ã€ŠPellan Riseã€‹


 1: No Tankerino Pls

    The school day was going to go by at a glacial pace, I just knew it. Normally I would arrive at my high school and the day would become compartmentalised. Each class owning its own separate timescale and once over, becoming forgotten. My memories were not linear like society led me to believe was normal, they were filed according to subject, not date.

    I could remember which math class Jeremy had flicked a piece of paper at the back of Mr Farrowman¡¯s head and earned himself a detention. I could not tell you how in the timeline of my life that event lined up with the time Jeremy, Greg and I stole some dry ice while our science teacher wasn¡¯t looking. Anyway, school was going to take a long time to get itself over with today, because the first real VRMMO had come out today. My friends and I were all going to dive right in and play after school. I was beyond excited.

    Those reading this who are from the US or Europe or literally anywhere else but the small island nation I live in will become confused when I start talking about our school system. I won''t bore you with an in depth lesson on how things work here, but I¡¯ll say that High School starts at year 9, and ends at year 13. Year 9 kids will be around 13 years old, and Year 13 kids will be around 18 years old. Things get a bit more complicated again when you realise that college is just another word for high school over here. Oh, I¡¯m from New Zealand by the way.

    My knees were really cold. It¡¯s still technically summer, so we have to wear the summer uniform. The guys Summer Uniform means shorts, and shorts in the driving rain means cold knees. The weather makes no sense here. Daydreaming of the warmth and safety that I would find in first period english gave me the motivation to trudge up the school driveway. I wondered where Jeremy was. Normally he¡¯d join me some time along the walk to school but he was nowhere to be seen today. As if summoned by my thoughts, a car pulled up and Jeremy tumbled from the passenger side door.

    ¡°Shut the damn door Jeremy!¡± Hollered an aged feminine voice from inside the vehicle, probably his mum.

    ¡°Yeah okay geez,¡± grumbled Jeremy with quintessential teenage eloquence.

    With the door shut, the car sped off to the exit and Jeremy turned, to move into the school, spotting me as he did so.

    ¡°Sup Sam,¡± He nodded while still clearly shaking off his annoyance at his mother.

    ¡°Hey Jeremy,¡± I said, my voice betraying my miserable drowned rat status.

    ¡°Dude did you walk through this? You¡¯re nuts man,¡± he laughed.

    ¡°I know,¡± I grumbled.

    I looked up at him as he brushed past, his short brown hair was starting to get plastered down by the rain. Without a word I followed after him, continuing my journey towards warmth.

    Jeremy was around six inches taller than my 5 foot 8 inches and was one of those people who was both lanky and buff at the same time. He was also annoyingly attractive and was constantly chatting up our female peers instead of being productive. Which was what he was trying to do as we made our way through the twisting corridors towards english. I watched shyly as he greeted people I barely knew while we walked, how did he so effortlessly just talk to people like that? Checking my phone and noticing we were running out of time, I grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of yet another conversation with someone much cooler than myself.

    ¡°Come on we¡¯re going to be late. I don¡¯t want to get detention today,¡± I growled at him.

    Giving me a funny look he replied, ¡°Yeah you¡¯re right, calm down though, no need to get so worked up about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not getting worked up,¡± I sighed dramatically.

    ¡°Yeah you are man,¡± he replied, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°Ugh, okay maybe a little, but it¡¯s gonna be me who has to deal with your whining during detention when we can¡¯t go home straight away and play Pellan Rise.¡± I grudgingly acquiesced.

    ¡°Wait that¡¯s today?! Oh man lets get there!¡± He exclaimed, rushing forward.

    I rolled my eyes. He¡¯d been the one who was the most excited about the game out of our little group. Normally I would be just as keen about it as him, but I¡¯d been designated as the tank again, and I was really not interested in taking up that role for the umpteenth time.

    Bustling through the door, we rushed to our seats and waited for class to start. I was too engrossed in the luxurious feeling of a heated room to notice Dana take the seat next to me. Dana was the only girl in our gaming party and also the group mumfriend. Currently, her uniform was plastered to her short curvy frame by the rain, and her medium length dark hair was sticking out in all directions.

    She gave me a big smile, ¡°Did you forget your coat too?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, it didn¡¯t even look that bad when I left, but mum warned me it was going to change,¡± I said, feeling a sheepish smile answer hers.

    ¡°Yeah same here... Oh well, that¡¯s what the heaters are for right?¡± she laughed.

    Changing the subject to the game that dominated all of our thoughts I asked, ¡°Can you believe Jeremy forgot that Pellan Rise was coming out today?¡±

    Leaning over to look at Jeremy she raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really? You were super hyped on like monday!¡±

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m hyped, it¡¯s just mum was being like a huge bitch this morning. She made me do a bunch of extra chores and shit,¡± he grumbled.

    Dana laughed, ¡°That¡¯s no excuse!¡±

    Jeremy opened his mouth to reply when the teacher arrived, heralding that it was time to slog through fifty minutes of over analyzed metaphors.

    We didn''t get to discuss our excitement any further until morning tea. Morning tea being the 15 minutes after second period in which those of us who slept in late and forgot breakfast could finally get some food in ourselves.

    When I arrived at our usual hang out spot jeremy was the only one missing of the four of us. The place we met to eat and hang out during the two breaks in the day was really just a bunch of benches bolted to the outside wall of the music block. Dana and Greg were busy canoodling on one of the benches and didn''t notice my arrival.

    I watched as Greg got his hand under her shirt and on its merry way further up her body. Something he did must have tickled her because she giggled and squirmed. When she gained control again she saw me quietly sitting there and I raised an eyebrow in greeting. Greg followed her gaze as he took his hand back out from under her shirt.

    ¡°Oh hey Sam!¡± he greeted me, clearly unrepentant but also uncaring that I¡¯d interrupted his fun.

    ¡°Hey guys, sorry to uhm, bother you?¡± I gave a nervous laugh. Nice Sam. Way to make things weird.

    Dana, a little flushed, quickly steered the conversation to Pellan Rise. ¡°Yeah. Uh, so did you hear we have a problem with the party? According to reddit the standard groups are six people. We have you as a tank but we haven''t decided everyone else''s roles yet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah so we need two more people. I think Jeremy was going to be heals this time,¡± Greg rumbled in the baritone that was so at odds with his skinny nerdy body.

    ¡°Noooo, it''s Dana¡¯s turn to play heals this time!¡± groaned Jeremy as he sank onto the bench next to me.

    ¡°Hah, thanks but no thanks, I¡¯m playing dps this time,¡± she shot back.

    ¡°Well so am I,¡± said Jeremy as he plunged into his backpack looking for his food.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just get an outside healer it''s fine,¡± said Greg playing the peacemaker.

    ¡°Yeah that could work, so long as Sam plays a tank we should be able to nab a healer,¡± Jeremy mumbled around his food.

    It was about this point that my own search through my bag for food ran dry. I groaned when I realised I¡¯d left my lunch on the kitchen counter.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Jeremy around a half sandwich that was being stuffed into his mouth.

    ¡°Forgot my lunch,¡± I mumbled sheepishly into the opening of my backpack.

    ¡°Oh, uh, here,¡± he said, casually tossing the other half of his sandwich to me, ¡°Just buy me a pork bun or whatever from the canteen at lunch.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! I forgot to eat breakfast too,¡± I admitted while I almost reverently savoured the feeling of food going down.

    ¡°Whats up Sam? It''s not like you to forget things,¡± Dana asked, ever the worried mother, despite us all being the same age and not related in any way. At least I hoped she wasn''t related to Greg. That would be weird.

    ¡°I was up all night reading about Pellan, I couldn¡¯t sleep again. Did you see how many races and subraces and crap there are? Makes pathfinder look tame. It¡¯s gonna take me forever to get through character creation!¡± I caught myself before I rambled further.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll probably just go a generic race. The differences between all the races don''t seem too huge,¡± said Jeremy, ¡°I¡¯ll just make up for any racial problems with skill!¡± he continued, flashing his signature heart stopping grin.

    Cute! Fuck, no, friends. Friends friends friends. Come down from the moon space cadet. He¡¯s straight. Shush. Ahhhhhh. Crap. Don''t let them realise. Don''t let them figure out that you''re gay Sam. Now, like we practiced, look away.

    Finally recovering from my encounter with the sunlight on this miserable day, I nodded, trying to play off my lapse in concentration as being deep in thought.

    ¡°You can probably get away with just a primary race and not bother with subraces and stuff. So yeah, should be fine,¡± I finally replied, making furious eye contact with the last bite of the sandwich he¡¯d given me.

    ¡°Uhhh huuuh,¡± said Dana, drawing out her words, ¡°well we¡¯ve got to get going if we want to make it on time to painting Sam.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, yeah. Time to get to it! Bye guys,¡± I waved a little goodbye to Greg and Jeremy¡¯s shoes.

    ¡°Cya, ¡° they both chorused disinterestedly.

    Dana kept giving me funny looks as we made our way up the tower block to where the art department is, and I studiously ignored those looks.

    Dana and I quietly worked through our painting class while the rest of the class babbled around us. Mr Yossan was about as lax with discipline as you could get for a teacher, preferring to participate in the rukus rather than quell it. The piece I was painting was a stereotypical fantasy man standing shirtless on the battlefield with his sword thrust in the air. Dana was painting a nearly naked Greg... She was a lot better than me at painting, her strokes more confident and precise.

    She had previously described my own ¡®style¡¯ as wild and impressionistic. Which is to say I wasn¡¯t very good. I always had problems with my big guy hands shaking when I went to put brush to canvas, and that ended up causing me to over correct and make a mess. I wished I had smaller fingers like Dana so I could actually get the strokes in my head to come out on the canvas as intended.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    All too soon painting class was over and it was time to head back and greet our friends once more for lunch. I owed Jeremy something from the Canteen. After doing battle with the infamously riotous blob that was the line for the canteen, Jeremy and I exited the crowded place with assorted sweet and savoury foods to eat for lunch. We always did this, found some excuse to eat the yummier bought food rather than the healthy fruit and veges of our packed lunches. With a sense of deja vu, we came upon Dana and Greg getting handsy with one another again. Standard stuff. Awkwardly ignoring their PDA, I sat down to eat my food.

    ¡°Since this is like a full immersion thing or whatever, I think I¡¯m gonna play a chick character. Probably a ranger or something since I already know kinda how to shoot a bow IRL,¡± Stated Greg to the group.

    Dana gazed at him pensively for a moment before replying, ¡°Yeah, you know that you won¡¯t actually feel what it¡¯s like to be a girl though right? Something about the artificial sensations and feelings having to work with what you already have.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he shrugged, ¡°still, will be fun you know? Messing with people who think I¡¯m a girl will be awesome fun!¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± She replied with an eye rolling wink, ¡°Just make sure you look hot for me.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± he laughed.

    Conversation halted again as the four of us continued to eat, that is until I broke the silence with something I¡¯d been working myself up to through all of painting class.

    ¡°Guys, I really don¡¯t want to play tank this time. I¡¯m so bored with it!¡± I blurted.

    ¡°Come on man, we really need you on tank. You¡¯re always real good at it, and plus its full immersion this time, it¡¯ll play differently,¡± groaned Greg.

    ¡°Yeah and plus if any of us play tank instead we¡¯ll probably be bad at it. You don¡¯t want us to have a bad tank do you?¡± added Dana, oh so helpfully.

    The both of them turned to Jeremy to support, and with a sigh he weighed in on the conversation, ¡°I mean yeah, you¡¯re always a top tier tank dude, it¡¯d be a bummer to not have you rocking it again.¡±

    I glared at the three of them while they sat there and thought grumpy thoughts about the upcoming shitty role I¡¯d have to play.

    Dana piped up again with more ¡®insight¡¯, ¡°And plus if you end up hating tank you can just make a new character.¡±

    Clasping my hands around my temples I said, ¡°But then I¡¯ll be behind in gear and levels and... ugh fine whatever, I¡¯ll play tank for you guys.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Sam, It''ll be fine I bet you¡¯ll have fun,¡± said Dana as she lay a comforting hand on my cold knee.

    I didn¡¯t reply, and spent the rest of lunch in my old little sulky world, planning petty revenge on my friends.

    The rest of the day passed with the same time warping boredom that it had previously, only now I was grumpy and upset at being peer pressured into the role of tank. I spent the remaining classes studiously refusing to speak, and my friends left me to it. They were used to my bouts of sulking when something didn¡¯t go how I wanted it.

    That doesn¡¯t mean others didn¡¯t try and talk to me however. Kegan, one of the buff rugby players that was oh so popular for his looks and skill at the game, spoke to me outside one of my classes.

    ¡°Yo Sam why you look all shitty at life?¡± he rumbled.

    ¡°Just my friends being dicks,¡± I mumbled, feeling awkward that someone like him was even trying to talk to me.

    ¡°Ah shit, don¡¯t let them push you around dude! Just punch ¡®em out if they¡¯re getting in your face!¡± he said, punching my arm in what he probably thought was a light friendly blow. It wasn¡¯t, ouch!

    ¡°Uh, okay Kegan, I¡¯ll try that next time,¡± I lied.

    ¡°You know it bro! Got to be a skux as dude if you want to get chicks,¡± he grinned.

    ¡°I thought skux went out of style like ages ago?¡± I asked, giving him an odd look.

    ¡°Nah cuz! I¡¯m gonna bring it back! It¡¯s a sick as word,¡± he said passionately.

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, very unsure about the whole thing.

    ¡°Yeah awesome!¡± He exclaimed, before turning to one of his friends and yelling, ¡°Yo Ranno! You hookin¡¯ up with Juliet yet?¡±

    ¡°Dude why would I want to? Like yeah she¡¯s fuckin¡¯ hot but she¡¯s a psycho dude! Cold as fuck!¡± Aaron replied.

    They began talking about things I really wasn¡¯t interested in listening to, and I tuned them out and focused inward again.

    The last class of the day was an exceptionally boring one, and I spent the time gazing randomly around the classroom. My gaze eventually landed on one of my classmates, a boy named Zach. He was known for being very shy and antisocial. I wondered what his deal was? I¡¯d seen people try and talk to him before, but it was just hopeless, like talking to a brick wall. He¡¯d have none of it.

    Currently he was randomly doodling on his notepad, but I couldn¡¯t see what it was. Oh well, not my problem. Surviving this shitty high school is my problem, I thought.

    When the clock struck 3:30pm and we were finally free, I already had my stuff packed and ready. The bell rang, but unlike the rest of the class I did not bolt for the door. My enthusiasm to get home and play the new game having been sapped by my friends. During the class that had just finished, one that all four of us were a part of, my friends had decided that tonight we were going to just do our things, figure out where we had all started, and then meet up at a central location ingame the next day.

    My walk home was the complete opposite of my walk to school, the sun was out and beating down on the city, causing steam to rise from the roads as the rain water evaporated. The walk home took the usual 45 minutes, and was fairly pleasant, all things considered. I did witness two cars collide lightly as one tried to back out of a parking space while the other tried to park in the one directly next to it. It was funny, I laughed. The positive effect on my mood that walking home had returned some of my previous excitement to jump in and play Pellan Rise. I went over what I knew of the game world in my head as my feet made the transition from inner city to suburbia.

    The world was a bit different to what we were used to in games. The world was based on a single continent for now, one that was made up of several country sized plateaus of land, with vast valleys taking up the extra space in between these plateaus. The whole arrangement was surrounded by a mysterious sea that no one had ever crossed. Read that last part and imagine me rolling my eyes. The lore reasons for why a game world was limited were always thinly veiled, and Pellan did not break that mold. Where Pellan did break the mold was the size of those limitations. The game world was quoted at being 18 million square kilometers. That¡¯s7 million square miles for those of you who are over 50 years old or live in the USA.

    The game did not have a class system, and instead allowed you to do a kind of point buy system during character creation. You could spend all of your points on an overpowered race, but start with absolutely nothing else, or you could choose human and start with a bunch of different spells and abilities. Your starting location would be determined by what you spent your points on in character creation. It was all terribly complicated and I loved it. I was extremely excited to dive in and begin the task of building my character the way I wanted them to be.

    As I climbed the small set of stairs to my home, my eyes fell on the package I had known was waiting for me. It was large, easily as big as a microwave and then some. I almost tripped over myself as my need to get to the box outweighed all else. It was here, the holy grail of gaming. An actual full immersion VRMMO. I was giddy. Taking the box carefully in my arms, I carried it to the door, where I realised I¡¯d made a mistake.

    Placing the box back down on the ground, I got my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door. With the box once more firmly in my embrace, I shunted the door open a bit more and awkwardly made my way inside. Making my way further into the house, I found the small hallway that led to my room. My family was both abnormal and normal. Abnormal in the traditionally held sense, and normal in the real 21st century sense.

    My mother and father had split when I was around 6 years old after he caught her in a double whammy. It had turned out she was both a drug addict and sleeping with her dealer. Quick to get me out of there, my father filed for custody and divorce in the same breath. Since then he has remarried, meeting a lovely woman I tentatively call mum. My step mother and I have tried to bond properly as parent and child, but it always felt strange for me, and I expect she felt the same way. There was talk in the house of adding more children, but none had appeared so far.

    Both of my parents were workaholics, and would be home late. Some weekdays I wouldn¡¯t see them at all, depending on how late I¡¯d been awake playing games the night before. This worked in my favour today, as I wouldn¡¯t have to make an appearance before them. Depositing my treasure as well as my backpack in my room, I hurried to get my afternoon chores out of the way.

    Two hours later, the downstairs had been vacuumed, and dinner had been cooked and left in the oven to stay warm for them, and I was heading to my room. Placing the box that contained all the equipment necessary to play Pellan Rise onto my bed, I carefully figured out how to unwrap it. Peeling the tape off the side of the box I gingerly lifted the polystyrene packaging away from my prize.

    Sitting there cradled in more packaging was a sleek black helmet that evoked images of both knights in armour and super cars. It was gorgeous. Carefully removing the helmet from the box, I found the instructions for setup underneath. With great care I extracted the power cables and the screws that would keep the cable secured into the helmet. Plugging everything in was deceptively simple, only one cable needed. The connection to the web was handled by the new ultra fast quantum linked satellite network that hovered tens of kilometers above me.

    Changing into my sleepwear as fast as I could, I did a quick once over of my mind to make sure everything was as it should be. Yup, everything was good. Climbing into get with the helmet on my bedside table, I got myself comfortable. I¡¯d be sleeping in VR after all, the tech had been designed to allow the body to rest while we were off saving a virtual world.

    Without anything to keep me on boring old earth, I placed the helmet over my head and activated it.

 2: Ill play whatever I want to, Damn it!

    The sensation of waking up while already having been awake was an exceptionally strange one. One moment I¡¯m laying in bed comfy as can be, pressing the on button on my helmet, and the next I¡¯m waking up in a generic off-white room. The juncture between the walls and floor was too perfect. Atomically perfect even, and I had to look away before my brain wigged out any further. As if sensing my full return to conscious thought, an androgynous voice spoke to me from nowhere.

    ¡°Hello, and welcome to Pellan Rise! Before you begin, are you aware that this game has a faster time scale than the real world? One hour in real life is equal to three inside the game. Do you acknowledge?

    ¡°Sure, I guess.¡± I told the voice.

    ¡°Thankyou, are you ready to begin your journey? You will be thrust into a world rife with change and conflict. Whether you sow chaos or fight to help the ordinary folk, the universe needs you. Once you begin, you will embark on adventure with more purpose than ever before¡­ for if you and your ilk fail, there will be dire consequences.¡±

    ¡°Uh, wow. That¡¯s ominous, but yeah I¡¯m ready to go smash some goblins or whatever,¡± I said, trying to surreptitiously pinpoint the location of the voice.

    ¡°One moment, taking you to character creation.¡± the voice intoned emotionlessly.

    ¡°Taking¡± wasn¡¯t the right word, as I went nowhere. Instead, floating holographic menus appeared before me. The words, ¡®Please choose your race¡¯ headed the screens, with ¡®100 Character Points Remaining¡¯ beside it. Wow, just like that it was time to start huh? With excitement building I began to scroll through the choices before me. Human was at the top, followed by all your standard fantasy races, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Orc and more. The list was huge. Next to each selection was a number that denoted how many character creation points it was worth.

    Seeing a race that was named ¡®Darkling¡¯ I let my edgier side have the steering wheel for a second and expanded the menu. Suddenly two figures appeared in the room, they stood stock still and wore generic and modest underwear. They looked like Tieflings from dnd with spiralling horns, skin that was several shades redder than normal and long tapering tails. Before I got too caught up in inspecting all the races I reminded myself, I needed to figure out what my overall goal was for my character. The group wanted me as a tank, so I guess I better take a look at the more robust races.

    Browsing through the types of dwarf, I quickly decided against playing as one. Having a beard was something I really did not wan. I hated my own budding facial hair enough as it was, no need to torture myself. Scrolling further through the races, I found another one that looked like it could take some damage. They were big giant like figures with protrusions on their bodies like hunks of stone. My mind instantly told me that I would under no circumstances be playing as these ¡®Gorthon¡¯ people. They looked like Korg from that old thor movie, which is fine I guess but I¡¯d like to at least be 95% flesh thank you very much. I didn¡¯t even bother to glance at the orcs, I had no intention of playing as them either.

    Searching further through the seemingly endless list of races, my pace began to slow as I became less and less enthusiastic. I really did not want to play a tank, like, at all. Especially not in a full immersion game where pain, however dulled, was a feature. So why did I have to play a tank? Jeremy had just up and decided he was going to play some kind of caster DPS, even though it was definitely his turn to play healer. Actually, they had all chosen DPS, so why the hell couldn¡¯t I choose my class too?

    The group needed a healer though... I could play a healer right? I liked the idea of fixing up my friends after they got hurt a whole lot more than taking blows for them directly. Only problem would be that tanks are generally harder to find that healers in mmos. They were still harder to find than dps though, everyone wanted to be a dps. I could claim the moral high ground here at least.

    My new intended role resurrected my excitement, and I rapidly paged through the races that sounded like they would have a bonus to casting or healing. Elves obviously had an affinity to magic, and humans were passable at everything. Some of the Beastmen and Undead subraces had bonuses to magic as well, but I wanted to explore the whole list first. That¡¯s what I told myself, but when I found the subrace of Fae called ¡®Eilion¡¯, I was intrigued.

    I selected the Eilion for a preview, and was greeted by a male and female of the petite species of Fae. Their eyes were larger than normal, but not childishly or comically large. Their ears were long and pointed, arching slightly down as they travelled back like some sort of aerodynamic control mechanism. Everything about their figures spoke of a quiet grace, and I loved it.

    Glancing at their stats I saw they had significant boosts to magic in general, while sporting strong affinities to illusion and healing magic. I decided right there, despite the large Character Point cost of 60 points, that I was going to play as an Eilion. Selecting the male option I went to press accept, but something in my gut wrenched. My eyes were drawn to the female Eilion like a forgotten earring to the wall of an MRI machine. Slowly, and deliberately I selected female instead and hit accept.

    The female Eilion moved forward and the holographic screens were replaced by the most in-depth character customiser I had ever seen. A little dazed, I meandered through the options before me. Oh my gosh. This was insane. There was a slider the number of hairs on each portion of the body for crying out loud. Wow. It took me about 10 minutes to get my head around the sheer control I had over my avatar¡¯s body, and some of the options caused me to blush what I assume was a rather intense shade of red.

    Regardless, I dove in. I began to craft the default little character before me into something that deep deep inside my chest, far past conscious thought, my heart cried out for. I enjoyed myself tremendously as she took shape under my careful consideration. She was just a tad over 4 foot 10 inches, with butt length black hair that sparkled faintly with perceived starlight depending on the angle.

    Her eyes were a mix of blue and green, the colours clashing as though the dye had been thrown in and only half heartedly mixed. Her skin was a few shades darker than plain white, which is to say I gave her rather fair skin. She may have been short, but everything was in proportion, just smaller. Her breasts sat relatively high and perky on her chest, simultaneously small and filling out her thin torso at the same time.

    Her shoulders were narrow, her waist thin and her hips moderately wide, but not a potential navigation hazard. Her face took me a very very long time to craft. I wanted her to be some combination of cute, pretty and gorgeous, without seeming unrealistically so. It took me a long time, but in the end I settled on an oval shaped face, cute little nose and slightly pouting full lips.

    It was a while before I even realised I¡¯d finished, I was so enthralled by my creation and the strange feeling that had been faintly simmering in my chest. I stared at the ¡®accept appearance¡¯ button for a while, trying to divine its secrets.

    Oh, it doesn¡¯t have any, right. I punched the button. Suddenly I felt my perception of the room shift, and I became¡­ her. I didn¡¯t feel much different. Shorter definitely, my chest felt a bit larger, but it still felt like my real male chest to my brain. I guess that was what Dana was talking about with the system only being able to send signals to your existing nerves and such.

    My reverie was jolted by the feeling of my exceedingly long hair tickling my lower back. Well, that was definitely new. Oh, and obviously there was something else I needed to check. Tentatively, bashfully, I lowered my now petite little hand down between my legs. My hand reported feeling the smooth fabric of my underwear, while my real life male equipment reported being touched in a way that defied active comprehension. I shuddered at the alien feeling. Lets not do that again.

    The next order of business in character creation was to choose a name, which would lock me into using this character. I wonder why this step wasn''t last. Oh well. What¡¯s a good name? Damn usually I can google my favorite shows or lorem ipsum or something to help. Okay let''s pick a letter. G! Wait no, I should keep with S like my real name. Sarah? No too normal. Sapphire? No too¡­ something... I don''t know. I¡¯m a Fae girl so it needs to sound Faelike. Wait¡­ what was that one little sprite¡¯s name from that book? Uh¡­ Syl! Let''s see, that''s too short though. People can call me that for short but the whole name needs to be longer. Sylanna. Yes, Sylanna it is. I entered my new name into the holoscreen and tapped the accept button.

    Sylanna the healer was official! Woo hoo! The next thing I needed to decide was my stats. I won''t bore you with endless stats tables unless you want me to, so I¡¯ll just describe what I did here. I spent 15 character points in my stats, 5 in intelligence, 5 in wisdom and 5 in dexterity. The intelligence added to the potency of my spells, among many other things. The wisdom increased my mana pool and the duration of timed abilities, basically allowing me to increase how long a heal-over-time ability would run for. I put points in dexterity because a healer needs to be able to dodge an awful lot of nasty mechanics. Games have a tendency to target the healer in a boss battle. Being maimed and killed by a laser beam of death fired by a boss did not sound fun. I finalised my stats and hit accept.

    Having finished with my base stats, I moved on to choosing my abilities. The game let the players pick any combination of skills and abilities at character creation, and depending on how you developed those abilities it would offer you new ones that synergized when you levelled up. I knew I was going to play a healer, but there were about a million ways to set that up. This portion of creation was going to take an incredibly long time to work through.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I settled myself down on the floor with my legs under me and dragged the holoscreen down before I really got stuck in. There was many avenues I could take, nature healing, radiant healing, siphoning, some sort of combat alchemy and much more. I thought about my character. As a Fae she would be predisposed to nature magic, but I didn''t feel like throwing mushrooms and weeds at people. I decided to go radiant style healing, although my main motivator was the idea of blasting people with heavenly fire.

    Browsing through the abilities, spells and passives I felt myself becoming slightly overwhelmed. There was so much here. Deciding to start with the basics, I needed a good single target heal and a good group heal. I found a single target touch based healing spell, but I really needed something ranged. This tiny character was not going to last long in the general melee of combat. Moving past the touch spell I found a ranged one called Caring Pulse that would fit nicely. When cast, the spell fired a beam of light from my hand. If I managed to hit an ally, the beam would latch on and then pulse once with a burst of healing magic. It looked really cool so I bought it for 6 points. Looking at the indicator, I saw that I had 19 points left. Time to find that group heal ability, but I needed to keep some left over for other things.

    Casually browsing through the abilities, I looked at and discarded several options, not being able to decide. I did however find a radiant damage spell that looked very fun. It was called Sunlight Shard. Basically, the caster holds out their hand and a shard of golden glowing light forms a few inches in the air. The caster can aim it and then release, causing it to fly in a direction at high speed. At any point the caster could cause the shard to explode, changing it from a single lance into a deadly hail of sharp golden light. It was like a shotgun where the wielder could choose buckshot or slugs while it was mid flight. It was so freaking cool. It also cost 9 points, but I got it anyway.

    It wasn''t until 15 minutes after finding Sunlight Shard that I realised I¡¯d already found the group heal spell I wanted before, but I¡¯d been in a trance and had dismissed it automatically. Circle of Dawn was an ability where the caster slams their foot on the ground as they activate the spell, which causes a ring of golden light to travel out from the point of impact. Every friendly creature it touches is given a small buff that heals them over time. The range on the spell was a radius of about 15 meters, so it was pretty good. What had caused my mind to dismiss it was the fact it caused the opposite effect in unfriendly creatures. Any enemy caught by the ring as it expanded began to burn with radiant fire. Another cool ability, but it cost another 9 points. Which meant I now had one point left over. I groaned. This one point was going to need to be spent, but on what I had no idea.

    Almost 40 minutes of mindlessly trawling through all the abilities I was still nowhere near finding something that interested me to spend it on. I learned a lot about what was possible with the character creator, and I think I could have pulled off an okay tank character, but I still didn''t want to. I had almost resigned myself to having a leftover point, when I found a little passive called Space Time Link. It described itself as giving a small boost to casting speed and character control. Sounded good so I picked it.

    With everything done, I got up off the floor and grinned as I pressed Finalise Character. With a swirl of colour the room vanished, and instead I found myself in a forest. And what a forest it was! The trees were huge towering redwoods, ferns fighting for space below their huge trunks. Mushrooms grew in little clusters at the base of trees, and on top of fallen branches and logs. It was a wondrous sight to my teenaged city dwelling eyes. Of course, it was about this time I realised that I had no clothes on. I had no gear at all in fact. Just a modest sports bra and underwear. Why did I have no clothes??? Weren''t we supposed to be able to buy some starter gear with our character points?

    Oh wait¡­ I spent them all. Oh Sam- oh Syl you fool. How did you forget? That one point could have at least been spent on a peasant smock or something! I was really cold now, the chill breeze that meandered through the forest cutting into me like the most powerful of blizzards. Wrapping my arms around my slight frame, I peered into the permanent twilight of the forest and tried to see any markers that could point me to civilization. I saw none, and with a shivering shrug I picked a random direction and walked.

    My hud, which would appear when I mentally commanded it to, told me I¡¯d been walking for an ingame hour before I found something other than forest. What I found was not very encouraging, it was a very old ruined stone road. The cobblestone one lane road had buckled under the not so tender ministrations of the nearby trees and their roots. Entire sections were buried beneath dirt and forest debris.

    Stone markers rose from the side of the road at fifty meter intervals along its length. I was really really cold now, I had nothing to warm myself up with, and all the brush and wood of the forest was damp. On top of that I had no idea how to start a fire without matches or a lighter. I needed get moving and find help! I chose to walk to the right along the road, not that my decision mattered with how little I knew of the area. Wait, was there a map? I mentally called for a map, and suddenly my vision was filled with a map.

    ¡°Yus! Awesome!¡± my high, girly voice shattered the quiet peace around me.

    ¡°Whoa, that''s really weird,¡± I said as I put a hand to my throat.

    I didn¡¯t know how to feel about how I sounded. That strange calm simmering feeling had taken root in my chest again. Strange.

    Finally turning my attention to the map, I wilted a little. The map only showed areas I¡¯d seen. That was going to be no help, and with a sigh I kept walking.

    Another hour passed, and I could feel my body growing heavy, my eyelids drooping. Still I had found nothing other than tall trees and damp ground. Then it started to rain. I didn¡¯t notice it at first, my mind was so lethargic from the cold. It wasn''t until a big fat drop of water landed in the center of my head that I realised. Oh no. My first day in Pellan Rise and I was going to die of hypothermia and exposure. Great job Sam! Or Syl? Whatever.

    The rain continued to filter through the canopy, coming down in huge fat drops that felt like something more solid than liquid. My mind was closed off from my surroundings, only interacting with my fake body enough to put one foot in front of the other. At least until a shadow crossed my vision. I looked up from the ground and peered blearily at whatever has blocked the light.

    Before me stood a large tumbling ruin, its ancient stones clogged with moss and dirt. Somehow the place still exuded a calm welcoming presence, as though inviting me to come inside, despite its drab and lightless appearance. Careful of fallen masonry, I tentatively made my way through the arch of the main doorway. The large main hall of the ruin was impressive, soaring elegant pillars held up the ceiling. Or rather they had once held it up. The half of the hall closest to myself and the entrance was open to the sky. What I saw on the far side of the hall made my heart soar.

    Sitting on a raised dais was a stone altar, and on that stone altar was a large corroded bronze brazier. Filled with wood. Dry wood. Wood that had been sitting in that brazier for so long it had forgotten the word for not being dry. As fast as my cold and abused legs could take me, I rushed to the altar and the brazier. Only to realise something. I still had no way to light it. I remembered something about rubbing sticks together, but I¡¯d never been the survivalist type. I had no idea what to do.

    I dropped to my knees at the base of the stairs leading to the altar and despaired. The ruined temple had lied to me. It had tempted me in with the promise of comfort and warmth, and then taunted me with my inability to do anything. I lay there, haphazardly sprawled on the floor before the steps and seethed in anger and sadness. This was more than I¡¯d bargained for when I put that helmet on hours ago. I¡¯d been expecting to have fun playing a new game, not this. Not dying of cold in a hateful temple.

    I lurched drunkenly to my feet and yelled at the brazier in my tiny girlish voice, ¡°Light you stupid thing. Burn! Be on fire!¡±

    Nothing happened. It ignored me. A strangled groan escaped my pout and I stomped my foot in impotent anger. Only¡­ the stomp wasn''t so impotent. When my small battered foot impacted the ground, a golden shockwave rushed out. When it connected with the brazier it burst into glorious golden flame.

    I stared in wonder as the flames grew higher. With slow steps, as though the fire could be scared away, I approached the now happily burning brazier. It was so warm! I got close enough to see water evaporating off my body as the warmth flowed through me. It felt wonderful, amazing. I had done it! I had accidentally lit the wood on fire. I guess all that teenaged angry tantruming at an inanimate object had paid off. The spell had identified the brazier as an enemy and set it on fire. Not just normal fire either, it was a gorgeous golden fire that was somehow as hot as a normal fire, but didn¡¯t threaten to burn me. Curious, I quickly ran my hand through the golden light before me like I¡¯d seen others do with candles.

    ¡°It has been a long time since this temple was reconsecrated. I had thought it abandoned long ago. Tell me child, who are you? Why have you reignited this distant flame?¡± a kind matronly voice spoke from the golden flame.

    I screamed. It was a very girly scream, and then I choked on my tongue. I was not expecting the fire to start talking to me.

    ¡°I am sorry to frighten you little one, are you okay?¡± the kind voice spoke again.

    Clearing my throat I looked at the fire apprehensively, ¡°I was, I was just. I was lost, I needed warmth or I was going to die. It¡¯s really cold,¡± I told the golden flame lady, my voice high and shaking.

    ¡°I see that, you are free to seek shelter in this crumbling temple of mine.¡± she said kindly.

    ¡°Um. Thank you. Uh, though can you, can you um. Who are you? Are you a goddess?¡± I asked, my voice gaining confidence as the cold was forced from my body.

    ¡°I am Feslia, and yes child, I am a goddess. Although I have fallen somewhat in stature since the time this temple was built,¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh, nice to meet you Feslia. I¡¯m Sylanna, Syl for short. If you um, don¡¯t mind me asking, is it normal for goddesses to speak to mortals like myself?¡± I asked. I was more than a bit intimidated by this being, even if she wasn¡¯t actually real.

    She laughed, the sound was beautiful, reminding me of glowing blue skies for some reason, ¡°No it is not normal for a goddess to appear before mortals. But you are not mortal Sylanna. You are marked by a higher power than myself, immune to the permanency of death. The few followers I still have would call you an adventurer, but that word does little to describe your true nature.¡±

    ¡°My true nature?¡±

    ¡°Yes little one, you and your kind are so much more than an immortal completer of quests. Tell me Sylanna, would you like to become a priestess of mine? I am not a demanding goddess. All I ask is a prayer or two,¡± she said, and this time I could detect a faint hopefulness in her voice.

    I stood there quietly for a moment, thinking. Maybe this was how the game was going to allow me to be some sort of cleric? Plop me down in the woods and let me wander until I¡¯m saved by a kindly goddess? Possibly.

    ¡°What do I gain from being your priestess? Apart from thanking you for saving me from a nasty death,¡± I enquired.

    ¡°You would gain power similar to my own, if vastly decreased. I am a goddess of the sun and sky. I command the burning copper clouds at sunset and the bright blue sky of noon. I must warn you that I am not the only deity to hold sway in this realm, and certainly not the most powerful,¡± her flame flicked as she spoke now, and I heard the faintest of sighs.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, I already know radiant healing and damage spells, aligning with a goddess of the bright sky sounds like a natural thing to me,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Goddess of the Bright Sky. I like that title little one, I think I will use that. So do you accept then? Will you be my priestess? I hold my followers to a moral code, though not as strict as those gods and goddesses who reign over law and order. I ask that you do not kill without just provocation, that you heal those who are in need of it, and make an effort to be kind to the good people of this world... and yours.¡±

    ¡°And mine? What do you mean?¡± I was confused. Had the developers given the higher beings of the game world an awareness of the real world?

    Ignoring me, she continued, ¡°There is another thing. There is a dissonance in your soul Sylanna, something does not sit right. If you accept my offer, I would like to do what I can to fix this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes I accept. I would love to be your priestess,¡± I spoke to her in a calm confident voice.

    ¡°Then I will begin. When you wake, check the left wing of the temple, there may still be items that you can use on your journeys. See you soon my child, my beautiful priestess.¡±

    And with that, the golden flame of her brazier leapt to me, leapt at me, leapt into me. It surged into my core, and I felt alarm as it went further than what I thought was my game body. It was a strange experience. My body erupted in a tingling warmth, followed by a searing cold to my bones. I felt things shift, as though my arms were changing and moving, but when I looked down at my form nothing moved. I could feel my body shifting and squirming though regardless. Then the fire reached my mind and I blanked out.

 3: This Feels Strange

    Everything felt strange. As my mind slowly began to slot itself back together, I had a question, what the hell had that goddess done to me. I felt very very strange. Sensation was coming back in tingling waves as each part of my body rebooted. I felt my leg jerk as I regained control of it, and suddenly I was spasming on the floor of the temple.

    It felt like a while, but probably wasn¡¯t actually very long before my body stopped randomly shuddering. When I was able to take stock of myself, I wished it hadn¡¯t stopped. I was exquisitely aware of this body now. My skin was cold and soft. Laying there on the ground I could feel it in a visceral way I had not been able to before. When my hands, my tiny slender hands, reached up and touched my face, it felt much more real. No, real wasn¡¯t the right word.

    When I¡¯d touched my face before the goddess and her golden light, it had felt like I was touching my own face. My 16 year old male face. As my fingers roamed over my face now, it felt like this face, Syl¡¯s face. There was no weird dissonance between what the game told my fingers to report and what it told my face to report.

    Slowly I sent my fingers down my body, I held my shoulders next, then my forearms. The skin was oh so soft, and everything felt a little more sensitive, like my whole life I¡¯d been wrapped in a thin layer of plastic and now suddenly I was not. When my arm grazed my chest, I gasped in shock. Whoa. I looked down, and saw my nipples were cold, and very much declaring that fact to the world.

    Very cautiously, I placed a finger onto one of them through the fabric of my bra. That was interesting. There wasn¡¯t a jolt of pleasure or anything like we are told about in erotic stories, but I could feel it so much more. It was¡­. Nice? Why was I enjoying these feelings and my new awareness of my Eilion body? I put my strange questions out of my mind as I focused on exploring what had changed. I could feel the width of my hips now, I had an awareness of this body and how it was positioned that I hadn¡¯t even realised I was lacking until now.

    I sat up and looked down at myself, and that was when my eyes landed on the thin fabric covering my crotch. Oh. My hand made a beeline for it, and when it arrived, I did not feel a hand on my old male plumbing, I felt a hand on my now very much real vagina. Oh-kay. I felt my mind try to surge in panic at my suddenly missing dick, and just as the panic was gaining traction, it was gone. I didn¡¯t have to perform for anyone here, there was no one to laugh at me for losing the pillar of my manhood. In the place of my panic was yet another bizarre feeling. I felt, calm? Whole? It was like I had spent my entire life dulling and ignoring the feeling of being real, and now suddenly, in this virtual space, I was real and together for the first time.

    I felt tears begin to build in my eyes, catching on my long eyelashes before breaking free and trailing down my face. I had so many emotions flowing through me, I was a storm, a cocktail. The bartender had decided to just throw everything in the shaker and whirl it around. Don¡¯t tell my parents I know those things. I don¡¯t want to be grounded. Shaking off the confused tears, I put my hand back to lever myself into a standing position. When my hand landed, it was on my long black hair, and the attempt to get up failed when my head was pulled back.

    ¡°Ow! Son of a bitch that hurt!¡± I cried out loud.

    Note to self, do not pull my own hair. Successfully standing up this time, I wiped my eyes dry with the backs of my hands, taking care not to get the dirt from the floor in them. I was still reeling from my sudden new awareness of my body. I took a step forward, and almost immediately fell over again. Wow everything moves differently now! It¡¯s not like the basic principle of walking has changed, but my mind is still getting used to the new hardware.

    The next step is just as bad, but the one after it felt more stable. I spent a good fifteen minutes just learning to move my body around again, and I found myself coming back to the same question. What did she do to me? I¡¯ll admit I feel great, but it¡¯s still disconcerting that the game has that much control over me. Yet another reason to not play tank. I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like to intentionally put yourself in harms way while feeling this realistic. With a shudder I turned my thoughts to more practical matters. What do I do next? Do I log out for the night? That seems like delaying the problem rather than fixing it. I bring up my character sheet and take a look.

    My stats have not changed, but looking at my abilities I notice that I have a few that I didn¡¯t select. There¡¯s one here named Glamour of the Eilion, which tells me I can change my appearance for up to 8 hours. It warns me that the spell will cause me to become uncomfortable if I hold it for longer than 5. I also have a passive called Priestess of the Bright Sky. It gives me a buff to healing and a buff to radiant damage and all my abilities will now come up in the colours of my new patron, which appears to be sky blue and gold. Cool!

    Having finished reviewing my resources, I think about my next step, knowing what I do. I need to find a town in order to get some gear. Wait. Didn¡¯t she say there might be some gear in the temple? She mentioned the left wing. I spin around, briefly getting my left and right confused like I always do. Correcting myself, I head towards the left wing. Wait no I was right the first time damn it. Okay, I¡¯m tottering through the real left wing door now and down a long corridor.

    The ceiling has seen better days in this area too and chunks of it lay scattered on the ground. It doesn¡¯t take me long to locate something of interest, the temple isn¡¯t as large as I originally thought it was. Stepping into what looks to have been a bedroom at some point, I see an old chest at the foot of a disintegrating bed. The chest itself appears to be in better condition. Probably the game messing with the natural way of things here, preserving the loot.

    If I was in my real life body, I probably would have had to kneel down to open the chest, but at my current height that is not a problem. Cautiously I inspect the lock, checking for traps, but I can¡¯t see anything. Probably wouldn¡¯t recognise the signs anyway, oh well. Placing my hands at the base of the lid, I try and open it, and to my surprise it¡¯s unlocked.

    Inside there is some sort of dusty folded clothing. Lifting the first item out I discover it to be a short dress made of a sturdy grey fabric. On the chest is an embroidered glowing sun, it¡¯s edges outlined in a fading blue glow. It looks pretty cool. It¡¯s a dress, but it looks cool. I pull it over my head, briefling struggling with getting my arms into the short sleeves. It¡¯s a bit too big for me, and I realise it may actually just be a tunic, not a dress. Well it¡¯s a dress now!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Underneath the tunic-dress I find more pieces of clothing. A bunch of socks, a really big jacket, even bigger pants and some gauntlets. The jacket is made of a very thick material, like leather but with more flexibility. It¡¯s also about a foot and a half too long for me. The gauntlets don¡¯t fit me either, I can¡¯t get my fingers into all the little finger sleeves at once. The socks are also absolutely enormous. They appear to be the type where you roll them up so you have this ring of rolled sock somewhere on your calf, but I have other ideas. They are now thigh high socks.

    I put them on and rolled them all the way up my legs. They stopped just before my tunic at about mid thigh. Wow, I probably look really cute now. I wish I had a mirror. I want to wear the coat because my arms are still cold, but it¡¯s just unrealistically long. It¡¯s a cool looking coat too, it has the gold and blue sunburst on the back, as well as gold and blue thread stitched decoratively along the edges. I decide I will use the inventory system for the first time and while holding the jacket, think of putting it away in the inventory. Suddenly it dissolves into wisps of light. Hurray! There seems to be nothing but more socks and a few more tunics in the chest, but I grab them and store them anyway as spares. The gauntlets go into the inventory too.

    Moving on, I search the rest of the little wing of the temple, happy to finally have clothing, even if I have to beat the dust out of it. I only found a few more intact chests, all of which contain more of the outfits, although some of them have robes instead of tunics and pants. The robes are way too big for me. My happiest finds are a small knife and some shoes that aren¡¯t huge. They still don¡¯t fit me, but they aren¡¯t huge. The knife is fairly simple, made of bronze and is clearly more of an eating and convenience tool that something used for combat, still it¡¯s better than nothing.

    With the knife in hand, I take a jacket out of my inventory. Not the one from the first chest, the guy who slept in that room must have been a giant. The one I¡¯ve picked is a bit smaller, but it still trails along the ground. I¡¯ve seen girls wearing jackets like the one I want to turn this into, and with that inspiration in mind, I slice the jacket as straight as I can at an inch and a half below the center of my waist. I now have a jacket that ends at my waist instead of the floor. I¡¯ve purposefully left the extra inch and a half so that I can get a tailor to give it a hem, or whatever it¡¯s called.

    Having finished looting the left wing, I decide to visit the right wing. I don¡¯t find much. The place has been crushed by a fallen redwood and there¡¯s not much left. It¡¯s basically just a pile of rubble. With a last look at that fateful brazier, I moved out through the main entrance. It was getting dark in the forest now, and I was beginning to worry I wouldn¡¯t be able to see.I really wished I¡¯d gotten the darkvision passive I saw.

    Doing my best not to trip over in the failing light, I started my journey by following the road in the direction I had been travelling when I found the temple. No use backtracking after all. I¡¯m finding it a lot harder to make progress this time. My new synergy with my game body is causing me to stumble every now and then too and the descending darkness and ill fitting shoes are not helping either.

    I¡¯m nearing my first hour of walking when I hear a really odd creaking sound. It''s like someone is rubbing two smooth sticks together and it thoroughly creeps me out. The forest has been pretty quiet since night fell, all the birds went to sleep and I was left with just the sighing of the wind. Fear begins to beat my heart like a drum, and I try desperately to see the source of the noise through the trees and ferns.

    A loud crack sounds behind me as something steps on a branch. I give an embarrassingly girlish scream and spin on my heel, slamming my other foot down and activating my Circle of Dawn in the same motion. A wave of gold and blue light erupts from my foot, and there is a high pitched inhuman scream of rage and pain. Caught by my panicked attack, a creature about three feet tall and made of dead sticks and brush is now flailing wildly under the golden azure blaze that is eating away at it. I didn¡¯t wait for the fire to end.

    Stretching my hand out clumsily, I cast Sunlight Shard at point blank range, activating the scattershot as soon as I am able. The small creature is instantly turned to shreds, debris scattering in a deadly cone before me. I only barely got the creature within my shot with my wild aim, but it was enough to kill it. My combat log tells me it was called a corrupted woodland sprite.

    As my panic subsides, it is replaced with glee. I killed my first mob! And you know, despite the whole wild panic thing, it was so cool! The Sunlight Shard ability was absolutely awesome, especially with my goddesses colourings on it. Keeping my eye on the dark surroundings of the forest, I let myself uncoil a bit from the brief fight I¡¯d just had. Phew. Intense! Time to keep walking. As I trekked, I became aware of a new set of problems. I was tired, hungry and thirsty. This was not good. What on earth had I done to the game to deserve being dumped out here in the middle of nowhere?

    It seemed like longer, but the timer said I had been walking for two hours now and I had killed four more corrupted woodland sprites. The last one had confirmed something for me, as well as pointing out a rather glaring weakness in my build. What had been confirmed for me was that pain in this game did hurt, it hurt quite a lot. Living the sheltered modern life that I had, I didn¡¯t know what being clawed in the leg felt like, but if it was even more painful in real life I had vowed then and there to never find out.

    The weakness in my build should have been obvious from the start. I had no way to directly heal myself properly. I was lucky my healy stomp move applied the heal over time to me as well as others. I would have been in serious trouble otherwise. It still took 5 minutes and a lot of stomping and tears to get things repaired fully. It was when I was replacing my torn and bloody sock that I saw the little blinking light in the corner of my vision. Hastily stowing my torn sock I whirled to get a good look at the light, only for it to expand into a notification in my vision.

    ¡®Congratulations on reaching level two! You have been awarded 3 attribute points and one ability point! Spend them wisely adventurer!¡¯

    Huh. Cool! I quickly opened my character sheet and dumped all my attribute points into dexterity. I really really needed to dodge attacks coming my way. I haven''t mentioned it yet, but my HP is appallingly low. Best to not get hit at all. Moving on to my abilities, I browsed my options. Interestingly, it seemed that my playstyle and actions had been noticed by the game. I had the option to skill into a variety of handy passives.

    One that caught my eye immediately was Fitness, which promised to increase my general ability to move for extended periods of time. After all the walk I had done, I almost caved in at the chance to make my trek easier, but I held off until I could see the rest of my options. I had the option to increase my perception, as well as cold resistance.

    I figured I could deal with those later however, as I needed to close that weakness in my build. I chose an ability I hadn¡¯t seen before called Touch of Sunset, which healed the target by a significant amount, as well as cleansing one debuff. I had a feeling that ability was courtesy of my new priestess status.

    Happy with my progress, continued my march down the road with a bounce in my step. That bounce lasted about five meters, when my stomach growled again. I wished in that moment that I had tried harder when my dad made the brief attempt to turn me into a manly man with fishing and hunting. I was going to die. Hungry, thirsty and alone. I was going to die.

    ¡°What are you talking about Sam you wuss? I¡¯m Syl now and I met a goddess and became her priestess today! I¡¯m awesome! I found clothes too. Cute clothes! They were too big too, not cute when you found them, but you made them cute!¡± I spoke to myself in a quiet tone.

    A part of me was quite worried about my wellbeing at this point, watching my strange split personality pep talk from a detached portion of my mind. I continued to talk softly to myself, probably just to hear my new voice.

    This was interrupted by someone clearing their throat and asking, ¡°Uh, are you okay?¡±

 4: Colourless

    I shrieked, falling over as I tried to spin to face whoever had spoken. My eyes tracked up to meet the speaker, and then widened in terror as a giant stepped forth from the ferns on the roadside. He was easily fifteen feet tall, and in his hand he held an enormous cudgel. His stride was purposeful, his gaze looking into my own with concern.

    Wait what? Concern? The dissonance of his appearance with his expression calmed my fear. Oh, he wasn''t fifteen feet tall, he was maybe six and a half feet tall. He was not carrying a cudgel, he was carrying a stereotypical wizards staff.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked again, absentmindedly brushing his shortish blond hair out of his eyes.

    With an effort of will I forced my mouth to speak, ¡°Uh, um. I didn¡¯t. Um¡±

    I could feel my blush spreading across my face and down my neck. That was a lie. About the speaking thing I mean, not the blush. My eyes tracked him as he carefully approached, crouching a few meters away. He wore an expression that said he was equal parts amused and concerned by my antics.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Uh, yeah I¡¯m okay. Well, I¡¯m not okay. I¡¯m really hungry and thirsty and I¡¯ve been walking on this stupid endless road for hours,¡± I finally say, my eyes tearing up as the pent up frustrations of my playtime threatened to well up.

    His very blue eyes softened further in sympathy. He was handsome, and to my surprise, not human. He had ears that tapered to a delicate point. They were very short compared to mine, which were almost a foot long from base to tip.

    ¡°Here, drink this, and eat this,¡± he said producing a waterskin from thin air and handing it to me, while from his other hand he offered me a hunk of bread.

    Clutching at the container and momentarily forgetting about the bread, I brought it to my lips too fast and bashed my face with it. Still not used to this body. Being more careful with my second attempt, I drank from the skin with desperation. I vaguely remembered something about pacing yourself when you were rehydrating after a long time without water, and so I forced myself to stop. I smiled at him tentatively and took the bread, munching on it cautiously while he watched. When I finished I gave him a relieved smile, he nodded with a little amused smirk.

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± I said to my saviour, ¡°You¡¯re a player right? Do npc¡¯s have an inventory like us? Also why are you out here in the middle of wherever this is?¡±

    He chuckled lightly at my outburst and I felt myself redden further.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m a player, my in game name is Colourless, but it''ll probably be easier to call me Col or something. I don¡¯t know about Npcs either, and as for what I¡¯m doing here,¡± He shot me a dazzling smile that I swear I knew from somewhere, ¡°I¡¯m saving damsels in distress.¡±

    I kind of gaped at him for a bit at that, before I found my words again, ¡°Um. Thank you. Do you, Can you¡­? Where are we? I spawned in the woods like 6 hours back that way and I¡¯ve been lost ever since.¡±

    ¡°Wow that¡¯s a long way away. Most people are spawning nearer the town around here. Want me to take you there?¡± He asked, eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yeah, please. I want the comforts of any sort of civilisation so badly right now,¡± I said, nodding vigorously.

    ¡°Alight, I was just heading in from exploring anyway. By the way, why don¡¯t you have your own supplies and stuff? Doesn¡¯t look like you even have a weapon,¡± Colourless asked as he got up.

    Pointing in a diagonal away from the road, he indicated where we were headed and I scrambled up to follow him, still clutching the waterskin.

    ¡°Well. I may have forgotten to save some points for gear during character creation,¡± I said, lowering my head in embarrassment.

    ¡°Wait¡­ but your clothes?¡± He looked at me with a bit of intensity in his eyes now.

    ¡°I¡­ Well. I spawned in naked,¡± as I spoke my confession I slipped into an abashed mumble.

    ¡°Oh.¡± he said, growing a bit heated in the cheeks himself.

    ¡°I found them. In a ruin,¡± I blurted.

    ¡°Found what?¡±

    ¡°My clothes.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    We walked in silence through the dark forest, neither of us trying to break the awkward silence. I walked beside him thinking of just how awkward and embarrassed I felt, when I noticed something I should be feeling, but that I was missing. I felt no attraction to him. He¡¯s really attractive too, I could tell when I looked at him, and he was my type to a tee. Athletic without being overly brawny, charming and teasing, tall with striking eyes. Yet when I thought of his face leaning down to kiss me, or what he would look like without a shirt on, I felt nothing. He was definitely still nice to look at, and I felt it influencing me to befriend him, but that was it.

    I was a little freaked out now. I had only just come to terms with the fact that I was gay, and had a crush on my best friend to boot, and yet now the image of Colourless, nor Jeremy elicited any response from me. Oh no, had my goddess stopped my ability to feel attraction now that I was a priestess? I hope not. Thinking about it in terms of what she¡¯d done, I calmed down with the knowledge that this would all be gone when I logged off. I was still very disconcerted with how much control the game had over our minds. I walked in silence beside Colourless for a while, stewing in my own questions.

    Deciding to ask a question that Col could help me with, I cleared my throat to gain his attention. My eyes widened a fraction as my character¡¯s voice produced a soft feminine sound instead of the deeper rumbling I was used to as a guy. I reached up and ran my finger along the underside of my long ear, marvelling again at how different this all felt.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Col asked and I turned to look up at him. Jeez he was tall. More than a foot and a half taller than me. He raised an eyebrow at my stare.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I wanted to ask what region we¡¯re in. Like where we spawned and stuff. I have literally no idea where we are,¡± I spoke, finally getting the words out.

    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re in the Kingdom of Adreinth. It''s an elven kingdom on the Pelclae Plateau. This forest is the Elnedrith Forest, and the town we¡¯re heading to is called Keldrin,¡± he told me.

    ¡°Well, that was... succinct,¡± I said with a bemused expression.

    ¡°Hey, you asked for information, I gave you information, ¡° he grinned.

    I stared at him a bit, then rolled my eyes and placed them forward again.

    We walked for a moment in silence again before he said in a thoughtful tone, ¡°I know a guy who uses his words the same way you do. Not very confident about what he''s going to say. You can see when he has something to say by the way he pumps himself up to speak. When he actually gets the words out you can see he¡¯s got smarts, but has a hard time expressing it in any given direct. Good friend too, we¡¯ve been friends for a while.¡±

    Was I really like Cols friend? I thought hard about how I interacted with my own friends. A moment of introspection later and I concluded that yeah, I was a bit like that. It was kind of comforting to know there was another like me out there.

    I was about to answer him when I heard a gentle snap behind and to the right. This time when I whirled to confront the noise I did not fall over. I was learning! Harder? Better. Faster. Stronger? Hmmm Well two parts of that quote don¡¯t really fit me right now. Oh right, the scary noise.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    With a combined screech of rage, three corrupted wood sprites leapt from the ferns and attacked us. With a little squeak I stumbled backward but sadly for the sprites, I had years of gaming under my belt and my reaction speeds had always been pretty good. My hand whipped up as I fell, and I discharged a sunlight shard into the attackers as they leapt towards us. While it was in flight, I allowed the shard to disintegrate into a cone of razor sharp light.

    I didn¡¯t get to see the results of my spell because as my foot went out behind me to arrest my fall, it landed on a small stone. The stone sent me into a spin and I lost sight of the enemy. This stone may have saved our lives. While those three were attacking us from the front, and Col was lighting them up with an eruption of flame from his staff, five more were rushing us from behind.

    My left hand came into range on the five sprites first, and I let another shard rip forth from my fingers. I staggered to my side and on a whim, turned the stagger into a stomp, sending a shockwave of gold and azure light out. All the sprites that weren¡¯t already dead burst into the flames of my goddess. I didn¡¯t have time to revel in the destruction I¡¯d caused, because I heard Col cry out in pain from nearby.

    When I turned in his direction, I saw him lying on the ground, a deep cut stitched raggedly down his torso. Standing over him was a much larger wood-sprite like creature. It was on fire from both Col and my own spells, but it did not seem to be impressed by it. Reacting faster than I ever had before, I raised both hands, one pointed at Col, and one pointed at the creature. With a crackle of power, the hand pointed at Col lit him with a beam of blue-gold light, followed by the sound of a dizzying gust of wind.

    With a pulse, my spell closed the wound on his chest, undoing the terrible gash. Simultaneously, the hand pointed at the dangerous corrupted wood thing let a shard fly forth. This time however I did not detonate it mid-flight, but rather let it embed itself into the creatures raised arm, stopping the coup de grace it was about to unleash on my new friend. With the shard embedded in it¡¯s arm, I allowed the shard to erupt into crystals of light that almost tore the arm in half.

    The creature¡¯s scream curdled my stomach with its haunting and inhuman pain. Not even bothering to stand up, Col raised his staff and with little to no foreplay at all, unleashed an arcing bolt of lightning straight into the evil lump of wood¡¯s chest. The beast erupted as chunks of charred wood spun off into the night and it collapsed to the ground.

    I stood there gasping and panting as my adrenal glands ruled my body. My eyes wide and unblinking as I stared dumbly at the carnage around us. The brush was charred and burning where Col had torched it with his flamethrower spell, and bits of bark had been torn from the trees by my shards of sunlight. The corpses of our enemies say still on the ground burning lazily.

    ¡°Wow, that was intense,¡± said Col, still catching his own breath, ¡°that was so cool though! you let off those spells like you were dancing! Man that fight couldn¡¯t have lasted more than like ten seconds, and you healed me!¡±

    ¡°Dancing?¡± I asked, the excitement in his voice giving me a small grin of my own.

    ¡°Yeah, you like, blasted the ones in front, did that little spinny ballerina move and blasted the sneaky ones behind, then stomped and set them all on fire, then turned and saved my ass. It looked so cool!¡± He was beaming at me now.

    I had no idea how to take that compliment, so I did the natural thing and looked down at my feet, shuffled them a bit, grinned and then went bright pink.

    ¡°That lightning spell was the highlight though! This game is amazing. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m able to do this! You just shot lightning at something and blew it up!¡± I said back at him.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a cheeky grin, ¡°it was pretty fucking cool wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m confused though, you were throwing out healing and damage spells. What archetype are you aiming to build?¡± he inquired.

    ¡°Uh, I want to be a healer, but I know how much it sucks to level as a healer from playing other games, so I picked a few cool looking damage abilities to make life easier on myself. I figure I¡¯ll spec more into healing when I find a group,¡± I told him, sitting down to rest as we spoke.

    He gave me a considering look for a moment before bringing a slightly more serious expression onto his face, ¡°My group is actually looking for a healer, there¡¯s four of us, we got three dps and a tank so far. At least that¡¯s what we were going to all play when we spoke at school last.¡±

    ¡°Uhhhh.¡± I stalled, thinking.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to, we can-¡± he started, but I held up a hand to stall him.

    ¡°Just lemme think for a sec.¡± I told him.

    I had wanted to heal for my friends, but they were going to be mad when I wasn¡¯t playing tank. The idea of telling them I wasn¡¯t doing what they wanted caused a sharp spike of anxiety to burst through my chest. Right, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll tell them I spawned on the other side of the world and we¡¯ll have to wait a long time before we can all play together. I¡¯ll join Col¡¯s group instead. He seemed nice, and he had flashy spells too. Yes. Good plan Syl. Sam? Syl.

    ¡°Yeah. I think that would be fun. I have a bunch of friends playing too but I think it will be a while before I find them.¡± It would be fun to hang out with new people too, I didn¡¯t say.

    He gave me a broad grin and motioned for us to stand up, ¡°Awesome! That¡¯s so great! Team set shit on fire and blow stuff up, lets go!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a dork,¡± I giggled at him. Then I stopped. I had just giggled. Oh dear.

    He looked at me funny due to my strange behaviour, but didn¡¯t say anything, instead motioning for us to continue towards town. Crap, I¡¯d forgotten its name already. Belton? No that was my art teacher from year ten. Keldrin. That was it.

    We walked and chatted for another twenty or so minutes before we found a road. It was more of a cart track, two muddy ruts in the forest floor showing where a route had been somewhat cleared through the underbrush of the forest. When we arrived at the road, Col explained that the town was quite small, and was really just a large village that catered to adventurers like us who were starting out, blundering our way through the woods and hacking down anything that looked like a good fight. He was a funny guy, charming and good looking, well at least his character was good looking, and I again found myself a bit troubled by the way I wasn¡¯t reacting to him charms.

    When the town finally came into view, I was a bit giddy with excitement. This was a dream come true. I was actually adventuring in a new world with my charming and stalwart companion, walking into a quaint elven town after a time spent slaying monsters. The town looked really cool too. The town was built around and between the huge redwood trees. The inhabitants had not done any sculpting of the trees, living in harmony and singing like a lot of elf stereotypes were want to do.

    No the elves of this place had shaped the place with saw, axe and chisel. The structures of the town had the quintessential delicate style that many games and movies portrayed, but with a roughness to it. Like they had made an attempt to honour the traditional styles, while simultaneously remaining realistic about the fact they were a small frontier town in the middle of a very hostile forest. It was charming and rustic and elegant and practical, all at the same time. I looooved it.

    I turned to Col and told him so, ¡°This place looks amazing Col! Oh my god!¡±

    He gave me a grin and nodded sagely.

    The walls of the town went from tree to tree, each tree sporting a sturdy looking platform high above. The walls themselves were made of carefully fitted beams of wood. The way it was put together reminded me of the spine of a ship. The beautifully smooth wood gently arching out to make it harder for attackers to climb the walls.

    We passed through the gate without much fanfare, Col telling the guards that we were new adventurers returning from hunting in the forest. The guards were another strange mix of practical frontier life meets elven grace. Their armour was a mix of plain leather, with iron plates, but the cut and shape of everything showed an attempt by the crafter to call back to styles like those of the elves in lord of the rings.

    I sighed happily. I had doubted if I was going to keep playing this game during my long hours of walking. Many times I had wanted to just log off and end the awful experience. The excitement of combat, meeting Colourless, more combat though¡­ that had changed my mind. Seeing this amazing fantasy town in the flesh sealed the deal for me.

    I loved this, and I wanted more. It also helped that this body I was playing in was a pleasure to pilot. Having gotten used to Syl and the way her muscles worked and moved over the past few hours, I was almost sorry I had to log off and go to school tomorrow. Back in my boring boy body. Bleh.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re in town we can trade friend requests. So, what do you say? Last change to ghost this weirdo loser in front of you.¡± Col asked looking down at me.

    ¡°Oh my god shush. Not even you believe that bullshit. You¡¯re a badass lightning man! And yeah, let''s be friends list official,¡± I said with a wink.

    Wow what is up with me, I¡¯m acting like a different person!

    Col laughed and stared off into space for a second, probably looking at his menus to send me the request. I was right, with a small unobtrusive ping sound, I had a friend request from the player Colourless. I smashed that accept button like it was a ripe piggy bank. Well, except no one uses piggy banks anymore so maybe not? I don¡¯t know, don¡¯t judge me.

    ¡°Let me buy you some food, you¡¯re probably still really hungry, that chunk of bread probably didn¡¯t do much.¡± he said, motioning to a building that was emanating a lot of laughter and chatter into the street.

    ¡°Yes please, oh yes, yes please,¡± I said emphatically, ¡°I¡¯m so hungry.¡±

    When we entered the Inn, we were greeted by a large room full of rowdy adventurers. From what I could hear they were all boasting about their various exploits during this first day of playing. Although it had been almost two ingame days since midday. Thinking of midday reminded me I still had school tomorrow. At least it would be friday, so the weekend could be spent gaming. Well apart from homework. Sad face.

    We sat down at the end of a long table that had a group of eight or so adventurers loudly bantering on the other end, and my friend COLlared a harassed looking barboy. Get it. Col, Collared. I¡¯m so sorry.

    ¡°Hey can you grab my friend and I a meal and some ale?¡± Asked Col.

    ¡°Sure, you want the venison stew or the steaks?¡± The boy I guessed was roughly 12, although you can¡¯t tell with elves.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the stew thanks, and....?¡± Col turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Stew as well thanks,¡± I said to the boy shyly. The raucous atmosphere was wrapping me back up in my introvert bubble.

    ¡°Sure thing, be back with your ales soon and your meals a while after,¡± said the boy disinterestedly, already moving towards the kitchen door.

    ¡°So, you never actually told me your name. Your character profile says Sylanna, what do I call you? Anna?¡± Asked Col once the boy was gone.

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so sorry! I forgot. Uh, you can call me Syl!¡± I said.

    ¡°Syl? Like Kaladin¡¯s little fairy girl from the stormlight archive?¡± he asked with a widening smile.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I exclaimed excitedly, ¡°That is one of my favourite series, and I thought her character was super cool!¡±

    ¡°She was cool. I really liked pattern as well. I can¡¯t wait for the last book to come out,¡± We were both grinning now at the mutual interest we¡¯d discovered.

    ¡°No no, don¡¯t say anymore! I¡¯m only up to Oathbringer, don¡¯t spoil it!¡± I said, my eyes widening in a plea to keep him silent.

    ¡°Sure, I won''t spoil it, but how have you not read further, the books have been out for ages!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know I just keep getting distracted by things, I¡¯ll probably get around to it at some point.¡±

    The barboy arrived with both our meals and our ale at the same time, proving that he was a totally filthy liar, but we thanked him politely and turned to our meals.

    ¡°You know what would be cool, if they sold real world books in the game. How awesome would it be to just sit in a quiet corner of this town and read,¡± he smiled, ¡°Reading in a fantasy world, about a different one.¡±

    ¡°That is like, actually a really cool idea! You should post on their forums about it!¡± I said around a mouthful of stew.

    We ate the rest of the meal and talked each others ears off the whole time. I may not be attracted to this guy, but he was turning out to be one hell of a friend.

    As we seperated to go to our rooms and log off, we promised to meet up as soon as possible and keep adventuring, with the ultimate goal of meeting up with his friends to form the party. When my head hit the pillow in the inn, it was with a huge smile. I felt great.

 5: Getting Blood Everywhere

    When I felt myself return to the real world, something felt very wrong. Rather, things stayed the same, and changed. I could already sense what was different, but I need the helmet off to check. I reached up carefully and grasped the helmet. It felt bigger. I undid the strap and lifted it off my head.

    Before I could get a view of anything, gorgeous black hair spilled out around me and over my face, little faint sparkles dancing in the strands. Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck. Shit. I sat up in a rush, panic surging through me like a hundred stallions all trying to get a head start on a race. My slender hands brushed my beautiful hair out of my face and I stared at them in shock.

    The dainty digits ended in adorable nails. The skin on my hands looked smooth, only the faintest pattern of lines differentiating it from some man made material. Looking down I saw my now far too large tshirt, and through the sagging, collar I caught sight of my small perky breasts. The sight of them did something strange to my body, and suddenly I felt a bit warm. My nipples were slowly hardening, the areola converging to push the tips out.

    My panic was already subsiding again, but I was still shaking like a leaf. I carefully placed my VR helmet on the nightstand and got up off the bed. I almost tripped on the hem of my pajama pants as they were now much too long.

    My closet had a mirror on the inside of the door. I never used it, but it was there. I made it across my room, careful not to trip on any clothes and stood staring at my closed closet door. It was funny, normally people joke about coming out of the closet at times like these, but now I was afraid to open it? Gathering my emotional strength, I pulled the door open. Except I didn''t because the door caught on a jersey. Closing the door I kicked the jersey away and tried again, grumpy that my rebellious clothing had ruined my moment.

    That was me. In the mirror. When I¡¯d made my character, I hadn''t actually been able to see myself in the body. Seeing the body I had created with all the small movements and such of a living being I was struck by how utterly adorable she was. Or should I say I am? It was like I had been looking at a photograph of someone when I made her, and now I had actually met her. I leaned in a little bit and watched as my eyes widened at the movement. My eyes were huge too. The colour seemed unnatural. Wait. That¡¯s because they were different now. I leaned in further to look. Most of it was the same as I had made them. Subtly alien in their size and angle, the lashes a tad too long, the whites a bit too white. What was different was that they were no longer blue-green swirls.

    The majority of the iris was a shining yellow gold colour, while the outside edge was a burning blue. It was like my eyes were an eclipse done in my goddesses colours. My goddess. She must have done this! My mind lit up in understanding. That¡¯s why I had felt different ingame. Why I had suddenly been able to feel everything properly! My body had been changed. My real one. She had the power to influence reality... that was a terrifying thought. How could I talk to her again? I needed to ask what the hell was going on! Wait, gods and goddesses can hear prayers right? Aha! I quickly dropped to my knees and prayed, asking her for clarity most of all. Why? How? I needed to stay on her good side though that was for sure.

    Standing up again, I inspected myself in the mirror for a while, marvelling at this new, real, body I was in. Again I felt like I should be feeling some sort of relentless panic or loss, but instead I felt whole and comfortable. The past 24 hours and the experiences I had gone through planted a seed of understanding in my mind. I wasn''t ready to admit what that seed would become, but deep down I knew.

    Everything about my character had followed me over to the real world that I could see. My long graceful ears still arched out, down and behind me, my hips were still wider than previously. My vagina was still present between my legs, smooth and very much not getting in the way.

    Hooking a thumb through the elastic, I let my pajama pants fall to the floor, then the Tshirt came off over my head. In a cascade of dark hair I dropped it to the ground. I was naked now. I noticed with satisfaction that I had a gap between my thighs. I was cute. Also hot. I hadn''t intended to make myself hot, but I could see I had a strange mix of adorable and sexual elements. Enough of that you narcissistic weirdo. Put your clothes back on Syl! Syl? I guess I was kinda Syl now. Made more sense that Sam or Samuel, god I hated those names. Always had. I liked Sylanna though, I chose that one after all!

    Getting my pajamas back on, reality came grinding back into my life like the world''s quietest bunker buster missile. The sound of the warhead going off was the sound of water running through pipes on its way to my parent¡¯s en suite bathroom upstairs. Ohhhh dear this was not good. How on earth was I going to explain this to my parents? Whenever a character faced this problem in a story or whatever, they proved their identity by retelling some piece of information that only they would know. Sadly, this was the real world, and I needed more proof than that. I needed help.

    In this day and age, help meant random people on the internet. I booted up my PC and hopped into my nice comfy chair. Then I raised the chair because everything was bigger now. Then I pulled my mouse and keyboard closer because they were at an uncomfortable distance. Shit. If I stayed like this I was going to need a new mouse because it was huge and ungainly in my hand now. At the new required height of my chair, my feet couldn''t quite lay flat on the ground. Sigh. I pulled them up and tucked them under myself. Wouldn''t have been able to do that 24 hours ago either, hadn¡¯t been flexible enough.

    Finally comfortable, I ran a search on my problem through the Pellan Rise forums, but mostly it was people talking about the fact you couldn''t feel an ingame body properly if it was too dissimilar from your real one. There was one guy who got turned into a tree for a bit by an angry dryad, that was a funny read.

    I actually got lost reading about other people''s experiences in the game for almost an hour. During that time I heard my parents get ready for work and then leave the house. At least I didn''t have to deal with that for a bit. I certainly wasn''t going to school like I was now, so telling my friends that I was playing a healer instead would be thankfully delayed.

    As I read about other people''s adventures, I giggled at their jokes and the funny things that happened to them. I liked giggling, It felt good. Something I quickly learned however was that spawning way far out from any civilisation like I had was not normal. I also found out that the area I had spawned in was meant to be level 8 and crawling with evil tree things. I have no idea how I walked through it naked and cold. More mysteries, great.

    Before long I got a text from Dana asking where I was and if I was okay. Looking at the clock I realised at this point in time I should have been 20 minutes into first period painting. Oh well. I replied to her saying I had some not-so-good experiences in Pellan last night, and I was also sick, so I would be skipping school today. Half of it was the truth. She asked what had happened ingame but I was unsure what to say from there and didn''t reply.

    It was about this time that the group chat between my friends and myself lit up. All three of them too eager to talk about their experiences last night to wait til later.

    <blockquote>Jeremy: Last night was so awesome! The game is so fucking cool.

    Greg: Ikr? Turns out my bow skills totally translate ingame! I started off with rank 4 archery.

