THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTRESS

Joseph had prepared himself for rejection ahead of time, but he wouldn't let the fear of it stop him from trying.

Today he would definitely ask her out.

For weeks she'd come to the gym to train. She worked out like a woman possessed, rarely stopping for rest. Seeing such a fire in her eyes, he offered to teach her boxing on a whim. She readily accepted.

It had started then, the road that had led him to this day.

At first, he trained her to keep himself busy. Working at the local gym as a boxing instructor didn't bring as much business as he expected. He only intended to show her the basics and let her go at it herself.

That's when she started showing progress. Her punches were sharper, and her footwork was impeccable.

He started to train her in earnest. Not just to get her to the next level, but to get to know her. He'd never seen a woman with such drive.

It had been somewhat of a failure the first time he tried to talk to her. He had successfully found out that she was a college student studying Game Design at a nearby college. He told her what he did for a living. Instructing at the gym wasn't just some part-time job, and he was proud of it.

Her response had been cold.

'How do you work at a gym, and not lift?'

Joseph had injured his shoulder during his career, but he didn't want to say it. It would just sound like an excuse. So he took the L and pressed on.

As their training sessions continued, she opened up a bit more. Her frosty attitude would melt into a small smile at his corny jokes. When he asked her questions, he started getting longer answers, like she wanted him to know. It gave him confidence. So after a few more weeks, he discreetly probed for information about her relationship status.

'If you spend all your time here, your boyfriend will get lonely, you know.'

He was surprised when she just laughed. 'Boyfriend?'

'Girlfriend then?' He had to know. He wasn't going to back down now.

She had laughed again.'No'

He didn't press for more information. He had gotten the intel he needed.

After finding out she was single, he began to set groundwork for asking her out. Going over what he'd learned about her so far, and formulating a strategy on how to further reveal his interest without seeming too eager.

When he felt confident that he had earned some level of friendship with her, he asked her a probing question. Though he had to phrase it carefully.

'I can only believe that a woman such as yourself is single by choice. And in my experience, its the last guy's fault. So what happened? If you don't mind me asking.'

'He ended up paralyzed from the neck down and broke up with me so that I wouldn't try to take care of him' she'd said, without an ounce of hesitation.

Joseph had been stunned. He had expected a half-assed answer at best, but he got the undiluted truth instead. The truth that had dangerous implications.

'But you would have taken care of him...'

'Right down to the shit stained diapers...' she'd said with a straight face, throwing an unnecessarily strong hook at the sand bag.

'She still has feelings for this guy huh?'

He could tell that much. It was bad news, but he wasn't ashamed to say that the guy posed no threat. If he couldn't even get out of the bed, the only way they'd get back together was if she went back to him.

The fact remained that she came to the gym everyday. It put him in an advantageous position since he was the only one she spoke to. He felt good about his chances.

He'd woken up early that morning, and had combed through his dark locks a few extra times for good measure. He had to at least try to clean up, for today would be the day.

He waited until the end of their training session, it provided time for both of them to escape quickly in case of his failure. No one wants to stick around in awkward situations.

After working on her combinations, her body was dripping in sweat. Her blood red hair clung to her face.

'God, let her say yes!'

He'd ask her out, but he couldn't wing it. His intentions needed to be clear. What he wanted was a relationship.

"Rose, we've been at this for a while, but I'm interested in getting to know you...outside the gym. I know a great place for food that's just down the street..."

He let his sentence hang. He didn't set a time frame or an actual date as he didn't know her plans for the evening.

She was silent as she unwrapped her hands. Joseph was nothing if not patient.

"Okay, I'll take a shower and get dressed."

"Yeah?" Joseph couldn't hide his smile. SUCCESS!!

"Yeah." Rose smiled in return.

---

8 months later.

Rose woke up to the sound of ESPN on the television.

-Tom, I'm telling you, Without Welding, the Centurions are a lost cause.

-Here we go again folks, the die hard fan.

-I'm serious! Just look at the man's record coming out of the gate. His passing average is through the roof, nearly doubling the record for passing yards in single season! I truthfully, don't remember him missing a pass. Then if wasn't enough, he was a Quarterback with rushing averages at the top of the league! Even if we ignore the back to back Superbowl Championships. He still had two Pro-bowl victories under his belt with both a MVP and Rookie of the year award for his starting season.

