Halkegenia Online V1: Chapter 3 - Part 3 | "First Day in a New World"
In the office of the Headmaster of the Tristain Academy of Magic, four Mages and two Faeries were gathered around the desk of Old Osmond. A stack of reference texts, brought up by Tabitha and Guiche, were piled high on one corner of the desk, while maps and Atlases covered the rest of the surface in crisscrossing grids and lines.
Old Osmond pointed out Tristain and the location of the Tristain Academy of Magic on one of the maps. Kirito couldn't read the script identifying countries and cities, but basic layout of the Halkegenian maps wasn't too different from those found on Earth or the antiquated looking quest maps that appeared in some of the MMOs he had played before SAO. Unfortunately, being able to understand a map of Halkegenia didn't offer any immediate insight into what had transported them there.
"Mmm." Kirito sat arms crossed, thinking. "It looks a little like a continent back on our world." Kirito observed. The continent of Halkegenia did look a little like Europe, but he couldn't be sure, for an MMO addict such as himself, real world geography had never interested him beyond memorizing for school tests.
"A coincidence perhaps?" Old Osmond asked.
"Mmm. Maybe." Kirito said. He placed his index and middle fingers at the ends of the map scale and then measured off the height and width of Tristain. If he understood the units of measure, then all of ALfheim would have easily fit within the borders of Tristain which was itself dwarfed by the surrounding countries.
"What do you think Leafa?" Kirito turned to his sister.
Leafa leaned against the wall beside the table, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. His sister had grown gradually more quiet as the conversation with Old Osmond had progressed. He had seen this in the first days of SAO, though he had been too occupied seeing to his own survival to think much of it at the time. Some players had understood Kayaba Akihiko's words, but hadn't fully believed them for several days. At the moment, there was a disconnect between what his sister understood and what she felt. Kirito didn't know what to do about it other than be there for her when she worked through it.
"Hmm?" Leafa looked up. "What was that Onii-chan?"
"I was asking if the map looks familiar to you." Kirito said.
Leafa glanced over the map and nodded. "Mmm. It looks like Europe. But... Spain is missing and so are the Nordic Countries."
"So, Halkegenia looks like your homeland?" Kirche asked.
Kirito shook his head. "No. But it looks a little like a place far from our homeland." His fingers ran across the map, heading east until he reached a border beyond which was a drawing of a three headed dragon spitting fire.
"These are the Elven territories, right?" Kirito asked.
"Indeed." Old Osmond said. "Beyond them lays Rub'al Khali, a human kingdom to the East. Trade Caravans manage to make the desert crossing from time to time, but I'm afraid the territories beyond the borderlands are mostly unknown to Halkegenian cartographers.
Kirito shook his head. "I'm afraid this hasn't helped as much as I would have hoped." Kirito admitted.
"It was a distant chance." Old Osmond confessed. "I admit that I am not familiar with any magic powerful enough to do what you've described."
"Could it be some magic from your own lands?" Guiche asked. The boy had been quiet for most of the meeting, having found a corner to wedge himself in and observe.
"I doubt it." Kirito said, still studying the map. "Outside of the dream worlds, we can't simply cast magic the way you do."
The blonde boy choked on the off hand comment. "But that's preposterous! You said youselves you use these artifices to enter a living dream, how can that be possible save by magic?"
"It is quite hard to believe." Old Osmond admitted. "Perhaps more so than anything else you have told us." The old Headmaster didn't seem to fully believe Kirito's story of how they had arrived in Halkegenia, but he had been willing to entertain is so far.
"The philosophers of our land studied the world and applied what they learned." Kirito explained. "Thats how we made the AMUspheres and ALfheim."
"Natural philosophy." Tabitha supplied and frowned. "Maybe ambient magic?" The girl wondered aloud.
"I guess." Kirito said, still reading the map.
"Then you think whatever caused this had to come from our world?" Kirche asked.
