JTSS 1-199

Jaina struggled to go fluid as the strange man raced through the forest at terrific speed. She was slung over his shoulder like a sack, bouncing as he leaped over logs, stones, and even streams. He avoided the roads so his passage wouldn't be witnessed by players, and his steps barely made a sound.

Jaina guessed he was a woodsman-type class with a focus on archery and mobility. Despite his speed, he easily avoided trees and other obstacles, indicating a very high level of skill. He and his accomplice had managed to steal her away without even alerting the others. Now, she was sure they were heading to the forest's edge and beyond the borders of Gwen's kingdom. Once outside, she would be vulnerable to a reset, which is exactly what he wanted.

“Why are you doing this?” Jaina moaned as she clawed at his leather armor with weak hands. “What did I ever do to you?”

“Oh, did you need me to explain the plan?” he laughed while darting around a tree. “Sorry, I am a professional. I do the job, not blab about it.”

“I never hurt anybody. Who would want me reset?” Jaina cried.

“Are you kidding?” he laughed. “You’re a monster player. You are supposed to be reset. You should have been put down long ago.”

“I have the right to play what I want,” Jaina argued in desperation.

“Go ahead,” the man laughed. “But then people have the right to put you down. If you choose to be an enemy, don’t be surprised when people see you as one.”

“We are not the enemy,” Jaina pleaded, but it was falling on deaf ears. This man was dedicated to his task and wasn't going to stop because of an impassioned argument. He had prepared for this, too, using magical arrows coated with a poison that prevented her from using her powers. The opening attack had been nothing but a distraction to lure her allies away while he ran off with the prize. All she could do now was hope and pray that help arrived before he got beyond the borders of the kingdom, or she would be starting all over again. As the forest raced by she began to cry, not wanting to be put back all those slow levels.

“Hannah, please, help me,” she whispered as her time grew short.

“What do you mean they took Jaina?” Gwen demanded as she turned about to take in the burning trees around them.

“I don't know who took them,” Hannah said. “But they did, and we have to find her. You can locate her, can't you?”

“Hannah,” Gwen snapped as she glared at her daughter. “You are the silver princess of my kingdom. You can locate her yourself.”

Hannah's stomach sank as she realized Gwen was right. In her panic, she had completely forgotten that her mother had elevated her to almost the same rank as herself. As such, Hannah could use her kingdom heart to do almost everything Gwen could. She had it open in seconds, racing through interfaces as Gwen guided her.

“Now go into active players,” Gwen instructed. “Narrow it to monster players.”

Hannah followed her instructions and brought up the list to see Jaina was on it.

“Why can you see her so easily?” Quinny asked as she stood on her toes to see the interface.

“Jaina is a trusted ally,” Gwen replied. “As such, she isn't hidden from my sight even if she wants to be.”

“She's moving at a crazy speed,” Hannah said. “They must be flying.”

“There are more ways to travel than you have imagined,” Gwen replied as silver, angel-like wings spread from her back. “Now, we know where she is and what direction she's going in. Let's intercept them.”

With that, Gwen took off, streaking into the sky as Hannah, Quinny, Umtha, and Breanne followed on their leathery wings. Evalynn and Gisley went for the nearest forest portal, determined to get between their foe and the edge of their domain. They would wait to create a blockade and slow them down if needed.

Hannah flew as fast as her wings would carry her, a sinking feeling filling her stomach. In her arrogance, she believed that any danger would be coming for her, but somehow, it turned out to be Jaina. It didn't make sense as the mimic woman wasn't even tangled up in the Hathlisora nonsense. That meant there was another reason to want to harm her, but what could it be? Chandice had once said that mimics were vital in the creation of certain magical items. Could it be somebody wanted to harvest her for components?

The thoughts were terrifying as they raced over the treetops while slowly falling behind Gwen. Hannah kept checking her interface to see Jaina's marker moving steadily for the borders of the kingdom. If she got beyond it, they would lose the ability to track her, except for Roric, who could follow her slave collar. But that also meant Jaina was vulnerable, too far from her magical spawn anchor, and outside the protective bounds of Gwen's kingdom. If she died out there, she would reset, and that would leave her heartbroken.