Yes, he's only a single player, and football is a team sport. But the Centurions without Welding, is like an army without it's General. No drive, No directi-.

Rose turned the channel and sighed. It had been a year and a half since that day, and she still couldn't shake her feelings for him.

After the break-up, she had immersed herself in her studies. But the time slot that she used to visit the hospital needed to be filled. She also needed an outlet for her raging emotions. So she took one last tip from her beloved. She hit the gym.

She worked the weights, the treadmill, and the yoga classes. Yet nothing seemed to work. Every activity gave her time to think, and thinking led to anger and sorrow. It was anger that festered from having accepted his foolishness without a fight. No visitors? She could have just gone to his mother. There was no way in hell that he'd have stopped his mother from coming see him.

Then there was sorrow for their lost future. They had been so close to the final stage, only to have it taken from them. She was happy that he was still breathing. Yet, Brandon had seen the regret that would surface, and she cursed herself for not focusing on what was right in front of her. If he had died the day of his fall, she would have been truly lost. Just the thought of it-

Rose quickly pulled herself from that train of thought. The tears she had refused to shed almost fell from her eyes.

It wasn't long after she started to visit the gym that an instructor offered to teach her boxing. She had finally found her outlet. All this time she just needed something to hit. How could she miss such a simple solution?

Eventually, she was consumed by it. Taking every lesson in stride. Her life had fallen into a rhythm, and she had finally started to take a step forward.

That was until she got her degree.

She had gone to her parents to ask if she could stay with them until she settled down in her career, and found an a place to live. Not long after, she found an apartment, and proceeded to put up the money for the down payment. That was when she 'found' the money in her bank account.

Current balance: $1,002,546

She immediately called her parents to confirm her suspicions. They were a family of terrible liars.

'Mom, where did this money in my account come from?'

'What mon- oh, OH! T-that was a graduation present from us. Enjoy!'

*click

'Lies...all lies

She knew damn well that her parents didn't have that much money laying around. But she knew someone that did.

She'd nearly lost it that day. Brandon had not only kept tabs on her, he had continued to try and take care of her. He'd told her to find love and happiness with someone else without any intention of moving on himself. He'd pushed her away just to love her from afar.

'You don't do shit like this when you want someone to forget about you! Who the hell gives someone a million dollars as a graduation gift!?'

She wasn't happy at all, but Rose wasn't the type to return such a large sum. She bought a house and a one room flat that was down the street from her job. She kept the rest as emergency funds.

Things had started to look up after that. Brandon hadn't pulled anymore fiascos like the grad money, and she had returned her focus to her boxing lessons.

That's when her instructor started asking questions.

She couldn't help making comparisons, and had been unintentionally harsh on their first exchange. There was no helping it. For years she had been exposed to the pinnacle of the male physique. Anything less was just...less.

Yet, he didn't give up. So she answered his questions honestly. And when he asked about her past relationships, she told the flat out truth. There was no need to hide it.

Then the day came when he asked her out. Thinking about what to say, she hesitated. She didn't want another relationship until her feelings for Brandon had died down, but she just couldn't see that happening in the near future. Brandon had wanted her to move on, did she want too?

Yes, Brandon had wounded her. But in many ways, he had been merciful. It was a quick knife to the heart. No hatred, no goodbyes, just the end.

If love was a battlefield, then they had been warriors fighting against fate. Instead of watching her suffer at the hands of it, Brandon had driven a knife in her chest while concealing the grievous wounds underneath his armor.

'But I would have suffered gladly.' she thought to herself as she rose from Joseph's bed to get a glass of OJ from the kitchen.

Their relationship so far had been steady, but that was it. Once again she found herself making comparisons to her first love. She knew that every relationship was different So to be fair, she waited it out. Still, the comparison were made.

When Joseph cooked, the meal was tasty and she ate it gladly. Only to be reminded of how Brandon would put a rose petal on the plate. She used to think it was so over the top, until the day he didn't do it. When she asked him where it was, he flipped.

'I know right!? I specifically told him what time I'd come by the shop! I go everyday, at the same time! But for some strange reason he's suddenly out of stock!? YOU COULDN'T EVEN WARN A BROTHA!? You know what? I'll be back. I need to find a new supplier. Oh, and excuse me for shouting, that was unnecessary...'

Rose shook her head as she sipped her OJ. Things were very different with Joseph.

