book two: trapped || sword art online

Chapter 8

Published: 01/14/2017; Saturday; 11:38pm; Unedited

Almost two thousand words. Huh. Haven't written that much for a single chapter in a while. 

Chapter 8

Kirito met up with Leafa, and they were walking around when Leafa got a message from Sakuya about a forwarded message about something that had happened in the game while they were gone.

"Ah," her eyes widened, "according to other players, apparently a girl fell from the World Tree and has been on the run. Some think that she's a special event or quest for the World Tree." Kirito froze, his own eyes widening, he could only think of one person who could pull that off.

"Is there any update on where she is now?" he asked, and Leafa was surprised at how serious is is suddenly. 

"Mm," she hummed, finishing the message, "there are people still chasing her, and by the looks of it, she should be nearing our current location."

"We're going to catch her."

"Eh?"

"Let's go."

"Wha-- wait! Kirito!"

~*~

These people were persistent, she would give them that. She had been running for a while now, eventually running out of the city and across a field of green to who knows where. She just needed to get away from that tree and maybe figure out how this keycard could work.

"Damn," Ume hissed, she was actually feeling rather exhausted, even if she was still in a virtual body, it still seemed to replicate her normal bodily reactions to things she would get tired from IRL. The last few people who had followed her this far had finally slowed to a stop not too long ago, and she really had to pick up the pace when they started flying, glad that Sugo had been stupid enough to probably not change her stats.

Oh yes, she knew all about him copying the algorithm of her Uncle's game and simply changing it to how he saw fit, he had, after all, admitted it to her face. Probably in hopes of thinking him smart.

Idiot.

She glanced behind her, glad to see no one, before slowing to a stop, gasping for breath, falling to her knees, her arms holding her up from hitting her head on the ground. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed herself so hard. But then they would have caught her and asked her questions. How was one supposed to explain her position?

A crazy bastard kidnapped my mind while I was being released from SAO along with three hundred other people and is holding all of us captive while conducting experiments on their brains and I need to figure out how to use this card so I can log out and save myself and everyone from the crazy bastard who I also happened to be in an one-sided arranged marriage with.

That would totally work.

She had to keep moving.

Looking up from the artificially perfect grass, ahead of her was just more greenery, but she saw mountains. To the right, their was a distant city from where she came from, the giant tree definitely giving it away. If she had been in a different position, she would stare at the tree from how beautiful it was, but that wasn't the luxury she had. To her left, she saw--

Oh no.

She shakily stood up, gripping the keycard, and started running again, but her legs gave out on her and fell. 

"Damn it!" she closed her eyes, and awaited the arrival of the two players she saw heading her way.

"Mue!" she jerked, hearing her player name before whipping around, eyes wide. The blonde seemed to be looking at her companion in confusion so Ume looked at him instead, and her first thought was no fucking way. "Ume!" Her mouth dropped and the blonde jerked to a stop with sudden horror as Kazuto-- Kirito-- landed and ran to her. As soon as he reached her, she was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug, as if he was afraid she would disappear from his arms.