Heather clutched at her exposed ribs with blood-soaked fingers as Blackbast channeled a healing spell. Her body was numb from the shock, and she was sure several bones were broken. All of it began to knit back together as the healing magic did its job of soothing away the pain. The source of her injuries was a lion-like creature with the face of a man that stood tall on a pile of debris as it mocked them for their weakness. She had never been hit so hard before, and the impact had thrown her clear across the road. She saw the others desperately trying to stop the raging monster, but he dealt with them as easily as he had her. Evalynn, Breanne, Quinny, and Gisley were down. Only Frank and Roric were still managing to hold their ground but not for much longer. Roric's left leg was shredded, and he dragged it along, using his spear to help. Frank was a bleeding husk, deep gouges torn in his hide and part of his face mauled.

The lion laughed and announced that they were all about to die when a sense of warmth and love spread over her body. Heather felt soothed, as if loving arms had wrapped around her and promised to take away all the danger. Then an angel in white and silver trimmed with golden emblems descended from the sky and alighted on the street with the grace of a dove.

“You, stay away from my daughter!” she commanded.

With shock, she looked at the dazzling might that was her mother as she raised a bow that was part crystal, part radiant light at the powerful creature. She drew back on a golden thread, causing a swirling ball of white light to form as the lion turned to her, unconcerned.

“You dare challenge a harbinger of the holy light?” the lion roared. “You will fall like the rest of this rabble.” He tossed his hair and glared as a ray of golden light blasted down, striking Gwen and causing her form to be lost in the radiance. Heather was sure her mother was gone, but when the light faded, she stood strong, not even showing she had been harmed.

“Is that the full strength of your power?” Gwen asked, then loosed her arrow. The lion didn't move, standing tall to take the full brunt of the arrow. The blow caused a bleeding wound that startled the beast into action, causing him to lunge at her. She was in motion before he closed the gap, and a second arrow caught him. She dashed away, easily moving out of his reach, and fired an arrow into the air. It divided into a dozen arrows and rained down, crackling with electricity. The monster roared and thrashed as it was wounded again and uttered a magical chant. Dozens of glowing balls appeared and then streaked at Gwen, who drew back on her bow while absorbing the impacts. She loosed an arrow that trailed a spiraling line of gold that pierced the monster and went through him.

“You will pay for this!” the beast growled and spread a pair of feathered wings that hadn't been there a moment before. He jumped into the air as he glowed, healing his wounds, but Gwen fired an arrow that split into four with glowing chains between them. Those chains wrapped around the lion tangling his wings and bringing him down with a crash. Before he was up, he was struck again and again, forcing him to charge the powerful woman.

“What is happening?” Heather gasped as she sat up.

“Your mother is toying with her prey,” Blackbast replied as Frank reached them, carrying a lifeless Breanne.

“Breanne!” Heather cried and quickly went for a pulsing heal. She put one on Frank as well, then pressed her lips to the limp woman, channeling her most powerful heal. Blackbast attended to Frank as a cloud of dust blew over. The two foes had clashed in the street, where Gwen now held a delicate shield and a sword of liquid silver that crackled with blue light. The lion struck her, causing a hail of sparks from her armor, but Gwen shrugged it off and delivered a slice that did far more damage.

“Oh, Frank, I am so sorry,” Heather cried when she finished her kiss, leaving Breanne gasping for air. She ran to her husband and tried to piece his face together enough to kiss him.

“Did I respawn?” Breanne asked as her eyes came open while a battle of titans occurred in the street. Players had come from every direction to witness the battle that was shaking the ground, streaking the sky with lightning, and collapsing nearby buildings.

“What is that terrible thing?” Heather asked when she broke her kiss to see her husband's face restored.

“A lamassu,” he replied. “A sort of Sumerian angel figure. The visitors created them here as a kind of angelic enforcer. Some punish people for lying; Others guard holy things or places.”

“This one appears to have been protecting Alexandria,” Blackbast said.

