It was often advised that players of the game were not to stray from the world’s set, main paths as vile and wicked creatures often lurked deep within. As for Hachi Nokugoma, he’d abandoned such a path many miles ago and now sauntered through the forest with his wits about him and a watchful eye. In his clutches, an ivory bow already set with an arrow.

Around him, the shadowy forest was a city of ancient elm trees. Their canopies lush and vibrant preventing any chance of piercing sunbeams from above with thick trunks decorated at the base. There was the swishing of hedges and shrubs in the air as the wind gusted gently, wafting the smell of moss in the air.

As he came to a clearing at the heart of the forest, he stopped to observe. On the far end deer frolicked. Their coats golden and sleek shimmering under the sunlight as squirrels traversed stumps and trunks and insects buzzed and fluttered. Taking a moment to appreciate the forest’s stillness, his eyes narrowed as they slowly fell at his feet. Intrigued, he studied the forest floor decorated with large, hooved footprints. Whatever it was , his target stood on two feet. As he followed the footprints with his eyes, his gaze shifted upwards to study through the trees where a stream of black smoke ascended from a small encampment up ahead. Certain it was there that his target lied, he followed the trail of prints.

The camp was rather small and grungy, with a foul scent of wet beast permeating. At the center, a tent, mangled and barely standing sat just behind a collection of small campfires surrounded by plots of sunken dirt and wilted, crushed flowers. A scuffle had taken place here and it was apparent. As he fully emerged from nearby hedges with caution, Hachi took note of a single flame that flickered upon one of the campfires. For a moment his eyes scanned the woodland around, searching for any giveaway of the beast’s presence. To the left of him, his eyes followed a trail of snapped twigs and crushed leaves. It was then did he notice it.

It stood there as still a statue, idle under the shade where sunlight had failed to pierce through the treetops. It watched him as he too now studied its monstrous silhouette. At its side an odd, bulbous shape rested and as it shifted with a single step out from the shaded forest, a clang rang as Hachi’s eyes first fell on a chain of metal links hanging from a hilt.

The target for his daily quest bore a face similar to an ox. Adorning its massive crown, two gnarled and twisted horns jutted upwards. Two artic blue eyes staring him down stood out against a matted dark canvas that was its fur. They were strained as if the very sight of Hachi was a direct insult to its existence. Its nostrils flared as it fully emerged from the woodlands displaying a collection of blemishes and scars from past victories. It clutched onto a weapon that was only a few meters shy of Hachi’s own body size, yet with almost no effort, the Minotaur managed to lift it and rest it upon its shoulder.

“Saves me the time of having to look for you,” Hachi sneered, now raising his bow to point it at his opponent. In response, the beast spat out a glob of green goo, accepting his challenge.

Contrary to its massive size, the beast readied its weapon before bursting forward at a speed Hachi could’ve never expected. In seconds it cut the distance between them, its massive club high above and hammering down with a crash that split the forest floor under their feet. With speed of his own, Hachi dove free from harm’s way, withdrew and when he gathered himself, he sent an arrow whistling in the air, grazing right above the beast’s head and plunging far into the woods.

The beast charged again, bulldozing over the campfire as it did so, unphased by the small burning flame. In an attempt to keep a distance, Hachi’s arm became a pendulum flailing forward to ready his bow, and back as one after another, his arrows shot like bullets firing off at rapid speeds. Several had managed to impale the beast’s matted fur, though none hindered its advance. Hachi had just readied another arrow when the whooshing of the massive club called for him to dip. A gust of wind passed overhead and with great power the beast flailed its forearm and swatted the boy, sending him flying. Hachi managed to regain his footing though the beast was relentless with its attacks. It pressed on wildly, flailing its club in a vicious onslaught. When the massive club was above him ready to hammer down, Hachi clutched an arrow and lunged forward, driving the bladed tip within the beast’s torso.

A small grunt displayed the beast’s distress. Its body tensed before it reached out, gripping Hachi by his collar and hurled him far into a nearby elm. Hachi could feel the rattling impact all over his body as his back crashed into the tree’s trunk and without giving the boy a moment to gather his bearings, the beast charged forward yet again. Just barely diving out of the path of danger, Hachi watched on as the Minotaur completely rammed through the tree, losing its weapon and sending several more elms toppling over in doing so. A cacophony of splitting trunks and groaning wood sounded as flocks of warbles filled the sky black.

His opponent was dazed by the impact of its charge. This gave Hachi time to gather his bearings. By now it was quite clear he’d severely underestimated the foe, and as he stood there winded, sore, and drenched in sweat brought on by the heat of battle, aside from the small wound he’d managed to inflict, the sight of the almost perfectly healthy beast only made him all the more anxious inside. Even as it emerged from its path of mangled trees, not a sign of fatigue was about it. Instead of fighting defensively, if he wanted to win here Hachi knew he’d have to take the offensive.