"Mmm." Kirito said. "Its a logical conclusion, nothing in our world could have caused it." At least, nothing that Kirito knew of, and since they were no longer in their world, there really wasn't any point speculating about things they couldn't investigate. He paused, there was a note of something in the girl's voice. "Have you thought of something, Kirche-san?" Kirito asked.
"Head master, the familiar summoning was today." Kirche said.
"Familiar summoning?" Kirito asked.
"A right of passage for the second year students." Osmond explained. "A student who has reached their second year is given the privilege of summoning forth a familiar, an animal magically contracted to serve its master faithfully."
Kirito recalled the dragon from earlier and the open affection is had shown Tabitha. "So that dragon..."
"Sylphid." Tabitha said softly. "My familiar."
Osmond turned to Kirche. "What are you implying Miss Zerbst?"
"Louise Valliere was the only student today to fail the summoning ritual." Kirche said.
"Ah yes, Louise Francoise le Blanc de La Valliere, third daughter of the Valliere family." Osmond said. "Is she a second year already? I do not recall her receiving her Runic title."
"She hasn't sir." Kirche admitted. "We call her the Zero because of it. Every spell she casts just goes... boom."
"Boom?" Kirito asked.
Kirche shrugged.
"Boom." Osmond repeated. "Ah, now I recall, the young girl who blew out all of the windows in the first year primer classroom last year, yes this would be her second year wouldn't it." Osmond noted.
"That's her." Kirche confirmed. "During the summoning today, she attempted Summon Familiar and nothing happened. And that's weird, the Zero always fails, but her failures are always spectacular. I think that's why she gave up after her third try. She didn't make it more than a few hundred feet before she collapsed from willpower exhaustion, like she'd cast something that took everything out of her. It happened just before the World Tree appeared."
"You believe that Miss Valliere summoned the World Tree?" Old Osmond pinned the red headed girl with his gaze. Kirito perked up.
"I... think its a distinct possibility." Kirche said slowly. "Tabitha thinks so too."
"Do you agree Miss Tabitha?" Old Osmond asked.
The blue haired girl nodded once.
"Did you inform professor Colbert of your suspicions?"
"Yes Sir." Kirche said.
"And what did he say." Old Osmond asked gravely.
"He said... " Kirche frowned, "That it was completely impossible."
"And rightly so." Osmond agreed. "The willpower for such a summoning would not simply cause the caster to collapse from exhaustion. It would kill them outright. Even a hundred square Mages together would not have the reserves to cast a spell of such size."
"Then what other explanation is there!" Kirche cried.
"That is what we must find out." Osmond said. "But wild speculation must not guide us. There are texts and grimores kept in the private collection of Royal Palace that might shed some more light on these events." Osmond stroked his beard. "Though authorizing their release might prove challenging." Osmond perked up. "On that note, I do need to write my dispatch to the Palace and then of course there will be breaking the news to the students and faculty."
The sudden change of subject made Kirito recall the near hostile reaction from Professor Colbert and his students who had mistaken he and Leafa for Elves. He swallowed.
"Could you maybe wait to tell anyone else until we're far away from here." Kirito asked. He'd had his fill of being a despised outsider in society during the death game of Sword Art Online, he didn't need to repeat the experience in a place where the people who wanted to kill him could throw fireballs.
"That may be for the best." Osmond agreed thoughtfully. "Though I would still like your help in writing my dispatch to the Palace. There's no sense in adding more confusion to this situation."
"That's true." Kirito agreed.
Old Osmond looked to the gathered students. "Mister Grammond, Miss Tabitha, Miss Zerbst, I would also like your input."
"We'll help where we can." Kirche said, Tabitha and Guiche nodded sincerely.
Osmond glanced about for a moment and sighed. "I certainly wish this didn't have to be so clandestine. I would have rather liked to have dictated to Miss Longueville. But, need's must as they say." The Elderly man withdrew a strip of parchment and a quill from the drawer of his desk. "Now then, I do believe we should begin at this morning."
"It's been quite an eventful day." Princess Henrietta de Tristain said as she accepted a cup of tea from a stiff man wearing the uniform of a Noble Officer.
