Even if the compliment was a small one, it still made Viri smile a little. "Ah, go ahead," she said, waving a hand as Deneb walked off to test her fighting skills, "It's not as if we're in much of a hurry, after all..."

In the meantime, she could try out one of the pairs of boots she'd retrieved. She bent down out of instinct, reaching down to undo the clasps on her shoes, then hesitated. [i]If things like the inventory work, then...[/i] Opening up her screen, she focused her gaze on the boots, and hit 'equip.'

A moment later, they were on her feet. The transition was seamless, so much so that she'd barely have noticed it if she wasn't looking. [i]If it works like in the game, then my shoes should have gone back to my inventory. And once I'm done hiking, I can probably directly re-equip them from there.[/i] The minor revelation made her smile again. Confusing and disorientating as this world could be, some parts of it really were convenient!

She took a couple of steps forward, testing out her new footwear, then found a soft patch of grass and sat down, her long legs gently folding under her. From there, she quietly watched as Deneb experimented with some altogether more dangerous mechanics.

Perhaps it was only because of her own inexperience with the game, but Viri found herself looking at the ninja girl with more and more admiration as time went on. She was sharp, she was rational, and she seemed to have an almost intuitive grasp of the game's systems, translating them into this new reality with an ease that bordered on being effortless. The cleric hummed thoughtfully as her bright green eyes followed Deneb's deadly and beautiful dance. [i]Even if we are only a party of two...[/i]

A final slash sent blood spraying out of the beast's jugular, and Viri applauded. 

[i]... I think I may have found a good leader.[/i]

"And the winner is... Deneb!" She rose to her feet, her willowy figure stretching to its full height once more. "Slayer of Boars, the swiftest lady in the land!" Then she leaned forward a little, laughing at her own words. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I let my enthusiasm get carried away for a moment there. But you know, that really was impressive to watch." She met Deneb's eyes with a look of earnest appreciation. "You must have been good at this game before, am I right?"

She looked out over the horizon, at the roads and fields and trees stretching out into the distance, a mountain range barely visible at the edge of her field of view. [i]So much...[/i] There was no way they'd cover even a fraction of all that in just an hour. Exploring the area around the town might be possible, but to really know what was out there, they were going to need more people. [i]Although,[/i] she thought, glancing once more at Deneb, [i]there is something nice about it being just us two. Even if it is only for the moment.[/i]

"Well then, if you're ready..." She strode forwards, the first bold steps of many she would take as they delved into the great unknown.

"... let's see what we can find!"

[@PKMNB0Y]