Taking a moment to calm himself with labored breaths, Hachi readied his bow once more. This time his aim was upwards as he readied three arrows instead of one. Unlike his Rapid Shot from before, this next ability was a bit more damage inflicting.

With a relieving exhale, he sent the trinity of arrows soaring high. He’d watch on as with their ascent, a glow enveloped them, growing more radiant the higher they climbed until finally erupting into glimmers of pixels. By now the Minotaur had readied itself for another assault. There was now a sense of agitation about it, it clutched onto its weapon and let out a rallying war cry. It was when it had taken a single step forward in its charge did a stray arrow fall from the sky, stumping it into a frozen confusion. One that brought a sneer of satisfaction to the Hachi’s face.

With the chirping spectators gone, a whistling in the wind could be heard as a storm of arrows descended with intentions of plastering this beast to the ground. For the first time in their encounter Hachi could see a sense of fear in his foes widened eyes.

One by one the arrows began to trickle down, pestering at the beast as it shielded itself with its club and fled off to the forest behind for With an air of smugness about him, Hachi watched on as in no time the light downpour shifted into a violent rain of projectiles, a storm in which he’d be surprised to find his foe alive after. With his opponent distracted, he withdrew a small vial from his pocket. The green liquid inside was thick, and as he chugged down the health serum, Hachi could already feel the morning soreness of being tossed and slammed around like a rag doll. Unfortunately for him, there was more to come.

He’d just tossed the empty vial to the side, pixelating into nothingness, when the last arrow trickled down from above. By now the beast was far out of his view, and as he scanned the area, a chuckle escaped him as his gaze fell on droplets of blood splattered upon the nearby shrubs and greenery.

With caution and his bow readied, he sauntered forward, observing the area more. It was at the sound of jangling links that his attention shot behind him. With a quick instinctive reaction, his body stretched back uncomfortably, barely evading the large club hurled at him, the metal links grazing his nose as it did so. Stretching his arms out into a series of somersaults, he gathered himself only to come face to face with the beast once more, its arm angled and cocked, launching a powerful blow directly into the boy’s torso. With the heels of his feet rising from the ground, his soles dug into the dirt as he was sent skidding a distance away upon the forest floor. Hachi was hurt and it was obvious in the way his eye winced as he readied his bow.

While his large foe picked free the few arrows that prickled its pelt and readied its weapon, Hachi set his bow, a single arrow pixelating within his grasp. This one more elongated than his other wooden projectiles. It was white and radiant, dressed in a skin of ivory feathers along the shaft and up to the blade. At its fletching, two large, wide and feathered wings sat giving the impression of an eagle’s flight upon being casted forward. Known to be his strongest arrow, Hachi had just readied it upon his bow when his brows furrowed in confusion.

He watched as the beast rallied with anger. Its eyes were wide as it pounded on its chest. Its exaggerated forearms pulsed with throbbing veins and saliva spewed from its widened, bellowing mouth. Hachi steadied his aim watching, eyes widening in awe at the sight of a crimson glow now enveloping over its opponent’s weapon. It seemed as if it had been heated and readied for branding. And now as he watched the beast prepare its final attack, the situation grew graver for the boy as small flames gradually engulfed the club until the beast clutched onto the hilt of a goblet of fire.

Even from a distance Hachi could feel the intensity of the heat emitting from the weapon. Only a small, grazing blow could be detrimental to him and knowing this only ignited a torch of nerves deep within. Still his expression remained impassive, masking these nerves.

Unlike his last two abilities which used less mana, his ultimate ability drained a substantial amount. With either ignorance or overconfidence bringing him here with no mana potions on hand, it would be his only shot at ending the skirmish.

The Minotaur spat out a spew of saliva and it took off like a freight train roaring with a furious rage. Behind it, its weapon was dragging and plowing through the undergrowth leaving a path of scorched dirt and sod in its wake. It heeded at nothing, staring the boy down as he readied his weapon, almost daring him to release, and the moment it was in striking distance it flailed its sun like weapon with embers sprinkling into the air. Dodging one strike after another Hachi’s reflexes were swift and quick. Despite being thrown and slammed moments before, there was still a great nimbleness about him akin to that of a feline. One that visibly aggravated the beast as again and again its attacks were evaded and unleashed onto innocent shrubs causing a great ruckus within the forest around them.

