Somnium Online

Operation

Arriving back after shopping, Brian and Alex sighed with relief as they were finally allowed to put down the dozens of grocery bags and various sized parcels they were carrying.

"I think I pulled something." Brian moaned.

"I don't think I can move anymore today." Alex replied, his tone equally pitiful.

"Shut your mouth and help me move this stuff." Lin snapped as she set down her load, easily twice the size of whatever they were carrying.

"I wonder where Eric went." Alice remarked, glancing around. "I thought he'd be back by now."

"Maybe he's dead." Alex suggested jokingly.

"If he could br killed that easily he would have died by now." Lin retorted. "However, it would be wise to go check on him."

"Sounds good to me. If he dies who'll cook breakfast?" Brian agreed.

"You need new priorities, but I'm in." Alice said from across the room.

"Not like I've got much of a choice then." Alex said, grinning.

A few minutes later they were out the door, weapons ready, when they realized they didn't have the slightest clue where to look.

"So... what now?" Alice asked. "Any ideas guys?"

The boys shook their heads in unison. Lin sighed "just think about the Vice-Commander and imagine what you would do if you were an impulsive boy with zero self control and an insane affinity for w8nd magic."

Alex thought for a moment. "That's easy, I'd head for the tallest building I could find."

Which is how they ended up outside the warehouse in the middle of the day.

"Okay, now what?" Brian asked. He was missing lunch for this, and growing impatient.

"Let's check out the inside." Alice suggested.

Eric tensed when he heard footsteps near the entrance. He didn't sense any players, which meant... oh no. No, no, no.

Why did they have to show up here of all places?

"Anyone in there?" Alex called.

Eric watched the nearest player, he couldn't see much underneath the cloak, but the movement of someone knocking an arrow was unmistakable. Eric quietly got out one of his knives.

Formal martial arts has a lot to teach. Much of which is completely useless in actual combat.

Which isn't to say that it isn't helpful, if your opponent is willing to face you on a flat, even mat and bow nicely before you agree to kill each other politely, it's fairly handy but that's not how a fight works.

Most fights, at least in Eric's experience were short, fast, and completely unfair. Much like this one.

The bowman never did get to fire his arrow, because he had a knife through the back of his neck.

Eric yanked the knife back out, and rolled out of view, leaving a thin trail of blood spatters and spinal fluid.

"One down." Eric muttered.

As a rule, when someone dies, they tend to twitch a few times, in this case said twitches caused the already drawn bowstring to be released sending an arrow flying.

"Do you hear some thi-" Brian managed to say before an arrow stopped itself dead in the air inches from his face.

Lin examined the hilt of her katana, the arrowhead wasn't buried too deeply into the grip, but it was still irritating.