SAO Alternative: Sword of Swords

Departure (Tsuyoshi's POV)

4 PM, September 9

--

We're awaiting our calling in the town square. We look around as other kids receive their callings and return home to tell their parents or to start packing.

What are we going to get? We start thinking but for now we're pretty bored.

"Pfffff, will they ever give us ours, or are we destined to become stupid old men?" Suddenly, Aoi exclaims while groaning at the sight of kids leaving and waving goodbye towards their parents.

"We're not men!" Sinon and Riku pout.

I think I can already see that they're pretty damn pissed at Aoi. Well, I guess we have to wait and see to see what we get.

--

We're some of the last ones here.

Most of the kids have left the town square apart from this scraggy kid who actually does look like he'll become a stupid old man and this girl who fell asleep hours ago. Sinon fell asleep on Aoi's shoulder and Aoi looks as if he'll fall asleep on her head. I keep sleeping and waking up at random intervals myself, and a boy called Sora's constantly hitting his head on his book.

No one bothers to stop him as we're all too sleep deprived from staying up out of excitement.

I'm suddenly jolted awake by the chief calling my name "Tsuyoshi Haruka!" I clumsily stand up and shout "Y-yes sir!"

Suddenly, everyone points their eyes at me. I walk up onto the stage and with a stern look in his eye, and exclaims "Tsuyoshi Haruka's calling will be a Swordsman!"

--

I gasp in surprise as hearing that my dream of being a swordsman has been granted, and I get a stupid looking smile on my face while I jump up and down in excitement.

The other older villagers start murmuring and whispering towards each other saying things like:

"Can he do it?"

"He's just a child."

"He can never be an integrity knight nor a swordsman who could fight!"

--

After a few minutes, the chief calls on Aoi and Sinon at the same time "Aoi Iwatoni and Shino Asada's callings will be Long ranged Magic users."

The murmurs continue among the villagers. "The chief must be insane to choose some random kids to be on the front lines and fighting like this!"

"Silence!" The chief exclaims.

While Riku is half asleep at the back, the chief calls on her name, "Riku Iori shall be a Magic user/Assassin" I start thinking to myself Why would the chief put Riku as an Assassin? Is he out of his mind!?

--

As Riku walks up to the stage to claim her calling the murmurs keeps getting shared upon the villagers, she quickly claims her calling and returns to meet Tsuyoshi as everyone settles down and leaves the venue.

--

6 AM September 10

--

I start packing my bags before I set off on the road towards our chosen city. I start wondering, when will I get my weapon? The trek could be dangerous. I finish packing my things and go to the town square as I wait for Riku.

--

As I arrive at the town square i see two faces that seem familiar. It's Aoi and Sinon, I walk up to them and ask "Where are you two heading off to?" Aoi replies in a soft tone

"We're heading to Nozawa, How about you?"

"What a coincidence! Me and Riku are too, How about we head there together?" "Ok, why not?" Sinon says, with a smile.

--

We prepare a carriage, after buying it from a kind villager for 100 Okane.

We get our things, and attach our horses. Mine's called Karma, and I think I've tamed him pretty well. He's never been attached to a carriage before though, so I don't know if he'll be comfortable.

Riku's horse is called Hotaru, and she also hasn't driven a carriage.

Sinon and Aoi decided to leave their horses at home, as they weren't as tame as ours. We loaded our bags, and Sinon immediately fell asleep on Aoi's shoulder in the passenger compartment.

As the sun rises, we set off for Nozawa.

About 10 minutes in, we see another boy riding his horse with a big bag. He looks like he's struggling. We ask him if he wants a ride, and he says yes, and thanks us.

While attaching his horse to our carriage, he introduces himself to us. "My name's Sora Yamikaze, what's yours?" We tell him our names.

He's pretty tired, so for now we'll let him rest, but later he'll have to help us drive.

--