“I am not letting that happen,” Hannah growled and pressed on, determined to beat the deranged woman who had taken Jaina to the forest's edge.

“About time,” a woman's voice said as the man stopped and shook Jaina to make sure she was still alive.

“Not all of us can teleport,” the man said as Jaina saw a new player appear. She walked with a cat-like grace, a smile on her face as she approached Jaina and lifted her chin.

“You were easier to steal than I thought you would be,” the woman laughed. “I had assumed we would have to raid that palace, but you came out to the forest.”

“Where are the rest of your friends?” Jaina asked to try and sound defiant.

“Our friends?” the woman said with a smile. “Oh, dear, those fools were hired to die while we carried you away. They were nothing but cannon fodder, and they did their job perfectly.”

“You won't get beyond the forest,” Jaina spat, trying to sound brave despite her tear-streaked face.

“Please, who is going to stop us?” the woman laughed just as the tree over her head exploded in a hail of silver sparks.

“I told you she would be on us before we got out,” the man growled and tossed Jaina to the side to draw his bow. Out of the sky came an angel in silver plates and gossamer wings, with a bow of her own drawn as white spirals collected on the point.

“Gwen!” Jaina cried in joy as what might be the most powerful woman in all the land opened fire with a bolt of pure white light. Jaina struggled to lift herself and see the bolt strike the man, but he only cursed and released a hail of blue arrows racing back, pelting Gwen as she tried to close the gap.

“They are nearly the same level?” Jaina gasped as Gwen crashed to the ground, becoming a blur of colors.

“Prismatic defense,” the archer laughed. “You're going to have to do better than that.” He ran at high speed, unleashing arrow after arrow that streaked into the colors and produced small explosions. Gwen fired back with arrows that trailed spirals of silver and shattered trees.

The woman vanished in a flash and appeared beside Gwen, plunging a long dagger into her shoulder. Gwen struck out with a swing of her arm and sent the woman flying, but she vanished before hitting the ground and appeared beside Gwen again, drawing another gash of blood.

Jaina looked on in horror as the two strangers matched Gwen move for move. They took hits that looked like they would kill a normal person but hardly slowed them. Gwen stood her ground and called six of her guards to her side with a raised hand. They tipped the odds slightly for a few moments, but the strangers put them down one by one until it was just Gwen again.

Just as Jaina was sure it was going to go badly, a streak of red fell from the sky and landed on the woman, crashing her to the ground.

“Remember me?” Hannah asked as she smiled at the woman with pointed teeth. “We didn’t finish our dance.”

“You should have stayed out of this,” the woman growled. “You only survive that because I let you live.”

“Oh, so you're a bragger too?” Hannah said as her hands burst into flames.

“Hannah, be careful!” Gwen shouted, but it was already too late. The woman was gone in a flash and appeared beside Hannah a moment later. Hannah was quick, turning to meet her, but a hail of cuts and slashes sprung out. Hannah cried out in pain as she was cut a dozen times, her devil armor plates no match for the superior power of the rogue. Gwen rushed to join the fight, but suddenly, a blast of red energy crashed from the nearby trees. Gwen was thrown back just as Quinny, Umtha, and Breanne arrived.

Jaina saw two more strangers step out of the trees. One was a man in white robes with red, flame-like patterns. The other is a woman in blue and pearl plates, carrying a long-handled hammer.

“I can't believe you lured them all out,” the priestess said. “Your plan worked perfectly.”

“Please, this was predictable,” the dagger-wielding rogue said. “Of course, mommy was going to show up when I cut her daughter a few times.”

“We should just reset them all,” the man in the robes said. Send this kingdom back to a tiny village.” He then turned his gaze to Umtha, who was in the middle of calling lightning down on them. With a smile, he pointed a wand and uttered a single word. A giant fist appeared and grasped Umtha, crushing her as he waved the wand.

“Leave her alone!” Quinny shouted as Breanne followed her in. The woman in blue armor stepped forward and raised her hammer.

“I smite the followers of darkness,” she said.