It felt weird starting over. Here they were, already spending so much time together and they still hadn't conquered the fart phase. That hidden phase in a relationship when you try to hold it cause you don't want to embarrass yourself. That phase.

Taking another sip, Rose reminisced. Brandon had completely skipped over the fart phase early on.

*FLASHBACK*

Brandon had cooked some food for them after school and they decided to watch a movie. It was a romantic comedy, and they had made it to one of the sex scenes. Needless to say, they were restless.

At least she was.

"You want to try something like that?"

"W-what!?" she had been completely caught off guard.

"I mean we can, as long as you don't mind the demons..." he said, with the most serious face she'd ever seen him make.

"Wha-!" Then right on queue, he ripped one.

"BEGONE DEMONS!"

*FLASHBACK END*

Rose spat out some of her OJ as she choked in laughter. It still cracked her up whenever she thought about. From that day on, her parents hated when she went to the bathroom.

'DIVINES! GIVE ME STRENGTH!'

The food? $10.59. The movie? $1.50. Waging a holy war every time you take a shit? Priceless.

Rose sighed again after she finally caught her breath. Brandon had always been a fool, and she still loved him from the bottom of her heart. How many times was she going to dig up old memories? How fair was it to Joseph that her heart wasn't in the relationship?

"You know what? To hell with it..."

She was going to the hospital. Today. She was going to use the money Brandon gave her to buy a fancy wheelchair and haul his ass out. If she needed back up, she'd call his mother. She and Mrs. Welding had been cool from day one.

But first, she would have to break the news to Joseph. Things had been going smoothly for the past few months, but after all that time, her thoughts still went to Brandon.

A few hours later, Joseph came back with an excited look on his face, and bags in his hand.

"Hey, I picked up something that I think you'll like!"

"Wait a minute, Joseph. We need to talk. You're not going to like it, so I hope you kept the receipt for whatever is in that bag."

"Oh....you're breaking up with me right?"

He had guessed it. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but such things were inevitable in these situations. She nodded.

"Well, I figured it would be sooner rather than later. You looked like you were trying a little too hard sometimes..."

"Was it that obvious?"

"I wouldn't say it was obvious, but," he made a difficult face," sometimes when you look at me, you're not actually looking at me. You know?"

Rose winced. He was right on target. She had truly tried. Not to forget, but to move on. Joseph had been a lot more patient than she gave him credit for.

"But enough about that. Just consider this a parting gift cause I'm really sure you'll want this."

Joseph pulled out two Sonsoft Deep Dives from the bags. Rose had certainly heard about the device coming out along with the 'hardcore' Chaos Online. There were open positions in her department specifically made for researching the game. Unfortunately, because of the high pain ratio, few actually applied.

"Now I understand if you want to take this home and play, but I'd really like us to play together for now and register as friends. I'm not to big on games myself so...'

She couldn't deny him such a simple request. Now that she didn't have school, she had a fair amount of free time. It wouldn't hurt to play a few hours here and there.

"Alright, just give me a few minutes. I want to do some research before I play."

"Sure."

Rose pulled out her laptop and started scouring the internet for useful information for beginners. Then she looked up additional info for classes she was interested in.

By the time she finished, she knew how she wanted to build her character, what city she wanted to start in, and what race she wanted to be.

"Okay, I'm ready."

They both put on the jet black helmets. preparing to dive.

"Make sure to pick Hammerrun in the Sigurd Kingdom as your starting place."

"Okay."

Scanning... A new user has been registered. Would you like to launch Chaos Online?

"Yes"

Welcome to Chaos Online

There was a bright flash of light, and Rose was immediately taken to the character creation room.

You will now create your avatar to represent you in-game. What race-

"Nor"

Name?

"Rosemary"

An image of her avatar appeared. The Nor were a race of warriors that lived in the southern continents. The barely looked any different from humans, save the fact that they all had marks on their faces. The marks symbolized which tribe they belonged to, and as a Traveler, Rose was able to create her own mark.

She changed her hair color to match it in real life, and created a bright red semi-circle around her left eye. Then she look over her avatar once more.

She had gotten quite toned over the past few months of hitting the gym. She could see the growth from her boxing sessions as well, and she looked rather intimidating with the mark over her eye.

"Grrr." she laughed as she flexed. The avatar matched her motions.

Would you like to make anymore changes?

"I'm done"

Choose your starting destination.