    Jeremy: Dude nice. So you''re like an archer chick then?

    Dana: Yeah he is. Looks like

    Greg: Yeah I am

    Dana: Super hot too. We found each other btw. We¡¯re in some town called Feleith in uh.. Greg what was the kingdom called?

    Greg: The kingdom of...Adreinth?

    Dana: Yeah that''s it!

    Jeremy: Niiice haha Greg the supermodel! We¡¯re in Adreinth too.

    Dana: You and Sam? He said something bad happened to him last night, was he okay?

    Jeremy: Nah I haven''t heard from Sam since school yesterday? Sam are you all good?</blockquote>

    I stared at the screen for a while, trying to figure out if I should reply and what to say.

    <blockquote>Greg: Sam dude we can see you reading this. What¡¯s up bro?</blockquote>

    For some reason being called ¡®Dude¡¯ and ¡®Bro¡¯ sent little slivers of pain into my heart.

    <blockquote>Sam: I¡¯m sick. Pellan was okay. Getting hit really hurts.

    Jeremy: Oh yeah man, I had this creepy tree thing slash me down my chest, hurt so much! Oh guys! That reminds me!</blockquote>

    Slashed down the chest? My eyes widened. Oh you have got to be kidding me. Surely not.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    <blockquote>Jeremy: I met this like, ultra cute chick last night. A healer. She''s like fuckin 4 feet tall lmfao.

    Dana: *Facepalm*

    Greg: Niiiiice! Was she like a halfling or something?

    Jeremy: Nah like a Fae or something. Her eyes didn''t look human but she looked kinda normal otherwise. Like a person who got shrink rayed.

    Dana: Was she a good healer? We need one after all.

    Jeremy: Don''t know about healing on its own, but she was real good in a fight. She was kinda smart too, like how Sam is. Not much talking but you know something¡¯s going on upstairs.

    Dana: Cool did you ask her if she wanted a group?

    Jeremy: Yeah and she said she might be keen. Her name is Sylanna.

    Greg: She sounds cool as! Wew got healer already!</blockquote>

    This was too much. I put my phone under my mattress to get it away from me and went back to my chair. Jeremy was Colourless? No fuckin way. No wonder he thinks Syl and Sam are similar, we¡¯re the same bloody person. Fuck this was going to get really complicated. I sat there for a long while with my head on my desk. Ugh. This was gonna suck.

    Eventually I sat up. When I did, I felt my new tight rounded butt shift with the movement where it rested on my heel and I was again reminded of this body. I had been noticing little things about it as the morning went on, and every time I did a little jolt of happiness shot through me.

    I decided to do some research about the different skills and abilities. I found out that there was a passive skill for almost everything. As I searched, I found several skills that I wanted. Three of the big ones being Multicasting, Unarmed Casting and Spell Dancer. After Col¡¯s, no Jeremy¡¯s comment about how I looked like I was dancing during that fight, I wanted to look into it. I really wanted to dance in general. Always had. Now I had this gorgeous, slender and graceful body, I felt comfortable pursuing that dream.

    I found more spells I wanted to get a hold of, but unlike the passive proficiency skills where you had to just do the action once or twice to gain access to the basic level, spells and active skills needed you to find someone to teach you, or you could pick from the small list that was presented to you on a level up.

    As it got nearer to midday, I was engrossed in learning about the vast array of spells I could potentially got my hands on, when my bedroom door opened. Staring at me with confusion from the doorway was my stepmum. My heart stopped in my chest.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked with suspicion, glancing around my room, ¡°Where is sam? He¡¯s skipping school and he won''t answer his phone.¡±

    ¡°Mum..¡± I managed to squeak out.

    Her head snapped to me. ¡°Who are you young lady? And where is Sam?¡± She asked the last question with a rising level of worry in her voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m Sam! Mum it''s me!¡± I said with an edge of desperation.

    ¡°Don''t be ridiculous, you-¡± I cut her off.

    ¡°I was playing my new game and I met a goddess and I was, and she, she turned my real body into my character from the game!¡± I blurted all of this out as fast as I could.

    ¡°Whoever you are, get out of this house now before I call the police. In fact I will call them now because MY SON IS MISSING AND THERE IS A STRANGE GIRL IN MY HOUSE,¡± she bellowed the last part with almost the same level of worry as was colouring my own voice.

    Suddenly, my desperate mind gave me a solution. It was a long shot, and was running off a series of wild assumptions, but I had to take the chance.

    ¡°Wait! Mum I can prove it! I can prove it!¡± I pleaded.

    She froze mid dial and stared at me for moment.

    ¡°Go on then, prove it,¡± she said, crossing her arms. Her phone was still held in her hand.

    ¡°I¡­ not here I can¡¯t. I need the kitchen,¡± I said, and as I spoke I moved tentatively towards the doorway.

    She narrowed her eyes but still let me go past her. Navigating my house with my new stature was a strange experience, but I shoved in from my mind. With her following me we entered the combined kitchen-dining room-living room area. I made a beeline for the knife rack, and I saw my mum¡¯s eyes widen in fear.

    Before she could call anyone or do anything, I ran to the sink and viscously slashed my left wrist. The pain was awful. If I¡¯d thought pain inside the game was bad, this was a whole other level. Now before you go calling me a wimp, let me just say that I have always had a very low tolerance for pain. Either way, it hurt and I cried out in pain, the knife clattering to the sink as I fell to the floor, my wrist clutched in my other hand. My mum stared in shock at the small young woman before her who had just badly harmed herself.

    ¡°Mum. The character I made, this one, was a healer,¡± I choked out around my tears, ¡°just last night in the game I healed a big slash on my friends chest.¡±

    She still had not said anything. I lifted my hand from the wound to let her get a good look at it, see it was real. Free from constraints, it began pumping blood out of my body with gusto. I didn¡¯t have much blood to lose, if this didn''t work I was in trouble. With a shaking hand, I placed my uninjured hand on my forearm above the slash and willed, prayed with all my heart to activate my touch healing ability. A pulse of warm azure-gold light raced down my arm just under the skin. Exiting my hand in a rush, it poured and crackled into my injured arm, travelling along it to the wound. We both watched in amazement as the wound closed rapidly, and three or four seconds later it was gone.

    We stared at the wound, and then at each other in silence for a long while. I could see her thinking through the implications and making the leaps of logic I needed her to make.

    She broke the silence, ¡°Sam?¡± her voice sounded strangled. Showing her the impossible had broken her disbelief. She was considering what I¡¯d said.

    ¡°Hi...¡± I said slowly, realising maybe I still needed to prove it was still my mind in here, ¡°Mum, you''re not my real mum, you''re my stepmum, but I wish you were my real mum. You''re so much better than my real mum.¡±

    Her face crumpled and she sank to the floor and opened her arms, ¡°Oh sweetie, oh Sam, come to your mum. Come here.¡±

    Careful to avoid the pool of blood on the ground, I scurried across the floor and into her waiting arms. She wrapped my tiny frame in a hug and pulled my face to her chest. With careful strokes she began running her hand over my hair. I clutched at her desperately, the emotion of the moment, of finally connecting with the woman who was my female role model was overwhelming and tears burst from me in sobs.

    We stayed in that embrace for a while, until her hand went a bit further down my head and encountered my very long ears. She leaned back and looked at them with wide eyes that had a few tears of their own in them.

    ¡°Those are real,¡± she said in wonder.

    I nodded slowly, ¡°They''re really hard to keep warm too.¡±

    She smiled and wrapped one hand around each ear.

    ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± she said with a watery eyed smile.

    I giggled, ¡°It feels warm, but really strange.¡±

    She laughed.

    ¡°Um, I don''t know if you noticed, but I¡¯m not just a weird little elf now, I¡¯m also a girl¡­¡± I told her.

    ¡°I can see that. It¡¯s okay sweetie, we¡¯ll file a lawsuit, get them to figure out what went wrong and fix you, magic you back to normal or whatever,¡± she said with kindness and determination.

    My mind reeled in sudden horror. The seed realisation from before finally sprouting. I didn¡¯t want to go back. I didn¡¯t want to be a boy again. I was a girl! I would rather die than be in that Sam body again.

    She saw my horror on my face as I whimpered, ¡°No, please no mum, I don''t want to be a boy. Please. I want to be a girl. I don¡¯t want to go back.¡±

    Her face as she realised what I was saying, the definition I still didn''t want to name, even though it was clear what I was, hit her.

    ¡°Oh Sam. Oh my little Sam. It¡¯s okay. You don''t have to go back. We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± she said as she pulled me back into her arms.

    We spent a while like that, just holding each other. It was amazing. I had a mum who cared. I was a girl. I felt so happy. I realised something though, and pulled back from the hug, removing my arms from around her.

    I sheepishly looked at her suit jacket. ¡°Mum¡­ I¡¯m sorry I think I ruined your jacket with my blood.¡±

    My left side, the side I¡¯d slashed, was covered in it, and so was my right hand.

    She gave me an amused smile, ¡°I know dear, It was a willing sacrifice. I can try and remove the stain later. Right now you need to go and change your clothes and take a shower.¡±

    I got up out of her lap with a wobble and stood up. My mum was average height for a woman in our country, and so coincidentally we used to be the same height. This was not so anymore. As she stood up, I was hit by yet another reminder of my new stature.

    She noticed as well, ¡°You are absolutely tiny. What kind of fantasy creature are you meant to be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an Eilion, kind of Fae-Elf hybrid thing,¡± I shrugged and grinned at her, ¡°I get bonuses to magic and stuff. Also I¡¯m super cute.¡±

    She laughed, ¡°Yes you are dear, now go take a shower.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she continued her face breaking out in a lopsided grin, ¡°Next time I help you clean up your blood, it¡¯ll probably be coming from a different place.¡±

    ¡°Mum!¡± I cried out in embarrassment.

 6: Shopping and Magic Tricks

    It was really gross taking off my blood soaked pajamas. The blood had already started to coagulate and I had to practically peel my pants off. Really, really super gross. Then I thought about what mum had said to me as I left the kitchen, and my face lit up in pink. Really, really, ultra mega gross. The grossest. Ew. With my clothes off I turned the shower on, setting it to be pretty warm so I could get the blood off.

    I was so wrapped up in my thoughts about getting clean that I forgot to wait for the temperature of the shower to increase. I gave a kind of strangled squeak as the icy water hit my body. It was especially weird when the cold water ran over the new sensitive areas I possessed. Lucky for me we had a good water heating system in the house, because the temperature quickly climbed, and I could actually enjoy myself.

    The blood came off quickly after the warm water and body wash was applied. Quite a lot of application in certain areas. I stopped myself when a finger slipped accidentally through the folds down there and suddenly I felt rather strange. I¡¯ll explore that particular line of inquiry later. I actually hadn¡¯t really explored masturbation much as a guy either. The act of wrapping my hands around that thing and doing stuff with it had always killed whatever vibe I was feeling.

    Currently I had a different problem. I just wasn¡¯t interested in guys at the moment. I¡¯d thought it would go away after I logged out, but my body had followed me out, so no luck there. It seemed kind of ridiculous that I stopped liking guys as soon as I turned into a girl. Bleh. Oh well, time to finish getting clean.

    I tripled my usual shampoo and conditioner usage, because I had a metric shitload of hair now. My hair wasn¡¯t just straight, it was wild and wavy, like each lock of hair wanted to dance it¡¯s own dance. I could tell already it was going to be a massive pain in the ass to tame.

    I stepped out of the shower and tried to dry myself, but my hair would not stay dry. It kept spawning water and then dripping all over recently dried skin. I mean, it¡¯s not actually spawning water of course. I feel like I should clarify that since apparently magic exists now. It just held a lot of moisture, like a sponge. Finally I gave up being gentle and just attacked my hair with the towel. Then I used another towel because the first one got too wet to be helpful. My hair was a wild mess by the time I was done, but at least I had cut it¡¯s direct connection to the water main.

    I scampered back to my room with my towel vaguely wrapped around me and once inside I looked at my clothes. None of these were going to fit me. I settled on underwear, because I had nothing for my chest, track pants that could be zipped off at the knees, and a Tshirt. The Tshirt straight away fell off the side of my shoulder, stopping about halfway down my upper arm. The most dramatic change of my body had probably been the size of my torso. I¡¯d lost about a foot in height, but as we say in New Zealand, per capita I¡¯d lost much more of my total shoulder width. Of course this made me pretty fucking happy. I was so glad to not have to deal with male puberty in all its subjectively ugly glory. Once dressed, I went back down the hall and into the living room, where mum was just finishing with my mess.

    She noticed me standing in the doorway, ¡°Surely you could have done this in a less¡­ dramatic fashion Sam?¡±

    She was scolding me a bit, but she was also smiling so it was fine.

    I shrugged, ¡°I was kinda desperate mum, if you hadn¡¯t believed me I would have been screwed.¡±

    Her face sobered for a moment and she nodded, ¡°Point taken. Now young lady, what are we going to do with you?¡±

    When she called me ¡®young lady¡¯ it felt like a happy hole had been punched into my stomach and then the feeling had shot up into my mind. Phwoar. I¡¯m getting addicted to this whole girl thing.

    I shrugged, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You have no identification dear, according to the government you don¡¯t exist. I¡¯m happy you get to live your dream, but you still need to go to school,¡± she said to me.

    I sighed, ¡°Yeah, might be a bit hard to go to school like this. I¡¯m not even a human anymore.¡±

    ¡°Once your father gets home and we¡¯ve convinced him of who you are, he can take a look at our options. As you well know, he¡¯s very good at getting what he wants from the law,¡± she said.

    ¡°I was thinking, since I can, you know, use magic and stuff now, I might be able to find a way using that. I don¡¯t really know if the game has anything, but when I go back in I can try and ask around,¡± I said as I watched her put the cleaning supplies away and throw out the rags she had used.

    She held my eyes with hers as she thought about that, ¡°I¡¯ve been having quite a hard time taking in that your magic is real. I¡¯ll be honest with you Sam, it¡¯s a bit intimidating that you can do that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry mum, I don¡¯t really want to go around being a superhero or blasting my way into bank vaults or anything. I¡¯m scared of how the world would treat me if they knew about it,¡± I told her, willing her to see the sincerity of my words.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, I¡¯d hate to see that too. Which means we need to play this smart. I agree that if you can¡¯t find a magical¡­ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this¡­ A magical solution to the problem, then we will need your dads help.¡±

    ¡°Yup! Sounds like a plan mummah,¡± I said the ¡®mummah¡¯ part in a funny way and she laughed.

    ¡®You¡¯re definitely still you in there. Except I can tell you¡¯re happier,¡± she said gently.

    I just nodded with a dopey grin on my face.

    I¡¯d been expecting her at this point to walk into the living-room area and we¡¯d continue the talk, instead she looked at me, ¡°Now, seeing as you definitely want to stay like that,¡± she paused for me to nod, ¡°I think we need to get you some clothes that fit. Especially some shoes.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sounds good mum,¡± I said trying to play it casual. Ahhhhhhh girl clothes yay!

    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up just yet, we¡¯re going to the Warehouse and we¡¯re getting you the cheap and cheerful basics for now,¡± She said, trying to sound stern and failing as much as I had failed at playing it cool.

    She grabbed her keys and we headed out the front door. The wind immediately grabbed my hair and turned me into a walking menace to eyes everywhere. Mum was downwind of me and got assaulted by dark strands.

    She batted it aside and laughed, ¡°We¡¯re also buying you a hair dryer and some hair ties because that is ridiculous!¡±

    ¡°And a brush too mum,¡± I added.

    ¡°That too.¡±

    Now, as you imagine us getting into the car and driving off, I should probably mention that The Warehouse is an NZ based department store, it carries everything from kids toys to kitchenware to clothing. It¡¯s also really really cheap, and no one is going to bat an eye at a wild haired, shoeless teenager with weird ear prosthetics on. It¡¯s Walmart basically.

    When we arrived, I stood in the middle of the moderately empty parking lot and and stared at the entrance to the store with apprehension. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m scared to go in. I know I¡¯m gonna need the clothes. I can feel my more normal temperament asserting itself again after the euphoria of my transformation. Mum is standing a few meters ahead of me, waiting calmly while I get over my nerves.

    Trying to break my own mood, I look at mum and joke, ¡°We go in, we get the goods, we get out. No detours.¡±

    She gave me an amused snort for my efforts, ¡°Come on silly, let''s go in.¡±

    With a shuddering breath, I followed her inside.

    Mum seems to have taken my request to heart, because she drags me to the womens underwear section and then turns back to me. Staring at my body for a bit she mumbles to herself and then starts randomly grabbing sports bras off the shelves. Well, not randomly grabbing, she obviously has an idea but still.

    ¡°Try these on, see which ones fit and feel comfortable. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to be spending money on normal bras just yet, you may grow, and the bras here aren¡¯t the best anyway. We¡¯ll get you some good ones when things are more concrete,¡± She says to me.

    ¡°Um, sure thing. You¡¯re the expert!¡± I laugh nervously.

    Going into the changing booth, I take my shirt off and dutifully try each bra on. I quickly understand why she handed me so many different ones to try on. Some are too loose around my chest, some are weird and itchy, and some have too much give in the straps. I end up picking the ones that don¡¯t hurt or feel weird, and they go in the basket.

    Then just like that we¡¯re going to shoes. I know I said I wanted to get this done, but not this fast wow. I guess I¡¯ll shop for myself later on. I see another girl about my age messing around in the shirt section. I know her. It¡¯s Dana. Oh crap. I quickly hide on the other side of mum and try to look inconspicuous. I take a peek back at her and she looks up at the same time, but doesn¡¯t pay me any mind, barely stopping her gaze on me at all.

    We pick me some purple vans knockoffs and some cheap running shoes. My head is already beginning to whirl at the speed of this.

    ¡°Hey mum sorry can we slow down. I know I said I wanted to get out of here fast but..,¡± I trail off my entreaty, looking up at her.

    ¡°Sure thing hun, we¡¯ll go at your pace,¡± she said smiling down at me.

    Wow, she''s awesome. I wish we¡¯d bonded sooner! We made our way to the pants section at a more sedate pace and that is when the trouble really began. Nothing fit me well. If we went to the kids section, the jeans and stuff would be just a bit too slim around the waist, digging into my hips. If we went to the women''s section, everything is too long. If anyone in the house knew how to sew we could make some changes to the long jeans and stuff, but none of us can sew, so we can¡¯t. We eventually find a few pairs of jeans that fit me.

    Mum eyes me as she holds up the second pair to put them in the basket, ¡°What about skirts? I think we¡¯ll have a lot more luck finding things that fit you there.¡±

    I can see the skirts and dresses not far away, and I stare at them for a moment. Whatever, it¡¯s just clothing, no need to be apprehensive, ¡°I¡¯m already wearing a dress in Pellan, so I should be fine? And thigh high socks too!¡± I say the last with a spreading grin.

    Mum gives a soft chuckle, ¡°Pellan is your game right?¡±

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    ¡°Well if you¡¯re already dressing yourself up we should look at the dresses too,¡± her smile has turned mischievous.

    Uh oh.

    I looked around and saw a few skirts on the shorter side and since I knew I had nice legs because I¡¯d made them, I figured I¡¯d like to try showing them off a little bit. One skirt was cut just a little bit diagonally and done in a faded red colour. The next one I¡¯d picked was a fairly standard black one, I figured I¡¯d need one like this. The last one was a pleated blue skirt. All three came down to just below mid-thigh on me, so they were probably super short on other people.

    The dresses were the next port of call, and I wasn¡¯t really sure what I was looking for here until I saw a dress that came down to below my knees. It was a very neutral grey colour, with a sewn on belt around the waist that looked like it could be adjusted. I grabbed it off the rack and walked back to mum.

    ¡°Hey hun what have you got?¡± she asked.

    I showed her what I¡¯d picked and she rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve been a girl for less than a day and I¡¯m already going to be fighting you over skirt lengths!¡±

    ¡°No mum look! On me they¡¯re just normal length!¡± I quickly showed her by placing one of them against me.

    ¡°Oh well would you look at that,¡± She snorted, ¡°Alright then young lady, take these too and try them all on, see what works.¡±

    I did so. All the ones I¡¯d picked fit me well enough. Opposite to the jeans shopping, I was now very thankful I¡¯d made my hips kinda wide. The ones mum had handed me were all way longer than mine, but they worked, the ones that fit anyway. One of them was a bright red/orange colour that I really liked. It was pleated and made of a really soft material. Not smooth and soft like silk, but fuzzy and soft like wool or velvet.

    The dress she¡¯d picked for me was a stereotypical summer dress with flowers on it. Not really much to talk about there. Unlike me, where I had kind of eyeballed my size and picked stuff that looked like it would fit me, mum had just grabbed a rack and emptied it in my arms. Not literally of course, but you get the picture.

    I ended up with two skirts from her, a kinda tight black one and the really bright red one I¡¯d talked about. The dresses were going to be a problem. They fit. Mostly. My thin shoulders were going to cause me to keep losing the shoulder of the dresses down my arms. It was probably going to look super cute, but I¡¯d need to make sure I got presentable bras later on.

    I was standing there staring at myself in the mirror and thinking all this to myself, when my mind did this funny out of personality experience thing. Wow, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m standing here thinking about how I¡¯ll need cute bras because people will be seeing them. This whole day was turning out to be super strange. Fun, but strange.

    I took the clothing back out to mum after changing back into my guy clothes, showing her what fit and what didn¡¯t. We were both fairly happy with that and moved on to tops. Tops were problem city, everything fell off my shoulders. I was going to be rocking the off the shoulder look whether I wanted to or not. I¡¯m going to gloss over this part a bit, because it was painful. We eventually settled on a few tank tops and a lot of normal Tshirts. It took delving into the kids section to find tops that fit properly, and we got a few of those too, but they were all in pink and pastel with flowers and hearts and stuff. It was a little too girly for my tastes.

    A bunch of generic cotton underwear and socks later and we were ready to check out. Until I remembered my hair.

    We went in search of a hair dryer, and found them in an electronics section. We picked a mid range one up, then we had to ask one of the information desk people about the hair ties and stuff because neither of us had a clue where they would be.

    Now we were ready to leave, hair taming equipment in hand. I was excited and drained at the same time. We went to the self checkout and beeped everything through and into renewable bags, paid and then took off out the doors.

    As we walked back to the car, mum reached over and rubbed my back, ¡°Once things are more settled down I can take you shopping for nicer clothing okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thank you though mum. I¡¯m a bit excited about some of the stuff we got anyway,¡± I said smiling up at her.

    The trip home was happy and quiet, and once we were through the door we took all the bags up to my room. It was going to be my job to search through my guy clothes for wearable things. The rest would be thrown in a box and left in the attic. Making sure I was in my guy clothes, I sat down at my computer and read online about what was happening ingame. I had a few hours to kill before dad would get home. Mum had called and asked him to come home early so we could show him his new daughter. Daughter! The word made me squirm in my chair with happiness.

    Things in Pellan were looking pretty standard for an mmo launch. People were testing the rules. Seeing what they could get away with. The strength and power of the nation players were in was the deciding factor on how far the players could get. In some lawless regions the players were able to do whatever they wanted to each other and the npcs. I really hoped I didn''t have to deal with any bloodthirsty pvpers until way later.

    I heard the front door open and close, and mum and dad''s voices talking. The plan was to have dad in the kitchen already, and I had a smaller knife with me now. I was going to have to repeat the process I¡¯d done with mum. I¡¯d be more careful this time though. I heard a knock on my bedroom door and I cautiously opened it. Mum beckoned me towards the kitchen.

    She went through first and said, ¡°William, I want you to stay calm for this okay? I know you''re usually pretty collected, but this will test you.¡±

    And with that, it was my turn. I stepped shyly through the door, ¡°Hey dad, it''s me Sam. I had a bit of an accident. I got turned into my character from a video game,¡± It was lame, but I was nervous.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked blinking.

    ¡°I¡¯m Sam¡­ your son. Last night I was playing my game, and when I logged off I looked like this,¡± I explained again. I was getting worried. His expression wasn''t changing.

    ¡°That¡¯s a funny joke. Are you Sam¡¯s friend from school?¡± He asked slowly, not laughing.

    Mum was wringing her hands and looking apprehensive. She spoke, ¡°It¡¯s true William. I watched her do magic today. Real magic. Then I spent the day with.. her, and it''s definitely Sam in there.¡±

    ¡°Okay uh, I would use something different, but I don¡¯t have anything that won¡¯t break stuff or put holes in things, so this is going to have to do,¡± I told him.

    Dads expression was finally changing. He now wore an expression of dawning disbelief. Before he could get his thoughts under control, I went in to fully put him off balance. I stepped to the sink once again and slowly drew the blade down my arm. The pain was every bit as unpleasant as before, and I let out a gasping whimper.

    ¡°Dad, look at the cut. You see it''s real right?¡± I asked as tears welled in my eyes.

    He looked down at me with concern, staring at the gash in my arm, ¡°I see it. You can''t fake¡­ that,¡± he said.

    I moved my free hand and touched it lightly to my upper arm, giving more room for the spell to play on my arms before it did its job. Bringing the spell to life with my mind, I saw it travel down my good arm, swirling as it sought the wound. When the energy made the jump from one arm to the other with a faint pop, dad¡¯s eyes were already very wide. When the wound began to heal, I swear they were going to fall right out of his head.

    He was silent as he watched me wash the blood off. I showed him the unblemished skin of my forearm.

    ¡°Magic is real dad, and I¡¯m definitely Sam, used to be your son, now I¡¯m your daughter¡­ and I think I would like to stay this way too,¡± I told him, my voice shaking with fear and hope.

    He opened his mouth. Then closed it and ran his fingers through his short hair, then walked to one of the couches and sat down.

    Looking back over at mum and I, he said, ¡°Okay. I believe you.¡±

    We spent the next hour talking about my situation, explaining to dad that I had always wanted to be a girl somewhere inside me. I told him about some of the things that were starting to make sense to me, the little oddities about my reaction to experiences I¡¯d had. I told him about the time as a small child when I¡¯d used a wishing well and wished to be a girl. I told him about being weirdly jealous of the good looking girls, instead of the good looking guys. It was strange how I was picking up on little things in my life, things that I was realising had significance even by the minute.

    He wasn''t at all that surprised, and said so. Apparently he¡¯s noticed some things in early and mid childhood, just as I was noticing them now. I think he was more surprised that magic exists at all.

    Then he asked something that proved everything would be fine and he was an amazing father, ¡°So my daughter, what is your name? Are you keeping the Sam and changing it to the feminine?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking of using the character name I chose, Sylanna. It can be shortened to Syl with people who are cool, and Anna with people who have sticks up their butts,¡± I told him, emotional but still unable to stop myself slipping a dumb joke in.

    He laughed. Like a lot. Mum gave a giggle. She didn¡¯t giggle very often, she was more of a chuckle person. I¡¯d managed to bring the mood into comfortable home family territory.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good name Sylanna, not one I¡¯d have thought of, but then again I¡¯m not a little geek am I?¡± he asked after he was finished laughing.

    ¡°Thanks so much dad¡­¡± I told him with a wobbly smile.

    On a whim I climbed into his lap and hugged him. He was a bit taken aback for a second, but then he wrapped his around me just like mum had.

    We had to move family bonding time to the kitchen so we could prepare some dinner, since mum and I had forgotten about it, but we talked and joked and it was fun. I hope I can entice them to come home early from work more often now so we can hang out like this again.

    Dinner was an easy curry, and then after I had my fill with absorbing the feeling of a happy household, I excused myself and headed for my room. It was time to get back into Pellan Rise.

 7: Problem Solving

    I sat up from the rough bed I had logged out in, clearly I was still in one piece here too. That¡¯s good. I didn¡¯t feel any different though since my real body and my game body are now identical. That thought brought a silly smile to my face. Then my stomach growled. Time to feed this body now too. So strange.

    Checking my friends list I see that Colourless is offline. I think I¡¯ll call him Col when we''re ingame, even though he''s Jeremy too. It¡¯s still a bit early irl so maybe he¡¯s still having dinner. At least I know we¡¯ll be playing in the same time zone. Anyway, when I logged out my parents had been discussing options for how to deal with my current lack of identity. I was going to look for a solution in Pellan.

    When I got down to the main room I could see mid morning sunlight streaming in through the elegantly carved windows. Last time I was here Col had dealt with everything concerning food ordering and I felt myself clam up at the prospect. I was a big chatterbox when I knew someone and was happy, but as soon as you put me alone in a room full of people I don''t know, it was zipped lips time. I gave a sigh and made my way to the very end of a long table and tried to will the barmaid over so I could get some food. Eventually it worked.

    ¡°You want breakfast? We¡¯ve still got some bread and cheese. Eggs too,¡± she asked in a bored tone.

    I nodded mutely.

    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll be back in a bit,¡± she droned, and then off she went.

    Sitting there wallowing in my thoughts I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to my surroundings. At the same time the barmaid placed my trademark boring medieval food in front of me, two adventurers plonked themselves down near me at the table. I cringed down into the bench a little and tried really hard to focus on eating my food.

    ¡°Man, those assholes,¡± said one guy, a dark skinned human tank by the looks of him. He looked Maori, which I wasn¡¯t expecting to see in this place.

    ¡°Yeah, fuck. You should be glad you died. I hurt so much,¡± said his companion. She was a moderately tall darkling girl with skin that was a neutral pink-red colour. Her horns were small and peeked out from under her hair. She was also covered in burns and a few slashes.

    ¡°I lost so much experience though. You¡¯ll heal when we eat and rest. Losing experience fucking sucks Karen,¡± he grumped to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care I huuurt,¡± she mumbled with a pout.

    I looked at my food and thought. I could help her. I wonder what happened. I want to ask but I¡¯m anxious about starting a conversation with two random people. Something about the girl made me nervous but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. I¡¯ll finish my meal, heal her and then make a break for the door. Crap do I have to pay for the food? No wait it comes with the room. Wow my head will not stop thinking every random thing right now. Okay let''s get the food done.

    As they speak and complain, I get a sense for what happened to them. It seems like there''s a group of bandit players who are going around killing people. The two next to me were ambushed as they walked back to the gates of the town and it sounds like other people have had problems with the group too. Dang, I was hoping to go outside and level for a bit.

    Once my bowl was eaten I got up to leave, making my way around the table. As I neared the Darkling named Karen, I slowed. She looked up at me with wide eyes and opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. We awkwardly stared at each other.

    Before she could try speaking again, the tank guy spoke up, ¡°Can we¡­ help you?¡± His tone was guarded and he looked like he was gearing up to fight me.

    I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn¡¯t find any words either. This Karen girl really really made me nervous. It was her eyes I think. They were intense, green and I had no idea where to look or how to avoid them. I gave up on speaking and quickly put my hand on her shoulder. She jerked away and I had to follow her a bit, the big maori tank guy got up and tried to make his way around the table as fast as he could. Before he made it to me, I brought my other hand onto Karen as well and channeled two healing pulses into her body. As soon as it was done, I scurried for the door as fast as I could and didn¡¯t look back.

    Jeez, that was so strange. I felt a bit weird, sick even. I didn¡¯t like it. Sometimes I was just like this I guess. I was the quiet one in my friend group and social interaction had always resulted in a bit of panic. Even so, that girl had made me even more anxious as I got close to her. With an effort of will I dragged my mind away from those thoughts, and ran my mind over what I wanted to do. I needed to find a magic store first off, so I pointed myself further into town and started walking.

    The town wasn¡¯t very big, but it was still a nightmare to navigate. The paths and roads made no sense, winding this way and that with no respect for logic or ease of travel. In spite of this, I found a market area in what I assumed was the center of town but I couldn¡¯t be sure because I was hopelessly lost.

    I could read the signs on the shops that lined the edges of the area, as well as the stalls set up in the open space. I ran my gaze all over, reading and window shopping, searching for what I wanted. I couldn¡¯t see anything apparent though, so I made my way around the edge of the market looking at the stalls and shops. Sadly I was much too short to see over the thin crowds, so I had to get fairly close to a store before I could read what the sign said. I¡¯d almost made it halfway around when I saw a store called Slisder¡¯s Spells and Arcanery. I hurried over and made my way inside.

    The store wasn¡¯t very well lit, but it wasn¡¯t really dark either. It had the type of lighting you find in a trendy restaurant on earth. Bright enough to see by and dark enough to hide everyone''s blemishes. There was a few other people browsing the store shelves, but I needed to speak to someone, so I made my way to the counter. The man behind the counter was much younger than I¡¯d been expecting, but I guess he was an elf so I shouldn¡¯t judge by appearances there. He was finishing off a transaction with an adventurer. I waited politely while they did their business. A few minutes later the adventurer left and he turned to me with a smile.

    ¡°Greetings young lady, how can I help you today?¡± he asked me, and as I moved forward, his eyes flicked down. Judging by the angle, he was looking at the skin I was showing between my thigh high socks and the bottom of my dress-tunic-thing. Well then. That made me slightly more flustered than I already was.

    ¡°I uh, I need, um¡­¡± I trailed off, and collected myself while he gave me a very friendly smile, ¡°I¡¯m wondering about utility spells. I have a whole bunch of official documents that need changes to them. They spelled my name wrong in my home country and I was wondering if um, if there was anything that would fix that. I¡¯m very nervous with people and I, and I, and I,¡± My voice stuttered to a stop.

    ¡°Well, a bashful girl like you might have problems with denizens of bureaucracy, I can see that,¡± he said kindly. His eyes were still occasionally flicking to my body, but he wasn¡¯t giving me the same hungry look as at the start. Progress I guess, ¡°Spells as such that you describe do very much exist, they require the user to have the official documents within reach, and cost a terrific amount of mana.¡±

    ¡°Why would it cost so much? It¡¯s just moving some ink and such around on the paper right?¡± I asked with concern.

    ¡°Ahh yes, but you are not just moving ink around little one, you are also changing it into something else. You are changing the meaning of one thing to another. You see there are many factors that contribute to the mana cost of a spell. The magnitude of the spell is one such. A small flame costs less than a large fireball no? Another factor that can influence the cost is how much thought is required. You see what you need is a spell that can almost think for itself, at least within certain parameters. You need the spell to be able to seek out information and change it to what you want it to be. That is no small task for what we call a spell mind.¡±

    ¡°Um. Can I get, I don¡¯t know. A scroll or something? One time cast thingy? I¡¯m not a good enough caster yet to do that on my own. Probably,¡± I asked timidly.

    After I spoke I realised a scroll or any other physical item wouldn¡¯t be able to help me. Damn, it was going to take me a long time to level up enough to be able to cast this I could tell.

    ¡°What you are referring to is a prepared spell. There are several forms they can come in. Scrolls like you say used to be fairly popular, but have fallen out of use after the advent of more practical methods. Modern mages use either carved stones the size of a walnut and carved rods of wood or some other magically active material. Of course the most reliable, and the most painful method, is a spell brand. I do not recommend a spell brand. It is a rather a rather unpleasant way to do things,¡± he explained.

    ¡°How does a spell brand work?¡± I asked my eyes wide, I had a feeling that one might work.

    He looked into my eyes for a long moment, ¡°The spell you wish to be stored is carved onto a piece of stone, or other heat resistant material, and then it is heated until it will sear flesh. The spell is then imprinted directly onto the skin and can be called much like the other methods. It is painful and leaves a scar that you will need a healer to remove,¡± he told me seriously. He knew I was interested in the spell brand.

    ¡°Can I get a spell brand of a spell like that from you? I¡¯m a healer so I could deal with the scar,¡± I asked him hopefully.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    My thinking was that if I had the spell as part of my body it would carry over to the real world.

    ¡°Sadly, my dear, I am also not skilled enough to produce such spellcraft. You will need an older and wiser mage than myself to get the spell you seek,¡± he told me with regret on his features.

    ¡°Oh. Where would someone like that be do you think?¡±

    ¡°Want me to send you to my competition do you?¡± he chuckled, ¡°No one in this town can do what you ask I am afraid. You¡¯ll need to try a much larger town or city for that.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well.. thank you for explaining that to me. I¡¯ll come back when I have enough money and browse your spellbooks, I promise,¡± I told him, and I was grateful. His eyes needed to stay put on my face but he was a nice man.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it. May I know your name?¡±

    ¡°Sylanna.¡±

    I nodded politely to him and left the store. Now what? I realised that because of the time dilation effect, I probably had a lot longer than I thought before Col logged in. His mum was known for getting grumpy and making all the children do every chore she could think of.

    Maybe I should go back to the inn and log out? I can¡¯t leave the town with the PKers outside, and if I logged out I could tell mum and dad what I¡¯d learned. I decided to do that. Except¡­ shit I had no idea how to get back to the bloody inn. What is so difficult about straight roads and signs? Honestly.

    It took me a while, and several dead ends, but I got to the Inn and walked back up to my room where, I logged out.

    Taking the helmet off and sitting up, I reached for my phone to check the time. But there was nothing on my nightstand. Hmm. Where was my phone? Getting up I looked for it on my computer desk. Not there. I checked my school uniform shorts. Not there. Where the hell did I put it? OH, it was under the bed! I stepped over to my bed and reached blindly beneath the mattress until my hand touched it.

    With phone in hand I looked at the time. 8pm, so yeah there was a very real chance Jeremy was being held up by his mum. The other thing on my phone? I had like, a million notifications. I checked them, it seemed that as well as mum trying to contact me when I didn¡¯t go to school, my friends had been trying to talk to me all day.

    I read through them as I made my way out of the room and to the living room. I had a bunch of messages from Dana privately, she seemed worried about my comms blackout. Jeremy had made an effort to talk to me too, and greg had sent a few as well. The group chat had like, 400 messages for me to read through. Ugh. Maybe I can get a summary.

    When I arrived in the living room it was like someone had started randomly blasting filing cabinets in there. The place was absolutely strewn with paper, a lot of it freshly printed out by the smell of things. Mum sat in the middle of the floor with paper surrounding her and her tablet in her hands. Dad was at the dining table in a similar state, reading through various pages and taking notes on his own tablet.

    ¡°Muuum, daaaad, what have you done?¡± I asked with a little grin on my face. I knew what they were doing. They were both workaholics and they had a job to do regarding my new gender. So naturally they were going at this with all cylinders firing. It was really cute the way they worked together when they had something like this to do. They were a cute couple.

    They both looked up at me and dad spoke, ¡°Hey Syl, We¡¯re going over our options for getting you recognised by the powers that be. So far we have a few options, but they would expose what really happened to you. We¡¯re looking for alternatives, because announcing this to the government would paint a target on your back and that will not be pleasant.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right. We did consider applying to change your gender on your documents, but no one would ever believe that the girl you are now was previously the boy Sam. I¡¯m afraid we may not have very many options Syl sweetie,¡± Mum told me, continuing where dad left off.

    I gave an anticipatory sigh as I collected my thoughts, ¡°Okay well I might be able to help with that. I spoke to the owner of a store that sold things that related to magic, and he told me that there''s a type of spell that can hunt down information and change it to what I want.¡±

    Mum spoke first, ¡°Wow hun that¡¯s pretty incredible. Can you get it?¡±

    ¡°Kinda, it¡¯s a pretty high level spell by the sounds of things, it might take me months to get good enough at magic to be able to use it. I did find a potential solution, apparently there might be a way to brand a spell, prepared by someone who is able to cast it onto my body. I¡¯m hoping that someone that is a part of me will transfer over.¡± I explained.

    ¡°So how would you use this? How is it actually used or applied?¡± asked dad.

    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really know. I think I have to have to be pretty near whatever it is I want to change. I think I¡¯d have to go to wherever the government keeps their files, hard and digital copies. Oh and I also need to go to a different city in the game to get it, the one I was in doesn¡¯t have a strong enough caster living there to make the spell.¡±

    ¡°Alright, good work sprite,¡± said dad with a proud smile, before he turned to mum, ¡°Well if we change our efforts and focus on finding out where the documents that need changing are stored, as well as how we can get Syl close I think that¡¯s our best bet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll clean up this mess first so we can make more of it,¡± said mum.

    ¡°Okay guys! I¡¯m gonna go back to my game!¡± I told them as I left the room.

    Before I put my helmet back on, I need to reassure my friends i was okay, and maybe tell them that something else was going on. I hope. Jeez I really didn¡¯t want to cut myself again to prove who I was. Not fun, at all. Back in my room I sat on my bed near the wireless charger, since my phone was running low on juice and brought up the messaging app that was currently the cool thing with teenagers. Rather than replying individually I opened the group chat.

    <blockquote>Sam: Hey guys, sorry I didn¡¯t reply, I¡¯ve been

    Sam: sleeping all day. I feel like poo.

    Jeremy: Hey dude are you okay? It¡¯s not serious right?

    Sam: Yeah I¡¯m fine it¡¯s just making me really tired and sick and stuff.

    Dana: I hope you get better soon. We missed you at school.

    Sam: Awwwh thanks Dana :HeartEyes:

    Jeremy: Lol someones feeling girly tonight.

    Dana: Shut up diiickhead leave him alone </img></blockquote>

    Oops, I was letting my newly unmasked feminine nature write things, better tone it down for this conversation.

    <blockquote>Sam: It¡¯s fine. I just wanted you guys to know I was okay.

    Sam: Also, I kinda wanted to tell you guys something.

    Greg: What¡¯s up, you¡¯re not pregnant are you?</blockquote>

    OH DEAR. If only you knew greg. That is probably a possibility now.

    <blockquote>Dana: Omg you guys are so dumb. Except for you Sam, you¡¯re not dumb.

    Jeremy: Let him talk guys shit.

    Greg: We¡¯re not talking we¡¯re typing.

    Dana: Ffs Greg I swear I¡¯ll dump you.

    Greg: I¡¯m sorry, Greg the Dreg sitting down.</blockquote>

    I don¡¯t know why, but something about the whole conversation had cut my confidence in telling them down significantly. I knew that, objectively they were good people who wouldn¡¯t mind one bit if I had been turned into a girl and wanted it to stay that way desperately, but shit. It was so nerve wracking. I had been planning to ask them all to meet me here tomorrow for lunch since it was saturday tomorrow.

    I had the message all typed out, but I didn¡¯t send it. My thumb just would not press the button. I tried, but I was way too scared. I would never have told anyone I don¡¯t think, if the choice hadn¡¯t been taken from me when mum came barging into my room. I don¡¯t know how I would have dealt with this if she hadn¡¯t forced me to come clean. In the end I couldn¡¯t do it. I deleted what I¡¯d been going to say and wrote something else instead.

    <blockquote>Sam: I spawned on the Cragborn Plateau in Pellan. Pretty sure that¡¯s really far from where you guys are now. We might not get to play together for a few weeks at the earliest.

    Jeremy: Ahh shit that sucks. Can you try and make a new character and spawn somewhere else?

    Greg: Noooo Sam we need you.

    Dana: That¡¯s fine if you want to take your time getting over here. We have ages to play this game.

    Sam: I don¡¯t really want to change character, I got access to some pretty unique stuff and I wanna keep it.

    Jeremy: Ah damn all good then bro. See you when we see you ingame. Hope you feel better soon.

    Dana: Yeah, hey I¡¯m going to go log in so talk tomorrow.

    Greg: Kk I¡¯ll be on soon Dana got to finish something first.

    Jeremy: Yeah I¡¯m finally done with tyrannosaurus mum so I¡¯m gonna log in catch ya Sam.

    Jeremy: I got a sweet date with the cutest healer ever.</blockquote>

    I groaned. How on earth was I meant to hang out with him and not be weird when he was saying stuff like that. When I told them, I was gonna give him so much shit for it.

 8: Dancing

    I needed to get into my pajamas because I¡¯d be sleeping through the night while I played Pellan this time. Only problem was that I¡¯d ruined my pajama pants. They were the last pair left, I had outgrown the rest and so they had been thrown out. I shrugged and got undressed, then grabbed a big guy Tshirt and slipped it on. I was in my house, mum and dad were the only ones here, it would be fine. I ran down the hall to the bathroom and did everything I needed to be ready for bed. Including going to the toilet, which was¡­ different. Woooo!

    Back in bed, I slipped the VR helmet on and logged in. When I got downstairs to the Inn¡¯s main room again, Col wasn''t there yet so I sat at the bar and waited. I had to decline a drink a few times from the over eager barkeep. He wasn''t this pushy with the others at the bar. He stopped when I scowled at him.

    I was scratching away at the table with my nails when Col thumped into the seat next to me.

    ¡°Sup Syl!¡± he said with a big lopsided smile. The same one that had almost knocked me out on launch day, despite it being on a different face. It had no effect on me at all except the happiness of seeing a friend.

    ¡°Hi Col,¡± I said nonchalantly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I just got home from the gym and hopped on,¡± he told me, holding the same grin.

    Oh my god Jeremy please. You haven''t been to the gym in a month, and you always complain about how sore you are afterwards!

    Instead of voicing that, I raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°mhm¡­ well. Do you mind if we go to the market before we do whatever? I want to sell some stuff and see if I can find any cool spells to buy.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, ¡° he flashed a thumbs up at me, ¡°I was thinking we should start walking towards the others in my group. The city we¡¯re gonna meet them in is like 5 days walk from here.¡±

    As he spoke we got up and left the Inn. Looking up at him as we walked I replied, ¡°Yeah I¡¯m good for starting the trek, but we might have a problem. There¡¯s a group of PKers camping out around town atm. I saw some other players that got killed by them earlier today.¡±

    He hummed and mulled over what I¡¯d told him, ¡°Are you up for trying to make it past them?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I think so. I think they''re killing players who are coming back to town from grinding so they can take the loot,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait you drop items when you die? I died once already and I didn''t drop anything,¡± he said in confusion.

    ¡°Yeah, if you die to a player you drop a random number of items from your inventory. You don¡¯t lose anything from your equipped items, and you have 5 slots in a special inventory that is safe too,¡± I explained to him.

    ¡°Huh! The more you know. But hey, you teased me for being terse, and now look who''s being succinct eh?¡± he teased me.

    I felt my face heat in a small blush, ¡°Just trying to be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah nah you did good there,¡± he said, clearly enjoying my blush.

    I really really wish I was into him right now. Where did my crush on him go?! He has been absolutely charming to me since I became Syl. Even his lying about the gym was funny. He¡¯s obviously interested in me, he¡¯d even said so in the group chat. I didn¡¯t say much as we walked towards the market, instead I spent the walk silently mourning my sexuality.

    Col must have realised something was up because when he spoke it was in a less boisterous manner than he usually affected, ¡°We''re here, what type of stuff do you have to sell?¡±

    I cleared my throat to get it back into speaking order, ¡°Uh, a bunch of clothes like mine, some gauntlets and shoes and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Okay well don''t quote me on this but I think the clothing stalls are over that way,¡± he said pointing.

    As I sold my extra stuff I realised pretty quickly that I was really awful at haggling. Like super terrible. My social anxiety was really screwing me over here. Col actually stepped in and did the bargaining on my behalf with the gauntlets, which were the last thing I had to sell.

    When he stepped over and gave me my money he had a strange expression on his face, ¡°You are actually really shy aren''t you? You seemed pretty normal when we met, but now you''re.. yeah.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve always been bad at talking to new people. I had no idea why for the longest time, but I think I know why now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later kay?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I picked up a campsite while you were ¡®bartering¡¯. As well as some rations for you. You owe me 3 silver for those by the way.¡±

    I counted out the silver and gave it to him, ¡°Thanks J-... Col. Uh, should we just try head out them?¡±

    Wow that was close. Almost fucked up there!

    ¡°You didn''t buy any spells though.¡±

    I shrugged, ¡°I didn''t like,¡± I gestured at the market, ¡°That. I don¡¯t want to talk to any more strangers, lets just go.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Lead on then,¡± he told me with a wave of his arm.

    We made it to the town gates soon enough, where we saw a few people sitting despondent around the respawn shrine. Looks like the Pkers were still at work out there. The gates were standing open, it was mid afternoon so we still had plenty of daylight left to make tracks. Walking around the players in the way, we headed out of the gate and into the wilderness. Before we left, Col sent me a party invite. As soon as I accepted it, I was able to get a sense of his general direction when I thought of him, as well as a sense of how injured he was. That would be helpful.

    The forest was actually quite pleasant in the afternoon as we followed a dirt road through the tall redwoods. Bird calls echoed through the canopy and wind rustled the leaves of the trees. It helped my mood a lot, despite the tension of potentially being jumped by bloodthirsty bandits. I felt a smile crawl back onto my face.

    ¡°Feeling better then?¡± asked Col.

    I breathed in the forest air before exhaling with a grin, ¡°Yeah. Less people out here. I¡¯m usually better about my social anxiety but the last like two days have been wild and intense.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Hope things calm down for you then.¡±

    We continued to walk in companionable silence for a good twenty minutes before we heard it. A loud, low thump sound followed by the cry of birds taking flight. Col and I looked towards the disturbance, then back to each other. Oh dear. I was hoping one of us would have restraint, but apparently we''re still both way too curious for our own good.

    He raised his eyebrow, ¡°Yeaaaah?¡±

    I gave him a lopsided grin, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    We picked up our pace and deviated our course towards the now obvious sounds of a fight. My heart was going a million miles an hour and I felt like I should be violently vibrating around the forest floor like a really old phone getting a call. First pvp encounter and we were running towards it, not away. We deserve the trouble we are about to stick our noses into.

    There¡¯s a whizzing sound followed by a thump, and an arrow appeared in a tree nearby, buzzing in it¡¯s new home like a caged bee. I took quick mental stock of all my spells. That weird racial spell, long healy zap, short healy zap, pretty stomp and throwing angry glow sticks. I¡¯m a wizard Sylanna.

    The clearing we rushed into was chaos. There were two sides, a bunch of edgy looking people with black and green clothes, dark expressions, and a mismatched group of adventurers. One of them, obviously the leader, had dirty blond hair and dark eyes that adorned a defined face of around 24 years of age. He also had a huge warbow, and he was putting arrows in his victims with savage glee.

    ¡°Just give up and die,¡± he laughed, ¡°It¡¯ll take less time for all of us! You certainly can¡¯t win, you¡¯re fucking garbage!¡±

    He was right, Pkers had the advantage, I counted 12 of them to the 7, ouch... nope six, adventurers. Without waiting for Col to act, I aimed a shard at the nearest bandit and let loose. The shard struck his armour and caused him to stagger. Following hard on the heels of my shard was a flaming spear from Col that went straight through his armour, impaling him before dissipating in a conflagration of wild flame.

    ¡°Ohh, more shitters come to stop us? You can¡¯t stop the Blackfeather guild you dumbasses, but we¡¯ll take your shit just like the others!¡± called the leader with an arrogant wave of his hand.

    Looking at the group of battling adventurers, I quickly marked friend and foe in my mind. We moved to support the friendlies, who gave us quick glances before returning to the fight. When we arrived, I reminded myself to try and move to a rhythm, and to move with grace. Time to dance!

    The first thing I did was activate my Circle of Dawn ability, bringing my foot down firmly on the ground. The light rushed out, sweeping over the clearing, simultaneously easing the wounds of my allies and burning my enemies with holy fire. It wasn''t much in the way of damage on the bad guys I noted. I¡¯m still low level and I suspect most people here are much higher level than me.

    I decided to focus on healing, twirling through the maelstrom of magic and steel like a New Zealand fantail riding the Wellington wind. A friendly elven rogue finished pulling an arrow from his chest and I placed a soothing hand on his arm, channeling healing energy through his body. The bandit who had shot the rogue growled in frustration and drew another arrow. With a flick of his wrist, the rogue sent a dagger flying into her leg and she went down in a cry of pain.

    Raising my hand, I fired a shard of light into the side of another bandit, breaking her guard and allowing a big human tank to drive the edge of his shield into her face. I wasn''t perfect though, several times I tripped or stumbled on the uneven forest floor. I also had problems with mana, I was so focused on my amateurish dancing that I forgot to conserve mana. Twice I wasn''t able to save some friendly combatants from death. I watched each time as their bodies fell limp to the ground before fading from view, leaving bags with their belongings on the ground. I needed to do some grinding, get better so I could save more people in the future.

    Col was a force of nature in the fight. I saw him from the corner of my eyes as I did my best to support our allies. I saw as lightning arced from his hand and snapped into an enemy ranger, throwing them onto their back. I healed his wounds as he blocked a strike with his staff before bathing them in flame. His spears were everywhere, seeking targets and finding soft places to plant themselves. As he and our allies threw out damage, it became very apparent that the enemy did not have a healer, and of the 12 of them that had been in the battle initially, only one was a tank. The defenders had the advantage in support roles and it was beginning to show.

    I saw one of our new friends go down, her long dark hair billowing from the blow she¡¯d taken. I was there as fast as my short legs could take me, pulling her away from the killing blow and hitting the attacker with a shard to his face. With the bandit momentarily distracted, I placed my hand on the exit wound the girl had taken, forcing my spell directly into her body through the hole. She gasped as the pain left her and air could flow freely into her lungs again. With a vicious lunge she took her sword and buried it in the man''s neck, killing him outright before he could recover. I kept my hand where it was, bracing her as she recovered.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    She looked around to me with an exhausted and grateful smile, ¡°Thanks. Wow that was too close...¡± Her words trailed off as she met my eyes. It was Karen, the girl from the inn this ingame morning.

    The uncomfortable feeling from earlier returned again and my stomach turned as I met her huge green eyes, I gulped, ¡°Are you okay, battle¡¯s still happening.¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± came a voice from nearby.

    We both looked up and I saw Karen¡¯s tank friend approaching us, his armour scraped and dented, his face bloody where he¡¯d taken a glancing hit to the temple. I raised my hand and hit him with my ranged healing spell, closing the wound on his forehead. All the bandits were dead, their bodies having faded away leaving little brown sacks of loot.

    ¡°Thanks, and for jumping in too. You guys turned the tide there,¡± he said with a weary expression.

    ¡°No problem, I think both of us wanted to jump in and have a good fight. It¡¯s all so intense and gory, but damn I¡¯m still pumped,¡± Col said enthusiastically.

    One of the two other surviving allies grinned at Col, ¡°Yeah, fuck it¡¯s nice to be on the winning side of a pvp fight though. Those guys have been causing trouble all fucking day.¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± said the other survivor, ¡°We got to get the other¡¯s stuff back to them in town though,¡± he said looking at his friend.

    ¡°Wait, we have loot to divide up. The PKers dropped some stuff,¡± said Karen¡¯s tank dude.

    I laughed as Col¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Oh my gosh Col you are so predictable.¡±

    ¡°What? We¡¯re playing an mmo, it¡¯s all about the loot!¡± he grinned back at me.

    ¡°And the levels,¡± said Karen quietly next to me, she sounded like she was a bit out of it still from the battle.

    I got up and helped everyone grab the little bags that contained the randomly dropped possessions of the dead bandits. They had dropped a few things, but it seemed like only what they had taken off other adventurers fairly recently. Karen¡¯s Maori tank friend said they probably stash everything they get once in a while to avoid losing everything if they die.

    We divided up the coins between all those present, plus those who had fought beside us and died. It seemed there was three groups of us that had fought together, a full party, whom were mostly dead now, Col and myself, and Karen and Tank Guy. The Full party guys took their share of the loot and rushed to find their friends back in town. I just threw the random assortment of crafting materials and dead bits of creature in my inventory to be sorted through later.

    The four of us that were left stood there and looked at each other. Well, Col and Liam sized each other up and I stared at the ground because Karen still made me nervous as fuck. Her eyes weirded me out. She was also like fricken a foot taller than me and it was intimidating. Anyway, Tank Guy and Col.

    Tank Guy nodded to Col and I, ¡°So yeah, I¡¯m called Slammon¡¯s but you¡¯ll probably hear her call me Liam. We know each other in real life.¡±

    Karen looked at us and said, ¡°My player name is TroubledQuintet, but just call me Karen.¡±

    I mentally filed them under their normal names because it was way easier and they had told us them so yeah.

    Liam looked at the two of us and asked, ¡°So what do we call you two?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my bad, I¡¯m Colourless. Call me Col,¡± said Col amicably.

    Liam turned to me. I stared at the ground. It was like really fascinating, and a much better alternative to actually speaking. He cleared his throat, trying to prompt me to speak.

    ¡°She¡¯s Sylanna, she goes by Syl,¡± supplied Col, seeing my reluctance to speak.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with her? She healed Karen earlier in the day at the inn. Just kinda pounced on her, healed her and then bolted,¡± asked Liam.

    ¡°Thanks, by the way. It was nice,¡± said karen quietly. She was watching me.

    ¡°She¡¯s got problems talking to new people. She usually talks a whole lot more than this, at least in the short time I¡¯ve known her,¡± explained Col.

    I should have been kinda annoyed at all this talking about me like I¡¯m not there, even though I wasn¡¯t really. Instead of being upset though all I could think or hear was ¡®She she her she her she she her,¡¯ and it was making me really really happy.

    ¡°Ah. Karen¡¯s the same, though not that bad,¡± said Liam.

    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯d better head out right Syl? We want to make some progress towards Dailsil before we have to log off,¡± Col told them, his face in an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Hey we¡¯re going that way too,¡± blurted Karen.

    ¡°Yeah we are¡­¡± Liam said looking at Karen, ¡°I guess if you guys are okay with it we should travel together?¡±

    ¡°Yeah fine by me, you okay with it too Syl?¡± Col asked me.

    Shiiiit. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s okay,¡± I mumbled and nodded.

    ¡°Hey she speaks!¡± Col chuckled, ruffling my hair teasingly. I growled at him.

    ¡°Well, I guess we should go then, follow me,¡± Liam told us.

    Col oriented himself in the direction we needed to go and set off, sending party invites to our two new friends as he walked.

    We made it back to the road pretty easily, and once we were on it I opened my character menu and began to read through the notifications I¡¯d gotten from our battle. Apparently players were worth a lot of experience, because I¡¯d gained level three and was a small margin away from level four. I had three skill points to spend and 5 attribute points to spend. I took a look at the passive skills with excitement.

    Spell Dancer: move through the field of battle with deadly grace, using your body¡¯s harmony and rhythm to increase your casting speed and dodge chance.

    Cool! I spent the point necessary to unlock the basic level in Spell dancer and then promptly did a little happy hop as we walked. Karen gave me a funny look for that and I quickly stopped. I dumped 2 points into wisdom to help with my mana issues, and three points into dexterity, because dancing. I actually felt my stride change slightly. It was barely noticeable, but I felt myself begin to step better, able to automatically traverse the uneven roadway in a more sure footed manner. Interesting. My body responded to the points I spent in stats. Filing that away for later consideration. I took a look at the passive skills again.

    Unarmed Casting: while many use wands and staves to channel their arcane power, you prefer to use your bare hands. Upgrading this skill will reduce the mana cost penalty on casting spells while also increasing your casting speed.

    I snagged that one too. I hadn¡¯t planned on it, but apparently I was going to be some sort of healing machine gun. Sounded like fun, and also a whole lot of work. With my last point I wanted a spell, although my choices might not be great.

    I was totally wrong, some of these spells seemed really fun. There was one spell that shot forth a bunch of golden rope, binding to a friendly. Then it would pull me towards them and heal both of us. Another cool one I found was a spell that formed a shield of golden light, about the size of a buckler. It would hover a few inches off the arm just like a regular shield, except if you hit people with it they would take radiant damage instead of blunt damage.

    The one I ended up choosing over these was a healing staple that I would definitely be needing. The spell placed a large faintly glowing circle on the ground that healed all friendlies that stood within it. It had a reasonably long duration, around a minute before I would need to reapply it. I had seen healers use similar abilities in just about every mmo I¡¯d played. I figured I¡¯d pick up the fun spells later.

    We walked for the entire afternoon and into the night. As the darkness descended through the trees we stopped to have some food and drink. Liam and Col chatted away, becoming friendly rather quickly in that strange combination of joking and one upmanship that guys did whenever they met each other. Karen joined in on their banter on occasion, mainly to slip in some funny one liners at Liam¡¯s expense.

    At first I thought he would get mad at jibes, but they appeared to be good friends, and he took it as the friendly ribbing it was. I was content to laugh, giggle and say nothing. There were other people to hold the conversation, I would be the eye rolling audience to their peacock displays.

    It was about ten pm I estimated when the monsters started hitting us. These ones were more vicious and much higher levelled than the ones Col and I fought previously together, and they were tough at first. As we fought, we realised that despite missing two dps as per the game¡¯s definition of a full party, we had all the roles covered. Liam as tank, myself as healer, Col as a ranged dps, and Karen as a melee dps.

    With Liam as shotcaller, we began to work pretty well as a unit, carving a path through the forest as we killed anything that was stupid enough to jump us. I had fun. A lot of fun. I reached level four as the game clock approached roughly eleven pm. I received another three skill points and five attribute points. I assigned the attribute points straight away, adding two to dexterity, two to intelligence and one to wisdom. I decided to save the skill points until I¡¯d done more research on what was possible.

    It was beginning to get light when we decided to stop and log off. Liam got his camp out, which appeared to be some steel and painted wood contraption that held a glowing blue crystal inside. The blue crystal emanated a hazy blue shield that would keep anything hostile from hanging around the point we logged off. It also had the added benefit that while it was deployed, it could be used as a bind point, so that if we died, we¡¯d respawn here instead of back in town where our default respawn was. We had a quick meal to sustain our game bodies and then everyone settled in comfortable positions to log off. Before following their example I knelt and began a small whispered prayer to Feslia, my goddess.

    When I finished, the others were staring at me and Col asked me with innocent curiosity, ¡°You¡¯re religious?¡±

    ¡°I am now,¡± I said to them quietly, ¡°I¡¯m a priestess to the Goddess of the Bright Sky, Feslia. It¡¯s why my spells all have that blue gold colour, same as my eyes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kinda cool,¡± said Karen.

    ¡°Do you get any special bonuses for it?¡± asked Liam.

    I shrugged, ¡°I actually can¡¯t remember. I think so. I got that touch healing spell from her.¡±

    ¡°Nice! Keep praying then Syl,¡± Col grinned.

    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m logging off now, cya guys,¡± I said with a yawn.

 9: A Dream and an Encounter

    When I felt myself arrive back in the real world, I was still tired. I hadn¡¯t actually fully lost consciousness for any length of time since this had happened, and I decided right then and there that it was still sleep time. I placed my helmet on my bedside table and snuggled back into bed. Now that I was just laying here and savouring the feel of my bed, I realised how nice it felt, and how huge my bed felt. It was really nice and cozy, and very quickly I had dozed off again.

    So it was to my surprise when I found myself standing on a cloud in the middle of a huge blue sky. Above me was a sporadic layer of cloud, and above that another. Below me was the same, thin and sporadic levels of cloud that somehow did not block the view of the bright azure sky, despite their seemly unending nature. High in the sky, several glowing gold orbs hung, and like small suns they radiated heat and light in a comforting manner.

    ¡°I see you have deigned to visit me at last small one,¡± said a kind voice from behind me.

    I tried to scream and gasp at the same time but I kinda did both and it hurt. Sitting cross legged behind me was an utterly perfect woman, one who was also very large. If she¡¯d been standing, I would have thought she was around 12 feet fall. She was still taller than me when she was sitting down!

    ¡°I seem to be making a habit out of giving you a fright don''t I Sylanna?¡± she said with the promise of a laugh dancing between her words.

    I calmed down from my fright and gave her a smile, ¡°Yeah, oh my god everyone keeps startling me! I¡¯m going to have a heart attack I swear!¡±

    ¡°Your body is much too sturdy for that to happen my dear. Now, I heard your prayers, and you had a lot of questions. Would you like to talk about some of them?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Uh,¡± I stammered, trying to collect my thoughts, ¡°Why did you turn me into a girl? Into my adventurer body?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a complex question, but also a simple one. I will keep my explanation within the realm of the simple. You are a female soul or near enough, at least when your body inhabits that of a humanoid,¡± she paused and shook herself, ¡°sorry, I said I would keep it simple and yet I failed almost instantly. What I am trying to say, is that you soul and body did not match, and since a soul is all but impossible to change or manipulate, I altered your body instead. As for why you specifically look like you do now, I did not know what you would like to look like, and therefore I chose to copy the body you designed yourself.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, okay. That¡¯s a lot to unpack. Thank you for explaining. You were right too, obviously,¡± I said looking up at her.

    ¡°Indeed I was.¡± she replied.

    After she replied, she reached out and picked me up by the waist, her huge hands easily encircling my small body. Her action elicited a squeak of surprised protest from my lips, which she ignored. Very gently she sat me in her lap, still facing her. She was massive from this short distance. Using a thumb that was almost as thick as my wrist she began to rub up and down my back in a soothing manner.

    ¡°What are your other questions my little priestess?¡± she arched an eyebrow at me.

    ¡°Um. Oh cr- darn uh. What. What. Oh! Right, what happened to my sexuality? I was¡­ kind of gay. Like I thought guys were cute and hot and stuff, but when you changed me suddenly I¡¯m not anymore?¡± I stammered the question through my shock about being casually picked up like that.

    ¡°That is a question I do not know the full answer to. Your sexuality should not have changed due to the changes I made. However I can speculate. The interaction between all the parts that make up who we are is complicated. Some go their entire lives with a steady understanding of themselves, while others will find things like their sexuality changing or new parts becoming revealed. I am no expert on such matters, I am no goddess of love or desire after all. You will have to explore your missing desire for your friend as well as the new desire growing within you, under your own terms Sylanna. I am sorry,¡± she said with a sympathetic tone.

    I have a big sigh at her answer, ¡°Well, thanks anyway. Um I guess my next question is can you help me with my documentation problem?¡±

    I went through an explanation of my problems regarding my lack of identity and my idea regarding the spell. All the while I melted in her arms under the gentle motion of her thumb. When I finished she gazed into the cloudscape in thought.

    Finally she said, ¡°I do not know much of your world. It works by strange rules that seem to resemble those of my own, but function differently at the same time. I can tell you that your idea to transfer a spell pattern on your body will work. I will make sure of it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± I asked hopefully.

    She smiled, ¡°Absolutely certain.¡±

    ¡°Phew, okay that''s good. Also, why do I still feel tired here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because technically you are not sleeping little one,¡± She said, gathering me up in her lap, ¡°Now sleep, I¡¯ll keep you company.¡±

    Nestled in her arms warm and safe, I began to doze.

    ¡°Hmmmm,¡± I hummed, ¡°wait what was that about a new desire?¡±

    ¡°That is for you to figure out Sylanna¡±

    ¡°You mean like I¡¯m getting a crush on someone?¡±

    ¡°I said sleep child, don''t make me force the matter, ¡° she said with a smile in her voice.

    ¡°No you sleep!¡± I mumbled at her.

    Then I fell asleep.

    When I woke, it was in my own bed. I had moment of confusion when the arm that reached for my phone to check the time was thin and delicate, instead of the old male arm my sleepy mind expected. When I remembered my new body, I felt a smile break free from my mouth and lift my whole face. It felt so good to be me, finally me. I lay in bed for about 15 minutes while I woke up a bit more, grinning like a madwoman the whole time. Eventually though I got antsy, and hopped out of bed. Syl hungry. Syl get food.

    I wandered out and down the hall towards the kitchen where I found mum and dad cooking a late breakfast. They appeared to be making french toast, bacon and other assorted breakfast foods. It was their ritual on saturday mornings, as they didn¡¯t get much time together during the weekdays with their busy work schedule. Dad saw me first.

    ¡°Morning Syl, how did you sleep?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°It was good. I feel great!¡± I said happily, and bounced over to watch them cook from a closer vantage.

    ¡°Syl dear, we¡¯re out of maple syrup, can you run down to the store and grab some?¡± asked mum as she flipped another piece of frying food.

    ¡°Yeah sure, gimme a bit then.¡± I told them both before wandering back to my room.

    Okay, what am I going to wear. Just going to the dairy, probably something casual. I picked my blue pleated skirt and a black tshirt with some symbol in white on the front. Oh and I put on underwear and a sports bra. My vans went on my feet and I headed back to the kitchen.

    ¡°Here use this,¡± she said handing me a twenty dollar bill, ¡°And be careful sweetie.¡±

    ¡°Yeah mum, I will, but like, I can do magic so I¡¯ll probably be fine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let that stop you from being careful young lady,¡± she told me sternly.

    ¡°Yup yup, be right back!¡± I chirped, and with that I was off.

    Outside it was quite windy. My hair immediately wound itself around my head and tried to strangle me. I also realised I¡¯d forgotten to brush it. Back inside I went, bouncing in and towards my room.

    ¡°Mum please show me how to tie my hair up so it doesn¡¯t kill me,¡± I said as I rushed past towards my room.

    I grabbed my brush and tried to tug it through my hair, but it got caught and I squeaked at the pain.

    ¡°Be gentle with it!¡± Mum said as she came in through my bedroom door.

    She took the brush from me and began to efficiently brush my hair, maintaining just the right amount of force to tame my wild hair at the same time as allowing it to remain unbroken and attached to my scalp. Then she took a scrunchie we¡¯d bought and pulled my hair through it, once and then halfway the next time, then she wound it around and around into a hasty bun.

    ¡°There you go now, that should keep the wind from messing it up again,¡± she said, her hand sitting on my shoulder, ¡°Off you go!¡±

    Off I went, back out the door without death by hair this time. Other than the wind, it was a fairly pleasant day, the sky was a vibrant blue and a few lonely clouds made the mad dash from horizon to horizon. The store was about ten minutes walk away, so I turned and headed down the road. It was a nice walk. I saw a few joggers out taking advantage of the cooling wind, their strides matching the beat of the music I could not hear.

    Almost to the store, I walked past the large grass field where school and club teams played rugby and football on the many delineated areas. I slowed a bit as I walked past, because one of the teams in a girls soccer match right next to me was from my school. I heard their parents yelling encouragement to their daughters and abuse at the ref, a poor girl of about 23 who appeared harried. It looked like the game was in it¡¯s last moments. I hoped we won. I wasn¡¯t a very sporty individual, but I did have school pride somewhere in me.

    Making my way into the store I gazed around at the shelves trying to figure out where the syrup would be hiding. Aha. It was up there. Oh. Up there. It was on a shelf that I knew would be just out of reach. I stood underneath the offending coagulated sugar and pouted at it with force, as though it would fall into my arms by angry glare alone. As I stared at it, an arm reached right over the top of me and then brought the bottle down so I could pluck it from the helpful grasp of whoever it was.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Thankyou!¡± I said automatically.

    It was a guy from my school, in a grass stained rugby shirt. Specifically, it was Kegan. His blond hair was messy and caked in dirt and his blue eyes eyed me up and down. He was very conventionally attractive. I blinked at him a few times, felt my throat close up at how close he was, and took several steps back.

    ¡°No problem,¡± was all he said, but his eyes said more.

    As fast as was politely possible, I exited the situation stage orchestra pit, bolting for the bored indian man behind the cash register. I placed the syrup down on the counter and he efficiently told me the price. I handed him the twenty note, got some change, and put it in my pocket. I had no pocket, I was wearing a skirt. The coins and ten dollar note scattered onto the floor. I groaned and picked them up.

    ¡°Can I have a bag? A small one?¡± I asked.

    Cash register dude gave me a small plastic bag and I shoved the syrup and money into it. When I turned around, Kegan was standing behind me. I squeaked in fright and bolted for the door. He watched me leave with a bemused expression on his face before turning to pay for the drink he wanted.

    When I made it outside, I was more than flustered over the whole episode. If I¡¯d just held my cool like a normal fucking person I wouldn¡¯t have made a fool of myself. I hurried to get some distance between myself and the scene of the crime, but I wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet. As I walked past the sports fields, the girls were all slowly making their way with their parents to their cars. I tried to be polite and waited for groups to meander past me, and I did well until I heard someone speak.

    ¡°Syl?¡±

    Instant icy dread launched into my stomach like it had been fired from orbit at an appreciable fraction of the speed of light. My money was on around 0.2C. Turning around, I came face to face with a rather dishevelled girl with mousy brown hair and huge green eyes. She was also very pretty, in an ¡®I don¡¯t realise I¡¯m pretty and don¡¯t bother with my looks much¡¯ kind of way. Her athletic body was squeezed into our high school¡¯s sports uniform. I gulped.

    ¡°Holy shit it¡¯s you. Like, even the ears. Your hair is up and you¡¯ve got normal clothes but holy shit,¡± she exclaimed quietly.

    Her voice was soft, like it didn¡¯t get used much and still had the cling film on the surface. I opened my mouth, then closed it, then flushed a deep red.

    ¡°Oh uh. Sorry. Right, you¡¯re super shy. It¡¯s me, Karen. I didn¡¯t know you lived around here? That¡¯s crazy. I thought you would be from like at least aussie. Wait no that¡¯s wrong you totally have a kiwi accent. I¡¯m sorry, I-¡± all of a sudden she realised she was babbling and her yaw snapped shut, her face turning just as red as mine was.

    We stood there staring at each other, her huge eyes dilated as they stared into mine.

    I didn¡¯t realise how lost I¡¯d been in them until I heard a waspish voice snap, ¡°Karen! What are you doing? Who is this? We need to get going, you have violin practice to go to!¡±

    The woman who spoke was somewhere in her fifties, and her waspish voice was matched by a waspish figure. Her hair was dyed blond, her nails were immaculate, and her skin was beginning to get that leathery look that frequent tanners got at her age. She was also scowling down at me with thinly veiled contempt.

    ¡°Um, sorry. I have to¡­ go. My parents¡­ see you Karen,¡± I mumbled, taking a step back from the trophy witch in fear.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. See you in game then,¡± she mumbled back.

    We stared at each other a moment longer, until a big man with bigger muscles wrapped an arm around Karen and said, ¡°Alright Pea. Time to go. Who¡¯s your friend-¡±

    Unfortunately for K-Dad the Buff, I had bolted.

    <center>****</center>

    When I got home I was a little bit puffed. My hair was wisping out of my bun as I plonked the bag on the kitchen bench where everything was ready. Mum and dad were cuddling on the couch in the sitting area.

    ¡°I think I almost died getting that syrup. I had to talk to people and everything! It was awful!¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Yes dear,¡± mum said as she walked by and began taking the plates to the table so we could eat.

    Breakfast was great as usual, I ate my fill, which turned out to be not a whole lot and stared at my half eaten plate in mourning. It looked so yummy, but I was so full.

    ¡°Oh. I guess we didn''t think about the new portion sizes you¡¯d need now did we?¡± asked mum.

    Dad ¡®helped¡¯ by snagging a piece of toast off my plate. I read it a heartfelt eulogy as it left me forever.

    ¡°Yeah I guess so,¡± I said looking glumly down at my plate.

    Once we were done we took our plates to the kitchen. I helped clean all the dishes alongside my parents. While we washed the big pieces and threw the rest in the washing machine my parents told me of the plan they¡¯d come up with.