A ray of golden sunlight raced down, striking the two women like a mountain had fallen on them. They cried out in agony and fell to the ground, still alive but badly wounded.

Jaina couldn't believe her eyes as a single holy spell nearly killed two of her sisters. These people had to be over a hundred in level with magical items to boost their skills. Why had people of such power come all this way to reset her? She watched in horror as the dagger woman blinked to Hannah, who was getting to her feet. She arrived just beside her when the air suddenly filled with golden pollen. A second later, it exploded in a fireball that sent the woman racing out, her hair smoldering as she swore she was going to cut Hannah's head off.

“They said she and her mother would be a challenge,” the wizard said as he lifted a wand and caused a snap freeze to coat the area.

Hannah stood in her black devil armor, scythe in hand, as she glowered at the intruders.

“I don't care why you four are here,” Hannah growled. “But you made a mistake hurting my family.” Arrows flew, and a red ray of power raced out as a halo of fire appeared over Hannah's head. Suddenly, the forest around them came alive as a nearby tree began to batter the wizard and holy priest with its branches. Bushes with long tentacle-like arms burst out of the ground, grasping and flailing as others lashed at them with thorns. Hannah's voice sang out clear and beautiful as she called on the power of her flower singer and women made of vines grew around her and rushed into attack.

Jaina clung to hope, but only for a second as the four invaders decimated Hannah's plant army. It lasted less than ten seconds, and then they were on Hannah, who took blow after blow while slashing with her scythe to fend them off.

Gwen was up and glowing green as a man beside her looked on angrily. Drellis was here, the reclusive druid of the grove healing the queen as Hannah bought them time with her life.

“Nothing witty to say, Princess?” the woman mocked as she stabbed Hannah through the shoulder.

Hannah dropped to one knee, her scythe falling from her hand as she began to tremble. She looked up, briefly making eye contact with Jaina as if to say she was sorry. Jaina realized that Hannah was about to die, and she reached up, desperate to save her. A quick slash and, Hannah fell dead to the forest floor while the woman stood up and laughed, only to take a hail of silver arrows to the chest.

Gwen raced in, calling on more guards and letting her most powerful attacks fly. The ground exploded around the intruders in a white fire, causing them to turn their focus on the woman.

“I thought she was down?” the wizard said as he produced a magical barrier to keep the heat at bay.

“Healer in the trees,” the archer said as he pointed at Drellis. The druid faded from sight but not fast enough to avoid fireballs from the wizard. Once again, it looked as if the tide might turn as Gwen fought on, enraged by the death of her daughter. But it was clear that the four were more than a match for her, and they mocked her even as they wore her down.

Then the trees shook, and two bears the size of small elephants came crashing in. They tore into the four intruders while vines and plants began to tangle them. The wizard began to focus on countering the magic as a battle of power raged between him and Drellis. Arrows started to fly from the tree line as a pack of NPC gnolls backed by Elven archers arrived and joined the fight.

“We have been here too long,” the dark-skinned archer said as he used a tree for cover. “Every guard and patrol in the forest will be here soon.”

“Not to mention her allies,” the priestess shouted.

“We made our statement,” the knife-wielding woman said as she turned her gaze to Hannah's still body. “That will wake them up.”

Hannah found herself adrift in a cold darkness as a familiar voice called to her.

“Hannah, you’re running out of time. Shift some essence to your health,” the woman pleaded.

“I died again?” Hannah asked as she vaguely became aware of being adrift in a black void.

“I explained this before,” the woman sighed. “Your ring is enchanted to buy you a little time after death so you can use your essence to boost your health. If you hesitate too long, you will slip into the buffer and respawn like everybody else.”

“Why are they after Jaina?” Hannah asked.

“I can't answer that,” the woman said. But you can be sure it has something to do with you. Now you have seconds left. Do it or wait four hours to see if Jaina survives.”

Hannah nodded and willed open her interface as anger coursed through her soul. Jaina was her friend, partner, and sister in the collar. Nobody was going to take that from her.

“Use the stones?” the priestess called as she was attacked by three goblins who came out of the shadows.