"Hammerrun, Sigurd Kingdom."

The room flashed white as Rose was transported to the capital city of the Sigurd Kingdom. She received a message as soon as she arrived.

You have been blessed by the Tegaia; Goddess of Love, War, and Humility. Her most devout follower, Thadius, has asked the Goddess to bless any and all those who resemble his lover, whom he cast away out of love. As his actions were done purely for her happiness, the Goddess agreed to his request.

His lover was described as having fair skin with wavy hair that darkened from blood red to black, as dark as a starless night.

All EXP. +10% EXP

Rosemary read and reread the message. She grit her teeth as a tear rolled down her face. The description was too familiar to simply be a coincidence. She could clearly picture Brandon on his knees, praying to the Goddess of Love for forgiveness in earnest. And from what she just read, he was probably praying everyday.

"Most devout follower huh? We'll see."

A man walked up to her. He resembled Joseph, except he was a little taller with a few tweaks to his face.

"Hey." he greeted her as he walked up smiling.

"Hey. What's your name? Lets add each other now while we have the chance."

"Oh, its Crushing Fist."

"Alright, come on. I need to go to the temple first. After that we'll get started."

The city of Hammerrun was like a giant stone garrison. Everywhere you looked was grey. Even the overcast weather matched the wall that surrounded the city, blending into the horizon

Various shops lined the perimeter with Travelers and NPCs selling their wares. The further into the city you went, the bigger the buildings became.

Rose asked the nearest NPC for directions to the temple. Within minutes, they had arrived in front of a building with a giant statue out front. From what she read online, the temple of Hammerrun mainly worship Braumas, the God of Order and Strength. The statue in front must be him.

Rose led the way as they walked into the building, asking a wandering priestess where the statue of Tegaia was.

"Who?" The priestess looked seriously confused, then her face lit up. "Oh! This way!"

The priestess led them further into the building, leading them down multiple corridors until they were brought to a shabby looking door.

The statue of Tegaia had been hidden away in one of the back rooms of the temple. The statue was almost as large as the statue of Braumas outside. There was no way that they could have fit it in through the small door.

"Why is it back here?" Rose asked the priestess. She had read that the statues were enchanted, directly reflecting the power of the God. That fact that the statue of such a powerful Goddess was lock away was strange, to say the least.

The priestess just shrugged her shoulders. She said she had found it while cleaning, and was told to just leave it alone.

'I smell a quest'

Rose knew there had to be some lore that explained why this Goddess was neglected, and that Brandon was knee deep in it.

"My turn..." she said as she dropped to her knees. She summoned all the feelings that she had ever felt for her ex.

---

Tegaia was having a very pleasant day. She was sweeping the Tower of the Gods as usual, humming a tune to herself. She had received Thadius' prayer hours before, and felt dangerously close to the power she needed to proceed with her plans.

She knew Thadius' prayed in the morning. So when a fresh wave of power washed over her, she was truly surprised. Using her power, she immediately located the subject.

It was the young woman with red and black hair that Thadius had shown her.

*Goddess, I come to you now asking for your assistance and your mercy. My name is Rosemary, and I believe we know someone in common.*

An incomprehensible rage gripped Tegaia, but the words that followed it made her laugh.

*I ask for your assistance in finding this man, that I may show him the error of his ways. Then I ask that you be merciful with my punishment when I punch him in the face!*

The woman took a deep breath to quell her anger. Tegaia could feel her passion, and was reminded of the first time Thadius had prayed to her.

*As the Goddess of Love and War, I trust that you can understand my frustration in falling for a fool with a heart for brains. Now and forever, your humble servant. I thank you in advance. Oh, and please keep my existence a secret from him because he'll run.*

If anyone had walked into the lower floors of the tower, they would have found a Goddess laughing hysterically.

---

Your earnest prayer has earned you the faith stat and the 'Priestess Initiate' pre-class. Would you like to train to become a priestess?

"Yes"

You gained the pre-class: 'Priestess Initiate'

+100 Faith

+Holy skills gain 10% additional experience

Rose looked up to the statue of the Goddess with a satisfied expression. But now she had to make other plans.

"Alright Crush, I need to log out for a second. I'll be right back."

"Sure."

"Logout."

---

Rose reached for her phone as she took off the Deep Dive. She had an executive decision to make.

"Hello? Yes, I'm calling to apply for the Chaos Online research division..."