"This doesn't make any fucking sense," Edward mumbled as he put Ikarus on his lap. The young dragon— after finding himself in a completely new environment— looked from left to right with childlike curiosity. Edward looked down at his new dragon, "You're just code… aren't you? How are you here? What does this mean?"
'Is Avalon Online even a game?' Edward found himself wondering, 'Is it possibly some sort of parallel world?'
"Are you real?" Edward whispered as he scratched Ikarus's chin. The young dragon purred and closed his eyes as soon as he felt Edward's fingers. Then, as if he were hoping for belly rubs, the dragon turned onto his back. His wings compressed against his body like a thin blanket as he brought all four limbs into the air. Edward smiled and rubbed Ikarus's chest.
'He's real. They're all real. Avalon's NPCs are real people— with souls and everything,' Edward realized. This dragon's existence in the real world confirmed that, 'I just don't know how. The fact that my physical appearance has changed into my avatar also confirms that. Maybe Avalon is some parallel universe Desert Industries managed to connect to. The technology that would be required for that is science fiction, though. So how?'
After a few moments of thought, Edward concluded that he wouldn't be able to understand the answer unless he managed to get several doctorates or he snuck into Desert Industries HQ. Both options were literally impossible for obvious reasons, so Edward decided to shelve the issue until he had more information.
'Perhaps I can talk to a scholar in the nearest city— ask them about it,' Edward thought to himself. He stood up and walked to the fridge. Ikarus hopped onto the ground and followed him with a curious gate. As Edward opened the door to the fridge, Ikarus's nose twitched. The dragon instantly turned to look at the food hidden behind the metal door as if he were some drug dog working for the police. Then, in the next instant, he bolted forward like a lightning bolt.
He moved faster than any other animal— save maybe for a cheetah or something similar— as he slammed himself into the fridge's contents. Edward backed away, startled, but quickly recovered as Ikarus walked back into the room.
In the clutches of his sharp jaw was a container for chocolate ice cream. As Ikarus slowly walked from the fridge back to the bed, Edward watched in silence. He was mostly dumbfounded but also mildly amused.
'What sort of dragon craves ice cream that much?' Edward found himself wondering. As Ikarus jumped back onto his blanket, the dragon began to struggle with the container's lid. His teeth were too small to find accurate purchase and he didn't have enough claws to tear a hole larger than a pin. Edward chuckled and took the ice cream away from Ikarus.
The small feline-like dragon squirmed in surprise for a moment, but quickly stopped as soon as Edward removed the lid. Then, like a starving child, Ikarus shoved his snout through the container's opening.
"Crazy kid," Edward whispered once more. He turned his head to his alarm clock and groaned as he saw the time. It was nearly time for bed, but Edward knew it wouldn't be a comfortable night with an active dragon by his side. He needed to be prepared. He stood up, igniting Ikarus's curiosity. Edward looked down at his new friend and smiled, "Let's go to the store."
Ikarus tilted his head, clearly confused.
"Thanks again!" Edward heard the voice of the cashier hollar as the door to the convenience store began to close. In his hands, Edward carried two bags of groceries. In his left hand were a bunch of cat toys. Ikarus acted so much like a feline that he likely had a similar personality. In his left hand were a wide variety of foods— though none for pets. Because Ikarus was a Dragon Edward suspected the little man wouldn't like kebble too much. So he got a bunch of meat and a little bit of ice cream.
On his back, Edward wore a black backpack— the one he wore back in high school— as well as a heavy hoodie to hide some of his face. He didn't want anybody he knew to recognize him and ask questions about his new appearance, so he also decided to throw on a face mask as well.
His backpack squirmed as Ikarus moved from within. The young dragon couldn't have been trusted on his own in Edward's motel room, so the young man took a risk and brought the dragon into the city. Luckily, Ikarus was intelligent enough to understand when he shouldn't have been seen— despite having been a newborn.
"If I had to guess, you're about as intelligent as a ten-year-old," Edward guessed. The backpack squirmed once more, though the movement felt random and unprovoked. Edward already knew why it seemed that way. Ikarus didn't understand English, after all. Edward sighed and began walking back to the motel.
On the way there, he saw another poster for Avalon Online. This one was plastered on a massive billboard on the main road. The poster itself seemed new, considering Edward hadn't seen it yet. The art was similar to the first poster, but a little bit more detailed. This time, there was a castle in the background instead of a mountain.
'Ten million new players!' the poster read out with big bold text. Edward chuckled but then froze in the middle of the sidewalk.
'How many of them will develop superpowers?' Edward wondered to himself. For a moment, he imagined a society with so many superpowered individuals. Law and order would disappear as anarchy reined supreme. Fire and destruction would be as common as plants and bugs. Edward shivered, then continued walking forward, 'I need to be strong in case that happens. The future is dark and full of terrors.'