Cyber

Questing

That night we spent in my home, a modest apartment in town. It was a cozy three bedroom, single bath place with a homey feel to it. It was warm, dry, and most of all, it was mine.

I set up the other bedrooms for my companions and made a little dinner. It was a stir fry, complete with a special sauce made from about 40 different ingredients, long grain fire rice, leaks, long onion, several types of peppers (spicy and sweet), giant's squash (a type of actually small squash, mature and ripe at the size of a cantaloupe, known for its buttery sweetness and the extreme level of difficulty to obtain, as it is raised by giants, on vines, that grow in cliffs, 30 feet in the air), and finally wild rabbit chunks. It was my best meal so far, and it raised my cooking skill two points!

We all slept well after the meal, of which there was none left at all, and woke to the weather generator's bad mood. It was a full blown thunderstorm, complete with lightning that would kill almost any new player on the spot. I hoped people had the sense to stay indoors. Anyone caught out in that would be sure to deal with the respawn, which from a natural death means unequipped items are dropped for other players to recover, and skill progress is reset, meaning you would go back to your skill levels and perks from the last level up. It was the most annoying way to die in Cyber by far.

I did the smart thing.

"You two stay here, don't go outside at all, you'll die. I'll be back in an hour."

I equipped my midnight blue, Stygian woven trench coat (an ultra rare item), Nightwatch pants (designed for city Nightwatch, elite night time guards who worked in all conditions), black gryphon leather boots, and a mythril weave black T-shirt. Along with my sword, Skyrend, and my dagger that could turn into a shield, Rykebane, I looked like an average Joe that spent all his initial money on looks. The truth couldn't have been more different.

I knew exactly where I was going as I left my apartment, hearing the mildly concerned whispers of my party members as I closed the door.

The rain was torrential and my hair was soaked the instant I stepped outside. The wind tore at my clothes and tried to pry them away. Lightning, as if guided by the hands of an angry Zeus, tried to strike me.

I knew the lightning was coming, and exactly where and when it would strike. It was one of my skills and perks, detection and precognition.

I drew my sword and swung, intercepting and absorbing the strike, running down the two tone, midnight blue/electric blue blade and into the power crystal in the hilt.

The power crystal held energy that I could transfer into attacks. They were one of the rarest items in the game, and effectively made any weapon 30 times as dangerous. Any magic based attack, energy based attack, solar energy, kinetic energy, thermal energy, or life energy (while in contact with a foe) that the blade was exposed to would result in added charge to the crystal. It was the ultimate battery, and could be used in controlled releases, or in a single rush.

The lightning struck twice more before letting up, each strike adding to my power.

With the lightning moving on to find another target, I was free to walk.

I sensed the presence before I saw it. Ember waited for me by the door of the shop I was heading too, still robed the same as earlier, and seeming surprisingly dry. I watched as lightning struck at Ember, who dodged each bolt with what, to the naked eye, looked like teleportation. To me it just looked like a series of well timed side steps.

I stopped in front of Ember looking under the robe, into the eyes hidden within. I knew those eyes better than I knew myself. I knew what they hid.