Captain Grammond and Viscount Wardes flanked her as she sat in the private office of the Fortress Commander. The chamber looked out on the fotress' courtyard, a square space three hundred mails to a side where the garrison would gather for drills. Salamanders and garrison soldiers milled about, sometimes mingling but mostly keeping separate.
"And I can only imagine it will grow more so." Lord Mortimer of the Salamanders said as he held his own steaming cup.
At his side stood Kagemune and one of the sullen armored knights from his personal retinue. Even as they spoke, General Eugene was being seen to in the fort infirmary, under the watchful eyes of the attending Water Mage physician and a petite blue haired woman, one of the previously mentioned Undines, who had arrived along with Lord Mortimer's forces.
"That monster that attacked us. It may not be the only one." Henrietta said seriously. The lighthearted warmth that she had effected moments earlier disappeared.
"Almost certainly not." Mortimer agreed. "My forces engaged and defeated several field mobs while traveling here from our staging area to the west. Though none of them were as powerful as a Venus Man Eater. It was during the extermination operations that we ran across several of my brother's subordinates who had run from the battle."
Henrietta nodded, that explained the three Salamanders who had not returned and how Lord Mortimer had found them when they left the forest. "Then, I would like to beg your assistance." Henrietta said. "If these monsters are as dangerous as you say, the People of Tristain will not be safe until these mobs", the strange word rolled off of her tongue, "Are eliminated."
"Of course Princess." Mortimer said. "This serves the Salamanders' interests as well. The displacement has put my own forces in a great deal of danger. To say nothing of the risk to the inhabitants of the settlements."
"Mister Kagemune mentioned a town not far from here." Henrietta said.
"Yes, Lila Village, it's mostly home to Undines." Mortimer confirmed. "I ordered a squadron to see to the village and reinforce my brother's remaining men, but if the mob aggression has increased as you say, it may be safer to move them, the village layout is relatively indefensible."
"How many villagers?" Captain Grammond asked.
"Lila village has about three hundred regular inhabitants, not including NPCs." Kagemune reported.
"Ehn-Pee-Sees?" Captain Grammond asked.
"They sound like a sort of golem from what Mister Kagemune has told me." Henrietta elaborated. "But they all disappeared when you were transported here, right?"
Kagemune nodded in agreement.
"So, three hundred total, eh?" Captain Grammond rubbed his chin. "I'd say bring them here, but that's a bit much even for the fort, and it sounds as if our own towns will be in danger soon enough."
"Which is why we need to organize patrols of the surrounding areas." Mortimer agreed. "Mobs tend to be highly territorial, so once we eliminate the ones close to towns and highways, the local people should be relatively safe, at least, for a time."
"What about erecting barricades around the towns?" Henrietta asked.
"We've four strong Earth Mages for maintaining the wards on the fort walls." Captain Grammond said. "Working together, with time to rest, they could put up walls around the smaller towns in just one or two days."
"That will buy us time to thin the mobs." Mortimer said. "I would also like to ask that you contact your Palace as soon as possible and determine just how far this displacement extends."
"Extends?" Wardes asked.
"Yes." Lord Mortimer nodded. "There are signs of ALfheim's terrain scattered all across this region, and Lila Village appears to be located at the same place relative to our staging area at the borders of Undine territory. Is it not likely that the effect could extend further?"
"From what mister Kagemune said, the estates of ALfheim were expansive, they could be scattered all over Tristain and beyond." Henrietta agreed.
This was quite troubling, if the monsters, the mobs, were isolated to just one area of Tristain, then dealing with them wouldn't be too difficult, but if they were scattered over the Kingdom, not only would they be a danger to travelers and isolated towns, they would begin to disrupt commerce. The army simply did not have the man power to patrol every highway and guard every town. And then, in this chaos, there was the possibility of a Faerie settlement ending up near, or Founder forbid, on top of a human settlement. The consequences could be disastrous.
"Arlon is a border fort. We're one of the main relays for messengers along the frontier, so we'll know about any happenings before the end of the day." Captain Grammond replied.