The scuffle only seemed to seep deeper into the forest sending the wild deer and squirrels in a fleeing frenzy. Hachi’s evasiveness began taking a mental toll on the beast as its frustrated roars filled the air of not connecting its lunges and swipes. The attacks were growing more furious almost as if rage made it stronger. It was when Hachi sidestepped, avoiding a deadly jab from the club, did he notice a small stump of a mangled tree coming up behind. In a moment of surging adrenaline, he recoiled back, using it as a springboard to propel himself up above for a clear shot. In mid-air, time seemed to slow as Hachi prepared to unleash a counterattack, his movements guided by instincts as sharp as the claws of the predators he emulated.

Taking his time to focus, he tugged on his bowstring and set his aim, the beast point blank and in a distance it would be nearly impossible to avoid. In a moment of truth, Hachi just readied his fingers to let go when, by his ankle, he was ripped from the air and hammered down onto his back. Groaning in pain, something inside was out of place, or broken, and before he could recover he was lifted again, and hurled even higher into the air. As he seemed to ascend higher, his eyes were closed as this seemed to soothe his pain. Only in the dungeons had he been driven back this far. Those fights he’d lost altogether. He didn’t plan on losing this one.

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With a quick realization that he was now out of the beast’s reach, his weak arms quivered alive as he readied his bow. “Come on you,” he rallied, readying his aim, and at the moment of his descent, his eyes glinted with pure determination as he focused his bow, and when the beast winded its weapon with intentions of swatting him away like a baseball, Hachi released his clenching fingers.

There was a thunderous screeching as a radiant white light enveloped over and shot from his hands at an uncontrollable speed. From the depths of the unknown, a great wind gusted as the beast was overwhelmed and carried away by the arrow that now upon release, wore the appearance of a large white bird. Even more squawks and bleating filled the air as one by one the trees became collateral in the large scaled attack.

His landing was a bit painful. As he got to his feet holding onto his ribs, even in his broken state, the corners of his mouth turned morphed into that of a smile at the view of the beast impaled at the skull, and plastered to the luckiest tree alive. A stream of gleaming red confirmed its death. With a throbbing torso, and a back screaming in excruciating pain, the boy limped over to clutch onto the metal links hanging from his opponent’s dropped weapon. This was his trophy.

1.2

Snaking out from the forest, the main path intersected with two others from the east and west, merged into one and stretched miles to reach the town of Wilkerbrook.

Tattered and beaten, his pace was a slow one as he sauntered into the town. Around him a community of NPC residents made up a bustling community. Wide cobbled roads held street performers and those less fortunate forced to live the life of a panhandler. Along the shoulders, small trees, and decorative hedges set as complimentary pieces to the many townhomes, shops, taverns and inns. But what truly bore the responsibility to serve the hundreds of players that often visited sat at the heart of it all.

Surrounding a grand porcelain fountain, the town’s marketplace housed hundreds of stalls. Potion brewers, weaponsmiths, merchants, farmers, steed masters, and many other vendors. It was here that Hachi had done most of his shopping.

It wasn’t uncommon for players returning from a quest to look so disheveled, and this reason alone was why his appearance wasn’t alarming to anyone around him.

“Woah,” awed a voice from behind him, bringing Hachi to a stop. He turned to find Guren, both a NPC he’d often receive quest from and a trusted friend. “You look like a warrior.” he said, his brown eyes sparkling under his messy wheat colored hair.

“Turns out your Minotaur problem wasn’t a pushover.” Hachi grumbled, presenting his trophy as proof of completion.

“Amazing,” Guren awed, “The people of Wilkerbrook really do appreciate your efforts.”

“Do they really?” Hachi asked, glancing around at the bustling virtual community almost unaware of their existence. They shared a laugh.

“Oh that reminds me, " said Guren. With a single finger, he poked the air in front of him as pixels sparkled into existence, presenting a digital menu. With a flurry of pokes and swipes, he maneuvered through the window until finally flicking one last time for it to close altogether.

“Ding!” A chime sounded, alerting Hachi to a new notification. As he pulled up his own menu, a large block of pixelated text appeared before him. At the bottom of the screen, the option “Complete Quest” blinked invitingly. He pressed it, and the menu vanished.

Guren reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box, holding it out to Hachi.

“This is for you,” he said.

With furrowed brows, Hachi received his reward. “I thought you said—”

“Open it.” Guren intervened. For a moment Hachi studied Guren, almost skeptical of what was inside the small case. Pulling back the top of the box, his head jerked in shock at the gleaming white pearl-like orb inside. “An Orb Of Vitality” Hachi breathed, staring in awe at one of the most sought-after items in the virtual world, prized for its ability to remove any lingering damaging effects on a player, such as burns, poisons, and frostbite. With pupils dilated in adoration, he carefully clutched the glass orb. With each small movement, it shimmered, small flakes of light sprinkled from it disappearing into pixelated nothingness. “That Minotaur was worth this?”

