章 14: Quest for a Date
Now more than ever Afira wanted to be the one to take Rinai on a date.
After the wonderful date Rinai had planned, he felt more pressure for it to be really good. He didn't know any special places in the game to take him too though.
I just want to have a fun memorable time together like when we prepared for the event together. Ah, that's it! A quest could make a good date.
He immediately began searching for quests he hasn't done yet, or areas he hadn't been able to access due to his mediocre level. After searching the forums for an hour or so he found what he wanted.
"This is the perfect quest for a date!" Afira hadn't been able to enter the desert lands of the Dawn of Reason yet. It was beyond his current level and dangerous even to sightsee. But with Rinai as his teammate, it would be safe to do one of the lowest level quests available.
He found a somewhat simple recovery quest that was just right. The first step in a chain quest.
The quest chain 'Nemesis' started out simple but was full of intrigue and adventure later on. The other parts could be done later when they got stronger or added more teammates if they wanted.
It begins with an NPC in the Qizhen city market who requests the player to pick up an item he accidentally left behind at a small oasis, the 'Desert Pearl'. When the player returns to the market with the pearl, the NPC is nowhere to be found. The player must follow clues to discover his whereabouts.
The best part is searching the small oasis under the starry desert moonlight. The pics online looked amazing and romantic. It would definitely be even better in the game.
Afira was so excited he texted Rinai as soon as he decided on the location.
[Rinai, can you come with me to start the Nemesis chain quest? Just the first part.]
[Nemesis? That's pretty high level. If It's just the first part, I'm ok with it.]
[Great, leave the preparations to me then. I'll text you when it's all ready.]
[Ok, but if you make me wait too long I'll come find you, Afira. (¬‿¬)]
Afira smiled and laughed as he held his phone. [Please do!♥‿♥]
He was immediately embarrassed by his flirting. "Must get used to it. This time for sure I can't end up forcibly logged off no matter what." Afira was determined to be able to get closer to Rinai.
~~~
The two arrived very early in Qizhen, the largest city in the desert region.
This place was completely surrounded by desert as far as the eye could see. Every bit of it full of the beauty and mystery of the desert. Complete with treasure maps and lost ancient cities to discover.
The city of Qizhen turned out to be a massive oasis with a bustling marketplace. Here players would meet the NPC to start the quest.
Afira and Rinai casually surveyed their surroundings.
Qizhen was surrounded by circular walls to help block the winds and sandstorms. There were four gates, each one placed in a different cardinal direction: north, south, east and west. And extending towards the heart of the city, from every gate, was a large, straight pathway made of stone. All the main roads led to the marketplace in the center of the city.
Deep in the market, they stood near a thin old man sitting on a stool at the front of a sandal shop. His hands seemed to move subconsciously to weave the straw sandals as he stared into the bustling crowd.
"It's here?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Pardon me, sir. Are you looking for a particular item?" Afira asked the man they suspected to be the quest-giving NPC.
The man's eyes focused on Afira and his lips curved into a slight smile of acknowledgment. "Is that the right question for a customer to ask a shopkeeper?"
Afira muttered and blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry we seem to have the wrong shop."
"No no, it's the right one." The man waved them over as he stood up from his stool. "Come in, we'll talk inside."
The conversation quickly veered off course. The usual story the NPC would tell as the start of the quest was changed to the NPC trying to dissuade Afira from going instead.
"Are you certain? This quest will get beyond your level very quickly." The man looked pointedly at Rinai. "You won't let him go too far will you boy?"
Rinai draped his arm on Afira's shoulder. "We'll take care of each other. You can be assured, old man."
"Hmmmph, I'm technically younger than you, boy. The desert update is fairly recent."
Afira wore a startled expression then became flustered. "s...sorry sir...that's...Rinai, you should apologize." He gently tugged on Rinai's arm.
Rinai just laughed. Soon the grim expression on the shopkeepers face broke and he laughed too. "Alright, I won't try to stop you two anymore. The name's Rakum, pleased to meet the both of ya."
"I'm Rinai and this is Afira. Good to meet you Rakum."
Afira nodded in greeting to Rakum. He made sure to remember the name as the NPC title was only Sandal Shopkeeper. The game makers hadn't given him a name it seems.
"Rakum, can I ask, did you name yourself?" Afira asked.
"Was my wife named me and I named her." Rakum smiled proudly.
Afira smiled back. "I think that's lovely. I hope we can meet her too."
"Be sure and come back 'round after the quest. The wife would be happy to meet ya, hero from the outside world."
Afira blushed a bit, he still got embarrassed by that title but he agreed to come for a visit another day. Rakum gave them some tips and hints to use in the desert. He even heaped them up with items to take along.
When they left Afira was pouting a little. "What's with trying so hard to prevent us from doing the quest? I know my limits and I'm pretty capable, aren't I?" He turned big misty eyes to Rinai with a wronged expression.
"Yes, you are." Rinai took Afira's hand and pulled gently to bring Afira closer. "It's a rarity for an NPC to say so much though. Only because it's you, he wanted to show his concern."
"Hmmm well, that's alright I guess. I admit my weakness. But I believe we can complete this mission perfectly. As long as we are together."
Rinai's eyes widened slightly at the sweet words. "Afira." He leaned near and lightly pressed his lips to Afira's for a moment. He moved back a few centimeters, his eyes locked on the other's lips. Their breath mingled. "Still ok?" He lifted his eyes to meet Afira's.
"Nm. More would also be ok," Afira whispered, barely loud enough for Rinai to hear.
"Next time." He smiled gently at Afira. "There is time to practice bit by bit." He kept hold of Afira's hand as they entered the caravansarai to find the guide Rakum had recommended for the quest.
They had just made the necessary arrangements when Rinai got a message from Gramma Nina. While he contacted her back, Afira waited at the city gates as the caravan prepared to leave.
Afira gazed out from the city gates at the sand dunes that stretched as far as the eye could see as he waited for Rinai. He had never been to a desert like this before. The majestic desolation surprised him.
"It's even more lovely than I expected." He murmured to the air.
"So you like it? That's a relief, I couldn't tell what that look on your face meant." Rinai had arrived and heard his musing.
Afira was startled for a moment. "Ahh, you're here, everything ok?" He wondered how his face looked just then. He was feeling a sense of melancholic wonder mixed with anxiety and excitement about both the date and the quest.
"Yes, I had asked her to look over some data for me. She was just getting back to me about it." Gramma Nina had pointed out a couple of minor problems with his code alterations. He still had time to fix it before the update.
The morning sun rose from the edge of the desert. A golden ornament lighting the vast emptiness. Far out in the sand dunes their objective lay hidden.
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