"Never the less." Lord Mortimer insisted coolly. "I would like to have some of your men accompany my forces and finish reconnoitering the surrounding lands. It is then essential that I make best speed to the South West. Before departing to find my brother, I dispatched messengers to Gaddan, the Salamander home city. It is essential I return as soon as possible and ascertain the situation."
Grammond glanced to his monarch. Henrietta nodded seriously. "That seems like a good idea." She looked to the Viscount at her side. "Captain Wardes, please see to getting a report to the Capital as soon as possible." Henrietta said.
"Of course, Princess." Wardes nodded. "Might I advise we have a team of wind dragons from the Dragon Knights sent here as well. It may be safer for you to return to the Palace by air, Princess."
"I will stay where I am needed." Henrietta said. Until Cardinal Mazarin had recovered, she had no choice but to lead.
"Then you should go to the Palace." Captain Grammond said. "The Capital contains the organs of government you will need to manage a crises and it is where people we look to for your leadership." The Captain glanced to Lord Mortimer. "I'll have mounted soldiers arranged to travel with your men immediately." Grammond said.
There was a knock at the chamber door.
"Enter." Captain Grammond called.
The Captain's aid appeared in the doorway and bowed quickly to his superior and his monarch. "My Princess, Captain Grammond, Lord Mortimer, the General has woken up."
"Oh, dear." Lord Mortimer said softly. "I should see to my brother before he decides to walk out of your infirmary." The Salamander leader placed his cup on the table before him and stood, smoothing his robes.
"He's already tried." The aid said. "Doctor Nabier and your physician will have to sedate him if this keeps up."
"What of Cardinal Mazarin?" Henrietta asked.
"The Cardinal has woken briefly already, but he's is still disoriented." The aid reported. "Doctor Nabier says he is loath to use magic to treat injuries of the head."
"And my brother?" Lord Mortimer asked.
"Lucid from what I gather, but you should see for yourself." The aid replied.
"That is fortuitous then. I can leave forces under his command to manage the situation in this region when I return to Gaddan." Lord Mortimer looked to Henrietta. "If I may, Princess, I would like to see to my brother."
"I shall accompany you." Henrietta decided, standing. "I haven't had a chance to properly give the General my thanks"
Mortimer regarded her, "Of course, Princess."
"Better?" The Cait Syth hunter named KoKo asked her passenger.
"Much better." Colbert agreed as he settled into the saddle atop the back of one of the Cait Syth's dragons. In their haste, both Kirito and Colbert had neglected to select a time to return to their meeting place. As evening fell, both the Faerie Leaders and Colbert had decided it was as good a time as any to part ways for the day, Colbert promised to ensure Leafa and Kirito's safe return if they had not already departed the academy.
The two leaders had thoroughly questioned Colbert on Halkegenia and Tristain and eventually they had come to the limit of what their dialogue could achieve, Colbert was no diplomat and lacked the authority to make decisions for the Crown. Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue were also desperately needed to keep order amongst their people and the meeting had left the Professor with a great deal to consider and discuss with his superiors when he returned to the academy. A pair of the Cait Syth dragoons would deliver Colbert as close as possible to the academy, keeping a distance to avoid causing a panic.
"I wish you a safe journey." Lady Sakuya said. "Tell your headmaster that I would like to convene with him tomorrow, at the place you and Kirito met. We will be there at noon."
"Understood Lady Sakuya. May the meeting by fruitful for all of our sakes." Colbert nodded and placed a hand on KoKo's shoulder. The Cait Syth tightened the grips on the reigns of her mount and clicked her tongue. The squat reptile spread its wings, taking on a kite like profile and flung itself from the platform, a second dragon followed a moment later.
Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue watched the dragons turn into silhouettes and then vanish around the curve of the World Tree. Lady Sakuya sighed softly.
"You alright, Sakuya-chan?" Alicia asked.
The sylph leader smiled weakly. "Of course not. How could I feel alright?"
Alicia's expression turned uncharacteristically sober. "Yeah. This is going to be tough."