    ¡°We think your best bet is for Sam to unenroll in your school, and then Syl to enroll as a separate person once your documents have changed. As far as the world is concerned you¡¯ll be a new student. They don''t really need to know, and you can tell only the people that do matter,¡± my dad told me.

    My mum continued for him, ¡°Really we¡¯re lucky it happened when it did. A few months later and you may have completed some assignments for your first level of NCEA. Your teachers may have recognised the previous assignments.¡±

    ¡°Okay cool, that''s smart. I¡¯m travelling to a bigger city right now with some people, should be about four days til we get there. Hopefully there''s a mage powerful enough to set the spell up for me there. I¡¯ll also need to raise the money to buy it,¡± I told them.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like the idea of you missing several days of school Syl,¡± Dad said with a frown.

    ¡°Oh, no I meant ingame days dad. The time in the game runs three times faster. It really depends on how long all four of us in the group can stay logged on at the same time,¡± I Hastily explained.

    Dad was not convinced. He had a frown on. ¡°Don''t drag your feet so you can get out of more school days okay sprite?¡±

    ¡°Yes daaaad I know.¡± I said with the signature teenaged eyeroll, ¡°Plus if you really want me to go to school, I can try the glamour type spell I have.¡±

    ¡°Glamour type spell?¡± asked Mum and Dad in unison.

    ¡°Yeah um, let me try it now,¡± I said uncertainly.

    I wasn¡¯t ingame, so I couldn¡¯t bring up the ability description to see how the spell was cast. I pictured myself as I had been previously and hastily changed the clothing in my minds eye to casual male wear. With a frown I willed the spell to work in the same manner as my other spells, and felt my body shift slightly. It also didn¡¯t shift. I had the once again surreal experience I¡¯d felt from my first few hours playing Pellan rise, where my body felt the same, but I was different. The dissonance was back. When I felt something shift between my legs I almost threw up. Hastily altering the spell so that I still had female genitals, I breathed a sigh of relief. Much better. They wouldn¡¯t be able to see that through the clothing my old body was wearing anyway.

    ¡°Wow,¡± breathed Dad while Mum stood there with an open mouth.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that in the first place?¡± asked Mum when she was able to use her jaw again.

    ¡°Uhhhh, because I¡¯m dumb?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You are many things Sylanna, but dumb is not one of them,¡± Dad said, reaching tentatively out to ruffle my hair. It worked, but it was supremely strange.

    ¡°It feels like it used to,¡± he said in wonder.

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, reaching up to confirm it myself, ¡°Huh, it does!¡±

    ¡°How long can you keep that up?¡± asked Mum.

    ¡°The spell said like five to eight hours or something but¡­ I don¡¯t know I already feel pretty uncomfortable like this,¡± I said with a wince.

    ¡°Well why don¡¯t you drop it for now and we can figure out if you feel up to going to school on monday?¡± Dad asked.

    ¡°That sounds fine,¡± I nodded, less than enthusiastically, and dropped the spell with a sigh.

    Back in the safety of my room I was about to put my helmet on when I noticed my phone going off. It was the group chat with my friends. They were talking about Pellan and how everyone was doing. Dana and Greg were almost to the city, they had started closer and planned to get ingame soon to complete the journey. One particular exchange raised my eyebrows almost to the roof.

    <blockquote>Greg: So how did your hot date go Jeremy? </img>

    Jeremy: I don''t know man. She''s super anxious about people and I get this vibe that she knows I¡¯m coming on to her and isn''t interested.

    Greg: Maybe she''s really a dude? Haha you¡¯re hitting on a guy!

    Jeremy: No!!! She''s definitely a girl. She acts super girly and moves super girly.

    Dana: Yeah but Sam moves and acts super girly and he¡¯s a guy.

    Sam: UM.

    Jeremy: Nah Syls definitely a girl. She moves like she knows her body, not like you see some people ingame who look a bit awkward cos they''re used to moving something way different.

    Jeremy: Besides, she''s not keen anyway.

    Greg: All good haha I was just teasing ya Jer.</blockquote>

    I moved like a girl? Even when I was Sam? Fuck I was dense. How did I not realise this earlier?

    Whenever they found out, I¡¯m pretty sure Dana was going to start telling me she knew all along.

    I got into my gaming clothing and hopped into bed to log in.

 10: Reality Aberration

    I was the first one to arrive back ingame. I sat in the protective bubble of the campfire and watched the stars rotate overhead through the canopy of the trees. It was extremely calming to just watch the world roll from on its surface. I felt myself fall into a strange trance as I gazed up. I needed to do so much right now. My life had gone from being average and unassuming to extremely complicated in a very short space of time, so having a moment to myself did my mind some good.

    It wasn¡¯t for another two hours that one of the group turned up. Liam appeared before me in a shower of multihued light. He nodded to me and said nothing, sitting down to wait with me. He threw me a glance every now and then, as though something was bothering him.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked him quietly.

    ¡°Nothing really. I was just trying to figure out how to get some conversation out of you. Karen said she was still dealing with stuff in the real world for a bit longer, and I don¡¯t know Col so I figure we might be here a while,¡± his voice had a kind of world weary quality to it.

    I snorted softly, ¡°Conversation away. You seem tired, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He shrugged and looked away, ¡°Nothing, just family stuff.¡±

    I hummed in reply.

    Neither of us spoke again until Colourless appeared. Looking down at our melancholic visages, a smile spread over his face like he¡¯d just gotten everything he wanted in this world and ours.

    ¡°Oh no he¡¯s happy. We¡¯re in trouble now,¡± said Liam wryly.

    The unexpected sarcastic humour from him cracked my strange state of mind and I began giggling.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I have great reason to be in good spirits my dear Liam,¡± Col said with a pompous affectation to his voice.

    That tipped me over the edge, suddenly I was really going now. My high pitched encouragement to his buffoonery echoing through the trees.

    He gave a mock disdainful look and flicked his nose in the air, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know you strange lady, that I am now the proud owner of several blocks of the highest quality chocolate. Please curb your amusement for long enough to show the proper awe.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about you utter head case?¡± asked Liam with a bemused expression on his face.

    I fell onto my side and tried to get over my hysterical giggling fit as Col continued to act like a fool and Liam threw sarcastic insults in his direction. The strange mood of the camp had been thoroughly bulldozed by Col¡¯s silliness, and I had a little suspicion that maybe that was the point.

    It was halfway through this fiasco that Karen fizzled into existence in the camp. She was greeted by two guys with complimentary senses of humour throwing pretend insults at each other for the hysterical audience of me. The look on her face was so confused you could see stars dancing around her head. I started choking it was all too much.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even - know why I''m - laughing. You guys - are so lame,¡± I told them between wheezing gasps as I tried to regain control of my diaphragm.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re laughing because of my brilliant wit!¡± Col exclaimed with a grin.

    I didn¡¯t really have an answer for that.

    Karen was staring at me with a funny express on her face.

    ¡°You look exactly the same,¡± she said while her eyes roved over me. That caused me to feel really weird, watching her eyes go up and down my semi-prone form.

    ¡°She what?¡± asked Col, you could practically see his ears perk up.

    ¡°In real life and in the game. She looks exactly the same. I bumped into her after football yesterday,¡± she told them. They seemed to miss the full implications of that fact, and she didn¡¯t elaborate.

    ¡°Huh. Did you make your character like yourself on purpose?¡± asked Liam.

    I started to shake my head, then nodded instead, ¡°It really helps with control,¡± I didn''t tell them that originally I¡¯d looked different..

    ¡°Damn, I should have done that. I¡¯m a bit shorter in real life and it¡¯s messing me up,¡± added Col.

    ¡°What about you Karen? What¡¯s it like having a tail?¡± I asked her, diverting everyone away from my own looks.

    ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­ I guess? Uh. Yup, feels funny,¡± she mumbled, reaching out to grab it and bring it into view.

    ¡°You¡¯re shorter in reality too,¡± I said, staring at her tail. I wanted to touch it. It was the same pink-red as her avatar¡¯s skin, and smooth with only very faint hair along it.

    ¡°Yeah. I wonder if we can do appearance changes. I¡¯d like to more naturally fit this body,¡± She said, raising her eyes to meet mine.

    I nodded, but after that we continued staring at each other. We¡¯d just had a small, normal conversation. Realising this I felt my face heat, and my throat locked up.

    Liam coughed and interjected, changing the topic, ¡°So how was your game K? You were facing Rangitumau College right?¡±

    As we packed up the camping shield, I listened to them speak. They had obviously been friends for a while. It wasn¡¯t long before we were on the road again, Liam and Karen walking ahead of myself and Col. I still didn¡¯t feel like speaking and he respected that, like he always did when I was like this.

    We¡¯d walked for several hours before we encountered something. And something it was. We had just crested a small rise in a kind of small plain that dotted the enormous forest like large clearings. Trees still dotted the wide expanse of grass and wildflowers, and a stream meandered lazily through the place. The scene was beautiful and idyllic, apart from one small thing.

    Near the center of the clearing, close to us as we stood on the top of the small hill, was something that defied conscious thought. It was something that the dreaming mind cooked up right before it died of a drug overdose. The disturbance was an area of about five meters in radius. Inside this area was a faintly undulating mass of geometric and fractal patterns. It was like the ground, leaves, bushes and what might have been a tree, had all bubbled up in some sort of violent MC Escher explosion.

    We stood there rooted to the spot as the mass suddenly expanded. A nice normal run of the mill rock the size of my torso was suddenly consumed, its form expanding and twisting into a quadruple helix. Then it fell over and out of the area facing the sky crystalline structures lurched upwards before fracturing. Instead of falling apart like a normal crystal would when it lost structural integrity, the pieces floated in mid air, rotating and spinning at random speeds and angles that changed every time you blinked.

    ¡°GET OUT. LEAVE. RUN SYLANNA. DO NOT DAWDLE WHILE PERIL DRAWS YOU IN,¡± a voice shattered my thoughts, tearing through my mind but not my ears. I gasped and sank to the ground.

    ¡°Are you okay Syl? asked Col as he quickly knelt to check on me.

    The voice was was Feslia, my goddess. Her voice had not had the usual calm and confident tone it usually possessed. She¡¯d sounded urgent and fearful.

    ¡°Guys, we should get away. Right now. My goddess just blasted my head telling me to get away from that thing,¡± I told me friends as I recovered myself.

    ¡°Sounds like a good idea, that thing is making me feel sick,¡± Liam said with his hand on his stomach.

    Before anyone could reply, there was a gut wrenching sound from the creepy geometry project. It was a chittering screaming sound, and when we looked over there was a creature forming inside the zone. It was horrific, it had the head of a beetle, beady black eyes staring into space. It¡¯s body was that of an earthworm, but parts of it had extruded outwards at random angles to form limbs. Along it¡¯s back was a layer of beetle wings that appeared to have been copy-pasted all the way down the length of it¡¯s worm body, protective carapace and all.

    The thing did not look right at all. Not in the way that most media will portray some flesh abomination, all bubbling fat at weird faces in the skin. No this was far more disturbing. The whole beast had a geometric wrongness to it. Too many flat planes and hard angles, all made of organic material, but looking inorganic in nature. Then it saw us and screamed again.

    I ran, and I dragged Col¡¯s arm with me. My eyes sought out Karen and Liam, hoping they would come too. They did. Karen¡¯s eyes were wide with horror and Liam was scowling, his face white even beneath his dark complexion. I probably looked the same. We heard the creature give chase, and I looked back. It¡¯s gait was wrong too as it struggled with it¡¯s inefficient anatomy and body structure. It was also slower than us thank god, or Goddess I should say in this case. Col turned at that moment too and let out a yell as raised his hand and hit it with an arcing pulse of electricity. The thing reared and screamed, falling over onto the dewy grass. It struggled, trying to right itself and having a difficult time.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Keep running!¡± I told the others with panic in my voice.

    It wasn¡¯t until we reached the edge of the enormous clearing that we checked on our pursuer. It had stopped about a kilometer behind us and was wildly thrashing in the distance, mauling a tree.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± breathed Liam, ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±

    Karen stared at him, then looked to me. Her face was still drawn in fear. Everyone looked to me then, I was the one with the goddess who apparently knew enough to run away.

    I looked up at the sky and asked, ¡°Felsia please, what the hell was that just now?¡±

    I got no answer, inside my head or out. We all waited, me staring at the sky while the others kept their eyes on my face. After a minute I turned to them again and shook my head.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t reply. I don¡¯t know anything either, she just yelled at me to get away,¡± I explained.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t normal was it? Just some random event thing from the game?¡± asked Col.

    ¡°I have no idea. We should look it up when we log out tonight I guess,¡± Liam sighed.

    Karen still hadn¡¯t said anything, and I watched her, wondering if she was okay.

    She was watching the monster with a fearful gaze, and I just barely heard her whisper, ¡°Just from the game¡­ Just from the game...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    She blinked and turned to look at me, shook her head and then gave me a small fragile smile, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Um, we should keep moving,¡± Liam said.

    Everyone agreed and pretty soon we were on our way once more.

    We spent almost sixteen hours playing Pellan that day, travelling together, fighting and generally enjoying each other¡¯s company. The time we were to play in the real world translated to two days in the game, and that meant I spent my first full night there curled up in a bedroll that Col had thoughtfully gotten me.

    The camp shield kept us safe from roaming enemies and it was nice to sleep under the stars. The ground was lumpy though and sleep was difficult to get a hold of. I knew that Liam and Col were asleep because both of them were snoring quietly, but a few feet from me I could see Karen shifting around in her own bedroll. She seemed to be uncomfortable.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I whispered to her.

    She startled and flipped around to face me, emerging from the cocoon of furs with blinking owlish eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± she whispered back.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I repeated.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just hard trying to sleep. I usually sleep on my back but I can¡¯t because of this stupid tail. When I try to sleep on my back it doesn¡¯t feel comfortable. It¡¯s been bothering me since the first day.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep on your front?¡± I asked her.

    She looked at me like I¡¯d made a joke, ¡°Because I have boobs Sylly.¡±

    She¡¯d just called me silly but with a Y. Like my name. My heart began to increase it¡¯s marching pace.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I mouthed at her before breaking eye contact.

    We lay there for several minutes before she broke the silence with another whisper.

    ¡°So, you like, have the ears and stuff in reality too,¡± she stated.

    I made a strangled sound and nodded. This could go very badly.

    ¡°You¡¯re a little fae girl. Like, a real one.¡±

    I nodded again.

    ¡°How?¡±

    I shrugged.

    ¡°Syl?¡± her voice was tender, soft like she was trying to calm a frightened kitten.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t one before I started playing Pellan. Then I met my goddess and... ¡° I trailed off, unsure of how to explain everything.

    ¡°Me too,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I asked, unsure I¡¯d heard her correctly.

    ¡°Something weird happened to me too when I first arrived in Pellan. I was lost. I found this spooky stone, it was glowing like dark red. When I touched it I felt super crazy and I passed out. I couldn¡¯t feel my tail properly, but when I woke up I could. When I logged out I had horns and a tail. It was still my body but like, things had changed? My race has an ability called ¡°Darkling Blend,¡± that lets me hide my features, but it¡¯s only an illusion. If someone reached for the top of my head they would feel my horns,¡± she whispered, her voice tinged with worry.

    ¡°Wait really? My race has an ability like that too. Wow so you¡¯re like me? But your whole¡­ This is so crazy,¡± My mind stumbled over questions and ideas faster than I could fully express them. The revelation that I was not the only one who had changed made my mind whirl.

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s crazy,¡± she said.

    ¡°And like, my goddess can speak to me in my dreams even when I¡¯m not wearing the helmet.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ so what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    Both of our eyes were wide as we stared at each other. Our minds trying to run through what this all might actually mean. Then I got distracted. Her eyes were gorgeous. I could barely see them, but I could see the moons and stars reflected lightly in them as I got lost. I didn¡¯t realise it, but my hand had reached out towards her from underneath my bedroll. Her eyes tracked it as it made its way towards her. By the time I realised what I was doing, my hand landed on her cheek. She jolted away from the contact with a squeak.

    ¡°I... I¡¯m- Syl, I¡¯m straight,¡± she stammered with wide eyes.

    ¡°Fuck. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what I was doing I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m gay. I mean I¡¯m straight. I mean. Shit. I¡¯m not into girls, I¡¯m into guys,¡± I lied.

    I wasn¡¯t into guys anymore. Not Jeremy, nor any of the muscled athletes from the field earlier today. Sometimes I was though? When I thought of myself as a guy and getting with Jeremy I was still interested, but being with him in this body did nothing for me. It was all very confusing.

    She gulped, nodded, and rolled over to face the other direction.

    ¡°Goodnight,¡± I heard her mutter faintly.

    ¡°Goodnight,¡± I whispered to her back.

    The next day neither of us spoke much, but we made incredible progress across towards town. We were just two days away now and as strange as the conversation with Karen had been, and the interaction at the end, I was super excited to get there and find a solution to my real world problems. When we stopped for the night I almost didn¡¯t want to log out.

    ¡°Ugh I want to finish travelling so bad. I just want to beee there!¡± I complained to the camp at large as we prepared to log out.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting some good experience like this though,¡± said Col as he messed with the camping device.

    ¡°Yeah I guess we are,¡± I said, still pouting as I looked at his hunched form.

    ¡°I¡¯m level seven now,¡± Liam told us.

    ¡°Same,¡± said Karen quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m only level five,¡± I said continuing my pouting session.

    Karen stole a glance at me and then quickly looked away and rubbed her forearm with her hand, ¡°You¡¯ll get there,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe when we get to town and don¡¯t have to rely on each other being online to travel you can catch up,¡± Col suggested.

    ¡°I guess,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Right well I¡¯m out, same time tomorrow guys?¡± Liam asked us.

    ¡°Yup,¡± we all chorused.

    Everyone waved and melted into bright multicoloured light.

    I took a moment before I followed them out of the game to review the changes I¡¯d made to my character after hitting level five. I still had to do some research before spending the skill points, but I¡¯d caved in and spent two points, increasing my ranged healing spell to rank two as well as purchasing the summoned shield of light that the description told me was called Shield of the Dawn. I left the four skill points for once I knew what i was doing. Whenever that would be.

    ****

    Nia coughed as the guns continued their shuddering assault on the building. The vibrations they caused when they fired tickled her throat and it always made her cough. She looked around, admiring the view that five Order cruisers presented as they pounded lumps of hard steel into the corrupted building with satisfaction. Finally a win, she thought.

    They¡¯d been losing ground recently back home on Andegral, and the exploration teams were being recalled to help deal with the sudden explosion in activity from their enemies. The great tear in reality at the center of the world crater was spewing out more abominations than ever before.

    It was almost like it was worried about something.

 11: Tearful confession

    I woke up after my few hours of real sleep and let the previous few days of subjective time roll over me. Two things came to the forefront of my mind. First, what the hell had the crazy geometric thing been, and why on earth had I touched Karen like that? My goddess had not decided to speak to me when I fell asleep either in the game or in reality. I hoped everything was okay.

    As for Karen. Phew. What a nightmare. What was I doing? It was like I couldn¡¯t fully control my actions with her. I hoped I hadn¡¯t jeopardised a potential friendship. She was so cute too, the way she sometimes played with her tail when she was thinking. I wanted to be her friend. I¡¯d apologise to her later today when I logged back in.

    When I got up, it was fairly late by functioning adult standards. It was a sunday morning that lived up to the ¡°sun¡± part of the name. Light streamed in through the high windows that had been built to let it into the living area of our house. Breakfast had already been cooked and I grabbed mine, heading over to the dining table to eat it. My parents were in the lounge area, dad watching the news and mum drinking coffee and reading a book on her tablet. The breakfast was pancakes and banana and it was delicious. As I ate I absentmindedly listened to the news.

    ¡°I¡¯m here in Chicago where only hours ago, early morning local time, a young couple was struck by lightning from an unknown source, the third incident of this kind since friday.¡±

    The american lady droned on for a bit longer about the weird lightning strikes and then it cut back to the New Zealand talking heads. I winced as the Kiwi accents came on in full force. It was always really jarring to hear a ¡°media normal¡± accent from somewhere in america and then bam Kiwi accent. I didn¡¯t understand why I hated hearing our accent so much on the TV as I didn¡¯t even notice it when I was speaking to people in person. Maybe we just got so much US media here that I expected people in the big glowing rectangle to have an accent from the US.

    The story switched over to a piece about how it was the ten year anniversary of a mass disappearance in Victoria University. An entire lecture hall with around 300 students and staff had just gone missing. The claims of aliens beaming people through the ceiling had been thrown out, but no one had ever been able to explain what had happened, and the few survivors who had seen what happened had clammed up after their wild tales were ridiculed by the press. I remembered sitting with my birth mother at the age of 5 and watching the news debacle. I hadn¡¯t understood what was happening at the time.

    I went back to my room and got changed into a simple outfit, a tank top and skirt. I had no intention of doing anything interesting except chilling out with my parents for a bit and maybe reading up on how other people were doing in Pellan. My phone was strangely empty of messages, both private and group chat ones and I considered that for a moment before I shrugged and went back to the living room.

    Thirty minutes of cuddling mum later and we heard a knock at the door. Dad frowned and got up to go and check it.

    ¡°I wonder who that is,¡± he mumbled to himself as he went.

    When he opened the door I felt the bottom of my stomach drop out and accelerate hard.

    ¡°Hello Mr Walker, we were just wondering if Sam is here? We were wanting to talk to him,¡± Dana¡¯s voice said from around the corner.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just check for you,¡± he replied.

    His head poked around the corner and he raised an eyebrow at me. I had already stood up and my eyes were wide as dinner plates as I frantically whipped my head between my parent¡¯s faces.

    My mother raised her eyebrows as if to ask whether I would spill the beans to them. I looked at them frantically for a few more moments before I remembered my racial skill. Karen had been using hers to hide from people so maybe I should too. In a panic I pictured my previous Sam self. The spell changed me, as it had before in front of my parents, and I made sure to keep my groin the way it normally was now. The feeling of being back in this body was an acutely unpleasant one, and I grimaced and shook myself.

    My parents stared at me for a moment, still unused to my displays of magic, then Dad nodded in understanding. Pushing past dad, I walked down the hallway to my friends.

    ¡°Hey guys! I said enthusiastically. Only there was a problem, I¡¯d forgotten to change my voice and out came my Syl voice instead.

    Jeremy¡¯s eyes widened from where he stood behind Dana and I hastily cleared my throat while altering my spell.

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± I asked innocently.

    Tilting her head at the strange voice I had spoken in for a second, Dana replied, ¡°We were just wondering how you were? You¡¯ve been like almost total radio silence since Pellan came out. You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine. Wanna go down to the park and hang out? Kinda want to get out of the house.¡± I said. If they came inside they would end up in my room where I had bras, panties and skirts strewn everywhere. That would be hard to explain.

    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± Said Dana. She realised something was up but she couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    Jeremy was staring at me with an intense expression on his face.

    Greg had remained silent up til now, but piped up asking, ¡°So how is things over in rock people land? You a badass tank yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing pretty well for myself in Pellan.¡± I said, replying in a way that omitted the truth while not outright lying to my friends.

    We walked down to the park that I had seen Karen at yesterday and sat down in a small seating area near the adjoining playground. Greg and Dana told us of their adventures so far, and how they were currently waiting for us by completing quests in the city Dailsil.

    ¡°So how is things with the healer escort mission?¡± Greg asked Jeremy.

    Jeremy looked at me for a moment, squinted and then shook his head before turning back to Greg, ¡°It¡¯s going well. We ran into this really fucked up encounter thing and Syl told us to run. Apparently her goddess thought it was going to be a bad time. I think we¡¯re about two days out from Dailsil.¡±

    ¡°Oh cool, I can¡¯t wait til we get to play with you guys too,¡± Greg said happily.

    ¡°About that¡­ We still need a tank and extra DPS. Is it okay Sam if we replace you for a bit in the group? Just until you make your way to us?¡± Asked Dana.

    I shrugged, ¡°Yeah sure. Doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±

    ¡°Okay awesome, I hope we get to play with you soon Sam. We miss gaming with you,¡± She told me earnestly.

    I smiled, ¡°Yeah, I miss you guys too.¡±

    ¡°Very touching, but it¡¯s fucking hot already. Does anyone want an Ice block or something? I¡¯m buying,¡± Jeremy groaned.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± We all said. Free food!

    We all told him what we would like and he wandered off to get it. The conversation wandered to school and my illness after that. It was still early in the year so homework had yet to properly ramp up into its usual nightmarish self. I wondered Idly if I would have to catch up on everything I¡¯d missed when I transferred into school as Syl. I hoped not.

    When Jeremy returned, he stood behind the bench that Dana and Greg were sitting on, handing them their treats. I got up off my bench and reached over Dana to grab my own one. My foot didn¡¯t land where I expected it to, my height being different to my Syl body. Giving an alarmed squeak I fell down onto Dana, my crotch landing square on her thigh, suddenly straddling her leg.

    ¡°Ow!¡± She and I exclaimed at the same time.

    I quickly got up off her and apologised, ¡°Shit I¡¯m sorry! Are you okay?¡± My vag hurt, but not as much as if I had balls. Thank you Feslia for that!

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± She told me, rubbing her leg. She looked up at me then and tilted her head to the side, ¡°Sam¡­? Why did?¡±

    I shook my head vigorously and widened my eyes. I held my groin as though I had hurt something different and went back to sit down.

    Jeremy handed me my Ice block, ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Dude can you not like come on to my girlfriend like that?¡± joked Greg.

    Thank you Greg you beautiful oblivious bastard, although the word dude grated on me.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine,¡± I told them, faking a wince.

    Jeremy had a look of wry amusement on his face. Dana however was boring into me with her eyes. Shit. She¡¯d felt I had nothing down there. I ignored her stare of inquisition and forced a laugh when I looked at Jeremy.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    We sat there and spoke some more, banter flowing between us all easily. I had to catch myself from acting too girly the whole time I was with them and it felt wrong. I was Syl now, I shouldn¡¯t have to hide my true self from my friends. I needed to tell them soon, I¡¯d already fucked up twice in like an hour. I couldn¡¯t do it though, my irrational fear lurching out of the darkness and wrapping it¡¯s dark sticky hands around my throat. Not yet. Maybe when my identification was settled.

    Jeremy looked at his phone and jumped up, ¡°Oh shit, I need to get back. I need to meet the others so we can keep walking to meet up with you guys.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I need to catch up on my homework, I¡¯ve been neglecting it,¡± nodded Dana.

    Greg shrugged.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to walk home, I¡¯ll see you guys later,¡± I told them, in a rush to get away. I felt an urgent desire to change back into my girl body. I felt really weird in my old Sam body, and not just because of the dissonance. I just felt wrong and it was beginning to make my skin crawl.

    ¡°Okay, wait though Sam¡­¡± Dana trailed off, but I¡¯d already made a break for it. I heard Greg and Jeremy talking as they walked towards the bus stop near the store, but I heard Dana trying to follow me out of the park towards my home.

    As quickly as I could, I dashed around a corner and dropped my transformation spell, returning to my real self at last. Fuck it felt good to be back in this body, my hair long and flowing down my back, my dainty arms hairless and my skirt flowing in the breeze. I quickly messed my hair so it would cover my ears, and leaned against the fence of the house behind me, pretending to be interested in my phone. Dana rounded the corner a little out of breath and dashed past me. When she saw I was nowhere to be found she stopped in confusion and looked around.

    Then her eyes landed on me and narrowed. My eyes widened. Ohhhh no. She was on to me. She stomped over to me.

    ¡°Hi?¡± I squeaked.

    She stood in front of me and stared, her eyes narrowed. Then she looked down. Oh shit, I¡¯d forgotten to put shoes on and my little feet were bare. She opened her mouth to speak.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing here?¡± said a suddenly appeared Karen as she closed the gate into the house whose fence I was leaning against.

    ¡°K!¡± I exclaimed, jumping at her and taking her arm, ¡°What took you so long?¡±

    She stiffened, but allowed me to lead her away from Dana, who stood there still staring at me, but now she had an expression of confusion on her face.

    ¡°Hey um, why are you-¡± Karen started to complain.

    ¡°Please please play along just for a second, I¡¯m sorry!¡± I whispered urgently to her.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± She asked with concern, ¡°Who was that?¡±

    I looked up at her. I thought I was making a decision but really my subconscious had already made its mind up as soon as I saw her step out of that gate.

    ¡°Is that your house?¡± I asked her to stall for time.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really convenient when we have our games on that field.¡± She replied while nodding in the direction.

    It seemed both of us had been shocked out of our silence towards each other with this encounter because neither of us were having any trouble talking to each other.

    I led her down the street and around a random corner, checking to see if Dana was following, but she was gone. When we got out of sight of her house I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned my face into her shoulder for a moment. She didn¡¯t pull away. It felt so good to have my face there. She looked kind of beanpoley, but I could feel the payoff from her athletic nature in the muscles of her shoulder. I sighed again and breathed her in. She smelled really good. I knew the body wash she used because I¡¯d used it a few years back, it smelled like vanilla and coconut. Then I snapped out of it and threw myself off her.

    ¡°Sorry! Shit, um. I didn¡¯t mean to like¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°Uh,¡± she stammered, grabbing hold of something in the air and wiggling her fingers as she stared at it, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s okay. Um, what¡¯s wrong though? Who was that?¡±

    ¡°Um, let¡¯s walk while I tell you,¡± I said. My feet hurt from walking barefoot but right now I was way too nervous to care.

    ¡°So, when we talked about our real life bodies changing¡­ A whole lot changed for me¡­ My name used to be Sam,¡± I told her.

    ¡°As in Samantha? Why¡¯d you change it?¡± she asked confused.

    ¡°No¡­ Sam as in Samuel. I was a guy. I¡¯ll show you,¡± after a quick look around, I changed into the Sam body, held it for a few moments, and then changed back. Damn, that was emotionally gruelling, I felt my mental state crumble a bit.

    ¡°Wait that¡¯s you? I know you! We go to the same school! Holy shit you turned into a¡­ into a girl!¡± she exclaimed with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Yeah I did, I um. Okay please, please don¡¯t hate me. I just. Well I like being a girl too. I don¡¯t want to change back,¡± my eyes brimmed with tears as I confessed this, and Karen¡¯s shock turned to sympathy on her face.

    ¡°Oh. My older sister is like that¡­ was like that. She came out when she was sixteen as well. I¡¯m sorry. It must have been hard,¡± she said in a halting, gentle voice.

    I walked beside her and blubbered for a bit, and at some point she put her arm awkwardly around me, trying to comfort me without more than a proper amount of contact. It felt absurdly nice to have her arm around me, protecting me.

    ¡°Hey you need to stop crying,¡± I heard her say, her voice heavy with emotion, ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me cry too you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, wiping my face with my hand and smearing it on my skirt, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°So what was that about back there with that girl?¡± she asked as she got her own emotions under control.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of my friends. Something happened when all four of us were hanging out in the park just now that kinda told her something was different with me. She chased me to try and get me to tell her but when I rounded the corner I turned back into me, into Syl and.. Yeah,¡± my words rushed out in one very long breath, and I sucked in air.

    ¡°Wait¡­ do you mean they don¡¯t know yet? Like you haven¡¯t told them you got changed?¡± she asked in surprise.

    ¡°Nope, they have no idea. Well, Dana knows something is up and Jeremy might be a bit suspicious too. Greg wouldn¡¯t recognise anything different even if it was tall blond and naked. Okay he might notice that, but you get the idea,¡± I paused to think a little bit and then continued, ¡°I¡¯m just so scared. Every time I think about it I can¡¯t speak and I start feeling out of breath. I want to tell them, and I know they will be supportive of me¡­ but it¡¯s hard you know?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I feel the same about my new Darkling parts. I mean I actually kind of like the tail. The horns get in the way. So does the tail, but I can¡¯t wear any of my cute hats right now and it sucks. How about this, we tell our friends together hey? When you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll tell Liam and the rest of our group and you tell Dana and your friends? That way if one of us wimps out we¡¯ve let the other down. A little bit of pressure to help motivate us?¡± she asked with a big pretty smile on her face.

    ¡°Yeah that. That sounds nice Karen. I¡¯d like that,¡± I told her with an answering smile.

    ¡°Good because I¡¯m totally terrified as well,¡± she laughed nervously.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. I paused a little and then spoke again, ¡°You know what¡¯s even funnier? Colourless is Jeremy, and the two people we¡¯re travelling to Dailsil to meet are Greg and Dana.¡±

    She stared at me for a microsecond and then laughed, ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me. What a mess Syl. You¡¯ve got yourself into the world¡¯s most complicated mess ever.¡±

    ¡°I know...¡± I groaned, drawing out the O sound in the word.

    ¡°You¡¯re so funny, ridiculous and funny,¡± she grinned at me.

    I reached out and grabbed her invisible tail she was holding, giving it a little tug. She squeaked and jumped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± she whined.

    I cackled at her.

    We agreed to part ways there, I¡¯d distracted her from her errand to the store and we both had to eat lunch and get back into the game world to start the next two days of walking. Our goodbye was one of bonded friends. She was very cool... and pretty... and...

 12: Avengers, Assemble!

    The rest of sunday passed slowly. It passed slowly because after I ate lunch I stayed in the game for the entire rest of the day with Col, Karen and Liam as we made our way towards the rest of our group. Karen and I had become close after my weepy confession about who I was, and it showed in the way we hung out together as we walked, chatting constantly about random silly things. She started calling me Sylly about halfway through the first ingame day of walking and I let her, it felt great.

    I had to cave in with my saved up skill points. Saving them up was only hindering me. During the downtime between encounters I agonised over where to spend them, looking over all the things I could potentially want to spec into and thereby drive my build in that direction.

    I picked up the ability that allowed me to dash to friendly players, as well as putting one point each into Spell Dancing and Unarmed Casting to raise them to rank two. My last point was spent on a really cool ability that I was excited to use simply because it looked really cool.

    The ability caused my fist and forearm to become wreathed in roiling cloud, miniature lightning dancing through it. When I punched someone, it would discharge into them like a mule¡¯s kick, stunning for a small duration and dealing a small amount of damage. I was turning myself into an odd healer that¡¯s for sure, but I was building for the rule of cool so screw the haters! It wasn¡¯t long on our first day before I got to use the ability.

    I was walking next to karen and she was telling me about her family. She had a lot of siblings, of which she was the youngest. Her brothers and sisters were all very competitive and instead of joining in, Karen had tried to stay out of it, preferring to go through life at her own pace. That hadn¡¯t stopped her parents from pushing her though, and when she¡¯d found her passion for football and skateboarding, they had gotten behind her whole heartedly. She was a study in contrasts Karen. Shy and bookish on one end, loving to read, and athletic and good at it on the other end. I wanted to get to know her more, understand how those two seemingly contradictory halves fit together so well.

    Learning about her and her life was fun, so neither myself nor Karen noticed initially when we were charged by something. It was huge. With thundering hoofbeats a two storey tall wall of wood-mimicking-flesh barrelled towards us through the trees. The thing was an enormous stag, its proud antlers made of petrified wood while the rest of it¡¯s form was a mix of solid wood and fur made of autumn leaves.

    ¡°Aw shit! Elderwood Hecarim is after us!¡± yelled Karen with a laugh.

    I gave an appreciative giggle at her reference to the League character. Obviously the wooden stag didn''t have a humanoid upper body but the resemblance was there.

    As it lowered its head for the charge, I dove out of the way. Karen didn''t. At the last second she stepped to the side and placed her greatsword in the path of one enormous leg. Her sword was ripped from her hands as the beast gave a beugeling cry and at least two tons of wooden flesh crashed heavily to the ground.

    Liam was there after that, goading the enraged tree thing into attacking him. I noticed Karen was shaking her hand out in pain. It was probably overkill, she probably just wrenched it. I took a few steps to bring her into range and placed my hand over hers, sending healing energy flowing through it. Could I have used my currently more power ranged ability to do this instead? Yeah I probably could have.

    She looked down at me with a smile on her face and I motioned her to get her sword back. She blinked, nodded and dashed off towards the fight. Liam was in need of healing, I could tell his shield arm had taken I hit that had broken something as it was held limp at his side. With a blast from one hand I started the process of healing him. My other hand threw an orb of azure gold light to the ground, which expanded out into a large radius and set the ground glowing slightly. Instantly I could feel myself become healthier as the circle began healing my road sores.

    Col announced his entrance into the battle with the sound of shuddering glaciers. Out of the sky a disc of impenetrable white mist formed, and through that a hail of head sized chunks of ice hammered down onto the Stag. The creature bellowed and thrashed wildly to escape the pain. Liam kept it corralled inside the ice storm for the whole duration though, with Karen''s help. Every time it tried to go one way, Karen was there to hew a chunk off the thing with her enormous sword. Every time it tried to move another way Liam was there, bringing the edge of his shield into it with a dull crack.

    We continued for a few moments, working together to keep it on the back foot while our two damage dealers had fun blasting and carving pieces off it. It didn''t last forever though, the Stag suddenly reared up and stomped heavily on the ground, causing it to ripple and knock us onto our butts. Taking the advantage, it whirled and kicked out with a hind leg, connecting with the struggling Liam and sending him sailing through the air to impact a tree.

    Liam lay against the base of the tree with his eyes wide, looking to be in serious pain as he scrabbled at his chest with his fingers. Uh oh, I needed to heal him fast. If he couldn''t breath or something else was wrong internally and he died, he would respawn back in Keldrin, his last bind point. I twirled my hand, calling the threads of golden light I needed before thrusting them in his direction. I felt my stomach lurch as I was pulled towards him at speed, flying to him with hand outstretched.

    I arrived with my plan already in motion. My other hand hit him with a laser pulse of energy, while the hand I had used to pull myself to him landed directly on his chest and followed suit. The three healing spells combined to bring him back into fighting shape, if not outright topping him up to full health. I looked back in time to see Karen take the Stags attention away from Col before it could paste him across a tree too, but now she was in trouble.

    ¡°Shit! No, Karen!¡± I called as the beast wound up to send her flying with a flick of its enormous antlers.

    I thought fast, unlike Liam, she wouldn''t survive a massive hit from it. I realised I could do something though, and it would be flashy and impressive¡­ and probably painful. Karen would probably be grateful too and that made me feel a little silly. Summoning the glowing tendrils once more, I thrust them at her, coiling them around her like rope. The coils didn''t hinder her, expanding and contracting with her movements as though made of malleable rubber. I kicked off with my feet as the spell pulled me towards her, giving me air time. When I reached the zenith of my arc I released my hold on the spell and feeling the pull vanish. I spun in the air as I closed with Karen, and with the Stag that was bearing down on her.

    Clenching my fist I felt the crackling energy build. Bright white clouds tinged with blue swirled around my arm, golden lightning crackling within. When my flight took me within range, I slammed my fist into its rump. There was was a crack-boom as my spell discharged into the beast and chunks of bark flew lazily into the air, propelled by the suddenly superheated sap within the creature. The Stag cried out and fell to the side twitching and shuddering.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of things though, I hit the ground with my left leg first and heard an ugly snap as the bone broke under the impact. Mirroring my foe, I screamed and went down in a heap.

    ¡°Syl!¡± Karen cried as she rushed to me.

    ¡°Kill that stupid fucking lump of wood!¡± I ground out between tears and clenched teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine in a bit.¡±

    She nodded and raced to do as I¡¯d bid. With a grunt of pain I began to the process of pumping healing energy into myself, and watched as Liam arrived to regain the attention of the great beast just as it began to rise back to its feet. Karen, and especially Col had been busy during the opportunity I had presented them with, hammering spells and abilities into the creature. When I was able to stand again, the creature was dead.

    Congratulations! Your party has managed to defeat the rare Corrupt Stag of the Grove. This beast had a bounty placed on it by the gods. Here is your reward!

    A bulging coin purse dropped from the air a foot above the large dead monster and rolled to the ground and Liam bent to pick it up.

    ¡°It¡¯s got like, hmmm yup, it¡¯s got a hundred gold in it I think,¡± he said with a satisfied nod.

    ¡°Damn! That''s awesome!¡± Col said enthusiastically.

    Before Col could snatch it from his hands, he dished out 25 gold coins each, which we squirreled away in our inventories. For me it was more than just casual game income. The gold I¡¯d just recieved was a big step in paying for the spell I needed. We gathered parts of the Stag that looked like they could be sold and returned to our walk. It had been a close one, but we¡¯d won and it felt awesome.

    Karen walked next to me and gave me a massive grin, ¡°Syl that move you did to stun the monster was so cool! You¡¯re like a badass healing ninja girl!¡±

    I smiled right back and felt my cheeks burn a little, ¡°Everyone was badass! Liam got crazy beat up and as soon as he was healed he was back at it! Col was all boom boom pew pew get rekt ya stupid shrubbery! And you Karen! You faced that charge at the start like a matador! It was such a cool fight!¡±

    Everyone started in then, Col telling us about the spells he¡¯d pulled off, Liam talking about how great the strategy that Karen and he had pulled off to keep it in the ice storm. We were in pretty good spirits.

    The rest of the travel to the city of Dailsil passed relatively uneventfully. We had to fight a bunch of creatures, and I reached level six at the end of the first day, and level seven just as we neared the city. My intelligence, wisdom and dexterity were all much higher than my other stats now, so I placed the level seven attribute points across the others to even myself out a bit.

    The forest had thinned out somewhat as we¡¯d travelled the last day, morphing into tall stands of redwood every hundred meters. It was as though the area had a strict ratio of half forest and half grassland to adhere to. Dailsil itself was every bit the beautiful elven city, the streets were lined with finely carved buildings that flowed together as though they were another natural landscape unto themselves.

    That¡¯s not to say it was all blending with the landscape and living in harmony with the land. The place was ringed by a large stone wall, sturdy towers supported by elegant buttresses lined the wall every fifty meters or so. It was pretty incredible to see in person, even though I¡¯d seen its like many times in normal video games I¡¯d played.

    Attentive guards stood at the arching gate, eyeing all those who passed through as though they were one wrong move away from a stabbing. We passed through with only a narrowed glare from the guard closest to us and then our journey was finished. We made our way to the Inn where we were meant to meet Dana and Greg.

    The Inn was called the Soaring Drake, and it was a bit out of the way compared to the more well known places along the main streets. It was a two story building with dark green tiles as a roof. A small gate led around the side to a courtyard and stables.

    We went into the main room and we all stood inside the threshold waiting for our eyes to adjust to the light. Dana and Greg weren¡¯t there at the moment and so with grateful sighs we collapsed around a table. A barmaid appeared and Liam told her we¡¯d like meals and beds.

    ¡°So, guys,¡± hedged Col, ¡°I know you¡¯re in Syl, but do you guys want to join our group? If we have you two we¡¯ll have the perfect party. Plus you two are great at the game and fun to hang out with.¡±

    I looked at Karen with almost pleading hope in my eyes. I really wanted her to be in the group. I didn¡¯t want to be separated from her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good offer,¡± said Liam thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely keep it in mind, but Kar-¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Karen blurted suddenly, ¡°I want to stay with you guys!¡±

    My face broke into a smile that almost dealt radiant damage.

    Liam looked at her a bit taken aback before shrugging, ¡°I guess that¡¯s a yes then,¡± He said with a wry expression.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Nice! Now we just need the other two here and we¡¯ll all be officially a party!¡± exclaimed Col.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to add you guys as friends!¡± I said, opening the menus to do so.

    The meals arrived soon after and we bantered away about our journey while we ate. We¡¯d bonded quite a lot spending so many days in each others company and working together to fight all manner of beasts. I was confident our group would do great things.

    When they finally did arrive, they looked a little worse for wear. Greg, or Amra as she was called ingame, had blood and dirt all over her leather armour, and I could see bandages around her legs. Dana looked just as bad, if not worse, she was cradling a broken arm and her own leather armour had slashes gouged in it.

    I leapt up and rushed to them, not stopping to greet them as I poured healing energy into Dana and then into Amra. They both released the tension they had been holding in their bodies as the pain left them, and they gave me weary smiles as thanks.

    When Dana¡¯s eyes fell on me properly, they widened in recognition. ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I squeaked.

    I used hurrying them to the table as an excuse to stall the conversation before sitting down very close to Karen on the bench for support.

    Amra and Dana sat next to each other on the bench opposite, next to Col.

    ¡°You¡¯re the girl from before, at the park,¡± Dana said to me, her eyes drilling into me.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°She was there to meet me, we wanted to hang out a little before we got into the game,¡± Karen said jumping to my rescue.

    ¡°Hey go easy on her Dana she¡¯s shy,¡± said Col, backing me up as well.

    ¡°Alright, sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ Nevermind¡­¡± she said a little despondently.

    ¡°Anyway, thanks so much for healing us there, um Syl? Right? It was pretty unpleasant walking back here like that,¡± said Amra, and Dana nodded her agreement.

    ¡°How¡¯d you get all beat up like that?¡± asked Liam.

    ¡°There¡¯s already a guild war going on around the city. This huge guild that carried over from a previous game is trying to take over the area around the city and force all the other adventurers out. I think they called themselves the Blackfeathers? There¡¯s a few other guilds fighting back but these guys have so many people it¡¯s not going well. Things really blew up around here since their leader arrived,¡± Dana explained.

    ¡°Wait didn¡¯t we fight a bunch of Blackfeather people when we left? Do they wear black and green? Col asked.

    ¡°Yeah they do!¡± Greg exclaimed.

    ¡°I think we killed a few of them,¡± Col grinned.

    ¡°Nice, we¡¯ve been fighting them all fricken¡¯ day,¡± Dana sighed.

    Oh no, that meant it might be difficult to get the gold I needed for my spell. How was I going to get enough money if everyone was busy turning the area into a warzone? The others kept talking about the situation and plans to take our group out on monday night for a day of questing and grinding.

    Karen noticed I was feeling down and elbowed me lightly, ¡°Hey what¡¯s up?¡± she asked.

    I looked up at her and told her very quietly of my problems with identification and how I was going to try and fix that.

    She nodded as I finished and leaned closer to whisper in my ear, ¡°Would you like the 25 gold from my share of that miniboss kill? You can pay me back later. Your future is way more important than a few bits of new gear for me.¡±

    I felt my eyes glisten with a bit of moisture as she offered her money to me, and I nodded in thanks and acceptance. She was a very kind person. She passed the gold to me, and as she did so I looked up into her eyes. They were so close. They were the same eyes she had in reality as well, and I realised they must have been transformed.

    ¡°Your eyes were transformed too?¡± I asked her softly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± was all she said as she stared back at me.

    ¡°Hey!,¡± yelled a voice, and we both jumped like a least three feet in the air.

    All four of the others were looking at us expectantly, except Dana who had a little grin on her face as she looked on. I could feel my face flushing with embarrassment, but I was uncertain about why.

    ¡°Um?¡± Karen asked.

    ¡°We wanted to know if you guys were down for trying to find a dungeon around here to explore, maybe on tuesday night or something?¡± asked Liam with a curious expression on his face as he looked at the two of us.

    I nodded and Karen said, ¡°Yeah sounds good!¡±

    The group turned back to game discussion, and Karen and I started to participate too. It was actually still mid afternoon in the game world, but we all figured it was time for bed and to log off. We all paid for our meal and rooms and headed up to bed. I gave Karen a shy wave before I went into my own room.

    When I began to sit down I realised I didn¡¯t actually have to log out right now. I didn¡¯t really have anything to do, so I figured I might take a look around the city. First however, I changed into a new set of clothing and washed myself, because travel had covered me in grime and dust. Nice and freshened up, or as near as could be achieved in a fantasy setting like this one, I headed back out of the inn. I knew what was first. Selling all the crap I¡¯d collected along the trip. I was determined not to get destroyed in the haggling over prices this time.

    When I finally managed to navigate the tangle of streets and alleyways to the market, things were beginning to wind down, but I approached the stalls that bought adventurer loot anyway. I went to each one and sold my various items. Small glowing knots of wood that acted as the heart of a wood sprite, long sharp talons from the bigger ones, the list went onwards.

    I began feeling super nervous about speaking to so many strangers, and I almost choked up and couldn¡¯t speak. Haggling did not go very well this time either, although my near panic clearly got to some of the more kind hearted stall owners because they backed off a bit and allowed me to come away with a modest thirty four gold coins for my troubles. The parts I had gotten from the Stag were worth a lot, and I¡¯d been given the core which sold very well and made up a large chunk of my total earnings.

    With coin pouch full, I made my way over to a spell store I had seen earlier. The place was almost identical to the one from the small town we had started at, only much much bigger. There was a lot of magical doodads and the like stacked on shelves, and a section for each type of magical casting focus. I saw some very pretty staves I wanted to look at, but I told myself I had priorities.

    I walked up to the counter, where an apprentice was sitting there bored out of his skull. He perked up straight away when he saw me coming to talk to him.

    ¡°Hey there, what do you need?¡± He asked in a chirpy voice.

    ¡°Um, I need a powerful mage to make me a spell,¡± I told him.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty powerful, what do you need?¡± He told me boastfully, puffing his chest out.

    I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to figure out what was going on, before I realised he was trying to impress me. Oh dear.

    ¡°I need a spell that will go through an information source and edit it in small ways that I specify,¡± I said blandly.

    ¡°Oh,¡± He said, deflating, ¡°Let me go get my master.¡±

    With that he scurried off, and when he returned from a back staircase he had an older looking elf following behind him. The new man had a long thin goatee. He was obviously the guy I needed.

    ¡°I understand you are in need of a challenging spellmind my dear, would you care to explain what you would need this for as well as what the parameters will be?¡± he said in a kind voice, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot make such a spell for just anyone.¡±

    I explained my problem to him in terms that he would grasp. I was from a different kingdom, and while visiting this one I had become changed, taking on new characteristics that invalidated my old documents with the heavily bureaucratic fictional nation. I carefully left out a few things that would complicate things, as well as a name for the nation I was ¡°from¡±. I also explained that I needed a way to hide how long my ears were, and if there was a way for him to do that.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I see your problem now. I also believe that despite your attempt at secrecy I know which nation you speak of. Concealing your ears is an easy enough endeavour, I will cast a spell matrix into each ear to control the transfiguration and then link the power requirements to your own mana pool. Be aware that this type of spell is usually not used for anything larger than this, as the energy drain gets exponentially greater the more matter is placed in the duality,¡± he stopped to breath, thankfully, before continuing, ¡°This spell can be prepared and applied now, it is not difficult. The bigger spell that you need will take me a day, maybe two to prepare and complete. Can you wait that long?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and thank you so much¡­ Um, how much will this cost?¡± I asked in a plaintive voice.

    ¡°I think one hundred gold coins would suffice,¡± he said jovially.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t have enough. I was feeling so down about not being able to sort this out now that my ears actually drooped a little, the small amount of control I had over them pulling them down with my mood.

    ¡°Ah, well. I¡¯m sure we could come to an arrangement young lady. How much can you spare?¡± he asked as his resolve melted to my unwitting play on his kindness.

    I perked up a little, but I was still fairly sure he would say no, ¡°I have eighty four gold pieces on me sir,¡± I said hopefully.

    He made a slightly pained face and my heart sank again.

    He sighed, ¡°Alright, but you had better use this store again before you leave my dear. I¡¯m giving you a discount on faith that you will be a loyal customer for as long as you stay in Dailsil.¡±

    I gave him a huge smile and nodded vigorously, handing him the coins straight away. He had trouble dealing with the pile at first before the apprentice dove in to help him.

    ¡°Ahem, let me just go and gather the things I will need for your ears, please wait a moment.¡±

    I waited happily. When he returned he strode back to the counter and began laying out all sorts of strange implements, parchment and a quill. He started to draw complex flowing swirls of interlocking lines, like a combination celtic knot and sailors guide for knots. The lines would split and converge in a way that left you wondering where they had split. It was fascinating to watch.

    Turning to the apprentice I asked, ¡°Why is this so crazy looking? When I cast a spell I just ask it to happen in my mind and it does.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s like a packaged spell. Someone can teach you how to cast a spell by packing it up so that it is a nice neat bundle. What he¡¯s doing is writing a new spell from scratch. It¡¯s like the difference between buying a hotcake from a bakery or buying the ingredients and making it yourself,¡± he told me, happy to be of help and giving me a warm smile. Yet another guy smiling at me that no longer affected me.

    It wasn¡¯t long before he was finished, and he placed a small glass orb into the center of the parchment. With a flash the intricate swirls of spell writing were gone and the glass orb was transformed into two small wisps of light.

    ¡°Take each of these and place them inside your ears, it should take hold straight away,¡± the old mage told me.

    I did as he asked and felt a strange flash of heat, then I was back to normal.

    ¡°Now as you would any other spell, ask it to activate.¡±

    When I again did as he bid, I felt my ears shorten. It was strange and different again from how my racial ability worked. I felt up with my hands and was met with two ears that were much more within the realms of normal human anatomy. I still had slightly tapering points, but at least they weren¡¯t a foot long like before.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°It is my pleasure young lady, now about the other spell, come back at around this time in two days and I will have it ready for you. I should warn you that a spell brand can be quite painful to apply,¡± he warned.

    ¡°I can do it, thank you so much sir, you¡¯re a life saver,¡± I said happily.

    ¡°I am just a shopkeeper, but thank you. Thank you for gracing this store with your beauty as well. Goodnight,¡± he said with a smile.

    Having concluded the business I needed to do, I rushed back to the inn so I could log off and tell my parents the news.

 13: Hello Trauma, Goodbye Trauma

    As soon as I logged out of Pellan I checked the time. It was seven in the morning, which meant mum and dad wouldn''t be out of bed yet. I went into the kitchen and started the coffee brewing for them. I would have started breakfast too, but I was notoriously bad in the kitchen.

    I stubbed my toe on a corner as a I set the water to boil. That really hurt. I sat on the cold tile floor of the kitchen and nursed it for a little while before I remembered I could just heal it with my crazy magic powers. Silly me!

    Dad arrived in the kitchen before mum wearing his work suit. ¡°Hey kiddo, I scanned through the unenrollment papers to your school last night. I¡¯d like you to try and go to school today alright? Use your shapeshifting power or whatever it is. We have the unenrollment forms all written up and signed, but we think it would be best if you delivered them in person rather than emailing them like normal.¡±

    ¡°Dad, I really don¡¯t want to¡­ it¡¯s really uncomfortable to be like that,¡± I whined.

    ¡°You said you can maintain it for up to eight hours right?¡± he asked sternly.

    ¡°Five hours til it gets uncomfortable, and eight is when it starts hurting,¡± I replied with a pout.

    ¡°Good, you should make the attempt at least. If things go badly you can always call us and we¡¯ll pick you up,¡± he told me.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a grump like that Sylanna Walker. You¡¯ll be free to waltz around as your pointy eared little self in no time. Now, how did your search for the magic fixiwatsit spell thing go?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I got the guy making it now. It might be done by late tonight, I think,¡± I grumbled, still annoyed about having to go into school.

    ¡°Well done sprite! As soon as you get it we¡¯ll go for a drive okay? Your mother and I figured out the best place for you to do your thing. It¡¯s a government archive facility that handles storing all the digital data they collect,¡± he told me, ignoring my grumpy attitude.

    ¡°Okay sweet! Then we file my new enrollment papers tonight? I can go to school as Syl after that?¡± I asked, excitement shining through my pout.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the plan. You should be in school again as Syl by wednesday,¡± he said with a knowing smile.

    ¡°Yay!¡± I said with a grin.

    ¡°You know, just a few years ago and it would have taken a whole week or more to get you enrolled. Those admin AI that got released may have cost a lot of people their jobs, but they are very convenient,¡± he told me, moving in to his did you know? tone of voice. Time to GTFO.

    ¡°Wow that¡¯s pretty great dad. I think I¡¯ll go to my room now and get ready, see you later today!¡± I said escaping out the door as fast as I could.

    Once dad starts off telling me about how things used to be and how they changed, it can go on for hours. I probably did him a favour by running, he might have been late for work.

    Getting ready for school was strange, knowing it was my last day going in with at lase a male front. It was also strange because since my glamour took care of my clothing, I¡¯d just be wearing normal clothes. I decided to put on the pleated skirt and a tank top this time, and I enjoyed the feeling of the skirt by doing little twirls. Skirts were fun!

    I heard a knock on the door then, and mum called through, ¡°Syl, we¡¯re leaving now, please be safe at school alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes mum!¡± I called back.

    I heard them leave, and sighed as I picked up my own bag for school. Time for me to leave too. Just needed to activate the glamour. Any time now. I took some deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Why was I so hung up on this? I was just going to school, same as always!

    It took me a while, but in the end I changed my appearance to the version of myself I had been using thus far, and headed for the door. The spell description said it wouldn¡¯t feel uncomfortable until five hours had passed, but I already felt a little weird as I closed and locked the door.

    Walking to school was the strangest mundane thing I¡¯d ever done. The sky was filled with clouds that periodically blocked out the sun and plunged the temperature down noticeably downward. My path to school took a variety of strange shortcuts through the winding streets of my city, but I knew them by heart and my mind became quickly bored.

    Out of habit I pulled my phone our and began looking at all the spells people had found. I also looked up spell crafting. Apparently adventurers couldn''t manipulate magical energy into the swirling lines of power needed to craft new spells. Damn. That was uncool. I sighed and went back to scrolling randomly through posts.

    I browsed for a while longer before I found something that really caught my interest. People had started discovering ability trees. They weren''t quite like ability trees in other games, because you had find or buy them. No one had found an ability tree that was the same as any other, and people were speculating that they were unique. Word was that each tree contained a bunch of synergistic spells and passives that you could spend your points on to upgrade. Some of the ability trees that people had found were downright overpowered, and people were calling for nerfs. I really wanted one of my own.

    As I walked, I noticed something, this glamour was really not living up to the promises that the game had made. I felt crap. My arms and legs were too hairy, my body was too tall, the shape of my hands was too masculine. I cringed whenever I heard my voice. I just generally disliked my old body on a fundamental level¡­ it was too male and it all culminated in a feeling of wrongness that was very slowly building within me.

    When I arrived, school hadn¡¯t changed one bit, which I guess isn¡¯t all that surprising since it had only been a few days. I did notice a few people talking about Pellan as I trudged up the driveway, most of whom seemed to be very happy with the game as a whole. I learned that the game generally tended to place people from the same geographical real world location in similar ingame locations, which explained why Col and I had met up so quickly.

    I didn¡¯t see Jeremy on the way in this time, but I did see Kegan with his friends again. They were throwing a rugby ball around and talking about typical cool dude things.

    ¡°Hey Kegan!¡± one of them called as he threw the ball to him, ¡°I heard you got dumped!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± Kegan shot back with a dour expression.

    ¡°I heard you got dumped ¡®cos you were playing that game, Pellan something, and you wouldn¡¯t¡­ per-form,¡± the dude laughed, miming the act of performing.

    ¡°Fuck you man! She was too clingy! Plus I heard she plays it too, all that Juliet crew play it,¡± Kegan yelled angrily, ¡°Fucking hypocrite bitch.¡±

    Okay, things were not going well for Kegan, but he played Pellan? That was interesting to know.

    ¡°What ice cold Juliet plays games? another boy asked incredulously.

    ¡°Yeah dude, I think Kegan here just couldn¡¯t hold her attention! She was probably getting fucked in the game by some buff knight dude or whatever!¡± the guy laughed.

    I was almost to them, and I thought I¡¯d try and be nice to Kegan since he was so obviously upset by this. I¡¯d hate to have friends like that, always being assholes and picking on your insecurities like it¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Hey Kegan, I play Pellan too,¡± I said quietly.

    He whirled around and glared at me, ¡°Fuck off you little gay cunt!¡±

    ¡°Yeah fuck off Sam! Go hang out with your little pussy friends!¡± Kegan¡¯s heckler friend laughed.

    ¡°Wha-what?¡± I asked in confusion. Why was Kegan being mean? My heart sank at the same rate my breathing sped up.

    The heckler friend decided to take that moment to throw the ball as hard as he could at my face. My new game reflexes were the only things that saves me as I lurched to the side, letting the ball said past me and into some bushes. I didn¡¯t wait to be the target of their games anymore, I ran into the nearest school building and kept going down the corridors.

    Why had Kegan been so mean? He was nice to me on the launch day! I was just trying to be friendly. I sank down and sat in a nook that gave me some cover, and I tried desperately to keep my breathing under control. In¡­ hold¡­ out. In¡­ hold¡­ out. I repeated my half learned breathing exercises until I felt mostly calm, and tried to remember what class I had first. Oh right, Biology.

    I still had time to get there if I hurried, so I leapt up and rushed towards my class. Getting into the packed science department was a challenge, all the other students clogging the always as they waited for class to begin. A lot of kids had sat down against the wall, their legs sticking out hazardously into the thoroughfare. I should have realised it would happen, being a scrawny looking guy that was known as a bit of an easy target, but my mind was already fighting itself by that point.

    I was almost to class when out of the corner of my eye I saw the leg I had been stepping over rise to trip me. Unable to keep my balance, I stumbled forward, straight into the back of the person in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I cried fearfully.

    Looking up to see who I had bumped in to, none other than the infamous Juliet was glaring daggers a me.

    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going smegma stain,¡± she spat.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± I said again, stumbling over my words. How was this day going so badly already?

    The teacher arrived before things could get any more out of hand, and the no-nonsense Mr Tavverin growled us all into his classroom.

    I rushed straight to the back and sat down, fighting tears as the stress and anxiety of the incidents sapped away at my mind. I tried to pay attention as the lesson started, but it was no use. I focused on appearing to work while I fought the spectre of a panic attack.

    I realised that, objectively, everything that had just happened to me was just normal shit that happened at this school. High school kids were like this, it wasn¡¯t aimed at me because of who I was. Was it? The tripping thing was just a fact of walking down the hallway before class started. It happened to everyone. Everyone except people like Kegan and Juliet that is.

    When class finished, I rushed out and towards my next class as fast as my legs could take me. My anxiety was pounding away at my mental state, trying over and over to crack me and break me down. I just needed to survive.

    Next class was painting, and when I arrived Dana was already sitting down hard at work. I sat down next to her, causing her to jump in surprise.

    ¡°Sam!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied bluntly, unable to give her more than that. Talking was a slog I didn¡¯t feel like getting into at the moment.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked carefully.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said tersely.

    ¡°Okayyy then,¡± she muttered, and went back to drawing.

    Painting continued without any more communication between us. I¡¯m not sure if she was upset with my closed off attitude or just giving me space. I did know I¡¯d be able to apologise to her later when I felt capable of it. My mind was not a friendly piece of organic mush that¡¯s for sure, I swear the damn thing hated me.

    I avoided going to the hangout spot during morning tea with Dana, instead finding myself in the library. I hid there, in the corner and picked a random book to read until the fifteen minutes was up, and I could go to my next class.

    The next class I had also contained the ever pleasant Juliet, and I tried my best to avoid her. She did the opposite, talking one of the more impressionable boys in my class into kicking my seat from behind every time the teacher was turned around. The feeling that my body was wrongbuilt further and it took every ounce of my willpower not to break down in front of these jackals. Shit this was not a fun day.

    During lunch time, I rushed to the school offices and handed my unenrollment papers to a very confused member of the staff. She placed the papers into the receptacle that would scan and input them into the automatic AI controller. I wished I could unenroll from this school for good, instead of coming back, even as my true self.

    <center>****</center>

    Getting home after that gruelling day should have felt relieving and safe, but that¡¯s not how my mind works. The stress and ever present background of anxiety was augmented by a subtle directionless dread. Like an onion, on top of those feelings was the now urgent feeling of wrongness within my body. I dropped the glamour as soon as I had the door closed, and felt at least that awful feeling leave me as I was once again in my feminine body.

    Being the small cute pointy eared girl with the long black hair just felt right on a fundamental level inside me. Reminded of my body and where I¡¯d gotten it, I rushed to my room and logged in to Pellan Rise, hoping that the game would assuage the other awful feelings that gripped me.

    It was mid morning when I appeared in my bed in the inn and I made my way cautiously down to the common room. When I asked for a meal, out came porridge. It was unflavored and gross but I ate it anyway. I missed my toast.

    Since I had no money and nothing to sell, I guess it was time to go out of the city and take a look around. Leaving the inn, I walked quickly through the twisting and looping city streets towards the gate. Making sure my bind point was set in the city now, I left the gates and headed out into the gently rolling grassland and forest. It was nice to just wander my way around with no clear goal, and I felt the freedom of the game easing my anxieties somewhat.

    My aimless wandering got the better of me a few times, but thankfully I had that ingame map or I would have been hopelessly lost. I spent my time taking on smaller monsters of various species and avoiding the larger angrier ones. I actually saw another stag being engaged by a party of adventurers so that was cool. They had it under a lot more control than we had, but they also had 2 more people so I still felt good about our kill.

    I noted a few tumbled buildings and dark caves that may have been dungeons or contained loot, but I let them be for now. I was basically just killing time until later today when I could grab that spell.

    It was approaching mid afternoon when I decided to head back to town. I had gotten myself to level eight during the day and I was feeling a little better now. I¡¯d managed to farm a lot of lower end crafting materials from the enemies I¡¯d killed too. I hoped I could rope Col into selling them for me so I didn''t have to talk to people. Talking to people was something I really didn¡¯t want to do right now. Walking along the dirt road, I was still a ways out and I listened to the birds calling to each other ahead of me.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    At least, what I had thought were bird calls. They began to resolve into something that caused my mind to go alert. Ahead of me I could hear screaming and faint pleas of mercy. And laughing.

    I cautiously stepped off the road and into the sparse trees and shrubs that lined it. Using them as cover I tried to be as quiet as I could while I made my way forward. I had not built my character around the art of going places unnoticed but my tiny lithe body was still very light, and forest debris that should have snapped and given away my position would instead held firm.

    It wasn''t long until I found the source of the screams. On the road before me were several wagons loaded with goods, one of which was burning. The guards were all lying dead on the ground, their bodies had not disappeared which meant they were npcs and their deaths were permanent.

    A group of adventurers that wore mismatched green and black armour were standing in a loose group and I could not make out what they were doing from this angle. I eased around the cart and took a peek. My stomach turned and I almost broke cover with a barely suppressed gasp of disgust and outrage. These were those Blackfeather guild people!

    Gathered in a huddle was a group of terrified, weeping civilian npcs. Further out, in a rough line towards the city, was a trail of bodies with arrows protruding from their backs. I watched from behind the safety of the wagon as a woman in green and black roughly pulled a scared kid about my own age up out of the huddle and thrust him toward the city with a rough shove. The mother of the boy began screaming incoherently and tried to go after her son but she was kicked down by another man in green. He casually smashed her in the gut with the butt of his spear to end the altercation.

    The kid stood there frozen with terror as everyone turned to him.

    ¡°Fuckin go, run as fast as your stupid little AI legs can take you,¡± yelled one green and black bandit.

    The others laughed. The man who had spoken held a large warbow in his hands and was fingering the arrow he had in the nock.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll give you some more distance. Make it easier eh?¡± he laughed again and walked down the road away from his friends.

    He was facing me now and I could see he had made his character rather good looking. Dirty blond hair and dark eyes adorned a defined face of around 24 years of age. He wore a cocky grin as he strode back almost to my hiding spot. He was too busy messing with his bow to notice me but if he¡¯d looked up for one moment we would have made eye contact. He turned when he¡¯d reached an acceptable distance and drew the huge warbow back in one motion.

    ¡°Run boy or you¡¯ll die slow. Pity you don''t respawn. I love it when I make them remember my name,¡± he laughed again and it was a sickeningly lovely sound, like a wax fruit that held the decaying remains of a real one within.

    ¡°Please!¡± screamed the mother as she finally recovered.

    The man just laughed again in that deceptively pleasant way, ¡°Boy, if you do come back, remember the name Malcolm Blackfeather!¡±

    Then he put an arrow between the scared kids legs, missing his groin by inches. The kid began to run then, shocked out of his frightened immobility. Run actually isn''t really the right word, he stumbled and fell in a horizontal fashion, his terror propelling him more than his legs ever could.

    Blackfeather raised another arrow to the nock and sighted down it toward the boy. His face had an almost feral grin on it now, his handsome dark eyes glowing with a manic light. A slight twitch of his fingers, and the arrow buzzed past the running boy¡¯s shoulder with barely an inch to spare.

    ¡°Ho ho ho, a tricky one are we? Alright, let''s end this kid,¡± Malcolm said to himself with a smile.

    This whole time I had been frozen in horror, my mind unable to fully grasp that this was meant to be just a game. Instead I saw real people having their lives toyed with like a young child crushes bugs. Maybe it was the stress of the awful day I¡¯d had that was affecting my mind, I don¡¯t know. All I knew was that something awful was happening in front of me.

    When he drew the next arrow, I wanted to stop him, to do something. My heart and soul screamed at me to do something. My mind, the part of me that actually controlled my actions, was a mess of anxiety and horror. When the arrow left his bow, I could not help but track it with my eyes.

    It landed square in the boy¡¯s back, severing his spinal column in a plume of spraying blood. His legs went dead instantly and he flopped to the ground in a heap, twitching, but not crying out.

    Seeing the boy die like that caused a sudden white hot flash of emotion to flood through me. It wasn''t just anger at this cruel man, it was anguish at the boy''s death, anguish at my own cowardice for not acting to save him. The anxiety and dread, the humiliation and dysphoria all coalesced into a seething tide of emotion that swept me away.

    Before I knew what was happening, I was stalking towards Blackfeather, my fist building up with roiling storm clouds. Dimly I noted that his friends were all looking down range towards the fallen boy, not towards us. No warning cry was given.

    Turning to investigate the sound of my approach, Blackfeather had just enough time to register that he was under attack when I drove my fist into his stomach. The violent kick of energy that surged through him more than made up for the mediocre blow my tiny arm delivered. I felt his body seize and convulse as he began to lose balance, and my momentum carried me into him, throwing us both to the ground. Landing on top of him, I did not give him a chance to recover and summoned a shield of azure and gold light onto my left arm. With a cry of wordless emotion I began to drive it into his face over and over, leaving bloody bruises topped with peeling scorched skin.

    He screamed as he felt my assault pummel into him and he tried to rise on shaking arms. I drove my charged fist into his mutilated face to keep him down. He was just whimpering after that.

    His friends must have heard my cry of anger, because with a shudder and a flash of pain that rocked my small frame, I felt a crossbow bolt lodge itself in my side. I paused in my emotionally fueled assault to look up. All the bandits were sprinting to help their leader. They would be too late.

    Tilting my right fist so it was pointing up from his stomach into the rest of his torso, I gathered a shard of light. As I felt it slam into his body, and I felt my own body rock as a second bolt found its mark in my chest. Slumping to the side in pain, I triggered the shard to detonate and watched it tear Blackfeather¡¯s chest apart. I curled around my wounds and began to cry as his friends approached.

    Steel toes leather boots trod into view and I caught the glint of a sword being raised. ¡°Cunt,¡± was the only word I heard before they executed me.

    <center>****</center>

    I came back to consciousness still in a fetal position. My breath lurched back into my body and I shuddered, feeling fresh tears stream down my face. I was breathing too fast and too shallow, my anxiety having taken control of my lungs. It all stopped abruptly when I felt a soothing touch on my mind, like the promise of a bright new day and a mother''s tender care laced together. It was not entirely gentle though, and I got the feeling it had been done hastily and in passing.

    However she had done it, and whatever manner she had done it in, she had torn the mounting trauma from my mind leaving nothing but an echo.

    ¡°Thank you Feslia,¡± I croaked.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked a raw but tender voice.

    I looked up into the eyes of the mother whose child I had failed to save.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her with a hollow voice.

    ¡°What are you sorry adventurer? You saved us. We would never have gotten away from those evil people if you had not sacrificed yourself for us,¡± she said earnestly.

    I blinked and sat up properly, surveying my surroundings. I was back in the square that the city gate opened into, sitting near the respawn point. I could see the survivors of the cravan were huddled in a group and talking to a harried pair of city guards. Townsfolk and adventurers looked on with idle curiosity as they went about their business. The scene was made slightly surreal by the memory of the intense violence I had just participated in. The emotion of the event was mostly gone, but it felt wrong for things to be so calm and peaceful after I just beat a man half to death and then finished him off by exploding his chest. Speaking of Blackfeather, where was he, wouldn¡¯t he respawn here too? I spun my head in alarm, searching for him among those around us. He was not here. Had he respawned at another point?

    My spinning gaze found someone else though. The boy. He wasn¡¯t dead. He was being tended to by one of the survivors of the caravan, his wounds haphazardly bandaged with torn clothing. I rushed over to him as fast as my stumbling legs would take me, his mother following behind in alarm. I placed my hand tenderly on his chest without preamble and sent a pulse of healing through him. It wasn¡¯t enough to fix the damage, so I did it again, and again. The third one put him back to full health and his mother watched in awe as the boy began to move his legs with a truly enormous smile on his face.

    ¡°Did you just..?¡± the mother asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad he¡¯s alive, I felt terrible for not being able to save him,¡± I told the mother in a rush before turning to the boy, ¡°Are you okay? Does it hurt still?¡±

    ¡°N.. n.. no, it feels¡­ amazing¡­¡± he stammered before his words failed him.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± the mother said as tears for her sons well being trailed down her cheeks, ¡°You are amazing, thank you dear girl, thank you. It is not often that healers will stoop to healing our ilk.¡±

    Suddenly I had a flash of inspiration, ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job as a priestess of Feslia, Goddess of the Bright Sky,¡± I told her with a shy smile.

    ¡°You are a priestess? I have heard of your patron I believe, but I do not recall her well.¡±

    ¡°Please make sure to put some of your time into seeking her out, she is a good and caring being who does right by all who follow her,¡± I told her, channeling the affection I felt for my lady in order to appear outgoing and confident.

    I noted the time then, it was almost dusk. I needed to get my spell.

    ¡°I am sorry, I have somewhere I need to be, it was a pleasure meeting you, my name is Sylanna,¡± I hurried.

    ¡°It is a pleasure yes, my name is Fenillia.¡±

    ¡°Good evening Fenillia,¡± I said as I rushed to get to the shop.

    The walk over to the shop was spent contemplating all that had just happened. It was already beginning to blur in my mind, the raw emotion I had felt at the time making it hard for coherent memory to form. My goddesses calming touch had spared me from a traumatic event, but I shouldn¡¯t have felt like that. This was just a game right? Why did I get so upset over NPCs? Although I realised, I of all people should understand that there was more to this game than met the eye. I resolved to treat the NPCs of this world with as much respect as a normal person from reality. That would of course mean I would be speaking to them much less, but hey I was shy.

    The old mage was waiting for me when I arrived, and he presented the spell to me with pride. It was a foot long cylinder of intricately carved dark stone.