“Or was it her keeper?” Heather asked as she remembered the woman's strange behavior inside right before the creature attacked. She appeared to be under its sway and bowing her head for fear of retribution.

“Where are Umtha and Quinny?” Breanne cried as Gwen and the monster clashed. “That thing was throwing Quinny around like a rag doll.”

“She was in the house last I saw her,” Frank replied and got up. He ran across the road into the building only to meet a badly bleeding Rajeen attempting to drag a legless Gisley and a mortally wounded Chandice out.

“That thing took us all down in seconds?” Heather cried.

“Only because our efforts amused him,” Blackbast said as she got up and pulled Heather to her feet. “Had it wanted, it could have killed us all in that time span.” They dashed across the street, with Heather pausing to put heals on everyone while Blackbast focused on poor Gisley, restoring her legs. Frank was inside, tunneling through a collapsed wall to get to Quinny. Only then did Heather remember she could heal her girls through her Lilim power and began her spell, healing them over time. Frank found Quinny's arms and quickly pulled her free. A moment later, Umtha limped out of a dark hall, coughing as an arm hung limp. Heather stacked her pulsing heal and then added a kiss, stabilizing the two girls.

The buildings shook, and a wall buckled, the bricks rapidly cracking as things began to move.

“Everybody out!” Frank commanded, grabbing the staggered Umtha and Quinny into his arms as they ran for the hole in the wall. They cleared the buildings as it leaned to the side and fell into its neighbor, creating a roar of falling stone.

Outside, the battle had moved down the street as the two demigods fought to the death. Heather wanted some way to help, but what could she do that the lamassu wouldn't shrug off? She had never felt so helpless since coming to this world and had never seen such a challenge. Not even the sand demon had been so dangerous a threat or wielded such raw power. Yet, from where Heather stood, the monster was soundly losing as Gwen picked it apart with a dance of powerful moves. She realized that her mother wasn't just over a hundred in level; she was well beyond it. Gwen traded blows with the beast with careless ease and brought the monster down. She then glowed with golden light, healing herself before turning on the others. She raised a hand and uttered a word of command, causing them all to glow and mend rapidly. When they stood recovered but still in shock, she stood before them like an angry goddess.

“Now, explain why this creature was here,” she demanded in a voice that indicated she would tolerate no foolishness.

Frank volunteered to tell her the story of Alexandria and how they discovered the woman was in the city, making another attempt to acquire Jaina. The lamassu was her guardian, and when they attempted to fool Alexandria, it attacked.

“That creature was not her guardian,” Gwen said while pointing to the dead monster. “More than likely, it was her jailer.”

“But it was right beside her when we confronted her,” Quinny insisted. “It saw through our ruse and defended her.”

“And where is this woman?” Gwen demanded. “Or Jaina, for that matter. Please tell me you didn't all foolishly engage a lamassu and let Alexandria get away with her prize.”

“Goodness, where is Jaina?” Heather said in a panic.

“Please be calm,” Rajeen begged and looked at Roric, who was holding Gisley tightly, the poor woman traumatized about her legs. “Can you feel her?”

“She's still in the house,” Roric replied, looking at the building whose outer wall had fallen into its neighbor. “She is coming closer.” They waited nervously until Jaina appeared with a woman at her side. They all saw the long yellow hair of tight curls and realized it was Alexandria. Despite the chaos, the plan had worked, and Jaina had her prize.

“Is that her?” Gwen asked as the pair approached.

“That’s her,” Heather replied. “But please, let her explain herself. She’s done terrible things, but I think she had a gun to her head.”

“You are far too soft-hearted,” Breanne replied.

“Her heart is the strength of this family,” Blackbast said. “Without it, we would not be together.”

“Please,” Heather begged as she tugged at Gwen’s hand. “For me?”

“Very well,” Gwen replied. “But if I don't like what she has to say, I will make her regret coming here.”