"For the time being it is enough that we accept it and move forward." Sakuya decided, "Alicia, I'd like to try and use the moonlight mirror again once the sun has set."
"Eh?" The Cait Syth leader seemed surprised. "But Sakuya-chan, we couldn't reach anyone when we tried it earlier."
Between the tension in Arrun and the arrival of Professor Colbert, Lady Sakuya had been hesitant to send scouts further afield until they had a better grasp of the situation, a decision that had been proven justified after the meeting with Colbert.
"The mirror is more potent at night." Lady Sakuya observed.
Part of the reason for selecting their meeting place in the neutral territory was that Alicia Rue's moonlight mirror spell would be just within its minimum daytime range of both races' capitals. Here in Arrun, however, the spell could only reach as far as the Capital Cities at night when its range was doubled and its magic consumption was halved.
Alicia pawed at her ears. "Mm-yeah, it should be if it works like before." Her ears perked up and she grinned, "You know what this means right?"
Lady Sakuya shook her head. "What?"
"Magic." The Cait Syth leader said. "We can do real magic!" Alicia Rue was bouncing on the balls of her feet, worries briefly forgotten.
"I wouldn't be so excited." Sakuya said.
"I'm just trying to find a silver lining." Alicia defended.
"It's a dim lining." Sakuya said. "But I guess it will have to do." Anything to help them through this crises. Lady Sakuya wonder idly if that meant her Takemikazuchi was now really a rune enhanced mithril forged katana.
Back in the atrium on the top floor of Arrun tower, the ore lights had been lit and now shown off the brass reflectors at the center of the room, filling the space with a warm light. Activity had not yet abated even at this hour. Lady Sakuya spotted Novair amongst the crowd. The man jogged up to meet her, he looked more troubled than he had earlier in the day.
Novair, who had been tasked with taking inventory of the materials and resources within Arrun, had been amongst the first to suspect the truth about their situation and so Sakuya and Alicia Rue had admitted the truth openly. There was no point trying to hide it, amongst the gossip obsessed culture of MMO players, it would leak out all the sooner if they tried.
News of what had happened was slowly seeping down the ranks to the people in the city bellow. By the end of the night, everyone in Arrun would have heard. No doubt many would think that their Leaders had gone mad. But most would believe, if only because of their own experiences over the course of the day. The ones gathered in Arrun tower were the lucky ones, they had a purpose to occupy them and there was always something for an idle pair of hands to busy themselves with. Sakuya would work them until they were exhausted and then send them to get some rest and repeat the process in the morning. The people huddled down in Arrun had all too much time to entertain their thoughts.
"Lady Sakuya, this is the compiled list of foodstuffs from the commercial district, and also a list of all of the inns in the city, there should be just enough room for everyone." Novair handed his leader a small ledger.
Sakuya scanned over the first few pages. "Start by distributing food items with the lowest durability for now." She instructed. "Then we'll need to stockpile the rest at a central location to prevent theft or hording."
"There's the dragons to worry about too." Alicia Rue added in. "They're pretty big eaters, but I'd hate to have to put down so many tame mounts."
"Its an issue of whether we can afford to keep feeding them." Sakuya bit her lip. "They eat mostly raw meats, right?"
"Mmm. Meat, fish, small mobs, honestly they'll eat anything high enough up the evolutionary ladder to flee in terror." Alicia said.
There were twenty two dragons amongst the gathered Sylph and Cait Syth forces. They represented a powerful military force with their AOE breath attacks, high flight speed, and thick skins. Lady Sakuya hated the idea of losing them, especially in the face of the unknown.
"We can feed them for the next few days." Sakuya decided out loud. "Perhaps we can arrange to let them hunt in the local forests, that should fill their bellies for a while."
"Sounds good to me." Alicia said. "Maybe we can even get them to bring some back for the rest of us."
"I'd prefer to negotiate with the locals to fill our stomachs." Sakuya replied, handing the ledger back to Novair. "See to distributing the food. Start with the people at the inns first and then work your way to individual residence. Don't argue with anyone who you suspect might be hoarding supplies, the fights aren't worth it right now."