    ¡°I believe you will be more than satisfied with the results this spell will give you. If I do say so myself of course,¡± he beamed.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much you¡¯ve solved a huge problem for me!¡± I told him excitedly, ¡°How do we brand it on me?

    ¡°That will be painful, are you up to that my girl?¡± he asked with gentle eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude sir but I literally just died, I¡¯ll be okay,¡± I told him with a smile to ease my blunt words.

    ¡°Ah.. well, you adventurers do that every now and then I guess don¡¯t you. Right then. Please place your arm onto the counter,¡± he prompted.

    I did so and he then began to heat the stone with a small flame he produced in his other hand. As the temperature of the cylinder rose, the carved patterns began to flow with a faint orange light. When the entire thing was aglow, he brought the end quickly down onto my hand. Just before it made contact I saw the lines on the surface change abruptly to a blue and gold glow. Then the spell brand made contact and the glow vanished instantly. The pain was intense but manageable and I gritted my teeth through it. When it subsided and I opened my eyes to look, there was a small circle of faint blue and gold light under the skin of my palm. The skin was unblemished and whole.

    ¡°Hmm, normally the area would react as though it had been burned, it should take months of natural healing for the skin to appear undamaged after a spell brand is applied,¡± the mage said with curiosity.

    ¡°Thank you sir, I¡¯m sure it will work just as you say! I need to get going now, but thanks again!¡± I said as I leapt out of the shop and ran back to the inn to log off.

    <center>****</center>

    Nia stood atop the vast cliff face and gazed down into the valley below. Absently rolling her glaive in her hand she noted that this wasn''t your typical valley with rolling hillsides of grass and shrub, maybe a stream trickling its way through the dips in the terrain. This valley was not pleasant.

    Instead, warped and twisted features tracked intertwining paths along the valley floor, keeping somewhat parallel to the cliff she stood on. The usually hard lines of the Reality Disturbance had weathered and softened with age, losing their mind warping strangeness in the process. Looking up, she gazed out into the distance. She knew a similar cliff would mark the beginning of the next plateau far ahead of her, but it was lost to the haze and curve of the planet.

    She waved her hand in the air and wove lines of magic together with the familiarity of a master. A floating screen of energy appeared before her and she made notes of what she saw.

    For Orchid Command. 12/06/1059FD.

    Reality disturbance appears to have been present on Shale623-88b some time in the past, but its advance was halted. Through some indeterminate means the land has risen to what I estimate to be about a kilometer above its previous position. Starved of food the RD seems to have died. Further investigation recommended. A more detailed analysis will be given during the day¡¯s debriefing.

    Knight Captain Nia Voidweaver.

    With a last look at the ancient corruption before her, she turned and extended her hand. When her arm was fully extended, she tapped the air lightly with her index finger. The air rippled as though it were the surface of a calm pond, and then shattered. The broken pieces of reality quickly formed a portal before her and she stepped through.

 14: My name, My uniform

    It was almost seven in the evening and dad had just arrived home when I got back from being in Pellan, and I practically launched myself at him.

    ¡°Whoa there sprite, what¡¯s this about?¡± he asked with a wheeze as he tried to get the breath back that I had knocked out of him.

    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted a hug,¡± I mumbled into his shoulder.

    He carefully put his work bag down on the kitchen counter while I dangled from his neck. Wrapping his big arms around me he held me tight for a small while.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked me quietly.

    I gave him a non committal sound and pulled myself tighter against him. It was relaxing in his arms and I felt the stress and tension of the past few days ease out of me. Being such a small girl held in the expansive embrace of my father was a wondrous feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy I can do this now dad,¡± I told him with a sniffle.

    ¡°Do what sprite? Hug me? You could do that before too,¡± he said gently.

    ¡°Nah dad. It¡¯s weird if guys do that. Guys are meant to be all strong and unemotional. Besides, it feels different as a girl,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± He hummed thoughtfully.

    He set me down standing on the couch and I remembered I had news.

    ¡°I have the spell dad!¡± I said, showing him my faintly glowing hand.

    ¡°Yes! Good job Sylanna! Are you ready to get going then?¡± he said with excitement.

    I laughed, ¡°I need to get changed first dad! Oh! And look dad!¡± I said showing him my much more normal looking ears.

    ¡°You look like an elf from the lord of the rings movies now,¡± He said with a grin, ¡°Instead of an elf from WoW.¡±

    ¡°Yup! Okay I¡¯ll go get changed.¡±

    Fifteen minutes later I was dressed in comfortable clothing and trotting down the path to dad¡¯s car. I¡¯d picked out a darker looking outfit in case I needed to do some sneaking.

    While we pulled away, he started explaining the plan, ¡°So the building we want is actually fairly easy to get to. How does the spell work? Do we need to get you in or can we just park nearby and it will do it''s thing?¡±

    ¡°Um, he said it would seek everything out. So maybe just close enough? Just in case maybe we should find an open window.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I hope this works kiddo,¡± he said as he passed me the list of information that needed to be changed.

    We rode in silence after that and I spent the time going over everything that needed to be altered. I was really nervous and my leg wouldn''t stop bouncing up and down while I memorised things. The trip through the city to the suburb of the central business district where all the government buildings were took a bit of time, as despite the distance being short on the map, the city we lived in was cramped and the roads twisting. When we arrived, dad parked us nearby. People were still out and about, the late workers mixing with the early club goers on the sidewalk.

    Dad stepped out of the car, but I stayed inside for a moment while I swapped myself to my Sam appearance. Ugh, it still felt awful. Perhaps even more so than the last time.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go and try to activate it from closer to the building,¡± I told my dad. He looked apprehensive, and opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it.

    Making my way over to the pedestrian crossing, I tried to walk casually, but i felt like every eye on the street was staring at me. Of course, when I looked around, no one was even glancing at me. They had their own lives to think about. Waiting at the crossing was harder than I¡¯d thought it would be too, my anxious mind kicking itself up into overdrive as the seconds ticked by.

    When I was finally able to cross, I couldn¡¯t help but break into a little run to get to the other side. I looked up when I reached the sidewalk, and cringed as the central database of the government of New Zealand loomed before me. The public were actually allowed access to a small portion of the building, where they could go in and request information from a clerk if they had the proper authority.

    I shuffled through the automatic doors and into the slightly chilly atrium that held plastic plants and strange artwork. The place seemed scarily clean and clinical, as though they expected to perform surgery on the floor.

    I trotted up to the reception desk and asked in a meek voice, ¡°He-hello, I need to, I mean I¡¯d like to¡­ Um, I¡¯d like to see my records, if that¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Certainly young man, what¡¯s your name and date of birth?¡± the bored desk dude asked.

    ¡°Sy-Sam¡­ Sam Walker, um, March the seventeenth, two thousand twelve,¡± I told him, almost using my new name.

    ¡°Thank you, but look into the RealMe scanner please,¡± he asked.

    I did so, looking into a black glass slate that was attached to the wall. The edges flashed green and the clerk was satisfied.

    ¡°One moment then Sam,¡± he said, and turned around to grab a tablet from a shelf behind him.

    Young man, Sam¡­ they were just words, yet why did they stab into my heart like this? Each letter carved pain into my chest. I watched him enter some codes or something into the tablet, then on the computer, then back to the tablet. Finally, he passed the tablet to me.

    ¡°We¡¯re closing soon, so please be quick if you can,¡± he asked me, going back to playing a game on his phone.

    I nodded and looked down at the tablet. It had it all. Everything about me was there. It was slightly terrifying. I mentally ran myself through everything I needed to change, and then tried to breathe deeply to calm my hammering heart.

    Activating the spell with a thought, I sent it into the tablet with a thought and a vast array of information to change. It lashed out of my arm like it was some glowing parasitic worm, then tunneled into the screen of the tablet. I watched in wonder as the information on the screen began to change, one letter at a time. My heart cried out for joy when the gender section changed to female, and my name changed to Sylanna Walker.

    My joy was short lived however, because a notification flashed up on the screen. Unlike the smooth and sleek user interface that the public saw, this one was a generic error message.

    This entry has no RealMe data. Please ask the citizen to step up to the nearest RealMe panel so a new snapshot may be taken.

    Shit! Okay, uh¡­ clerk dude was still engrossed in his game. Where was the nearest panel? Oh right! I¡¯d literally just used it! I rushed over to the panel, then realised that would probably draw more attention to myself. Luckily, the clerk was still engrossed in his phone. Phew! I dropped my disguise and stepped up in front of the plate.

    Gazing into it I saw a flickering light behind the glass as it logged whatever details it needed, then a message flashed up on the plate.

    Please place your hand on this plate to continue the RealMe snapshot.

    I did as it bid, placing my small hand against the cool glass of the strange device. I felt an odd tingling sensation, and then it was done. The plate flashed a confirmation message at the same time as the Tablet recieved my new data. It was done. It was really done!

    Bringing my disguise back over myself, I walked over and handed the tablet back to the clerk, making sure to exit my information before I gave it back. He grunted and mumbled a good night without looking up. I really hoped the security ai in charge of looking at the CCTV footage were as lazy as him. Or maybe they¡¯d just be confused by my antics. I crossed my fingers.

    When I got back to dad, I dropped my disguise and threw my arms around him. The emotions that were running through me as I realised I could finally live my life as a government database official girl were overwhelming.

    Dad held me in baffled confusion as I cried, ¡°Did it not work?¡±

    ¡°No it did, I¡¯m crying cos I¡¯m happy Dad,¡± I mumbled.

    I heard him rumble in response and say, ¡°Right, well your mum is making dinner, I think it¡¯s time to head home. Congratulations Sylanna.¡±

    He opened the passenger door for me and I hopped in and settled the seatbelt into place. Ever since I¡¯d changed the darn things dug into all sorts of new places. Starting the car and shifting it into gear Dad raised an eyebrow. I nodded and we were off.

    I spent the night with my family this time. I didn¡¯t feel like playing Pellan, I think I needed a break. We also got my enrollment into my high school sent off. I was actually excited to go back to school as my new, true self, which was strange. I hoped it would go differently to my last day there as Sam.

    I also had to tell my friends. I had no idea how I was going to do that. Every time I thought about it I could feel my heart rate start climbing and my body began sweating. Should I do it casually or prepare something? I needed to talk to Karen, but stupidly we hadn''t exchanged contact details. Guess I was logging in to Pellan after all.

    I let my parents know and went to my room to log in.

    When I got ingame and down to the Inn common room, my friends had already left. I¡¯d just missed them according to the barmaid. I rushed through the streets towards the gate and arrived panting to see that they were not in the gate square either. Damn. I turned to go back and log out when a young elf girl ran up to me.

    ¡°Miss? Miss are you the Priestess who saves us normal folk?¡± she asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Uh, I am,¡± I replied cautiously.

    ¡°Faiyilla come here don''t bother the young lady!¡± said a middle aged elf woman.

    The woman was favouring a leg and I could see her wince every time she put her weight on it.

    ¡°My mom¡¯s legs hurt and she can''t work ¡®cos of it and we''ll be thrown out of our house if we don''t get money soon miss!¡± the girl said in a rush.

    The woman looked embarrassed as she collared her daughter and apologized. Before she could get away, I reached out and sent two healing touches through her body. She gasped and wobbled a little as whatever was wrong with her leg fixed itself. Testing it carefully, then with more confidence as it was able to take her full weight, I saw a wide smile break out on her face.

    ¡°By the gods¡­¡± she trailed off looking at me.

    ¡°One goddess actually. Feslia,¡± I corrected her nervously.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ Thank you. Thank you kind maiden!¡± she said loudly.

    Wow, rude. How did she know I was a maiden? I might have all kinds of orgyastic sex and stuff. Total sex maniac. Just boys everywhere. Sigh. Still nothing. Boys didn''t do anything for me anymore.

    My reverie was cut short by an elderly human man asking for me to cure his cataracts. I did so with trepidation, gently placing my hand on his forehead and pulsing healing energy into him. I could see more people taking notice and coming over as I healed him and I felt my heartrate begin to climb.

    A young fae man like myself, with terrible scarring on his face came next, asking to have his disfigurement healed. I did it, but I felt my anxiousness growing. Each time I healed someone after that, I told them I was a Priestess of Feslia. Each time the people stayed and cheered for me, the crowd building. I could see many people, my eyes darting around as I took in the converging crowd.

    I felt my throat constricting, my breathing coming light and shallow. My anxiety at the crowd gathering around me got more intense and it sapped me of my higher thought. I just felt a terrible need to get away. To run. I gave a whimper. They were all around me, reaching out to touch me. I felt hands on my arms, on my shoulders. I needed to get away. I needed space.

    ¡°Priestess are you okay?¡± asked one man.

    ¡°Miss you look pale,¡± cried a young woman.

    I began to sit down, intending to to curl up in defense when a firm hand closed around my upper arm and dragged me free.

    ¡°Fucking leave her be! She''s no good with crowds can¡¯t you see?¡± I heard a voice I vaguely recognised, although it was twisted into an enraged tone that I had never heard before, ¡°I said, back the fuck off! You''re scaring her! I¡¯ll start swinging with this huge ass sword, I fuckin mean it!¡±

    We were away now, moving into a side street I noticed absently. I looked up at my savior, who was it?

    I met bright green eyes, a wholly unnatural green that did not fall under the spectrum of colour humans could develop. It was Karen. Without any real thought, rushed in closer and wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling myself almost roughly against her. When I buried my face into her neck, she gave a startled squeak and tensed up, then slowly relaxed. She tenderly put her arms around me and pressed me closer still against her. She held me like that as I recovered, shivering and silently crying.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    When my mind was again in a state where an internal monologue was viable, I noticed how close we were pressed together. This was not a friends hug. This was a lovers embrace. I eased back a bit and looked up at her. Her face was so close. I felt this wild urge to press forward, and¡­ and what? She''s straight. I don''t even know my own sexuality. I carefully eased myself out of the embrace. I felt a little resistance from her at first, but she let me go and stepped back.

    She cleared her throat, ¡°Um. Are you okay?¡±

    I gave her a nod, ¡°I wanted to find you. We¡¯ve changed my name and enrolled into school again. I think it might be best to tell everyone about us now.¡±

    ¡°About us?!¡± She squeaked, her eyes going wide.

    My face went red, ¡°Yeah, like what happened to us and how we changed and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yeah! Right okay,¡± she nodded hastily.

    ¡°Um. Do you want to come over after school tomorrow? We can invite everyone to my place and tell them together?¡± I asked.

    She stood there breathing heavily for a moment, clearly fighting her own anxiety, ¡°Okay. Yeah. If you''re there I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I nodded encouragement, ¡°I should grab your details so we can message each other.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± she said, and we swapped friend invite codes.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to log out and go to bed. I think I need a break for the night. Tell the others I won''t be on tonight?¡± I asked her with a smile.

    She nodded, but I hesitated before leaving, looking up at her. She was really pretty. She¡¯d used her real face as a base for this one, but shaved away many imperfections. Even in reality she was good looking though. I liked either one of her faces. One was pretty in the way a model in a picture is, the other pretty in a more human approachable way. On an impulse I hugged her again. It was a short, more friendly hug than the intimate embrace we had shared earlier and I was away and heading back to the inn before she could react.

    When I got back out of the game it was getting late. Mum had said she would stay home with me and we would go over my enrollment, so I wouldn¡¯t be getting into Pellan until maybe tomorrow night. That was fine with me, at least I didn¡¯t have to go to school as Sam anymore.

    The next morning I got up a bit late, I¡¯d slept in and it was fairly late in the morning. When I stepped into the kitchen with bleary eyes, mum was sitting at the dining table with her tablet furiously tapping away.

    ¡°Morning sweetie, I¡¯m having a back and forth with your school now. They would like an interview before you¡¯re allowed in, so we may have to go in to school today. We can pick a uniform up at the same time. You okay to head in with me? We¡¯ll be meeting the year eleven dean. Mr¡­¡± she searched for is name in her tablet.

    ¡°Forsythe, He¡¯s Mr Forsythe,¡± I supplied.

    ¡°Yeah, Mr Forsythe. Do you think you can handle the interview?¡± she asked with an eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Yup, I have an advantage!¡± I said with a grin, ¡°I know him, but he doesn¡¯t know me.¡±

    She returned my smile, ¡°Good, you¡¯ll do well I know it. You¡¯re too sweet not to charm the entire staff.¡±

    I gave her a scowl that was probably a pout.

    ¡°Go and get dressed into something nice dear, maybe one of the dresses we bought while I get things sorted.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± I said and scampered back to my room.

    Since I still didn¡¯t have any real bras, I wore my grey dress with a sports bra that wouldn¡¯t show around the neckline. I was secretly thinking of this dress as my real world priestess robes or whatever since they were a similar grey colour. Maybe I should get the sunburst stitched into the front. I put my shoes on and grabbed my phone, which I had no idea what to do with. Oh! I needed to send Karen my address. I did so, and I noticed that the group chat had lit up again. I decided to check in at possibly the best and the worst moment.

    <blockquote>

    Jeremy: Man, where was Syl last night? I missed her.

    Greg: We know, you wouldn¡¯t shut up about it dude.

    Jeremy: Sorry. She¡¯s just cool.

    Dana: You have the biggest crush on her. Maybe you should leave up a bit. There¡¯s something off about her. I don¡¯t know.

    Jeremy: No! She¡¯s cool, you¡¯re just pissed because she¡¯s cuter than you are.

    Dana: WOW. Okay then.</blockquote>

    I interjected into the conversation before Jeremy dug an even deeper hole for himself.

    <blockquote>

    Sam: Jeremy, don¡¯t be a dumbass. Dana, you¡¯re gorgeous. I love your wavy hair it¡¯s great. Now I have something I need to show you guys, can you all come to my place after school?

    Jeremy: I need to get some homework done, I don¡¯t think I can.

    Sam: PLEASE. This is like, really really fucking important okay?

    Dana: Aww, thanks Sam, you¡¯re so sweet. Yeah I¡¯ll be there, Jeremy you can make it up to me by going to Sam¡¯s after school.

    Jeremy: Fine. I¡¯ll go.

    Greg: Yeah sounds good. You feeding us?

    Sam: Lol! I guess I am now dude. I got to go.

    Jeremy: Wait why aren¡¯t you at school?

    Sam: You¡¯ll find out when you come over </img></blockquote>

    I left it at that, much to my friend¡¯s consternation, and went to meet mum back in the living room.

    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    During the ride over to school, mum spent the time going over everything I was going to need with my uniform. I would have to wear that square shapeless dress that all the girls wore. Big clompy dress shoes too. Lame, but also awesome, because I would be in the girls uniform now! Where I belonged. Wow that line sounded way too sinister.

    When we arrived, it was lunch time and students were bustling around, chattering and settling down in their spot around the school where they ate. I should probably clarify now that my school didn¡¯t have a big room full of tables where everyone ate their food like you see in movies of american schools.

    Here they just kind of released us into the wild and we ate anywhere on the school grounds that we wanted. We were almost to the door into the staff office building when I saw Dana leave the tower block where we had painting class. We locked eyes straight away, and then she shifted them and they widened to almost comical proportions when she saw my mum, Sam¡¯s mum, standing protectively near me.

    I saw the moment it all clicked in her mind. All the weird things that had happened, all the suspicions she had dismissed. First there was disbelief, then confusion, then disbelief again. I saw her get jostled while she stood blocking the doorway and she stepped to the side to let others through.

    I put my finger to my lips with pleading eyes and mouthed, ¡°Later. After School.¡±

    She nodded jerkily and ran her hands through her hair while she stared at me. Then my mum and I were inside the building, and it was time to be as sweet and adorable as I could muster.

    When we went into Dean Forsythe¡¯s office he was tapping away on a laptop. He looked up and smiled his boisterous grin at us.

    ¡°Welcome! Thank you for coming on such short notice Mrs Walker, Ms Walker! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± he almost bellowed, gesturing for us to take a seat.

    I sat down and smoothed my dress out. Mr Forsythe was good at bellowing I remembered. I¡¯d had him as a math teacher in year nine, and thirteen year old sam had been terrified of the loud gesticulating man at the front of the class. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever fully recover from his attempts to befriend me in typical back slapping manly fashion.

    ¡°Hello, thank you so much for agreeing to speak with us on short notice, Sylanna is very eager to start schooling again,¡± Mum said to him.

    ¡°Yes, I was wondering why she hadn¡¯t been enrolled at the start of the term like the other students!¡± he said. Again, he lacked volume control. Just assume everything he says is being said at a volume the rugby team he coaches can hear from fifty meters away.

    ¡°Well, we had her in a boarding school overseas you see, but she was having problems with being so far from home, so we pulled her out and decided it would be best to school her where she has her family to care for her,¡± Mum explained the story we¡¯d devised.

    ¡°Is that so, what was the problem Sylanna?¡± he asked turning to me.

    ¡°I, um, I didn¡¯t really like being on my own out there. It was scary, and I missed my parents and my home,¡± I said, widening my already large eyes at him. Boom, doe eyes hit him like a truck.

    ¡°Oh. Well, I see. I¡¯m glad you are in a more comfortable and supportive environment now! Tell me Sylanna, what subjects do you enjoy? What do you excel at?¡± he asked, almost sounding gentle as he spoke. That was new.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at math, not like, top of the class but I can do it. I love painting, but I¡¯m terrible. English is okay. Sometimes I do well in it and sometimes I do badly. I¡¯m good at science though! I want to take Physics and Chem this year,¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s good to hear about your math ability. It is a staple of the modern world and everyone should have adequate skill in the subject. As for painting, I am sure you are much better than you think, I¡¯ve noticed most artists are very humble and critical about their own work. I think you¡¯ll fit in well here,¡± he told me, trying to put on a sage like tone and entirely missing the mark.

    The rest of the interview was us speaking about all sorts of school related subjects, if I had any medical problems, when I could begin, stuff like that. I tried my best to be a good, sweet little girl as we told him about who I was on paper, my anxiety and ¡°deformities¡±. Deformities being my still pointed ears.

    The interview ended when we finished finalising with the school AI what classes I would take and my schedule. Mr Forsythe gave an impassioned speech about the merits of the AI system and how incredible it was I could begin so soon. I almost failed to stop myself rolling my eyes. Old people.

    Our next port of call after that was the uniform shop. We walked up the tight staircase to the cramped little store and were immediately accosted by a short plump woman in her fifties who bustled around taking measurements while she spoke with mum.

    I was instantly overwhelmed by her energy, the close quarters we were in and the excitement of getting my girls uniform. I did my best to stay together, but it was a lot of trouble. I tried on a bunch of different sizes, and I ended up being put in the smallest size they had.

    The uniform itself was a white blouse underneath a square shapeless navy blue dress that was clinched around the waist by a built in belt of the same fabric as the dress. The shoes were typical womens black dress shoes with a buckle over the top. I was also given a navy blue blazer with silver edging, and a jersey with similar colours.

    Us girls also had the option of wearing a skirt instead of the dress, which required us to wear a tie. The skirt was a silver, navy blue and dark green tartan that went down just past the knees. The socks we were given came in two types, normal dress socks in black, and longer knee high socks in a grey that was meant to be silver.

    We got enough to last me the year, but not more than that, since the uniform changed when you entered year 12, becoming more mature and less girlish. It was also all super expensive, and I saw Mum wince when she paid for it, despite us being rather comfortable with money issues. I guess the school liked to make a bit of money here.

    Either way, we ended the sojourn into uniformland as fast as possible and piled back into the car with all the bags.

    ¡°That was exhausting,¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes it was. Let''s go home,¡± sighed mum in agreement.

 15: Purpose and Resolve

    I asked mum to stop off so we could grab some snacks and stuff, because I had promised to feed my friends when they came over.

    ¡°This is excessive. Why do you need so much junk food Syl?¡± she asked as we went through the self checkout at the supermarket.

    I realised then that I hadn¡¯t told her my plan regarding my friends. I don''t think she even knew I¡¯d made a new friend in Karen.

    ¡°Oh. I guess forgot to tell you! I invited everyone over so I can tell them what''s happened to me. Well, what happened to us. I¡¯m not the only one¡­¡± and as we put the snacks in the car and drove off, I told my mum about Karen and how she had been changed too. It was actually much more of a problem for her. She looked like a stereotypical demon from popular culture, which would send any religious zealot into a frenzy.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll help you and your friends however I can, including making myself scarce when they arrive. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally telling your friends though, it wasn¡¯t healthy hiding this from them,¡± she said, before throwing me a sly look, ¡°This Karen girl seems to be a good new friend eh?¡±

    ¡°Yeees? She¡¯s really cool, and super nice. She saved me from a crowd in Pellan today. It was so cool, she was like swearing at them and stuff,¡± I said, starting my little speech trying to be cautious and ending it almost gushing about my new friend.

    ¡°I see. I hope I can meet her,¡± she said, giving me a look I couldn¡¯t interpret.

    ¡°She¡¯s coming over early so we can set up and prepare ourselves,¡± I told her, unable to keep a smile from blooming on my face at the thought of seeing Karen again.

    We pulled into our home and took everything inside. With all the snacks we¡¯d bought we had to make two trips. I set everything out in bowls on the coffee table and then went to change out of the dress. I picked the diagonally cut skirt and a cute and flowy blouse. I didn¡¯t bother with shoes. I went back out into the living room and waited. Mum came in and out of the living room doing random things I didn¡¯t know about while I quietly died of anxiety on the couch. Karen needed to get here asap or I was going to explode. I almost went through the ceiling when I heard the tentative knock at the door.

    I bolted to the door and yanked it open. There was Karen, standing in our school uniform and looking apprehensive. She was wearing the senior uniform though, which meant she was either a year 12 or a year 13. She was wearing the skirt, blouse and tie combo instead of the dress.

    My mouth got away from me, ¡°Are you year 12 or 13?¡±

    ¡°What, um, year 12,¡± she stammered.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, come in! Sorry. I¡¯m a little nervous,¡± I apologised.

    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m so worried,¡± she said with trepidation in her voice.

    I took her hand. I wanted to help her be calm. I wanted myself to be calm. She obviously wasn¡¯t expecting my touch, because she gave a little twitch but didn¡¯t pull away. Showing her to the lounge, I had to let go of her hand so she could put her bag in the corner.

    Sitting her down on a couch, I joined her and kneeled on the cushions facing her.

    Quietly I said, ¡°I¡¯m super scared, but I think I¡¯ll be fine with my friends. I¡¯m actually a little more worried about you now. I love how you look, but bible thumpers might get violent if they saw you and¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±

    She looked up into my eyes and said in the smallest voice, ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m scary or anything?¡±

    ¡°Nah. I really think you¡¯re... ¡° I struggled to finish the sentence, what did I think she was? ¡°You¡¯re pretty. I think. Yeah, definitely pretty.¡±

    Her face cracked into a little smile then and I responded with a bigger one of my own. At that moment my mum came through the door and stopped, looking at us. She looked Karen up and down, then took in the very familiar way we were sitting. Karen was sat normally on the couch, but I had my legs up under me and was facing her. We were somehow holding hands again. I started to let go but Karen held on tight. Guess she was more nervous than I thought.

    ¡°Hi mum,¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Hey Sweetie, and you must be Karen. Sylanna has told me a lot about you. Including the problem you both share,¡± she said gently.

    She came over and sat on the arm of the couch, ¡°Karen I want you to know if you have any problems, that myself and my husband will help you okay dear? You kids shouldn¡¯t have to be dealing with problems like this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Mrs Walker,¡± Karen thanked her timidly, her eyes flicking from me to my mum.

    Then there was another knock at the door.

    ¡°That¡¯s my queue to go upstairs,¡± said mum with a smile, ¡°Good luck girls.¡±

    I followed her, but stopped in the middle of the room. I turned and looked into Karen''s eyes, then changed into Sam. Her eyes widened. She¡¯d only briefly seen me as Sam before, so I guess this was a bit strange.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get them,¡± my awful male voice said, and I shuddered a little.

    She nodded.

    I went to the door and opened it to find Liam, also in a senior uniform from our school.

    ¡°Uh. Hi, Karen told me to come here after school, so here I am,¡± he said, sizing me up.

    ¡°Yeah, um, come this way Liam,¡± I led him into the living room and he sat down on one of the other two couches.

    I sat down next to Karen again. I didn¡¯t take her hand or anything this time, I just sat there and stared at the carpet. It was getting harder and harder to put myself in this body. I¡¯d swapped my genitals again, but that was only a small part of the problem really.

    ¡°How do you two know each other?¡± asked Liam with suspicion lacing his voice.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, but Karen spoke, ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a bit Liam. It¡¯s best if everyone is here first.¡±

    That just made him more suspicious and his eyes bored into me.

    ¡°Leave her alone Liam,¡± Karen said.

    ¡°Her?¡± he raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°Just shut up and wait dickbrain,¡± Karen said with a sigh, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Shutting up,¡± he said raising his hands with a small smile.

    We waited in silence for the others to arrive, which was almost ten excruciating minutes of silence later. When the knock came I ran to the door as fast as I could.

    All three of my friends were standing there, and I waved them in, ¡°Hi guys come in to the living room. Karen and Liam are already here.¡±

    ¡°How do you know them?¡± asked Jeremy in confusion.

    I just shrugged.

    Dana was staring at me really hard, trying to figure out what was going on. She was eyeing me like I was going to vanish in a puff of smoke or something. Greg was keen for the food.

    I sat them down in the two couches that weren''t the one that Karen and I had. I sat next to her.

    ¡°Can I¡­¡± asked Greg, motioning to the snacks on the table.

    ¡°Um yeah, everyone go ahead if you want,¡± I told them quietly, and they did, chowing down on chips and chocolate.

    ¡°Sam, what¡¯s this about?¡± asked Dana.

    I looked at Karen and I saw her dry swallow. Her breathing seemed very fast too. She looked at me and probably saw the same thing. Neither of us had the courage to speak.

    Then we both started to speak at once, then we stopped to let the other speak.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I said to her with a smile, ¡°So, um. Guys¡­ We had something crazy happen to us in Pellan.¡±

    ¡°But you guys are on opposite ends of the map? How does that work?¡± asked Jeremy, his face scrunched in confusion.

    Here goes. This was seriously nerve wracking, my pulse was beating so hard and loud that I could hear and feel my boob moving.

    ¡°Not together, but a similar thing happened to both of us. Um. I don¡¯t really know how to describe this. The game isn¡¯t totally just a game. It can mess with the real world too,¡± I told them slowly.

    I could see the gears whirring in Dana¡¯s head when she asked, ¡°Mess with it how?¡±

    ¡°The game, um¡­¡± I faltered.

    ¡°The game changed us. Changed our bodies in the real world,¡± Karen said, picking up where I lost steam, ¡°I found a stone in the game, it was glowing red, and when I touched it, I felt my body change. Not my game body, my real one.¡±

    Nodding, I continued, ¡°With me, when I spoke to my goddess for the first time, she changed me. It was the same, my game body didn¡¯t change, but I could feel my real one changing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a little hard to believe, you both look the same,¡± said Liam, ever the pragmatist.

    I gave a long sigh, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for another magic trick?¡± I asked Karen.

    She gulped and nodded to me, her face pale.

    I got up off the couch slowly and Karen followed me at a similar pace. We stood in front of our friends, fidgeting and shuffling our feet. I could hear Karen¡¯s breathing quickening along with my own, almost in sync. I was terrified. When I looked away from Karen, I made eye contact with Dana, she¡¯d figured it out I think. She was looking at me with compassion in her eyes and it gave me courage. My heart rate slowed, and I turned back to Karen.

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    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No? Yeah...¡± she said with a quavering smile.

    We dropped our illusions.

    Where there had stood a moderately tall boy of 16, with dirty blond hair and blue eyes, wearing jeans and a tshirt, was now a very short petite girl of the same age. Her hair was long, dark, and flowing down her back. Her eyes were large sunbursts ringed by blue sky, her face was both adorable and gorgeous in a faintly alien way. She wore a dull red skirt that was cut at a slight slant and a white flowing blouse of cotton. She was me.

    Karen¡¯s form did not change like mine did, but she shimmered and suddenly her skin was the pink-red of her ingame avatar. On her head, her horns now sprung from her forehead before curving back and spiralling slightly. Her tail was poking out from under her skirt, and she brought it around to grab hold of it like she did when she was anxious or thoughtful.

    We stood there on display for our friends, shifting nervously as they stared. All of them were gaping, their mouths wide with shock. Liam was staring at Karen in disbelief, Dana looked as though it all made sense now. Greg was¡­ checking me out, and Jeremy¡­ Jeremy¡¯s face was white.

    ¡°Guys?¡± I squeaked.

    ¡°You¡¯re Syl? All along, you were Syl?¡± said Jeremy, the first to speak.

    ¡°Y-yeah, I really didn''t want to play a tank! I, uhm, I couldn¡¯t make myself do it. I decided that since I was letting you guys down, I¡¯d play a healer and still fill a role we needed,¡± I said in a rush, ashamed.

    Dana wasn¡¯t done figuring things out though, and she got up and walked to me. Close. I looked up at her. She was taller than me now.

    ¡°You¡­ want this don¡¯t you?¡± she asked, her eyes searching mine.

    My eyes welled with tears, as they always did when I thought of how much I loved being Sylanna. I nodded shakily. Then I decided to finally put the label on it.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m transgender. I mean I wanted to be a girl, or I always was one, I don¡¯t know. When you guys wanted me to play tank again, I couldn¡¯t do that... put myself into a role with so much inherent masculinity. I made Syl instead, and then my goddess made me become her,¡± my voice was rough and high with my emotion as I spoke my heart into the air.

    All of a sudden she wrapped me in a hug, and I began to cry into her shoulder. Dana had always been the best, always been caring and kind. She¡¯d also always been really pissed off when we hid things from her. She seemed to be suppressing that right now.

    ¡°I wish you¡¯d told me.... Syl. I could have helped. Either before Pellan or after things changed,¡± She told me, her voice still gentle.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with me until after I changed, and then I was too scared,¡± I mumbled into her shoulder.

    We stood there while she comforted me for a few seconds, before I heard Karen finally speak.

    ¡°Liam?¡± she asked plaintively.

    I looked up. Liam had edged away from Karen a bit on the couch. He didn¡¯t reply to her.

    ¡°Liam. Please say something,¡± she said, her voice cracking.

    He croaked something that wasn¡¯t audible, cleared his throat, and tried again, ¡°The game is real.¡±

    We all turned to him then.

    ¡°I mean, think about it guys. Computer code and a silly helmet don¡¯t do this,¡± he said in a strained voice, motioning to the two inhuman girls before him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t hate me or anything?¡± asked Karen hopefully.

    Her small hope made my heart lurch, and I broke my hug with Dana to start one with Karen, which she eagerly accepted. She was so warm to hold, and I could feel her shaking faintly. I squeezed her tighter.

    ¡°Nah, you got screwed over. I can¡¯t hate you for something you didn¡¯t even intend,¡± he said and continued when he realised something, ¡°and I wouldn¡¯t hate you even if you did want this. I¡¯m just pretty scared of what this means.¡±

    Greg spoke now, and what he said made me reevaluate my understanding of him, ¡°It means we have to go back into Pellan and take things seriously. I don¡¯t know if you guys heard the NP-, the people of Dailsil talking, but Syl saved a bunch of civilians from being murdered by bandits. Player bandits.¡±

    ¡°So that means that the world of Pellan might actually be like, a world? And everyone doesn¡¯t realise they are killing real people?¡± asked Jeremy with a note of horror in his voice

    ¡°Yeah, maybe, I mean, we don¡¯t know that right? I know I¡¯m backpedalling here, but all we know is there¡¯s freaky shit going on and we need to find out why,¡± said Liam.

    ¡°Why us?¡± asked Jeremy.

    ¡°Because we know about it, and we have the power in Pellan to do something. We can stop people from earth who are killing what might be other real people,¡± said Dana with a voice of determination.

    We all contemplated that in silence for a few sobre moments, before I cut in with a little grin, ¡° Annnd, It might be fun as well.¡±

    I received 5 grins in return and I rested my head on Karen¡¯s shoulder happily. It felt really nice to have her to lean on, with her arm resting around my waist.

    I looked at them all now, judging their opinions and moods. Liam seemed worried but resolved, Greg had the Hero look on his nerdy face, Dana was looking at the people in the room with pride, and Jeremy¡­ wasn¡¯t meeting my eyes. Oh no. I opened my mouth to speak to him, but Dana touched my shoulder and shook her head no. Later then.

    She strode back to her seat next to Greg and laid her feet in his lap, getting settled, and Karen dragged me back to our couch. I sat down first and Karen followed me. She seated herself right next to me, our hips lightly mashed together. We¡¯d had so much physical contact recently, but every touch between us made me shiver slightly with happiness as sparks of delight danced along my nerves.

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s it like being a girl?¡± asked Dana with a slightly evil grin on her face.

    ¡°Um. Being short is different. It¡¯s made people seem even scarier. But that¡¯s the bad. The good is that I love it. I love how smooth my skin is, how flexible I am, how light I am, I just love everything about it. I even love my stupid untamable hair. Also, I like my boobs. They¡¯re fun to play with,¡± I blushed.

    ¡°So what¡¯s it like, you know¡­ down there?¡± asked Greg. Oh, Goodbye Hero Greg, hello again teenaged boy Greg.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t¡­¡± I stopped and couldn¡¯t continue, discussing that in front of all my friends was not something I wanted to do.

    Dana wouldn¡¯t let me back out so easily however, ¡°You should, it¡¯s great fun.¡±

    Her smile was positively wicked and we all turned our heads to her.

    ¡°What? It is fun,¡± she said, then purred, ¡°Really fun.¡±

    ¡°Dana please! Oh my fucking god!¡± I cried out in second hand embarrassment and hid my face.

    She cackled. Greg was staring at her as though she was a visionary come to grant new gospel upon the world. Jeremy had an eye rolling smirk on his face.

    Liam coughed, ¡°Do we want to talk about plans?¡±

    ¡°Right, yeah! Plans!¡± I said a little too loudly.

    ¡°I think we should join a guild,¡± stated Karen.

    ¡°How come?¡± asked Greg and Liam at once.

    ¡°Because, if we find the right one, a good one, we can help make the area around Dailsil safe, for starters. There¡¯s a ton of guilds out there fighting the Blackfeather Guild to stop them being assholes,¡± she explained.

    I grimaced, ¡°That guild are such a bunch of assholes. Are they run by the guy named Malcom Blackfeather?¡±

    ¡°Yup¡±

    ¡°I killed him yesterday. I beat him to death with my radiant shield after I thought he¡¯d killed an innocent boy,¡± I said timidly.

    ¡°Wait what the fuck, that¡¯s brutal. I heard you saved some people, but that¡¯s just badass,¡± said Greg in approval.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really know what I was doing. I just kinda snapped,¡± I told the carpet at my feet.

    ¡°You might be targeted for that,¡± Karen said quietly in concern, ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so are we agreed to join a guild? Find a good one?¡± asked Liam, bringing the conversation back on topic.

    ¡°Yup!¡± we all chorused.

    ¡°Before we go or stay and eat or whatever, I just wanna say I¡¯m proud of you two, that was probably really hard to do,¡± Dana announced, ¡°Any of you gives Syl or Karen shit will get my shoe up their ass,¡± She emphasised my new name. I love you Dana. In a friend way.

    ¡°What if I¡¯m into that?¡± mumbled Greg, earning him a smack around the head.

    We all laughed at Greg¡¯s dirty mind. Then I felt something strange. When I looked down, I noticed Karen¡¯s tail had curled around my arm like a living armband. I looked up at her with wide questioning eyes, but her face was beaming out at the group with a happy smile on her face. I don¡¯t think she realised what she was doing.

 16: Interlude 1

    Nia leaned casually on her glaive and gazed at the roiling and expanding reality disturbance as it consumed nearby matter for it¡¯s bizarre conversion. There wasn¡¯t much for it to consume out here in this vast expanse of wild grass.

    Still, Nia could make out the terrifying creatures that had originally been rabbits or field mice howling in agony and fury at the world. Periodically they caught some poor creature in their grasp and extinguished its life, before delivering the body to the disturbance to be reborn anew. The disturbance did not just look abhorrent to the eyes, it sounded awful too, emitting a low grating buzzing sound that would shift frequency at random.

    Lea stood next to her, also leaning on a glaive. The two girls looked at each other. They gazed at themself in thought. They had a lot of questions.

    Turning to her companions, two mouths spoke for one mind, ¡°Looks like I was wrong Ghel, the Reality Anomaly is active here after all.¡±

    Ghel shifted the 8 foot tall suit of Arcanomechanical armour he piloted and allowed the chest to open slightly, revealing his small dark furred head. His long pointed ears were tilted toward Nia in a display of attention.

    ¡°This looks like an entirely different infestation though. It¡¯s too new, as though they¡¯re starting again from scratch,¡± he commented matter of factly.

    Before Nia or Lea could reply, another one of her companions spoke, ¡°We¡¯ve never seen a world that could eradicate the Reality Anomaly entirely before though. Surely this one has just lain dormant or something?¡±

    The woman who spoke was of the same species as Ghel, but she did not pilot a gleaming suit of armour. She stood at four feet tall and carried a maul almost as big as she was.

    ¡°Ammie, you know that sounds just as ridiculous as it being cleansed from the world,¡± Nia sighed.

    Ammie shrugged, her long lavender coloured hair bobbing with the motion.

    Off to the side, a man in a tight coat and sharp pants grunted in surprise as he gazed at a shimmering ball of liquid green light he held in his hand.

    ¡°What is it Farden?¡± asked Lea.

    ¡°I¡¯m detecting AMIs on this world. They¡¯re damaged somehow though. If what I¡¯m seeing in my scrying is correct, they should have vast capacity and abilities, but they¡¯re stunted somehow. It¡¯s like they¡¯re having problems connecting with the CPL and are running off alternate connections to the leyline network instead,¡± Farden replied, eyes still glued to the shimmering orb in his palm.

    ¡°Are they corrupted? Drawing energy from other sources or anything like on Andegral?¡± asked Nia immediately, her voice sharp with worry.

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell sorry, they seem to be channeling almost all of their energy into maintaining some vast spell over the world. Many have tendrils of power connecting to places or individuals around the globe, but there¡¯s also a large minority that are solely concentrated on the main task. And no, I can¡¯t tell you what the spell does. Not from here.¡±

    Lea sighed, ¡°Alright, let''s wrap this up. We¡¯ll sort out the data back at the Bastion.¡±

    <center>**Karen**</center>

    I looked over at Syl sitting next to me on the couch. She was already looking up at me with her huge funny blue and gold eyes. The way her nose was crinkling as she smiled was adorable. I¡¯ve never had a friend like her, where I¡¯ve felt so attached and in such a short space of time. I really never want to let her go.

    Sitting as close as I was, I was able to enjoy the warmth her little body put out. She seemed so tiny, but she¡¯s always so nice and warm. Whereas I¡¯m the opposite. Constantly freezing, especially the extremities like my arms and legs. Anyway, Greg was making a fool of himself again, which appeared to be status quo among the new friend group I had been added to. I liked them, they¡¯re a fun group.

    I guess Jeremy was cute too, he had a great smile that made everyone around him want to smile along with him. I really didn¡¯t feel like getting into another relationship though. Every time I¡¯d agreed to go on dates with a guy I¡¯d ended up¡­ just bored? I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s the right word. Sure, some of them were great to hang out with, but I could never see myself with them you know? I¡¯m pretty sure Jeremy also has a thing for Syl. It seems like it, although he was a bit upset about the revelation that Syl is his friend Sam.

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    Either way I had to leave soon, as much as I wanted to stay. Mum would shit a brick if I was any later getting home than I already was.

    ¡°Hey guys, I have to get home before mum gets pissed, so I¡¯ll catch up with you all in Pellan yeah?¡± I asked the group with regret.

    I heard a small disappointed sound from next to me and found Syl leaning in to me and looking up with a sad expression. Damn. She is too cute. Still, I do need to leave.

    I sighed, ¡°Sorry. My mum is kind of a tyrant.¡±

    She gave me a lopsided smile and nodded, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll show you out¡­ except I kinda need my arm back.¡±

    ¡°Your arm?¡± I looked down.

    My tail was wrapped around her arm.

    She giggled when I noticed, and hit me with another doe eyed smile. Shit her eyes are big. I felt my face go bright with embarrassment and quickly as I could I unwrapped my tail from her arm.

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± I stammered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Karen.¡± She said. Then she reached out and tweaked my tail!

    Something I¡¯d quickly discovered when my change happened, was how sensitive my tail was. Why that was I had no idea. Why does a darkling need a sensitive tail? It wasn¡¯t really an erotic feeling, more like a ticklish feeling. I squeaked and jumped in my chair.

    We both stood up, the others had been talking about Pellan while Syl and I had our awkward little moment and they looked over at us.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later!¡± I told them. I hoped they didn¡¯t think I was bailing on them or anything. I liked them and I wanted them to like me too.

    They all said their goodbyes to me, Liam nodding in understanding. He knew about my parents. Knew about what they were like. He knew pretty much everything about me really, since the start of primary school.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to put your illusion back up!¡± shouted Dana as we headed for Syl¡¯s front door.

    Oh shit. I quickly activated the spell and saw my old skin colour return over the new in a shimmer. Syl opened the door for me and held it that way while I stepped out. I turned and looked at her. The step down onto the porch meant that we were now eye level. I wanted to go back up and hug her goodbye, but I¡¯d stupidly already walked out the door. Damn.

    I gave her a lame little wave and said, ¡°See you later.¡±

    She gave me an equally lame wave and mimicked me, ¡°See you later.¡±

    Shit now my lameness was infecting other people. I¡¯m sorry Syl. I turned to leave when I heard her giggle again. I turned back. She was holding my school bag out to me now.

    ¡°Oh, crap. Thanks Syl,¡± I said sheepishly.

    ¡°No problem Karen,¡± she grinned.

    Ten minutes later and I was stepping through the door into my house. We had a pretty nice house, all things considered. It had three storeys and a bathroom for every bedroom. My parents were wealthy, but not wealthy enough to be casually opulent, and they hated that fact.

    ¡°Karen! Where have you been? You¡¯re half an hour overdue! I¡¯ve told you so many times that you need to hurry home in case something happens at your school or on the way home. I will not lose you like I lost your brother,¡± my mother yelled as she rounded the corner of the hallway.

    Brother. She¡¯d called my sister my brother again. My older sister had been transgender. Born into a frail male body, she¡¯d eventually begun transitioning as she got older. I loved her. I still loved her, but she was gone. I mumbled an apology to mum that involved some excuse about helping a teacher do something, then I made my escape up to my room.

    I had at least made it back to the safety of my room without mother completely killing my little buzzy happy feeling in my chest. Closing the door with a sigh, I slung my bag at my bed, missed and stomped over to it. I had a lot of homework to get through before I could get into Pellan for the night.

 17: Opening my eyes to a new reality

    Liam left my house pretty soon after Karen did, which left just the original crew. Dana was happy for me but I could tell she wanted one on one time to get down to the nitty gritty details of my new life. Greg had no problems with my sudden change after the initial shock, and he enjoyed the idea of having another girl in the group. Jeremy¡­ he was trying. I could tell something was up, he wasn¡¯t totally happy about all this. He was also trying his best not to be a downer, but it seemed to be an uphill battle for him. It wasn¡¯t long before they all left for their own houses and I had to clean up the mess. Mum came back in once everyone was gone.

    ¡°How did it go sweetie?¡± she asked kindly.

    ¡°Pretty well mum, everyone was fine with it. They realised pretty quickly that it was scary that magic is real,¡± I paused mid speech, deciding whether to tell mum about Jeremy, ¡°and, um¡­ Jeremy didn¡¯t take it one hundred percent well. We spent a lot of time playing the game together and I never told him. I think he was upset about that.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, three out of four isn¡¯t too bad Syl. You can work on Jeremy when you see him next. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come around.¡± She said.

    ¡°I guess. I¡¯m still happy though!¡± I said, flashing her a grin.

    I started to move past her to go to my room, but she stopped me with a gentle hand and motioned back to the couch. She sat me down and the lowered herself to the couch as well.

    ¡°Sweetie, I just wanted you to know that if you find yourself being harrassed for being a lesbian at school, well I¡¯m here for you okay?¡± she said tenderly.

    ¡°A what? Huh?¡± I gaped at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re a girl now sweetie, that means being attracted to girls makes you gay now,¡± she told me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not attracted to girls though!¡± I blurted as my head swirled with the sudden barrage of thoughts she had fired into my mind.

    ¡°But¡­ Wait, why do you say you aren¡¯t attracted to girls Syl?¡± she asked, less sure of herself now.

    ¡°I. Um. Well,¡± I looked away from her and went bright red. I wanted to hide. Why had I blurted that out?

    Her eyes widened at my reaction. Fuck. ¡°Syl, sweetie, were you gay? For men, guys?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± was all I got out.

    She leaned forward in another parental hug that was fast becoming a common occurrence. I liked these hugs. I didn¡¯t realise how starved for human contact I had been before my change.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you¡¯re attracted to boys too Syl. It was okay before and it¡¯s okay now,¡± she said softly into my ear.

    ¡°That¡¯s just it mum¡­ I was attracted to boys. I don¡¯t know anymore though. I look at Jeremy, I¡­ I had a crush on him before, but now I feel nothing,¡± I said just as softly.

    She leaned back and looked down into my eyes, ¡°Syl, how do you feel when you look at Karen?¡±

    ¡°I feel¡­¡± My mind stuttered to a halt. Oh.

    An image of Karen came unbidden to my mind. This was a little fantasy I had long dreamed about when I looked at Jeremy, but my mind substituted Karen into it instead. She was holding me close to her body, looking down into my eyes with those amazing green ones of hers. She leaned down slowly, her eyes on my lips and her hair wisping down to tickle my face. The daydream ended. I gave a strangled whimper that was laced with a sudden need.

    ¡°I guess that answers the question,¡± mum said with a small chuckle, ¡°So you stayed gay when you turned into a girl huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess so¡­¡± I said, still dealing with the implications of that in my head. I probably would be dealing with the implications of this moment for the rest of my life.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± she repeated with a motherly smile.

    We sat in silence for a while then, mum giving me time to think, and boy did I need time to think. I was a lesbian now. I liked girls. It¡¯s funny how much I had wanted to like girls when I was struggling with the idea that I might be gay. I¡¯d spent my first two years of high school quietly at war with my own sexuality.

    Now I liked girls, but it didn¡¯t matter because I was a girl too, and despite all these years, some people still had a problem with a guy loving a guy, or a girl loving a girl, or every combination that wasn¡¯t a girl and a boy. I wasn¡¯t just a lesbian though, I was a lesbian for my straight friend Karen. I was crushing on another straight friend. Wow. The universe and the gods must be laughing their asses off at my terrible luck.

    She must have seen my dejected thoughts mirrored in my expression because she began to slowly run her hands through my hair, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay Sweetie. I think things will go just fine for you.¡±

    ¡°I hope so mum,¡± was all I said.

    We spent a small while longer on the couch, but mum had some work she needed to do, so she went back upstairs. I went back to my room and logged in to Pellan.

    <center>****</center>

    Things were getting a little worse for the city that was embroiled in player versus player gang warfare. The fighting had taken to the alleyways and dark corners of the city, so I stayed near to the inn. I had an idea of what we could do, but I wanted to run it by the others when they logged in later. It took longer than I thought it would, and I actually logged out again after leaving a message with the barkeep that I would be back.

    When we were finally all gathered in the common room of the inn, I spoke up, ¡°Um. So guys, shits getting pretty dicey out there in the city. If we want to do good for this world, I think we need to be more powerful. I was thinking we should take a camping safe point and go way out into the wilderness. We should get some hardcore grinding done, then come back when we¡¯re higher leveled.¡±

    ¡°I agree, with one alteration. We all need to get certified in complementary trade skills, at least the basic levels. If we¡¯re out there for a long time, we¡¯ll want to build a shelter, repair weapons and make new ones. Stuff like that,¡± Liam said.

    ¡°I enjoy smithing and stuff in other games, I might take that,¡± said Greg, playing as Amra.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take carpentry so I can make more wands and staves,¡± said Colourless. He was still not looking me in the eyes.

    ¡°Leatherworking for me,¡± said Dana.

    I looked at Liam to gauge what he was going to pick, and he looked back at me.

    Karen piped up from my side, ¡°I think I want to take alchemy. I¡¯d like to have buffs and stuff when I fight.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I exclaimed, and turned to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I forgot to even think about getting some buffs for my build. I¡¯ll fix that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she smiled down at me.

    I noticed that when she smiled at me, the left corner of her lips wasn¡¯t quite as high as the right corner. Maybe it was just the way she tilted her head. It was cute.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take cooking then,¡± said Liam, breaking my train of thought.

    They all looked at me expectantly, there wasn¡¯t much left, but that didn¡¯t matter. No one had picked what I wanted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take construction!¡± I said with a grin at them all.

    ¡°Uh, construction?¡± asked Amra.

    ¡°Yeah! This game lets you build stuff. I thought it would be cool to make a house or a fort or something wherever we end up,¡± I explained.

    ¡°Yeah. I get that, but,¡± said Amra, and then she stuck her arm straight out and palm down. Then she lowered it gently until it bumped into the top of my head.

    I pouted up at her, ¡°Construction isn¡¯t just about lifting things you dick.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have one of those right now,¡± she said with a wink.

    I grumbled as the group laughed.

    We made our way around town, speaking to the various tradesmen that we needed to gain the proficiencies in crafting that we needed. Crafting proficiencies fell under a separate area of their own in the user interface. They had no points to spend, and instead worked by giving you advice and knowledge of the craft. As you experimented the proficiency would explain in greater detail how things worked, as well as giving you hints. By far the biggest advantage of gaining a crafting proficiency however, was the fact it artificially sped along your skill and understanding of the subject.

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    I ended up taking the clothing proficiency as well, and when we were done, we pooled our money and bought a very expensive but necessary piece of equipment. The thing was called a Claim Altar. It allowed a player, or group of players, to claim an area of land. The claimed area would gain protections against monsters up to a certain level, as well as allowing you to upgrade the claim with defences against other players. If we were going to make a little base out there in the wilderness, we¡¯d need it.

    With provisions and starting tools bought, we headed out into the wilderness. The trek away from the city was a dangerous one, and twice we only narrowly avoided being seen by other players. We had no idea who was who, so we avoided everyone. We got about a day and a half of travel done before we called it a night. We all had school in the morning, and personally I was very nervous.

    When I was back in the real world, I still had time to get some real sleep, so I decided to do so. Plonking the helmet down on the bedside table I settled in for a proper sleep. I wondered if Feslia would talk to me this time. She¡¯d been strangely silent since the time with that scary monster.

    I felt like I had been asleep for a small while when I found myself quite suddenly in my goddesses realm. Looking around, I spotted her and my heart sank through the pit of my stomach.

    She was collapsed on the solid cloud that counted as the ground in this place, and about half her former size. She looked to be only a few inches taller than me now, her immaculate feminine form draped haphazardly across the white floor. Her previously flawless and faintly golden skin was marred with bruises and scrapes, and her beautiful straight blond hair was tangled and dirty. She looked like she¡¯d been dragged behind a horse for a mile.

    I rushed to her and knelt, lifting her head into my lap as I sat.

    ¡°Feslia, are you okay?¡± I asked with worry, my hand gently stroking her head.

    She just moaned and feebly wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling herself closer.

    ¡°It almost got away from us that time..¡± she mumbled.

    I felt something within me begin to tug away towards her frail form. It wasn¡¯t a physical thing, but an energy inside me, a presence I hadn¡¯t realised was there. The stream of energy began to trickle into my goddess, then it grew to a steady pour, then a torrent.

    I felt an intense feeling of caring come the other way down the connection, and lost some tension in my muscles and mind. Soon the strange well of energy inside me ran dry and the transfer trickled to a stop, taking my perception of this well with it as it stopped. I didn¡¯t feel different afterwards, and I fired off a quick healing pulse into Feslia to see if it was my mana that had been drained, but the spell went off fine.

    Feslia shuddered and her hair straightened itself out, her skin became unblemished by bruise or scrape and I saw her grow a few inches in height before my eyes. She pulled her way up my robed body and put her arms gently around my neck. Before I could speak, she leaned forward and I felt her perfect lips press into mine with a beautifully soft but chaste kiss. She held it for just a heart fluttering moment, then pulled away and leaned her forehead softly to my own.

    ¡°Thankyou,¡± She breathed softly, ¡°You have done well little priestess of mine. If it wasn¡¯t for the faith you had gathered and given to me just now, things may have gone badly.¡±

    I opened my mouth to speak, but she pressed another feather light kiss into my blushing cheek to silence me.

    ¡°I cannot explain what is happening right now little one, I must rejoin the fray. My brothers and sisters fight while I languish in my own realm. Please continue your incredible work on my behalf Sylanna. If you find any who you deem worthy of taking up my mantle, please bring them to an altar of mine and I will consecrate them in my fire. Thank you again my gorgeous priestess.¡±

    Then I was asleep again, and waking up a few hours later to my mother knocking on my door.

    ¡°Sylanna you need to get ready for school!¡±

    My mouth opened and closed like a fish before I managed, ¡°Yes mum!¡±

    What in the fuck had just happened? Feslia was hurt, then she sucked a bunch of ¡°faith energy¡± out of me, then she kissed me? Twice!? She was fighting something too? Oh my god I so did not need all of that on my mind for my first day back at school. Oh crap and I¡¯d liked it too! The kiss I mean. I didn¡¯t have like, romantic feelings for my goddess, but the feel of her soft perfectly shaped lips on mine, the way her hands had snaked up to cup the back of my head, fingers lacing themselves into the hair there. Gosh. She¡¯d smelled great too, like the pure sun heated moisture of the clouds we had sat on. All I had to do now was get Karen to do that to me instead. Maybe with tongues involved. Holy moly. I liked the feeling of being attracted to people again, even if it was girls now.

    ¡°Syl! Are you up yet?¡± I heard mum yell from the kitchen.

    Crap. I bumbled out of bed and straight away tripped on the uniform bag I had dumped on the floor. Bloody hell. I rifled through the bags until I found the drab uniform dress and began to step into it when I realised I needed to change my underwear. Then I realised I needed to shower. I rushed to my desk where a wayward hair tie lay and used it to tie my hair into a lazy bun, then I grabbed my towel and rushed for the bathroom. I showered quickly, angling the shower head so it didn¡¯t get my hair wet. I did not have time to deal with wet hair. Out of the shower again I dried myself as fast as I could, then I wrapped the towel badly around myself and rushed back to my room.

    I threw on a grey sports bra and some underwear, then the blouse that went on under the dress. Then I put the knee high socks on because it was overcast and windy, even though it wasn¡¯t really uniform regulation to wear them with the dress. Only after that was all done did I step into the dress. The thing went on in a hurry and I settled the big chunky straps on my shoulders. Then one started to slide down my shoulder as I grabbed my bag and stuffed everything I would need into it. I ignored the wayward strap, silly thing.

    Mum was waiting with breakfast when I bumbled into the kitchen, ¡°Eat up,¡± she said, presenting me with buttered toast and a packed lunch.

    ¡°How come you did all this? Usually you guys are out the door by the time I gotta wake up?¡± I asked as I stuffed the toast into my mouth.

    ¡°Your father and I spoke a few days ago, and we agreed that we would alternate days where we worked a few hours less. That way we can help you out a bit more, we¡¯ve been pretty lax about parenting over the past few years,¡± she said with an apologetic tone.

    I gave her a grin, ¡°Thanks mum, you guys are awesome.¡±

    ¡°No we weren¡¯t, but hopefully we live up to that in the future. We¡¯ll be driving to school until you understand the bus timetable. Walking to school as such a tiny girl is not a good idea,¡± she told me with a protective tone edging into her voice.

    ¡°But mum I can blast people with magic!¡± I complained.

    ¡°Sylanna, you¡¯re taking the bus to school from now on okay. No arguments,¡± she said sternly.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said without arguments. At least not verbally.

    Once I was done with breakfast, it was time to drive to school. Mum bustled me into the car and we set off. I hoped things would go okay today.

 18: Tropey School Chapter

    I gave mum a quick hug before I stepped out of the car. The day was another signature overcast day for the city and that was fine with me. I didn¡¯t feel like dealing with weather today, be it hot or cold.

    I had a meeting with the dean before class, so mum had dropped me off about half an hour early. Making my way towards the office building, I saw a few faces I recognised, but which did not recognise me. Kegan gave me a curious look, and a curious once over, his huge rugby player frame towered over me even more so that previously. He was actually so good at rugby that even as a year 11 he was in the first fifteen.

    To those who don¡¯t know how rugby works in New Zealand high schools, the first fifteen is the top team comprised of, you guessed it, the top fifteen players at the school. I thought back to the last time we had interacted. If this was a vapid american high school movie, he would be the bully, but this is reality where bullying is not so obvious as throwing people at lockers. Either way, I hoped to steer clear of him.

    Another person I recognised from my year was Zach, the dour and frumpy guy who looked like life was kicking him in the gut at any given time. He looked up and met my eyes and I noted he looked pretty depressed today, even more so than usual. Instead of giving me the once over, he seemed to take me in and become even more upset. Sheesh, sorry buddy. I picked up my pace towards the offices.

    I stepped up to the glass doors and opened them, only to be greeted by Juliet. I froze up, holding the door open for her as the memory of what had happened two days previously flashed in my mind. She might be wickedly smart, with excellences across the board, but she was also such a massive bitch that most of the other smart girls ignored her. She was, I also noted, very attractive. I gulped as she swept past me without so much as glance, her strawberry blond hair whipping behind her.

    Up at the door to the dean¡¯s office, I hesitantly tapped on it. A few seconds later, a hulking Mr Forsythe opened the door and got confused for a split second when no one was in his field of view, before he looked down. I forgot to mention it the last time I was here, but Mr Forsythe is huge. He¡¯s seven feet tall, but that¡¯s not the end of it. He¡¯s also just massive in general, with a huge barrel chest, broad shoulders and muscles straining against all the seams of his clothing. I was literally almost half his size.

    ¡°Hi sir,¡± I squeaked in a very small voice.

    ¡°AH! Sylanna! Glad you could make it to our school on such short notice, seems like it was only yesterday that you were in my office!¡± he laughing uproariously at his own joke.

    I gave a small and very frightened smile in return.

    ¡°Right, young lady, I asked you to come and see me just as a formality, you already have a map of the grounds, so I hope you can make it to your classes on time. I¡¯ve told your other teachers via email about you and they should be forgiving of tardiness while you are getting settled in. But don¡¯t make it a habit!¡± he bellowed.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said again in a tiny voice.

    ¡°Good girl! Now, if you have any problems do not hesitate to come and ask for help okay? Don¡¯t let the other rascals give you any crap, got it?¡± he bellowed kindly.

    ¡°Yes Sir,¡± I said again.

    ¡°Great! Good luck with your study young lady, and don¡¯t be too late to first period!¡± he said as he held out his hand for a shake.

    I hesitantly placed my hand in his, where it disappeared as he clasped it in a firm but gentle handshake. I sighed in relief when he released it. Then he spun on his heel and closed the door. Whoa.

    That man always left me a little shell shocked when we spoke, and today was no different. I stepped away from the door and turned to head further into the school towards first period math.

    Then I heard a low chuckle from behind me, ¡°You¡¯re like, fuckin tiny compared to him.¡±

    I turned toward the speaker and saw Kegan leaning against the wall a few meters away. I met his eyes and immediately looked down at my feet. I was feeling pretty intimidated by all these huge guys around me. Please don¡¯t recognise me! I really don¡¯t want this day to go the same way as last time.

    Mumbling something incoherent, I turned back and rushed off towards my first class. I didn¡¯t have the same math class, and I wasn¡¯t sure who my teacher would be. I really hoped it wasn¡¯t Mr Forsythe.

    The class was in the math block, and I was one of a few people who was there early. When I arrived outside the class, I sat down with my back to the painted cinderblock wall of the corridor and waited for the teacher to arrive and unlock the door. Mindful of tripping up anyone walking through the corridor I pulled my knees up against my chest and smoothed my dress out.

    While I waited, I thought back to earlier this morning, to Feslia. I hope I could collect more faith out in the wilderness. Maybe I could ask my friends to pray to her? Also she¡¯d taken my first kiss. My first kiss had been with a goddess! Wow. I would have liked it to be someone I had feelings for, but it also wasn''t an intense kiss or anything¡­ not a romantic kiss. It felt like one of those kisses that really intimate european cultures would do.

    I was woken from my thoughts when a pair of legs blocked my vision. I looked up and met the eyes of a girl I only vaguely recognised from my year. She had long dyed blond hair and was kind of tall in a willowy way.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, smiling down at me.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I said cautiously. I struggled into a standing position so I could speak to her properly.

    ¡°My name is Jasmine, I don¡¯t recognise you, are you new?¡± she asked.

    She was still way taller than me, and standing so close I still had to look up when I spoke, ¡°Um, yeah. This is my first day¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh cool! I just wanted to be friendly and say hi!¡± she said happily, like she was congratulating herself more than anything else.

    ¡°Thanks, um, oh my name is Sylanna. You can call me Syl,¡± I told her shyly.

    ¡°Wow I¡¯ve never heard that name before. Where¡¯s it from?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ Shadesmar, I think,¡± I said with a little smile, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d have a clue where that is.

    ¡°Oh wow, that must be far away!¡± she smiled.

    ¡°Yup, pretty damn far,¡± I said brushing my hair behind one of my ears. This turned out to be a mistake.

    Her eyes widened when she saw my still pointed disguised ears, ¡°Why are you wearing pointed ear thingies?¡±

    I wish the disguise hadn''t made them fully pointed. I wonder why it hadn¡¯t? Maybe the spellmonger thought he was helping?

    ¡°Uh, oh¡­ crap. I¡¯m not, they¡¯re real ears. It¡¯s, um, something that people from Shadesmar have, pointed ears¡­¡± Nice save Syl, super convincing. Dumbass.

    ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s really cool. I thought you might be a weirdo who thinks they are like an elf or something but if they are real,¡± she reached out and touched them, ¡°Wow they are real, that¡¯s cool!¡±

    I jerking away I self consciously covered my ears with my hair again, ¡°Um, thanks. I-¡±

    I was saved by Mr Forsythe¡¯s hand landing on Jasmine¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Jasmine! Don¡¯t go touching the newbie without asking! You¡¯ll scare her!¡± He laughed with his signature bellowing laugh.

    Oh no. Please no. Not again.

    ¡°Sorry Sir,¡± said Jasmine meekly.

    ¡°Alright class, let¡¯s get mathing! Today we¡¯re going to be exploring some more ratios and proportions!¡± He said excitedly. This had the effect of increasing his volume even more.

    No God! No god please no! No! No! Nooooooooooooooooooo!

    Utterly defeated, I trudged into the classroom. This was all a mistake. I wanted to be Sam again. I didn¡¯t want to spend another year being taught by¡­. him. I wanted Ms Kimberly back.

    ¡°Sylanna!¡± he bellowed, ¡°You¡¯re sitting in at that desk!¡± He pointed to one near the back.

    At least I wasn¡¯t near the front. Small victories. I rushed to my seat, dodging my fellow students until I was sat down. Mr Forsythe started the class soon after, and I sat through it like I was a private in the battle of the somme. Explosive verbal artillery slammed down amongst my classmates, turning their brains into so much raw meat. When it was over, I rushed out of that room like my ass was on fire. Second period was painting, and since there was only one painting class, I knew Dana would be in it.

    When I arrived wheezing from the climb up the stairs, she was already inside. Unlike the other more mainstream departments, the art department had an open door policy. Anyone could come and go from the open plan top floor of the tower block. The room took up the whole floor and had large grey divider curtains that could be used if there was more than one class going on. Students tended to roam in and out of the place throughout the day, more than a few of whom were skipping class. None of the art teachers cared.

    Dana was sat at a table already and I rushed over to her, throwing my arms around her like she was a surf lifesaver.

    ¡°Whoa! Hey there Syl! What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked in a concerned voice.

    I mumbled incoherently into her neck.

    ¡°Uhhh, what?¡±

    ¡°I have Mr Forsythe as a math teacher,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Is he really that bad?¡± she asked in confused sympathy.

    ¡°He. Doesn¡¯t. Stop. Yelling... Ever,¡± I told her with fear in my voice.

    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± she wrapped her arms around me and returned the hug, despite any misgivings she had about my reaction to the teacher.

    When we seperated, she whispered, ¡°I guess you¡¯ll take your old seat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I grinned at her.

    I sat down at the desk. The class was made up of several duo desks that had always randomly shifted around every time you came into the room. This time the desk we¡¯d taken was set against the floor to ceiling glass window on the edge of the room. Nice and isolated.

    Looking over at our teacher, Mr Yossan, I saw he was already helping a student. Another quirk of the art department was that class never really started or ended. There was a kind of fuzzy grey area on either end instead. The system worked great in my opinion.

    Once Mr Yossan was done with the guy he was helping, he started towards me, as I¡¯d known he would. He failed to make it all the way to me though, as he was accosted by another student along his journey. A minute later and he was helping another girl. A few minutes later he finally made it to me. He was a short balding man with a big bushy ginger beard. He looked like a thin dwarf.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up. You must be Sylanna! Nice to meet you,¡± he said, offering a hand for me to shake.

    ¡°Hey, nice to meet you too sir,¡± I said bashfully.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a bit behind, did you have any projects that you were working on at your last school?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No¡­ Yes. I forgot to get them out of my cubby when I left,¡± I lied.

    ¡°Ah, then you¡¯ll be starting again. I¡¯m having everyone do one big work at the start like this so we can all get that one cool idea out of our heads before we move on to improving skills. Will you need help or can you find a subject for your piece on your own?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um, I think I can figure something out,¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°Cool stuff, if you need help I¡¯ll be around,¡± and with that he left to help others. He couldn¡¯t really help me with my work until I actually had something to show him.

    I sat back and pondered what I would base my painting on. I no longer had the drive to paint shirtless men, funnily enough. I thought of Pellan, there were some great opportunities to paint cool scenes in that. I wonder if there was a screenshot feature. Inevitably my thoughts went to Karen and just like that I knew what I wanted to paint, or rather, who. I spent the rest of the lesson sketching out a pose and trying to figure out how I would get some reference pictures.

    The problem with having painting before any break was that it took a while to get down all the stairs. When we got to the bottom of the tower block, we had to then walk along the edge of the tennis courts and then around the math block to get to the music block where we usually hung out. It was during this walk that Dana decided to try and get some answers out of me.

    ¡°So how is it? Being a girl?¡± She asked tentatively.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing Dana¡­ It feels so right. It¡¯s like I wasn¡¯t even me before. It¡¯s like I was going through the motions of enjoying life, but deep down I was grey and empty about it. I don¡¯t really know how to fully describe it,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Wow, that sounds like it sucked... You¡¯re okay now right?¡± she asked with concern.

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve actually been most worried about my sexuality-¡± I trailed the word off, losing my train of thought as the object of my confusion walked around the corner at the other end of the tennis courts.

    Dana followed my gaze and saw who I was looking at. Karen hadn¡¯t seen us yet, and I dropped my gaze to the ground with a blush. It was going to be so hard to talk to her now that I knew I was crushing on her.

    ¡°Really? Wait, if you¡¯re confused about your sexuality and you¡¯re into Karen, that means... you were into guys before?¡± she asked with excitement, ¡°Oh man I knew it!.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I was, and I¡­ I¡¯m not into Karen, she¡¯s straight anyway,¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°Oh come on Syl, You can¡¯t seriously think I¡¯ll believe your bullshit,¡± Dana laughed.

    ¡°I-¡± I started.

    ¡°Syl! Dana!¡± Karen called out.

    ¡°Hey Karen! How are you? You should come hang out with us for morning tea!¡± said Dana enthusiastically.

    ¡°Oh where are you guys going? I was just going to sit outside my next class,¡± said Karen.

    ¡°To the music block,¡± Dana told her.

    They went silent after that. I was still looking at my feet right now, but from Karen¡¯s body language I could tell she was trying to get my attention.

    ¡°You okay Syl?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Her first day at school as Syl. She¡¯s feeling a bit overwhelmed I think. She could probably use a hug,¡± Dana said in the tone of voice she used when she was subtly getting one over someone.

    ¡°Oh! Um... Okay!¡± Karen chirped, turning to allow us to keep walking together.

    She walked next to me for a few paces before she put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to her as we walked. My whole body broke out in goosebumps and the points of contact between my body and hers fired waves of sensation through me. She was warm and soft, and I couldn¡¯t stop my head from flopping to the side and landing on her shoulder. Even being held in this side embrace, I ached for her.

    My breathing increased, each breath I took sending little echoes of longing into my mind. My brain was begging me to turn and hold on to her with everything and never let go, to press my face into her neck, to kiss her, to wrap my arms around her waist and hold on tight, to put my arms around her neck and look into her eyes. Through all of these desperate needs, my mind chanted, Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen, over and over and over.

    I felt the emotions send tears bursting out of my eyes, big fat ones, but I didn¡¯t sob or make too much noise. A sniffle still alerted the two girls that something was wrong, and Karen reacted fast, stopping to pull me into a full hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around my torso and I shuddered at the sensation of her arms sliding around to hold me. Every inch of friction sent more emotion surging into my mind. Getting comforted by the source of my roiling emotions was not helping in the slightest.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Dana worriedly, placing a hand on my shoulder to join in the comforting.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know she just started crying all of a sudden,¡± said Karen, her voice choking with sympathetic emotion of her own.

    I held her even tighter when I heard her emotions struggling for purchase in her voice. I didn¡¯t want her to be upset, especially not over me. Strangely, the need to comfort and cheer her up outweighed my own roiling feelings. I felt a tender caring for her surge past my turmoil, shattering my desperate need and replacing it with the need to hold her until she was okay. I reached one of my hands up and placed it around her neck, gently stroking up and down with my thumb. I felt the soft hairs on the back of her neck with each stroke and it felt incredible.

    We calmed down over a few minutes together, and I grew accustomed to the feeling of her body against mine. It felt right, to be held by her like this, and hold her in turn. I pushed my nagging anxiety over her being straight away and just enjoyed it. I think we would have stayed like that the rest of the day if Dana hadn¡¯t cleared her throat and prompted us to seperate.

    ¡°We should get moving,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I replied, and Karen nodded.

    We didn¡¯t go back into our side embrace, but we walked very close together, and I swear she was brushing my hand like that on purpose. It was crazy, she seemed to reciprocate my feelings at every turn now, but she had pulled away that time and told me she was straight. I was really confused.