Heather had to accept that as her best offer and prayed Alexandria was ready to explain. When she was finally presented to the group, she couldn't even look up, her hands trembling as a tear ran down her cheek. She thought her mother would use a soft approach, but that was quickly swept aside as the angry woman towered over Alexandria.

“So this is the source of the chaos in my land,” Gwen said as she leaned lower. “You are going to pay for harming my daughter.”

“I had no choice,” Alexandria squeaked as she withered under Gwen’s angry gaze.

“What do you mean you had no choice?” Gwen demanded as she suddenly reached out, grabbing Alexandria by the scruff of her dress and hoisting her into the air with ease. “I have heard the story of your cruelty and violence. A woman who sees only personal gain and will trample anyone who gets in her way.”

Heather was shocked by her mother's sudden and brutal actions. Alexandria looked like she was wilting, tears running as her legs dangled helplessly in the air. She tried to explain that she never meant for it to go this far. She admitted she made mistakes and promises she couldn't keep that came back to haunt her, but it all boiled down to one thing. She was in debt to powerful people, and her girls would suffer if she didn't pay up.

“Who threatened you?” Gwen asked while shaking the woman.

“Mother,” Heather said in an urgent plea to get Gwen to soften her stance. “The woman is falling apart. Please, I have a feeling she isn't the villain we think she is, so put her down and let her catch her breath.” She was relieved when Gwen agreed and set Alexandria to stand on her own feet.

Heather then silently prayed that the woman could explain herself while looking to Jaina, who didn't seem happy Alexandria was getting this chance. Heather didn't want to upset Jaina, but she felt the same sort of pity for the woman she felt for monster players. Cut off, alone, and isolated while being abused by other players.

Alexandria took a minute to catch her breath, and the story began. She claimed she loved her girls, treating them like partners and doing her best to provide for their needs. She was more of a mother to them than a master and saw them as her children. However, she got involved with a group hunting for rare and valuable slave girls to help their chosen prince become emperor of the Silken empire. She took money and aid, promising to deliver a girl that would be of great value. She found that woman in Jaina and thus began the initial conflict as Alexandria tried to win Jaina over. She insisted that she would have let it go at that, but the collectors came back and demanded she produce something, or they were taking her girls. They put more and more pressure on her, making her so desperate she smuggled her girls out in the night and hid them far away. They were so angry at her deception that they threatened to chain her and deliver her to a prince as punishment.

Gwen was familiar with the contest in the north as she had been sent letters offering high prices for a quality slave girl. She had spoken to others looking for such girls and understood the complexity of the situation.

Alexandria explained how they forced her to pursue Jaina, funding ever more elaborate plans and putting the burden of repaying the costs on Alexandria. She found herself in a hole she couldn’t escape unless she could deliver Jaina. They paid to burn a town down just to try and reset Jaina thinking she would be easier to control at level one. They then worked to disrupt their first home, using powerful magic to rile up their neighbors and cause harm. It was all part of a ruse to trick Roric into selling them Jaina in an effort to keep her safe. They reasoned that he loved Jaina so much that he would sell her to a man powerful enough to keep her safe and spare her any further harm.

Gwen was familiar with the contest in the north as she had been sent letters offering high prices for a quality slave girl. She had spoken to others looking for such girls and understood the situation's complexity.

The story went on, and the terrible events unfolded. Alexandria was a pawn in a larger game, and the price for failure was her own slavery. When that wasn't enough to keep her loyal, they hunted down her girls and threatened to punish them. She cried and twisted as her painful tale went on. She had no choice but to keep trying, but she didn't know where they had gone. Eventually, they took her north and used a magical rite to bind her to the Lammasu. This particular creature was a punisher of those that didn't keep their promises, and he forced Alexandria to hunt for Jaina night and day.

