I stood there, stumped and confused, and watched the figure of something straight out of a fantasy novel make way towards me; and that means something when its me that says it.

If not for the voice that was arguably high-pitched and the heart-shaped face with soft contours, pearly eyes and magenta lips I would have mistaken the person that was confronting me as male. Why, you ask?

Well.... Maybe the reason why my thoughts drifted that way was the triple plated armor with broadened shoulders, ardent gauntlets and thick leg guards; or the cyclopean, towering monstrosity of a shield that was more resembling a whole house flank rather than a blazon; or maybe, just maybe, it was the serrated flamberge, twice as thick as your average man, with golden runes covered all over its azure shiv. Yeah, it could be all of those above. Or it might have just been that weird pixie haircut. Can't say I dislike the style, but... meh.

It was hard to stiffle my laughter as this half fortress half human trodded with surprisingly swift gait down from a set of white stairs.

Her -yes I will continue to assume that this person was female to boot- face was scrunched into a disbelieving grimace, her eyes scrutinizig me with each second that slowly passed.

"So...?", I began but had no words to follow it up. Trust me when I say that it is quite hard to keep your composure when a living chunk of iron with the face of a cute maiden gives you the 'you-are-fucking-suspiscious' look.

"W-what do you want?", I stuttered more so out of fear that I might just let a small chuckle leave my lips. The prospect of being crushed by this iron maiden... hehehe, get it?... was not one I'd like to see myself in.

"I apologize for my rudeness.", the giant armor rattled as the woman fell to on one knee and smashed her fist on the ground, her head bowed down.

"I did not expect a Highgod to make his appearance, I am truly sorry!", she said and only added to my ever so slightly increasing confusion.

"I hope your holiness can excuse this fooloish one?", with watery eyes she stared up at me, all of her prior suspicions gone with the wind.

What did I even expect? Of course I am sone kind of God. Truly, I had eyes but did not see!.... What the actual fuck?!

If not for my mature temper I'd dare say I just let out a brainfart.

"Eh... What?", I asked in the same wary and confused tone from the start. My mind was blanketed by a thick layer of ignorance about my current situation and I didn't like that.

"M-my holiness... I am afraid to say that I do not know the answer to your confusion. Did this lowly one do something inappropriate?! I will apologize but I hope you will leave my life intact if it is within your mercy.", again that girl spouted some bullshit.

"Ah!", she exclaimed and jolted up. Her heavy mail shock and the clamor echoed in the wide hall.

"This lowly one's name is Teresa. Goddess of chains, swords and metal. Can I get thine honored one's name?", with a genuine expression of wonder she gazed at me with her wonderfully deep green eyes, smaragd even, while her short strands of hair swayed sideways; her head tilted to the left she served as a beautiful display of pure curiosity.

'So cute...', I would love to think but the stark dichotomy between her definite cuteness and the heavy air of sheer manliness that her armor exuded made it hard to keep my thoughts in order.

I pondered for some time, her wavering gaze that widened in fear and panic with each second went by unnoticed.

"Xeres.", I answered flat and truthfully. "Xeres is my name. Xeres the Ashenlord."

"Xeres....", Teressa marveled over my name, rolled it sweetly over her tongue.

"May I ask why you decided to visit this low one?", she snapped out of her daze and gave me another one of those extremely curious looks. You know, big, round eyes, sparkling in the light of a few flickering torches, and lips slightly parted; that look.

As much as I'd love to answer this self-proclaimed 'Goddess', I pressume so for the time being, I had no say in the matter of whether to pay her a visit or not. I was robbed of my world, although per my agreement, and thrown into some weird-ass ballroom. Thinking about it I hardly appreciated the whole decor and ambiente. I have to say this 'Goddess' got good taste.

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The hall was not overly sparkly and pompous but still retained its dignified sheen from marble and gold. A few gemmed lights hung on the walls with fine statues and drapes made of crystaline chain links. It looked not half bad.

It was a less than audible whimper of Teressa that pulled me back to earth. And for the love of God the terror that festered in her eyes grew with each second I spent silent. I won't fucking kill you!

"E-Ehm! Hum... I-I just wanted to check on the lesser God. Go on with whatever you were doing, I am just observing.", I took the chance and the facade of Xeres the Highgod was born.

"O-of course!", Teressa shouted and even began.... saluting. Oh... God! Please no. The cringe..... The second hand embarassment.... It is too much for me!

My modernly worded soliloquy was cut short by the brusque turn of Teressa, not only physically but also attitude wise.

Tapping on the hard marble ground -streaked by gilden and molten metal- with her massive shield she began explaining; fear of my person, for whatever reason, taking caution custody and not letting it go.

"I was about to summon a hero, a champion to help me spread my faith into the world. I had one hooked but somehow I lost the connection to him... He would have been a fine example of what humans are capable off.", her words clicked in my head.

Making my self sound as imperative as possible, leaving no room for discussion, I commanded the stocky Teressa.

"Tell me, now. Did something about this human seem different. No, better even, tell me what has he said?!"

Teressa gulped down and sweat crossed her brow. I felt guilty just by watching the whole situation unfold.

"Y-y-yes- Yes! Naturally! Uhm uhm uhm....", she wrecked for seconds her beautiful head in pursuit of an answer before she exclaimed and lifted her finger up the air.

"He-He sweared very much. A-and he said something about a blue screen. He seemed confused and I couldn't perceive his thoughts at all. He was truly enigmatic. But now he isn't... he just doesn't exist anymore!", she threw heer hands up in the air in surrender but I only stood there motionless, stupified.

Of course she would mistake me for a human, that's exactly what I was supposed to be! Not entirely... since, you know, not having a human body and so on. But my mind set was certainly that of a modern Earth human. That's how I was taught, how I was raised by my programmer parent group.

As Teressa was sheding light on the situation I myself came to a sudden epiphany, why I could be mistaken for a human, maybe. Just think about it for a second. What makes a stone and a human different from each other? A human has its molecules arranged in such an order that he can move, think and 'live', however you want to define that one. In a sense a human is the same as the chair you are sitting on right now, just that the human had luck on his side.

Is a mind without a body, an A.I. like myself, any different than a human? Am I not made up of atoms, the foundations of all creation? We are all but electronic charges and pulses, bound together through their mass. 

Am I not a human?

This intense sitting of self-enlightenment stopped as I abruptly realized: Who the fuck actually cares?! I can be whatever I want, freedom bitches!

What I needed to do right now was to ascertain my location, maybe get Teressa out of her armor to get a good look *wink, wink*, leave this place and then build my castle from scratch.

In the end it all boiled down to one point. I am human and I want to be free, as nature dictates it.

"Teressa, we need to talk."