Sword Art Online Millennium Canvas

CHAPTER 8: Another World

It was an odd-looking vine. Dusky variegated leaves hunkered against a stem that would in a stranglehold around the smooth trunk of a hollowed tree. Sap drooled down the wounded bark, and dry limbs slumped, making it look as if the tree were trying to voice a moan into the cool, damp night air.

It was the smell that first caught his attention, a smell like the decomposition of something that had been wholly unsavoury even in life.

As his consciousness leaned toward awareness, the flood of the sounds, smell, and touch of information surged into him. Rai repeatedly blinked several times which was blurred by tears.

Rai combed his fingers through his think long blond hair as his mind lifted out of the fog of despair, coming into focus upon seeing the hollow structure of an old tree before him.

Rai was standing smack in the middle of a large forest. He scanned for others, but saw none. With the night getting cold, it wouldn't be long before field monsters found him.

Having spent his career life into making Sword Art Online virtual game, Rai knew all the monsters-if not by name, by sight.

Rai put on his hood, since it was getting cold. He wanted to take a rest, but couldn't. With the lack of experience in playing the game, grief and despair overwhelmed him.

He felt abandoned, that he was thrown inside the game, alone. Thinking that it was just a game offered him no sanctuary. Finally, against his better judgement, he took one step with his left foot and then the right, and repeated the process until his headed for the path that skirted the forest.

Rai's eyes locked on something.

There was movement.

Unsure what it had been, he stared hard at the spot on the far side of the forest. When he saw it again, on the path, where it passed behind a thin veil of trees, there was no doubt; it was a person.

He hopped down off the rock, and took a few steps forward. The figure followed the path into the open. It wasn't a person, it was a monster.

Humanoid-like with the height as tall as him with a scaly skin, naked tail like that of a rat, and a doglike head with two horns, wearing ragged clothing with red and orange colours wielding a sword.

Kobold Marauders level 7 immediately crossed his mind.

Other movement snatched his attention. His eyes searched the shade and shadows. Behind the monster, there were others. Three, no, four creatures in hooded orange and red cloaks with spears and swords at hand. But hanging back with some distance, they moved with stealth, from tree to rock to tree.

Looking

Waiting

Moving

Rai straightened his eyes wide, his attention riveted.

Rai did the most normal thing anyone would do in his situation. He turns around and sprinted with all of his might.

Huff!!! Puff!!! Gasp!!!

Grunting and groaning breaths echoed along with sound of his heavy footsteps hitting the muddy ground.

"Run faster, dammit" Rai told himself as he endured running through the thick briars, sharp roots, and thorny bushes as if his life depends on it.

Tree branches wet with rain from the night before slapped at his face as he ran through the forest, jumping fallen trees and small rocky streams.

Brush snatched at his pant legs. His breath was fast, ragged, sweat ran cold against his face, and he could feel his heart pounding as he ran carelessly through the forest.

"Oh sh*t. What to do?" Rai groaned at himself while gritting his teeth. "What the hell did I do with my life? I entered the game, run around the place and I got chased by these monsters? I don't understand!" said Rai showing his irritation.

After a time, driving himself headlong down the path, he started glancing at his pursuers. He couldn't be sure how far he had gone; the forest offered no view for a fix location, and he didn't remember exactly where he was now.

At last he stumbled out of the tree onto the path, falling with a hard thud.

While looking up in the sky, he spotted something, too fast for him to tell what it was. He squinted against the darkness of the sky a snapping sound could be heard.

The group of Kobold Marauders skidded around the corner to his right at a speed that should have been impossible for it.

"They're here!" Rai told himself.

The creatures caught up to him then suddenly a shadow blur came out of the thick briars and lunge at the nearest creature with frightening speed.

One of the Kobold Marauders exploded into shard of polygons, and the shadow blur lunges to another Kobold and then another, dashing around the battlefield leaving a light blue trail until he defeated all five of them.

The shadow blur stood in front of Rai with back turned against him, it was a person, just an ordinary young boy wearing black all over. Wielding a one handed long sword that glowed in a faint light blue until it dissipates.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be in the forest at night" The young boy asked Rai while slowly turning around to face him.

He had black hair and wore a black mantle like cloak. He wasn't all that tall, but an overwhelming presence radiated from him.

Rai stood up without portraying any emotion, but fixed his gaze upon the young boy.

The Young Boy approached and stopped three strides away so as not to appear a threat. And the intensity of Rai's gaze relaxed, loosening its hold on the Young Boy.

Rai then turned his head, surveying the woods around him, scanning for more monsters briefly, and then looked back at the Young Boy once more.

"Do you choose to help me?" Rai asked giving no hint of showing his emotion.

Before the Young Boy could form a thought, he heard himself say "Yes"