System Break

Head technician Shi checked his screens. Data flowed like a waterfall, he pressed a few buttons and a dashboard emerged showing graphs.

"Hmm," he said.

A female voice wafted over him from behind. "Progress?"

He jumped in his seat and turned. He looked at her and said, "The twins are alive and well."

She leaned over his shoulder and checked the dashboard. "Good, good, we don't want to upset a billionaire with the death of his children."

"That's why I was against this. It's too early, we're still gathering data, developing skills, and working out the bugs."

She smiled and gently massaged his shoulder. "They were very happy to be made wood elves, a special race only available to a limited few."

Technician Shi frowned. "Of course PR thinks this is good, this is your role. But if it goes badly, they won't blame you or one of the directors. It will be me."

She laughed and it was a lilting, melodic laugh. "As it should be. You're a genius after all."

He breathed in and the scent of her perfume filled his nostrils. "The first director, researcher 001 was the genius, I am merely his apprentice."

Her head turned and her face was very close to his. "Where is he? No one has seen him in a year."

Technician Shi's eyes focused on his screen as the green numbers scrolled. "In there somewhere."

.

A light slap of my face woke me. "Come up the tree, where it is safe," Gisael said softly. "You are too heavy to carry."

I rolled and got to my feet. I had been moved, and I guessed they had tried to carry me and failed. I scampered up the tree as asked and lay down on the branch. I lay there for ages before I declared, "I don't need more sleep. I'm good to go."

"We collected all the cores," she said. Her feet were dangling as she sat astride the narrow end of the branch.

"What do we do with them?"

"We will take them back to Mother and she will feed our land core," Gisael said.

I met her gaze. "We don't eat them like the troll?"

"We can. But the people's way is to feed them to the forest, make it strong."

"How do we gain power?"

Her eyes searched mine. "Strengthening our domain is our purpose."

"If the Guardians are stronger doesn't it strengthen the forest's defences?"

The was a pause as she thought. "Yes. Our life is protecting. This is why we strive and grow. We do not need to eat cores to do this. We only do so in times of great need."

"Thanks."

She moved closer to me her eyes were looking into my soul. There was no space between us. "Why?"

"For explaining it to me. Most of the time you talk in riddles and half answers."

She tapped my forehead. "You ask strange questions which I do not know how to answer."

She began to inspect me. Touching my cheek and my nipples. The vines around my waist and coming very close to my dragon beneath its inadequate cover. "Why are you here Benzhi? What are you striving for?"

She continued to inspect me as I thought. And then her eyes came back up to stare into mine.

I wasn't sure what I was doing, it was a rollercoaster ride, and this is where I found myself. Was this a game? Was I on a mission to learn about qi? Was I a guardian Svartalfar like my companions? Had I gone native? I didn't know how to answer, so I kissed her.

She did not pull away, her lips moved with mine. Her arms snaked around me as I held her firm body. She was exotically attractive. She was confident and extremely capable. And her body was a masterpiece with its toned and firm - yet springy muscles.

I gently broke the kiss otherwise I would lose control and do her in front of the others. "You are recovered," she whispered. I sat and pulled her down to sit with me on the branch.

I smiled at her, slid a little closer and pulled her to me. She looked up at me with her exotic green eyes. Her chest was pressed against mine as I squeezed her with my arm behind her back.

She placed a hand on my upper chest and said, "Then we will return to the glade and deliver the cores to Mother."

"If that's what you want."

She bared her teeth. "I do not live with wants. I have duty."

I leaned back and laughed. "I feel you, but it's a cold existence to live for duty alone."

She leaned forward and gently rubbed her nose against mine. She softly said, "I am rarely cold." She then jumped to her feet in a fluid motion and said, "We move."

It was then that Talila dropped down from the branch above us. She looked at me and smiled broadly.

"Were you …"

They took off without waiting for me to finish. They began to run through the forest and my accusation was lost in the wind as I followed.

We ran through the forest, sometimes through the canopy, and across the forest floor. We stopped at one of the many streams for water rather than deplete our water pouches.

I was refilling my pouch alongside Sakaala and she chirped happily.

"What?"

"Your pouch is terrible," she said and held hers aloft. "Mine is superior."

I laughed and said, "You can make me one then."

Her face scrunched. "That's for a crafter. I'm training to be a guardian."

"Really?"

She looked at my weapon and then tapped her bow. "I have qi-arrow and can use it. Much better than your spear."

"Do you want to face my spear?"

Ailen was on my other side and he chuckled. "Careful."

I looked at him and smiled broadly. "I'm many things Ailen. But careful is not one of them."

He laughed as we moved to follow Gisael who was always pushing the pace. I ran with Ailen while Sakaala struggled to keep up.

"You carry your spear." He observed me switching it from hand to hand as we moved. While his bow was slung over one shoulder and quiver the other in a crisscross fashion.

"I don't have a back sheath for it," I said. "But I don't mind carrying it."

"The protectors and guardians who use qi-blade have a hip sheath," he said. "It is better to travel with both hands free. But a hip sheath would not hold your spear it's too long."

"Good to know." Although Ailen was just making conversation I appreciated learning more about the Svartalfar. "What sort of crafters live in your old forest?"

"Artisans?"

"Yes, that's what I mean."

Ailen negotiated a particularly large boulder before replying, "There are many, but you should ask Talila or Gisael. I'm from a different clan and things may be different with this one."

"That's strange," I said, and his eyes flicked behind. "Gisael was so reluctant to accept me at first and then they bring in others from another clan without batting an eyelid."

He sighed. "I'm trying to stay in character alpha tester."

My mouth hung open attracting flies. My immersion which had almost gone full native was shattered.

I looked back at Sakaala.

"My sister," he said.

"You're …"

"Yes. We're grateful to you for developing a special race, but we want to stay in character." He jumped over a fallen tree and grinned. "It's more fun that way."