"Understood, Lady Sakuya." The man turned on his heel and ws off in the direction of a doorway leading to the outside of the tower. Many Imp and Spriggan players had offered their services as messengers, carrying instructions to the forces scattered throughout the city. A stream of players from the two nimble races were constantly coming and going from the top of Arrun tower.
"Who's next?" Sakuya wondered aloud.
"Carmond is supposed to be organizing volunteers into a city watch." Alicia said. "I'd rather not have a field mob march through the front gates."
Lady Sakuya grimaced. It was going to be a long night.
Leafa, Kirigaya Suguha in real life, and a swordswoman of the Sylph race from the world of ALfheim online, sank slowly onto the bed beside the window of the inn room she shared with her brother. The inns around the center of Arrun had been commandeered to house the displaced players who did not own residence in Arrun.
Leafa and Kirito had been lucky enough to find a room in one such inn on a side street. The room was small but comfortable, a pair of well stuffed beds sat against one wall opposite a fireplace beside which sat a small coffee table and a pair of sofas. A writing desk and a small dresser sat beside the open window. The room looked out from the second floor on a small garden in which was planted a fragrant olive tree. The night air that drifted in was warm and sweet.
Upon returning from the Tristain Academy of Magic and giving their report, Lady Sakuya insisted that they take the opportunity to get some rest. Leafa had tried to protest, observing the dark rings forming under the Sylph leader's eyes, but Sakuya would tolerate no further disobedience, they were to report back in the morning. Kirito had placed a hand on Leafa's shoulder and nodded. Only after departing the tower and settling to the ground in the central plaza did Leafa realize how exhausted she really was. It had been around 8:00 PM when the raid on the World Tree had begun. Save for an unknown period of time spent unconscious, she had been awake for over twenty four hours.
All of Arrun was currently in a stupor, ore lights along the side roads and among many of the houses remained unlit, giving the normally glowing Fairy city a sense of oldness that it had not possessed the night before. The anxiety from earlier in the day had transformed into a sort of dull shock that hung over the City like a fog. When the mounting evidence had started to confirm their fears, Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue had begun the delicate process of breaking the news to Arruns inhabitants. The most disciplined and loyal members of the Sylph-Cait Syth alliance had been informed of the situation by Lady Sakuya herself. When the initial shock had finally passed, the news had spread from door to door. Fortunately, with the people divided into small groups of friends and family, rioting had not been a major issue save around some of the larger inns and the squares where people had refused to disperse.
Leafa fingered the wide cuff of her shirt feeling the softness of the fabric. She was currently dressed in a loose cotton shirt that fell to mid thigh, and a pair of draw stringed shorts. They were low level dress items from a clothing store nearby. Her brother had brought them up to their room along with their allotment of rationed food. He had said she would be uncomfortable sleeping in her day clothes and told her she should get changed before bed.
Kirito had left the room to allow her to change, which had been an ordeal in itself. In ALfheim, changing clothing had simply been a matter of un-equipping one garment and equipping another. Never in changing her clothes had Suguha ever thought of her avatar as anything but a dress up doll. But now... Her face had reddened as she'd stripped down to her undergarments. She kept reminding herself that it was her own avatar, it was basically her body, but it felt uncomfortably voyeuristic. She'd ended up changing while keeping her eyes squeezed shut. When she was done she had folded her clothes and stacked them on a chair in the corner of the room.
She heard a gentle knock on the door. "Sugu?"
"You can come in." She called.
Kirito entered the room, closing and locking the door behind himself. Her brother must have found someplace else to change, he was dressed in a black short sleeved shirt and a pair of black shorts and carried his clothes folded up in his arms. Yui sat on top of the pile of clothes as if they were pillow. It seemed that her brothers fashion sense was the same in any world. She couldn't help it, the thought made Leafa giggle.
"What is it?" Her brother asked.
"It's just", she wiped a tear from her eye, "You've always liked black." She observed.
