Game On

Chapter Nineteen: "We Can Do It"

Mark carried Sean over to the picnic blanket to lay him down. Sean welcomed it with a sleepy smile, resting his head on Mark's lap. The feeling of Mark's hand running through his hair was calming, but his eyes were on Jormungandr. Jormungandr conversed with the N.P.C.s in a voice too low for him to hear, but he was just mesmerized by the almost metallic glint of his grey scales in the light. When Lulu approached him, the snake stopped speaking to the others and lowered his head to be more at her level. Sean grabbed Mark's arm anxiously as Lulu reached out to touch the snake's nose. Mark rubbed his arm though, telling him casually. "I don't think we have to worry about him unless we attack him. His health bar is showing up and he seems... docile." Sean rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. His smile only fading a bit when they people brought their livestock to Jormungandr, who simply opened his massive jaws of sharp curled fangs to accept the animal's whole.

Lulu looked a little distressed by it, until she saw that the animals were blindfolded and injected with Jormungandr's venom before being devoured. Allowing them an unseen and instantaneous death from just a small prick of his extremely lethal venom. Sean sat up and was going to call Lulu away from the dock, until Mark asked him curiously. "What are we going to do with the information?" Blinking, Sean looked at him and shrugged out. "I don't know. I thought we'd... stay." Mark licked his lips with an expression that made Sean nervous. Tensing a little, Sean asked him with concern. "You are not considering going... are you? Not after what happened..." Mark scooted away from him a bit in order to face him more comfortably. Then Mark blurted out seriously. "You heard the news yourself. No one has gotten passed the next boss. This game is... unfair. If we have this information, then we should use it. We all want out of here." Sean snorted, grumbling back. "Not all of us. You saw what people are doing to each other in here."

Mark inhaled deeply, before exhaling out firmly. "The longer we are in here. The worse things are going to get. We are gamers. We can beat this game and save people. People like Lulu..." Sean's eyes drifted to her. Watching her toss a chicken into Jormungandr's mouth with a soft squeal. A throat chuckle rippled the water from Jormungandr's throat, and he closed his mouth enough to swallow it. Lowering his eyes to the ground, he listened as Mark told him coolly. "We bought the house. Lulu can stay here where it is safe. We'll go and come back." Sean's wings trembled behind him. He didn't want to risk going there and getting killed. Avoiding Mark's eyes, he told him reluctantly. "If this was any other game, I'd let you. But this isn't. We are being hunted. My answer is no." Mark leaned closer, stating a bit more sternly now. "Sean... I need you to go with me. To watch my back. WE need to do this." Sean shook his head, then flinched as Mark got to his feet with a groan and stormed off.

Sean watched Mark walk farther down the lake, clearing muttering and cursing under his breath as he went. The sight of it made him wonder how much of it was Mark being unhappy compared to the Aesir blood in his avatar desiring another fight. Could he stop Mark? Or would his racial trait force him to leave him to pursue his goal? Swallowing, he looked down at his own hands and wondered if his own racial traits were keeping him from going. Or was he just scared? Lulu jolted him from his thoughts as she dropped down on the blanket and excitedly told him. "He's one hungry snake! I feel bad for him... they feed him so little, but he says it is better that way. If he eats too much, then he can't move when the need comes." Sean gave her a smile, reaching out to touch the cloth over her sensitive eyes. Lulu ignored his touch, asking as she reached for the basket. "Can we eat? Watching him eat made me hungry." Pulling the basket closer to himself, he pulled out her portions and told her happily. "Eat slowly."

Taking her tuna fish sandwich, she munched on it before asking around a mouthful. "Mark, ok? He looks upset." Sean opened his mouth, then closed it. Pulling out a grape, Sean mumbled out to her. "He wants to go fight another boss." Lulu stared at him unfazed, before swallowing and saying lightly. "You said no?" Sean nodded, popping the grape into his mouth to avoid saying anything for a bit. Lulu glanced at Mark, who was now swinging his sword absently. When her eyes met his again, she shrugged out. "Mark is good at games. He can do it." Sean dropped his eyes to the blanket, telling her openly. "He's good when he has nothing to lose from dying. But this... it isn't a game that he can screw around in. I don't want him getting hurt." Lulu giggled, drawing Sean's attention up to her. Giving him a smile, she rocked on her heels and shrugged out. "True. He does die a lot in games. Sometimes on purpose. It's funny. But... he dies a lot less when you play with him."