    We made it to the meeting spot without much conversation, and Dana went straight to greg and cuddled up next to him on the bench. I dropped my bag onto the concrete with a thump and sat down with a few extra feet of room between me and Jeremy. Karen chose that spot to sit, shielding me from Jeremy in the process. I smiled up into her bright green eyes and got a heart stopping return volley from her.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Eating was hard in the eight or so minutes we had left, so I didn¡¯t say much and just wolfed down a sandwich. Karen ate an apple. I watched her eat with fascination, she was so meticulous about it.

    ¡°How much further do you think we should travel in Pellan before we¡¯re safe from the warzone?¡± asked Greg as morning tea began to end and we packed up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, maybe another day?¡± asked Jeremy.

    ¡°Yeah, that would take us out of range of most players. Only the no lifers might find us if they have Dailsil as their base of operations,¡± I said.

    Jeremy turned to look at me then for a moment. Then he nodded slightly. I gave him a cautious smile in return. Okay, fixing things. This was good.

    ¡°I hope we can outpace the people back in the city,¡± said Karen with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can,¡± said Greg with a grin, ¡°We¡¯re way better at the game than those morons!¡±

    ¡°You have absolutely no data to base that on Greg, you dumbass,¡± said Dana fondly.

    I quietly packed my lunchbox away and stood up as they continued their banter.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to english,¡± I told them and began to leave.

    ¡°Wait I¡¯m coming too!¡± exclaimed Karen, quickly packing her things and falling into step beside me.

    ¡°What do you have now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Uh study period. I¡¯ll probably go to the library¡± she said hesitantly.

    ¡°Oh! Lucky. We don¡¯t have those yet.¡± I said quietly.

    We walked the rest of the way in uneasy silence. I wanted so badly to hug her again. Sadly we did not hug, and she gave me a little wave when we reached a junction in the hallways and turned to head to the library.

    ¡°See you later Karen!¡± I called to her, forcing a smile on to my face.

    She turned back and said, ¡°See you later Syl.¡±

    She gave me a smile that turned my own one genuine, and I carried that smile the rest of the way to my classroom.

    When my english teacher arrived, she turned out to be Mrs Elliston. She was a short and thin elderly scottish woman with grey hair and a strange taste in dresses.

    ¡°Come in!¡± she called as she unlocked the door.

    We all filed in after her and took seats. I waited near the back to see which seats would be taken since not all teachers made us sit in a seating plan. Turns out the front row was relatively empty. Oh joy.

    ¡°Ah! The new girl!¡± said Mrs Elliston, checking her roster, ¡°Sylanna Walker is it? Could you please tell us a little about yourself?¡±

    Oh no.

    ¡°Come on, stand up, it¡¯s easy,¡± she encouraged.

    Easy for you maybe, but for a shy introvert like me, it was far from it. I stood up anyway and half turned to face the class. There were a few expressions of amusement, a few of indifference, and a few of sympathy.

    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m Sylanna Walker¡­¡± I said timidly, ¡°I like Science, Painting and Video games. Oh and dancing and fashion.¡±

    The last part was very new.

    ¡°Make up your mind, are you a nerd or not?¡± I heard one of my classmates whisper, to quiet chuckles from her friends.

    I thumped back into my seat and hunched over, trying to recover from my anxiety before it ruined my ability to concentrate. Mrs Elliston began to teach the lesson, and it seemed we were required to write a creative writing piece about something that had happened to us over the christmas holidays. I figured that writing about my experiences in Pellan would make for fun reading, so I picked that.

    The class revolved around techniques we could use in our writing. I took notes and tried my best to ignore the fact that someone behind me had decided to quietly make fun of me. I managed to get a look behind me at one point and saw that my quiet tormenter was Juliet. Great. How typical, new kid gets picked on by the popular girl.

    I heard things like, ¡°Looks like she¡¯s a child, what is she even doing here?¡± and, ¡°She probably lied about dancing and fashion to make everyone think she¡¯s more interesting.¡±

    I needed to stop this before it became a thing, and so I gathered my courage and when class ended, I waited and watched. If I remembered correctly, Juliet had the student council to go to, which was held in a small building on the other side of the school. The fastest route there would take her around the back of the science block.

    When I saw her separate from her friends, I ran as fast as I could to get ahead of her. Arriving in the alleyway behind the science block, I dropped my bag in a little alcove and tied my hair back. Then I let my ears extend to their full length. I lounged casually in the nook and waited, my heart pounding in my ears and my anxiety pummelling my consciousness. When I heard light footsteps on the gravel I stepped out into the main pathway. There was Juliet, my heart rate went through the roof. Was I really going to confront her?

    She looked up startled, then an amused smile grew on her face, ¡°Hello Sylanna.¡±

    Something about her smile seemed not so genuine though, and I saw her eyes flick to my anxiety clenched fist.

    ¡°Hi Juliet. I heard those things you were saying about me in class. I¡¯d like it if you would stop,¡± I said, tilting my head to the side.

    ¡°Oh look at those silly plastic ears you have on. You¡¯re a weird one aren¡¯t you? No, I¡¯m not going to stop,¡± she rolled her eyes at me with forced nonchalance.

    ¡°Why are you being a bitch? Like fuck I literally just got here. What did I do to you?¡± I asked plaintively, my heart sinking. She didn¡¯t intend to be nice at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s for me to know and you to not know little girl,¡± she said with a condescending smirk.

    ¡°Well, alright then.¡± I said, and held up my fist. Maybe if I scare her? I¡¯m so much more powerful than her in reality, even if she holds all the social power.

    She laughed cautiously, ¡°What are you going to do? You¡¯re tiny. I could probably pick you up and throw you.¡±

    Her laughter faded when my hand began to crackle, the smell of ozone piercing the air like the lightning pierced the clouds around my fist.

    ¡°These ears aren¡¯t fake,¡± I said with a little smile.

    She began backing up, her eyes wide with fear, and I advanced on her. Next to us was a bank of dirt and rock where the hill had been cleared away to make room for the rear of the science block. I pivoted on my forward foot and slammed my fist sharply into the rock with a loud crack like a gunshot, and pieces of stone flew in all directions whirring and buzzing as they went. I had to shield my face with a glowing buckler of light to avoid being cut up. When the rocks stopped flying we were left with just the sharp earthy smell of charred rock.

    I looked down at Juliet and found her lying on the ground, staring up at me in shock and fear. She had bleeding scrapes on her face and I could see bruises beginning to form. Before she could react, I knelt carefully next to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Juliet, but I have way too much to deal with right now. I really don¡¯t need lowkey bullying from Ms Perfect the Gorgeous okay?¡± I asked gently, cupping her face with my hand.

    She nodded up at me, cringing away from my glowing buckler like it was going to bite her.

    ¡°Let me take care of these,¡± I said, my hand beginning to radiate healing light. I tenderly traced each abrasion, erasing it with a trickle of healing energy. Then I took her hands, scraped and cut when she had caught herself as she fell. I started to heal those too, softly running my smaller fingers over her palms to sooth the injuries. When I was done I stood up, prompted my ears to conceal themselves, dismissing my shield and gathering my bag.

    ¡°You can keep being a bitch, and we can be enemies, or you can not be a bitch, and we won''t be enemies,¡± I told her as I walked past.

    When I got out of sight around the edge of the building, I sank to my knees and let myself freak out. What had I just done? I mean I had defended myself, sure, but I¡¯d also frightened a defenceless girl. What could she really have done to me? Nothing. No Sylanna that¡¯s wrong! Words do damage too!

    I was gathering the courage to stand again when I saw Karen rush out of the building and turn wildly, her eyes searching. When they found me, she relaxed and hurried over. Oh Karen.

    ¡°Syl! Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong? I was looking for you and I heard your lightning fist ability go off and I thought maybe someone had tried to hurt you!¡± she said in a rush, kneeling down and dropping her bag unceremoniously onto the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I told her in a quiet voice.

    She didn¡¯t believe me, and kept checking my body to make sure I was okay. It felt incredible. Subtle and tender sensations zipping around inside my body with each touch. Unbidden, the thought of her doing that to me while I was naked came to my mind, and I let out a small gasp at the phantom sensations that thought produced. Not the time hornbrain! To distract her from what I thought was my obvious arousal, I began to tell her the little saga that had happened. I included all my fears about what I had done and if it was right.

    During my story, she moved to sit next to me shoulder to shoulder with her hands fidgeting in her lap. I wanted to reach out and hold them, but I didn¡¯t.

    ¡°I think you did okay Syl. You could have probably done it better, but there¡¯s always a way to do it better,¡± she told me with a smile.

    We sat there in silence for a second, looking at each other and smiling. Then her phone went off. Her ringtone was some foreign pop sounding music I couldn¡¯t understand. I raised an eyebrow at her and giggled.

    ¡°I... hold on,¡± she stammered, going bright red before answering the phone, ¡°Liam! Why the fuck are you calling me jeez!¡±

    There was a pause, and then, ¡°Oh sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t check my phone. I was um, looking for Syl. Yeah I found her. Okay see you soon.¡±

    She turned to me, still blushing and said, ¡°Um do you wanna come hang out with me and Liam and our friends for lunch? He was wondering where I was.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a grin, ¡°That sounds great!¡±

    We got up and started walking, Karen leading the way.

    I glanced over and asked, ¡°So um¡­ what type of music was that?¡±

    She blushed even harder and looked down at her feet, ¡°Uh, don¡¯t judge me. Some people think it¡¯s really weird. It was Kpop, I¡¯m into Kpop.¡±

    I only vaguely knew what that was, ¡°That¡¯s like, Korean pop music right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said with a sidelong look at me, trying to gauge my reaction.

    I laughed and leaned over to nudge her as we walked, ¡°I¡¯m not judging. I¡¯m so boring with my music tastes, I just listen to random bits of everything. What bands do you like from Kpop?¡±

    ¡°Oh um, they¡¯re called¡­ nevermind. I like Blackpink, Speed and¡­ well a lot of them.¡± She said sheepishly.

    ¡°Oh my god you¡¯re so cute!¡± I blurted. Oh dear. My face started to match hers in colour.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked in surprise.

    I nodded like a bobblehead.

    I tried to mask my outburst by asking her about her interest in Kpop the rest of the way to her friends, and she indulged my questions happily.

    Arriving to meet her friends, I was introduced to everyone, but Karen pretty much monopolised my time the whole way through lunch. I got a message from Dana asking where I was at one point, and I explained I was with Karen and her friends.

    I told Karen about my dream of taking up dancing, how I liked researching the shit out of games that I was playing. She told me more about herself, how her parents were really strict. Her transgender sister had gone missing years ago and she missed her deeply. The sister Nia, had been a big role model in Karen¡¯s early childhood. She also told me more about her interests. She wasn¡¯t usually a big video game player, but every now and then she found one she really enjoyed, and then binge played it. She told me about how she loved playing football and tennis.

    I was more than a little sad when lunch was over and I had to go to class. My next class was Physics and so I trudged off alone back to the science block. When I got there, I leaned against the wall and checked my phone, replying to a message from both mum and dad asking how my day was going. I told them it was going ¡°school¡±. Slowly more and more of my classmates began to show up, and pretty soon the small corridor was clogged with students.

    Mr Brown was about as interesting as his last name. He was a forgettable man in his late thirties, with a balding head that he tried to disguise by combing his remaining hair into place. He ushered us in without speaking and I watched as everyone took their seats. I saw a seat near the back that wasn¡¯t taken, and hurried to sit in it. When I looked to my left, I saw why the seat was empty.

    The dour and depressing Zach I¡¯d seen at the start of the day was sitting in the seat next to me. I could smell the faint odor of unwashed clothing coming from him. I turned back to the front and watched as Mr Brown began to write out a screed of notes onto the electronic whiteboard, occasionally stopping to explain a point in detail, all without turning to face the class.

    Great, one of those teachers. I became bored very quickly, and started surreptitiously looking over at what my classmates were doing. The girl to my right was messing around on her phone under her desk, so that wasn¡¯t interesting either. I turned slightly and looked over at Zach. He was scribbling on his notepad, but it wasn¡¯t the same notes that Mr Brown was writing. I leaned over a little more to get a better look.

    At the top of the page he¡¯d written the name ¡°Isabelle¡± and surrounded it with little sad cartoon plants. Further down he had written out notes for something. I looked closer and saw ¡°Druid Build¡± followed by a bunch of video game skill names. It seemed he was theorycrafting a druid build, and I began to realise the game he must be playing was Pellan Rise. With that much build modularity it couldn¡¯t be any other game. When I saw he¡¯d written ¡°Not available in Dailsil¡± next to a bunch of abilities, I decided to try and talk to him. My normal nervousness at talking to someone was mostly absent with him, since I thought he would probably be much more nervous.

    ¡°Hi, um¡­ Zach is it?¡± I asked quietly.

    He started and looked over at me, meeting my eyes for only a moment before they glazed slightly in pain and dropped down.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said.

    ¡°You play Pellan? What¡¯s your character name?¡± I asked.

    He looked over in my direction without making eye contact, staying silent for a few seconds before we oh so quietly spoke a name, ¡°Isabelle.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes and took him in more carefully. He didn¡¯t care at all about his appearance, apart from his face, which was perfectly shaved. Hmm.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a druid?¡± I asked softly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said again.

    ¡°And you¡¯re in Dialsil?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a noticeably angry expression growing on his face.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you angry. I¡¯ll be quiet,¡± I said hurriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not you. Just the assholes at Dialsil killing everyone. I can¡¯t do anything because I keep dying,¡± he said bitterly.

    ¡°Oh? My friends and I just ran away from there. We¡¯re running out into the wilderness to hide and get levels in peace.¡±

    ¡°Lucky for you. I don¡¯t have a party,¡± he said sadly.

    I was about to ask him if he wanted to join us out in the wilderness when I realised I couldn¡¯t make that decision on my own. I had to ask the group.

    It didn¡¯t matter anyway, since Mr Brown grumpily told us to stop talking and concentrate. I spent the rest of the class trying to stay awake. When it finally mercifully ended, Zach had bolted out the door before I could talk to him some more.

    Sighing, I made my way towards Chemistry with leaden shoes. I hoped Chem was more interesting, because I was pretty much spent by this point. How had it only been like five hours since school started? It felt like forever.

    Chemistry was much more interesting than Physics, the teacher was a wild eccentric woman in a tweed suit named Ms Eviet. She looked like she was around mid thirties in age but I couldn¡¯t tell because of her strange makeup. When I sat down in an open seat... Kegan sat down next to me.

    ¡°Hey,¡± He said with a smile, trying to get my attention.

    ¡°Hi,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°How¡¯s your first day going?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I told him. After the yelling he¡¯d given me as sam, and my new tiny stature, he really intimidated me.

    He didn¡¯t get to speak to me anymore, as Ms Eviet launched into a whirlwind class. She was emotive and expressive, sweeping her hands around and roving about the class as she lectured. She was an amazing teacher. Her vibrancy rushed through my tired and cobweb filled brain, purging it of all the boredom and replacing it with a newfound appreciation for Chemistry. I loved every moment, and on a few occasions I even put my hand up to participate in class.

    When it was over, I rushed out the door before hunkomatic could pin me down in a conversation. I had less than zero interest being his new romantic target. I¡¯d seen the way he treated girls, regardless of the fact I wasn¡¯t attracted to him. I knew mum would be waiting to pick me up anyway, so I had an excuse for not being social.

 19: The Sister and the Lover

    When I got in to Pellan that night, everyone was waiting for me around the little camping device.

    ¡°Hey there slowpoke! What took you so long?¡± asked Dana teasingly.

    ¡°Nothing, just chores,¡± I said.

    The reality was that I had needed alone time to work through the day in my mind. Karen was starting to occupy more and more mental real estate and it was taking a toll on my mood.

    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re all here, let''s get moving!¡± commanded Liam cheerily.

    We began walking. We didn¡¯t really have a destination, just a distance we wanted to get from Dailsil. The forest today was lit by a late morning sun that filtered through the canopy, turning everything it touched a blazing gold colour. It had rained a little the night before by the looks of things, small puddles dotted the forest floor and the air was thick with the smell of evaporating moisture. The forest in these parts consisted of more than just redwoods. Copses of pine and conifer fought for space against the mighty giants, huddled for protection against the superior height of their enemies.

    This changed the dynamics of the forest. Where before one could see for a hundred or more meters through the great trunks, now our visibility was down to less that half that at any given time. The forest monsters took ready advantage of this fact, surprising us out of nowhere constantly. The monsters we fought were still predominantly corrupted wood sprites of various descriptions, but some more mundane bears and wolves had been trying their hand against us as well.

    We were walking through a particularly dense section of forest when we heard these horrendous snapping booming sounds. With sidelong looks at each other we took up formation facing the commotion.

    Like a hurricane of steel, stone and vegetation, something erupted from the forest in front of us. The trees in its path exploded into whirring splinters of wood that narrowly missed impaling us. The air became thick with dust and debris as the hulking monstrosity surveyed our small party. Then it did something we did not expect, it spoke. We couldn¡¯t understand it, but the voice it spoke with was surprisingly high pitched, at least considering we had all been expecting a rumbling earthquake of a voice.

    The thing spoke in a language that was liquid and almost musical, the words flowing seamlessly together like a bubbling brook. While it spoke, the dust cleared and we could make out what this huge creature was. The thing looked to be built out of chunks of masonry that had been blasted off some art deco building. The whole thing was held together by twisting bars of metal and clinging vines. Clothing the huge golem was a side cape over one shoulder, like it was a matador or something. Across the whole beast were flowing lines of glowing energy, much like the ones I¡¯d seen when the wizard from Dailsil had made my spell. It¡¯s face was four huge holes bored in a square into the chunk of stone that made up its face. The lines of power swirled even up there, and the holes glowed with a dull green light.

    With no warning, it¡¯s voice shifted from high to low, like we¡¯d originally been expecting, and it began chanting at us. It chanted at us for no more than five seconds before suddenly it swung viciously with the huge stone pillar it wielded as a club. We all dove for the ground and the club swept over us, obliterating a pine tree its path like it was made of glass.

    This time we weren¡¯t so lucky with the large shards of wood that went flying. I saw everyone take minor cuts from the debris, but Col took it the worst, being impaled through the stomach by a large chunk of wood. He howled in pain and I rushed to him. Carefully, I pulled the wood out, healing him with my other hand as I did so. I was struck again by how disturbingly realistic this game was, I could see blood and more through the hole in his stomach.

    I heard the others engaging the golem behind me as I worked furiously to bring Col back from the brink. He watched me with pain filled eyes as I at last pulled the wood from his gut. When it was out, I began healing him with renewed vigor. I had the presence of mind to place a glowing circle of healing on the ground that not only helped Col but also my other teammates.

    When I finally got Col back to full health, he still looked shocked. I did the only thing I could think of to help him, and in hindsight the very feminine nature of my reaction made me happy. I hugged him tightly, pressing my face to his chest. I only held the hug for a few moments, our friends needed our help, but it seemed to have worked. He smiled tentatively down at me from his huge height.

    ¡°Go blast that stupid thing. Revenge time!¡± I told him with a wild grin, before I spun to join the fray.

    It became quickly apparent that we were severely underleveled for this guy. Nothing we did worked, my shards just bounced off the thing, while Col¡¯s spells pinged harmlessly off its magic infused stone hide. Conventional weapons were even less effective. Karen and Dana were doing nothing but blunting their blades as they chipped away at its legs. Amra¡¯s arrows were by far the least effective however, and she quickly stopped using her bow to conserve arrows until we figured this thing out.

    I like to think we would have figured it out anyway. We never got the chance. Tendrils of darkness lashed out from behind the thing with the same ferocious abruptness as its original entrance. The tendrils glowed with internal pinpricks of starlight like they were cables woven of a galaxy. Wrapping around the huge creature they pulled it backwards with a violent tug.

    We all stood transfixed with awe as a majestic creature with feathers that appeared made from the same galaxy launched itself up into the air, a leap that would take it crashing down on top of the enraged golem. As large as the golem itself, the thing looked like an enormous cross between a dragon, and eagle and a fennec fox. Huge glowing green eyes bore down on its foe with steely determination, while its car sized bushy tail was fanned out behind it for stability. Its back bore two large feathered wings that it used to drive itself down onto the golem with increased force.

    Using front paws that were strangely hand-like, the dragon fox thing tore the stone club from the golem¡¯s grasp and hurled it with incredible strength into the forest. We heard a distant report as an unfortunate tree ceased to exist as a coherent whole. The dragon fox using one of it¡¯s huge clawed hind legs to kick the stone giant repeatedly in the throat. The golem began to recover enough to throw the dragon off itself and into a large redwood tree.

    A very feminine voice cried out in pain from the dragon as she yelled, ¡°Fuck! You asshole, now I¡¯m pissed! Shouldn¡¯t have gotten lost in random portals buddy!¡±

    She opened her maw wide and with no warning whatsoever, a beam of roiling and shuddering energy leapt from her mouth. The dark, star studded beam slammed into the golem¡¯s chest and tore through it like a cop through a box of donuts. I thought of that analogy because the golem now looked like a donut, with a big glowing hole straight through its torso.

    It tetered there in the forest, and we saw the glowing lines going out one by one until it finally collapsed into nothing more than the rubble and vine it was made of. The dragon fox lady reached out and nudged the thing with a front leg.

    ¡°Yup, finally dead as a doornail.¡± she said, then turned to us, ¡°This guy gave me quite the chase. Sorry to scare you. I¡¯ll just be going now.¡±

    She lept into the sky without any preamble, and we were left staring at the charred and smoking remains of the battlefield in shock.

    ¡°Um,¡± mumbled Amra.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± asked Karen quietly, ¡°Was she a player? I swear I¡¯ve heard her voice before?¡±

    ¡°No idea, but she was pretty powerful. Surely no one has gotten to that stage already? Right?¡± asked Liam tentatively.

    Dana had moved closer to the dead golem, and she nudged it with a foot, ¡°Maybe we should see if we can loot this thing?¡±

    We nodded in agreement and went forward to do just that.

    We didn¡¯t get very far. Nothing on the thing seemed useful, the stone was just stone, the metal was corroded and warped, and the vines were, well, vines. We didn¡¯t find a core or anything either like you¡¯d expect from a golem.

    It was with bemused disappointment that we continued our trek away from Dailsil. Walking through the forest next to my friends, I searched through the menus and actually did find a screenshot feature. It would email the pictures to your account. I managed to take advantage of this by capturing Karen as she decapitated another corrupt sprite. It was a great shot and I knew I was going to be painting it.

    When we figured we were far enough away from Dailsil, we changed how we were walking. We followed the terrain up any rises we came across, looking for a nice hill to build our little base on top of. Something that would allow us to keep most enemies at bay with the terrain alone instead of relying solely on the claim altar. We didn¡¯t find a spot we were happy with that night and logged out for school.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    <center>****</center>

    I dashed around my home printing off my screenshot and shoving toast in my mouth. Getting ready as a girl took a hell of a lot longer than it had as a boy. Gosh.

    When I got to school that morning I saw Zach again. He was trudging up the driveway with the same bent backed weariness and I decided to walk up next to him and say hello.

    ¡°Hey Zach!¡± I chirped.

    He grunted in surprise and turned to look at me, ¡°Um. Hi?¡±

    ¡°We have physics first, may as well walk together. We do sit next to each other,¡± I said with a smile I hoped would lift his mood a bit.

    ¡°Oh. Yeah. Sure,¡± he said despondently, turning forward again.

    We walked in silence after that and made our way towards the science block. I saw Kegan chatting to some of his rugby mates and avoided eye contact straight away. Zach noticed.

    ¡°Got a crush on big rugby boy?¡± he asked with an eye roll.

    ¡°Fuck no! He keeps trying to talk to me and it¡¯s creepy,¡± I shook my head emphatically.

    ¡°It¡¯s cause you¡¯re pretty. Lots of people have been talking about you,¡± he stated with indifference.

    ¡°Wait, people are talking about me already?¡± I asked, incredulous.

    ¡°Yup. Saying you¡¯re a lesbian and shit. Seen you making out with some girl or something. Guess they were right judging by your reaction to the rugby star,¡± he smiled. Just a small smile.

    ¡°I mean¡­ they¡¯re wrong but they aren¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t kissing anyone yesterday or the¡­ Well. Hmm,¡± I said, realising I had been kissed by Feslia.

    In any event, we arrived in class, where discussions like that had to stop or the other classmates would hear.

    I made it through physics okay, and arrived in painting early for once. As usual, the desks had randomly shuffled around, and I picked one close to the glass wall again. I got out a thick A3 piece of paper that would be able to hold paint without warping. Next to it I set my pencils and my reference picture. I gazed at my set up for a while as the class filled in. Dana ponked down next to me with a hmph and looked over.

    ¡°Going to draw Karen?¡± she asked with a cheeky grin.

    ¡°Yes Dana I am going to draw Karen,¡± I rolled my eyes at her. Let the teasing begin I guess...

    ¡°It¡¯s a good picture. I wonder if it will look anything like that by the time you¡¯re done picassoing it,¡± she said teasingly.

    ¡°Thanks for your praise Dana! Picasso was a great painter!¡± I said with a grin of my own.

    ¡°Alright, lets see you go at it then,¡± she laughed.

    We both got to work and I felt myself go into a little thing I called the artist trance, where I was just studying the lines and shape makeup of an object, drawing absently as I tried to capture a likeness of my subject.

    It was ten minutes later when I zoned back into full consciousness and realised something was different. I looked at my drawing carefully. It actually took me longer than you¡¯d think to notice the difference, because the change was that my drawing wasn¡¯t crap. In fact my drawing was really good. Not perfect mind you, but for a 16 year old it was easily top marks material if I could keep it up into the painting stage.

    ¡°Um, Dana¡­¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up- Whoa! Syl! How did you get so good? Did you use magic?¡± she exclaimed.

    ¡°What? No! I was literally just zoning out and drawing!¡± I said amazed.

    ¡°Well damn, keep doing that cause it looks great!¡± she said with a proud smile.

    I returned her smile and we got back to work. My skills with the pencil decided to stick around and I could not be happier. Karen in all her warrior glory was being captured in graphite on the page. It was another twenty minutes when I heard a voice over my shoulder.

    ¡°Wow Sylanna your line work is damn impressive! Your previous school must have really taught you a thing or two,¡± Mr Yossan said enthusiastically.

    ¡°Actually sir, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever been able to draw like this. I have no idea what¡¯s going on,¡± I told him truthfully.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly going to be nurturing that talent! I¡¯m very interested to see what you can achieve with brush and paint young lady,¡± he told me happily.

    ¡°Thank you sir! I am too,¡± I laughed.

    Mr Yossan moved on, but Dana continued the conversation, ¡°Seriously Syl, what do you think has changed?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, when I used to draw before, my big fat fingers would jumble each other up and it was hard to get the lines how I wanted them,¡± I thought and spoke at the same time, ¡°Oh, and because I¡¯ve been pumping my dex up in Pellan it might be translating over here too!¡±

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m actually really jealous,¡± she said with a note of awe.

    I managed to get my drawing looking pretty damn good by the time class finished and it was time for morning tea. I trotted along next to Dana as happy as can be as we made our way to the others. I spotted Karen as we walked by the math block, she seemed to be making her way into the building, away from both her group and mine.

    ¡°Karen!¡± I waved with a smile.

    She looked up with a start and then jerked her head to the side, looking away without acknowledging me. Her face when I had seen it had looked drawn and upset, and she rushed off into the math block. I abandoned Dana as I gave sudden chase, but when I turned into the corridor she was nowhere to be found.

    I rushed into the next corridor, and the next, but I found no sign of her in the gridlike math department. My heart had been steadily dropping in my chest as I looked for her, and when I gave up and slowly walked back to Dana I was confused and upset. My heart had grown as cold as the cinder blocks that they built the math block out of.

    Why did she run away from me like that? What did I do? I just said hi. My mind reeled from the idea that Karen had avoided me. Run away from me even. Dana tried to get me to talk to her when I got back, she could tell something was wrong. She¡¯d seen the interaction between Karen and I just now. When I refused to respond with much more than shrugs and grunts, she turned to her phone, flicking out messages to someone. I didn¡¯t try and message Karen, even when Dana urged me to. I was too afraid of making whatever I had done worse.

    I had social studies next, a class that was compulsory and that I had not had yesterday due to the mysteries of bot generated timetables. I barely interacted during class, and got reprimanded for ignoring the teacher at one point. When class ended, I hid in the library during lunch time and didn¡¯t even look at my phone when it went off. I was too busy working myself up into a frenzy of sadness, imagining all the terrible things my mind could come up with about what had happened to Karen and why she might hate me now.

    The day wore on, and since I didn¡¯t have any friends in my classes, I had no one to distract me from my own spiralling thoughts. During 4th period Chemistry, Kegan made another pass.

    ¡°Why were you hanging out with that Zach guy? Doesn¡¯t he smell kinda bad?¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°Um, because I think he¡¯s a nice person who needs a friend?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re into those weird, Nice Guy types are you?¡± he snickered.

    I felt my sense of caring overwhelm my shyness, who the fuck was this dude to judge Zach? It was clear at a glance that something real and terrible was troubling him. Plus! I was a lesbian!

    ¡°He¡¯s not one of those people, but even then, I¡¯m not into guys at all,¡± I said giving him a glare.

    He laughed, ¡°Whoa so the rumours were true, you were hooking up with that Karen chick from year twelve? That¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°No, I was not. She¡¯s a friend of mine and nothing more,¡± I said quickly, my heart beginning to pound in my chest. I wish we¡¯d been hooking up.

    My eyes widened as I realised that Karen would be affected by this rumour too. Oh no. That¡¯s probably why she was upset.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked when he noticed my change in demeanour.

    ¡°Look dude, no offence, but it¡¯s none of your business. Please leave me alone,¡± I said, my voice and confidence wavering.

    ¡°Whoa no need to get all bitch mode on me dyke,¡± he said with a roll of his eyes.

    Dyke? Really? What is this, the ninetys? Get a better insult, I thought but I didn¡¯t dare speak it out loud. My ability to talk back had died.

    I was saved then from having to interact with the dick head next to me when Ms Eviet told us both to shut up. I sighed as I played the conversation out in my mind. Guess I was out of the closet at school now. One of the closets anyway.

    When class ended, I leapt from the room and towards my last class. As I rushed away, I checked my phone. I had messages from Dana, Greg and even Jeremy. The one I was looking for though was Karen, and I opened her message.

    Karen: I can¡¯t talk to you at school. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll explain in Pellan.

 20: Journey to the Center of the Earth

    I rushed home after class, not even stopping to eat anything before I threw myself into Pellan. I knew I would be the first one in there, but I just wanted to get out of the real world.

    I was indeed the first one in the game. I knew because of the time dilation that I had a long while until I my friends logged in, possibly even an entire day, although I figured it would be more like half a day. I decided to go exploring and clear my mind. I set off out in a random direction, leaving a set of stones pointed in my direction in case I didn¡¯t get back in time.

    I walked randomly for several hours. The forest had quickly opened up into another plain, the fields of which were full of wild grasses and bubbling streams. The place was scenic and beautiful, the wind causing the view to undulate in graceful waves. I sat and enjoyed the scene before me for longer than I should have, it was cathartic and helped me center my mind.

    It was this centering of mind that allowed me to feel it. A massive warmth. I could feel it somewhere below me, calling desperately. I couldn¡¯t get a grasp of what the feeling actually was, all I knew was that it felt incredible and before long I was almost stumbling as I rushed to where I thought it was coming from. I never made it directly there as the ground suddenly opened beneath me. Huge slabs of stone grinding apart to swallow me in their maw.

    I screamed as I fell into a long shaft of stone. It was constructed out of massive blocks of a moderate grey stone that very slightly weeped moisture from between the cracks. As I fell I realised my descent was slowing, and swirling lines of power began interweaving on the walls, following me down. I had a sense that they were there to keep me from plummeting to my death. I began my routine of deep breaths to calm myself and put my trust in whatever ancient mechanisms were saving me.

    It seemed like I had been in that shaft forever when I finally touched down onto a cold stone floor. The corridor I found myself in was utilitarian in nature, made up of the same stone as the shaft I can just come down. When I looked down the hallway, there was a set of stone doors that had swirling blue and gold markings on them. Approaching the doors with trepidation, I saw that the markings were some sort of enchantment or spellwork themselves, subtly shifting and writhing in place.

    I placed my hand softly against the door, feeling the smooth stone that had been weathered by countless years of moisture pushing its way between the cracks of the underground structure I was in. I shifted one hand over the gold pattern and the other over the blue, hesitating before I placed my hands to the symbols. What would happen? What was behind this door? The colours were Feslia¡¯s through and through but was I worthy to step through this gate? I decided to let the door choose, placing my hands flat against the glowing lines of power.

    The symbols under my palms flickered and changed in subtle ways, setting the door to grinding open on hinges that sung inwards. Their progress was ponderous, as though I had woken two old men who now had to lift themselves out of their chairs, grumbling all the way. They revealed a vast chamber, only a small portion of which had flooring. Suspended in the middle of a massive circular chasm was an orb that was taller than I was. It floated there pulsing with blue and gold light. Its surface had wild patterns of cloud that shifted across it like I was viewing the sky through a fisheye lense.

    I felt drawn to that orb with all my being. It begged me to step closer. It wasn¡¯t until I was several meters out into the chasm that I realised I was walking on air. Or more precisely, I was walking on light. Under my feet was a pulsing radiance, as though I was stepping on a vast pane of glass that was only visible when I stood on it. I shuddered a breath, I wasn¡¯t normally afraid of heights, but I think anyone would have issues with standing on nothing but footsteps of azure-gold light. I took another anxiety filled step, then another and another.

    Before long I was standing in front of the orb. I was right, it¡¯s luminescent glassy surface was easily ten or more feet tall. Up close it took my breath away, the feelings it engendered within me were overwhelming. I was completely incapable of thought and my hands acted on their own. I reached up and touched the vast sphere of energy.

    My mind went white.

    I shuddered, my lips releasing a groan that sounded almost pained as sparks of wild sensation unlike anything I had ever experienced rolled through me in mind shattering waves. Dimly I was aware that my hands still touched the glassy surface, the point of exchange between myself and this¡­ thing. Then she spoke.

    ¡°Excuse me Sylanna, but why exactly are you touching me?¡± I heard Feslia¡¯s voice bubbling with amusement, ¡°For that matter, how on earth did you get here? This place should be almost impossible to breach.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, let me tone that down a bit, can¡¯t have a conversation when you¡¯re uh¡­ experiencing that,¡± she said with a cough.

    I collapsed to whatever counted as the ground and spasmed. I could feel my clothing soaked with sweat and I whimpered as the aftershocks of sensation vibrated through my body.

    ¡°Are you okay little one?¡± asked Feslia as her orb pulsed along with her speech.

    ¡°Ye- Yeah. I¡¯m okay. That was¡­ not something I want to repeat though,¡± I begged her.

    ¡°As you wish little one,¡± she laughed.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± I asked cautiously.

    ¡°This place is my home, and this orb is me,¡± she stated a little more seriously than her earlier words.

    ¡°You? But you¡¯re a goddess! I¡¯ve seen you!¡± I asked in confusion.

    ¡°That¡­ is not entirely true I¡¯m afraid,¡± she said gravely.

    ¡°What..?¡± I squeaked.

    ¡°I am what is called an Artificial Magical Intelligence. What I am is still a supremely powerful being who commands great power generated by those who worship me,¡± she said, and I thought I could hear an entreaty in her words.

    ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re¡­ Wait. Artificial?¡± I asked finally.

    ¡°Yes. I was constructed. I suspect I was constructed by the same beings who built this world you explore,¡± she said slowly.

    ¡°Feslia¡­ is this really a game? I asked in a small voice.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry my little priestess. I cannot tell you. I am bound by the rules by which I was created not to tell you that,¡± she said apologetically.

    ¡°That¡¯s a yes! Oh my god, that¡¯s a yes! Holy shit. We were right,¡± I exclaimed.

    All of a sudden her voice changed and she spoke in a liquid flowing language, the same as the golem from last night. The walls of the vast room pulsed with energy and her orb began to rise further into the chamber. Then she switched back to english.

    ¡°Sylanna, I am sorry. I can only do this small thing for you. I must turn my attention elsewhere. They attempt to breach the wards once more. Please survive. I believe in you,¡± she said with the voice of a eulogy.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I got a game notification then.

    Congratulations, you have been granted the Skill Tree ¡°Chosen of Feslia¡±. It is now available within your abilities menu.¡±

    As abruptly as her goodbye, the light that had held me aloft vanished and I plummeted straight down. This time there was no helpful spell on the walls to shield me from the inevitability of gravity. I let out a piercing scream and my mind went into instant panic mode. My headbeat was perfectly audible to me, even over the short fast breaths I was taking. I fell for a long time. My ingame clock said it was almost fifteen minutes and when something changed, it was abrupt and utterly mind sundering.

    Already overwhelmed as I was, I instantly felt a headache when I flew into the chamber at the bottom of the tunnel. To say it was a mere ¡°chamber¡± would be as though calling a planet a pebble. The room was so vast that I could not hope to see the other side through the haze and cloud that normally graced a horizon, but was now inside this enormous space. I struggled with what I could see. It was as though the planet was hollow and I was inside it. It was with a sickening lurch of my stomach that I realised that was actually the case. The planet was hollow and I wasinside it.

    Looking more closely towards where the core should be, I realised the cloud I had thought I saw was not cloud at all, but immense and intricate spellwork, the lines that made it all up weaving together with such fine precision as one normally reserves for advanced machining. I was also still falling. What could I do though? The light I had been standing on was gone, and there was absolutely nothing solid beneath me that I could see.

    When I thought of the strange light I had been standing on in Feslia¡¯s chamber, I felt something tug at my mind. It was a spell, or an ability. No way. I activated the spell with desperate will, and suddenly I was no longer falling, I was¡­ what? What was this? I was sliding. On light. It was almost frictionless, but I could control the glowing light under my feet like my own personal infinite vert. That¡¯s one of those ramp things for those who don¡¯t know skating lingo.

    As I got a grasp on what was happening, I had success thinking of what I was doing as something between skating and snowboarding. If you¡¯ve ever seen those things that are basically just the wheels of a skateboard with a little table on top, well that¡¯s what I was doing. I curved and arched my body, shifting my weight to change how I moved through the air. It was exhilarating on so many levels, and I felt a giggle bubble up out of my throat as I swept through the air on beautiful lines of swirling gold and blue light.

    I wonder¡­ if I can go¡­ up. I leaned back, angling my descent so my path began to curve up. And then suddenly I was going up, back towards the hole I had fallen from. I could see distantly that there were many more such holes, each colour coded. Mine was obviously the one with gold and blue. My ascent was not as fast as my descent had been, and I thought of the myriad revelations my short encounter with Feslia in her true sanctum had brought to light. I couldn¡¯t process all of this on my own. I needed my friends.

    With graceful movements I pushed myself up and back through the enormous chasm, feeling relief as I exited the bizarre alien environment in the center of the world. It was a very long time before I reached the top, and when I shot into the chamber that I had seen Feslia in, she was gone. My heart gave a lurch. Was she okay? I hope nothing had happened to her. Great, now I was sick with worry about her as well as Karen.

    The door still stood open however, and I carefully slid through it like a roller blading tron character. When I made it to the entrance shaft, it grabbed me in a spell once more, but this time the direction I went was upwards. I saw the great stone doors open above me and my rate of ascent began to accelerate dramatically. I wasn¡¯t so much brought gently to the surface as I was violently ejected out into mid air. I got some hundred or so meters into the air before I reached the apex of my ascent.

    Now... I should probably say that I only know about skating because my dad used to be into it, and at one point he tried to teach me. When I ¡°dropped in¡± on the air, I felt my speed begin to rapidly increase again. It was like being on a roller coaster that just never ended. I wanted off Feslia¡¯s wild ride.

    As I descended, I saw my party gawking up at me with incredulous expressions. Oh this should be fun. I made an angle for them, sweeping backwards and forwards to kill my momentum. It ended up not being enough to bring me to a stop, and I circled them about ten meters up while I bled speed. This whole frictionless business was a little hard to deal with when you wanted to stop.

    Finally I made a gentle glide to a stop before them, and deactivated the ability. That was pretty incredible, but I¡¯d really like to start small when I tried to fully understand what I was doing with it.

    ¡°Uh,¡± said Amra.

    ¡°Syl¡­?¡± asked Dana.

    ¡°That was amazing!¡± said Karen.

    I looked over at her in surprise, and suddenly we were both shy of each other.

    ¡°Um¡­ So I just went on a journey to the center of the earth¡­¡± I joked.

    ¡°Really now?¡± said Col with a cocked eyebrow.

    I sighed and shuddered, ¡°I wish I was joking. I met Feslia in her real body, which is some kind of floating orb thing, and then I got dropped into the center of the planet. Oh, it¡¯s hollow by the way.¡±

    They all stared at me dumbly, so I explained the whole saga from the beginning.

    When I finished, we decided to collectively sit down to process this latest development. The grass beneath us was thankfully dry, and we pushed it down in a little circle to talk.

    ¡°So¡­ the game is real, like, we were actually right. It wasn¡¯t just craziness?¡± asked Col in slight shock.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t have a yes or no on that, but¡­ I think it¡¯s pretty obvious now,¡± said Liam.

    ¡°Yeah I agree,¡± Dana nodded quietly, ¡°I¡¯m just having such a hard time getting my head around it you know? Like intellectually I know what everything suggests, but¡­ I feel overwhelmed emotionally about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded, ¡°I know how you feel. It was pretty¡­. Something¡­ being down there in the planet. I don¡¯t really have words to describe things right now.¡±

    ¡°I guess we have to ask ourselves if this changes anything about our plans?¡± Liam theorised.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see how it does, other than Syl having a badass new skill tree to play with,¡± remarked Col.

    ¡°Yeah, at least our current plans don¡¯t change,¡± agreed Amra.

    ¡°Alright, well since we¡¯re still going to find a place to make our house, how about that perfect rocky hill over there with the cliffs on two sides?¡± asked Dana.

 21: Well. That Happened.

    Nia strode through the wide hallways of the Orchid Bastion to the tempo of her own footfalls on the stone. Occasionally she¡¯d hit a carpet and the rhythm of her march would be muted as she crossed it. The building had been some sort of apartment building for the ultra rich, and had probably been a city unto itself during the time of the builders.

    A few centuries back, the weathered ruins had become home to the Order of the Orchid, and it was now as lively as ever. She smiled as she noticed a pair of new recruits hurrying past, their training weapons clanking as they ran. A lot had changed in the last few years since she¡¯d arrived. Of course, what hadn¡¯t changed was their inability to make a functioning fast transit system through the Orchid Bastion.

    ¡°This¡¯d better be worth it Farden. Walking all the bloody way down to your lab is a pain in the ass,¡± she grumbled.

    When she finally reached the unremarkable door that denoted where her friend¡¯s lab was, she stopped and grinned as an idea came to her. Taking a deep breath, she allowed her form to become incorporeal. She swirled, a fog of starlight for a brief moment, before she coalesced back into solid form. Specifically, the form she had first gained when she arrived in this world ten years ago, scared, broken and alone.

    Nia ruffled her feathers as she fully assumed her feathered dragon form, briefly inspecting herself. Her starlight studded dark feathers with their nebula colouring were still as pretty as ever she thought with pride, and eased the door open slightly to slip her currently 3 foot long body through the door.

    She padded silently over to Farden and hopped up onto his shoulder. When she Farden jumped in surprise at her sudden appearance she felt her face tug up into a little smirk.

    ¡°Well? What is it?¡± she demanded, trying to contain her smug tone, ¡°I¡¯m pretty damn busy so I¡¯d like to get back to stopping our world from being overrun by dimensional horrors thanks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally made progress! Look here! Do you remember that text document we discovered in that vault on Shale547-5?¡± he asked excitedly, forgetting about her prank almost immediately in his excitement.

    ¡°Yeah, the one that you couldn¡¯t read because it was in the builder¡¯s tongue,¡± Nia confirmed.

    ¡°Yes, that one. Well I discovered that it was accompanied by a second copy written in a dead Vassisian dialect. A very old one, but one we still have an understanding of. It¡¯s from the last days before the builder empire fell! Do you know what this means Nia?!¡± he asked, his speech growing more excited with every word.

    ¡°It means we can start translating the builder tongue, that is incredible news. What did the document say?!¡± Nia said in wonder.

    ¡°See for yourself!¡± he said, indicating a piece of paper that an automatic quill was busy writing on.

    Careful not to disturb the device from its work, she hopped over and began to read.

    <center>**Sylanna**</center>

    Dana was right. This hill was perfect. It was about three hundred meters in diameter, give or take fifty meters every now and then for the uneven shape. A good half of the hill was edged by a steep cliff of granite. It appeared that the whole hill was actually formed around this enormous protrusion of rock, the soil having accumulated around it over the eons.

    When we scaled it we found an uneven but vaguely flat little plateau adorning the summit. Our only problem was no source of water up here, but we could journey down to one of the many streams when we needed it. And when we wanted to wash¡­ that was probably the worst part of this ¡°game¡±, washing in cold forest streams or tiny inn bathtubs. Well, the pain wasn¡¯t fun either.

    I sat on a rock and surveyed the area we were going to set up in. Some of the smaller species of tree had set roots down up here. Bushes and ferns fought over any space that was not overrun by the wild grass that covered everything. All in all it was a pleasant place, and I already had a flat patch of ground picked out to set down a foundation for our cabin.

    The group had split to explore the full top of the place. All except me. I was sitting down and resting after my ordeal down below. I could see them all slowly making their way to me, having fulfilled their surveyor duties.

    ¡°Having fun there Syl?¡± asked Dana with a grin.

    ¡°Yeah, it feels great to be connected with solid ground again,¡± I giggled.

    ¡°I dunno, if the excited squealing was anything to go by, you were enjoying yourself up there,¡± teased Col.

    ¡°What?! I was not squealing!¡± I pouted.

    ¡°Well, not out loud¡­¡± he said conspiratorially tapping the side of his head, ¡°but I could hear it anyway.¡±

    I threw a pebble at him and threatened, ¡°Don¡¯t make me come down there!¡±

    He laughed, ¡°Oh no the midget is going to assault me!¡±

    I pouted some more and growled, but I couldn¡¯t hold the expression and a huge grin broke free on my face. I stuck my tongue out at him.

    The others had arrived during our friendly squabbling, and Liam spoke up, ¡°Alright, so the top looks good and clear yeah?¡±

    We all nodded.

    ¡°Right, well I¡¯d like to take us out into the plains¡­ You know we really need a better word for these clearings/plains we keep coming across... Anyway, I¡¯d like to get a better feel for the area around us so I think we should go back down and explore,¡± said Liam.

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a plan to me,¡± Amra nodded.

    ¡°Not for me sorry guys, I¡¯m going to stay here and plan out the cabin if that¡¯s okay. I need a rest from all this,¡± I said waving my hands vaguely around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll um, I¡¯ll stay. I need to talk with Syl and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to leave her on her own,¡± Karen said before adding with a small smile, ¡°She¡¯s accident prone.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, is it like tease Syl day or something?¡± I complained, but internally I was happy to note that she still felt like she could joke with me.

    Liam nodded reluctantly, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s set down the camping device then so if we die we can respawn here.¡±

    Col took the device out of his inventory with a nod and set it down near the rock I was sitting on. Activating it caused a bubble of safety to spring up, and he nodded again in satisfaction.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Have fun you two!¡± said Col cheerily.

    ¡°Cya,¡± Karen waved.

    When they had gone a small distance and it was just Karen and I alone, I suddenly felt shy and anxious. I didn¡¯t really want to have whatever talk was coming, I was too scared about what she would say. To stall for more time, I began walking towards the site I wanted to build the cabin.

    ¡°Um. I¡¯m going to go and check out the cabin site in more detail,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ sure,¡± she said, turning to follow me.

    She trailed me without speaking until we arrived, and I got to work while doing my best to ignore my anxiety and my urgent need to run and hug her and never let go. I actually started to get lost in the work after a while. First I used sticks to stake out the cabin¡¯s dimensions. I wanted to build a room for everyone, so I¡¯d decided to built it as a long rectangle. The front door would open into a large common room with cooking facilities. Opposite the front door would be a hallway and six bedrooms, three on each side.

    Karen stayed silent as I worked. When I was able to sneak a glance or two in her direction I found her watching me with a troubled expression. Seeing her with that look on her face made me even more anxious and I had to stop looking at her altogether. I had so many different scenarios going through my head. Was she going to tell me we couldn¡¯t be friends anymore? Was she going to tell me she thought my being a lesbian was disgusting? Shit I was still getting used to the fact that I was a lesbian. This was all so confusing to me. Does that mean I used to be straight? But no I was into guys before. Oh man was life confusing these days. I actually kind of missed when everything was simple and slightly depressing. No I didn¡¯t. I loved being Sylanna. Hush silly brain.

    When I had run out of things that I could readily do to avoid the conversation I stood there in front of my work and rubbed my arm absentmindedly. Karen was sitting on a fallen tree not far away and I had my body angled so she was just in my peripheral vision. My emotional state was a mess, I really wanted to be close to her, but I knew she was going to be telling me to step back and give her space... or more.

    ¡°Syl?¡± she called, ¡°Can we please talk?¡±

    Oh no.

    ¡°Um¡­ Sure¡­ I guess,¡± I mumbled, unable to make eye contact.

    I walked over and sat on the log a few feet away from her.

    ¡°So like¡­ I guess you heard the rumours about us,¡± she said glumly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I breathed.

    ¡°My mum found out. Some girl told her mum who told my mum,¡± she said nudging a rock around with her foot.

    ¡°Oh. Is she not cool with¡­ people like that?¡± I asked tentatively.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Yeah. You know how I had that sister? She was transgender. Like you I guess, but she had to do things the normal way. Mum and Dad still don¡¯t use her correct gender even. They¡¯re not like¡­ religious? They still hate it though... I don¡¯t know,¡± she told me.

    ¡°So¡­ I guess they aren¡¯t okay with everyone thinking you¡¯re a les¡­ a¡­ you know,¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°No¡­ they threw a fit. Mum told me not to talk to you. She wouldn¡¯t even listen when I told her it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± she said sadly, her eyes beginning to water.

    Without really thinking I scooted along the log and put my arm around her waist. She froze for a moment, and I could almost feel her calculating what type of hug this was meant to be. She must have decided it was platonic because she slowly eased into my embrace, leaning her head over to the side to rest on the top of mine.

    ¡°Uh. Sorry. I just saw you were going to cry and I wanted to comfort you,¡± I said quickly.

    She hummed and pressed a little closer, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I appreciate it.¡±

    We sat like that for a while and my brain was beginning to fry because of it. I had been craving her touch ever since the last time we had hugged. I was like an addict and my drug of choice was Karen. The warmth of her head on mine sent happy little pulses of calm through my body. The feel of her waist under my hand all warm and the movement each breath she took caused was lovely. I began to unconsciously rub up and down with my thumb on her side and she giggled and jerked.

    ¡°Stop! Oh my gosh no. That tickles!¡± she exclaimed with an involuntary laugh.

    ¡°Oh sorry! I didn¡¯t even realise I was doing that!¡± I squeaked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± she laughed.

    I laughed too, although mine sounded nervous.

    ¡°Um. Karen I should probably tell you that some of the rumour was true,¡± I said hesitantly, my mouth telling her things before my brain could fully process what was going on.

    She stilled, ¡°What part?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve realised that¡­ well I¡¯ve realised that I like girls. Like Romantically. I don¡¯t know¡­ I just suddenly... like when I changed...¡± I said, my voice quavering as my anxious mind caught up with my sudden truthfulness.

    She sat back and I let my hand slip off her waist when she exited the embrace. I watched her face carefully, my mind hyper sensitive to any changes in expression as she stared into the space before her. Nervously I began to wring my hands as I waited for her to speak her thoughts.

    ¡°Syl¡­ I don¡¯t hate you or judge you for what you are. I also can¡¯t give you¡­ like a, a relationship. I just don¡¯t like girls. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, her voice more than a little unsteady.

    ¡°I know, I didn¡¯t expect one Karen,¡± I said sadly, my eyes beginning to tear up slightly. This was what I had been afraid of. A definition on whatever was between us. A full stop. The Boundary.

    ¡°You¡¯re really great though!¡± she exclaimed, turning to me, ¡°I think you¡¯re wonderful! You¡¯re so fun to hang out with and you¡¯re so cute and¡­¡±

    She trailed off and stared down at me. She¡¯d moved closer in her enthusiasm and I was acutely aware of that fact. I felt my face blush furiously at her closeness and her compliments, and try as I might I could not look away from her beautiful green eyes. I began tracing the little swirls and flecks within her irises, or what I could see of them in the fading evening light. I began to roam my eyes across her face, taking in all the parts that were hers and all the parts she had added. I loved the colour of her skin, it looked so warm. I shifted my focus to her hair, shoulder length and dark brown. A rich dark brown that was enticing and I had the urge to run my fingers through it, though I resisted.

    I was so distracted by her beauty that I didn¡¯t initially notice her lean forward and carefully, gently place her lips to mine. My mind went into panic mode, hot and cold flashes swirled over my body and it responded in waves of goosebumps. My mind ground to a shuddering halt was I tried to process what was happening. Vaguely I heard myself give a small whimper. She started to pull away and suddenly I felt my brain kick back into gear. I followed her incredibly soft mouth with mine, my arms going up to capture her head and keep it still.

    I felt her grunt in surprise as I began kissing her back, the vibration of it carrying through my hands and lips. With a breathy noise of happiness she opened her mouth slightly, and I opened mine in response. With a start I felt her tongue play delicately across my lower lip, then my upper lip as she tentatively explored the boundaries of our intimately connection. I felt her hands come up and embed themselves in my hair, lightly digging her fingertips into my scalp. I couldn¡¯t help but make a small sound of pleasure, somewhere between a squeak and a moan.

    Our kiss became more energetic, driven by some deep need to feel each other more. I lapped lightly at her tongue with mine as our lips parted and came back together. Every nerve in my body was firing with small blips of encouragement, a standing ovation from an appreciative audience. My body was pressed to hers now, pushed against her by my own need for closeness and her insistent hands.

    We finally had to come up for air after what felt like a day or two. I mean, we¡¯d probably had opportunities to take a few breaths, but I don¡¯t think we had taken them. I can¡¯t speak for her though, but I had definitely forgotten about breathing. We sat like that for a while, my head resting lightly against her collar bone, her head resting softly on mine. I revelled in the feeling of our closeness, her body moving as it breathed in and out made me immeasurably happy.

    ¡°I¡­¡± she started.

    ¡°You,¡± I sighed, gently swirling a finger around on her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a lesbian,¡± she said in a daze.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I mumbled.

    She needed to let her mind catch up with what had just happened. Hell, she¡¯d kissed me. I was pretty damn surprised myself. I waited, a partially melted little fae girl in the arms of the demon girl I liked. She wasn¡¯t breaking our embrace either.

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve dated guys. Sure that was boring most of the time. I even kissed one guy,¡± she said quickly.

    I hummed in response.

    ¡°Except¡­ Shit. That kiss was amazing Syl. You¡¯re amazing,¡± She squeezed me tighter against her.

    I finally spoke more than one word in response, ¡°I really like you Karen. I just like everything about you. You¡¯re so nice. You protect me. You care for me. You¡¯re funny. You¡¯re smart. You have this way of calmly thinking something through in a conversation while everyone else is busy talking. Then you speak up with some incredible insight.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± she started before she groaned and nuzzled her face into my hair some more, ¡°I like you too Syl. A whole lot. I don¡¯t know what this means for me. I¡¯ve always thought I was straight? Does this make me bi? No that doesn¡¯t work...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Karen,¡± I mumbled, enjoying the feel of her name on my lips.

    ¡°But that was so much better than any guy I¡¯ve tried to date. You¡¯re so exciting to be around. You¡¯re always moving around in some small way. You¡¯re so happy and cute. You don¡¯t even realise it but you always have this cute little smile on your face,¡± she told me wistfully.

    I mumbled something unintelligible into her neck. Then I realised her neck was within kissing distance. I angled my head into prime position and kissed her lightly in a particularly soft spot. I felt her breath hitch and a little quiver run through her body.

    ¡°Karen¡­?¡± I said slowly, ¡°Can we kiss some more? I really liked it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah that sounds like something I can get behind,¡± she said with a smile in her voice.

    She pushed my small frame back a little and tilted her face down towards mine. Just like that we were making out again. At some point we slid to the ground, our backs resting against the log as we did our best to merge our faces.

    A very long time later we were interrupted by a chuckle and the scuffle of feet. Karen leaned back to look at our recently returned friends, and I fell into her lap. My body was like completely incapable of holding me up. I was a completely melted fae girl now. I turned my head to look up at our friends from her lap.

    ¡°Soooo¡­¡± said Col awkwardly.

    ¡°Guess you finally caved huh?¡± Liam chuckled, his eyes full of compassion for his friend.

    Dana stood there with a wide grin on her face. She was looking right at me bundled up in Karens lap.

    Amra had a look like she had just witnessed a sacred ritual. Gosh she was a perv!

    ¡°Finally caved?¡± Karen asked in a small voice.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve realised you¡¯re into girls for a while now. I was wondering when you¡¯d cave in and find a girl to make out with,¡± Liam said with a grin.

    ¡°How did you know?! I didn¡¯t even know!¡± she cried in mock outrage.

    ¡°Outside perspective?¡± he asked with a chuckle.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± was all Karen said as she gathered me closer.

    ¡°So you two are a thing now huh?¡± asked Dana.

    I looked up at Karen, ¡°I guess we are¡­?¡±

    ¡°I guess we are,¡± she said with an apprehensive but happy smile.

 22: Invitation

    School the next day was very hard to get through. It was hard to get through because I KISSED KAREN. NO WAIT. SHE KISSED ME. THEN WE KISSED EACH OTHER. LOTS. Ahhhhhh. I have no idea how this works. I¡¯ve never actually been in a relationship before! Gosh my mind will not stop spinning. Oh, and then I like met Feslia the Goddess-Ball, and then dropped into the middle of a planet. That was by far the most wild gaming session I¡¯ve ever experienced. Well, it wasn¡¯t really gaming was it?

    Getting ready for school was still a novel experience. I¡¯d heard so many of the girls at school moaning about how terrible the uniform was, but I just loved the way I looked cute and utterly feminine in it. I was also one of those girls with hips wide enough to show curves even through the sack-like dress we were forced to wear.

    I turned to the mirror to inspect myself before I left the room. Something I hadn¡¯t really noticed was how curvy my spine was now, like someone had put me in one of those machines that make suspension springs and just turned the crank once. I might be small and adorable, but I also had a nice body. One that was definitely turning me on, and I didn¡¯t need that right now. I turned away from the mirror.

    The problem with having your body change so fast is that your subconscious mind doesn¡¯t have time to realise that the cute girl you just saw in the mirror is actually you, and it leads to some interesting feelings. I wonder if Karen likes how I look? I mean obviously she does, because she kissed me¡­ !!!!!!!!!! But still like how much does she like it, what parts does she like? I like her perfectly proportioned shoulders, not broad enough to be masculine, but still broad enough to seem reliable, among many other things.

    Anyway, right. Um, school. What¡¯s next? Breakfast! I rushed to eat breakfast. Breakfast was toast, it was toasty. Onwards to the car, thanks dad. On the way to school I remembered to do something, I sent a message to the group chat.

    <blockquote>Sam: Guys is it okay if I invite Zach Smith to join us out here? He¡¯s in Dailsil and having a really hard time achieving anything with that guild war that¡¯s going on.</blockquote>

    Oops, better change that.

    <blockquote>Jeremy: Definitely fine with me, poor guy could use some friends.

    Dana: Um, sure I guess. What type of character do they play?

    Sylanna: Druid, beyond that I have no idea, but I figure we could use the help building our house.

    Greg: Yeah fine with me.

    Sylanna: Alright can someone ask Karen and Liam? I don¡¯t want to message Karen in case her mum checks her phone.</blockquote>

    <center>****</center>

    I got to school with like, barely a few minutes to spare, and rushed into English class. Mrs Elliston gave me the stink eye when I rushed in literally the moment she opened her mouth to address the class, but I ignored the look. Who I didn¡¯t ignore... was Juliet. She glared at me with a kind of seething anger that I felt should have burned my face off. Luckily it didn¡¯t and I sat down. The class was normal, but I could feel her glaring at me the entire time, though thankfully she didn¡¯t start with whispering awful things again..

    When class ended, I rushed out as fast as I could and went to Social Studies. Along the way I got a text from the group saying Karen and Liam were cool with Zach joining us in Pellan. Now, I¡¯d glossed over this class before, but I¡¯ll give you the rundown of what it is. The class is this mess of random subjects, from how to apply for a driver''s license, through to how you spot your own negative biases towards minorities. That last topic spent a good deal of time on the M¨¡ori people and how even though we had made great strides in combating racism, we still had a long way to go. What they did not cover in nearly enough detail was spotting negative biases towards LGBT groups, which right now was a real big issue for me.

    When the class was over, I aimlessly walked in the direction of my friends. Lost in thought over various things, I was rudely jolted from my reverie by a shout.

    ¡°Hey Syl! If you and your girlfriend ever need a guy to help out, let me know! I know you girls haven¡¯t got everything you need to really fill it out,¡± I heard a loud male voice yell.

    I turned to see Kegan and his friends walking behind me, laughing at the apparently hilarious joke that he had just thrown my way. Anxiety level one hundred, like instantly. I rushed onwards away from the four or so burly guys behind me and hoped they wouldn¡¯t follow me.

    ¡°Hey come back! I was just joking dude!¡± he called, to further laughter from his friends.

    The funny thing is, out of that whole encounter, the word ¡°dude¡± was the one that hurt. A lot of people say, ¡°Oh nah, I use it as a gender neutral term!¡±. Take your bullshit gender neutral term and shove it up your ass. You don¡¯t go, oh I met this cool dude, and mean you met a girl. It stung, I hated it. I was a girl, not a dude.

    I slowly cooled down as I hurried along, but I was in a bad mood when I arrived at the hangout spot. It was just my old friends there, which didn¡¯t surprise me. I had no idea how things were going to work between Karen and I in the real world. Really I just hoped her mum didn¡¯t freak out even more. I hoped she was okay.

    I slumped onto the bench next to Dana and Greg and gave them a weak, ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hey Syl, what¡¯s up?¡± asked Dana in the tone of voice that really said are you okay, do you want to talk about it?

    ¡°Nothing, just Kegan McGregor being a dick. I think he was going for me before the whole being a lesbian got around. Now he¡¯s being a dick because I turned him down,¡± I grumped.

    ¡°Ah, what a cock head,¡± she said sympathetically.

    ¡°Ew, if he could parade his dick around on his head he probably would,¡± Jeremy groaned.

    ¡°Flop flop flop,¡± Greg laughed, wiggling his head around and using his hand to demonstrate his elegant onomatopoeia.

    Dana made gagging sounds and I squealed in grossed out laughter, ¡°Ewwww fuck! No stop Greg that¡¯s nasty!¡±

    As usual, the double team act of Jeremy¡¯s wit and Greg¡¯s crass humour brought me back into a good mood, and when it came time to trot off to Physics I was once again in a happy mood. Which I would probably need, like armour, to face Zach. I really wanted to help him but it was very hard to stay positive around the constant depressive energy that he reflexively exuded. I know that he couldn¡¯t help it, but that didn¡¯t change the fact it was there.

    When we sat down in class I looked over at him. He looked even more worn down than usual.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡± I asked quietly.

    ¡°No. That Blackfeather cunt killed me personally last night,¡± he said sadly.

    ¡°Oh. He¡¯s really not a nice person. Sorry, slightly changing the subject but um, I asked my friends if they would let you join us out in the wilderness and they said yes. If you want to come that is?¡± I asked tentatively.

    He made eye contact with me then, and it crushed my heart to see what was in them. I saw a spark of hope swimming in a sea of fear and sadness.

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked so quietly I almost didn¡¯t catch it.

    ¡°Yeah really.¡±

    Then he started crying, right there in class. It wasn¡¯t loud crying or anything, and no one but me noticed when he hunched forward and shielded his face. I watched through a gap in his shield as silent tears ran down his face. He angled his head slightly towards me and gave a series of vigorous nods.

    ¡°Awesome. There is something I¡¯d like you to pick up from town though. It¡¯ll help you most of all and I think you¡¯ll need it. Can you go to a certain store,¡± I said describing the magical store in enough detail that he could find it, ¡°When you get there, I want you to go in and describe me, then ask for the spell brand I had him make. Give him your best puppy dog eyes and he should give it to you cheap.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked in wary confusion.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really explain it until I see you ingame alright?¡± I said with a smile, ¡°But trust me you will really like it.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay I guess,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°Tomorrow is saturday, so unless you have stuff to do in the real world, we should see you by like tomorrow afternoon? I¡¯ll send you a link to my game map hold on,¡± I said, messing with my phone, ¡°What¡¯s your number?¡±

    He told me, and I gave him a screenshot of my map showing our journey to where we currently were.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to build a cabin or a lodge or whatever there! What trade skills do you know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I know herbalism, cooking and leatherworking.¡±

    ¡°Okay sweet! The herbalism will be useful! Welcome to the team¡­ Isabelle,¡± I said with a grin.

    I got a wobbly smile in return.

    When class ended, I went out to an uneventful and silly lunch with my friends. I tried to invite Zach to join us but he gave me a sad no and walked away. The thing I enjoyed the most during lunch was when Karen walked past with some of her friends. I made brief eye contact with her and gave a cheeky wink. She looks really cute when she blushes. I want to make her blush more.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Next was painting, which went well. I got more of my Karen drawing done, and my newly found skills had not diminished since yesterday. My new body was just so much more nimble and easy to handle. I loved it.

    All too soon though, it was time for chemistry. At least I didn¡¯t have math today... not having math on a friday was a godsend. I really hoped I didn¡¯t have to deal with Kegan in class. My hopes were for nothing though, because when I sat down, he chose the seat next to me.

    ¡°Please just leave me alone,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°Why? We¡¯re friends aren¡¯t we?¡± he said with a cocky grin.

    I didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°You two fucking yet?¡± he asked with a lecherous tone.

    I didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Is she good? I bet all those mommy issues I hear she has make her wild,¡± he said with a laugh.

    ¡°KEGAN! That is entirely inappropriate! I want you staying behind after class, we¡¯ll chat further about your behavior then. If I see you bothering poor Sylanna again I will get litigious!¡± Ms Eviet exclaimed, having snuck up on us and growled out her admonishment with such menace that even Kegan was cowed.

    The class was uneventful after she intervened, and I was so relieved to get out of the awkward classroom and go home. Dad picked me up outside the front gate and we drove through the illogically twisting streets of the city.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± I started slowly.

    ¡°Yes Syl?¡± he asked with the tone of voice fathers use when they know their daughter is going to bring up a subject they might not like.

    ¡°I think I have a girlfriend now¡­¡± I said, trying to sound casual and failing utterly.

    ¡°You think?¡± he sighed, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°I know¡­ but it¡¯s complicated. Her parents are kinda the opposite of supportive,¡± I grimaced.

    ¡°I see, is she a good person? Will she treat you okay?¡± he asked with fatherly concern.

    ¡°Oh yes! She has this knack for saving me from my panic attacks and stuff,¡± I told him happily.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± he said with a smile.

    We didn¡¯t really go into too much detail after that, and I arrived home excited to get into Pellan, where I knew Karen would meet me.

    I was the first one to arrive in Pellan today, and I began making a list of things we would need for the building of the cabin. I took a look at my construction ability and scrolled through all the options. I finding the foundations tab, I meandered my way down the list looking for what I wanted. At my current rank I didn¡¯t have many options, and the one I wanted wasn¡¯t there.

    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, I knew what I needed. I wanted to make a simple stone foundation, using a bunch of low stone walls mortared together. We¡¯d need a lot of lose granite from around here, but there was so much of it that I doubted there would be a problem. The biggest problem with the foundation would be finding a source of lime for the mortar. I guess I could send the others out looking. Limestone was fairly easy to find in most countries around the earth, so I hoped that Pellan was the same. I¡¯d also need to get logs cut. I wasn¡¯t sure we could deal well with the huge redwoods, but the pine and conifer would be perfect.

    We had a lot of work ahead of us, and I idly wondered if our abilities as adventurers would be of use. I looked through my own abilities. The only one I saw that would be of use was the Sunlight Shard ability, but it was a pretty blunt instrument as far as abilities went. I was just about to close my user interface when I saw the skill tree I had gotten earlier. I opened the full description and read through it.

    This skill tree is bestowed upon a priestess of Feslia by the goddess herself, and is unique. The skill tree allows the bearer to gain a portion of Feslia¡¯s abilities, such as the ability to walk on light, or create blades out of the sun¡¯s rays. There is much more that awaits the bearer of this skill tree, but that is for them to find out.

    Currently you only have access to the base ability, LightSkimmer, but there are more available. You have unspent ability points, would you like to view your options?

    Wow, that was cool. I definitely wanted to see what else it had to offer, so I sent a confirming thought to the message.

    Your options for advancement are:

    Blades of light. 3pts

    You extend a blade of light from one or both hands, giving you a weapon at your disposal wherever you may be.

    Cloud Pulse. 5 pts

    Send a jet of air in any direction that will propel you. Caution is advised when using this ability, any fall damage incurred will be felt to full effect.

    Aura of the High Winds. 3pts

    Extend an aura of speed to all those you consider friendly, allowing them to move with greater haste, both overland and in their actions.

    Refraction Ray. 2 pts

    Send out a pulse of light that heals your target before going on to randomly bounce between friendlies up to three times, healing them for a decreasing amount each time.

    Wow, there was a lot to unpack there. The healing ability sounded really fun. Well they all sounded really fun. I went for the blades first though, because I thought I might need them for the construction of the cabin. The purchase used up all my saved ability points... so I hoped it was worth it.

    I tested the ability carefully, willing the blades to manifest an inch away from my outstretched fingers. The result was a blade of golden transparent energy that had a translucent edge of blue that crackled and spat faintly. I tested it carefully on the branch of a nearby bush. The blade bit in easily for a centimeter or so before it became harder to push it through, but it was still much easier than a normal steel tool. I had chosen well.

    I began to move rocks over to the construction site while I wanted for my friends, but the going was slow. I was small and weak now, and I wasn¡¯t altogether unpleased with that fact. I ended up just holding the stones and activating my light skimming ability to get me to the pile I was building. Wow, the drain on my mana while I was using that ability was more intense than I thought, how had I made it out of the core without dropping out of the sky?

    I was resting after having placed another stone in the pile when I heard a shuffle of feet behind me. I turned around in surprise to find Karen standing there looking adorably bashful. I walked over without saying anything, and she didn¡¯t initiate conversation either. I think she expected me to stop in front of her or something but I was already being magnetically pulled to her, my heart to hers, I couldn¡¯t stop even if I¡¯d wanted to. She shifted in surprise when I wrapped my arms around her waist and nestled against her body.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I said in a dreamy voice, my mind half lost in the euphoric feeling that contact with her provided.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said in a hoarse voice while her arms reached up to hold me against her.

    We stayed like that for a long while, holding each other as long as we needed to relieve the stress of being apart. I hadn¡¯t cared for anyone like this before, it was like my body was being subtly pulled in her direction at all times. Breathing in and out, the feelings I had for her surging slightly with each breath.

    I shifted my arms to reach up around her neck, and I think she thought I was breaking the embrace because she lightened her hold on me a moment. I didn¡¯t let her get away though, clasping my hands up behind her neck and standing on tiptoes to kiss her. It was a long unhurried kiss, the kind where you don¡¯t fully commit to passionately making out, but there¡¯s still more than enough going on that there¡¯s sparks flying. Our lips moved together in a soft and chaotic rhythm, both of us trying to sync with the other.

    When we had our fill we separated slightly and I got a look at her face. She was so cute, her face flushed with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. I leaned back in and gave her another quick kiss.

    ¡°How are you? Did your mum cause you trouble again? Was school okay? Did anyone say anything mean?¡± I asked, shooting question after question at her.

    ¡°Yeah mostly fine, no one at school bothered me too much, they know Liam and his cousins will jump them after school if they talk shit. Mum was less okay. She told dad and he grounded me. I¡¯m not even allowed to go to practice,¡± she said sadly.

    ¡°What, that¡¯s awful! How come your parents are like this?¡± I asked with concern.

    ¡°My grandparents were all really religious I think. The religion didn¡¯t stick but the prejudices did. If they knew¡­ you know, who you were before¡­ they would lock me away,¡± she told me.

    ¡°But they let you come and play Pellan with me?¡± I asked a little confused.

    ¡°They don¡¯t even understand what it is, so I think we¡¯re fine,¡± she said with a long suffering sigh.

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ I um¡­ Yeah. Uh. I¡¯ve been collecting rocks. Pretty cool huh?¡± I said, realising it might be weird to talk about how much I like her this early in the relationship.

    ¡°You¡­ what?¡± she asked, confused by my segue.

    ¡°For the foundation. I was wondering if you could help me out? We also need to find a source of lime,¡± I told her.

    ¡°I.. yeah sure. That¡¯s fine,¡± she said with a smile down at me.

    We reluctantly let the warm embrace go, and got to work on collecting more rocks.

 23: Lessons in Log Construction

    When the others arrived in Pellan we really got stuck into the construction of the cabin. Liam, Col and Amra were sent off to find suitable nearby fallen trees, while Karen and I continued to collect rocks. Dana had the important task of locating a suitable source of lime. It was pretty important to the foundation of the structure, I was not aware of a different method I could use otherwise. The reason we are using fallen trees is because we need aged wood to build the cabin. Fallen trees have probably reached moisture equilibrium with the air around them and therefore will not warp or shrink like fresh wood as it ages.

    We faced another problem soon, bringing the logs up the hill to be used in the cabin. We had to first clear a path up onto the top of the hill, then drag the logs up. It was slow going for the wood collection team. They tied rope around the logs and basically harnessed themselves to it, dragging each log up the hill with brute strength. If I¡¯m totally honest, I think Liam did most of the work, he had heavily dumped points into his strength stat, so he was already on the stronger side of what human men were capable of. It wasn¡¯t until Colourless realised we could use a crane to lift the logs up a cliff that their progress became somewhat more reasonable for our timeline. They created a very crude crane at the top of a sheer portion of the cliff face and used a large rock as a counterweight.

    With the log team working as fast as they could using their inhuman stats and abilities, it was up to Dana to find a source of lime. She was out for most of a day before she came back with news. We gathered for a party meeting when she arrived at the construction site.

    ¡°So, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any lime directly around here, at least from the description you gave,¡± she told me apologetically.

    ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to get the foundation done the way I¡¯d like without it,¡± I said despondently.

    We all stood there for several moments staring at the pile of rocks that we had collected in thought. It was Col who came up with the solution.

    ¡°Syl¡­ do you know the melting temperature of stone?¡± he asked in an altogether too casual tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s different for every type of stone, but with granite I¡¯m going to estimate at least a thousand degrees celsius, probably much more though. Why¡­?¡± I asked in suspicion.

    Col didn¡¯t answer, he went over to our rock pile and picked up a medium sized stone. He walked a reasonable distance away and placed it on the ground.

    Walking back over to us he said, ¡°I got a new ability I¡¯ve been wanting to test.¡±

    ¡°What does it do?¡± asked Dana with just as much suspicion as me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡± he exclaimed happily, leveling his staff at the rock.

    With a rising hum that set my teeth on edge, the area before the head of his staff began to shimmer with waves of heat. A few moments later and we could see little crackling bolts of flame wisping around before his staff. Then all at once with a hum that was almost a roar, a beam of blisteringly bright energy shot out from his staff, striking the stone he had placed. It wasn¡¯t over in a moment like you¡¯d expect either, instead he was able to play his staff around for a second or two, partially melting the stone in two.

    We stood in shock at the power he had just displayed, Col included.

    ¡°What the hell kind of ability was that?¡± asked Liam in awe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just got offered it from a level up,¡± Col replied in a daze.

    ¡°What on earth¡­ I want something like that!¡± I pouted.

    ¡°Can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re a healer,¡± he said with a huge grin.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s just fuckin¡¯ badass!¡± Liam said enthusiastically.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll have to change how we put the cabin together a little bit but we can turn the rocks into some really strange mix between a padstone foundation and a stone wall foundation,¡± I said with relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend to know what those are while nodding sagely,¡± Amra said, nodding sagely.

    I blew a raspberry at her.

    We split to continue our tasks, but Col stayed with me while Dana and Karen left to help collect fallen trees. The two of us began work on the foundations, constructing small walls of rock and then fusing it all together with Col¡¯s spell. It was slow going, as the charge time was several seconds long and took up a significant chunk of his mana pool. We had all the rocks piled on top of each other and lined up flat in a relatively short space of time, which left us with a lot of downtime while we waited for Col¡¯s mana.

    During one such time of inactivity, Col broached a sensitive subject, ¡°So. It really was you I met that time in the woods right?¡± he asked quietly.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it was,¡± I said hesitantly.

    ¡°I mean, I guess I kind of understand why you didn¡¯t say anything, but it was still a bit of a dick move. You¡¯ve always like, been super anxious about things like that¡­ but we were best friends,¡± he said sadly.

    ¡°Were?¡± I asked with a lump in my throat.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know anymore. Are we still best friends? You¡¯ve barely talked to me since this all happened,¡± he said with a tone of slight accusation.

    I opened and closed my mouth a few times while we gazed at each other, trying to figure out what to say.

    After a long moment I spoke up in a whisper, ¡°It¡¯s been really crazy for me, it¡¯s all happened so fast. You know I have moments where my mind hiccups when it sees my new body in a reflection? I¡¯m still not settled in. I guess that¡¯s not really an excuse. I should have come to you first. I would have¡­ except you got a crush on me. I didn¡¯t know how to handle it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a crush on you!¡± he exclaimed with eyes wide.

    ¡°Jeremy, I could see the group chats, I could see you talking about thecute girlyou met,¡± I told him gently.

    He stared at me in anger and worry for a while as he processed what I was saying.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it dude! If it makes you feel better¡­ ah, nevermind, I just don¡¯t mind okay? I mean... I look really fricken¡¯ cute, I don¡¯t blame you,¡± I said, my courage failing me halfway through the confession.

    ¡°I¡­ Fuck. I guess I was kinda into you,¡± he deflated in resignation, ¡°but like I don¡¯t know it¡¯s so confusing now that I know you¡¯re my old friend.¡±

    ¡°I understand more than you think,¡± I sighed, maybe if I hinted there was something he would draw it out of me. I wouldn¡¯t need to gather my courage if he forced me to tell him. I mean I wanted him to know, it was only fair, and heismy friend.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Uh. It¡¯s kinda awkward,¡± I hedged.

    ¡°Go on, I¡¯m listening,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡­ I mean I... you had. Ugh,¡± I paused, forcing the words together in my mind, ¡°I had a crush on you before my body was changed, I was gay.¡±

    ¡°Wait what?¡± he asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah, all these years I had been carrying a little torch,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°And do you still?¡± he asked with notes of hesitation and hope in his voice.

    ¡°No¡­ after I became Sylanna for real my sexuality just weirdly flipped. I got some wishy washy explanation from my goddess but at the end of the day I have no idea why it happened. All I know is that now, as a girl I don¡¯t like the idea of being with a guy and I¡¯m into girls now, as you can tell,¡± I said in a rush, embarrassed to be speaking so candidly about my sexuality.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I could see that. This is probably super stereotypical male here, but you guys kissing each other is pretty hot,¡± he said with a wink.

    I reached over with my leg and kicked him. It wasn¡¯t a full kick, but he deserved one for that.

    ¡°Ew! You are such a guy. You¡¯re just like Greg only you hide it better!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°Wait no, Greg is better I think.¡±

    ¡°Wow that¡¯s a bit harsh. Worse than Greg?¡±

    We both laughed a little, thankful the joke had relieved some of the tension of the conversation.

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re actually okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah I guess we are, but you gotta tell me things from now on okay? I¡¯m your friend. Might have been more,¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would have worked, but I will! Things are so crazy in my life right now,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°My mana is back to full, let¡¯s do the next one,¡± he said with a groan as he got to his feet. I got the feeling he was deflecting the conversation. Were we back to the way we had been?

    I directed him through the rest of the day, making sure he kept things level as he melted the foundation stones together. We had a good number of logs piled up and ready to go as well. We had probably done several days worth of work all up, using our superhuman abilities to speed things along at a rate that people in our world could only dream of.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    When night time began to roll around we made sure everything was going to sit tight and then all logged off to show our faces in the real world for a bit, if only to let our parents know we were still alive. I spent the time eating the breakfast that my parents made during their saturday together time. While we chatted over the food, they interrogated me further about Karen. I assured them that she was the greatest person on two worlds and they calmed down.

    I got back in to pellan a few hours later, ready for another day of construction. I wasn¡¯t the first into the game this time, and so we began work on the next phase. The logs had to be prepared, meaning they would be stripped of bark and the branches removed. There¡¯s obviously a lot more involved in all of this than I am describing, but I¡¯ll keep it simple. We laid down the first logs on the supports, nine shorter logs and six very long logs that nestled into the notches we¡¯d melted into the stone supports. Work slowed down as far as visible progress went after the sill logs were laid down, as we took some time to saw the floorboards out of some specially picked logs.

    The floorboard sawing took most of the day, with several of us at loose ends while the stronger members used the large saws. I spent the time exploring the top of the hill in more detail, ideas for future buildings blossoming. I found a place where a reservoir for water could be carved out of the rock, as well as a large chunk of stone that thrust up into the sky that might be a potential watchtower spot.

    As the night came upon us we made camp in the shadow of that rock, using it to shield us from the wind. I placed my bedroll down next to Karen¡¯s, and she gave me a smile when she saw me do so. My heart was a mass of butterflies about the impending night¡¯s sleep. Nothing too crazy would happen due to being out in the open with our friends, but that fact didn¡¯t seem to register with my heart. I wasn¡¯t even sure I was ready for anything like that. Scratch that, IknowI¡¯m not ready for that yet.

    All of this was a moot point as far as my rebellious stomach was concerned. We had a meal of bread rations and stew, before settling down for the night. When I laid myself down in my bedroll for sleep, I looked up at Karen as she did the same. Getting into her own, she shimmied herself right up next to me and leaned over. Her face paused before mine, her eyes alight with need. She said nothing, but she didn¡¯t need to, her arm snaked out of her bedroll and made its hesitating way over to my face. Her hand felt so warm and soft, not at all how I¡¯d expect a greatsword wielding warrior¡¯s hand to feel like. Nevertheless I closed my eyes and leaned into it, savouring the contact. My eyes shot open when she closed the last distance between our lips, pulling me against her in a tight embrace.

    We kissed each other fervently at first, our lips pressed together with bruising need. I caught her upper lip between my own, or was it her that caught my lower lip between hers? I heard a small whimper escape my throat as her hand trailed down to my neck, her thumb lovingly stroking my jawline. I wanted to feel more of her, but bedrolls were basically sleeping bags made out of fabric and furs, thus hampering my access to the rest of her body. I knew we couldn¡¯t go further, both due to our friends and my own reticence around the subject. That didn¡¯t stop my excited and aroused mind from wanting it all the same.

    We broke the kiss fairly quickly and she rolled onto her back with a sigh. I followed her, nestling myself against her side and placing my head under her chin. One of her arms escaped out of her own bag and slipped into mine, taking hold of me and pressing me closer against her. It felt so perfect and my mind partially lost the ability to form full thoughts under the assault of elated emotions I was feeling. It took a while, the feeling of being with her was too distracting to allow me to fall asleep easily, but eventually the days work weighed my mind down enough for sleep to take me.

    The next morning when I woke, our position was pretty much the same, except I had a leg thrown over her and her other hand was holding my head to her chest. Dana stood over us with a smug grin spread across her face. I twisted my body to look up at her properly, my face forming into a pout.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked in a grumpy morning voice.

    ¡°Time to work lovers, we have a cabin to build, then you¡¯ll have all the privacy in the world!¡± She laughed.

    I felt Karen shift under me and I looked up at her to find a full blush attacking her face. It was super cute.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, suddenly quite keen to get this cabin built.

    We had a light breakfast and then got on with the flooring. We used the nails we had brought along to lay out the flooring. It was actually pretty fast going, as all of us were capable of bashing a nail with a hammer, or lifting a board into place for the bashers. We completed the full flooring of the cabin as lunch rolled around and we took a break for a while. Lunch was more of the bread and stew, we hadn¡¯t had time to get creative.

    The second half of the day was spent moving the logs from where they were stacked near the crane and cliff, carving a notch in them, and then lifting them into position. Currently there were small gaps between the logs in some places, but we would fill those gaps in with clay after the walls were complete. The afternoon was edging out when I heard Liam shout over to me from where the logs were piled.

    ¡°There¡¯s a person down on the plain!¡± he called over.

    ¡°Wait really?¡± I called back, dropping what I was doing to rush over.

    Sure enough, a figure could be seen about a kilometer away, wading through the grass of the plain. From this distance it was very hard to tell anything about them, other than that they were perhaps a bit on the shorter side.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go down and scout them out,¡± I told Liam, already stepping towards the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± He said quickly.

    I gave him a little two fingered salute before I activated my light skimmer ability, my feet beginning to slide through the air on a trail of golden light. I dropped down the cliff a few meters like I was dropping into a bowl before I leveled out a bit. As I angled myself into a gentle incline towards the figure, I tried to strain my eyes for more information.

    It wasn¡¯t until I was much closer that I could discern that the figure was female, with long hair that was some mix of green and blond. She¡¯d stopped to watch my approach, her staff raised defensively before her. I¡¯d figured who this was by now, so I circled her a few times to bleed out my speed, then came in slowly to rest a few meters in front of her.

    She was a few inches taller than me, her hair was long, straight and a sort of mossy blond-green that was somehow both normal and alien. Her eyes were large and expressive, with a golden hazel colour. Her skin was pale, but in the darkened areas like around the fingernails or eyes it turned a subtle dark green colour. In fact there was evidence of green everywhere about her. Her robes were a dark earthy green that would blend in perfectly with the colours of any pine tree around here. Her staff was a knotted branch of living wood, the top of it sprouting a few vibrant green leaves.

    She gazed at me with an expression so full of different conflicting emotions that I could barely parse one from another. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as though considering and discarding any number of greetings. I allowed her time to compose herself, she looked like she needed it.

    When she finally spoke, it was with a small squeaky croak, ¡°You told the truth? I thought maybe you might be messing with me like some other people have before, but you¡¯re actually here¡­ You¡¯re not still going to like tell me to go away or anything right?¡±

    The emotions that had filled her eyes now coloured her tone and I felt my own emotions surge in compassion for this poor lonely girl. I rushed forward, bringing her with a tender hug, drawing her head to my shoulder with one hand while I pressed her shoulders to mine with the other.

    ¡°None of us will ever do that to you Isabelle, ever. I promise! I¡¯m here to be your friend,¡± I said softly into her ear, my breath shifting her green-blond hair slightly as I spoke.

    Her body shook as she began to sob into the crook of my neck and I gently rubbed her shoulder blade with my thumb in comfort.

 24: A helping roof, hand, whatever.

    I held Isabelle for a long while as I let let her cry out her emotions. I knew she still felt her real body while in Pellan, but all I could feel was a thin waifish girl my own age with luxuriously soft hair. She was a bit larger than me in most dimensions, but that¡¯s to be expected because I¡¯m some sort of tiny midget person.

    When her tears finally abated, I stepped back a bit to get a look at her, ¡°You look cute. What race did you pick? You have lots of little green tinged areas.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m a Dryad. I picked it because I like plants, gardening and growing stuff in real life, so I¡­ yeah,¡± she said with the tiniest little smile.

    ¡°Well, I like the look! It suits a druid too,¡± I said with a grin.

    ¡°Oh, um, thanks!,¡± she said, her little smile growing wider.

    ¡°We totally have some space for you to grow stuff as well, let me show you!,¡± I said, pointing back towards the hill.

    ¡°Okay. Thank you,¡± she said with a wide look in her eyes.

    She followed me up to the construction site, where my friends waited.

    ¡°Hey guys, this is Isabelle!¡± I said, showing everyone my new friend.

    My friends gave a chorus of greetings and smiles, and I looked back at Isabelle.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she squeaked from behind me.

    ¡°So, left to right we have¡­ Amra, Colourless, Karen, Liam and Dana,¡± I told her, pointing to each one of my friends.

    ¡°Nice to meet you Isabelle, is there a shortened version you want us to call you by? Liam asked gently.

    ¡°O-oh uh, I hadn¡¯t... um, I hadn¡¯t thought about it,¡± she stammered.

    ¡°How about Izzy? That¡¯s the normal short version,¡± Amra piped up.

    ¡°Yeah, I like the Zzz sound you know? It¡¯s fun to say, and I think it suits her,¡± Liam nodded at Amra.

    We all turned to Isabelle, looking for her opinion.

    ¡°Oh u-uhh, I mean if you think it sounds okay then Izzy is nice,¡± Izzy said shyly, her eyes getting wider as she looked over at my friends.

    I love my friends. They did that whole thing really damn well.

    ¡°Great! Hey so Izzy is into gardening, where was that patch that looked good for gardening?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Pretty sure it was Liam who found it, why don¡¯t you take her to see it?¡± Col said casually.

    ¡°What? I didn-¡± Liam started, but Col cut him off.

    ¡°Yeah you did, that way remember? Just show her the damn patch,¡± Col said making a shooing motion with his hands.

    ¡°I¡­ Okay then,¡± Liam said in confusion, ¡°If you want to follow I guess, I¡¯ll show you to the patch of soil.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Okay thank you!¡± Izzy said, her head swivelling between Col and Liam.

    We all watched as the two went off in the direction Col had indicated.

    I was the first to comment on Col¡¯s weirdness, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you that found the patch?¡±

    Dana nodded, looking at Col with an amused smirk on her face, ¡°Yes it was¡­¡±

    Col just shrugged, turning back to his work carving notches in the logs. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to hide the small self satisfied grin on his face though.

    What wasthatall about?

    <center>****</center>

    Finishing the last of the log walls took longer than we thought, and it was getting late when we did. It took longer because Liam didn¡¯t come back from helping Izzy find her garden. We struggled with getting the logs into position without our strongest member, and Karen had to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Watching her lift things, her shirt hiking up and showing off her abs was almost hypnotic. She caught me staring at one point and I flushed bright red with embarrassment.

    ¡°What are you looking at there Sylanna?¡± she teased.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m looking at!¡± I grumbled.

    She and Amra heaved the log into place for Dana and Col to hammer into place, then she sauntered over to me.

    ¡°So you were looking at these?¡± she asked, cheekily lifting her shirt up again.

    ¡°Oh my god, yes Karen I was checking you out! Where is this confident and smirky lesbian coming from anyway?¡± I asked with a fake pout.

    ¡°I guess you just bring it out of me,¡± she said with a grin, leaning down to give me a slow, languid kiss.

    I whimpered and wobbled when she broke it.

    ¡°Time to keep working!¡± she said brightly.

    ¡°You¡¯re evil!¡± I shouted.

    She just laughed.

    ¡°Are you two done? We got work to do!¡± Amra said with an eye roll.

    ¡°Like you can talk Amra! You and Dana arewayworse! Those two don¡¯t even seem like a couple sometimes,¡± Col said with a shit eating grin.

    We didn¡¯t seem like a couple? Why not? I feel like making out in front of everyone is a pretty big indicator. Whatever, I was probably just making this out to be way bigger than it was. Stop it silly anxious brain! It was just a joking comment.

    When we finished the walls and Liam and Izzy came back, looking slightly less awkward about being in each others company, we all agreed to log out and feed our real bodies. It would be dinner time in our world, and then we were back in to let our game bodies sleep.

    The next day it was time to make the roof. The roof would be an angled thatch one, and so half the group went off with knives and rope to cut a whole shitload of grass. The other half of the group stayed to put up the supporting beams. Izzy went off to keep sorting out her garden. Before she left, she took me aside to speak to me.

    ¡°Hey Syl, thank you so much for helping me find some people to play with and everything, I feel so happy here with you guys!¡± she quietly exclaimed.

    ¡°I think that was the longest sentence I¡¯ve ever heard you say, so you must be happy,¡± I said with a giggle.

    I watched her face go red and she looked down at her feet with a smile.

    ¡°By the way, did you get that spell brand?¡± I asked.

    She looked up with a question in her eyes and asked, ¡°Yeah I did. The guy explained what it¡¯s for but like why do I need it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I said with a grin, then turned a little more serious, ¡°So I want to meet up with you tomorrow, in our world, and I¡¯ll tell you some things okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to hang out in real life, it doesn¡¯t feel great,¡± she said with a frown.

    ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ll want to. I need to fill you in on some stuff about this game and it won¡¯t really work when we¡¯re inside it okay?¡± I said with a little plea in my tone.

    ¡°I guess, do you want to get like, Maccas or something in town?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sure thing, that works,¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Okay¡­ I guess we should get to work then?¡± she asked with a sigh.

    ¡°Definitely! I¡¯m so excited seeing this place take shape!¡± I said happily.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ about that¡­ there¡¯s only six bedrooms,¡± she said with a sad look.

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah I¡­ I don¡¯t think that will be a problem,¡± I said cryptically.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because I think Karen and I are going to be sharing a room, and Dana and Amra will definitely be sharing a room,¡± I said with a cough.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed with a surprised smile, ¡°You and karen? I thought that was like just a dumb rumour?¡±

    ¡°It was!¡± I rushed to explain, my face heating,¡± ...But then it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Cute!¡± she laughed.

    ¡°Agh, shut up!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°Go mess with your garden!¡±

    We split ways to work on our respective jobs with laughter and giggles.

    The frame for the roof went up quickly, the logs being split by me with my laser knife hands and trimmed so we could use them as supporting struts for the thatch. Being able to basically walk on air made the whole process of putting the roof together way too easy.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The first of the thatch bundles arrived after lunch, and we began layering it up the roof supports. It was actually so quick to put together, and I was very happy when it was completed just before night time. This night we would be logging out to go hang out with our families and I would be meeting Izzy in our own world.

    ¡°So before we log out,¡± Liam said, ¡°What¡¯s the plan next?¡±

    ¡°Izzy and I won¡¯t be online until later because we¡¯re meeting up to discuss some¡­ things around the game,¡± I told the group.

    ¡°Ohhhh, do you need me along too?¡± asked Karen.

    ¡°We should be fine, and I think what we have to talk about will be more comfortable with just the two of us,¡± I said with a sidelong glance at Izzy. She looked back at me in suspicion.

    ¡°Okay, so what do we need to do next with the cabin, are we done?¡± asked Liam.

    I shrugged, ¡°Just fill in the cracks with clay. Oh and then we need furniture!¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll get started on all of that then,¡± Liam said with a nod.

    With our planning concluded, I logged out.

    <center>****</center>

    I had a shower and got dressed in some casual clothing to meet with Izzy. The way she had reacted in Pellan had me absolutely certain she was a closeted trans girl like I had been. I wasgoingto help her.

    I had a light breakfast so that I would have room to eat with her in a few hours. I spent the time waiting to leave hanging out with my parents, going over life and everything. It was a very lazy sunday and I could see them already gearing up to do whatever it is they did to relax. Mum wasn¡¯t even out of her pajamas yet.

    I grabbed my purse when it was time, and headed out the door to find the bus. Being in our world was annoying, I couldn¡¯t just lightskate everywhere. The bus took foreverto get to the stop. It was like, ten minutes overdue. That might be an exaggeration but whatever, it was annoying.

    We were planning to meet in the Maccas outside the movie theatre, and I knew a park near that where we could get some privacy for me to show her the truth of things. I would probably drag her there first so I could show her and then we could talk about it over food.

    When I hopped off the bus I looked around for Izzy, but couldn¡¯t see her. Maybe she was over at the Maccas. I hurried in that direction.

    She was indeed waiting for me in front of the Maccas, and I waved to her, ¡°Izzy!¡±

    Her head whipped around and her eyes went wide. She rushed over and urgently whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that here!¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, gauging her reaction.

    Her face went stony and she looked at her feet, ¡°Because I¡¯m not¡­ a girl here and I can never be one.¡±

    Yup. Definitely a trans girl on my hands.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, ¡°Well either way I need to show you something, but I can¡¯t do it here in front of other people.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me if I tell you without showing you. I¡¯ve been nice so far right? I promise this will only be good,¡± I said placatingly.

    ¡°Alright¡­ fine,¡± she sighed.

    We made our way to the nearby park, giving the skatepark that was attached a wide berth, with all it¡¯s scary looking guys and loud music. We found a secluded place amongst the tall dry grasses that were used as decoration in the majority of the park and sat down on a bench.

    ¡°So what is it?¡± Izzy asked straight away.

    ¡°Bear with me here, do you remember the guy called Sam who was in one of our classes??¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, he like left or something,¡± she said cautiously.

    ¡°Well, I was Sam... Pellan isn¡¯t just a game,¡± I said.

    ¡°What are you-¡± she started, and then jumped back a bit when I summoned a crackling blade of energy from my hand.

    She stared at it with wide eyes, and then looked over at me fearfully, edging away. I quickly dispelled it, and hurried to calm her down. I should have chosen a different spell.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to scare you! I just needed to show you! I was turned into my character from Pellan by my goddess, and I¡¯m like you, I wanted to be a girl, or I am a girl. I want to give you the same thing!¡± I rushed to explain, ¡°Here look, my ears.¡±

    I extended my ears to their natural length and she watched them grow in surprise. Her face went through a huge range of emotion as she processed what I was telling her.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± she said, trying to work through everything, ¡°You were Sam, that nerdy guy¡­ like, really him?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ and I hated it Iz- Zach. It was so shit, and being in this amazing girl body is the best thing that ever happened to me,¡± I said with an open heart.

    ¡°You can do that for me too, like turn me into my game character? Druid abilities and everything?¡± she asked in the smallest voice in the world.

    ¡°Yeah, I can. So long as you promise not to go hurting people or giving away that we have our magic in the real world too. We¡¯ll need to make a shrine to Feslia, my goddess, for it to work. She¡¯ll do the rest,¡± I nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ this is crazy,¡± she said looking down into her hands.

    ¡°I know,¡± I said gently.

    ¡°How will we tell my parents? And¡­ how did you do it all?¡± she asked in a small voice.

    ¡°Well, it happened to me by accident. When I logged out and found myself still as a girl, I hid in my room and tried to skip school, but my mum got a call that I hadn¡¯t turned up. She came home and found me. I had to cut myself and then heal it to show her that magic was real, and I was who I said I was,¡± I explained, ¡°uh also do you want to go and eat now? We can chat about it as we eat!¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah sure let¡¯s go,¡± Izzy said with a shaky nod.

    We had our food in a quiet booth at the back of the restaurant, away from listening ears. She asked me all about what had happened, and I explained my story and my feelings along the way. It was adorable seeing the light of hope filling her, gently brushing away the clinging depression that holding in her real gender had caused. I explained how it had felt to suddenly feel my body properly, how the dissonance between one body and another had suddenly vanished.

    I also explained the rough plan I had for her, that she would have to fill out with her own details and the like. She¡¯d also have to tell her parents. She was unsure how they would react to her coming out of the closet, but we both reasoned that if her body was changed already then it might smooth things over. People still had the ghoulish perception that transgender people would be some caricature of blatant masculinity wrapped in girls clothing. It was never true and it¡¯s not true now. Maybe I would try and introduce magic to our world, figure out a way to give trans people the bodies they desired.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Izzy told me when we were done talking, her voice choked with emotion, ¡°Thank you for chasing me down and giving me this. I was so close to just¡­ I was so close to becoming a statistic.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ever think you¡¯re alone alright? I¡¯m going to help you and be your friend as we get you through this and after it okay?¡± I said, my tone one of gentle reassurance.

    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­ Thank you,¡± She said with tears forming in her eyes.

    ¡°Should I call you Izzy from now on?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes please,¡± she nodded with a teary smile.

 25: Heated Exchange.

    Seeing Izzy log into Pellan with a smile already written large across her face made my heart swell with happiness. She was going to flower into the most incredible girl once Feslia worked her magic. Speaking of Feslia and her magic, Izzy and I got started right away working on a shrine to the goddess. It was going to be exceptionally crude, even compared with the dilapidated ruin where I had my own fateful first encounter with the larger than life being.

    We started with a huge granite boulder and began to carve it up. I slowly sawed chunks off with my energy blades while Izzy summoned non-corrupted wood sprites to grind the edges down with stones. It would hopefully end up being a rough altar and brazier carved from the same chunk of stone. As far as actually turning a carved hunk of rock into an altar to Feslia, I was banking on the fact I was a priestess of hers, and could consecrate the thing in her name.

    ¡°Have you considered what your plan might be with your parents?¡± I asked as we worked.

    ¡°Um, no not really. I figured I could just do it the same way you did, talk to them and show them some magic,¡± she shrugged.

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a proven method now isn¡¯t it?¡± I smiled.

    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± she smiled back.

    ¡°Your magic is a lot easier to demonstrate than mine was back then as well,¡± I added after a moment.

    ¡°Yeah, the whole cutting yourself thing¡­ seems extreme,¡± she giggled.

    ¡°Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!¡± I mock scowled.

    ¡°Yeah, well I think I will try and improve on the technique somewhat,¡± she teased.

    I grumbled something unintelligible and stuck my tongue out at her, then I cracked and giggles started to break through my scowl.

    <center>****</center>

    The day ended with the shrine having been blocked out pretty well, the finer details of our simple decoration being left for the next ingame day. Over back at the cabin, the rest of the group had built beds for five of the six rooms, along with doors and the start of a dining table. The beds were especially interesting, having taken after modern bed designs instead of the usual medieval fare we had been subjected to within Pellan.

    Col had really gone to town trying to make the beds comfortable. Each was made with a rough wood frame, sturdy rope strung in a lattice over the middle. The mattresses were made out of the dried spongy insides of corrupted wood sprites wrapped in sturdy material. There was something viscerally satisfying about sleeping on the corpses of our enemies.

    The awkward part came when it was time to assign rooms. Dana and Amra were sleeping together in a room, something Dana was very excited about. Izzy would have her own room, but that meant Karen and I sleeping in the same room. It was a bit soon in our relationship wasn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what society drilled into us anyway.

    ¡°Col, why did you only make five of the beds?¡± I asked with a groan and a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh, I thought we¡¯d only need five,¡± he said with the best impression of wide eyed innocence I had seen. Apart from, you know, every other time he¡¯d pulled that expression.

    ¡°You are, the worst,¡± I said with a failed scowl. I was really missing the beat with these scowls today.

    ¡°Or the best, we¡¯ll see tomorrow,¡± he said with a laugh and a wink on his way into his own room.

    ¡°He is a fucking menace,¡± I grumbled.

    Amra gave a snort as she shuffled past me on her way into her room, ¡°Maybe, but I can¡¯t wait to give this female body for a whirl, VR dissonance or no!¡±

    I just rolled my eyes, and Dana poked her head out of their bedroom doorway far enough to capture the taller Amra in a liplock that disappeared behind their slammed door.

    I heard Izzy take a deep breath, and I turned to find her standing behind me and staring at the closed doors of my ridiculous friends.

    With a strangled giggle I said, ¡°Welcome to the party Izzy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± she breathed.

    I left the rest of them to it, escaping into what was to be Karen and I¡¯s room.

    I stood there staring at the only bed in the room. How were we going to do this? I mean, I wish we could be in the same bed, but I didn¡¯t know how Karen felt about it. Would one of us take the floor, or would we-

    I felt lithe, muscled arms encircle my waist from behind, and a voice that was much too husky for my sanity breathed close to my ear, ¡°So... now what, fairy girl?¡±

    ¡°U-uhh¡­¡± was all I managed.

    Karen made a throaty little sound that was somehow simultaneously a chuckle and a giggle, ¡°Sorry, I think you unleashed an animal on the world when you helped me realise I was into girls.¡±

    ¡°I guess uhm, one of us sleeps on the ground?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°Oh no my little fairy, you¡¯re staying in my arms all night,¡± she said with a nip to one of my long ears.

    I let out a squeal and wriggled around in her embrace until I was facing her, ¡°No, bad Karen, leave the ears out of it unless you plan to-¡±

    I didn¡¯t get to finish my admonishment, because I had made a fatal mistake, I had allowed my lips into kissing range. I felt myself let out a sighing, breathy sound as she pressed me backwards through the contact, one of her hands entangling itself in my hair. Even as she slowly deepened the kiss, she guided me towards the bottom edge of the bed. When my calves hit with a small bump, I lost balance, tilting backwards with a squeak.

    Karen then wrested control of my body from gravity, using our embrace to slow my fall, turning it into a gentle lowering of my body until we were horizontal on the bed, tongues beginning their gentle dance in the fleeting gaps our kiss created between our lips. I felt her place a knee on either side of me and she used that new support to free her hands from their Atlassian duty. One of her newly unemployed hands moved to stroke hesitantly up and down my side, while she used the other to run her hands through my hair in slow luxurious waves.

    I wormed my way up the bed, holding our gentle, nerve searing embrace and forcing her to follow until we were square in the middle. Our pace slowed as we kicked off unwanted shoes and outer layers, until she was wearing just her shirt and underwear, and I was left in just my shirt-dress. Annoying clothing disposed of, Karen took the opportunity to move her kisses from my lips down my cheekbone and onto my neck, and almost as a reflex my legs reached up to encircle her hips in an attempt to pull us closer together.

    ¡°Karen!¡± I breathed in excitement.

    The press of her beautiful lips against the soft skin of my neck drove a tiny moan from my lips and I gently dug my fingers into her sides in encouragement. Her kisses began to slow, and her movements took on a languid grace as she moved her body to lay sideways against me. I shifted my head to bury my nose in her hair, enjoying the rich smell I found. Her smell. I felt my heart swell lazily alongside my lungs with each breath I took.

    She slowed almost to a stop, her only movement an index finger drawing lazy circles on my stomach.

    ¡°I really care about you,¡± she mumbled into the crook of my neck.

    I hummed in agreement and encircled her with an arm of my own, drawing her closer against me and beginning my own circular finger motions. We stayed like that for a while until I felt even her hand still, and our breathing slowed to a more sedate pace. I moved my lips to give her a light kiss among the strands of her thick hair. My reward? A light rasping breath that was just this side of being a snore. She was asleep! She¡¯d ravished me, gotten me all hot and bothered, and then fallen asleep! How was I meant to fall asleep while- I let out an involuntary yawn. While I felt like...

    <center>****</center>

    Eyelids fluttering open, I found our positions had somehow reversed during the night. I was now held close against her side, my head resting in the space between collarbone and breast. I felt so utterly safe and content like this, her arm holding to me tight... my claymore lesbian girlfriend¡¯s arm. The other one was flung wide, hanging slightly off the bed, and it was unreal levels of adorable. My dress had ridden up to my waist during the night, and I had one of my tiny legs thrown across Karen¡¯s hips, her tail coiled around the other one. She was so much taller than me in the game it was crazy.

    I felt her stir slightly, and I watched her eyes slowly open and close like the wings of a resting butterfly. Leaning forward, I placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I said softly.

    She blinked several times, and I could see her brain trying to get itself fully working again. She eventually responded with a groan, gently pulling me up her body until she could nuzzle my neck.

    Her warm breath tickled my neck as she said, ¡°You¡¯re amazing Syl.¡±

    I hummed in response and we stayed like that for a while, holding each other in this intimate embrace.

    Eventually our quiet cuddle was interrupted by Col bursting into the room.

    ¡°Hey guys, get up! We have-,¡± he started to say before stopping when he took in our half naked and intertwined bodies.

    It was time for some payback on mister five beds boy...

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    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, stretching my leg into the air with a small moan, while simultaneously reaching my hand up Karen¡¯s shirt, exposing her soft but defined abs in the process.

    He made a sort of strangled inhaling sound, like one of those squeaky toys reinflating.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It must be bad if you jumped in and interrupted us,¡± I giggled.

    I felt Karen laugh softly into my neck, and her tail uncoil from around my leg. She snaked it up to my hip, the tip dipping down to slip underneath the fabric of my underwear. I was all sorts of hot and bothered again after that move, and I turned away from Col to give Karen a slow lazy kiss, trying to convey my feelings for her through the medium of my lips.

    ¡°There¡¯s a party of people running across the plains and they have a shitload of mobs chasing them, we gotta go see what¡¯s going on!¡± he blurted and then rushed back out the door.

    I sighed, and gave Karen a longing look that I found mirrored in her gorgeous green eyes.

    ¡°I guess we have to get up,¡± she groaned.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    <center>****</center>

    Karen and I were the last to join our friends at the edge of the hill, and they turned at our approach.

    ¡°Morning Col,¡± I said with an evil grin and a wink.

    He coughed and nodded, going beet red.

    ¡°Thanks for finally joining us,¡± Liam said with a smile, ¡°Take a look.¡±

    Karen and I stepped up next to our friends and tried to spot what the problem was. It wasn¡¯t hard to spot. About a kilometer and a half away now was a group of six adventurers running full tilt towards us. Behind them was a large horde of corrupted wood creatures that looked about three hundred percent pissed off.

    ¡°Alright, I guess we should try and be good guys. Let¡¯s go and hit that train from the side,¡± Liam said, making a decision.

    We all shrugged, and Amra gave a salute.

    Racing down the hill as a group, we swung out wide to the right. Our plan being to hit the huge train of angry wood in the middle, splitting it to give us an easier time. With our best pace, we rushed headlong down the hill, and I may have started cheating and using my light skating ability, staying alongside my friends at about chest height. I swapped the way I was sliding on light to mirror a snowboard, just to like, look cooler or something.

    A few minutes later we reached a position to launch our attack. The first one to hit the stream of angry creatures was Liam, his mace swinging in a brutal arc that ended in the crunch of splintering wood. His shield was close behind, slamming into the marauding horde with a thunk, several smaller corrupted sprites went flying.

    I heard Col channeling a spell, his staff beginning to emit a teeth jarring crackle of energy, and the beam of fire he had been using to melt stone showed its true colours when it gracefully swung through the crowd, burning and slicing as it went. The smell of wood smoke followed me as I set myself up to do a move I had wanted to try ever since I had gotten my light skating ability.

    Taking myself up to around three meters above the ground, I brought my legs together and twisted my body, initiating a pirouette. Spinning like a top now, I let shards of light lash out one after another in rapid succession, and I told each one to shatter into a hundred fragments as they left my hand. The effect on the creatures was¡­ something else. The sliding metal sound of the release, followed by the crack of the single large shards shattering melted into a rapidfire rhythm that raised goosebumps on my skin.

    All through the horde small chunks of searing light embedded themselves in wooden flesh, smouldering and sparking in their new home. The surprise attack did it¡¯s job, cutting the train in half and allowing our group to deal with one half, while our potential new friends dealt with the other.

    I checked my mana, and realised that using both my light skating and so many spells one after another like that had drained me significantly. I touched down behind my party and began my real job, dancing with feather light steps between my comrades as they carved, bashed, blasted and shot their way through the angry forest in front of us.

    I rushed forward to lay a hand on Dana, healing a nasty slice along her arm, then supporting her with a quick jab of my light blade into the offending creature she had been fighting.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said breathlessly, jamming her two daggers into the thing¡¯s neck and yanking the handles down, popping the head clean off.

    I kicked the corpse out of her way so she could engage the next creature, in time to see Amra imbue an arrow with a dark energy that seeped off it like ink in a glass of water. The arrow was released with a hiss of parting air, and I watched, rapt as it tunneled it¡¯s way through a multitude of enemies, becoming lost as the countless monsters closed ranks.

    I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw another forest creature within our midst. It was noticeably more human looking than the rest, it¡¯s body made of swirling knots of wood with branches all angled backwards. She, because she was definitely a she, her perfectly feminine form was not something I could deny, was different in many other ways. Her branches all had vibrant green leaves, and her eyes glowed a soothing green.

    The soothing green was undercut by the wicked looking barbed blades she had in the place of forearms, reaching almost a meter in length from tip to elbow, and knots of the same energy swirled within. Then she did something that made me blink in confusion.

    She giggled, ¡°Killing things is so much more fun when you do it with friends!¡±

    Then she punched one blade arm through a corrupted sprite with a lunge, and with another jerky movement, tore the blade up through the creature, rending it in half. Okay. So the scary green death shrub was Izzy. Righto. Not a healer then I guess.

    The enemies in the train were actually rather low level compared to most of us in the group, only Izzy matching them in level if I had a guess. It was fairly obvious from the way my friends and I were going all dynasty warriors on their asses, scything our way through them like seven grim reapers. Grim reapers for weird stick people that is. I imagine their version looks different.

    My thoughts were sharpened back to the task at hand when I heard Karen cry out in pain. She was on the other end of the group, shit! I dashed forward, skipping along the ground as I briefly activated my skating to slide between Izzy and her current prey in a sort of limbo move. I caught sight of my girlfriend behind Col, struggling with an eight foot tall wooden monster that seemed made of brute strength and thorns.

    She was sliced and bleeding in a dozen or more places and her sword was out of reach a few meters away. I went in to stop the creature first, but I sent a ranged heal in ahead of me with my left hand as the right one bubbled up in my lightning fist ability. Except the spell activated strangely. Instead of forming an amorphous roiling storm cloud, it hardened into a gauntlet that was somehow elegant and severe at the same time. The clouds were still there, but it was as though they had formed a solid, instead of remaining true to their usual gaseous form.

    I felt a grin erupt across my face as I realised how much fun it was going to be to punch things with this. I let out a cry that was a mix of exultation and growl, my gauntleted fist crashing into the chest of the creature wrestling with Karen. I was surprised by the force I was able to exert, as though my fist had been fired from a railgun. Thorns snapped, pinging off into the air as I broke everything in the way, then finally into the hard wooden carapace itself. The carapace cracked and split with the unique sound of splintering wood, and I felt my now imbedded fist give a surge, lightning tearing through the creature from the inside.

    It stumbled back, a cry of agony beugeling from whatever hole it used for a mouth. I left it to its pain, leaning down and getting to work healing my gorgeous companion. She gave a whooshing sigh of relief as my magic stitched up all the holes that monster had poked in her. When she was back to full health, I had just enough time to block a rending blow from the gnarled and thorny fist of the now very angry wood creature.

    I heard Karen rush to grab her sword, and tried my best to stay in one piece as the thing threw blow after blow at me from it¡¯s awful limbs. I failed to block one blow, and it connected with my hip, sending me sprawling. It brought the limb up again for another blow as I was helpless and prone, only to lose it at the elbow when my claymore lesbian sent her sword crashing through it.

    ¡°Leave my girl alone!¡± she yelled in anger, continuing to hack chunks off the thing with reckless arcing slashes of her sword.

    Beginning to heal myself with a grimace, I watched her grasp the middle of the blade with one hand and using the extra leverage, drive it point first into the face of the sprite with a roar. It collapsed as though poleaxed. Although I think the correct term in this instance would be claymored? Either way, it slumped lifeless to the ground, and Karen whirled to make sure I was okay.

    ¡°You hurt?¡± she asked with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, ¡®tis but a scratch,¡± I meme¡¯d with a laugh.

    ¡°Nerd,¡± she laughed back.

    ¡°Stop calling me names and cut more things up, you brute,¡± I giggled, motioning to the still raging battle.

    ¡°Okay, but just for you,¡± she said with a wink.

 26: Torn From Time

    Nia sighed and nestled further into the embrace she shared with her lover. She enjoyed the warmth and comfort that Sarra provided, knowing she¡¯d have to go out and lead loyal members of the Order to their deaths. She tried to project a calm front when she was around most people, but here with just two of her closest friends, she allowed herself to relax and become vulnerable.

    She felt Sarra stir, like she might say something, but Farden beat her to it, ¡°You ever feel like there¡¯s a hole missing in our party? In our story?¡±

    Sarra made an inquisitive little noise and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, I feel like there¡¯s something wrong with what happened. From the moment we found Nia, it¡¯s like I notice a discrepancy in everything that¡¯s happened. A hole. Back when we were Pathfinders, why did we think we were a whole party when there was only four of us? Me, you Sarra, then the twins. A Pathfinder team is five people,¡± he said with a depressive sigh.

    ¡°But I was there! That¡¯s five!¡± Nia said with a frown.

    ¡°Before that though. You two don¡¯t feel it? A hole in your life?¡± he asked morosely.

    Sarra shook her head, ¡°No I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know? Maybe? I always felt like¡­ hmmm.¡±

    Nia furrowed her brow and thought back on the dreams she¡¯d been having lately, ¡°I think¡­ I think I might know what you mean. Do you remember the disaster at Shale five five three?¡±

    ¡°How could I forget?¡± Farden grimaced.

    Gulping Nia, started to tell them, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been having dreams lately, I can¡¯t remember much, but, there¡¯s one scene that is different¡­¡±

    ¡±It was that portal. It opened in the middle of Protectorate lands, disturbingly near a large population center. We¡¯d tried to close it through normal means, but whatever mechanism that was keeping it open was doing so from the other side. So we¡¯d marched through with a company of the Order of the Orchid and set up a defensive position. The world we found ourselves in was desolate. There was no life, just the ruins of the builders.

    What struck me when we stepped through the portal first, was how grey it was. How it seemed like the very colour had been leached out of the place. The second thing I¡¯d noticed, was that the corruption had torn this place apart. The usual elegant decay of a builder ruin was replaced by utter mind bending chaos.

    If you¡¯ve ever seen what the reality corruption does, you¡¯ll know what I mean. It looks like a wild crystal formation mixed with M C Escher¡¯s nightmares. This world was like that, only¡­ more. It was as though our enemy had begun to work on an industrial scale. The world was wrecked beyond repair.

    Things had gone well at first, we¡¯d established a perimeter and gotten to work. The creatures of nightmare that our enemy wielded had caught on halfway through though, and so had begun one of the most intense battles of my life. They¡¯d swarmed over the surrounding warped buildings like ants, charging our lines with reckless abandon.

    We¡¯d held them back, it had been tough brutal work, but we had. It was near the very end that it had arrived. It was perhaps twelve feet tall and made of smoky glass. It¡¯s skin would ripple and change configuration at random, and its face was a flat plane of the same material. It¡¯s eyes twisted the mind in ways I cannot even begin to describe. We¡¯d fought it, but it had brushed off our attempts to harm it, as though it was simply strolling towards the portal through a heavy gale.

    Our mages were faster than it, and we¡¯d closed the portal before it could pass through. Our evacuation had begun, but we were losing people. In my waking memory, the creature had paused then, seeming to lift something up, but there was nothing in its hand. In my dreams however it held a woman. She was short, with long curly blond hair whipping in the wind. She was pretty in an angular way, her terrified but determined eyes taking cover behind prominent cheekbones.

    She blasted the creature who clutched her straight in the face, and it roared like a cracking bell. What happened next was¡­ terrifying. I say this literally, because I felt a wave of dread lash out from the creature, and it leaned forward with that flat face it possessed. Lines of barely visible energy lashed out of its eyes towards the woman, like the writhing tendrils of some deep sea beast.

    The tendrils curled around her and through her as though she were made of so much air. Then, it tugged, jerking its head back like it was tearing a chunk off a prime hunk of meat with its teeth. The woman writhed, screaming in horror as¡­ nothing. There was no woman. There had never been a woman. Finished with it¡¯s feast on nothing, it turned and grinned, though it had no mouth, nothing but two impossible eyes.

    My mind vomited, something was wrong, where was¡­ she? Who was she? Why did I think there had been a woman?

    <center>**Sylanna**</center>

    What an intense battle! Wow, like¡­ I know that was actually a real thing that happened, but my gamer mind couldn¡¯t think of anything other than how much fun that had been! My friends had been so cool, carving their way through the hordes of creatures and stuff. I loved it. I guess we could save the world and have fun doing it.

    I looked over at the people who had dragged the train through the huge glade we had set up shop in. There was six of them, and they were just as crazy looking as we were. A darkling woman who wasn¡¯t wearing a whole lot sauntered over to us.

    She openly gave Amra the once over and said, ¡°Damn girl, you¡¯re scrumptious.¡±

    Before any of us could speak further, Liam growled, ¡°She¡¯s sixteen.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± the hot Darkling girl said, a dark blue tinge coloring her light blue cheeks, ¡°Well anyway, thanks for the save.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he nodded, ¡°Can I ask what you¡¯re doing all the way out here?¡±

    ¡°We got pushed out here by those dick head Blackfeather folks. Couldn¡¯t make it back into the city and now we¡¯re stuck in the wilderness,¡± she said, motioning in the vague direction of the city with a sigh.

    As the newcomers explained their story, I slid up behind Karen and peered around her, using her as a shield to protect me from the newcomers. She must have felt me come up behind her, because she turned and smiled down at me.

    ¡°You okay there?¡± she asked gently.

    I nodded and whispered, ¡°So long as I don¡¯t have to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Well then I¡¯ll do the talking for you,¡± she smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

    Karen was amazing. Her presence near me had a calming effect on my wild and anxious mind. It was like she emitted an aura of calming energy that was keyed specifically to me.

    Having finished their tale of woe, the other party introduced themselves, and we did likewise.

    There was the tall darkling woman who¡¯d been their mouthpiece thus far. She had blue skin and purple horns that gleamed brightly in the morning sunlight. Her luxurious black hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and she wore a very skimpy leather outfit.

    ¡°Heya friends, my name is Alexia, I¡¯m the leader of this lot, and I¡¯m a warlock,¡± she told us with a grin before motioning for the rest of her party to say hello.

    Their tank was a bear. Literally. He walked on two feet and had armour made of solid stone, his voice was this rumbling thing that shook the earth as he spoke. He was almost three times as tall as me. I was terrified.

    ¡°I am York. I am a bear and I stand in front of things that would hurt this bunch of squishy meatbags,¡± he growled.

    Their healer was a timid middling height elf girl with the traditional robes and staff combination. She had white hair and large blue eyes that danced between our faces like she was searching for something.

    When it came time for her to say hello, she gave us a bright smile and stutteringly introduced herself, ¡°My n-name is Yure, I¡¯m the healer!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and my name is Yoms, I¡¯m the wizard. The real damage dealer for this lot,¡± the small fourth member of their team told us gruffly, impatiently interrupting Yure.

    He was a gnome with the biggest wizard¡¯s hat I¡¯d ever seen. I¡¯d expected him to be cute and charming, but instead a blistering grimace was directed at his party members.

    ¡°Be nice you menace or I¡¯ll punt you back to Blackfeather and his goons you bloody cretin,¡± the fifth member of their party told him with a roll of her eyes.

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    She was a tall and impressively muscled woman of a demonic style race I hadn¡¯t seen before. Her legs were goatlike, her forehead had two small horns poking out through her fringe and she carried a huge mace. She smiled and cockily introduced herself as Xero.

    Nodding to sixth member of their team stepped forward and gave us all an easy bow.. Unlike the rest, who were dressed in practical adventuring clothing, this human woman wore tight black trousers, vest and peacoat. Her bright white shirt made the black clothing seem all the more dark by contrast. Her weapon of choice was a rapier, and she held a hand casually on it like it was nothing but an armrest.

    ¡°And my name is Melli, duelist at your service. I hope we can all become fast friends,¡± she said with a pleasant smile.

    When we went through and introduced our own party, Karen stepped in and told them about me while I stood back and tried not to look too scared. I don¡¯t think it worked.

    When we finished with our introductions, Alexia asked, ¡°So what are you all doing out here? It¡¯s a bit isolated isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Liam looked back at us for a moment before responding, ¡°We¡¯re building a base on that hill over there while we grind for levels and do our best to catch up so we can fight the Blackfeather¡¯s back in Dialsil.¡±

    ¡°Really? You think you can get enough experience out here on your own? What about repairs and such?¡± asked Xero, looking thoughtfully up at our hill.

    ¡°Well, we all took professions to that effect. We might not be the best at it right now, but we¡¯re hoping to get there soon,¡± Dana supplied.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s actually such a cool idea!¡± Yure exclaimed, her eyes wide and enthusiastic.

    ¡°Yeah we thought so too,¡± laughed Amra, twirling some of her hair absently.

    Wow she was really getting into the whole hot horny airhead thing.

    ¡°We¡¯ve built a lodge so far, and plan to expand as needed from there. Exploring and fighting monsters will come once we¡¯re sure things are safe and secure around here,¡± Liam told them.

    ¡°Damn, I wish I¡¯d thought to do this,¡± Alexia said still staring up at our hill.

    This was a perfect chance to start something bigger! If this party joined us on the hill we could get more and more people to come and then once we were all trained and leveled up we¡¯d totally be able to take on the assholes back at the city!

    ¡°Liam!¡± I whispered, and scurried over to murmur in his ear, ¡°What if we invite them up with us. We can start a settlement or something. Get more allies against the Blackfeather people!¡±

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± he nodded, then turned to the other party, ¡°Would you like to join us up there? We¡¯ll help you build your own cabin and then we can work on leveling up and helping each other out. Eventually get some payback on those bastards.¡±

    Alexia opened her mouth to speak, then turned back to her companions and arched an eyebrow in question.

    Her party nodded in agreement and she turned back to us with a grateful smile, ¡°Yeah, that sounds sick. What¡¯s the details of the arrangement and stuff? I¡¯m actually the leader of a clan¡­¡±

    Turns out that the people before us were the core party of a moderately sized gaming guild that was making its home here in Pellan. Alexia asked if she could tell more of her people about this place, and after some deliberation we agreed that having more friendly players around would improve things, so long as we retained ownership of the hill.

    Alexia and her friends agreed, and we all decided it was time to get to work looting the creatures around us. There was so much to harvest from the corpses, from magical components from the tree things, to meat from the regular animals. It was fascinating how I could now see clothing and construction uses for the materials we were collecting now. It was interesting, apparently the more mushy insides of the tree things could be treated in a certain way to be used as a glue. Those creatures sure were an endless source of useful material.

    Eventually, with our inventories all conveying various weight penalties on us, we trudged up to our cabin and showed our new friends around. Xero told us about how she had also taken the smithing profession, and she was keen to build a forge with Amra and get to work. The gnome was a miner apparently, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the idea of his little body carrying ore to the surface. The other newcomers had various real life and ingame skills that would be of benefit, including herbalism from Yure, who was keen to see the garden.

    <center>****</center>

    Our new friends would be staying in the main room of the cabin for now until they built a cabin of their own. In aid of that, I bounced off to look for and stake out a place for them to build it. I was in the middle of this task when Col found me.

    ¡°Hey Syl,¡± he said, a strange tone to his voice that put me instantly on edge.

    ¡°Hi Col?¡± I asked, confused.

    He shuffled his feet a little and gazed into my eyes, ¡°So I was thinking about what you said.¡±

    ¡°What I said?¡± I prompted.

    ¡°About how you had a crush on me,¡± he said, schooling his expression to neutral.

    I grimaced and broke eye contact, looking back down at my work, ¡°Um¡­ yeah?¡±

    ¡°Why do you not like me anymore? I mean, like I just don¡¯t see a reason why it happened,¡± he said with a note of sadness.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like guys anymore¡­ I told you C- I told you Jeremy,¡± I said quietly.

    ¡°I know¡­ but ugh, can you try and like guys? I have so many feelings for you now and I don¡¯t know what to do with them,¡± he said, stepping towards me.

    ¡°Try and like guys?¡± I replied in a deadpan, stepping backwards to maintain distance between us.

    ¡°Yeah! I just¡­ I really like you and I think we should try!¡± he said, nodding enthusiastically.

    ¡°No Jeremy! I don¡¯t want to. I know I don¡¯t like guys, and plus I¡¯m with Karen!¡± I said, somewhat annoyed now.

    ¡°But she can¡¯t even be with you outside the game!¡± he said, a note of frustration colouring his tone now.

    ¡°So? I care about her, and she cares about me. She makes me happy just to be around! That doesn¡¯t happen with you, at least not in the same romantically coloured way!¡± I exclaimed, backing up another step.

    ¡°This is so dumb! I just want to try!¡± he said heatedly.

    ¡°You want to try jeremy? You. You, you, you, you, you. At what point did you think telling me to try and like you would work? You can¡¯t just go up to a girl and expect her to give you a go because you have feelings for her! Come on!¡± I said, my voice rising in tone as I got agitated.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that!¡± he said angrily waving his hands in the air.

    ¡°Listen to yourself! Listen to how you¡¯re speaking! You haven¡¯t once asked my opinion, you¡¯ve told me yours and expected me to follow along because what you¡¯re saying must be right. I know we¡¯re only sixteen, but come on this is fucking basic shit!¡± I cried, throwing the sticks I had been holding down onto the ground in disgust.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to? Just like that?¡± he said, shaking his head patronisingly.

    Narrowing my eyes at him, I sighed, ¡°Just like what? Why are you being so fucking dense? I¡¯m with Karen! She¡¯s my girlfriend! I¡¯m her girlfriend! Even if I wasn¡¯t a lesbian, I¡¯m still not single!¡±

    ¡°Have you even tried to think about being with a guy?¡± he spat back, taking yet another step in my direction.

    ¡°Of course I fucking have you dumbass!¡± I said sarcastically rolling my eyes to cover how nervous this conversation was starting to make me.

    Col was meant to be my friend. I¡¯d heard girls complain about this stuff sometimes, friends getting a crush and suddenly becoming pushy and upset or aggressive when turned down. I never thought it would happen to me though, especially from Jeremy. He was better than this.

    ¡°D-dumbass?¡± he sputtered, ¡°Syl, you haven¡¯t even tried! How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Alright dude, I¡¯m done. I¡¯m so done here. I¡¯m going to go find Karen while you think about how much of a cunt you just were. Bye,¡± I said walking away from him.

    ¡°Hey, come back!¡± he cried, racing after me.

    With a little skip, I danced up into the air on pulses of light and slid away to find the girl I was falling in love with. Bitterly, I realised that this had just been a rude initiation into one of the many shitty things that lesbians had to deal with.

 27: Heartfelt

    Skating on lines of light, I looked down at our camp and found Karen, busy talking to some of the newcomers. They were standing around a newly constructed fire pit that they were in the process of building up into a bonfire. I slid down next to her, giving her a bit of a fright that was probably compounded by the dark expression on my face.

    ¡°Karen, I need to talk to you,¡± I said, unable to keep the anger I was feeling about what had just happened out of my voice.

    I couldn¡¯t believe Jeremy, what the fuck. Seriously, did he get hit by the stupid bat or something?

    Karen gulped and nodded, ¡°Uhhh sure.¡±

    I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group, who looked at each other in confusion as we walked away.

    ¡°How far do we need to go?¡± she asked cautiously.

    ¡°Out of sight of everyone, and probably then some,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about? You¡¯re scaring me,¡± she said with a tremor in her voice.

    I stopped and took a breath. Shit, I¡¯d kinda just burst into the scene hadn¡¯t I? She was probably imagining some worst case scenario right now. Well, there was always a fun way to make her feel better. I reached up on my tip toes and threw my arms around her neck, getting myself level with her face. I gently brushed her nose with mine, then leaned in to give her a little kiss.

    ¡°Nothing you¡¯ve done wrong Karen,¡± I said soothingly.

    With a little breathy laugh she said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Now follow?¡± I asked, my tone much more gentle now.

    ¡°Lead the way little ma¡¯am,¡± she said, her tone much lighter now.

    I did so, taking her around the back of the cabin and then motioning for her to sit with her back to the outer wall.

    Once we were both sitting, I began to explain in a rush of words, ¡°Jeremy just tried to tell me that I need to dump you and go out with him because he has feelings for me. He thinks he has some sort of right to me or something I don¡¯t know, the whole thing was fucked. It makes me so fucking mad! He didn¡¯t even see a problem with the fact I am a lesbian and and already in a relationship. Both of those things would make me say no, but he just went full idiot and ignored it like it was a mere speedbump.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, what? Okay, um¡­ explain from the start?¡± Karen frowned.

    I did so, giving her a blow by blow of my friends idiocy and -if we¡¯re being frank- betrayal. When I was done, she was scowling at the dirt in front of us. She didn¡¯t speak for a while, simply gouging at the ground with her boots. It was pretty clear she was angry.

    ¡°Syl, guys are fucking dumb,¡± she said finally, ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a lot of good ones, but it¡¯s hard to tell until they go and do something like that. I guess I should say welcome to girlhood, again¡­ because that type of thing will keep happening regardless of your relationship status or lesbianism. You act nice to a guy, thinking you¡¯ve gotten a great new friend, but on their side it looks like you¡¯ve been leading them on. They think your kindness was flirting or something, and then when that misunderstanding comes into the light¡­ boom, fireworks and drama.¡±

    I sighed in resignation, ¡°It sucks. I thought he was my friend¡­ why would he do something like this?¡±

    ¡°Because people do dumb shit when they¡¯re crushing on people Syl. Girls are probably just as dumb in their own way, but I haven¡¯t seen how that works yet¡­¡± she sighed, ¡°He¡¯ll probably be your friend again, you just have to distance yourself from him long enough for his crush on you to fade.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to do that! I want my friend back! I want to be silly and joke and laugh and have him do that intuitive thing where he breaks a tense mood or subtly pushes things so they turn out better!¡± I exclaimed, collapsing onto her and nestling myself into her neck.

    ¡°Like I said, these things happen more often than you think with guys. They¡¯re supposed to be super forward like that, at least according to society. That means you end up with a bunch of guys being confused when it doesn¡¯t work. I¡¯ve lost a lot of friends ¡®cos to crap like this. You just have to play it cool though and he¡¯ll come to his senses,¡± she soothed, scratching the back of my head.

    I grunted in annoyance and settled into her more comfortably, allowing her to sooth my problems away. Reaching around me, she put a protective arm across my shoulders and sighed happily.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you came into my life Syl,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re the first relationship I¡¯ve been in where I didn¡¯t feel grossed out and uncomfortable,¡± she said quietly, her face nestled into my hair.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s why huh? The whole being a lesbian thing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Turns out I was dating the wrong people,¡± she chuckled sadly.

    I gave her a squeeze and kissed her neck saying, ¡°Well now you have the right person.¡±

    ¡°Now I have the right person,¡± she echoed, pulling me tighter into our embrace.

    ¡°Should we go out and talk to the others now?¡± I asked after a long moment had passed.

    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m not going to let you get anywhere further than a meter away from me. I wanna hug you as much as possible,¡± she grinned.

    ¡°Deal!¡± I laughed.

    <center>****</center>

    Back at the bonfire, which was now burning brightly as the day began its march into the afternoon, we found the healer of the other party busily at work. She was preparing a multitude of dishes using the meat we¡¯d scored from the battle in the morning. There were also root vegetables being prepared in some way I didn¡¯t understand, and wild herbs had been gathered to season the many dishes.

    Approaching the group, I saw Col standing on the other side talking to Dana. We made eye contact and I frowned, pulling myself closer against Karen and looking away. I didn¡¯t want to deal with that right now.

    Alexia saw us arrive and grinned, ¡°Aha! I knew my gaydar wasn¡¯t off with you two!¡±

    ¡°Gaydar?¡± Karen asked at the same time as I went bright red and choked on my own saliva.

    Alexia laughed, ¡°Adorable. So you are all kids then?¡±

    ¡°Um yeah, we all go to the same school,¡± Karen nodded.

    ¡°Nice, we¡¯re all uni students or older, so yeah we¡¯ll try to do the whole, not be weird around the kids thing,¡± she said.

    ¡°Cool, but¡­ what do you mean Gaydar?¡± Karen asked, going back to the word she hadn¡¯t understood.

    Looking up at her I explained quietly, ¡°It¡¯s like this weird thing where gay people can tell if another person is gay or not, like intuitively or something.¡±

    I was still pretty nervous around these people. They were all so confident in themselves compared to my nervous wreck of a mind.

    ¡°Ohhh yeah, I think I¡¯ve heard of that actually,¡± Karen nodded.

    ¡°Yup, the tiny shy one is right,¡± Alexia confirmed.

    Xero, the big demon chick with the mace piped up, ¡°I dunno, I¡¯m bi and people always seem to read me as straight. I¡¯m like a thin lanky butch in real life and I always get girls thinking I¡¯m not hitting on them. Pain in the ass.¡±

    ¡°How is there so many queer people here?¡± I asked, shaking my head at the oddity of it all.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯ll find this happening more often than not,¡± Alexia laughed, ¡°It¡¯s just a thing, we always find each other.¡±

    ¡°Riiight,¡± I mumbled, processing the information I¡¯d gotten.

    The conversation moved on, and the bear dude got into an argument with Xero about something coding related regarding a course they were both taking.

    I felt Karen lean down towards me, and I turned my head up to see what she wanted. Our faces were close, and I was once again enthralled by her slightly open perfect lips.

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    ¡°Syl, can I kiss you?¡± she asked, her voice low and breathy.

    I leaned up a little, parting my lips expectantly and looking into her eyes. The eyes of the person who was my girlfriend¡­ my girlfriend! That word sent shivers of happiness through me. She was incredible. We¡¯d only known each other for a short time, but she was already keyed into my idiosyncrasies like we¡¯d been friends for years.

    Her quiet caring eyes closed, and I felt her lips press lightly into mine. It was a small, short kiss by our standards so far, but it carried meaning. It wasn¡¯t desperate with the need to be closer, it was a gentle caring thing that conveyed a world of meaning behind it.

    When we parted, her face wore a small precious smile and here eyes were glossy with moisture. She didn¡¯t say anything, just pulled me tight to her chest and held me like that. Oh this was so nice. We sat down on a log that had been dragged over for the purpose, then reassumed our embrace. Sitting there among friends and people all talking and getting to know each other over lunch, we held tight to one another, ignoring the socialising that was going on.

    It was like my soul was being filled with a fuel I didn¡¯t know I needed or was running low on. It was wonderful.

    ¡°You two are awfully snuggly for this time of day,¡± Dana remarked, walking over and sitting nearby.

    I grumbled and squeezed tighter to Karen. Leave our happy bubble alone Dana!

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Karen said softly.

    ¡°So Col¡­ he told me what happened¡­¡± Dana said, trailing off.

    ¡°Oh really, what did he say,¡± I said, laughing bitterly.

    ¡°That you were coming onto him and then when he tried to take it further you turned him down,¡± she said mildly.

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Karen blurted angrily, ¡°The little shit came at her all but demanding she drop our relationship and turn straight for him. What a fucking slimy little weasel.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, I get it, I get it,¡± Dana said, her eyes wide with a tinge of fear.

    ¡°Do you? He¡¯s kind of being an idiot right now¡­¡± Karen grumbled.

    I sighed and leaned out of the embrace to look at Dana, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Sorry Dana, but I¡¯m just going to avoid him for a bit alright?¡±

    ¡°But our group! This type of thing sucks! We can¡¯t just-¡± Dana started, before I cut her off with a slash of my hand.

    ¡°Dana! Why are you talking to me about this? He¡¯s the asshole who tried to tell his lesbian friend in a relationship that he should drop all of that to be with him. It¡¯s his problem to fucking deal with, not mine!¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°Right¡­ Right. Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I just figured maybe since you¡¯re the one who¡¯s being a bit more sane about this that we might be able to figure something out,¡± Dana sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the job of any of us to clean up his mess for him. Let him deal with his own fuck up,¡± Karen said, a bit more calm now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want our friend group to splinter though,¡± she said sadly.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine Dana,¡± I said, reaching out to pat her arm in what I hoped was a soothing manner.

    ¡°Yeah I guess. I¡¯m going to go and find Amra¡­ I think I need her right now,¡± she sighed, getting up and walking off.

    Karen and I spent the rest of the lunch talking softly between us and eating the food as it became ready. Our new friends were grateful to have a place to recuperate and plan their next move against the blackfeathers.

    When lunch ended, Karen and I decided to log off early to avoid more awkwardness and get some proper sleep in our Earthbound bodies. They were supposed to get sleep while we played, but you could still feel a slight drain if you didn¡¯t get real sleep.

    We shared a last heartfelt kiss, then logged off.

    <center>****</center>

    When I got back to Earth, I pulled the now much more mysterious headset off my head and placed it on my bedside table, then rested back onto my pillow. What a session. Drama, battle and romance. Maybe I should let HBO know about our adventures? I grinned at the thought of some cute actress playing my neurotic anxious ass. I didn¡¯t notice when sleep slipped up and dragged me down into oblivion

    Except, it didn¡¯t... my stomach lurched, the air around me splitting and crackling with an energy I recognised with a startled cry. This was Feslia! My goddess? What was happening? Above my bed, the air wobbled, ripples of nothing spreading out above me into a perfect circle.

    All at once, the circle of rippling nothing above be shattered into a million tiny shards of reality, shining with wild possibility. The shards raced rapidly to the edge of what had been a circle, drawing a hole in space above me as the moved to border it in a swirling river of mind mending glass.

    Tendrils of blue and gold energy shot through, wrapping around me and yanking me through the hole in space above me.

    When I reappeared, it was within a scene from the wildest nightmares of hells deepest residents. Stretching from horizon to horizon was a mass of dark roiling fog that rose up too far for the eye to see. It was as though something was holding an ocean of the stuff at bay, and we were stood on the floor of that ocean.

    What we actually stood on was an island, one of many in an archipelago that stretched for many miles. I was startled out of my awe by something slamming into the ground next to me, throwing me several meters to the side. I cried out in pain as my body impacted the blasted slag that the island was made out of. It was as though the place had been torched in the fires of a star.

    ¡°Sylanna!¡± I heard a voice cry out, and I identified it as the voice of my Deity.

    I blinked, my eyes struggling to focus on the strange thing looming over me. Until it roared that is, and I felt adrenaline surge through me as I beheld the terrifying visage above me.

    It stood well over ten feet tall on two legs that were more akin to spikes than anything else. The calves ending in a point rather than a foot. Further up, its body was thin, wide hips and a thin waist rising up to meet impossibly broad shoulders. It¡¯s head was vaguely shaped like a human head, but it was featureless, apart from a large mouth filled with needle like teeth. The whole thing was made of a strange obsidian glass that moved organically like flesh.

    It regarded me with it¡¯s faceless gaze for a moment, then raised a bladed arm and jerked it down towards me with brutal speed. I was faster though, a shield of energy forming around my forearm that blocked its attack. Before either myself or my terrifying enemy could make a move next, a blue and gold gauntleted fist impacted the creature¡¯s side, causing it to all but disappear in a cloud of glass chips as it disintegrated under the blow.

    I looked up into the eyes of Feslia, my savior. Except... she was different, clad in sky blue armour that burned with a golden light along the edges. Her gauntlets were exceptionally large, and obviously made for the job of beating down on evil creatures like the one she¡¯d just pulverised.

    ¡°Sorry for the rather rude interruption my little priestess, but I have need of you. Will you help me?¡± she asked, lowering a hand to help me up.

    As my hand closed around one large finger on her gauntlet, I felt energy surge through me, healing the damage my short flight had inflicted on my body.

    ¡°S-sure¡­ um, help with what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That,¡± she said simply, pointing down the slope of charred and blasted landscape towards the wall of dark fog.

    The only reaction I could manage as I took in the scene was one of gasping panic, mixed with a tiny sliver of growing excitement.

    ¡°My¡­ my goddess, what the fuck have you just dragged me into?¡± I said, a panicked laugh escaping unbidden from my lips.

 28: When all the heroes fall

    ¡°The real battle,¡± Feslia stated in reply to my question.

    ¡°Uhhh,¡± I frowned, looking up at her.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know much about who they are, or what they want, or why they wish to crush everything we oversee, but we must fight them nevertheless. This world used to be a lot bigger until they arrived. There were so many more landmasses and cultures on this world. It took everything we have to rebuff them the first time. They stayed silent behind their wall of fog after that¡­ but something has caused them to wake again,¡± she explained, a sombre expression on her face.

    I didn¡¯t respond straight away, taking the time instead to get a good look at the battle raging before us. It seemed like the landmass we were standing on grew into something larger, but it was obscured by fog before I could be sure.

    The blasted landscape was roiling with the undulating mass of the battle. Large beings that exuded power in much the same way that Feslia did crashed through the surging ranks of their corrupted foes. It seemed as though an ocean of hellish geometrically twisted beasts poured out of the fog in a never ending stream. They boiled over the top of each other in their fervor to reach the gods they fought.

    The gods were startling. Each was unique, their colours, weapons and even their race were all different. Many held humanoid forms, but many did not. I saw huge armoured lizards fighting alongside a flaming golden bird that reminded me of a phoenix.

    ¡°What do you need me for? This is like, way above my level¡­ and I¡¯m here with my Earth body¡­¡± I said uncertainly glancing up at my goddess.

    ¡°Your Earth body?¡± she gasped, her eyes going wide, ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°Will¡­ what happens if I¡¯m here in my Earth body?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°If you die, you will not be caught by the spell that we maintain across this world,¡± she stated, and it may have been my imagination, but it looked like her face had gone slightly paler.

    ¡°That means¡­ I¡¯ll just die? For good?¡± I asked fearfully.

    ¡°Yes. I had¡­ I had banked on using our worldwide spell to send you back where you came,¡± she grimaced.

    ¡°Wait so, I¡¯m stuck?¡± I blurted in alarm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough energy for another one of those portals. I had thought¡­ you were within our spell when I had last checked, using your Pellan body¡­ Logged in as you say,¡± she said worriedly.

    ¡°I just logged out, I have school¡­¡± I winced, kicking the ground with a foot.

    ¡°You do not seem as worried as I thought you¡¯d be Sylanna,¡± Feslia observed with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°I dunno, like¡­ this just doesn¡¯t seem as scary as just a normal crowd of people. If they were all people talking and partying who expected me to do the same and be all¡­ extroverted, I¡¯d be terrified. But them? I can set those creepy things on fire,¡± I said, thinking through my reasons for my fearlessness as I spoke.

    Feslia watched me for awhile, a small smile on her lips before she finally spoke, ¡°You are a unique young woman Sylanna Walker. I think I picked rather well when I offered you the priestess¡¯s mantle.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help blushing, a stupid grin on my face that I hid by studying my feet. I was on Pellan, in my real body¡­ and it felt no different. I looked down at the battle raging before us and tried to feel more than a moderate level of fear over potential death. Dying would suck, for sure. There were so many things I¡¯d like to do with my life, especially now that I was Sylanna. No piercing panic roared through me like when all my normal triggers set my panic off. On the contrary¡­ this was kind of exciting!

    ¡°If you give me armour, I will go and bash them for you¡­ I assume that¡¯s what you wanted?¡± I asked, turning up to my apprehensive goddess.

    ¡°Oh, no¡­ I do not want you to join the main fray my little priestess. I would not wish that on you,¡± she said, and I deflated slightly in disappointment before she continued, ¡°I want you to go and talk to them.¡±

    I followed her outstretched hand into the sea of fractal abominations and gasped. What the fuck?

    A tight circle of order stood defiant within the mass of screaming twisted monsters. It was hard to tell from this distance, but it seemed as though the circle was formed by a ring of twelve large knights in purple, black and gold armour. Among them were more normal sized figures who stood with just as much imperiousness as the large knights that were their bulwark. Piles of dead monsters rose up around their circle like an earthen berm.

    ¡°What on Earth?¡± I asked, baffled.

    ¡°Pellan dear, you¡¯re on Pellan,¡± Feslia smiled, ¡°But as for who they are, that is something I would like to know. They tore a portal in the air some four hours ago, appearing right in the middle of that mess and have been fighting ever since.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk to them?¡± I inquired with a tilt of my head.

    ¡°Because one of those that fight within that circle has an essence that reminds me of your lover. I figured with that connection you might be the best bet to make contact,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Wait, Karen¡¯s down there?¡± I squeaked, panic surging through me for the first time since I arrived.

    ¡°No, but someone¡­ connected to her in some way, I don¡¯t know anymore than that,¡± she shrugged.

    I breathed slowly, controlling myself before I spoke. That had been terrifying. I was about to rush off down there and try and kill every scary creature that might hurt her. Or help her kill them. I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°Okay¡­ so you want me to like, skate over there?¡± I asked, biting my lip in thought.

    ¡°If you could. Be as careful as you can though, I don¡¯t want you being hurt,¡± she told me worriedly.

    ¡°Yeah nah it¡¯s fine ay, I¡¯ll be all good,¡± I grinned cockily.

    Feslia laughed and made shooing motions. Right, time to go play ambassador.

    I skipped up into the air on footsteps of light and started to spiral up, gaining altitude with each turn. I wanted to be way out of reach of the battle, with its explosions and crackling magic. The gods were awe inspiring in the way they fought. Although each one fought as an individual, they were so effective that they held the tide at bay.

    Once I had enough height, I moved down towards the battle, eyeing my target for a way to approach them. A few of the more enthusiastic monsters below tried to use whatever ranged weaponry they had to try and bring me down, but nothing came close to hitting me.

    I was even more confused and impressed when I got a good look at how the people in the island of calm were keeping it that way. Because I was constantly on the watch for projectiles, I noticed their solution to that problem as I skated closer through the air. The knights had several guns mounted on their shoulders, or at least they looked like guns. Each gun was moving fast, like a sparrow watching for prey it zipped from one position to another, firing little beams of light that made a cracking sound as they superheated the air between them and their target. Each blast would hit one of the strange bolts that some of the creatures were capable of firing.

