Intro to the VR (Part 3)
"We have entered Virtual Knights Private Server. There are currently 1 user and 22 observers present." your car states.
I am alone, I will fight an unknown drone, my friend wants to kill me... This will look bad in my records...
You are inside your car. The tunnel that led you here ends in some kind of cave with the only exit right in front of your car.
Outside you can see a forest.
What a nice place for a trap you think as you can hear a voice.
"Sanjay. This is Bayliss."
Lady Bayliss, Clan Leader Bayliss, I wonder if anybody already knows of your promotion.
"Please park your car in the cave. It will stay there while you test my drone." she continues.
Oh yes Clan Leader. It is good to know that my car stays here while I die out there...
Fortunately, Bayliss didn't know that you found out her secret power claim.
I have to wait for the right moment for my little plan to work. you think as you exit the car.
I guess she will try to keep me away from my car so I won't get out too early.
You press the button of the beacon you have hidden in you fist and let it fall onto the ground, hoping that she didn't notice it.
Seconds later you are standing outside the cave, facing the forest. But something seems to be missing.
It's too silent. There are no animals. But soon the silence will be gone.
You turn around to have a better look at the cave. You expect to see a mountain, but you are standing in front of a wall.
You make some steps backwards and whistle when you see that the wall is actually part of a castle.
There is no sign of the cave you came from.
And again you hear Bayliss' voice.
"I thought I'd do you a favor by putting you into familiar surroundings. As far as I know,
you were more interested into this Dark Ages stuff, right? Well, the drone just fits into this setting, too."
Fits into this setting? Well, to kill me, the drone should be powerful. But what looks good on film and is tough?
While you are thinking, the forest behind you seems to become brighter. You turn around again and see that the it's burning.
Suddenly you know exactly what creature would be your enemy. You also know that you have no chace against a dragon.
You keep your eyes pinned on the sky above the forest, expecting to see the beast flying there any second.
Then you see a large figure coming out of the burning forest. The dragon is about 15 meters tall and had been colored in shades of red.
You have to guess the last fact because now the dragon looks badly burnt, an obvious result of its walk through the forest.
I don't get it. Why didn't it just fly out of there? you think as you start running along the wall.
The dragon starts to chase you, each of its steps carrying it five meters.
Of course! I've got it! Bayliss had to design this drone quickly because she wants me out of the Clan as fast as possible.
So if she didn't have much time, then I'm facing a very early version of the dragon. Perhaps Bayliss gave it too small wings to fly.
Although in Virtual Reality almost anything is possible, there are still some basic physical rules like gravity that normally had to be obeyed.
Some scripts made exceptions to these rules, but they were usually quite expensive.
I have to think of some way to use this for my advantage, because the dragon still runs faster than I do.
The castle could be of some use. I could use its height to make more effective attacks.
With this plan you reach the corner of the wall. You dash around it and see - another flat wall. No entry to the castle.
The dragon is just a few of his steps behind you.
If I can't outrun him, I will have to out-fly him. you think as you touch your wristwatch.
Each skin has its own way to access the main menu. The Knight and the Mage have a jewel that summons a book,
and this one had a holographic display being projected out of the watch.
Floating in front of you are the menu entries. You hastily touch the entry "Models". In the next menu you pick "Special".
The page that opens now only contains one image.
Here we go! you think as you touch the picture.
When the dragon finally comes around the corner he finds - nobody. It critically looks for any clues until a movement in the sky distracts it.
Now that's more I like it. you think as you soar among the clouds, using a well-made eagle model.
You almost forget why you are here enjoying the feeling of flying when suddenly the cloud you just passed vanishes in a huge stream of fire.
I have to to get inside the castle! you remember and start a fast dive through the clouds.
After a few seconds you are close enough to see some details you have missed before.
It looks like the castle needs some minor changes, too. Like doors and gates to get inside!
Not a single door or a window can be seen inside the castle walls. Just textured blocks.
No place to dive for cover you decide as you fly out of the reach of the fire breath.
"Hey Sanjay! You were supposed to fight the dragon!" Bayliss voice hints amusement.
Annoyed, you circle the dragon, looking for a weak spot.
I guess I'll have to use the good old Attack From Behind method.
With one of your talons you touch a ring attached to the other talon.
A small flying carpet appears under your talons, with the usual menu items visible on it.
Quickly you dial through the menues with your little talons.
I must be quite a sight: "And then the eagle started tap-dancing on its flying carpet!" "Right. the doctor will see you now..."
You touch the picture of the Mage just as you are above the dragon. Again in human form, you quickly arm yourself with your new staff.
When you are just a few meters above the dragon's back, you make the gesture activating the Spark Tracer.
The speed I gained from the fall should be more than enough to trigger the Spark Tracer.
The dragon's back feels more slippery than you hoped and you quickly glide down holding one end of the staff onto the dragon's skin.
As you had planned, the sparks coming out of the staff make a considerable scar into the burnt skin of the dragon.
You let yourself fall onto the ground and roll away using the momentum gained from the dragon ride.
