System Break

Her expression was alien to me.

I thought it the strangest thing to say, so I replied with my immediate question that sprang to mind, "Why don't you?"

"I'm waiting," she said mystifyingly, and I concluded that exotic elf like women were exactly like human ones. Fucking crazy.

I gripped my spear - if she was going to wait it didn't mean I had to. But before I could move my foot, or twist my body, she stated in a forceful voice, "Don't."

"Give me one good reason?" I asked.

She bowed her head, looking towards the ground but I could tell she was concentrating. I weighed attacking now against waiting. There were advantages and disadvantages to both sides, but I really wanted to see if we could talk more. If we could be allies rather than enemies. Maybe bang if everything went extremely well. So, I waited.

She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Mother wants to talk to you. I cannot kill you," she added belatedly, "Yet."

"Who is Mother?" I asked.

"I was not ordered to answer your questions," she said in an unfriendly manner. She moved gracefully across the edge of the waterfall and slit the throat of a goblin that I injured with a kick. "I will take care of these. Keep heading to your destination."

"My destination?"

She laughed. It was a melodic sound despite her ruthless persona. "How are you so stupid?"

I smiled, "I'm told it's one of my many talents," and then I changed my tone. "Now answer the fucking question."

She scowled and virtually spat the answer, "Where you have been heading since you entered the forest."

"Ah," I said with sudden realisation. "The big, glowy blue orb thing."

She continued to scowl at me a moment longer before picking up the dead and piling them across her narrow shoulders. She had to weigh less than a hundred pounds, but she was probably stronger than my lump.

"If you see any more ferals. Kill them," she ordered as she passed me dumping the ferals into a heap on the rocks below.

I nodded and ran off to the northwest. I wanted to ask her more questions, but they only seemed to irritate her. Hopefully, the Mother she referred to would be more helpful.

The forest was still dangerous, but I felt I was closing in on my destination. And the closer I got, the safer I felt. I rubbed my eyes trying to see the blue tint and the large glowing orb, but it didn't work. Try as I might, I couldn't force it.

I heard a bird tweet and another. The returning sounds of the birds was a sign, I was sure of it. When monsters were about - the birds were silent. Unless, of course, there was a cunning monster that used bird calls to lull victims into a false sense of security. I banished the idea with a chuckle.

I ran on until almost dark. It was then I stumbled upon the wide-open glade in the centre of the forest. My instincts insisted this was the place.

It was unique and tranquil. There was a small pond in the centre with a magnificent willow tree adjacent. It was the only willow I had seen in the entire forest. I wasn't a tree expert, but willows were distinctive compared to the oaks and spruces which dominated.

I must confess, I felt a little nervous as I approached the centre. I walked slowly – respecting the tranquillity of the glade. When I looked up, I had an unhindered view of the sky. There were still a few swirls of purple visible, but it was hard to discern their extent, because the sky had darkened.

It was disconcerting when I suddenly noticed the figure standing under the willow. I would have sworn she wasn't there moments before. She stood there unmoving, except for her head, which she tilted to one side as she watched me approach.

I could tell she was kin to the girl I met earlier. But she was shorter and more voluptuous. Her skin was a light green and in places shades of brown. She reflected the colours of the willow and I guessed it was not a coincidence.

She was entirely naked. I could see a small green patch where her pubic hair would normally reside. Her breasts were full and pointing directly at me just like her eyes. They were not human eyes. They were brown with green pupils. They reminded me of a cat's eyes but were even more exotic. They shone with alien intelligence.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Her alien presence made me pause and I contemplated my next words carefully. My first thought was that if she was a construct of the game, she was very impressive. In fact, this whole game was beyond belief.

It was then I recalled the exact words of the technician, "Treat it like a game. Use the aids." I realised he never actually said it was a game. Or a computer program. That was my own assumption. I had no idea what it was. But looking into her eyes, I believed she was a living, thinking, alien being.

"I was drawn here," I answered honestly.

"You were?" she asked. It sounded rhetorical as if my answer surprised her. "What are you?" she asked.

I touched my lump feeling my chest and head, "This isn't me. I am somewhere else. But I am here inside this lump." I looked apologetic for the crap answer.

She looked at me and then through me. "I see," she said thoughtfully. "You are most unusual." She circled me, inspecting me. "How long have you been here in this new world?"

Her words surprised me. "New?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Ah. This is my third day."

She nodded slowly.

"You have no core," she said cryptically. "Yet I can see qi flowing into you." She circled me again. "You are like a toy puppet that a woodcarver makes."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, " I replied. The only part I could relate to was that my body was somewhere else, and I was controlling the lump remotely. But that didn't feel right. I felt like I was here inside the lump.

"It is my role to nurture the glade and our forest. It is Gisael's role to protect it," she said, and I suddenly realised that the exotic girl was Gisael. She had arrived at the glade during our conversation and now she was stalking as if ready to pounce.

"Why are you here?" she asked me again.

"Because I want to be," I answered truthfully. I didn't fear them. I respected their power, and they could probably kill me. Gisael showed no remorse when she killed the goblins and would probably show none killing me.

Like a lioness who killed an antelope. She was a wild creature.

"Do you have no tribe?" she asked.

"I don't know. No," I corrected myself, "I would know if I had a tribe and I don't have one," I answered.

"You are not yet formed," she stated a fact. "Did you wish to become one of us?"

My mouth opened and closed. I cursed the technicians again for not telling more about how this world worked. I looked towards Gisael. She exuded strength and confidence which made her beautiful. She was a ruthless warrior, I had no doubt. I had fought and trained with the best, and she would have fit right in.

I had no idea what it entailed to become one of them, but the idea appealed to me.

"I'd like to," I answered.

"Will you swear to serve the forest? To protect it?" she asked.

"Not you?" I said, "The forest?" I could hear Gisael snarl at my question. She wasn't impressed.

"I cannot grant you our protection and allegiance and ask for nothing in return," Mother said. "You must grant us your protection and allegiance. It is an equal arrangement."

I looked at her and then back at the beauty. I grinned. "I'd love to," I said from my heart.

I hadn't realised what joining them would entail. I thought Mother must see me, the real me, to know I'm a worthwhile investment. Where the technicians had dismissed me. Where my government had left me to rot after I became useless to them. She could see my value.

"Let's do this," I stated.