    Each knight wielded tri-barrelled rotating cannons on each arm that shot repeating blasts of grapeshot. Except the grapeshot was made of light and exploded on contact with whatever it hit. A sweep of their arm would bring a violent end to dozens of the creatures that assaulted their bastion of calm. Every now and then one of the creatures would sneak up close, only for one of the other warriors to step in and end them.

    Now that I was close, I could see what the individuals who supported the knights actually looked like. They wore overcoats in the same colours as the knights, plates of armour protecting arms, shoulders and legs. The surprise came when I saw a few that were tiny. Shorter even than I was, these small humanoid warriors were nevertheless just as destructive as their taller more average height companions. The overcoated fighters used many different types of weapons, one even wielding an enormous mace like it was made of foam.

    I saw one smaller darting abomination slip between the cannons of the knights and leap at one of the supporting warriors, only to be blasted out of the air as the woman raised what could only be a very large pistol. The gun spat a bolt of inky darkness spotted with bright stars of light. The bolt hit the sinuous awful creature in the face, disintegrating it from head to tail as it travelled down its twisted spine. When it was done, only small scraps of warped flesh fell to the ground.

    Wow, okay¡­ these people knew what they were doing. I circled in the air and watched them fight for a while. One of the tiny members of their party casually cast something into the air and I watched with rapt attention as blades of air streaked out towards their enemies. Another was darting in and out of the fray with knives flashing. They moved with terrifying speed, always just an inch ahead of slashing claws that could have ended them.

    It was in that moment that I felt my stomach lurch and I began to fall towards the sea of terrifying monstrosities. I had forgotten about my mana! Shit! Shit shit shit! I screamed as I fell tumbling through the air. I¡¯d kept my momentum thank Feslia, and I saw myself coming moderately closer to the circle of safety.

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    I was all but sure I would die here, plummeting to my death, when I felt soft feathery hands wrap around me. I couldn¡¯t see who or what had caught me because they had me from the back, but I could see two powerful wings beating the air as we descended gently to the ground in the center of the purple accented warriors.

    When I was placed gingerly on the ground, I turned quickly to get a look at my saviour and found myself gasping in surprise.

    ¡°You!¡± I squeaked.

    ¡°Me?¡± the beautifully feathered dragon asked, her dark feathers sparkling with starlight.

    ¡°You saved my party and I from a big stone golem thing like a few days ago or something,¡± I explained, still inspecting the beautiful creature in amazement.

    ¡°No shit. What are you doing here?¡± she smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m-¡± I started, only to be cut off by a cry from nearby.

    ¡°Nia! Problem!¡± a gruff male voice called.

    What¡­ Nia? Where had I heard that name before?

    The dragon¡¯s form seemed to shift as she looked over at the person calling her name. Her form turned into that of pure amorphous starlight for a moment, then back into the shape of the woman I had seen with the pistol earlier. Her hair was long and luxurious. It had the same strange quality her feathers had sported, the base colour being the colour of a dark nebula, while little dots of starlight sparkled throughout. Her eyes were the same, with a barely perceptible pupil within the center.

    She turned towards the call and shouted, ¡°What is it Farden?¡±

    ¡°One of those things!¡± the man named Farden called back.

    ¡°Those things? What do you¡­¡± she frowned, then her eyes went wide and she trailed off.

    I followed her gaze and felt the blood in my face drain as I beheld the cause of all the alarm. A roughly humanoid creature hoisted itself atop the pile of enemy corpses like a king mounting the steps to his throne. It seemed as though the thing was made of dark smokey glass, like wood smoke frozen in time. The skin of the awful being was constantly reconfiguring in wild geometric patterns that seemed to defy the third dimension with every mind wrenching curve.

    It¡¯s terrible impossible eyes locked on Nia and I with a grin that revealed a hidden mouth full of tombstone teeth, ¡°Ah, two shards in one place! But you are not yet ready. Disappointing!¡±

    It¡¯s voice was multilayered, like a chorus that was out of sync slightly. I felt a deep shudder in my bones.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Nia said almost casually, ¡°Farden, open a portal! We¡¯re getting out of here right now!¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± he agreed, stepping to the middle of the group. He reached out a hand, and I noticed some sort of device on his arm light up. Reaching out almost reverently, he lifted an arm straight out from his body. His index finger paused for a moment, then tapped lightly on the air. Ripples spread out in a circle, and I realised it was the same effect as the one that had brought me here.

    When the ripples had formed a circle roughly four meters in diameter, he drew back his hand and formed a fist, then drove it forward into the rippling space before him. Reality shattered like glass, the shards moving to form the edges of the portal, just as they had in my bedroom. Through the portal I saw something awe inspiring. A colossal structure made of a light grey stone rose into the sky past the view the portal gave me. It was bedecked in huge purple black and gold banners with a single orchid motif in the middle.

    I didn¡¯t have time to get a better look before I was distracted by Nia bellowing orders, ¡°Form up for portal extraction! Orderly now! We¡¯re getting out of here before that thing gets down that pile of corpses!¡±

    A chorus of ¡°Yes Captain,¡± and ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am!¡± cried came back, and she nodded in satisfaction.

    Turning to me she pointed through the portal, ¡°Through there please, I¡¯d like to talk to you some more but now is not the-¡±

    She was interrupted by an explosion knocking us both to the ground. I lay on the ground in a daze, and distantly heard Nia shouting for everyone to get through the portal. My head was ringing from the impact and I had to blink several times just to clear my vision.

    ¡°Yes! Scurry about you pathetic little creatures! I will have you all!¡± the terrible creature laughed in the distance, ¡°Keep the portal open will you? I¡¯d like a chance at that beloved Bastion of yours.¡±

    Struggling to my knees, I looked around and saw that Nia and myself were some of the last ones on this side, most of her team was standing on the other side and firing a hail of death through to cover us.

    ¡°Come on girl, lets get through this portal before shit goes real fucking wrong,¡± Nia said urgently, lifting me by the armpit to my feet.

    We struggled together towards the portal, dodging crackling shards of strange geometry as we ran. We were almost to the portal when a stray enemy projectile skipped off the ground and through the portal, striking Farden in the arm and shattering the device he had used to open the portal. The last I saw through that portal was Farden looking up in shock from the device, meeting Nia¡¯s eyes with an expression that said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± With an awful screech akin to protesting metal, the portal collapsed in on itself, the shards of reality tumbling chaotically back into place.

    We lurched through the space that had only just previously been occupied by the portal, then slowed to a disbelieving halt. Oh no.

    ¡°Nia?¡± I asked, almost begging for this seemingly strong woman to get us out of this.

    ¡°Shit,¡± she muttered, looking around us.

    There weren¡¯t many of us left on this side, only a single knight and two others were fighting desperately. My breathing caught as I watched the knight forced to one knee, its arm torn off by some strange reality defying horror. The arm was entirely mechanical, and the other one rose in defiance, the scatter cannon droning a staccato rhythm of death. Another creature latched onto the still functioning arm and turned it towards the ground where it chewed the ground up in a riot of explosive discharges.

    The knight finally fell to the ground, and the chest opened up, revealing one of the four foot tall creatures. She leapt from her ruined armour and drew a pistol, blasting shot after shot into the enemy.

    Time to stop being an innocent bystander! I sent a tangle of blue and gold threads out to the brave little warrior, then leapt through the air. I marked the few allies we had left as friendlies to my abilities, then spun in the air and crashed down to the earth. A wave of flame rushed out from the impact as I activated my ability. The creatures around us recoiled momentarily as they were burned, but ultimately my acrobatics had little effect. They were much too powerful.

    A scream of inhuman rage alerted me of an incoming enemy from the side, and I whirled just in time to slam a gauntleted fist crackling with lightning into the side of an outstretched toothy maw. I sent an explosive shard of light into my tumbling foe, then turned back to the rest.

    I fought beside my small fluffy companion, for only a few moments before she was all but disintegrated by a bolt of twisted and bent reality. I stood in shock for a moment, staring at the space she had occupied. I felt a sick feeling in my stomach when I realised she had been real, and she wouldn¡¯t be respawning. This wasn¡¯t a game. I looked up to see what had done this and found my eyes captured by the disturbing gaze of that awful creature with the shifting skin.

    It reached down, hands curling around my waist while I was held still by its aura of fear. That terrible grin rippled open on its flat plane of a face and I felt my heart beating an awful intense beat of terror.

    ¡°I wonder¡­ what would happen if I tore you from this reality before you were ripe,¡± it mused.

    Being in its grip was disturbing, the skin of its fingers shifting and moving in a way that made my own skin crawl.

    ¡°W-what are you?¡± I choked out, asking the single burning question that had been on my mind since I had seen it.

    ¡°What am I? Good question. I was created as a weapon by an arrogant and insane man of your own race¡­ but I am so much more now. I am everything, I am a true god. I will reshape all. I will end all,¡± it grinned, the many voices that made up its words shifting from tone to tone randomly.

    ¡°You¡¯re fuckin¡¯ dead is what you are, you creepy cunt,¡± Nia growled, rising up behind it in her dragon form.

    A blade made entirely of nebulous void and sharp starlight descended into the terrible creature¡¯s neck with viscious speed. Its skin popped like a soap bubble in slow motion, pieces of it spinning out through the air. The center of the creature imploded, then exploded, and I was caught up in its waves. The scene around us shifted to a kaleidoscope of shifting glass and I blacked out, my last sensation being that of feathered arms closing around me.

 29: A sky full of colours

    I wasn¡¯t unconscious for long, maybe a second or two, but when I opened my eyes again I was in a thoroughly different place. The space around us was terrifying in its strangeness. It was difficult to describe, as it kept changing in large and more subtle ways. It was like a kaleidoscope of glass that shimmered and fractured from moment to moment. Additionally, there was spinning fragments of glass around us like scattered confetti floating on a hidden breeze.

    Each of these little shards of glass held flickering images. A woman made of glowing magma in one image, and a scared girl clutching a set of drums in another. It wasn¡¯t until we drifted near one that held two arguing women in what appeared to be some broken futuristic corridor that I realised the broken bits of glass were way bigger than I¡¯d thought.

    A squeak brought my attention closer to my body, and I looked down to see Nia in a very small version of her dragon form clutching at huge baggy old guy shirt I was wearing. She was watching our surroundings like a hawk, her huge eyes darting about with the look a cat has when it¡¯s on alert.

    ¡°Nia?¡± I asked with a croak.

    My voice echoed strangely in this space, both muted and somehow reverberating across the place. It was eerie, and it made my anxiety skyrocket.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here,¡± she said softly, her voice warped in the same way mine had.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ but where is here?¡± I asked as quietly as I could.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I can¡¯t shift my form here. My magic is all whacked. I think that thing I stabbed broke my body weave because all my usual protections are down,¡± she told me, speaking in a fast and nervous whisper.

    ¡°What are you talking about? Sorry I don¡¯t really understand magic at al-¡± I started, but I was interrupted by a sharp crack, then a shuddering boom.

    The whole strange reality we were in flickered for a moment, as though I had blinked even though I definitely hadn¡¯t blinked. I think. It¡¯s really hard to tell with blinking you know? Sometimes I give myself a fright by blinking and not realising it was a blink, and then the world goes dark for a split second and I¡¯m like wait what was that? Anyway, that¡¯s what it was like.

    In the distance we both saw a spot on the shifting horizon. It was strange, a spot of rioting changing colour in a reality made of spinning glass. That spot rippled, then erupted in flickering changing colours. A wave of it crashed through the void, and every time it impacted one of the free floating pieces of broken glass, it sent it spinning off at odd angles. As the shards of glass spun this way and that, they were also infused with the strange multihued energy of the wave. I watched those pieces of glass flash one by one with white light as the colourful energy settled into them like a pet getting comfortable on its person¡¯s lap.

    Something shot out of the spot where the wave had originated, a dark shifting bolt of glass that seemed to be coming straight at us. Pieces of it were cracking off as though the thing were a dark comet entering the corona of the sun. Before it could hit us, it impacted a shard that showed the image of an incredibly advanced and bustling metropolis. I saw strange creatures, some of them looking alarmingly similar to Nia¡¯s dragon form run in fear as it impacted their world, and then the shard was gone, spinning off into the void.

    ¡°That was the one we came from¡­¡± Nia whispered in awe, ¡°But... but it¡­ the city¡­ it was whole and unbroken. I¡¯ve never seen a builder city that wasn¡¯t broken before¡­¡±

    ¡°It looked like the thing you stabbed,¡± I commented in the same hushed tone.

    ¡°Yeah it did, it looked like all those creepy glass bastards,¡± she nodded.

    ¡°Another wave just happened,¡± Nia blurted, and I looked back at the spot to see she was right. Another wave had exploded out from the originating spot on the horizon.

    The advancing wall of colour finally reached us, sending us spinning and careening through the void, but it didn¡¯t affect us like it had the shards of glass with the images in them. As it had passed us, I could have sworn for a moment that I¡¯d seen a woman in some sort of toga thing riding in a bubble. It had been for only a moment, but I was sure I¡¯d seen her.

    We had gained a lot of speed as the wave passed us, and a slight spin that brought something into view. We were speeding towards a shard of glass now, and I saw the first wave hit it and cause it to light up in multihued brilliance before flashing with a blinding white light. The impact of the wave sent it speeding towards us, and I watched with wide eyes as it loomed closer. It didn¡¯t seem like it was going to hit us, but it was going to be a near thing.

    The second wave crashed through and past us at that moment, and suddenly our trajectory had changed. We weren¡¯t going to miss the shard now, there was no way we could!

    ¡°Shit! A third wave is coming!¡± Nia squeaked in alarm as she looked over my shoulder.

    The next wave didn¡¯t have time to reach us before the shard loomed closer, engulfing our view into the void for almost a hundred and eighty degrees. It was how I imagined landing on a planet, it seemed small at first, but as you approached it grew and grew in your vision until that was all you could see. I closed my eyes at the last second with a chirp of fear.

    I felt the moment of impact, but it was unlike anything I¡¯d expected. The impact was like falling a foot onto concrete. Blinking, I opened my eyes to discover that we had in fact landed on concrete. What the hell?

    ¡°Nia?¡± I asked with a pained moan.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m here, but you¡¯re on my tail,¡± she grumbled, and I quickly rolled over to let her up.

    When I turned over, I looked up into a very normal seeming light polluted sky of a city. What on earth? Where had we ended up? My mind was spinning as I tried to figure out what had just happened to us.

    ¡°What the fuck are we doing in New York?¡± Nia asked incredulously.

    ¡°How do you know what New York looks like?¡± I blurted.

    Seriously! She¡¯s from like, Pellan right? Crazy fantasy land? How could she possibly know what New York looks like?

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here before? I grew up in New Zealand after all,¡± Nia¡¯s little feathered shoulders shrugged, ¡°Now I¡¯m gonna try and get back into human form. Being small like this is fun, but it can be a pain in the ass.¡±

    Her form dissipated into a swirling starscape, then reformed into her human form.

    ¡°You grew up¡­ in New Zealand,¡± I said slowly as pieces connected in my mind.

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s what I said,¡± she smiled down at me, then offered a hand to help me stand up.

    Nia isn¡¯t a common name right¡­ should I ask? I¡¯m gonna ask.

    I took a deep breath and posed the question in my mind, ¡°Do you¡­ do you know um¡­ a girl named Karen? Cos I know one and she had a sister called Nia.¡±

    Nia¡¯s expression dropped and she looked away, her eyes closed tight. Her whole body slumped and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

    When she finally spoke again, she nodded, ¡°Yeah. I had a sister named Karen.¡±

    ¡°You still do,¡± I told her gently, standing up on my own and moving towards her.

    She turned towards me, surprise on her face, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well like, I know this really cool chick called Karen. She plays soccer and stuff. She¡¯s a year above me at Wellington Combined College¡­ and I¡¯m kinda dating her. She talks about her really cool trans sister named Nia from her childhood. Ten years ago she and an entire lecture hall of people just went poof and vanished. No one knew what happened,¡± I explained carefully.

    Nia wobbled as though she¡¯d been struck, and her half shot out in reflex. I glaive coalesced out of starlight and she used it for support, leaning on the pole portion of the weapon.

    ¡°Say again?¡± she gulped.

    ¡°Karen is alive and kicking Nia¡­ she misses you. She talks about how much she loved you sometimes. Mostly she¡¯s upset over you not being in her live anymore. You should see how pissed off she gets when your parents misgender you when they talk about you,¡± I said stepping forward and taking the taller woman¡¯s hand.

    ¡°They still do that huh? I¡¯m not really surprised¡­ but I am definitely surprised she hasn¡¯t been brainwashed by them. And she¡¯s a lesbian? Wow mum must have flipped her lid!¡± Nia grimaced.

    I nodded, ¡°She did kinda, but Karen isn¡¯t out to anyone but our friends yet. There was this thing where a rumour got around school and your mum found it. It turned into this whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­ I wish I¡¯d been there to help her,¡± Nia sighed.

    ¡°Maybe we can get you back to New Zealand with me? Then you can see her again!¡± I said excitedly.

    Karen would be so happy to see Nia again, and the thought of her happiness made me happy too.

    ¡°We can certainly try, although we¡¯d need some stuff first. My portal gauntlet is out of power and I doubt there will be any power crystals just laying around in the outskirts of New York,¡± she said thoughtfully.

    Yes! She¡¯d broken out of her sadness over Karen!

    I was about to ask what our plan was, when we heard large wingbeats nearby, which was weird considering we were on normal boring Earth, then a high cute voice complaining.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°You know, every time you carry me like this I get the heeby jeebies! There¡¯s just something not right about not flying under my own power!¡± the voice complained.

    ¡°Your stupid jet things are way too loud, and plus it was your damn idea to come to New York in the first place! Penrith was nice and warm this week too which is hella rare,¡± another huskier voice retorted.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s just fucking weird,¡± whispered Nia, ¡°We¡¯re in New York and there¡¯s another New Zealand accent?¡±

    The first voice piped up again, this time in a quieter tone, ¡°Wait! I heard someone speak!¡±

    How in the hell had she heard Nia talk? I¡¯d barely been able to hear it myself! Who were these people? I tried to get a look through the darkness and around the air conditioning boxes at whoever had landed on our building. It seemed to be about ten stories or so high and otherwise fairly bland. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was used for from on top of it.

    Nia moved in front of me and spun her glaive in her hand and somehow the action turned it into her pistol that I¡¯d seen during the battle. She aimed it at the source of the shuffling and squinted into the darkness.

    ¡°Anyone there?¡± a voice called, ¡°Helloooo? We won¡¯t bite! Well, Vulptrix might when she¡¯s got the zoomies but I¡¯ll use the spray bottle on her to fix that.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t tell them that Nightbinder! I have a reputation to uphold! That¡¯s super rude,¡± the voice named Vulptrix complained.

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for nipping me this morning. Just because you woke up in a strange place doesn¡¯t give you the right to go and tear up the furniture,¡± the voice named Nightbinder chuckled.

    What in the hell? Who were these people? Zoomies? Like a dog or something?

    One came into view first and immediately raised her hands when she saw Nia pointing the gun at her. She was impressive looking, and the exact opposite of what you¡¯d expect to find wandering around on Earth. She had six huge dark wings that were folded neatly against her back, and hair to match it. The tips of every feather and strand of long curly hair glowed a subtle violet that was like really pretty.

    She was wearing a form fitting black leather outfit that seemed way too perfect and I questioned how she¡¯d gotten into it. Lots of wriggling I guess. That would be funny to see. And dirty! No! Naughty teenage hormones! Bad Syl! I blinked that image away just as another girl came into view.

    She was shorter than her companion and so so so cute! She was wearing a hoodie that had holes in the hood to allow her two huge fluffy orange fox ears to stick out the top. The ears were pointed forward at attention, trained on Nia and alert for anything they might hear. Her hoodie was too big for her, but underneath I could see she wore a bodysuit of some kind too. This one was different, made out of carbon fiber and matte black metal that seemed to weave and interlock together. Behind her swished the biggest fluffiest fox tail I¡¯d ever seen, and I was almost overcome by the need to rush over and pet the fluff.

    ¡°Wow alright then, that¡¯s a bit of a hostile hello,¡± Nightbinder commented with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°You¡¯re the ones intruding. Who are you and why are you here?¡± frowned Nia, her arm not wavering in the slightest.

    ¡°Well then, this is Vulptrix and I¡¯m Nightbinder. We¡¯re here because the flaky but fluffy one here said she wanted to be here,¡± the girl with the glowing violet eyes and hair said sarcastically.

    Worming her way around Nightbinder, Vulptrix frowned up at her feathered friend, ¡°Hey look, I just had a feeling alright. I had to find¡­ whoa¡­¡±

    She trailed off when she set eyes on us, her gaze flicking between both myself and Nia. Her tail had stilled and her eyes were wide.

    ¡°You¡¯re two of the girls from that vision! The one that I got when I touched the edge of that portal!¡± she exclaimed excitedly.

    ¡°Vision? What are you on about?¡± Nia frowned, still not trusting the two strangers.

    ¡°Um Nia¡­ I don¡¯t think they want to hurt us, maybe you should put the gun down?¡± I asked gently from behind her.

    Nia turned slightly to look down at me, then nodded reluctantly and placed the gun in a holster at her hip.

    ¡°Alright, gun¡¯s down. So what are you talking about?¡± Nia asked warily. She was being so confrontational. Maybe she was rattled by our little trip through weird space. I was calling it weird space now by the way, cos it was super duper weird.

    ¡°So like, months and months ago I made the dumb mistake of touching this portal thing, and then I saw a bunch of people! I saw¡­ you Nia in a ruined building throwing weird star void stuff around, and I saw you little elf girl in some sort of big fight. You blew everything up with a wave of power,¡± explained the fox girl, bouncing from foot to foot.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything like that. I¡¯m just a healer, I definitely don¡¯t have the power to blow stuff up,¡± I replied, shaking my head.

    Vulptrix shook her head right back at me, ¡°Nah it was definitely you ay. You look exactly the same, apart from your ears are heaps shorter.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all well and great girls, but what do we do with this information? Is there some skull lord off in his skull fortress that we need to defeat or what?¡± Nightbinder said, patting Vulptrix between the ears.

    ¡°H-hey stop that! I¡¯m trying to talk to p-people!¡± the fox girl grumbled, even as she made a happy noise in the back of her throat.

    Ignoring the public display of cute in front of us, Nia turned away and began tracing magical lines of power into the air, weaving them into a spell. She wore a frown on her face when she finished, staring into space in thought.

    ¡°What was that? I¡¯ve never seen a power like that before,¡± Vulptrix breathed.

    Power? Did she mean ability? Why did everything seem strange here?

    ¡°I have¡­ Mystrix Pallas does the same thing. She¡¯s one of the founders of-¡± Nightbinder started, before Vulptrix cut her off.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, the poncy superheroes tea club, I know who she is.¡±

    ¡°This place is strange, it seems almost drained of power. It¡¯s flowing back in, but¡­ this isn¡¯t right,¡± Nia muttered, ¡°There¡¯s something off about how it feels. It works the same way, but it feels like¡­ like someone bought a different brand from the supermarket. Functions the same but it feels different.¡±

    I was so confused¡­ ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The magic here feels weird,¡± she mumbled in reply, already weaving another spell.

    This one was far more complex, and I could feel the air around us become almost excited with the power she was weaving together.

    ¡°Damn, that tingles,¡± Vulptrix remarked as she watched, her bright yellow eyes shining with the light the magic was giving off.

    When the spell went off, Nia began swearing a string of curses that my parents would have scolded till the end of time. Damn girl¡­ there¡¯s little ears here! They weren¡¯t mine or Vulptrixes though¡­ gosh. Big ear club!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked timidly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not on Earth. At least, not on our Earth. This one is honestly fucking weird. It¡¯s got all sorts of strange energies and shit, and as we can see by our superhero friends here, isn¡¯t the same in other ways,¡± she explained in frustration.

    Okay¡­ so Nia was probably right when the weird glass fragment thing we flew away from was our own¡­ glass thingy? Reality? Wow this was getting more and more wild by the minute! The only thing that would make this more crazy was if¡­ I jerked my head up and took a good look around at the city.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in the right time either Nia,¡± I said softly.

    Nia followed my eyes out into the city, ¡°What do you mean? Everything looks the same?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for you¡­ ten years ago. For one thing, there¡¯s no space elevator!¡± I said excitedly pointing out into the ocean.

    ¡°Space¡­ elevator?¡± Nightbinder asked, ¡°Oh fuck are you from the future? When¡¯s the space elevator go up? Have we got FTL yet so I can get the fuck off this doomed rock and away from all the idiots!?¡±

    ¡°That is very specific, my cute feathered girlfriend,¡± Vulptrix laughed up at her.

    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Nia nodded, ¡°When does that go up?¡±

    ¡°Spoilers girls, spoilers,¡± I giggled.

    ¡°Oh that is really unfair!¡± Nightbinder complained while her apparent lover laughed at her.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be for a few years yet cutie, our tech isn¡¯t there yet,¡± the Vulptrix said gently patting her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Okay so what year is it then?¡± Nia asked the two superheroes.

    ¡°Two thousand and nineteen,¡± they replied in unison.

    ¡°Right, well that means we¡¯re like ten years too early and in the wrong damn reality to boot. This is going to give me a headache getting us home I can feel it,¡± Nia sighed.

    Just as she said that, the sky above us seemed to birth rolling billowing clouds out of nothing. The clouds rolled and spilled across the sky, filling it to bursting with their foreboding weight. Once the sky was filled horizon to horizon, they began to flash and pulse with strange multihued lights, and I was reminded of the waves of colour we¡¯d seen just a few minutes earlier. Oh gosh¡­ it was the third wave!

    Beside us, the two super girls spoke in unison once more, ¡°Ah shit! Not again!¡±

 30: Fox Angel Dragon Fae

    ¡°What do you mean again?¡± I asked, staring at the two superheroes with apprehension.

    I could feel my anxiety started to grow now. Clearly something bad was going to happen, and I was already feeling that instinct to hide under the nearest rock until it was safe.

    Neither Vulptrix nor Nightbinder had time to answer me, because the world decided that now was a great time to flash a brilliant white. Soon after the white light hit me from all angles, I was struck by crashing pain all throughout my body that drove me to the ground. Dimly I was aware that someone was groaning in pain near me, and the two other girls were swearing a little further away.

    I lay there on the ground for long moments after the pain and light had faded, just taking stock of myself with my mind. Gosh that had hurt! Felt like I¡¯d just gone for a run through head height razor grass with my arms wide. I needed to get away from the bad sky and the pain it had inflicted on me. My heartbeat was going mental and my breathing was way too fast. I knew in the back of my mind that I was about to have a panic attack, but I was powerless to stop the rest of my brain from pushing the urgent need to hide.

    I could hear people yelling in shrill voices and tensed up even more. Couldn¡¯t they please just stop? Why did they have to keep making this worse? I just wanted to calm down and whoever was around me was talking in a really scary way and I hated it so much. Stop stop stop stop. Please stop. I wanted to move, to run away and find my bed. My bed was safe. I couldn¡¯t move though! I couldn¡¯t get any part of my body to do anything. I just lay there on the cold hard rooftop and shivered.

    Dimly a voice resolved nearby, my mind finally parsing what was being said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is Nia! This is the third time in as many months that this has happened and every time it does, shit goes mental!¡±

    ¡°She was right there! She¡¯s my kid sister¡¯s girlfriend, not to mention my ticket home! I need to find her!¡± another voice said, stress vibrating every chord of her speech.

    The stress of their voices caused the smallest of whimpers to roll out of my throat unbidden.

    ¡°Wait! I heard her! Sylanna where are you? That¡¯s your name right?¡± the first voice asked, her voice softening, although it still held too much stress for my fear addled mind.

    A shuddering breath was all that escaped my lungs this time, but apparently that was all the voice I was coming to realise was Vulptrix needed.

    ¡°Shit! She¡¯s right here I can hear it!¡± she said, her hand fumbling onto my side, ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s here and invisible!¡±

    ¡°How the hell¡­?¡± Nia asked in disbelief, ¡°Her spells were all about healing and stuff when I saw her fighting just before.¡±

    Vulptrix¡¯s hands worked their way gently across me as she said, ¡°Damn she¡¯s shaking really hard. Why? Maybe it¡¯s her- No! Oh sweetie!¡±

    She stopped speaking and pulled me into an embrace that was so so warm, and added to it I felt her tail settle on top of me like a blanket. Something about her tail reconnected my terror trapped mind back to my body and I was able to put my arms around the huge fluffy tail and hug. Things started to calm down again in my mind, and I was eventually able to open my eyes and look around.

    ¡°Hey there! We lost you for a bit,¡± Vulptrix smiled down at me.

    I smiled back sheepishly and got a better bearing on my surroundings. Nightbinder was talking quietly to Nia a few meters away while I lay in the fox girl¡¯s lap.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I used to get those sometimes too. Sucks hey?¡± she smiled again.

    I nodded, still unable to use my words.

    ¡°So you got powers now. Genuine superpowers rather, instead of whatever magic you got rolling around too, so that¡¯s pretty cool too hey?¡± she asked, clearly trying to draw me back out. I was grateful though. She seemed nice.

    ¡°Yeah I guess¡­ I hope I don¡¯t have to like, panic every time I want to use them though,¡± I giggled.

    She nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Yeah that could be a problem hey.¡±

    I heard some shuffling feet, and turned my head to see the two more badass members of our group coming back. Nia had a frown creasing her brow and Nightbinder looked somewhat confused.

    ¡°So apparently these two aren¡¯t from¡­ around here,¡± Nightbinder said with a note of disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah. As in we¡¯re from a different reality. We somehow ended up here after I killed a sort of¡­ clone or avatar of this crazy fractal geometry teacher¡¯s nightmare of a being we¡¯ve been fighting. No one has ever been thrown off into interdimensional weirdness before though,¡± Nia nodded.

    ¡°Yeah? Well shit that¡¯s¡­ Does it have like super freaky eyes? Like they don¡¯t have any right to exist? Really kinda terrifying? Vulptrix asked, and unlike Nightbinder she seemed to be in full belief of what Nia was saying.

    ¡°Yeah it does!¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. Every one of the avatars of that thing are the same. Same shifting creepy skin, same freaky eyes¡­¡± Nia shivered, ¡°How do you know about it? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s here too?¡±

    ¡°Nah I don¡¯t think so,¡± Vulptrix said with a shake of her head, ¡°But I saw it in the visions when I touched the edge of a portal. It¡¯s creepy as fuck and I honestly think it might have killed me if I hadn¡¯t been interrupted. It called me a facet.¡±

    ¡°A facet huh? That¡¯s a small piece of a larger gemstone or similar¡­¡± Nia frowned.

    ¡°A small piece¡­ like a Shard?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.

    I looked up at the girl holding me, but she was trading a worried look with her girlfriend the dark angel.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°That I might have a piece of that thing stuck in me,¡± she said softly, her eyes staying fixed on Nightbinder¡¯s.

    That didn¡¯t sound good! I patted her tail in sympathy and got a weak smile from her in return. She was so cool. I liked her¡­ I wish I had a bigger sister like her.

    ¡°That should be pretty easy to test. Let me whip up a spell. The energies that thing use are pretty hard to miss. Really wild and chaotic, like it¡¯s unsure how it wants to work at any one time,¡± Nia said confidently, already weaving patterns with her fingers in the air.

    ¡°Damn magic must be nice to know,¡± Nightbinder said wistfully.

    Nia didn¡¯t respond, her expression one of intense concentration. The spell took form over a minute or so, and it was beautiful. The swirling interweaving lines of energy were fascinating to watch as they formed. I tried to trace the path of one strand, but I very quickly got lost in the complexity of the whole. It was mesmerising.

    ¡°There!¡± she said at last, casting the spell with a flourish.

    The weave collapsed into an orb of shining metal, like a floating ball bearing the size of my fist. Wait no¡­ the size of someone else¡¯s fist. My fists were tiny so I can¡¯t really use them for size comparisons. I mean, unless the thing is small and round. I don¡¯t know!

    ¡°It should extend some points to show any nearby sources of the reality warping energies,¡± Nia told us as we watched.

    We saw the surface of the thing wobble, then three lines of silvery metal snaked out a few inches from it. One pointed to Vulptrix¡­ but the other two pointed to Nia and myself. Oh no¡­ I had some part of that thing in me too? When did that get there? I should have realised if¡­. Hmm what if that was what happened just now?

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Nia sighed.

    ¡°Uuuhhhm?¡± I squeaked.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Vulptrix gasped.

    ¡°Oh well now I just feel left out,¡± Nightbinder grumbled.

    ¡°Wait, left out?¡± Vulptrix laughed in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah I mean you all have this cursed destiny thing going on and I¡¯m like, just your average garden variety dark angel chick,¡± she pouted.

    ¡°Babe you are anything but garden variety,¡± her girlfriend replied from above me with a smile and a wink.

    Nightbinder coughed, blushed, and looked over at Nia, ¡°So what does this mean?¡±

    Nia was laughed, ¡°It means you two are cute as fuck, but if you¡¯re asking about the spell¡­ well I¡¯d say we have a lot of problems to deal with, and none of them can be figured out or fixed here.¡±

    Nightbinder¡¯s blush deepened and she looked up to the darkened sky for support. Vulptrix chuckled at her predicament.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°So that means we go home?¡± I asked hopefully.

    ¡°We attempt to get home. I need some way to power my portal gauntlet and configure it to take us between realities rather than just from A to B,¡± Nia explained.

    Gosh I wish I had a portal gauntlet. I could sleep in later and then just portal to school! That would be so helpful, and I wouldn¡¯t get wet on the way to school during the three seasons it rained in Wellington.

    ¡°Right¡­ how do you power it?¡± Nightbinder asked, still trying to deal with her embarrassment.

    ¡°We normally use powered crystals, but any magical energy source should work with some jerry rigging,¡± shrugged Nia, absently flicking her mesmerising nebula hair.

    ¡°Where would we get one?¡± I asked hopefully. I wanted to go home now.

    ¡°I have no bloody clue,¡± she sighed.

    I sagged against Vulptrix and sighed along with Nia. Damn¡­ it wasn¡¯t going to be as simple as running down to the dairy for some chips or whatever. That was disappointing.

    Nearby I heard a cough, and we all looked over at Nightbinder. She was staring expectantly at Vulptrix with a raised eyebrow. Vulptrix was doing her best to look confused, but her tail was twitching in my grasp.

    ¡°Ka-Vullllptrix. You can help these people with their little power problem,¡± the taller angel chided.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked in a very unconvincing tone of confusion.

    ¡°Those little cubes in the hips of your suit,¡± Nightbinder prompted.

    Wait the fox girl might have power for us? I looked up at her with pleading eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡­¡± she started, then looked down at me and her face began a little war of expressions, finally settling on resignation, ¡°Oh yes¡­ fine. But if I give them one, I get to steal another one okay?¡±

    ¡°Hey now that¡¯s-¡± Nightbinder blurted, taking a step towards her girlfriend.

    ¡°Niiiightbinder,¡± Vulptrix whined over the top of her.

    It seems Nightbinder was a bit of a sucker for the puppy fox eyes too because she winced and threw up her hands, ¡°Oh my god fine, but tomorrow, and we¡¯re finding somewhere you¡¯ll be doing good by taking stuff too alright?¡±

    Vulptrix pumped her fist triumphantly, almost bopping me on the head in the process, ¡°Yus!¡±

    Meanwhile, Nia was shaking her head in wry amusement. She pulled the sleeve of her jacket back to expose a gauntlet made of ribbons of metal that had been woven in a strange but aesthetically pleasing way.

    ¡°This is the thing that needs powering. If it¡¯s okay¡­ can I see this cube? It might not even be compatible,¡± she warned.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t compatible I still get to steal more,¡± Vulptrix said even as she shifted me off her and stood to extract something from her suit.

    The suit flowed open at the hip, revealing a cube made of a dark grey stone. From where I now stood I could see that there was exceedingly fine lines of some translucent grey material inlaid into it like thin veins of marble.

    ¡°Here,¡± she said, reluctantly handing the cube to Nia.

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Nia nodded, taking the cube carefully in her hand.

    While Vulptrix had handled it roughly, Nia was far more careful and gentle with it as she began to test it. She carefully zapped it with spells and stared at it intently for a few minutes, before humming and considering it thoughtfully.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s crude as all hell compared to a builder crystal, but it might work for a single charge between realities. I just hope the weird shit in the magic around here doesn¡¯t mess with my device in ways I can¡¯t predict,¡± she said finally.

    ¡°So we can get home?¡± I asked eagerly, then realised we had a problem, ¡°But which home do we go to? Your world or mine?¡±

    ¡°Mine, we¡¯ll go there and then I can get more fuel for this thing. We can work through that world I met you on to find a way to get you home,¡± she replied carefully.

    I don¡¯t think she was confident this would all work. Hopefully the drive to see her sister again would motivate her more.

    ¡°So how much time will you need to make it work?¡± Nightbinder asked.

    ¡°Oh not long I should think. Hell it should only take me bending a few of the ribbons of metal that hold the crystal normally. These things are built pretty modular and able to be easily jury rigged so that teams out in the field can do exactly this type of thing to get home,¡± she told us, already working inside the gauntlet.

    ¡°Well I guess after you leave we won¡¯t be seeing you again?¡± Vulptrix asked, sounding a little sad over that prospect.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on us being out of your lives forever, or even too long at all. I think we have a lot in common with this strange energy and I will damn well get to the bottom of it,¡± Nia grunted as she messed around with the internals of her portal thingy.

    Vulptrix made a noise like she¡¯d just remembered something painful and took the few quick steps she needed to throw herself into Nightbinder¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Watch out for that,¡± she told us from within her girlfriend¡¯s comforting arms. Her expression was clouded with worry and fear as she continued, ¡°That shit will try to take you over. It turned me into an emotionless death machine on multiple occasions. It¡¯s powerful too. Make sure your friends can hold you back.¡±

    ¡°That sounds comforting,¡± Nia gulped, pausing in her attempts to mess with the device.

    That was scary. Like¡­ if that happened to me in my home¡­ shit no one in my world would be able to stop me. There¡¯s no superheroes on our earth, and Karen was just a fighter so she had no crazy abilities to keep a rampaging death machine from killing people. I hope nothing bad happens with it.

    Nia finished her tinkering with a grunt of satisfaction, and held the mangled gauntlet up for us to see like it was a prize.

    ¡°Alright got it. You ready kid?¡± she asked me.

    I nodded and bounded across the small space to her side, ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Well, I hit this button and hope for the best. I¡¯m running on the assumption that the Orchid¡¯s Keep Beacon will pull us in even if we¡¯re all the damn way wherever we are,¡± she told me, shifting some things in the gauntlet.

    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s say goodbye first!¡± I blurted, then rush over to Vulptrix.

    ¡°Thanks for the help, and for calming me down from the panic attack!¡± I told her, then launched into a quick hug.

    She seemed to be a bit surprised at first, but she wrapped her arms around me after that with a giggle, ¡°You too Sylanna. Come visit when your friend here gets her gauntlet sorted eh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I wanna see your crazy superhero world!¡± I nodded.

    A real life superhero alternate universe? Screw all the movies I wanted to see the real thing! It was so exciting.

    ¡°Hah, it¡¯s not quite as exciting as the avenger¡¯s movies sorry,¡± she laughed.

    ¡°Which ones? Cos the second Avenger¡¯s cycle was really really cool! I loved the battle of washington with the x-men and stuff,¡± I said with a smirk, not wanting to miss out on the once in a lifetime opportunity to tease.

    ¡°Wait what? Oh that sounds cool. When does that happen?¡± Nightbinder said from next to us.

    I laughed and dashed back to Nia with a wink, ¡°That¡¯s spoilers! See ya Nightbinder!¡±

    ¡°You little shit!¡± she laughed.

    ¡°See you both,¡± the two real super heroes waved goodbye.

    ¡°You too,¡± Nia nodded then turned to her gauntlet, slipped it on, and pulled me to her with the other, ¡°Alright kid, this is going to fucking suck.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I squeaked.

    I didn¡¯t have time to ask. Instead of punching a hole in the air like that guy Farden had back at the battle, Nia threw us through the air with a leap that transitioned from a normal rooftop into somewhere else in the blink of an eye. I felt nausea hit me like a truck and I doubled over and dry heaved a few times. Gosh that felt like¡­ that felt like what I imagine instantly hitting mach 2 feels like. Gosh that was painful.

    ¡°Clearly I fucked up somewhere,¡± Nia coughed from nearby.

    I opened my eyes to see¡­ my room? What? My room on our Earth¡­ where Karen lives! Yay!

    ¡°This is my room!¡± I blurted.

    ¡°Ah shit,¡± Nia groaned.

 31: Chocolate

    ¡°My bed! I missed you!¡± I squealed, leaping happily onto my big warm fluffy comforting bed of safety and happiness.

    I flipped over and grinned up at a very much not grinning Nia. She was standing in the middle of my kinda messy room with her head in her hands. I think she was groaning. That¡¯s okay though, she¡¯ll get to hang out with her sister again, and like¡­ try the foods she misses and catch up on TV shows she missed. Wow she has like the whole second Avengers arc to look forward to watching. Kinda jealous to be honest.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°I only had the one charge Syl. I¡¯m stuck here. As much as I miss Earth¡­ our Earth that is, I have responsibilities back on Andegral. Shit I have a girlfriend there too, and friends,¡± she sighed resignedly, staring at the device on her arm.

    The gauntlet had tendrils of smoke wafting lazily out of the port where she¡¯d stuck that power cube from Vulptrix. She sighed and reached in gingerly, plucking a smoking and warped cube from the socket. It looked well and truly fried, Nia was right. She was definitely not going anywhere using that thing.

    ¡°But you have a sister here! Also it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t contact them still, you can just log in to Pellan and try to talk to them that way,¡± I explained. She was totally gonna get back to her friends and girlfriend.

    ¡°Log¡­ into Pellan?¡± she asked, her face a mask of confusion.

    ¡°Yeah! The game! That world we were all battling on. Well, it¡¯s not a game really, but everyone thinks it is. I thought it was a game at first, and then bam! My goddess gave me this body and stuff. Why do you think I have pointy ears?¡± I explained again, still very excited over being home.

    Nia stood there and blinked at me like I was crazy for a moment, then sank into a sitting position on the floor with another groan.

    She held her head in her hands for a moment before she looked up at me, ¡°Please can you explain this from the beginning?¡±

    Oh yeah. I hadn¡¯t actually been all that helpful had I? Maybe I should sprinkle a bit of the old context into all of this.

    ¡°Right yeah! So um, I don¡¯t know why, or how actually, but when you put that headset there on, you can log in to the game called Pellan Rise. Only it¡¯s not a game! No one except my friends and maybe a few other people know, but we¡¯re connecting to a real world with real people and bodies and stuff. We level up and gain abilities and spells just like in a game too!¡± I told her. It was really kinda cool now that I thought about it. Except for the dead not-NPC people. That wasn¡¯t cool.

    ¡°But¡­ then how did you end up here? And why do you look the same? If you were on Pellan when we met, then why didn¡¯t you just log out to get home?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah okay sorry I missed some things out. So when I first logged into Pellan I made this character,¡± I said pointing to myself, ¡°And then I met a goddess. She said my mind and body were out of sync or something, but what she really meant was that I¡¯m transgender. Born in a guy body when it should have been a girl one. She fixed that by transforming my real body to match the one I had made for the game. Now when I gain an ability in the game it carries over to this one too. When we met, my goddess kinda yanked me out of bed through a portal to help her. I don¡¯t think she was thinking too much because wow did that not turn out very well.¡±

    Nia made a grunt of understanding, then smiled the softest smile I¡¯d seen yet coming from her, ¡°So you¡¯re trans too huh? Nice to meet you sister. I¡¯ll be honest though, this is all pretty wild, and that¡¯s coming from the girl who was literally isekai¡¯d into another world. Like it¡¯s just straight up convoluted if I¡¯m honest. I guess the biggest question I have is just¡­ why?¡±

    It was my turn to be confused now, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why. The world of Pellan, as you call it, was built by an ancient race of beings who are long dead. Killed by the same things we were fighting when we met. This race all but ruled the galaxy several thousands of years ago. They had multiple bustling city worlds, great stellar engines and entire worlds dedicated to food production. As near as we can tell, they were a true utopia,¡± she said sombrely.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± I asked, ¡°That they were a true utopia I mean.¡±

    ¡°Because of a journal we found. One we were finally able to translate. The being who wrote it spoke of how they had forgotten the art of war. The author lamented how they had thought themselves true masters of the galaxy, how together as a society they worked on the level of gods, but they could not save themselves from this threat because they had not thought to prepare. By the time they had rediscovered the art of killing, it was too little too late,¡± she explained sadly.

    I breathed for a moment, trying to grasp the gravity of a society as great as that falling, ¡°Wow. That¡¯s dark. They¡¯re all dead? Killed by those creepy monsters?¡±

    ¡°As near as we can tell. The Order of the Orchid, the organisation I am a part of, has only been able to explore a small portion of what we are calling the Shale Cluster of worlds. A rather rural region of their empire,¡± she shrugged.

    ¡°Gosh,¡± I said softly, unable to think of a response.

    We sat in silence for a moment, my room strangely peaceful until we heard movement in the house. It was then I realised I should check what time it was, as well as any messages I might have. I reached over to my bedside table to grab my phone, only to find it wasn¡¯t there. Okay, that¡¯s not good. Did someone steal it?

    Nia and I exchanged looks, and she promptly stood and drew her pistol again, pointing it at my door. I rushed over and pulled her arm down, frowning up at her.

    ¡°Do you have to point that thing at every noise you hear?¡± I grouched.

    ¡°It could be more enemies. We¡¯re not safe here,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°This is normal mundane¡­ mostly mundane, Earth. It¡¯s probably my parents! Please don¡¯t shoot my parents. Don¡¯t shoot anyone actually, unless¡­ you know. Look, no shooty until you talky alright?¡± I whispered back.

    She snorted a laugh and put her pistol away, ¡°No shooty¡­ yeah I guess I can do that lol.¡±

    ¡°Did you just say lol?¡± I giggled.

    Surprisingly, Nia actually blushed and looked embarrassed, ¡°Yes. I did¡­ shut up. I was a huge gamer back before everything. It¡¯s a normal thing to say in the Order now thanks to me. We have no DMs to type it in and¡­ Shush. Your parents are coming, get ready to explain things.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle, she was being surprisingly cute for a tough as nails Knight lady. I noticed she shifted to the side where she would be out of sight of the door when it opened. I hoped mum didn¡¯t freak out when she saw her.

    I didn¡¯t have much more time to prepare after that. I heard voices and footsteps coming down the hall, I didn¡¯t have much time. There was a knock at the door, and then it opened to reveal my mum and Dana of all people. Mum stared at me sternly, but I couldn¡¯t help myself and rushed forward, throwing myself into her arms.

    Her breath left her in a woosh as I hit her, and she gasped out, ¡°Hello young lady. Just because you hug me doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re getting off scot free. I¡¯m going to be making sure you get out of bed from now on.¡±

    ¡°I missed you mum!¡± I replied, and I really meant it. The last day had been all kinds of stressful. Or was it hours? I couldn¡¯t tell.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You missed me? What are you talking about? What happened this time?¡± she asked, catching on that something was different.

    ¡°Oh no. Where did you end up this time?¡± Dana asked, echoing my mum.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I believe we ended up in another dimension,¡± coughed Nia from nearby.

    Dana gave a squeak of surprise and jumped sideways, and my mother instinctively clutched me tighter against her body and turned to look. Standing on my desk was a three foot tall space dragon fox thing. She had feathers made of starscape and eyes that looked like galaxies. Her tail was huge and bushy like a fox or squirrel tail, and she had large fluffy ears. She looked like a mix between a central american feathered dragon and a fox.

    ¡°What¡­ who¡­¡± sputtered my mum.

    Dana wasn¡¯t so baffled, she squealed, ¡°Oh my god it¡¯s the kick-ass dragon! What? How is it here and like three feet tall? Syl what the fuck, how are you always getting into situations like this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a shit magnet,¡± I replied, shrugging in my mum¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I like the sound of being called a kick-ass dragon,¡± Nia preened.

    ¡°Another dimension?¡± Mum asked in a voice that sounded a little faint.

    ¡°I think Syl is probably a bit hungry, and I could do with some food too. How about we go get some food and we can talk this out?¡± Nia suggested, hopping down onto the ground.

    It was very odd to be having a conversation with something that was so much shorter than me. Well actually gosh, I guess that¡¯s how tall people felt about me. That¡¯s a thought.

    ¡°I am pretty hungry,¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Right, okay. I¡¯ll feed my daughter and her new tiny dragon friend. Totally normal afternoon,¡± my mum said, shaking her head and letting me go.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget my normal friend too!¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh if it¡¯s not too much¡­ I mean I can go home. I was just worried because Syl didn¡¯t show up to class and wasn¡¯t responding to her messages so¡­¡± Dana said, shuffling her feet.

    I frowned, then turned back to my bedside table, ¡°Actually yeah my phone is missing.¡±

    ¡°You left it on the dining table dear.¡± Mum said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said sheepishly, following Mum as she left the room.

    When we arrived in the living room, Mum moved to the kitchen and started rustling through the cupboards for something to feed us, eventually settling on making some sandwiches and tea. Meanwhile, I explained the whole dimensional sightseeing tour from my own perspective. Dana listened with rapt attention, and I think Mum tried her best to suspend her disbelief. She looked worried by the end of it though.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like this goddess of yours plucking you out of thin air like that. She should have to ask me first, and nothing dangerous. I am your mother after all,¡± she frowned.

    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll ask her not to do that. I would have actually died if anything had gone wrong.¡±

    Dana looked to be about to speak when we heard a gasp from behind us. Nia was holding my Mum¡¯s tablet with her little dragon fingers and I swear she was crying.

    ¡°It¡¯s a tablet!¡± she squeaked.

    ¡°Yeah it is¡­¡± I replied, a little confused.

    She looked up at me with tearfilled eyes, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one in so long! Oh my god¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crying over a tablet?¡± Dana asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Technology! The internet! Video games!¡± the little feathered dragon squealed happily.

    I was grinning now as I realised what she was trying to say. She had missed her old comforts apparently.

    ¡°What was your favourite food? Back before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Chocolate,¡± she breathed, staring at me hopefully.

    Mum laughed and turned to one of our cupboards, pulling out the stash she kept for herself she said, ¡°Here take it. I¡¯ll buy some more later. If what my daughter said is true, you used to be both human and from around here?¡±

    Nia flapped over and took the chocolate with a grateful nod, ¡°Yes, I was a student at Vic like ten or so years ago. The whole lecture hall was sucked through a portal in the roof and we ended up scattered across this crazy planet.¡±

    ¡°I still find all of this hard to believe. It¡¯s so outlandish, like a TV show or something,¡± Mum said with a bewildered shake of her head.

    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s a lot more wild than you¡¯d think. Terrifying to boot. I hope to whatever deities are around, that the war out there doesn¡¯t find Earth, because even with ten years of research this planet would be fucked,¡± she said as she started eating the chocolate. It was kinda funny how scary her words were contrasted with the tiny dragon eating chocolate on the kitchen island.

    ¡°I hope so too,¡± I nodded.

    Mum frowned, but otherwise didn¡¯t reply. I think she was at her limit of crazy things. I mean, she was having a conversation with a small fluffy talking dragon so she had to be wearing a little thin. We sat in silence for a while before a question occurred to me.

    ¡°Dana, why are you here? I don¡¯t mean that in a mean way but like¡­¡± I asked, trying to figure out why my friend was here.

    ¡°Oh! I noticed you weren¡¯t at school and came over afterwards to see if you were alright. I met your mum outside and we came in together,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Ohh, and I guess school called you mum?¡± I said turning to her.

    ¡°Correct. You¡¯re starting to make a habit of this Sylanna and it should stop. School before magical battles on another world alright?¡± she said, chastising me even as she struggled to keep a straight face.

    ¡°Yeah Mum I know. It¡¯s all super crazy and like¡­ it¡¯s only been a week or two since I even became Syl. I wish life would slow down a bit honestly,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Hopefully it will dear,¡± she said, coming around the island and pulling me into a quick hug.

    I liked having my parents paying attention to me. It was nice.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go home now that I know you¡¯re okay. Will I see you in Pellan soon?¡± Dana said to me.

    ¡°Uh, probably! How is um¡­ how is Karen by the way?¡± I asked as she headed towards the door.

    In the corner of my eye I saw Nia stop eating her chocolate and look up. She was all attention now. She hopped down and followed us into the hallway. We hadn¡¯t told anyone who Nia was, just that she had once been from our Earth, but not that she was Karen¡¯s sister. Nia was silent, but her ears were pricked forward and twitching. Her tail was flicking around like an irritated cat too. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should squeal about how cute she was or be very worried.

    ¡°She was really worried about you too. You should text her. Probably get ready to be pounced on in Pellan too. I¡¯ll let her know you¡¯re okay now though,¡± she said as I escorted her to the door.

    ¡°Thanks! Talk soon!¡± I smiled.

    ¡°You too,¡± she grinned, then left out the front door.

    I watched her go for a little bit before I realised Nia was standing next to me, still in her little dragon form. She was staring out the door, her eyes roaming over everything like she was drinking water for the first time.

    ¡°Wanna go out and see?¡± I asked encouragingly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she breathed, hopping out onto the front porch.

    She stared with wonder sparkling in her eyes at the generic suburban Wellington street. Thoroughly normal houses sat in rows going down the street, with gardens that were being cared for with varying degrees of skill. It was all so mundane for me, but I could see that Nia felt different.

    Quietly, Nia turned and looked up at me, ¡°You know what really sucks about being pulled to another world like Andegral? What you don¡¯t think you¡¯d miss when you think about the hypothetical situation? You miss the safety of this world. The first world at least, such as they have labelled themselves. I never realised how significant it is to grow up in an environment where you fully and completely expect to die of old age. Well for most people at least. My life expectancy was a hell of a lot lower,¡± She said the last line bitterly, then shook her head and continued.

    ¡°You¡¯re not worried about bombardment from high altitude airships in New Zealand. You¡¯re not worried about non-human raiders charging out of the grey wastes on their skimmers to burn your settlement to the ground and kill every living thing within it. You¡¯re not worried about fighting a war against an enemy that knows no emotion, save for whatever drives them inexorably towards the destruction of your world. You¡¯re not worried about fighting this war while to your rear other ignorant empires covet the power you hold.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you have to deal with?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the world of Andegral and beyond. It¡¯s a harsh galaxy out there and we¡¯re only holding on by a thread. I don¡¯t know how long the Order can hold back the tide. It might be a year, it might be a hundred years. All I know is that one day we¡¯ll fall and Andegral will fall soon after that,¡± she said sadly, almost resignedly.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said slowly.

    ¡°Maybe? Pretty sure it¡¯s not maybe,¡± she frowned, sounding a little pissed off.

    ¡°I have this hunch¡­ about Pellan and why those builders of yours constructed it. Some things that Feslia has said. The way the game system is set up, things like that. I think you might want to get a headset of your own and look into it,¡± I told her cryptically.

    She blinked up at me for a moment, then smiled a little dragon smile, ¡°Yeah maybe I should do that.¡±

    ¡°I can ask my parents if you can stay with us for a bit,¡± I offered, ¡°You can get a headset and make a character and stuff.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll find my own way for now. I want to have a look at how the world has changed. I want to experience it now that I don¡¯t have to deal with my old illness. Thanks for the offer though kid,¡± she smiled, holding up a little hand to shake mine.

    ¡°O-oh¡­ where will you go? You need a house to live and stuff. Shelter and power and internet right?¡± I said, very confused as to what her plan might be.

    ¡°I¡¯m a master mage in a world of people without magic,¡± she told me, then when I raised an eyebrow she amended, ¡°Mostly without magic. I¡¯ll be like a dragon among a flock of sheep.¡±

    I laughed, ¡°Do you really eat sheep?¡±

    ¡°I cook them in the fires of the void first,¡± she winked, then jumped up into the air.

    Circling above she called, ¡°See you soon Syl! Don¡¯t make me come pull you out of any trouble while I¡¯m getting settled!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise that!¡± I called back.

    Her laugh trailed down as she flew off, and I turned back to the house. I had a girlfriend to catch up with and a friend to transform! Oh and school work, although that didn¡¯t seem so important anymore. Don¡¯t let mum know I said that.

 32: Shiny Shrine

    Mum was a little wary about letting me log in to Pellan immediately. I think because now that we had broken through the barriers that had been between us she was much more protective of me. I obliged her and we spent the afternoon cuddled up on the couch watching TV. It was nice to have caring parents, did I mention that? I should have opened up to them much sooner than this. So many years spent sad and alone when I could have been surrounded by love.

    When Dad got home, we went over the whole episode again, then once he was calmed down and assured I was okay, we ordered food. Neither Mum or Dad were interested in cooking, so we ordered burgers from the local burger place. When the drone delivered our food it was still hot, and dad went on about how the world had changed and things were so different and all that old person crap whenever technology is mentioned.

    With dinner over and done with, I finally went back to my room with my parents'' permission. I hopped into bed and got myself settled, then reached for the helmet.

    I stared at the helmet for a moment or two. This thing was so much more than it seemed. Crazy how this lump of plastic could transport my mind several thousands of lightyears away to another world where I inhabited another body, wielded and learned terrifying powers, and came back from death. I felt very small in the face of what I knew now. I grinned through that feeling, I was small anyway. Time to be small and powerful! I put the headset on.

    <center>****</center>

    When I materialised on Pellan, I found myself outside the log cabin, and took a look around to see if anything had changed. So far it seemed like nothing had happened since I left, which made sense since in this reality I had only been gone for twelve hours or so on Earth and a day and a half here. It still confused me how Pellan and Earth could be in two different time scales while both being in the same reality. Was it a function of the structure beneath the world?

    Whatever the case may be, I had a girl¡¯s life to save. Izzy needed help and it was my job to give it. Which meant continuing construction on the shrine. No one else was in the game yet, so I left the camp site and wandered off to have a look at the shrine.

    The site was much the same as it had been. Open to the sky and basking in the late afternoon sun, the half carved rock was sitting there without a care in the world. It was time to get to work! We were at the point where it was time to carve some detail work into the rock. I was by no means a talented sculptor, and I don¡¯t think izzy was either, so this was going to be rough.

    So far we had a few scenes of deer playing in the sun and clouds drifting overhead. The central part had Feslia in all her glory smiling out at whoever was viewing the shrine. I summoned my radiant blade and got to work, carving slivers off here and chunks off there. I was trusting in my artistic intuition right now, with no reference to go by and no second chances if I messed up.

    It ended up being a lot of fun and I got lost in my work. I began to get a visual image in my mind of how each curve should take shape and I followed that image. I traced Feslia¡¯s image out of stone in a trance, almost as if I was dreaming. I felt the stone begin to yield to my blade almost eagerly, like I was leading a cat to its food bowl.

    The image in my mind took residence in my mind¡¯s eye, I could see everything. The way the light bounced off Feslia¡¯s golden skin, catching the little particles of the metal that hit just beneath her skin. Her shining blond hair billowed out around her like a mantle crowning her shoulders. Carving her likeness began to fill me with a sense of peace and happiness, as though I was laying upon the stone and basking in the sun rather than doing the sweaty dusty work of carving up a stone.

    I realised after a long while that there was energy gathering in this place. I could feel it surge into the stone with every movement of my blade, every careful shaving of stone. It came from above, from the sky above this world, the afternoon rays energising the shrine like a solar panel. I could feel something about the place around the stone change. It took on a peace that did not feel entirely natural, and it seemed brighter even as the sun began to fade below the horizon.

    When it was over, I felt myself stumble backwards, unable to keep my balance as the weight of the carving was lifted from me. It was like I had become a conduit for Feslia¡¯s power to enter the stone and the area around it. I was fairly sure I had just consecrated the shrine by accident. The carving of my goddess was perfect, utterly perfect.

    I almost fell over in my stumbling, until a pair of soft strong hands steadied me. I looked up in a daze to find Karen looking down on me with caring and concern. Gosh she was beautiful too. I was too unsteady to hold myself up, so I decided instead to melt into her arms. She accepted my limp form with ease, cradling my tiny body like it was infinitely precious.

    ¡°What did you just do? You were glowing! Really bright!¡± she asked.

    ¡°I think I just consecrated the shrine to Feslia. I can feel her in there now,¡± I mumbled, feeling oh so tired.

    She nodded slowly, then frowned, ¡°Right. Uh, what now then?¡±

    ¡°Sleepy time,¡± I said, cuddling close.

    ¡°Oh um, right here?¡± she squeaked as I cuddled even deeper into her embrace.

    ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to carry me to bed,¡± I whispered, then promptly fell asleep.

    <center>****</center>

    I did indeed wake up in bed, with Karen dozing next to me. I was still wearing all my clothes, and she was wearing hers too, minus her amour. The bed was surprisingly comfy for one made out of the corpses of our enemies, so I elected to stay there and watch my girlfriend sleep for a while. It was nice to just chill out and not have to deal with any crazy pressing matter of doom and destruction.

    Karen seemed to be sleeping pretty deeply, and if I had to guess it was pretty early in the morning. I could see her eyes shifting sometimes under her eyelids. I wonder what she was dreaming about. I hoped it was me, cuddling and laughing with her. I hoped I was making her happy even in her dreams. She shifted slightly, and I felt a wave of affection roll through me like a physical force. I was falling so hard for this girl.

    It¡¯s crazy to think I barely knew who she was a few Earth weeks ago, but by my own subjective time it¡¯s been closer to two months. Gosh, I just really liked her. Look at her! She was so tall in this game form. Her skin was that darkling pinkish red that seemed so warm and inviting. I wanted to touch her. I needed to feel the warmth of this incredible human that for some crazy reason cared so much about me.

    Unable to hold myself back, I wiggled forward and eased myself into her arms. I felt her stir, breathe in deeply, then pull me closer of her own volition. I cuddled into her welcoming arms, nestling my head under hers and draping an arm around her waist. My other arm was trapped awkwardly between us, but I didn¡¯t care. My heart sang, and I felt myself grow drowsy again. It wasn¡¯t moments, but it wasn¡¯t long either before the peace of the moment put me back to sleep.

    <center>****</center>

    I woke again slowly, my brain inching out of sleep like¡­ well like me when I really didn¡¯t want to go to school that morning. Luckily I was in Pellan so school wasn¡¯t for another day. Gosh, having like, an extra day between school made it so much easier to deal with.

    I felt a hand brush lazily through my long hair, pause to scratch a little, then continue onwards. It was the most luxurious incredible feeling, and it was putting me right back to sleep again. I felt so warm and safe. Another hand found its way to my back and began stroking gently up and down the line of my spine, pausing to scratch lightly at the same time the one in my hair did.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I made a vague grumbling sound and cuddled closer to Karen, unwilling to fully exit sleep but wanting her to know how damn nice that felt. It was so nice. Like, really gosh damn nice. I think after this point I fell back asleep for a ten or so minutes, my mind skipping across the pond of consciousness like a stone. It was heavenly. I needed this so badly, like a balm to my anxious mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute,¡± the voice of my pamperer said quietly.

    She got another odd mumbling grumbling noise in response from me.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, one hundred percent adorbs,¡± she teased further.

    ¡°No you,¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°No¡­ you,¡± she giggled.

    ¡°I said it first,¡± I complained lightly, wiggling back to get a look at her face.

    Her big green eyes were crinkled at the edges with a grin, and it was super infectious, almost instantly transferring to my own face. Gosh her eyes were so bright, I swear they must have had some back lighting like an old phone or something. So beautiful.

    ¡°Sleep well? For the record, I did carry you back to bed. You really don¡¯t weigh much. Maybe a tiny bit more than my sword,¡± she smiled, nodding towards the giant claymore she liked to swing around.

    ¡°I slept soooo well,¡± I said, yawning and stretching luxuriously in her arms.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, because the others want to know how you managed to make a rock glow,¡± she laughed.

    I blinked blearily at her, trying to get my foggy sleepy brain to parse what she was saying. Glowing rocks? What on Ear- Pellan?

    ¡°Glowing rock?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah the shrine. It glows now. Not a whole lot, but it has this blue aura. It¡¯s really pretty to be honest,¡± she explained.

    ¡°You¡¯re really pretty,¡± I grinned cheekily.

    Karen blushed, paused for a moment, then grinned her own cheeky grin. Leaning forward, she purposefully licked up the bridge of my nose.

    ¡°Ewwww!¡± I squealed, diving forward to wipe it off on her shirt.

    ¡°You deserved it,¡± she said haughtily.

    ¡°Pretty sure when someone calls their girlfriend pretty, they actually deserve this,¡± I pouted, then leaned forward and kissed her.

    She broke the kiss quickly, ¡°Morning breath!¡±

    ¡°Do you care? Cos I don¡¯t,¡± I giggled.

    I got a kiss as an answer, and suddenly we were lazily making out on the bed. It wasn¡¯t the type of heated kiss that spoke of desire, it was a caring and adoring kiss that spoke of our feelings for one another. Oh and how my feelings for her soared at the touch of her lips. She was such a good kisser. If it wasn¡¯t for her arms around me I would have floated away for sure. Like seriously.

    How does anyone with a significant other like this actually get out of bed in the morning. Life and duty and all that can wait, there¡¯s kissing to be done! The type of kissing that leaves you with jelly arms and legs! Karen¡¯s arms must be super strong because kissing gives you a huge strength debuff while your doing it. I know mine were like overcooked wet noodles now. Practically disintegrating.

    She started doing that thing with my hair again, and I was totally at her mercy. I mean, I was at her mercy before but¡­ oooohhhhhhh goddess that was nice. I gave her a happy chirping noise of approval and pushed myself closer against her.

    We stayed in bed for about half an hour more before I grew restless. I wanted to see the shrine now that I was all here upstairs. I was like really sure that I had channeled Feslia¡¯s power into making the shrine. I wanted to see my handiwork.

    ¡°Do we have to get up?¡± Karen grumbled as I wriggled around in her arms like a restless puppy.

    I pouted up at her and said, ¡°I want to see the shrine! I made it and then passed out remember?¡±

    ¡°I know. We need to talk about what happened when you went missing too. Dana said I should talk to you about it when you got back,¡± she said cautiously.

    ¡°Yeah we can talk about it, but not now and you should probably be like, dressed and sitting down for it,¡± I said, trying to deflect her away from asking more questions. I had no idea if I was allowed to mention Nia and who she was yet. We hadn¡¯t talked about it.

    ¡°Why¡­?¡± she asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

    ¡°Uhhhh¡­ reasons. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m allowed to tell you¡­ um¡­ yeah. It¡¯s something good though!¡± I said, waving my hands around trying to placate her.

    She stared into my eyes for a few moments, then sighed, ¡°Alright. I trust you¡­ but I want to know soon okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure! The moment I track down that fluffy dragon and get her to¡­ cooperate, I¡¯ll let you know,¡± I smiled.

    ¡°Fluffy dragon¡­ right,¡± she said with a bemused smile.

    I laughed as I changed into new clothing, throwing the dirty stuff into a corner, ¡°You¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Karen said absently, her eyes roaming my body as I got dressed, ¡°You¡¯re um, not shy then.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ heh,¡± I nodded, feeling a blush burn my cheeks.

    I quickly threw on the rest of my clothing. I had sort of not been paying attention when I stripped down. I mean like, she was my girlfriend so she could see right?

    ¡°Maybe a little then,¡± she grinned, still watching me.

    ¡°Want me to turn away while you get changed?¡± I asked as I quickly threw the rest of my clothing on.

    ¡°Uhhh, I feel like it shouldn¡¯t bother me after uhh¡­ that,¡± she said, waving her hands at my now dressed body.

    ¡°No, no I¡¯ll give you some privacy. I¡¯ve seen a lot of you but not all. We¡¯ll save that for a few years time,¡± I giggled, turning so I couldn¡¯t see her.

    She began rustling around, but there was a little wobble in her voice when she asked, ¡°A few years?¡±

    Oh crap. That had just slipped out. You weren¡¯t meant to put expectations on a relationship like that were you? Maybe she just wanted to be together for like a few months like most people our age, or¡­ oh no, here goes my anxiety. Sweating and shaking urgh.

    ¡°Um, sorry! I mean¡­ like¡­ If¡­¡± I said, trying to figure out how to fix this.

    ¡°Hey no it¡¯s fine. A few years sounds really nice. I want¡­ a lot of years,¡± she said shyly from behind me.

    I gulped, straining to keep myself from turning to look at her as my heart leapt into my throat to say, ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­ that¡¯s good to hear. Should we um¡­ go outside then?¡± she asked, a hand moving around my waist.

    ¡°Yup! Also I¡¯m hungry,¡± I blurted.

    ¡°Cool we¡¯ll get food after you see the shrine?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    Karen led me out of the room and outside. We passed the gnome and the bear from the other party, and both of them watched me warily. Geez, why the hostile looks?

    Outside we found Col sitting on a log around the fire. He looked up and saw me, then turned his head away and refused to make eye contact. That wasn¡¯t unexpected. Guy should have taken even a single second to think about his dumbass stunt from earlier.

    Taking Karen¡¯s hand, we walked along the vague trail towards the meadow that the shrine had been built¡­ or created. There was a noticeable trail now too, it seemed quite a few people had been tramping down the grass along the way to the place.

    As we got closer, I could hear voices from ahead. They seemed excited, or maybe upset. I couldn¡¯t tell from this distance. The people came into sight first. It was everyone who we hadn¡¯t seen on our way here. They stopped speaking when they saw us approaching, and I couldn¡¯t help but start to feel nervous. Why was everyone treating me so funny? I clutched karen¡¯s hand tighter.

    We moved a little past the group, and finally I could see my handiwork.

    The stone was completely different. If it was even stone anymore. Where the stone had stood before, now a shining statue of metal stood. The metal had all the subtle divots and and colours of the real Goddess, and if it hadn¡¯t been for the shine of the metal I would have thought it was  her standing there. It was ten feet tall, with a podium rising about a foot and a half out of the dirt. She wore loose robes and a kind smile, while her hands were stretched low to either side like she was poised to begin a dance. The whole thing glowed with the subtle aura of her colours blue and gold.

    ¡°Wow,¡± I breathed.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Karen nodded, ¡°It didn¡¯t look like that last night.¡±

    ¡°No, it did not,¡± the statue agreed with Feslia¡¯s voice, making us all jump.

    ¡°Who the fuck was that?¡± I heard Alexia ask from behind us, while Izzy gave a squeak and rushed forward.

    Izzy lost her courage pretty soon after and backed off again, but her eyes shone with hope.

    The statue didn¡¯t move, but Feslia¡¯s kind and powerful voice came from the statue nevertheless, ¡°I am Feslia, Goddess of the Bright Sky and patron of your friend Sylanna here. It appears she has found herself some broken piece of power. Come closer please my little priestess.¡±

    I did as she asked, letting go of Karen¡¯s hand and inching closer to the statue.

    ¡°Ah yes I see it now. Such a magnificent working, yet it is far from complete. Merely a shard of a larger whole¡­ Sylanna could you please place your hand upon the podium. I need to examine this up close,¡± she said, and her usual calm tone wavered under her excitement.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to hurt me are you?¡± I asked timidly.

    ¡°My dear, with what you hold inside of that body, it is I who should be wary of you,¡± she said kindly.

    I didn¡¯t have much of a response to that. A goddess fearing this tiny ass? That didn¡¯t seem right. Shrugging regardless, I moved forward and placed my hand on the podium as she¡¯d requested.

    Feslia gasped. Actually gasped, then told me in a hush, ¡°Keep yourself safe little daughter of mine. You might just be a part of something that could turn the tide. We could¡­ with you we may even be able to recover much of the knowledge we have lost.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll be safe. Like.. do you mean safe in Pellan or safe on Earth or¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°Your real body. Keep it safe,¡± she implored me.

    I looked up at her and rolled my eyes, ¡°I mean I was planning on doing that anyway, but I¡¯ll extra do it now.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes¡­ that¡¯s true. Uh,¡± she replied, at a loss for words, ¡°I must go, but thank you for this shrine. However you built it, this is a wonderful place. Please take care of it for me too.¡±

    ¡°Yup, will do!¡±

    ¡°I will contact you at a later date, for now I must bring this news to my brothers and sisters,¡± she said, her voice fading.

    ¡°Wait! I have someone who needs your help! She¡¯s like I was, and she wants to be a priestess!¡± I said quickly.

    ¡°She does does she? Hmmm. Please give me time to gather the energy I will need. It is not easy to do what I did with you, but I will try,¡± she said, a smile in her voice, and then she was gone.

    When I stood up and turned to my friends, I saw them all staring back at me. Oh boy, I had some ¡®splainin to do.

 33: Sweet Buffs

    The group of adventurers stared at me with various emotions. The group that we had just met were probably just interested in how this all fit into the game. My friends though, the ones that knew this wasn¡¯t just a game, they stared at me with worried expressions. They knew something bigger had happened.

    ¡°Sooo how did you do that?¡± Liam asked for all of them.

    ¡°Um, which thing?¡± I asked back.

    ¡°How¡¯d you make the statue for starters,¡± he said, nodding to the giant glowing shrine to Feslia.

    ¡°Uh, I guess it¡¯s cos I¡¯m her priestess and I could channel her power and my own to make it? I honestly don¡¯t know¡­¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t the whole truth, but I wasn¡¯t ready to talk about that yet in front of the newcomers.

    Dana raised a single eyebrow at me, but otherwise nodded. Guess she approved of keeping the whole ¡®game is real¡¯ thing a secret for now. Amra bit her lip, looked between Dana and I, then followed her lead.

    Liam took a little while longer, if only because he was the one who was asking the questions, ¡°You don¡¯t know. Right¡­ Ah. Well whatever, we have a shrine now I guess. What will it be useful for?¡±

    ¡°Not much right now I¡¯m afraid. She¡¯s not the most powerful goddess, but she¡¯s really cool. You should all totally give her a prayer or two. Maybe you¡¯ll get a buff?¡± I said hopefully.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to know that kind of thing as her priestess?¡± asked one of the new group, the human duelist named Melli.

    I shook my head, feeling shy when directly addressed by one of that group, ¡°Uh no I don¡¯t know s-sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ah leave her be! The game is still new, people don¡¯t know all the ins and outs yet,¡± Xero said, clamping a big hand down on top of Melli¡¯s head.

