The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“The last Dragon relic?” Kyle exclaimed, sitting up at attention. “It’s finally gone active?”

J.D. shook his head. “No, not active yet. It’s still sleeping, but from what I felt it could activate at any time. Most likely in the next day or two.” He shook his head ruefully. “And I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but you’ll be perfectly situated to claim it—it’s sleeping in the Ivory Tower.”

“The Ivory Tower?!” Anadriel exclaimed, sitting up as well. “But that’s where the Obelisk Cup is being held!”

“Exactly,” J.D. stated grimly. “Both the best possible scenario and the worst possible scenario, depending on how you look at it. I know you kids are competing tomorrow but would have gladly abandoned the Tournament to go chase after this last relic once it appeared. Now you won’t have to.” He sighed. “The problem is that the competition will be there as well.”

“Marion,” Kyle said with a scowl. “Probably the only thing that would convince him NOT to continue his bid to take down the Pantheon. And it will be right there, center stage, for him to just reach out and grab it—”

“Not quite,” J.D. replied with a smirk. “Yes, the tournament is being held at the Tower... but the relic itself lies INSIDE the Tower. Anyone seeking to claim it will have to enter inside, and brave all the traps, to make it to the top floor. Thankfully, there is no boss guarding it this time—the fact that the Tower itself is sealed and cannot be entered was enough of a barrier that it wasn’t needed.”

“Huh. Wait,” Nora said, sitting up as well, “If no one can enter the Tower, ’cause it’s sealed... then how do we get to the relic?” She blinked, finding the strange man staring at her, eyes wide. A second later, she remembered that she was essentially naked, and squealed, ducking back down, pulling the edge of the furs over herself.

J.D. chuckled. “Nooooiiiicee! I guess that makes my collection complete. Lady Snowfallen, dear, you’re a lovely girl! Forgive me for staring, but your... ahem... beauty... overwhelmed me.”

“Pervert,” Dri muttered, covering herself as well. “And she does make a good point. Everyone knows the Ivory Tower is sealed. Adventurers have been trying to find a way inside for years. So, how do WE get inside when the relic goes active? Will it just magically allow us in?”

“Awww... you’re covering up too?” J.D. grunted, rolling his eyes. “Tch... fine. As to your question... I’d normally go into a nice little song and dance routine here, in the style of 1971’s ‘Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’, starring the exceptionally funny Gene Wilder. Sadly it was decades before any of you were actually born, and the closest your generation has was that god awful reboot with Johhny Depp years later. So... I’ll simply cut to the chase. The only ones who can enter are those with a ‘golden ticket’.”

Kyle nodded, getting the message. “Only those who carry a dragon relic.”

“Exactly. And while there’s nothing too severe inside, it WILL be something of a race against Marion and his people to reach the top first. So it would behoove you to pass out relics to two other members of your team so that they can enter with you to help. I’m sure Marion intends to do the same once he figures out the rules for entering.”

“Hmm... okay. That’s good to know,” Kyle murmured softly. “Is there anything else important about the Tower that we should know?”

“Umm... well, actually,” J.D. stated, hesitantly, glancing away, for the first time unable to meet his eyes directly. “There ARE a few more details. I, er... just... well... can’t quite... remember them...”

“WHAT?”

“I forgot, okay?” he grunted, turning back around to face them. “It happens. People forget things, you know?”

“But you’re not actually a person,” Dri pointed out. “You’re an AI.”

Nora blinked. “Wait. This guy is an NPC?” she asked, confused.

“No, sweetie, not exactly,” Kyle said before JD could comment. “It’s... complicated. I’ll explain later. Suffice it to say, he’s here to help us.” Turning back to face him, he added, “though that still doesn’t explain how a digitally encoded entity could actually FORGET something in this game.”

“Well, if you recall,” he answered stiffly, “I lost quite a bit of data and functionality when I transferred my own dragon relic to YOU, kid. Since then, a strong part of what I was is gone. James’ patch helped keep me going, and filled in a few of the gaps, but there are still missing segments in my neural net, and details about the Tower just happened to be one of them.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Just be grateful that I remembered the important details.”

“He’s right,” Dri said with a smirk. “After all, beggars can’t be choosers.” J.D. stuck out his tongue at her.

“At any rate, it sounds like tomorrow might be a lot more strenuous than any of us thought,” Kyle concluded. “Ladies, we’d all better turn in and get some rest. Anadriel,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her, “I know you’re with the Pantheon tomorrow. If things go weird, and Marion and I disappear for a bit, you’ll know what’s up. Please warn Stein and the others about what’s happening. If Marion manages to beat me and get the last relic...” he paused, sighing heavily, “then I order you to leave, to abandon the Tournament and the Pantheon, and come back here where you’re safe.”

Dri blinked her surprise. “But... but Kyle... I can’t just—”

“That’s an order, Dri,” Kyle said firmly. “And it’s not up for debate. Believe me, I’m going to give it my all tomorrow. But if Marion beats me, then he might end up with all seven relics. If he does, then you HAVE to get out of there. Take as many people as you can and get away from the area. And once you’re safe, you all log out and STAY out.” He turned to stare at the other young blonde. “And that goes for you too, Nora.”

Anadriel bit her lip. She wanted to argue with him, wanted to say that she would NEVER abandon him and the others that way. But the slave part of her recognized that Kyle the friend and lover had given way to Kyle the Master. There was no room for debate. He had commanded... and like it or not, she would obey.