“Nope. That my white haired friend, is from me. One of the new players accidentally sold it to me a few days ago. Hasn’t come back for it.”

“Oh,” breathed Hachi, gaze still fixated on the ball of light. “You didn’t have—“

“Two thousand, seven hundred and eight” Guren interjected.

“Huh?”

“That’s how many quests you’ve done for me. Of course I did.”

Taking a moment to study the orb more thoroughly, Hachi closed the case entirely. “I’m grateful.”

“Of course you are.” chuckled Guren, patting the boy on the shoulder as the two shared a bantering laugh that fell silent when a young boy approached.

“Are you Guren?” he asked. Dressed in a rugged tunic and tattered trousers, it was obvious he’d just started his journey in the virtual world. It was the outfit of any new player.

“I am, and you must be looking for your first quest.” said Guren, gaining a reclusive nod from the boy.

“I–I am.” the boy stuttered.

“I’m afraid I gotta go, my friend.” Guren said, turning to Hachi. “With the new DLCs, we’ve been getting loads of new players. Pretty soon I won’t have any quest to give you.” he chuckled, before the two disappeared within the bustling crowd occupying the town

1.3

The sun was a setting one resting within an orange hazed sky when he’d finally begun making his way back home. By now Hachi had been stuffed with several meals as with great triumph came a great feast. He’d managed to stock up on more medicinal herbs preventing more incidents like today from happening. As he made his way through the forest, this time to get home and careful not to stray from the path, he began to contemplate on the idea of investing in a new bow and arrow set. He’d just made up his mind that it would be the first on his to do list come morning time when from nearby hedges, a rustle called for his attention. With his bow set pixelating in existence, he came to a sudden stop cautiously watching the hedges only to be startled back by two foxes emerging from them. He chuckled at his own cowardice as the two animals fled to the opposite side of the road, and down the dirt path. As he watched them frolicking, his eyes narrowed as they scanned the hedges up ahead and focused on something else. Something unusual.

“What is that?” he breathed, intrigued by what seemed to be the lower half of someone peeking from a row of hedges and protruding onto the path. As he slowly made his way up, cautious and watching, it became clear that it was a person. A boy.

He lay buried in the hedges, seemingly unconscious, which at a time of day like this, wasn't an ideal position as the lurking, scavenging, virtual creatures often enjoyed meals they didn’t have to squabble for.

With a quick glance around for anything unfamiliar or could explain the situation of the resting boy, Hachi perched down beside him. If one hadn't been as level-headed as Hachi, the boy could have easily been mistaken as a corpse lying dead on the path. He could have even been ignored or completely overlooked. Upon first glance there were no apparent scars or wounds hinting of a fight or struggle. He wore a brown rugged tunic and tattered trousers, the same outfit as the boy from before. The outfit of someone first starting out in the virtual world altogether. At his side, an empty potion vial lay in the grass. This immediately caught the eye of Hachi. Hovering his nose over the rim of the empty tube, his eyes widened with a gasp. This wasn't the scent of a potion he was familiar with, it was the foul aroma of an elderberry poison. The poor boy must've been one of the new players who Guren had been aiding. He must’ve confused his potions and poisons. Unfortunately, a common mistake in this virtual world.

For a while Hachi pondered on how to properly aid the boy. He even considered giving away the orb he had received from Guren, an idea that was quickly shot down in his subconscious mind. Be it selfish or not, he couldn't find it in himself to give such a gem away. Things like this orb were meant for one's most frightful situations or even that of a loved one. Certainly not someone he hadn't met. Furthermore, the current situation wasn't the most dire as it was a poison that over the years,Hachi had become quite familiar with. He could quickly get an antidote concocted up before it became fatal. To do that, however, he'd have to haul the boy a few miles away where his homestead and the rest of the ingredients lie.

Getting back to his feet, Hachi poked the air out in front of him with the digital menu of the game appearing. He scrolled through the various commands and options until he came to a menu that read “Mounts”. After swiping and selecting the option "Auburn" the digital menu disappeared utterly. With this, he squatted once more, this time getting the unconscious boy off the ground; a difficult task considering his noodle-like limbs.

