System Break

I barely noticed the pool, the psy-thingy, whatever it was, which pushed my consciousness all the way to my lump and I 'woke' with a gulp of air.

I had a near death experience when the chopper crashed, and this was nothing like it. It was more like being woken from deep sleep. I felt disorientated, and it took me a minute to realise Gisael was hanging over me, peering into my eyes. She was close, very close.

I put a hand up and gave her chest a tiny push. "A little space."

Her eyes widened and then focused on mine. "I watch your spirit return."

"I know they say the eyes are the window to the soul, but I don't think it is meant to be taken literally."

"Do not drain your qi," she said and made it sound like an order.

I wiggled my legs, making sure they worked. "Oh ... I got that message loud and clear, don't worry."

There was an ounce of worry in her tone. "It took a long time for your qi to recover, this is not normal."

I surveyed my surroundings; they had dragged me well into the forest and I lay on a comfortable patch of grass.

"They held me in the facility for a day," I replied without thinking.

The confused look on her face made me realise that this was a foreign concept to her. "My homeland," I explained poorly. "I'm different to you. This is not my real body, when my qi was drained, I went back to my homeland. Unlike you - my lump stays here when I go."

"There was no portal," she said and shook her head slightly. "But it is known you are strange. Will you do this often?" she asked

I shrugged, she added in a serious tone. "This is your land now, you pledged to the land core. How can this be if you are pledged in another place?"

I sat up, forcing her to move back slightly. "I am not pledged to anything back there. Not anymore," I explained. "My oath to protect the forest holds. I do not do these things lightly."

"As it should be."

"Do you have the cores?" I asked remembering the hell hounds.

"They are already taken to the glade. Talila leads while I watch you."

"So - you wanted me all to yourself?" I asked cheekily. "I hope you didn't take advantage while I was unconscious."

She bared her teeth and poked me in the chest. "I do not need to steal what is given willingly." Her hand ran down my chest towards my dragon which was asleep for a change.

Her hand rested on my stomach which growled. "I guess I'm hungry."

Gisael nodded and offered me a small bag of Svartalfar trail mix. "I fed you water while you were away. Your 'lump' swallowed even with you not here."

"Thanks," I said as I scoffed a couple of handfuls.

"Slowly," she scolded.

She was right. My Svartalfar lump did not need much food, and it was always better to intake it slowly. A nut here and a berry there.

After a short recovery we headed back to the glade, and we were intercepted halfway by the other guardians.

"Mother sensed he was back," Talila said, and the statement did not surprise Gisael like it did me.

"More hunting?" Ailen asked as he looked me over to see if I was in good condition.

"The Forest grows," Gisael said. "We need more caches and outposts. We are unprepared for troublesome intruders."

I gawked at Talila and Gisael. "Wait… the forest grows? Like taller? Wider?"

Gisael turned to look at me. "The more we feed the land core the stronger the forest becomes. Many things can happen. But now, it grows in size to the south and east."

"Towards the city?"

Gisael nodded.

"This isn't a good thing, we don't want their attention," I said. "Not yet. We need to grow stronger." And I pointed to myself and the other guardians.

Gisael nodded. "It is far to the city, and the forest does not grow much. The power needed is large." She said and spread her arms wide.

"Okay," I said, "I want to see this growth." I was genuinely curious about what was happening. I felt excited that the forest was growing from our hard work which easily overcame my caution regarding the city.

Talila, Ailen and Sakaala headed south to establish an outpost.

Gisael and I set off to the east first as it was the most critical. As far as we knew it was miles and miles of plains - full of monsters - to the south. The monsters themselves from trolls to hell hounds provided a natural defence of sorts.

While Gisael worried that certain creatures would encroach into the forest I was more concerned with players. But unless they banded together in large numbers, I couldn't see anyone making it through the monster hoards but if they did, they could easily destroy my team of near naked tree archers.

To the east lay the city. I wasn't sure how far it was, and it was hopefully surrounded by monsters. If there were any safe travel paths, we hadn't found them yet. As soon as I ventured a mile or two from the forest, I would encounter at least one group of creatures, no matter the direction.

I followed behind Gisael, allowing her to pick the path and merely mimicking her steps. She was still capable of leaving me in her dust, but she chose a fast speed and not a ludicrous one.

My curiosity was piqued. "Does the city have a land core?"

"I do not know. It may," she answered. "Most clans have a land core. The Dokkalfar, Myrkalfar, Mogui and the Qizhu Clans all feed their land cores to protect and enlarge their realms."

"The what? Hang on, how many races are there?"

"Many. I do not know them all – I know a few of the master races. The Svartalfar do not often mix with clans from other races. We keep to our own domain and they are wise to leave us be."

"The tracks we saw to the north. You suspected they belong to mountain men. Do they have a land core?" I remember what was tugging at me on my first few days in this place. This Qi World. And other than the forest I also saw and felt a presence in the mountains.

Before she could answer I said, "I think they have a land core."

"What makes you think they have one?"

"I sensed it when I was new to this world, but I decided to come to the forest. I sensed the forest's land core as well."

"But you did not sense the land core of the city?" Gisael asked.

"Maybe. Come to think of it, I did sense something from it." I pondered if all players would align with a land core and it occurred to me that my shape altered into that of a Svartalfar only after I pledged.

Which meant that it was like choosing a race in a game. If I had gone to the mountains and pledged there - I would have become a mountain man. I laughed at the idea.

"Why do you laugh?"

"I was just thinking I'm glad I pledged to the forest. I can't imagine being a mountain man."

She laughed and looked me up and down. "I think you would make a fine mountain man."

I pushed her playfully. "True, I'm big and mean."

She shook her head. "Big angry bear-like. Stupid. Always hard even when it's not time for sex. Eats too much. Fights until passes out…"

"Enough," I said loudly and laughed.

She pushed me back and grabbed onto my arms. She looked down and touched my dragon. "See." Her hand gripped it like a sword, and it swelled at her touch.

Not wearing pants had its advantages.

I leaned into her and met her alien eyes with lust in mine. Our lips almost touched and while we held each other's gaze she massaged my dragon. It leapt and flew at her command.

"I could get used to this."

She pursed her lips and then closed her eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, and I didn't need to be a rocket surgeon to know what she wanted. I kissed her as she played with my dragon.

I placed a hand either side of her face and held her. She breathed through her nose because I had her mouth covered. I licked her teeth and we began a sword fight with our tongues.

She had an amazing dexterity to both fight my tongue and tame the dragon at the same time. When I defeated her tongue and bit it - she gripped the dragon so hard he throbbed within her relatively small hand.

She chirped annoyance when the dragon breath poured down her stomach and legs.

We breathed, she glared, and I said, "Not sorry."

She grabbed a large leaf, poured water from her skin, and wiped herself down. "Next time I'll take your from behind."

I looked at her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Can you reach?"

She bared her teeth. "You will be constantly surprised by what I can do."

I laughed until she placed a finger on my lips. She titled her head and listened intently.