When the story ended, they could see the woman had suffered, and so had those she loved. She insisted she never meant for any of this to go so far, but it was the only way to save her girls. That wasn't enough for Roric and Jaina, who accused her of selling them out for her own sake. They were right, of course, but Heather was no stranger to terrible choices made in desperate situations. Gisley finally spoke up, touched that Alexandria closed her brothel to protect her girls. It was a point to her credit, and Gisley seemed to be warming up to her.

Still, Alexandria was to blame for tying her fortunes to the hunters in the first place. Her over-ambitious promise and acceptance of their money put her in this situation. When they had a moment to digest the story, they hung on to the fact that they were using Alexandria to trick Roric. She was meant to keep pressure on him so they could offer to rescue Jaina, buying her away and leaving Alexandria to suffer. Quinny called them sick, but Breanne asked if Moon was any different. They agreed that all of them were monsters and made the world a worse place for everyone.

Rajeen spoke up and reminded them of what was being contested. An empire was forming that would rival King Kevin. The man or woman who would lead it would be decided by the quality of their slave girls. That made Jaina more valuable than gold, and the people who delivered her to a prince would be richly rewarded.

Gwen agreed that the lust for power led to such conflicts. She noted that was why she played a class that could evolve into a queen. She didn't want to have a battle for power by any means necessary.

Heather hadn't asked much about how the system worked, but the more she thought of her situation, the more it made sense. Those with rulership classes could rise the ranks with levels, but everyone else had to earn them with deeds. They had to impress another ruler who had the power to elevate them and make them a member of their household, as Gwen had done for Heather.

Moon was the first person she met who was ready to do whatever it took to get that kind of recognition. Naturally, there were many more like her, willing to go to terrible extremes to get what they wanted. In Alexandria's case, they put a collar on her and bound her to the lamassu. They told her that if she failed, she would willingly accept a collar and be sold in the north, or her girls would suffer.

Now there were questions and a shocking revelation. Alexandria had found them because of Idris. She ran into Idris, asking questions about Rajeen and Roric while trying to arrange a portal south. Alexandria helped her get her portal and went with her, letting Idris lead her right to them. Idris has no idea who she is or her history with Jaina, so the woman accepts readily.

It was a painful moment, but it led to some difficult questions. How had Alexandria's suggestions been so powerful? Even with the magical gem she possessed, her spells would only have lasted a day or two. Alexandria explained it was the collar linking her to the lamassu. His power was boosting hers, making her suggestions all the more potent. Even so, they would only have lasted about a week, but by then, they hoped to be long gone.

“I just want to be sure I understand this,” Heather said. “You can command somebody to forget things?”

“That's easy for a deceiver,” Alexandria said. “I can even be selective, altering what you remember so you don't notice missing time.”

“Can you teach me the mechanics of how it works?” Heather asked.

“It doesn’t work the same way for seductions,” Alexandria insisted.

“No, I just want to know how it works,” Heather said as she thought of her memory loss. Maybe Alexandria could shed some light on how it was done, and some of it could be unlocked. She was already curious after seeing how they forced the recovery or memories with Santos, but maybe Alexandria could do more.

“Heather!” Umtha cried, drawing her from her contemplation. She looked over to see the goblin woman's big eyes and trembling lips as she fought back tears. “You promised to let this go. You said you would stop chasing after lost memories.”

“You did,” Frank agreed, taking Umtha into his arms. “You said you wouldn't try to force them.” He carefully cradled Umtha, who was distraught by Heather's interest in memories. She looked from face to face to see her entire family share the sentiment.

“I’m sorry,” Heather replied in shame. “I just thought I saw an opportunity. I didn’t mean to upset anyone.”

“We know you can't help it,” Breanne said and touched her shoulder. “But please let this one go.”

“Yeah, we like you the way you are,” Quinny insisted, falling into Heather's arms. “But we understand how important it is to you to regain your memory.”

“Oh, Quinny,” Heather sighed and hugged her tightly. “I was just letting my mind run wild. I didn't mean to hurt you or the others. Just forget about it. All I want is to be a part of this family.”

