Fuck this, he was done for the night.He was logging out, and then he was going to contact the support line and give them roughly a dozen pieces of his mind over how stupidly glitchy this game was.
"Game over," he said.
Nothing.Just like with the pain sensors, it was as though the computer wasn't listening to him.Like it wasn't there at all."Computer!Game over!"Still nothing.Fuck, fuck,fuck."Computer, emergency shutdown, Lance Waters, 6793-203-1569."
Nothing.That wasn'tpossible.Ever since the Dragonwake Tragedy of 2067, computer escape laws had been really fucking strict.Everything made had to be able to respond to a universal emergency shut down order.This didn't make any sense.
Damn it.Maybe if he went back to the tavern, where nothing had seemed to be glitchy.Pushing off the bottom of the pond-lake-whatever, he swam to the surface and broke through in a frantic rush.
Definitely still a pond up here.So yeah, probably a later quest revealed the pond was really a lake.Whatever, he didn't care right now.He wantedout.
Swimming to the bank, he heaved himself up and out, then knelt on the ground, trying to catch his breath, give his sore muscles a chance to rest.
Fuck, why did this all feel so real?Way beyond any immersion sensors he knew of, and he didn'thavethose sensors anyway.
The sound of rattling metal, swords being drawn, orders being shouted from behind face shields, drew his attention—and Lance stared in shock as he was surrounded by easily ten knights in armor that was black like an oil slick.
What in theabsolute fuckwas going on?
"This is the one," one of the knights said."Capture him."
"Stop!"Lance howled, and barely rolled out of the way as two of them swung swords that were way too big to be practical.He gained his feet just in time to be sent flying into a tree, but didn't have time to puzzle over the way it cracked and splintered before he was being attacked again.
"Stop it!Leave me alone!Stop it!"Lance cried as he tried to shield himself from the blows, the hands that tried to grip him, kicking and twisting and lunging until he was finally free, or at least had space to draw his own sword, which seemed to ring like a bell in crisp winter air.Behind him, the pond seemed to shudder, splashing against the banks and casting water across the grass.
Holding his sword ready, Lance said, "Stand down, and I'll grant you mercy, but if you press onward, you'll be given no quarter."Surprising no one, the knights ignored his offer of mercy and resumed the fight.
With a roaring battle cry, Lance threw himself into the fight, sending two crashing into trees with a rush of pounding water from the pond.He took the head off one, cast another into the pond, and stabbed the second in the throat with a dagger pulled from his belt.
Then there were five.
He grinned, all teeth and barely-restrained rage, and beckoned the leader, a captain by his markings."Ready to finish this?"
The captain sent the other four at him and lobbed something in the moment he thought Lance was distracted—more of that fucking liquid fire.Rage consumed Lance, and he called up the water behind him with a bellow, slamming it into all of them, dousing the fire before it could bring harm.As the water receded, he made certain each and every one of the knights was dead, including the ones he'd thrown into the trees.
He stood in the midst of the carnage, chest heaving, still trembling with anger.How dare these fucking bastards—
Lance stopped.What waswrongwith him?
Even as he had the thought, though, it spun away as a horrible stabbing pain filled his head.He sheathed his sword, barely, then stumbled his way to the pond, not stopping until he was in up to his waist.
Better.The pain wasn't gone, but it was mitigated.Muffled.He could think.
But nothing he thought about made sense.The weird kitten.The weird pond.His way weirder behavior with the anger and the water.
Son of the Lady.Son of the Queen.Son of the Water.
You will be the first.
He pressed his hands to his temples, trying to relieve the pain that had come roaring back, turning to face out over the water.Not a pond now, but a true lake, spanning so far he couldn't see its end.His eyes blurred, tears streaming down his cheeks.
A choice must be made.
Slowly lowering his hands, the words echoing over and over in his head, Lance peeled his eyes open.He'd just wanted to play a game.What was happening?Whywas it happening?
As he watched, water lilies floated into view, one right after the other, until he was completely surrounded by them.They were all pink, delicate and pretty…save for one, which was as white as snow, not a single hint of yellow or pink.His heart raced as it drew closer, memories like shadows flickering through his mind.
Go forth as you will, my child, and take with you my love and protection.
