Day 16, Mid-Day.

[@Zelosse][@Haeo][@pockets]

[color=turquoise]Cinera was awoken from her short nap by a quiet ringing in her ear - a new PM. She yawned and sat up to read the message. [i]An archer...?[/i] This news was so sudden. For these couple of weeks, it had only been the four of them; it seemed strange for a new member to show up, now. She immediately began to draft a very similar group formation in her mind as Delcastle. [i]An archer gives us a lot more protection from long-range fighters and magic wielders... but that would mean his stats are probably built around speed. That makes at least three of us with speed-based skills...[/i] Cinera frowned at this thought. [i]Our attacks won't be very effective if we can't hit them hard... And having just Mai'lo may not be enough.[/i]

Her eyes flickered over to where Severance lay, safe in its hilt. The black metal gleamed in the afternoon sun that shimmered through the trees. [i]I'm in front, as well... My weapon is too lightweight to do as much damage as Mai'lo's sword, but I may be able to build up some strength stats to give us a little extra power.[/i] She suddenly leapt to her feet and stretched, feeling content in such a beautiful location. The sun glistened through the leaves around her, and all she could hear was the whisper of the trees as the wind blew through their branches. Even the sun felt hot against her cheeks... It was all so realistic. Some days, she felt like she was actually back in reality, strolling through the forest near her home. It was a comforting feeling.

Another PM surprised her, and she opened it to see a message to the entire guild, this time. [i]Guess it's time to move, then...[/i] Something about that made her a bit sad - this area was pretty similar to her home. But she knew they couldn't stay here, forever, and in time this floor would be nothing but a distant memory. Besides, it's not like living out here had been easy; there were monsters and wandering players and all sorts of dangers. It was nothing they couldn't handle, of course, but it wasn't as pleasant as home and she reminded herself of that. She quickly sent Delcastle a private PM.

[b]I'M ON MY WAY TO TOWN, THEN. DID WE WANT TO STAY IN AN INN FOR A FEW DAYS?
I CAN COME AND PACK UP THE CAMPSITE LATER TONIGHT.
AN ARCHER WILL BE GOOD! CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THEM!
LOTS OF SPEED SKILLS IN OUR GROUP... WAS THINKING OF BUILDING MY STRENGTH STATS. THOUGHTS?
I-...[/b]

Cinera hesitated, unsure if she should write this last part of her message. Something about it made her stomach feel fluttery, and her cheeks became hot. But she gained the courage and wrote it, anyway.

[b]... I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU. :)[/b]

Sighing, she quickly closed her inbox, feeling a bit embarrassed. Why, she had no idea. It had been a long day of training on her own... and since she had been out here so frequently lately, they hadn't seen each other much. The events from the first few days had given them a pretty valuable friendship, and she found herself trusting him with her life. They worked well together, and things seemed to be going well. So of course she was sad to be away from her new friend so much these past few days. Why is that embarrassing to say? It would be good to touch base and go over information for the guild... and, of course, meet this new archer he had found.

Quickly, she strapped Severance to her hip and began to run back toward the town. It was full of players, as she had expected, and many with happy looks on their faces. [i]Hunting must have been good for everyone today, I suppose...[/i] Over the course of the last couple of weeks, the people around her had taken on a much more cheerful aura. Many had, just like her, finally overcome a lot of the initial shock of the game. It was nice to see people bragging about armor and excitedly sharing about their favorite quests. In a way, it was starting to feel more like a normal game. [i]I won't let myself get swept up in it all, though...[/i]

That's right. She needed to remember that this was more than just a game she was playing with friends - this was a battle for their lives. Cinera couldn't let herself get swept up in the fun like she was so accustomed to; it could mean death, here. Once in the center of the town, she glanced around her to see if she could spot Delcastle. There were so many players around, it was hard to see much of anyone, but this game didn't let you see where your guild mates were on the map, and they weren't currently in a party since they had separated for the day. Where were Mai'lo and Bulwar, too? Would they be coming to dinner or was everyone just taking a few days off individually? If that was the case, she might have more time to sneak off and practice...[/color]