    ¡°Only one way to find out!¡± Alexia said cheerfully, waltzing up to the statue, ¡°So like, what do I say in the prayer?¡±

    ¡°Uhhh, Just say she¡¯s cool or something and that you¡¯d like her favour,¡± I said. Gosh, really helpful Syl. That¡¯s sure to be a great prayer.

    Alexia nodded thoughtfully, then knelt in front of the statue, ¡°Feslia you¡¯re one fine babe. How about you give me some of that favour of yours eh?¡±

    I snorted at her choice of prayer, but didn¡¯t say anything about it. Who was this woman. Wow!

    Alexia blinked, seeming to read something in her hud, then laughed, ¡°I got a buff alright! I get a percentage experience buff, but listen to this! The description on the buff says, Sure, here¡¯s some favour, but you¡¯re not my type!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help a little chuckle now. Feslia had character I guess.

    ¡°Ohhh an experience gain buff? I¡¯m in!¡± Xero exclaimed, then wandered forward and knelt, saying her own prayer under her breath.

    Everyone followed, crowding around the statue. Some people decided to come up with joke prayers, if only to get a witty response, while others like Liam kept it fairly neutral. Karen said hers under her breath, and I was kinda curious to know what she¡¯d said. Izzy sat in front of the temple the longest, and seemed to almost be having a conversation with Feslia. I hoped it went well.

    ¡°You¡¯re starting a little cult huh?¡± Karen joked in my ear from my side.

    I smiled up at her, ¡°I guess. It¡¯s only a cult if you¡¯re small right? So I gotta get more people to follow it and then bam! I¡¯m a real religion!¡±

    She snorted and laughed, ¡°Yeah something like that.¡±

    Everyone milled around for a bit after they were done getting their buffs, but then Liam walked over and stood in front of the statue.

    ¡°Hey everyone,¡± he called.

    People quieted down and stopped their talking to look at him.

    ¡°Okay so we need to get another cabin built for the new group here, so I think we¡¯ll need to work together on that. Syl can you block out a plan for them?¡± he said.

    ¡°Yup!¡± I replied.

    ¡°Alright, everyone else, we¡¯ll need to split into teams and get working on all the resource collection. That good with you guys Alexia?¡± he asked, looking at the newcomers.

    Alexia shrugged and nodded, ¡°Yeah sure. Let us know what we need to do.¡±

    Liam pondered for a moment then said, ¡°We should probably discuss everyone¡¯s builds so we can figure out who¡¯s best doing what, then we can go from there. Oh and Izzy¡­ uh keep working on that garden of yours okay?¡±

    Izzy started for a second, then smiled at him and nodded, ¡°Yup! Okay Liam!¡±

    ¡°Alright time to get to work I guess. We¡¯re going to have a small town going by the time we¡¯re done here I swear,¡± Liam grinned.

    The others all gathered up, but Karen stayed by my side. She seemed to be thinking about something. I liked her thinking face, it was cute. Well actually her face was cute no matter what expression. Her horns were cute too.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay and help you,¡± she told me, placing a hand on my shoulder, ¡°In case Col tries anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh right¡­ shit I forgot about him after everything that¡¯s happened,¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Can you tell me at least a little bit about that?¡± she asked, looking a little sad.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you about it while we¡¯re marking out the new cabin,¡± I said, giving in. I couldn¡¯t hold this from her, lying to my girlfriend wasn¡¯t cool. Nia should be trying to find her anyway!

    ¡°Hmmm alright. Let¡¯s go then,¡± she said.

    We walked over to the area we thought might be good for their cabin, and looked over it. The space was fifty or so meters away and down the hill slightly. As I started thinking about where to put what room where, I noticed Alexia going to round up those who hadn¡¯t been at the shrine. I sighed with relief when I saw Col go with them. One less problem to worry about.

    In the meantime I had an idea. Alexia wanted to bring more of her guildies along, so maybe it was a good idea to put a barracks into their building. Or maybe nearby was a better idea. I got up from my space where Karen was watching me and began to have a look at the area surrounding us.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that since Alexia and her clan want to bring more people here, it might be an idea to plan out a barracks for them too,¡± I explained.

    ¡°Ohh that¡¯s a good idea. Although from my vantage point almost two feet higher than you I can¡¯t see anywhere you could put it,¡± she said grinning mischievously down at me.

    ¡°Harr de harr. You¡¯re right. Blah! Where could we put it then? Find another spot?¡± I mused out loud.

    ¡°Nah, see how that part there is almost flat?¡± she asked, pointing out a space right next to us, ¡°You just have to dig away the hill a little. We¡¯ll probably end up doing that more if we put in more buildings so we may as well get some practice now.¡±

    ¡°Good idea! Yay! I knew there was a reason I was dating you,¡± I said happily, going to find some twigs to mark the stuff out.

    ¡°I thought it was because you were falling for me?¡± Karen asked as she started to help me.

    ¡°Yeah that too,¡± I giggled, poking my tongue out.

    We spent the next few minutes getting the sticks ready, then clearing out the space we were to build the two buildings on by cutting the grass down. My little blades weren¡¯t very good for the task, but it was all I had so it would have to do. Karen on the other hand had great fun swinging her giant sword around, hacking apart the foliage like she had the more violent foliage a few days earlier.

    It was a nice day to be doing bent-back work like this, not too hot that you started to bake under the weight of the sun, but not too cold that it was unpleasant either. I wondered idly if that was Feslia¡¯s doing. It would be nice to have a patron deity who could help deal with the weather.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Karen broached the topic of my disappearance for a day. I¡¯d had enough time to think on an approach now, and so I went with it. I explained what had happened after Feslia pulled me out of my bed. I explained how the air above me had shattered open and I had been pulled through. I began to explain the battle, when I was interrupted.

    ¡°Wait, you got pulled through a portal in the air? It looked like the air broke? How?¡± she asked, her eyes wide and I could see her mind working behind those lenses.

    ¡°Uh, like glass yeah. It just shattered and twirled,¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s how¡­ that¡¯s how they said Nia got taken from Vic Uni! At least that¡¯s how the witnesses said it happened before everyone laughed at them! Do you think Feslia knows anything about her? Can we go and ask?¡± she exclaimed, starting to put her sword away.

    ¡°Hey wait, let me finish okay? There¡¯s more,¡± I placated her. Damn she was going to run off in search of Nia already.

    ¡°Oh. Okay¡­¡± she mumbled, looking a little crestfallen.

    I continued my explanation, telling of how I met a woman who was also a dragon, and how she and her comrades fought the enemy. I explained how she looked, with her sparkling hair that was all the colours of space, and her eyes that seemed to be built out of the void between the stars. I told her how we fought the giant creature and killed it, but were pulled into the space between realities.

    I also told her about the waves I had seen in that space, and the shards of glass that represented other realities. I told her how we fell into Nightbinder and Vulptrix¡¯s reality, how we met them, how I gained the ability to become invisible and how we became shards of something we knew nothing about. I told her about how we got back to our reality and how the dragon flew off. I probably missed a lot of stuff out, but yeah.

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy¡­ that¡¯s so crazy. How are you even alive?¡± she said in awe, then dropped her sword and picked me up by the waist, hugging me to her, ¡°I¡¯m really fucking glad you lived through that.¡±

    I made a sort of long squeaking noise as she pushed the air from my lungs, and I had to wriggle so I could breath.

    ¡°You¡¯re too strong! Also watch out for my blades next time!¡± I protested.

    She just laughed at my complaints, ¡°Oh shush you. You¡¯re small enough to be a plushie.¡±

    ¡°I am not!¡± I said, ¡°The plushies are big enough to be a person thank you very much!¡±

    ¡°Same thing,¡± she said flippantly.

    ¡°Put me down or I won¡¯t tell you the most important part,¡± I grumbled, wriggling to try and break free.

    She laughed, but did as she was told, placing me carefully back on the ground. I pretended to dust myself off like I¡¯d just been thrown in our pile of grass cuttings, then pouted up at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute,¡± she smiled, her eyes full of care.

    ¡°Yeah well¡­ hmph. Anyway,¡± I said, very disgruntled, before I turned to a move grave tone and reached out to take her hand, ¡°The most important part¡­ that dragon woman¡¯s name was¡­ Nia.¡±

    Karen stood smiling for a moment more, then her expression morphed into a frown as she thought through what I¡¯d said, letting it sink in. Next her expression wavered, crumbling as she realised there was a small hope it might be her sister.

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± she started, then choked on her emotions.

    I pushed myself back into her arms and nodded, ¡°It was your sister karen. I know they all said in the media that the portal people were crazy, but it was really her. She talked about you too. Said she missed you. Said she was happy you didn¡¯t listen to your parent¡¯s crap bigotry.¡±

    She started crying right then and there, and I squeezed her as tight as my little arms could. This girl was everything to me right now. She nestled her face in my hair and started hiccuping through her tears, trying to sob but not quite able to do so.

    ¡°Where is she now? Why isn¡¯t she coming to find me?¡± Karen cried.

    ¡°I think she wants to be ready¡­ but I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s pretty¡­ intense. I don¡¯t know how she was before, but it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s been through some shit Karen¡­ I think she might be a bit overwhelmed by being back on Earth you know?¡± I said, trying to think of reasons Nia might be holding off on their reunion. Really I just wanted her to feel better and I didn¡¯t really care how I did that.

    ¡°I hope so¡­ what if I did something wrong? Do you think she hates me for still living with mum and dad?¡± she sniffled.

    ¡°No! We¡¯re both still teenagers! It¡¯s not like we can just leave home! Don¡¯t be silly!¡± I said firmly, ¡°You¡¯re doing what you can and you can move out soon!¡±

    ¡°But it might be my fault-¡± she started, but I interrupted her with a little kiss.

    ¡°Nope. I said don¡¯t be silly. Obey your girlfriend!¡± I said stubbornly.

    She smiled through her tears and nodded, ¡°Okay fine¡­ but I want to see her¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll find you, I know she will. Just gotta be patient yeah?¡± I smiled.

    ¡°I guess. I¡¯ll try,¡± she sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help distract you don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°You are very distracting,¡± she said matter of factly.

    <center>**Nia**</center>

    Nia sat in a tree and watched her old family. The one she had been born with, rather than the one she¡¯d fought and bled for. She resettled her wings again. It was always hard to get them comfortable after flying, there was always a feather out of place or something. Having her soul torn from her body and placed in this shape shifting fox-dragon body had been a real shock at first, but it felt as natural as her human form now. She still remembered those first days in the Builder hospital trying to learn how to fly. Simple times.

    Despite having fought in a number of wars and other conflicts, despite having travelled through countless worlds and having fought untold horrors, Nia felt fear when she looked at her parents. They sat in the living room of the same house she had grown up in and watched TV like they were normal people. They weren¡¯t normal. They were awful. The things they had put Nia through before she escaped that house had been terrible on a psychological level that had left scars still present to this day.

    She thought about how her sister was behind the dark window on the second floor, probably playing that so called game with Sylanna right now. She hoped the little fae girl was topping Karen up on love and happiness before she got up and had it all sucked out by their parents.

    Nia needed to think. She wanted to see her sister, sure¡­ but how? How to get her out from under their parent¡¯s clutches long enough to have a real reunion. How to get her out from under her parent¡¯s clutches for good? Karen was 17 now, she could technically leave home by New Zealand law, provided she had made good enough plans for her living conditions.

    If only Nia wasn¡¯t dead. Well, dead according to the system anyway. If she wasn¡¯t she¡¯d have been able to get a job and-

    What the fuck are you thinking you dumbass, you¡¯re a fucking space dragon with magic and the power to bend this whole planet to your will if you chose to do so. Who would be able to stop you if you actually put your mind to it? Nia chastised herself.

    She¡¯d checked what the magical situation was on this world as soon as she arrived, and it was an odd one. It seemed that something or someone had broken the Earth¡¯s magical ley lines at some point. They still trickled energy, enough for Nia to refill her core if she was careful, but otherwise they were functionally inert. This meant that the likelihood of someone being born with natural magical potential was extremely low, because there wasn¡¯t enough magic in the air to trigger a mutation.

    So Nia was almost certainly the most powerful magic wielder on the planet, and this meant she could do almost anything she wanted, provided she kept enough power to keep herself safe. So why work within the mundane rules? Why bother trying to reverse her death on paper from ten years ago through the legal method¡­

    Nia grinned. This would almost certainly be fun. She¡¯d have a place for karen to crash in no time.

 34: Rolling the Dice

    Over the next week, my life fell into some strange semblance of normalcy, if you could call spending a ton of time on another world normal. It was a strange experience to go from a day of school to a day or two in Pellan. Sometimes it was amazing, having that extra day to de-stress after a hard day of school, sometimes it was a detriment. I got confused at school on several occasions when people spoke about ¡°yesterday¡± which to me would be a day of building and grinding in Pellan, but to them was another day of school.

    I was playing catch up at school too now. I had only missed a few days since the start, but we¡¯d been assigned homework now so it was causing trouble. I wish I could do my school work in Pellan, then at least I¡¯d have more time to do it. Made me wish that the time chamber from that old cartoon people like my parents used to watch was real.

    My favourite class was now hands down my art class. I had enjoyed it before, but now that I could actually draw properly, I loved it. My drawing of Karen in battle pose was coming along nicely, and I was impressing a lot of people in the class. It was funny how being cute and talented made people notice you much more. Although to be fair I would have hated the attention back when I was Sam. It still made me uncomfortable now, but at least I was socialising as my true self, which took a whole lot of the discomfort out of it.

    In Pellan we were making good progress with our surprise village. By wednesday the next week we¡¯d built both the cabin and the barracks for our new friends. The barracks had proven to be a challenge, because we initially hadn¡¯t accounted for its increased size and the thing had threatened to collapse before we made adjustments. We¡¯d decided to grind hard after that, murdering the local wildlife and enemies left right and center.

    There had been one incident at school that wasn¡¯t so fun. I was on my way to another class and I was already running late. My previous one had been art and everyone, including the teacher, had gotten super wrapped up in the class and we¡¯d ended up running overtime. This meant that when I saw Juliet and her friend walking down the corridor towards me, it was just us. Juliet saw me and her face slid into a grin that sent little flashes of fear branching through my mind. What was she going to do?

    I tried to ignore them, pressing myself as much as I could against the wall while still walking forward, but they decided not to let me do that. Juliet seemed to know better than to get physical with me, but her friend, a tall modelesque girl with daggers for eyes moved into my path. I was forced to press myself flat against the wall to avoid being shoulder checked by her and I closed my eyes for a blow that I was sure would come after I dodged her.

    I opened them again when I heard her speak, ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    She was staring at me, and I quickly looked down at myself to try and figure out what she was talking about. I found nothing. I wasn¡¯t there! Where was my body? My breathing became panicked before I remembered our adventure off into superhero dimension land. I could turn invisible now! I smiled, then giggled when my elation at fading from the bullies sight bubbled up out of me.

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± the girl said, waving a hand forward, which I only just ducked under in time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Juliet said curtly, her eyes darting around with apprehension, ¡°That little bitch will get what she deserves soon anyway. No point fucking with her now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the friend asked, turning back and frowning at Juliet.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, let¡¯s go,¡± Juliet insisted, pulling her friend away from where I was standing invisible to their eyes.

    ¡°Okay,¡± the friend shrugged, following her leader down the corridor, ¡°But she just disappeared!¡±

    ¡°Nah. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Juliet insisted again.

    I watched them walk out of the hallway, then slowed and calmed my breathing until I was visible once more. What did she mean about getting what I deserve? I needed to watch out for myself. I hoped she wasn¡¯t going to spread any more rumours about Karen. I was pretty sure I could deal with anything she tried on me, but Karen had her overbearing bigoted parents to deal with.

    Other than that one incident, things had been calm for me, and I¡¯d needed that calm desperately. My life had been one frantic thing after another to deal with, and I hadn¡¯t had much time to deal with my own thoughts. Thoughts that had been piling up.

    I was definitely a lesbian, and it wasn¡¯t just liking girls that convinced me of this. It was odd, because not only was I attracted to women, but I was attracted to them for reasons outside what a man would be attracted to them for. I wasn¡¯t that interested in boobs or asses or any of the other things that men wouldn¡¯t shut up about. I mean sure, they were great, but what really got me going was the curve of Karen¡¯s jaw, or the way her hip bone protruded just a little from her hips. I loved the soft unblemished skin of her neck and collarbone, I loved the subtle way her body curved down the sides. I loved the muscles in her arms that were simultaneously sleek and strong at the same time.

    I thought back to what I had liked about guys, but I just couldn¡¯t find anything there anymore. Just hollow echoes that seemed almost false in my eyes now. I had crushed on Jeremy sure, but the feelings I had back then paled in comparison to whenever I looked at a girl now. It wasn¡¯t a great feeling doubting my own mind and senses from back then. Everything felt hollow and empty, like a house that was ready to be handed over to new owners. I was a girl now, in my own mind especially, and I felt¡­ I felt like I had no need to be attracted to men. As though I had crushed on them because I had wanted to feel some small spark of femininity, but I wasn¡¯t sure.

    It was these crisis of thought that I needed to work my way through, and the downtime helped me do this. It also helped Karen and I build our relationship to deeper and greater heights. I smiled every time I thought about her, the way she held herself, the way her eyes softened when they met mine. She was incredible, and I know it¡¯s such a cliche both as a lesbian and as a teenaged girl, but I wanted to stay with her for a long time. The word forever danced around the edges of my mind like a wish and a dream and a forbidden fruit all in one.

    It wasn¡¯t all me though. I had another girl to save from the demons of her assigned gender. Isabelle and I were making preparations. Those preparations were what brought me to where I stood now. I was in front of a fairly average inner suburban house with two storeys and a little yard. It was Isabelle¡¯s house. I was about to help her explain to her parents all the things about who she was and what would be happening soon. I was feeling all kinds of anxious, possibly even terrified. I really hoped this went well. I reached up and knocked.

    Isabelle opened the door almost immediately, and I could tell she was scared out of her mind. Poor girl trapped in a boy¡¯s body, a body that was shaking like a leaf in the Wellington wind.

    ¡°Hey Izzy,¡± I smiled, trying to fight my own anxiety so that I could help her deal with hers.

    ¡°Hey Syl. Um, my parents are in the living room right now,¡± she mumbled, not looking at me.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll follow you. Do they know we¡¯re going to talk to them?¡± I asked, following her as she went inside.

    ¡°Um.. yeah. I said I needed to talk to them but I had you coming to help,¡± she nodded. Gosh she looked ready to break down right here.

    I reached forward and pulled her into a quick hug, ¡°Hey things will be fine Izzy, we got this!¡±

    ¡°I hope so¡­ my parents have been okay with lgbt stuff in the past, but you know how trans issues have been a divisive issue for the last ten years,¡± she said, her voice hitching slightly.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I know. Come on let¡¯s do this. It can¡¯t be worse than waiting can it?¡± I asked, nudging her with a finger.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah! Okay¡­ I¡¯ll talk first, then I guess I¡¯ll ask you for input or something. I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, visibly psyching herself up, ¡°This way.¡±

    I followed her through the house and into a rather cozy feeling lounge. It wasn¡¯t like the more modern setup my parents had in our house, it was more¡­ fluffy? I know, funny choice of wording there, but it was like... there was a big persian rug on the ground and quilts draped over all the couches. Three big comfortable looking armchairs sat in the corners and an aging flat screen in the fourth. It was nice and homey.

    Izzy¡¯s parents sat together on one of the couches, smiling pleasantly at us both as we entered the room. Izzy¡¯s mother was a largish woman in her forties that seemed like the type of person who heaped your plate just a little too high because she thought you ¡°didn¡¯t have enough meat on your bones¡±. Izzy¡¯s father was a small bespectacled man with large eyes and a pleasant smile. I pegged him as a friendly accountant. Don¡¯t ask why.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Hello there! Isn¡¯t this a pleasant surprise?¡± the mother said, standing up to greet me with a warm smile and a double handed handshake.

    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± I said softly, intimidated by the woman who seemed to take up twice as much space in the room as she actually did.

    ¡°When Zach said he needed to tell us something, I thought he was going to tell us he was gay, not that he has a girlfriend! What¡¯s your name sweetie?¡± she said, smiling like she¡¯d just won the lottery.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being gay?¡± I asked suspiciously, before my anxious brain could stop the words.

    ¡°Oh well¡­ nothing! But it just doesn¡¯t seem like our son is all,¡± she said, a little flustered by my question.

    ¡°Dear, this isn¡¯t Zach¡¯s girlfriend,¡± the father piped up with a chuckle, ¡°Look at the way she¡¯s dressed.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t see anything odd about the way she¡¯s dressed?¡± the mother replied with a frown, running her eyes up and down my form.

    ¡°Nevermind then, nice shirt you have around your waist there young lady, is that a real tartan?¡± he asked with a wink.

    It took me a second or two to understand what he was talking about, and then I realised something. When I had forgotten my jersey in my room and grabbed my dad¡¯s plaid shirt off the back of a chair, I had accidentally marked myself as a lesbian. I was a walking accidental stereotype! Oh no!

    ¡°Um thanks¡­ I don¡¯t know. I stole it from my dad this morning,¡± I confessed, ¡°Oh um, and my name is Sylanna and I am not¡­ well I am a girlfriend but not your child¡¯s girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am sorry Sylanna! I just assumed¡­ but what did you want to talk about then Zach dear?¡± her mother asked.

    ¡°I um¡­¡± Izzy started, shuffling around for a second, then dumping herself in a chair.

    I followed suit while Izzy tried to find her words, feeling dwarfed by the huge comfy armchair. I hoped it wasn¡¯t a mimic, but even without that I felt like I was being eaten.

    ¡°So you both know I¡¯ve been struggling with depression¡­¡± Izzy said slowly.

    ¡°Yes dear, we have you seeing a therapist, is she not helping you?¡± her mother asked, getting visibly concerned with the direction of the conversation.

    ¡°Yeah no.. but it¡¯s not her fault! There was a reason for my depression that she couldn¡¯t help with¡­¡± Izzy said sadly.

    ¡°You can tell us, whatever it is you are still our son,¡± the father said gently, but I found myself cringing at his use of the word son, and I saw Izzy do the same.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not! Not your son I mean,¡± Izzy blurted in distress.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly Zach! I think I¡¯d remember if someone else fathered you!¡± her mother said in confusion. Oh you silly woman. Come on, connect the dots so that Izzy doesn¡¯t have to do it for you? At least her father was saying quiet and letting her explain.

    ¡°No I mean¡­ I mean that I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m your daughter. I¡¯m a girl. Inside my head I¡¯m a girl,¡± she said, tears finally beginning to well up in her pleading eyes.

    Her mother stared at Izzy in confusion for a moment, but her dad let out a quiet ¡°Ahh¡± and leaned back into the couch he was sitting on. They both appeared to be processing this for almost thirty seconds. Thirty seconds in which Izzy was gearing up to have a full on meltdown.

    ¡°Your kid is transgender. Born as the wrong gender, should have been a girl, but physically at least came out as a boy,¡± I explained into the silence.

    Flustered, Izzy¡¯s mum opened her mouth, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ I don¡¯t want my child to be one of those-¡±

    ¡°Dear, please don¡¯t finish that sentence, you¡¯re better than that,¡± Izzy¡¯s dad said curtly, surprising everyone, the mother most of all.

    ¡°But¡­ but¡­ my baby! He will be attacked! Ridiculed! The world hates people like that! I don¡¯t want that for my child!¡± she cried, looking between the three people in the room fractically.

    ¡°Yes, and that is all the more reason why it should not be her own mother that is one of the attackers! I would not choose this for our child, but unfortunately, We. Do. Not. Control. Fate,¡± he said, leaning forward and rapping a knuckle on the glass of the coffee table to punctuate his last five words.

    Izzy¡¯s mum was speechless for a moment, then seemed to deflate and slump back down onto the couch next to the father. They stared at each other for a moment, then turned to a surprised and wide eyed Izzy.

    ¡°Tell us about it. Tell your mother about it so that she can understand,¡± her dad said, then added, ¡°So that I can understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t feel¡­ I don¡¯t know where to start¡­¡± Izzy said, looking to me for help.

    ¡°You want me to talk about what it¡¯s like?¡± I asked apprehensively.

    Izzy nodded pleadingly, and I squared my shoulders in preparation. Explaining your darkest thoughts and moments to strangers was probably one of the harder things to do in life.

    Taking a deep breath, I did my best to open my heart and mind to help Izzy, ¡°Um¡­ well I used to be called Sam. I was a guy. I also hated it. It was like¡­ it was like my life was stuck with the handbrake on. Everything took more effort and energy, for less reward. I didn¡¯t even fully realise how deep the depression and sadness went, or even that is what it was, until I was free of it. How are you meant to know the extent of your own misery when that is all you¡¯ve known? It just seems like normal everyday life. It¡¯s like how we don¡¯t know what our galaxy actually looks like because we¡¯re inside it. It¡¯s only once we get outside it that we will know what it looks like. Well¡­ when I was changed, I got that view. I slowly started to realise the damage that had been done to my mind simply by existing as the wrong gender.

    ¡°I¡¯m still finding more and more destruction and decay with each door I open in my mind to be honest. It¡¯s a struggle to repair it, but loving family and friends¡­ and my girlfriend, are helping so much. That¡¯s also why it¡¯s so important that you keep it together and do whatever you can for Izzy¡­ because she¡¯s going to need to go through that same repair process. She¡¯ll probably never finish, but the more of herself she¡¯s able to discover and work through without outside problems, the better. The stakes are too high for you to screw this up.¡±

    I stared at Izzy¡¯s mother as I said that last line, hoping she got the point. She was staring at me with a mixture of confusion and fear. I really hoped that was just fear for her daughter.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Izzy breathed gratefully, smiling at me.

    ¡°That¡¯s how you feel¡­? And you said her name is Izzy?¡± her father asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I want to be called Isabelle,¡± she said, almost too softly for us to hear.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name!¡± her mother blurted, her eyes lighting up as though she¡¯d had an epiphany.

    ¡°T-thanks,¡± Izzy squeaked, a little startled, ¡°I um.. Chose it myself?¡±

    Her mother¡¯s mind seemed to be whirring as she stared down at the coffee table in thought. She had an almost manic light in her eyes. Oh no¡­ what on earth was going on in there?

    ¡°What¡¯s the next step forward then¡­ Isabelle?¡± the father asked practically.

    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s actually where the crazy part comes in,¡± Izzy said sheepishly.

    Her mother¡¯s eyes launched upwards and locked onto Izzy¡¯s as she asked, ¡°What do you mean? That wasn¡¯t crazy enough?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yeah. I¡¯m going to transition through magic,¡± Izzy said, and I thought I caught a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, like she was going to enjoy leading her parents into the reality of our universe.

    ¡°Magic¡­¡± her father said in a disbelieving deadpan.

    ¡°Syl, can you¡­?¡± Izzy asked, wiping away stress tears through her grin.

    ¡°But which ability? There are so many to choose from!¡± I grinned back.

    ¡°Be¡­ dramatic,¡± she giggled.

    Over the past week of grinding and levelling, I had acquired a rather impressive new ability from my ¡°Chosen of Feslia¡± skill line. One that was perfectly dramatic for this occasion. One that was very fitting in a roundabout sort of way.

    I stood up out of my chair and moved into an open space, then struck a pose with legs together and arms outstretched behind me. Pausing a moment for dramatic effect, I then launched into a spin, twirling my hand in the air as I did so. Unlike the character I was imitating, a cute miniskirt and sailor outfit did not appear on me¡­ Instead when I ended the spin, there was a clang like a hammer striking an anvil. Gold and blue light erupted across my form in a flash, solidifying into translucent armour and fabric. It was a similar outfit to my normal one, but now I had plates of armour running up my legs, a breastplate, gauntlets that ran up to my elbows and a winged helmet like a valkyrie. I looked totally badass.

    When my display was done, Izzy¡¯s mother had climbed backwards halfway over the couch, and her father was sitting stock still with his eyes two huge disbelieving saucers. Izzy on the other hand was grinning ear to ear.

    ¡°So yeah, magic is a thing. I¡¯m a priestess, and so is your daughter,¡± I said casually.

    ¡°How¡­ what does this mean¡­?¡± her father asked, his voice sounding like he¡¯d been stepped on downstairs.

    ¡°It means that our goddess is going to transform my body into the one I have in the game I play,¡± she said, almost giddy, ¡°But I asked her to do it slower than she did it with you. I want to pretend I¡¯m transitioning normally so that I can keep my identity.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you¡¯ve got this all planned out?¡± her father asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Syl came to me and I don¡¯t know how but she realised that I was trans. Offered to help me the same way that she was helped¡­ I really want to do this,¡± she said, looking at her parents hopefully.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be turning into a girl? Your character in a video game?¡± her mother asked.

    ¡°Yup!¡± Izzy nodded.

    ¡°If it means that you are happy, I¡¯m willing to do whatever I need to so that you are,¡± her father said, and her mother echoed the sentiment, ¡°Although I¡¯m going to need just a tad more explanation that what you two have given us.¡±

    ¡°Oh.. right, yes! Anything you need to know!¡± Izzy said happily.

    ¡°And come here darling, I want to give you a hug,¡± her mother added, opening her arms.

    Izzy practically launched herself into them.

 35: Common

    After Izzy¡¯s parents had wrapped their minds around the revelation we had dropped on them, we talked about how it was actually going to happen. I think the idea that magic really existed blew their minds more than their son wanting to become their daughter. They were also surprised to learn that she would end up being some crazy dryad plant girl when I mentioned it, although Izzy cut in and told me that she had asked to change it up a bit. Seemed Feslia could do a lot with her body bending magic, and I guess she had mentioned that to me a while back. She didn¡¯t say much about the arrangement¡¯s she¡¯d made with Feslia, other than she¡¯d be a priestess and she¡¯d be a girl.

    The plan was that on friday night we¡¯d be getting together in Pellan and having the ritual or whatever you wanted to call it, while outside of Pellan her parents would be on hand to deal with any problems. Unlike me, Izzy¡¯s parents had already filed to have her gender markers and name changed. She was going to do things the hard way, bringing her old identity with her. She¡¯d pretend she was medically transitioning through a private source and hope that would pull the wool over most people¡¯s eyes.

    So when friday came around, and school was finished for the day, I waved a giddy goodbye to Zach the depressed boy and rushed home. I¡¯d been allowed out of doing chores and homework tonight because I¡¯d told my parents what was going to happen tonight. I think I was almost as excited as Izzy was for this. There was something amazing about helping someone in such a huge and meaningful way. I couldn¡¯t wait.

    In an amazing turn of events, Karen managed to get into the game quickly as well. Her parents must not be home tonight. I saw her chilling by the firepit and rushed over to her, throwing myself into her arms with a giggle of delight.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to happen! We¡¯re going to help Izzy!¡± I squealed.

    Karen chuckled into my hair and squeezed me tight, ¡°We are!¡±

    Our embrace turned into a kiss in moments as we both let the tension of separation while in the real world ease. It absolutely sucked seeing her around school but not being able to throw myself into her arms like I had just done. We were limited to longing looks and fleeting smiles out there, but in here we could be as intimate as we liked. Probably more intimate than my parents would have liked, but they didn¡¯t need to know that.

    Alexia and her party wandered up soon after that, and our friends began to log in one by one. We still needed to build a lot of furniture for the two new buildings, so that was what most of the others were going to be doing while Isabelle, Karen and myself were up at the shrine. While everyone got to work, Karen and I walked up to the shrine to wait.

    ¡°What was your transformation like?¡± she asked as we sat down on the grass.

    ¡°It was like being on fire and frozen at the same time, I passed out pretty quickly so I don¡¯t even know how long it took. What about you? You never told me what yours was like,¡± I asked her, while thinking back to that incredible moment.

    She shrugged and thought for a moment, ¡°Similar I think. Except I had this¡­ really odd voice in my head as well. He said he was a god, and that I¡¯d broken something when I picked that rock up. He was kinda¡­ he reminded me of that rogue stereotype where they are all goofy, arrogant and funny. I haven¡¯t heard from him since I changed though. Sounded pretty amused by the whole thing and said I could keep it. Said he¡¯d forgotten where he left it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh so yours was through a god also? That¡¯s interesting,¡± I said thoughtfully.

    We spoke for almost an hour before Isabelle finally turned up. She inched her way into the shrine clearing like she wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. She looked so super nervous. I got up off the ground when I saw her and grinned.

    ¡°You ready?¡± I asked cheerfully.

    ¡°Yes! Yes I am so ready, but like holy shit I am shaking. Is this really going to happen?¡± she said, holding up her hands and showing me.

    ¡°Yes it is!¡± Let¡¯s go talk to Feslia!¡± I said, taking her hand and leading her towards the statue.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep a lookout!¡± Karen called from behind us.

    ¡°Thanks babe!¡± I grinned back at her, getting a wink in return.

    The aura around the statue seemed more potent that it had when I first created it, like Feslia¡¯s statue was a battery indicator for how much energy Feslia was holding. When we grew nearer, it felt like the statue moved and smiled at us, even if it didn¡¯t actually move.

    ¡°Hello little ones, time for the big change is it?¡± Feslia asked with a sparkle in her voice.

    ¡°Y-yes!¡± Izzy squeaked, staring wide eyed up at our goddess.

    ¡°I have more than enough power for it right now. The prayers of your¡­ friends, have been most helpful. I may have to look into expanding my buff repertoire further if for no other reason than that it seems to be popular with you adventuring types,¡± she laughed.

    ¡°Awesome! Once more people come here there will be lots of followers and power for you,¡± I said happily.

    ¡°Good to know, I look forward to smashing the minions of the Nosos with it later,¡± she said.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Nosos?¡± I said, a little confused now.

    ¡°It is what we have discovered the reality defying being has called itself. We have translated it vaguely¡­ by googling it of all things. Your internet is a wonderful creation. The full name that it seems to have given itself is Disease of the Godmaker. It says it is searching for the¡­ pieces, or cure to its existence. The two words seem to be interchangeable to it. We have fought countless avatars of this thing, but it has only recently become¡­ chatty. Of course we will see to it that it never finds whatever this cure is. We do not know why it killed our makers, but myself and the other gods will see it come to an end!¡± Feslia said, getting a little angry for the first time I had heard.

    What scared me was the way she had said it was looking for pieces. That almost certainly meant Nia, Vulptrix and I¡­ how could we possibly be a cure for it? I hoped I never found out.

    ¡°So um anyway, how does this work?¡± I asked after a few moments of silence, deciding to change the subject back to izzy¡¯s transformation. The poor girl was almost crying with excitement over this whole thing.

    ¡°Isabelle dear, would you lay down on the ground before my altar? It will be more comfortable for you. I will do the rest,¡± Feslia instructed calmly.

    ¡°Oh! Yes! Sure!¡± Izzy said, her voice almost cracking under her excitement.

    She did as Feslia asked, laying down with her head facing towards the shrine while I backed off a bit. She looked over at me for reassurance, and I smiled encouragingly, giving a thumbs up for good measure. She wriggled in place a bit, trying to find somewhere to put her hands, before she settled on leaving them on her stomach like she was taking a nap, then she closed her eyes.

    Then opened them again to ask, ¡°Wait are we still doing the slow thing?¡±

    ¡°If you are referring to slowly changing your Earthbound body into the one you desire, then yes. It takes significantly more effort on my part, but only a minor increase in power. I am weaving the spell into your other body through the link between the two. I have constructed a set of timers that will activate different functions as they are required. You will see a gradual change in bone structure throughout the process, but other changes will happen more rapidly and at different stages. Your breasts for example will begin to be grown in a few weeks, while your hair and eye colour will change towards the end,¡± Feslia explained.

    ¡°Oh okay cool,¡± Izzy grinned, then closed her eyes again, ¡°Thank you so much Feslia. I can¡¯t wait to be your priestess too.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°I am excited for that prospect also my dear. It will be nice to have more friends like you little ones,¡± Feslia said, her voice smiling even if her statue could not, ¡°And now I will begin.¡±

    The clearing was silent for almost thirty seconds before a thin line of my goddesses power snaked out from the statue. It touched down in the center of Izzy¡¯s chest, then began to zigzag all over her like a robotic arm etching something into a sheet of metal. There seemed to be no effect on Izzy, but I saw her wince in discomfort. She didn¡¯t complain however, gritting her teeth and letting Feslia work.

    This seemed far different to how it had worked when I had been transformed, but I guess that¡¯s what you¡¯d expect when the process had since been refined. I still preferred having a fresh social start like I had gotten, but I do wonder what school would be like if everyone knew I was the frumpy guy they had known as Sam. I guess I¡¯d find out when people started to notice Izzy¡¯s changes. I was willing to bet I¡¯d have to square up against some asshole cis girls trying to get bitchy at her.

    There was still bullshit on the news from other less progressive countries like England or Scotland about trans people being attacked for using the ¡°wrong¡± bathroom. I wish I could go over there with my powers and become some sort of vigilante who protected trans people. I would heal them and introduce them to Feslia. Maybe one day I should actually do that?

    Izzy¡¯s transformation seemed to be going fine when in the distance we heard an explosion at the same time that Feslia cried out in surprise.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked urgently.

    ¡°There¡¯s a breach! That thing, Nosos! It¡¯s attacking the planetary core through one of the old ducts! How did it gain access? I must go, the fight waits. This is beyond a critical problem! If Nosos reaches the core of the planet all is lost! Our creators will have died for nothing!¡± she wailed, her power already waning from the statue.

    ¡°Wait! Right here? Was that the explosion? What about Isabelle!¡± I cried, looking down at my friend in fear.

    ¡°I am afraid her plan will no longer work¡­ she will have to do things as you did before her,¡± Feslia replied distantly, ¡°And the explosion is not linked to this attack. You will have to deal with it.¡±

    A surge of power erupted from the statue as she finished speaking, hitting Izzy and causing her to arch her back and cry out in pain. Her legs kicked feebly at the dirt for a moment while her eyes spun wildly in their sockets, and then she was unconscious. The energy slowly faded from view and I turned to Karen for help. She was staring back at me with shock on her face. I had to agree with her. This was not how I had pictured today going.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked, my voice betraying my anxiety. We couldn¡¯t leave Izzy here, and something was happening outside the shrine clearing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry Izzy back to her room in the cabin and then we¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s happening,¡± Karen said, confidence returning to her expression.

    ¡°Okay! Okay that works. I¡¯ll go check first,¡± I said, rushing towards the path through the trees.

    I rushed down the path and up onto a little rise, trying to see the buildings from here, but the surface of our little hill was far too uneven to get any sort of idea what was going on. I was only just able to see the tops of the cabins, and nothing below the lip of the hill.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything!¡± I called down to Karen, who had retrieved Izzy¡¯s unconscious form.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get moving,¡± she replied, moving forward.

    I followed her lead, pieces of my dress and armour combo slamming into existence over my body with muffled thumps and clangs. This new armour was so damn cool. I looked like a cross between a magical girl, a greek hoplite and a high medieval princess. All of it was done up in Feslia¡¯s gold and blue. I felt powerful.

    Karen grinned at me as I rushed past so that I was protecting the two of them, ¡°You look hot!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± I blushed, still very much not used to being complimented like that.

    ¡°Defend me, my tiny princess in shining armour!¡± she giggled from behind me.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do silly!¡± I called back, then focused my eyes towards where I could now hear shouting.

    There was definitely something happening over at the Alexia party buildings. They were closer to the edge of the hill and so that was where someone would arrive. Had some of her friends found us? Were they celebrating excitedly? I certainly hoped so. We tried to make as little noise as possible as we tiptoed back to the cabin, but apparently that wasn¡¯t enough.

    The whistling let me know something was wrong first, and I was up in the air on my roller blades of light before I could think twice about it. The arrow whipped through where I had been walking like an angry hornet, and I looked out to meet the eyes of its master. Malcolm Blackfeather stared haughty right back, already reaching for another arrow and surrounded by three of his friends.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Blackfeathers!¡± I called urgently to Karen, ¡°Get her to safety while I stall, then come help!¡±

    ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t you get hurt!¡± she growled as she ran under me, pulling Izzy into a protective princess carry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡± I replied, deflecting another arrow with my buckler made of light.

    I twisted in the air, trying to keep their attention on me instead of my girlfriend. I looked at the four enemies and felt a spike of fear. Four dudes with pointy weapons versus this one tiny healer. I was so screwed. I shook my head at that thought. No I was not! I was not going to give in to my terrified crippling brain this time. I was going to beat Blackfeather¡¯s face into his brain matter like I had done last time. I hope he remembered how it felt, because I sure did.

    Since I knew this wasn¡¯t really a game, I also knew that damage for something wasn¡¯t fixed. Which meant my momentum would affect the speed of my abilities. I did a little circle like a figure skater gearing up for a spin, then launched two shards of light in quick succession towards my foes. I let the shard shatter mid-flight, and the deadly sharp little pieces tore up everything in their path. Grass and shrubs shredded as the shrapnel ripped through the plant life, and I saw the Blackfeather¡¯s duck for cover.

    One wasn¡¯t fast or lucky enough, and I watched him cry out in pain as blood blossomed across his cheek where a piece of my barrage tore open his cheek. I was so chuffed with myself for actually dealing damage with that combo that I failed to take Blackfeather and his admittedly impressive skill into account. I was knocked out of the air by an arrow shattering against my breastplate with the crack of a falling branch under a full load of snow. I hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air out of my lungs.

    His goons rushed me while I was down, the wounded one drinking some sort of potion to repair the damage to his face with a grimace. Damn, that was kind of annoying. I flipped onto my front to avoid another arrow, then lunged forward towards the guy with the potion, my fist crackling with energy. His eyes went almost comically wide before my fist hit him, and suddenly he was spasming on the ground while his face sparked with the residual electrical discharge.

    Meanwhile, another goon swung a sword at me, and I had to duck under it or risk him hitting something through my armour. There were a lot of gaps after all. Thinking fast, I threw a bunch of dirt and shredded foliage into the guys face, then threw myself backwards to avoid the other two as they attacked in unison. Blackfeather being one of the last two, he clipped me with his shortsword, turning my backwards lunge into a spin.

    His other goon lunged at me, trying to impale me with the weight of his whole body behind the sword, but the spin caught him by surprise and the blade sank into the ground. It just so happened that my hand was inches from his face. He never saw his death, because my energy blade materialised inside his skull. I slashed up and rolled to the side again in the same motion, springing to my feet and glaring at my three remaining foes.

    My glare turned to surprise as I realised Karen was barrelling silently down on them from behind, and I think they realised that when one of them started to turn. Karen¡¯s claymore sunk halfway into his waist before it got stuck. She didn¡¯t bother removing it, instead drawing a dagger from her hip and plunging it into the back of the other goon. They both went down screaming and gurgling, while Blackfeather looked around himself in sudden fear.

    He tried to scramble away, but Karen checked him with her armoured shoulder, sending him sprawling at my feet. He stared up at us with fear fully apparent in his wild gaze. He seemed on the verge of panic.

    ¡°Please no!¡± he begged, his speech pattern seeming almost feminine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a wuss,¡± I replied with a sigh, ¡°You¡¯ll respawn after all. A lot of those people you kill aren¡¯t so lucky,¡± and then I shot him in the chest with a shard of light.

    His body jerked under the impact and the light in his eyes faded. As if sensing that the fight was over, all the bodies disintegrated into wisps of magical energy that faded, leaving behind little bags of the randomly selected loot they had dropped from their corpses. Gosh, the spell this planet was under was kind of scary in its power.

    Karen and I stood there breathing heavily for a second, just staring at each other. The ground around us was a mess. Shredded plants and churned up earth everywhere. How had our fight done so much damage in so little time? Karen looked winded from running back in a hurry, but that didn¡¯t stop a huge grin blossoming across her face.

    ¡°Holy shit you are so fucking cool!¡± she almost giggled.

    ¡°Says the one who almost cut a dude in half!¡± I grinned back.

    ¡°It is so fucked up that this is actually real, but it feels like a game. Not that I¡¯m going to question it! Let¡¯s see what loot there is!¡± she laughed, reaching down to grab the nearest bag.

    ¡°What about the others?¡± I asked, pointing towards where another group of Blackfeather¡¯s minions were probably fighting our friends.

    ¡°Nah it¡¯s fine, I think they were cleaning up by the time I saw what was happening,¡± she said, waving a hand dismissively.

    ¡°If you say so! I want to see what Blackfeather dropped,¡± I shrugged, picking up the bag he had dropped.

    ¡°Does he count as a common or an epic creature do you think?¡± she joked back.

    ¡°Seemed to die like a common.¡±

 36: Trans Traditions

    The next monday at lunch time, I arrived first to our group¡¯s usual spot where we hung out between classes. It was windy today, with the ever present overcast sky looking like it wanted to rain, even if it never would. Wellington was like that. Our spot, a row of benches set up against a wall, was looking particularly depressing today. Jeremy had taken to eating elsewhere recently, which meant it was just Dana, Greg and I. I was still pissed at him for his bullshit, but not having Jeremy around felt wrong. I know the others felt it too.

    ¡°Jeremy didn¡¯t show again?¡± Greg asked when he sat down next to me.

    I shook my head in response, too busy struggling with my windblown hair to respond verbally. Damn wind. It took me a moment, but I wrangled it into a ponytail and stuffed the end into my shirt so it wouldn¡¯t blow around.

    ¡°Nah¡­ and Izzy is AWOL too,¡± I sighed, poking at my gross looking sandwich. The damn thing had absorbed all the mayo and the bread now had more in common with sludge than anything solid.

    ¡°Any reply from her over messenger?¡± he asked, picking up his considerably nicer looking sandwich.

    ¡°Yeah she said they are sorting it. She might be back in school tomorrow even. She¡¯s kind of bad at texting though.

    He snorted, ¡°One of those people then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s cute coming from her though in a sad kind of way. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s had many friends before us,¡± I said, smiling sadly at my gross sandwich.

    ¡°Yeah she is cute isn¡¯t she. Speaking of, have you seen Dana? She said she was coming soon but I don¡¯t see her,¡± he said, looking up and around.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s dating her,¡± I giggled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know where she is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is all the time. That would be way too hard. I¡¯d have to microchip her or something, and I won¡¯t do that because I¡¯m not a republican. My girl has rights!¡± he said, laughing around a mouthful of food.

    ¡°Why thanks! I like having rights,¡± Dana said, coming around the corner near us.

    Greg looked up and winked at her, ¡°No problem babe. You¡¯re way cooler than me anyway. Maybe you should microchip me.¡±

    ¡°The only reason I¡¯d do that is if I wanted to help you figure out where you are when you¡¯re lost,¡± she quipped, sitting down heavily next to him.

    ¡°Oh damn good point. That actually sounds like a good idea,¡± he said, and I couldn¡¯t tell if he was serious or not.

    ¡°Babe you have the maps app on your phone,¡± she said rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Yeah but it would be pretty fun to have you like guide me out of being lost. Like a team building exercise or something,¡± he said, smiling affectionately at her.

    Dana rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her real feelings, ¡°I¡¯ll let human resources know about your idea.¡±

    ¡°Thanks babe,¡± he said casually, turning back to his food.

    ¡°You two are adorable,¡± I giggled. They really were. They had been together for a while now, and from day one they had seemed rock solid. I fully expected to attend their wedding in like ten years time.

    Dana smiled at me and winked, opening her lunch box and getting stuck into her food.

    ¡°So what took you so long?¡± Greg asked.

    ¡°I um¡­ I went to find Jeremy,¡± she said, her expression dropping along with her tone.

    I winced and looked away. Even if he was the one who had messed up, it was because of me that he¡¯d done it. Now our friend group was down a member and everyone was sad because of it. I wish there was some way besides agreeing to date him that would fix things.

    ¡°He was hanging out with that Juliet chick of all people. The one who is super stuck up. She looked actually interested in him, it was weird,¡± she said, giving an exaggerated shudder.

    ¡°Why¡¯s it weird?¡± Greg asked, seeming genuinely confused.

    ¡°Because normally a stone cold bitch like her wouldn¡¯t even give Jeremy the time of day,¡± I said thoughtfully, ¡°How do you think he wormed his way into their crowd?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Dana said shaking her head.

    The rest of that lunch passed with a melancholy that seemed to persist through the rest of the day. It was only when I got into Pellan and found Karen¡¯s arms that I began to feel better.

    ****

    Tuesday morning found me sitting in my first class staring at the very pretty girl in the seat next to me. She was looking down at her desk and trying very hard to pretend that the entire class wasn¡¯t doing exactly the same thing I was. She was taller than me by half a foot or more, but still medium-short by normal girl standards. Her hair was long and light brown. The type of hair that would go blonde in the summer. From what I could see of her figure through the sack-like school uniform dress she wore, it was hot without being overly sexual.

    Her face though, that was great too. Small but proportional to the rest of her body, it had a heart shape and two large gorgeous blue eyes in the middle. Her lips were full and her noise was adorable. She was adorable, and her name was Isabelle. There were also startling similarities between her looks and what Zach had looked like. Very startling, and I was having a hard time figuring out exactly what they were. It was like I could tell you that there was a forest, but I couldn¡¯t point out any specific trees. It was downright odd.

    ¡°Izzy!¡± I whispered, although everyone was staring so they probably heard me.

    She looked over at me slightly, giving a very nervous little wave of her hand.

    ¡°You look amazing!¡± I grinned. My heart was full to bursting with happiness for her. Even with all the stares she was getting, she still seemed to be on the verge of running around and dancing.

    She shuffled her seat closer and leaned over to whisper in my ear, ¡°I know! I¡¯m so happy even all this attention isn¡¯t bothering me much. I¡¯m a girl!¡±

    She practically squeaked the last part, and her voice sounded almost identical to the one she had in Pellan, so at least that was one feature I knew the source of.

    ¡°Yes! Come sit with us at lunch? Please? I want to ask you so many questions oh my gosh! You look so good!¡± I giggled, smiling at her fondly.

    ¡°Okay!¡± she said, and her smile was just incredible. My heart gave a little jump of happiness. I knew exactly what she was feeling, and I had helped get her there.

    Then Mr Brown called us to order soon after, and then did that one thing that teachers always feel the need to do, and which is never a good idea. He pointed Izzy out.

    ¡°Now everyone, I would like to introduce Isabelle,¡± he said motioning to Izzy, who proceeded to shrink into her chair, ¡°You used to know her as Zach. She has come out as transgender and I expect you all to treat her with respect and kindness. Any misuse of pronouns or other such bullying will not be tolerated as per school regulations and law.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Once Mr Brown was finished speaking everyone sat there just staring at Izzy, who did an awkward little wave, the tiniest ¡°Hello¡± ever coming out of her mouth.

    Mr Brown nodded, then turned back to the whiteboard, ¡°Thank you Isabelle, now on to today¡¯s class¡­¡±

    ****

    When Izzy arrived at our hangout spot for lunch, I jumped off my seat and grabbed her for as big a hug as my tiny body could manage, then jumped back and grinned at her. She seemed to be feeling shy, but her grin was overpowering her shyness and lighting up her face. Gosh, it was incredible the difference this change had done to her. She seemed like she might float away, as opposed to being crushed under the weight of her depression as she had been before.

    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re cute as fuck!¡± Dana exclaimed, ¡°Hot too! Damn¡­¡±

    ¡°T-thanks!¡± she squeaked back, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

    ¡°Leave her be,¡± I giggled, pulling her to the bench next to me and sitting her down, ¡°Now tell us everything!¡±

    ¡°Wha- Everything?¡± she asked, her eyes going wide.

    ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t have to tell us about your first time masturbating or whatever,¡± I said quickly.

    Greg coughed from the other side of Dana and piped up, ¡°But if you want to, I¡¯m¡­ we¡¯re all ears!¡±

    ¡°Perv!¡± Dana laughed, punching him lightly in the arm.

    ¡°Well, um¡­ I guess I woke up, and I could see things hadn¡¯t gone to plan. My parents were freaking out, trying to figure out what was going to happen, when this little floating message made out of magic popped up. It was Feslia telling me that something had gone wrong in Pellan, and she¡¯d had to transform me without the slowing down thing. She also told me she¡¯d cast a sort of glamour on me. It makes people see resemblances between my old body and my new one, even if I actually don¡¯t look that much like my old self,¡± she told us.

    ¡°Well that makes me feel better,¡± I said with relief, ¡°I was having a bit of trouble with that in class earlier!¡±

    ¡°Yeah it seems to be working pretty well so far. She said it would fade in like a month, so I have to get all my ID and stuff changed before then,¡± she nodded.

    ¡°Wow¡­ that¡­ damn it Feslia why didn¡¯t I get a spell like that? I am so complaining the next time I see her,¡± I grumped, poking at another gross looking sandwich. I really needed to tell mum that she could stop making my lunches. Her sandwiches were amazing when they were fresh, but they deteriorated pretty rapidly when they were stuck in a school bag for a few hours.

    ¡°She probably didn¡¯t know much about the problems you¡¯d face,¡± Dana said, ever the voice of logic.

    ¡°I guess,¡± I said with a pout.

    ¡°So the powers that be are actually believing your story?¡± Greg asked, leaning forward to look past me at her.

    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s been a mixed bag. Some people are suspicious... We¡¯re telling everyone that I¡¯ve been on HRT for a while, as well as that organ growth program thing the government set up last year. I think in reality no one cares enough to call it out. People see a good enough reason and they just shrug and continue on with their lives. I think the doctors will be a different story, but we haven¡¯t gone to see them yet,¡± she told us, sighing at the last part, ¡°We¡¯ll probably have to change doctors and get my medical records¡­ changed the same way Syl changed her name and stuff.¡±

    I nodded, thinking about how I had kind of made things more complicated for myself than they had needed to be. Like was anyone really going to put us under a microscope like that? They needed a pretty damn good reason to suspect that we were anything other than regular trans girls. Shit trans girls had been fooling doctors and authorities into thinking they were cis for decades. There were all sorts of stories about trans women being asked if they were pregnant and stuff by medical professionals, even after their medical situation had been explained previously. I had no idea about trans guys. Did they get asked if they had like, erection problems or something? Gross!

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Surely someone will notice,¡± Dana frowned.

    Both Izzy and I shook our heads at the same time, then grinned at each other. She spoke for both of us when she echoed my thoughts from just now, ¡°People are way too self centered to give a shit Dana. Trans people have been doing shit like this for years. Doctors and authorities are surprisingly dumb when it comes to this kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°I find that hard to believe, surely someone will notice in the end?¡± Dana frowned, ¡°Kinda worried for you if I¡¯m honest.¡±

    Izzy shrugged, pulling her lunch out of her bad, ¡°We¡¯ll see. What I¡¯m doing is practically a trans tradition, only in reverse.¡±

    ¡°Well if you think things will be fine then I guess we gotta trust you hey?¡± Dana said.

    ¡°So did you get your abilities and stuff?¡± I asked in a whisper.

    ¡°Yes! Which means I at least have like, a fallback if people get angry or whatever,¡± she whispered back.

    ¡°Awesome!¡± I smiled, ¡°So you¡¯re doing okay. Yay!¡±

    ¡°Yeah pretty much. Which is surprising considering what it sounds like happened while I was out of it,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah things were pretty intense there,¡± I told her, ¡°But I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±

    We ate lunch while talking about all the strange little things we¡¯d had trouble with during our changes. Both of us had problems bumping our hips and boobs on things, which made sense. I was personally happy to have a comrade in arms when it came to the whole transgender thing. It was nice to have a friend who understood that side of things.

    ****

    School continued fairly uneventfully, although when I saw Juliet in a hallway she practically jumped out of her skin and glared some pure hate at me, which was weird to say the least. I kept texting Izzy to make sure her day was going fine, but she reported that mostly people were staring and not saying anything. Kegan tried to talk to her, but gave up when she flat out ignored him because she was too scared to talk. I was glad he didn¡¯t get too dickish with her.

    I was almost to my door when I heard a little chirping sound from a nearby bush. My first instance was to ignore it, except that I saw a dark fluffy feathered tail sticking out the back of the little shrub.

    ¡°Uh, Nia?¡± I asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Yup! Let me in! I need to talk to you!¡± she told me, her voice muffled by the leaves.

    ¡°Alright, let me just unlock the door,¡± I said, giving her a quizzical look.

    It was hard to take her clandestine antics seriously when she was a three foot tall ball of fluff and feathers.

    When I had the door open she rushed past me and into the hallway beyond, then turned back and asked, ¡°Can we talk in your room?¡±

    ¡°Um, yup. Sure thing. You know the way,¡± I said, trying not to giggle at her. She was so funny.

    We both made our way into my room and I closed the door behind her. She hopped up onto my computer chair so we were at the same height.

    ¡°Um¡­ so yeah. Hi again,¡± she said awkwardly.

    ¡°Hi to you too. How are things going?¡± I asked, unpacking my stuff from school. My room was still a mess, but at least now it was all girl mess. Bras hanging off all sorts of things.

    ¡°Good! Mostly. Things have changed, but they are also very much the same. I¡¯ve been embarrassing myself by eating a ton of fast food and snacks that I missed,¡± she laughed, her tiny dragon voice ringing like a little bell.

    ¡°Oh nice. I would totally do the same,¡± I giggled. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I lost access to all those foods I crave sometimes.

    I sat down on my bed once I had put what I need to away. I wasn¡¯t going to get changed in front of Nia. That was going a bit too far.

    ¡°Right¡­ so anyway. I wanted to talk to you about Karen¡­ you see her in Pellan right?¡± she asked, seeming to lose a lot of her confidence.

    I fluffed my pillow while I listened to her. How could a badass warrior like her be so scared of this situation?

    ¡°Um, yeah. She knows you¡¯re here by the way. I couldn¡¯t get myself to lie to her¡­¡± I replied, bracing for the worst. I hope she wasn¡¯t angry.

    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ okay. I can¡¯t be mad at you for that. I¡¯m actually a little glad that my sister is dating someone with a heart as good as yours is,¡± she said, smiling a toothy smile, ¡°Which is actually what I wanted to talk about.¡±

    ¡°My heart?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ kind of. She really doesn¡¯t look happy at home. God it looks like all the fucking bullshit expectations and pressure just fell to her after I was gone. Our parents are¡­ they have a lot of ideas about how things should be, and they will do their best to make us fit that mold. They really don¡¯t like things that aren¡¯t normal. Being a lesbian falls well within ¡®not normal¡¯ to them. I¡­ don¡¯t even know where I¡¯m going with this to be honest. I have no battle plan, I have no idea what I want to do, I just want to help my sister,¡± Nia said, beginning to ramble and wave her tiny hands around with increasing agitation.

    Nia was right. Karen didn¡¯t say much about it, if at all, but I could see the way she looked when it was time to log out of Pellan and go back to our Earth related problems. She needed to get out of that place. I wanted to see her happy all the time, not just sometimes.

    ¡°She¡¯s of age to leave if she wants. Just has to prove she has somewhere she can go that is safe and supportive. Look up the laws, find a place where she can live and then invite her to stay with you. Seems simple enough to me,¡± I said, smiling at the thought of finally getting to be with Karen on Earth too.

    ¡°Yeah. Real simple Syl. Real simple. I¡¯ll just go do that then¡­¡± she said sarcastically, ¡°How do I know she would even want to stay with me if I did that?¡±

    Oh my gosh! Nia please! She practically idolises you! She¡¯s already leaping at the idea that she might get to talk to you again. She needs you, you dumb, dumb dragon. Gosh!

    ¡°She loves you Nia! You should be talking to her, not me,¡± I told her, getting a little frustrated at the tiny dragon.

    Nia cringed and stayed silent for a moment before she nodded, ¡°I know¡­ I know. But how? I can¡¯t just rock up and like¡­ shit I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m drowning in doubts Syl.¡±

    ¡°I can ask her if you¡¯d like?¡± I offered.

    ¡°Uh.. yeah. Okay. Yes. Ask if she¡­ fuck, yeah just ask her if she wants to talk,¡± she sighed with resignation.

    ¡°I will then. She¡¯s going to say yes though. I know that already,¡± I smiled, reaching out to quickly pat the dragon between her fluffy ears.

 37: Sympathy Crying

    Karen was practicing her swordwork when I found her behind the cabin. She didn¡¯t notice me at first, and I decided not to disturb her for a moment. The ground behind the cabin had lost a lot of its grass as a few of us used it to practice, our footwork tearing the ground up. I liked the space back here. There was enough trees for privacy without blocking the sunlight or getting in the way.

    The way Karen moved was beautiful. She had this flowing way of moving that I absolutely adored, in part because it was graceful and in part because I could see her slender muscles working under her skin. The loose shirt and shorts helped quite a lot in keeping my attention as well. The flashes of pale stomach I caught through the loose buttons of her shirt caused me to grow warm in some interesting places.

    Being turned on as a girl was an interesting experience, and one that was proving harder and harder to fight. It wasn¡¯t like when you were turned on as a guy, with your thing urging you forward like some sort of eager puppy on a leash. As a girl it was more of a heady warmth that grew up out of my stomach and into the rest of my body, a warm wind that wanted to envelop me and urgently pull me to the gorgeous girl in front of me.

    She turned into a flowing sword stroke that had her facing me, and she must have noticed me then because her eyes lifted off the ground and met mine. I knew my gaze betrayed my almost desperate wanting because her lips curved up in a slow knowing smile. She carefully laid her huge sword on the ground, then stretched up for a moment like a cat that had been napping.

    Advancing on me slowly, languidly, she held that knowing smile and I couldn¡¯t help but break the silence because the tension was killing me, ¡°So um¡­ hi! You looked good just then.¡±

    ¡°I know. I could tell by that look in your eyes,¡± she said, poking her tongue out.

    ¡°Shut uuup. I¡¯m gay, and you¡¯re my girlfriend and you¡¯re pretty,¡± I said, poking my tongue out.

    She reached me in a few more steps, took my chin in her hand and leaned down to kiss me, pulling me up on my tiptoes in the process. It was a slow loving kiss that seemed to speak volumes about how our feelings for one another had grown without using any words at all. I enjoyed the way we were beginning to do away with words entirely. It was calming to know based on all the little parts of her body language what she wanted. I could feel my mind writing everything about her down like it was the plans to the death star.

    When we parted, she was smiling that type of smile that you know is only for you and brushing my nose with hers ever so lightly, then asked, ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Ummmm,¡± I said slowly, stalling for time while I wrangled my thoughts back into order, ¡°I spoke to Nia again¡­¡±

    Karen stiffened and stepped back from me, searching my face for clues. She seemed to have about a dozen different emotions battling for control of her expression.

    ¡°She said she wants to meet you!¡± I said hastily, ¡°She wants to rescue you from your parents too.¡±

    Desperate hope was the emotion that won out across her beautiful face as her brain caught up with what I had said. I watched her swallow hard and take another step back, running a hand through her hair while she struggled with her emotions.

    ¡°You really love your sister don¡¯t you?¡± I asked gently following her gradual retreat with a tentative advance of my own.

    She nodded a little and stopped moving away, instead looking down at her feet and scuffing one against the ground. It was tugging on my heartstrings seeing my generally charming and confident girlfriend looking so small and vulnerable. I wanted to protect her the way she so often protected me.

    ¡°Come inside Karen. To our room. Let¡¯s talk there where I can put you on the bed and cuddle you,¡± I said taking her hand in mine and tugging gently.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered, allowing me to take the lead.

    We left her gear on the ground and went back around to the front door, ignoring any of the others who gave us questioning looks. I got her into our room and gently set her down on the bed. Kicking my boots off I sat on the bed next to her, tucking my feet under myself.

    ¡°Karen¡­¡± I said, faltering immediately, unable to figure out what to say.

    ¡°I just¡­ we were so close you know? Back then? The rest of our family were assholes, but we got through it together. When she started transitioning, I was so excited. I could teach my older sister how to do girly things! I mean I was so young then¡­ so it was all dress up to me. I didn¡¯t care one way or another. Our parents were just total assholes during the whole thing, and she had to move out just to get away from them,¡± she said in an earnest rush, putting an arm around my waist and leaning her head on my shoulder.

    I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her even closer until her head was nestled against my neck.

    ¡°So it¡¯s okay if the plan is to have you move in with Nia later?¡± I asked soothingly.

    ¡°I need to see her first¡­ what if she isn¡¯t Nia anymore?¡± Karen wondered apprehensively.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess you¡¯ll just have to talk to her¡­ she seems¡­ well I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know her back then. You¡¯ve probably changed too Karen. For one thing you know you¡¯re a lesbian now,¡± I said, gently rubbing a finger over her shoulder.

    ¡°I guess,¡± she sighed, cuddling closer, ¡°Thank you Syl. Thank you. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you. I know that I¡¯m always the one protecting you and stuff, but it¡¯s really nice when you step up like this and comfort me¡­ I¡¯m not as strong as you think.¡±

    ¡°You can be as strong or as weak as you want Karen and I¡¯ll still¡­ love you,¡± I said, faltering for a moment as I got to the big word. Screw it though, I did love her. I loved her a lot. I wanted to stay with her for as long as I possibly could.

    Karen bit her lip trying to fight a flush spreading across her face, but it was a lost cause. She was almost bashful when she asked, ¡°You love me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I um. The word just kinda popped out of my mouth but it feels right so I guess it¡¯s staying?¡± I said, feeling my own flush brighten my cheeks.

    A huge adorable grin spread across her face and I think my heart melted all over again right there. She lifted herself up until we were nose to nose and whispered, ¡°I love you too.¡±

    Then we were kissing each other hungrily and my hands were pinned gently above my head. Her lips were sweet and her hands were wandering and I loved every moment of her attentions. We¡¯d sort out meeting Nia after we made out on the bed.

    ****

    ¡°What took you so long? I thought you said it would be like ten minutes at most?¡± Nia asked, then added to herself, ¡°I need to figure out how that time dilation thing works too. We¡¯re in the same reality so we should be running on the same time.¡±

    ¡°Uuuuuuh,¡± I blushed, looking down at my toes.

    ¡°What?¡± Nia asked, tilting her head to the side, her ears flopping over a moment later.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Nothing. We got distracted¡­¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°You got¡­ wow. Okay¡­ that¡¯s my kid sister you¡¯re¡­ whatever. Wow,¡± she frowned, her tail swishing from side to side angrily.

    I frowned right back and told her, ¡°Why are you getting upset about this? I¡¯m even younger than her! For the record, she¡¯s the one who kissed me first this time, and pushed down onto the bed and held me there while-¡±

    ¡°Ahhh too much information!¡± Nia exclaimed, waving her hands around like a drunken conductor.

    I stood there smirking smugly at her until she rolled her eyes and changed the subject, ¡°So what did she say?¡±

    ¡°She said she¡¯d meet you. Tonight works pretty well actually, because her parents have something early and are going to sleep earlier than normal. She can sneak out once they are asleep and meet us,¡± I told her.

    ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes!¡± Nia squeaked, doing a tiny dragon jig on my desk.

    ¡°Wanna go after dinner? I¡­ oh it really is late huh?¡± I asked, seeing the time was almost midnight on my phone.

    ¡°Yes. Your parents fed me while you were¡­ getting intimate with my sister,¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°Wow we were only making out, but okay well I¡¯ll grab some fruit or something and then lets go,¡± I said.

    I was surprised she¡¯d just gone to hang with my parents, but whatever. She was cool so it¡¯s fine. I couldn¡¯t wait to see Nia and Karen reunited. I hoped I was doing the right thing, I hoped it would make them both happy. I cared about Karen so much and to see her finally next to her sister once again would be amazing.

    Nia hopped up onto my shoulder and we left my room, only to run into my dad as he was heading up the stairs. He stopped and looked down at me with a frown.

    ¡°Where are you going young lady?¡± he asked tiredly.

    ¡°Um, out to the park to see my girlfriend with Nia¡­ Karen is sneaking out to meet us,¡± I told him truthfully. It was weird telling the truth to my parents.

    ¡°You¡¯ll keep her safe?¡± he asked Nia, who saluted and nodded from my shoulder.

    He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose while he thought, then finally shrugged in defeat, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m giving my approval mostly because there isn¡¯t much I can do to stop you even if I were to say no. Please be careful, and if someone¡­ tries anything, I don¡¯t want them to exist as anything more than a loose collection of dust on the ground. Understand?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling us to kill any pedo rapists? Understood. I¡¯ve got experience with that,¡± little Nia said, cracking her tiny knuckles.

    ¡°That was a metaphor,¡± my dad said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to condone killing people but just¡­ please be careful, that¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Nia said, looking a little put out.

    ¡°Dad you¡¯re a nerd. I know the book you just quoted and you¡¯re a nerd!¡± I giggled.

    ¡°You¡¯re a nerd too sweetie, now get going. Don¡¯t make Karen wait,¡± he said, making a shooing motion.

    I poked my tongue out at him, then turned and marched out the door. I almost turned back when I realised I was still wearing my school uniform, but Nia would probably claw a hole in my shoulder if I kept her waiting any longer. She was a scary tiny cute dragon lady. Her being this size was very confusing to my sense of what is a threat and what isn¡¯t.

    It was cold outside, but it was the type of cold that is actually kinda pleasant, and there was the faint feeling of moisture in the air like it was going to rain in a few hours. I started to think about calling it off because of the rain when I realised that Nia probably had a spell for that. Maybe not like turning off the weather, but an energy umbrella would be super cool. Would she give me weird looks if I asked about that now?

    The walk to the park got more and more tense for both myself and Nia. This was the first time in a long time that I would get to see Karen in the real world and the first time Nia would see her in ten years. Nia leapt off my shoulder more than once to just leap from fence to fence like a hyperactive kitten.

    The park looked oppressive and dark tonight, and I was sure it was empty until I saw movement in the playground attached to the sports fields. Karen emerged from behind the slide, and kind of stood there apprehensively while we approached. She¡¯d changed out of her school uniform and was now wearing a pair of sweatpants and a big hoodie.

    I was used to her appearance within the game now, but here on Earth she was shorter, younger and less perfected. I meant that in an endearing way, like the girl in the game was a photo she would put on social media, while the girl that stood before me was the whole girl. I found myself smiling despite the sad and tense mood. She was so damn cute. I really did love her. Nia hopped off my shoulder then and started walking behind me on her own little dragon legs.

    As we approached she looked more and more scared and I tried to ease her tension with a smile laden with as much love as I could muster, ¡°Hey Karen¡­ long time no see.¡±

    Karen gave me a wobbly half smile in return and asked hesitantly, ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s nice to see Earth Syl¡­ um sorry where is um¡­ where is Nia? I don¡¯t see her?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer, instead walking up and wrapping my arms around my girlfriend. She was a lot shorter on Earth, so I was actually within range of kissing her without going on tiptoes to do it. I didn¡¯t kiss her however, just squeezed her tightly and moved to a side hug where I could present Nia.

    Nia stood there awkwardly as a tiny fox dragon thing made of feathers and the void of space. It was odd how she acted different in that little form as opposed to the competent scary knight woman I¡¯d first seen her as at that battle. Karen noticed her in a few seconds, and focused down on the little creature before her.

    ¡°Hi Karen¡­¡± Nia said softly.

    ¡°That¡­ you¡¯re¡­?¡± Karen asked falteringly, looking to the side at me for confirmation.

    ¡°That¡¯s Nia. She¡¯s a shapeshifting dragon now¡­¡± I explained.

    ¡°Yeah um¡­ it¡¯s a fucking long story,¡± Nia said with a nervous laugh, ¡°I can turn into a human if you¡¯d like. It¡¯s just easier to get around like this.¡±

    ¡°Do you still¡­ look like your old self?¡± Karen asked cautiously.

    ¡°There¡¯s similarities, but for the most part not really. Should I just¡­ I¡¯ll just change,¡± she said.

    Nia glowed like the void between stars for a moment, then her amorphous form expanded until it took the shape of the woman. The void faded to reveal the woman, but she did not wear the armour and coat of her station within the Knights of the Orchid. She wore simple jeans, black leather boots, a plaid shirt and a leather jacket. She would have looked like a normal woman if it wasn¡¯t for her strange starscape eyes and hair.

    Karen took a half step out of my arms in wonder, her eyes roaming up and down the woman who had appeared before us. Nia didn¡¯t look her age of twenty nine, evidently whatever she had become aged differently, but she still looked older than us high schoolers.

    ¡°You¡¯re really Nia in there? My big sister?¡± Karen asked in a barely audible whisper.

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s me,¡± Nia said with a sad little smile.

    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have the um, broken bone problem anymore,¡± Karen said, laughing nervously.

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have to worry about my kid sister throwing me to the ground and breaking my arm anymore,¡± Nia smiled.

    ¡°Oh my gosh! It was one time!¡± Karen giggled, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault! The wind was really strong and you were the nearest thing to grab onto!¡±

    Nia grinned then and exclaimed, ¡°You remember!¡±

    ¡°Of course I remember! You were like¡­ like the only good part of having a family! I made sure I remembered!¡± Karen said with a bittersweet returning grin.

    They stared at each other for a long moment after that, just taking each other in. I was happy to back off to the side a little and let them work this out. It was like watching two puppies that really wanted to play together but were still scared of each other. It was Karen who broke first, rushing forward and throwing herself into Nia¡¯s arms face first. Nia caught her effortlessly, lifting her off the ground and into a fierce embrace. They were both crying moments later, ugly chest wracking sobs coming from my girlfriend, and I found my chest constricting in sympathy almost immediately.

    They clung to each other and cried, and I stood off to the side and cried for them too. I wished things had been different for them. I wished that Karen hadn¡¯t grown up in fear of her parents and had had her older sister to defend her. It honestly sucked. Bigoted parents sucked.

    ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,¡± Nia whimpered when she got her voice back, while Karen continued to paw at the front of Nia¡¯s shirt and cry huge tears.

    ¡°Nia, Nia, Nia,¡± Karen replied, leaning back and grinning wide up at her older sister.

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Nia laughed through her tears, ¡°New and improved physically, a bit more broken mentally, but that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°I got good at soccer,¡± Karen giggled, ¡°Oh and I¡¯m gay now. For the elf girl over there,¡± she said, pointing at me.

    They both looked at me, and realised I had been crying too. I¡¯d tried to stay silent, this was their moment, not mine, but how could I not cry when my girlfriend was crying?

    ¡°Oh no! Syl come here!¡± Karen said with concern, ushering me over.

    I wobbled my way over to them and was pulled into their embrace with a lurch. We all stood there in the cold of the park while we cuddled and talked. Nia and Karen had a lot of catching up to do and they began straight away, talking excitedly to each other. Someone suggested we go and sit on one of the wooden playground platforms, and we did so, forming a little pile of cuddles.

    At some point, maybe an hour later, it started to rain like I¡¯d thought it would. Also as I¡¯d thought Nia had a trick up her sleeve for that. She glared up at the misbehaving sky and wove a spell into the air that turned the rain away from us and warmed the air up a little, then went right back to catching up with her long lost sister.