find in others as well, Akino prayed. "Well, your magics must be far more helpful in combat then! If you can simply sense an opponent and target them from afar, your time of casting would matter little, correct? More so, you just need one good blow, and the battle will be majorly decided already!"
Sera watched as Akino's fists pummeled where the illusion was. With a wave of her head, she dispelled her magic that kept the illusion going on. She smiled at Akino, but couldn't keep a wince of pain from crossing her face. "Well, I hope that was satisfactory to some extent," she said to the boy. She reached up to press a few fingers against the side of her head and she sat down. "Unfortunately, my magic is very costly. The price I pay for the ability to copy any magic I wish is that I pay more for half the results. Say you had the ability to create a fireball that used 1/4 of your energy, but could destroy half of a tree. I would pay 1/2 of my energy for a fireball that destroyed only 1/4 the tree, assuming we had the same amount of points into first pyromancy for you, and then astramancy for me." She nodded at the boy's words about the usefulness of magic, though. "I often have to end my battles quickly, you're right. A well placed lightning bolt from afar to remove a single key target, a swath of fire to burn away masses of enemies at once, my astramancy gives me the flexibility to adapt to any situation, but requires me to be sure the actions I make are the correct ones, for a single wasted move for me would spell my death if I run out of energy." She stretched a bit, slowly regaining her energy. "Thank you for this oppertunity for me to practice my illusion magic as well," she said to the boy. "I haven't used it much, but I figured affecting only one sense, sight, would cost less energy than affecting multiple. That proved true. I could have caused the illusion to produce sound, even scents and tastes if I wanted to. Physical feelings I understand can be reproduced as well, but only at a higher level than I currently can do. An illusion by a master of phantasmia would, I believe, be no different to you or I than one of the NPCs in this world." She smiled. "So, did you learn anything about your own skills?"
How could he describe the sensation of understand every muscle of one's body, how even the slightest of motions in a battle could change the course of it, or how it felt as if he were being led on a string as he flowed "effortlessly"? Of course it took effort, but it was the most nominal kind. The way an artist can catch a brush and lay a few lines, and suddenly it felt like something was drawn forth, without ever calling for it. How was one to explain this feeling of being alive, of hearing lessons being whispered to you from the very sounds of your muscles? It was all so wild, improbable, yet entirely real! As the gathering of light faded, Akino spun about on his heel to offer his new friend a bow. Of course, he then saw how it had drained her. There was no need to look at her statistics, he could see it in a glance. The glow that she carried about her had flickered and as she now rested it seemed only to ebb and wane like the tide, until it reached a point where it no longer drew back. Now THAT seemed like a challenge in its own right. To perfectly calculate a strategy each time you attacked an enemy... In truth, it seemed like any warrior with common sense would consider that a necessity, but most people like to rush into things. And seeing as it was still a game, there was not always the forethought of self-preservation. But the best of players knew that immersion was key to a long career of strength! And comprehension was also a part of this formula! So, flopping down beside her and folding his legs over his lap, he began to listen and nod. A fascinating classification of magic, though also somewhat confusing. Sacrificing strength over diversity... It sounded like a mastery that became exponentially powerful as you grew though! And, as it were with all skills, there was an infinite series of uses for it. It only made sense that magical skills would take far more time to hone and master, as they were something that was non-physical, and thus farther from the mind. Farther to comprehend, farther to conjure. Of course, the magic of reality was as actual as this world, just far less visible. And far more difficult to consider. So at least you had a leg to stand on in this world. Seeing it with your eyes, rather than sensing with your soul, something most people believed may not even exist. Here though, there was instant reassurance, and thus it all came simply. As simply as learning to paint, that is. Being rung back from his mild daydreams of wizard battles and mirror clones prancing about in war, he heard Sera's question ring his ears and once again faced the conundrum. How to explain all he had learned in the few moments of training that stretched like hours. Following her motions, Akino had risen from his seat as well, or rather hopped on top of it. Now he stood, looking down at her, nodding with the same hungry spark in his gaze. "Words could not scrape the surface of what I learned. However, it is appreciated many times over. Thank you." Not much one for over-expression, clearly. Stepping down and offering a humble bow, laced with respect, he then looks to the area around them, a new gleam hidden there in his gaze. "So how would one go about returning the favor? Need any help?" @Sera Phim
Sera couldn't help but laugh and smile at the energy and positivity this boy seemed to possess. When he sat down beside her, when he bowed with a thankful respect, and when he asked her if there was any way he could repay the favor. "There doesn't seem to be many like you," she said. She chuckled and shook her head. "There is no debt to repay. Like I said, I too learned from the experience and therefore got something out of it. If we both benefited, then there was no favor. By withholding help, I would have merely been stunting my own growth. Training or anything like that, I don't really need help with. I'm advanced enough in my skills that I can handle any situation such as that on my own." "With that said," she began. "I run one of the weapon shops in town. I am currently the only weaponsmith who can make uncommon level equipment, to my knowledge, and it just so happens that equipment is specifically for martial arts. Once you've gotten a bit more training in, I would love to be the one who makes you that equipment to increase your fighting prowess," she said with a smile. "Just come by Fine Constructs, and if you like what you get, I wouldn't say no to you passing on that info to any new players you meet," she laughed. "It really is a beautiful day... It makes you wonder if someone is in charge of choosing what each day will be like," she muttered.