“We love you,” Quinny whispered.

“I know, sweetheart,” Heather replied with a smile.

“This is touching, but we need to decide what to do with our unwelcome guest,” Blackbast interrupted. “We need to consider that the people who tied her to the lamassu will come looking for her. If she stays here, then this is where they will come.”

“We didn’t mean to bring this trouble here,” Roric insisted.

“You didn’t bring anything here,” Heather said. “And I cause far more trouble than this.”

“She really does,” Breanne agreed.

“Oh, thank you,” Heather said sarcastically as some of the others laughed.

“Let's stay on point,” Gwen insisted. “I need to get back to my castle. I have some inquiries to make. Blackbast is right; Alexandria's captors will know the lamassu is dead and come looking for the cause. That means we need to make careful decisions.”

“Please, keep in mind she didn’t want this to go so far,” Heather reminded.

“But she went far enough on her own,” Chandice insisted. “She should never have promised them she could deliver Jaina.”

“I know, but we all make mistakes. I got all my friends killed because I was too stubborn to listen to Frank,” Heather said.

“Are you sure you want to call this a mistake?” Frank asked as he used a claw to pull at Heather's shredded, blood-soaked outfit. “She's responsible for this.”

“I know, but they were going to harm her girls if she didn't agree,” Heather insisted. “What would you have done if somebody had all of us and demanded you do something terrible to keep us safe?” The look on Frank's face was one of torment as he tried to puzzle out the correct answer. It was an unpleasant thought, but blackmail was a strong motivator. She let the question go, not forcing him to answer as Gisley asked what they should do with her. Heather gave Gwen a pleading look, reminding her to be merciful.

Gwen looked annoyed but folded her arms as she fixed a firm stare on Alexandria.

“I am taking possession of her. She will go into a cell in my castle. My guards are high enough to be immune to her charms, and anyone who seeks to lay a hand on her must deal with me first. Let's do our best to keep what was said here between us. I want to write some letters and speak to some old friends. The more time we have before these hunters show up, the better. It will also give up some time to figure out what to do with her.”

“Does this mean it's over?” Gisley asked as Gwen waved her hand, causing five guards to appear out of a golden mist.

“No,” Roric said while wrapping around the tender fairy. “It means we have taken a dangerous person into our midst. These hunters will surely come looking for her, and they seem to be the true source of our problems.”

“We will help you fight them,” Frank said, “No matter what comes.”

Heather was impressed by her husband's firm and commanding stance. She had to lean into his chest, smiling as her tail lashed happily. She agreed with his stance that they would stand by their friends regardless of dangers or challenges. Jaina finally asked if they could go home, stating she wanted to feel safe.

The group parted with a quiet nod and headed for their home. Heather was grateful the battle was over, and no one had been killed, but she felt unsettled. One danger had passed, but another loomed on the horizon. Would the people she owed so much go away quietly, or would they cause far more trouble than keeping the woman was worth?

“Hannah,” Gwen said as they began to walk. “There is something we need to discuss.”

Heather stepped up beside her mother as Frank came to her side so she could hold a cold finger. The tension grew as Gwen ordered the others to draw close so she could whisper.

“They are coming,” Gwen said without looking down. “I received word yesterday that our neighbors are enraged. They claim you intentionally lied to them to hide that you were chosen and are coming to make you prove that you are not a necromancer.”

“What? How am I supposed to do that?” Heather asked in distress.

Gwen looked down at her with sympathetic eyes. “I am sorry, my daughter. But they demand to see your character sheet.”

“But that will prove I lied,” Heather insisted.

“How much time do we have?” Blackbast asked. “Maybe we can arrange for her to be away traveling.”

“I am sure they are already spying on her,” Gwen said. “They know she is here and I will not be able to explain why she suddenly ran off. They will take that as an admission of guilt and condemn her.”

“Then what can we do?” Frank asked nervously.

“I don’t know,” Gwen replied. “But we had better think of something fast.”