System Break

Ailen was scouting near our eastern border when we came into view.

"Oh shit," he said.

We didn't hear him at first until he called to us. "Hey."

I turned to Reyas, "This is the forest."

She stared at me. "I've seen it."

"But not from the inside."

"Um," Ailen said. "She's here?"

"Yes, she'll be with me from now on."

His eyes popped out of his head. When he recovered, he followed us. "Oh, I can't wait to see this."

Reyas' eyes narrowed. "Will they accept me?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm certain. See Ailen accepts you."

He coughed. "I'm not sure I'm one to judge acceptance from. I basically just do what I'm told."

"Then you accept Reyas."

"Yes,' he said with a distinct lack of confidence.

"See," I said. "Why are you out here? Didn't you get to rest after our adventure?"

"Yeah, for a day. Wait, you look different."

"Me?" I looked down at my body and it was true I did look a darker shade of brown. I could almost pass for a Latino swimmer.

"You're hair, its white. And yes, you've been getting browner for a while. Why are you still changing?"

"There's a stream up ahead." He had me, and Reyas, intrigued.

"You keep changing appearance?" she chuckled. "I'm not going to wake up one morning next to a bear, am I?"

I growled. "Why does everyone think I'm a bear?"

They both laughed.

When I looked at myself in the stream, I noticed my neck and face had become darker and what were small tufts of green had turned blonde when they started growing.

"What's with this lump?" It kept changing, I would have to ask the technician if I ever saw him again, but then I wasn't that curious I'd rather stay here and be ignorant.

Ailen put a hand on my back. "I'll try and find out for you. You don't look bad," he glanced back at Reyas. "The ladies love this raw look you got going."

I looked at him. "You can't talk." And I laughed. He was predominately green like Gisael.

He glanced back at Reyas who was keeping her distance allowing us to talk. "There's something you should know. A player entered the forest while we were gone. An unfriendly one. Gisael and Talila killed him."

"Where was he from, what did he do?" I stood and beckoned Reyas. We began to move and Ailen talked.

"He was a man, but not like the soldiers we saw. He didn't have an orange tabard with a black lion. He had a long sword, a crossbow and was very aggressive apparently. You'll have to ask Gisael if you want to know more."

"Tell me more of Gisael," Reyas said and Ailen laughed.

"She knows," I said.

"She knows that you and Gisael …"

Reyas nodded. "It is normal for powerful warriors to have many women."

"She's a warrior, but unlike any you know. The Svartalfar elite guardians are like apex predators of the forest. She has a killer instinct and no compassion for any threat; there is no diplomacy. But she cares deeply for the forest and its inhabitants. She would fight to the death to protect them."

"She's a paradox in some ways. She's both wild and has incredible self-control. Her sense of right and wrong revolve around the forest and not herself. You cannot offend her but can easily offend the forest. She is a true guardian of the forest."

I waved my hand indicating Ailen and myself. "Compared to her we just play at being guardians."

Reyas' eyes glistened. "You love her."

I sighed. "I guess I do. But don't tell her."

Reyas laughed. "Do you love me?"

"Don't push it."

She pouted. "I left my clan for you."

I pushed her and she nearly tripped over a root. "You left your clan to be free, don't pin it on me."

She glanced at Ailen. "I won't say anymore."

I laughed.

We ran all day. We slowed Reyas down in the mountains but here in the forest she was the newcomer. Her strength, speed and stamina were hampered by her lack of forest craft.

We rested by a stream. A typical camping spot a day out from the glade. "When I first learned to run in the forest I would jump from the boulders, but it's best to keep small steps so you can change direction quickly."

She nodded. "I was running in your footsteps."

"You're the only one who can." Ailen said. My strides were long but Reyas' qi body techniques enabled her to match me.

"Show me your qi abilities can you do that?" I asked.

"What?" she said.

"When you strengthen your body. It's different to mine I can tell that much."

"I don't do anything."

I met her gaze. "You mean you don't know you're doing it?"

She shook her head.

"You keep warm in the high mountains. Do you do that consciously?"

"No. It's something we have." She tapped her chest.

I looked at Ailen who scratched his head of brown hair. "Innate?"

I nodded. "Follow Ailen tomorrow and I'll watch you."

That night we made love as quietly as possible so we wouldn't disturb Ailen too much. But I'm pretty sure he couldn't ignore the squeals she made right before she nutted on my dragon.

That morning I tried to wake Ailen and couldn't.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah. He's gone for the moment. His mind travelled to another world while he sleeps, and I can hardly blame him with all the noise you made."

"Me? I didn't start it." She pursed her lips and looked innocent.

I scoffed. "You can't get enough of it." I noticed Ailen move. "He's back."

He sat up. "Oh boy." He stretched. "I found out about your lump and more."

"He mean's this," I said indicating my body. "I call it my lump."

Reyas laughed and was then curious. "Do you dream walk?"

Ailen nodded. "Yeah it's like that. I go to another world that's very different to this one."

"Tell me about my lump."

He tugged his ear. "Well. It's not like mine. Mine and Sakaala's was pre-programmed, that's why I turned out like Gisael and with qi-arrow and tree-run."

Reyas looked confused.

Ailen ignored her and continued. "And yours is an early model. Before they worked out how to program a full DNA profile into them. But yours has lots of raw material, it's made to adapt and evolve. That's why you came out barely formed and why you keep changing."

"But will it stop?"

He shrugged. "I don't think they know what they're doing to be honest."

I laughed. "Story of my life. What else did you find out?"

He glanced at Reyas. "Later."

She peered at us. "What can't I know?"

I sighed. "Remember the shaman called me an intruder. Not to trust me. I will tell you everything so you can trust me."

I pointed to Ailen and myself. "We're not from here, we travelled here from another world."

She laughed. "So, did everyone. My father and mother brought me here when I was a baby. There are a few born here now, but most come from another world."

"Your mother?"

She nodded slowly. "She's gone now. She died to yetis before we finished the fort."

"Ah, sorry."

"Don't be. She was brave and saved many. It was a long time ago."

"So?" Ailen said.

"Go on."

"They're selling the gen three pods. A million each - expect rich kids to be in here soon."

I peered at him. "Aren't you a rich kid?"

He scoffed. "Hardly - we're mega-rich."