The forest came alive as would-be heroes arrived to join the fight. Jaina prayed for a miracle and gawked as her prayers were suddenly answered.

The air filled with blue light as Hannah's once-still form began to move. She sat up with eyes blazing with blue fire and teeth bared in a sinister scowl. The battlefield froze as her body crackled with electricity and began to arc across the ground like an angry goddess about to punish the unworthy.

“What the hell?” the archer said in complete surprise. “I thought you killed her?”

“I did kill her!” the rogue replied. “I am sure of it.”

“Then they have somebody who can resurrect the dead,” the cleric replied. “But I have never seen a resurrection like that.”

Hannah flew high, her fists curled, as she blazed like a blue star. The display was awesome, as the forest lit up, clearly indicating where they were for miles around.

“She has to be an ascendant,” the rogue gasped. “It's the only explanation.”

“That's impossible,” the archer said as he ran for cover. “Nobodies seen an ascendant since the wars.”

“What else do you call that?” the rogue asked just as a hail of blazing fire crashed down on her. She blinked away, but Hannah was after her, hurling bolts of pure anger that left craters in the ground.

“Nobody said anything about fighting an ascendant,” the wizard replied.

“She’s too low level to be an ascendant,” the healer in blue argued as an arc of electricity flashed over her head, leaving a smoldering mark on a tree. “Or, she's higher level than they anticipated?”

“If we all hit her at once, we can put her down quickly,” the wizard said as he raised his wand.

“We aren't fighting this,” the rogue cried, and in a flash, she was beside Jaina. She grabbed Jaina in her arms, and they were gone from the battlefield in a second flash. Jaina blinked to see they were still in the forest, standing beside what appeared to be a wooden staff glowing with strange symbols.

“Thank goodness for a recall stone,” the woman laughed and dropped a small stone from her hand. A moment later, there were three more flashes, and the others appeared in various states of unhappiness.

“Thanks for the warning you were going to bail,” the woman in the blue plate said.

“What choice did we have?” the wizard said in her defense. “That princess is a friggan ascendant.”

“I thought you said we could take her?” the woman in blue accused as she glared at him.

“I am sure we could have if we all hit her at once and weren't being distracted by the others,” the wizard replied with an equally accusatory tone. “Ascendants aren't invulnerable, just very tough.”

“An ascendant!” the archer growled as he got up. “How in the hell did nobody know that?”

“The notes said she was a chosen,” the wizard replied.

“We have to get back and report it,” the woman in the blue plate insisted.

“But I can't believe they didn't know. It's not an easy thing to hide.”

“She must have known,” the archer argued, then turned his gaze on Jaina. “Or she's been too worried about her to do her job.” He pointed at Jaina as if she were the cause of all their problems. He pressed the point that after all their careful planning and information gathering it was impossible they didn’t know.

“Watch what you say!” the rogue hissed as she got their attention. “Don't forget she's going to respawn eventually. Now, focus. How far from the border are we?”

“I set the portal marker about a mile from the border,” the wizard said. “Any further away, and I couldn't guarantee they would work.”

“Then we are much closer to safety than they are to us,” the woman said as she passed Jaina to the archer. “Now, let's run and get the job done. They will never catch us in time, and once we get beyond the borders and ditch the body, they will never locate us.”

Jaina’s heart filled with dread as they all ran for the border of Gwen’s kingdom. Despite Hannah’s use of her essence and Gwen’s valiant attack, Jaina was still going to be reset. Every second brought her closer to her demise, and the tears started to flow again.

“Umm, Devon?” the woman in blue called with a hint of concern. “Why is she glowing purple?”

“Purple?” the dark-skinned archer replied as he paused to unsling Jaina from his shoulder and nearly dropped her as purple lines crawled across her skin.

“What is that?” the dagger-wielding woman asked as she leaned over Jaina to get a closer look.

“It's a tattoo,” the wizard said, pointing to the lines. “Some kind of magical mark.”

“Of what?” the woman in blue asked.

The four leaned over Jaina to see the marks more closely as the dagger-wielding woman finally answered.

“It’s a dragon?"