He’d just managed to wrap one arm of the boy around his own neck as if he was a crutch when the trotting of hooves sounded in the distance. Fixing his shoulder under the boy's arm, he watched on as up ahead the galloping steed marched upon them. Its coat was a sleek color of rust, and its mane gleamed perfectly matching the twilight's sky. It neighed and brayed, and when its prance came to a stop, it rubbed its massive head up against the boy, almost toppling the pair over. After conquering the tedious battle of getting the boy upon the back of his trusted steed, they were off, trudging slowly along the path, the rhythmic clopping of hooves against the forest floor accompanying them as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows among the trees, and eventually the last rays of sunlight were miles away as moonlight began to encroach.

They’d arrive at his homestead in no time.

Outside a large body of grass surrounded a small cottage as an ocean would an island. Splitting the ocean was a trail leading to the old wooden front door. On the inside, his small cottage was warm and cozy. It was here he’d often escape for a silence ideal for reading or writing. Around him making up the walls, several large bookcases housed works of some of his most prized authors. As he stumbled across the living space to his bedroom, supporting the boy in doing so, creaks and groans of the old wooden floor boards became muffled as he stepped onto an old area rug. Though the cottage was very tidy, there was a healthy coating of dust in the air, and as it blended together with the many earthly aromas of a small herb collection he took pride in , he exhaled a deep, relaxed breath taking in the fresh, familiar scent of home.

Such a simple antidote only took a few moments to brew if one had the ingredients, and after his day of splurging ,Hachi did, and much more.

Scrambling back into the main living space, the air was filled with a soft hum of magic and soon the antidote was ready. Careful and patient, Hachi propped the sleeping boy up with a pillow as he slowly fed him the potion, and when it was all gone, he would go on to lay the boy back down, creeping off to the back of his cottage to tend to his own wounds and freshen up.

Stars now decorated the night's sky, and the moon gleamed through the small blankets of clouds proudly, leaving a blanket of whitish glow amongst the grassland around the cottage. The howls of dire wolves and other beasts resonated from the nearby forest, and the cool night's winds gusted gently, causing silhouettes of the trees and nestles just outside to appear as if dancing. After Hachi retreated from his virtual shower, which was used for both healing as well as hygiene, he felt refreshed. So refreshed that his now relaxed, drowsy state had caused him to forget he wasn't alone.

“Yo” breathed a low voice, stopping him in his tracks and forcing him to remember the boy he’d aided presence.

"Oh,” said Hachi, halted in the fashion of a deer caught in headlights.. “Uh—hi there," he said, welcoming a moment of stillness to fill the air while he pondered on his next words.

“Did we—?” asked the boy, turning to look around at the bed under him.

“What?” asked Hachi, unsure of what the boy was insinuating. “Wait what?” he choked now flustered, “No, no of course not!” He flailed his arms side to side to emphasize his point. Now with some life about him, the boy’s face was oddly familiar.

Unlike his aloof demeanor, which passed as cold, his lilac eyes were wide and doe-like, revealing a soft warmth that contrasted with his exterior. They could be seen under strands of the messiest, darkest hair Hachi had ever seen.

“What do you want with me then?” he asked, observing his limbs as if surprised to have awakened with them at all.

“You were poisoned. I helped with an antidote is all.”

For a while neither spoke. As he studied the mysterious boy, who studied his bedroom, Hachi took a mental note of the name "Blu" in digital letters floating above his head.

“It seems I have a knight in shining armor,” the boy awed, glaring at Hachi and rising from the bed to his feet.

“You should be laying down. You—,” Hachi was saying, but fell silent, his words melting away as two warm hands delicately cupped his face.

"I’m grateful," the boy said, his words slow and soft as a tender smile of unspoken gratitude danced on his lips. With their noses only mere inches apart, his gaze transformed into an enthralling dagger, pinning Hachi, who, for a moment, found himself unable to break free from its staking blade.

“You’re hallucinating." said Hachi, aware of the side effects of the poison. He pulled back, gathering himself with a face flushed with a reddish hue.

“I feel fine.”

“The poison is probably settling. You won’t be. I’ll get another dose made up. You should just rest for now.” With this, Hachi exited the bedroom to concoct up another option. In his hand he scrounged up a host of ingredients, Dragon’s Breath Herb, Phoenix Feather Extract, and Moon Orchid Essence. It took only a few moments to mend the ingredients into a stronger antidote, and when he returned to administer the dose, he fell silent at the empty room around him.

There was a gentle breeze that passed over him as the night’s air whooshed in through a small, circular window on the opposite side of the space. Hachi grimaced at this.

“Newbs” he hissed, storing the potion upon a small table.

For a moment he stared out at the darkened sky peppered with gleaming stars. And after a hiss sounded from the oil lamp, the room fell dark and the boy finally settled in bed. Body still a bit sore, he poked into the air, the digital menu appearing above him.

*Logging Out - Hachi Nokugoma*