Kirito's face soured a little. "I just look better in dark colors." He defended.
"It's true." Yui agreed, flitting up beside Kirito. "In SAO almost all of Papa's equipment was either purchased or died black. That's where he got his title, the Black Swordsman of Aincrad!" Kirito shot the little navigation pixie a betrayed look.
"You've never been very fashionable." Leafa teased and enjoying watching her brother grouch.
Kirito set his clothes down on one of the sofas and came to sit beside her. Leafa noticed a pair of small bottles in her brothers hands filled with a creamy white liquid.
"What are those?"
He handed her one. "It's called dew milk, they gave me a couple of bottles with our rations. The durability isn't very high so nobodies worried about rationing it."
Leafa took the bottle and took an experimental sip. It reminded her of coconut milk with a stronger cream aftertaste.
"How is it?" Kirito asked.
"It's good." She said.
They finished the bottles in silence, Kirito carefully offering some to Yui as she sat on his forearm. The quiet and togetherness were nice. A simple sense of belonging settled over her.
Leafa gazed out the window. Over the tops of the nearby buildings, two moons hung quietly in the sky, unlike either Earth or Alfheim. Unlike either... Leafa starred up at the moons, she felt the moment stretch on and on. Something inside of her, something that had been frozen since morning, began to slowly turn over once more. A hollowness replaced the warmth she had felt just moments before.
"This is really happening, isn't it." Leafa said suddenly, dully.
Not Earth.
Her brother gave her a concerned look. Yui flitted from his forearm and came to rest on his shoulder. "What's happened shouldn't be possible, I think." He said. "But it's definitely happening."
"By now, Mom probably knows something's wrong." Suguha said. "And she'll have called Dad. If we're here, and these bodies are real, then what about our bodies back home?" She began to tremble.
Not ALfheim
"I don't know." Her brother said. "But this doesn't seem like SAO. I think we should just focus on keeping everyone safe for now."
"When will we be able to go home again?" Her eyes began to sting.
She'd... She'd just talked to Mom that morning, she'd said... What had she said? 'See you tonight.' Not 'goodbye', or 'I love you.' Was that the last thing she would say to her mother? She wanted to go to her, to her mother, she wanted to hear her, to see her school again, such simple things, but they were impossible now. Would she ever see their home again, or would she die here? The sudden realization of what was happening, of what had already happened, was overwhelming. This was real, this was really real.
"I don't know." Her brother's arm tightened gently around her shoulder.
"I'm scared Onii-chan." Suguha whispered, her voice trembled. "How can this be happening. Why am I shaking now? I was fine all today." Up until this moment it had all seemed to unreal, it was just a waking dream. And now, this world she had fallen in love with had become a nightmare.
"It can take time for people to believe unbelievable things." Her brother said, he pushed her away so she could see his face. "You should let it out as soon as you can."
Suguha looked into her brother's eyes. His face had a gentle expression, he was telling her that he knew it was painful, and that it was okay. Was this what he had felt? That first day in the death game of SAO? The trembling grew and grew, no matter how hard she tried Suguha couldn't control it. She felt the first streaks of heat running down her face and than felt her head being pressed against something warm and soft. Suguha bawled into her brother's chest, clinging to him for dear life.
She didn't know for how long she cried, it might have been a few minutes, it might have been hours. All of her fear and anxiety drained away with those tears, and along with them, the last of her strength. When she was done, all that was left was a dull aching in her chest and an overwhelming sense of tiredness. She didn't even have the strength to open her eyes when her brother gently nudged her.
Suguha felt herself being laid down. Her head came to rest against her pillow and she felt a blanket being pulled up to cover her. She opened her eyes blearily to see her brother clearing away the bottles. The ore light faded as he adjusted it from its pedestal and then he came back and sat on the edge of her bed. He placed a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair.
He was like her, in this world his face, thought familiar, had changed, but the gentle expressions were exactly the same. It was strange, comforting. It reminded her of when she was little, before her brother had grown close again, before he had ever grown distant.
She fell asleep to memories of cold days and hot ginger tea.
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