** Warrior **

You decide to start with the Warrior. She gives a triumphant war cry when you click on her character model. The screen fades to black.

You wait.

Nothing happens.

You wait some more.

Then a series of ones and zeroes scrolls horizontally across the screen, left to right. Above and below that, a series of dotted colored lines scrolls in the opposite direction.

A whirring noise sounds from the webcam. You jump in your seat when it emits a quick barrage of light beams.

Lasers? What the fuck.

The last thing you see is a rapidly enlarging sphere of light. It engulfs your entire field of view before everything goes black again.

***

What happened?

Did you pass out?

Your head hurts. And you feel dizzy. You're lying on your back, you think.

You open your eyes. Then you sit up. Or at least, try to. You slump back onto what feels like...is it a rug? A carpet of some kind? Smells musty.

"You're awake!"

You look over to see who just spoke. Who the hell was that, and how'd they get into your home?

A craggly faced man with dirty blonde hair looks down at you. Bandages are wrapped around his forehead and running down along the left side of his face. His face lights up in relief.

"Thank the gods, you're awake," he says.

"Who the hell are you?" You demand.

The man shakes his head sadly. "The wounds must be more grievous than we feared. You do not know me?"

"Wha--?"

"It is I, Andemir. We have fought side by side for many seasons now, Amelina. Do you not remember, truly?"

"What?" None of this is making any sense. Where the hell are you, and who is this weirdo? "How'd you get in here, and why are you calling me Amelina?"

"It is your name."

"What the fuck are you talking about? My name is Ryan, not Amelina, or whatever the hell you're saying."

The man shakes his head again. "The layhealers have done what they can. We have sent for a Priestess. With luck, she will be able to restore your mind, along with the rest of your wounds. Until then, just rest, lass."

"Priestess--what--look, buddy, I am not this Amelina OK? My name is Ryan and did you just call me 'lass' what the hell is going on here??? I'm not a lass, I'm--"

You stop.

"I'm...a man...?" Your voice. You sound like...like a woman.

You try to sit up again, and this time you succeed. "What the hell is going on?" you ask. Someone better start making sense soon.

"We were in battle," Andemir answers as if it should be obvious. "We were victorious in routing the Beastmen hordes, but you were wounded."

You look around. You appear to be inside a castle, or something. Not that you've ever been in one, but with those big heavy stone bricks making up the walls, this place sure looks like the inside of every castle illustration you've seen in every RPG ever. No windows though. So maybe in a cellar?

"Where am I?" You ask. "And why am I...a woman?" You look down at yourself, and sure enough, though your entire torso is wrapped in bandages, you can see them clear as day--two large mounds protruding from your chest. You poke gingerly at one of them.

They're real. What the fuck. Is this some kind of VR thing? Because if so, this is mind blowing stuff.

Andamir looks taken aback. But he answers. "We are beneath Hrothmar Keep," he explains. "And you are a woman...because..." He pauses, as if unsure how to continue. "Because that is how the gods made you."

What the actual fuck. That doesn't help at all.

Someone calls out from the hall just outside the chamber you're in now. "The Priestesses Miriana and Gwenolin approach!"

Two young woman in knee length skirts and loose fitting tunics enter the room, bowing in greeting. One of them approaches you and Andemir.

"Greetings, Warriors," she says in a gentle voice. "I am Gwenolin, Priestess of Marashai."