"Oh, I'm just strange as strange can be. If you consider loving life and people as strange. Oddly enough most people do. Why do you think that is? Anyhow, thanks for the compliment! I take pride in my individuality, as I am sure you do as well!" As he said the words, he emphasized the idea with a confident pound of his fist against his broad physique, and then punctuating the "you" with a whip of his index finger in her direction. A real cat's grin sat on his lips then, as he absorbed her bits of knowledge. She was a truly correct, in every sense. She had grown to understand the depth of creating an illusion, and the amount of energy to sustain said illusion. Akino was far more than positive that practicing such in a peaceful environment, rather than in the midst of a raid, was more beneficial in an infinitesimal way. Still he felt that he should insist upon helping her in some way. And then a chance was offered, a clearing for him to perform his own piece of kindness for Sera, despite her refusal. He was not as broke as he may have appeared, for a few quest lines had, more or less, lined his pockets! The only problem of said quests is it gave him empty gold. Or... at the very least, the gold seemed empty to him! After all, as a new player he had absolutely zero concept on what was worth his spending, and what was worth saving for. Did that impressive looking potion really hold a value of one hundred gold pieces? Or is it, and it was more likely than not that such was the case, simply that someone was over-charging for an item they had devoted blood, sweat, and tears into crafting? How could he know? So, Akino made the executive decision to conserve both his points and money until he was sure what to invest them in. And now, he had an excellent idea! Supporting his new friend, and skilled crafting at the same time! To boot, he'd receive a quality piece of equipment! His only hope was that he could afford something handcrafted! "Someone crafted it, that much is certain. No day is as perfect as this without some form of guidance." He glanced up briefly, before lowering sun-filled eyes to his friend. "I would be honoured to buy some equipment from you, if you would permit me. I only have two hundred gold pieces though-" He had no idea what the estimated value of such things were in this land. After offering it, he quickly swiped open his mastery to overlook what his skills were at and where to spend what points he had. @Sera Phim
She smiled at the man's words about them both being individuals, and therefore unique. "I simply mean that many I have met here take this world as an excuse to do things they could not or would not in the real world, and rather than choosing to do good things, they choose to be wicked or heartless, telling themselves that it is fine because this world is not real." She shook her head. "So it is refreshing to meet someone kind." When the conversation steered toward crafting and how much money he had, she chuckled. "Never tell a merchant the exact amount of money you have," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "With that said, my prices are quite fixed. Depending on if you want a weapon for both your hands or merely one, depending on if you are proficient in your skill set or just a beginner, the options range from a mere 50 gold pieces, to 945 gold pieces. Beginner gear I create at cost, as a gift to new players. Common gear I create at cost plus 1 additional gp per material, and uncommon gear is created at cost plus 2 additional gp per matieral. The reason for the increased price per rank is because higher tier weapons cause me to be unable to craft any other weapons for 3 or 4 days, unless I spend some of my own mastery points to do so, and to recover the cost of expensive recipes." She explained. "Exact prices are listed at the shop, so just come by there when you are ready to make any form of purchase," she said with a smile. Sera glanced at the time. "Well, I think I ought to be going, soon," she said. She offered a hand to the boy, to shake. "It was quite nice to meet you, Akino."