“Don’t worry, Tae-chan,” Nora said gently, hugging her cousin. “That won’t happen. It won’t come to that. Because Master is going to win tomorrow, and Ma... Marion will not get that last relic.”

Kyle nodded softly. “Like I said, I’ll do my best. Still, before we go...” Kyle said with a soft smile. “I’ve been getting to know all of my girls a bit more over the past few weeks. And not just the online personas... I mean the women they are offline as well. I’ve known Dri as Takae Ogasawara for a while now. We go way back. But she never really talked much about her cousin. So, ‘Ko-chan’... what is your real name?”

Nora blushed heatedly, glancing down at her lap. “Um... it’s Kokoro, Master,” she said shyly.

“Hmmm. Kokoro... it means ‘heart’ right?” Kyle asked. Nora glanced up in surprise, nodding. “Well, you’ve certainly got a very beautiful and fitting name. You definitely have a lot of heart.” He leaned forward, kissing her again, feeling her sigh and melt against him. “Okay, okay,” he chuckled as she clung to him, trying to keep the kiss going. “Let’s not get too involved. We all need to log out and get some sleep for tomorrow.” Licking her lips, Nora reluctantly nodded. “Okay ladies. Have a good night. Sleep well. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” With that, the three friends logged out of the system.

Amanda Faraday groaned loudly, cracking open an eyelid at the constant persistent beeping coming from her dresser. Her open eye focused on the time display—2:30 a.m.

Two thirty in the fucking morning?!? she grumbled inwardly, closing her eyes again. Shit... whoever is calling, it had better be a goddamn national fucking emergency, she thought, finally opening her eyes and sitting up, or they’re going to live just long enough to regret it!

Peering at the readout on her phone, she sighed inwardly, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Huh. ‘Y-521-D’. One of the deep cover assets I had on assignment over in Europe. Fuck... I did tell him to contact me as soon as he had something, no matter the date or time. Goddamn little shit took it literally... Bringing the satellite phone up to her ear, she spoke a single grunted word. “What?”

“Ma’am, Agent Yankee-5-2-1-Delta reporting,” he began.

“I know who you are. It’s two thirty in the morning. Cut to the chase. SPEAK!”

“We’ve located your brother, ma’am.”

That got her attention. Suddenly, Amanda was wide awake again. “Half-brother,” she corrected him, automatically, as she’d done for years now. The bastard—literally, as he was the result of one of Amanda’s father’s dalliances with an office secretary in his younger days—had completely disappeared three years ago, since their last ‘meeting’. A very memorable meeting at that. He’d attempted, unsuccessfully, a coup, attempting to sabotage a summit meeting between her and several world leaders. She, in turn, had tried unsuccessfully to have him assassinated for the attempt. He’d been in hiding ever since.

“Where is he?”

“In Paris, Ma’am,” her agent replied. “Going under the assumed name ‘Pierre DuMont’. He owns a small microchip factory.”

Amanda chuckled ruefully. “Naturally. He would have found a way to keep connected to the main server. And a small electronics company would be the perfect camouflage.”

“Ma’am. We have people in position. Do you wish us to... take him out?”

Amanda paused, considering for a moment, then sighed. “No. One, he’s too damned cagey. I’d bet my last dollar that he has something in place to handle anyone trying to take him out. And his... associate...” she said with a definite edge, remembering the stoic, and possibly sociopathic Razor, her half-brother’s best friend, “let’s just say that I’d prefer not to lose any more agents than necessary only to find out later that he escaped yet again through some unforeseen escape hatch or bolthole.” She rubbed her temples lightly. “And two... he might actually be useful. He was the system security specialist for several years before he went rogue. He knows it better than anyone else. Get me a contact number for him. Now.”

“Roger that, Ma’am.”

Receiving the number, Amanda walked over out to her kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. Draining nearly half the glass, she finally dialed the number, steeling herself for the conversation. Amazingly enough, he answered on the first ring. “Amanda! Hello, dear sister,” Ray Faraday’s voice spoke pleasantly enough, as if he’d been expecting her call. “Such a lovely surprise to hear from you again after all this time.”

“Yeah, a surprise,” she replied blandly. “I’m very sure. Well, Ray, you certainly seem well for a dead man.” He merely chuckled in response.

“What can I say? You hired a bunch of bargain-basement assassins. And you get what you pay for.” He shrugged. “And anyway, I’m still doing better than you are, so I hear. How’d your little meeting with your Board of Directors go?” Amanda stiffened. “Not that I’m doubting you, Sis,” he continued easily. “That group of sharks might as well be guppies facing up against a Great White. I’m sure the company is still safely in Faraday hands, where it belongs.”

“Very astute,” Amanda replied smoothly, despite her own inner storm. Fuck! He knew about the debacle with the Board already, even across the world in Paris? He must still have eyes and ears here in the States somehow. The little shit is better informed than I thought. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past him to have had a hand in that whole thing himself... he’s made no secret about wanting control of the company. And his little comment about the company being ‘safe in Faraday hands’? He didn’t specifically mean MY hands.

“Well, Mandy, as enjoyable at these little talks are, I assume you didn’t call me up out of the blue just to reminisce. What do you want?”

“Hmm. Direct and to the point as always. Very well. I need your help. As the former Security Admin Head, you know the system better than any of the morons working for me now. We’re nearing the final stages of the Plan my father set in motion all those years ago. We’re close, Ray... very close. Marion is set to retrieve the last of the frequencies that we’re lacking—”

“Marion?!?” Ray cut in, laughing gleefully. “You’re still using that bumbling buffoon?” he literally laughed so hard he nearly dropped the phone. “Do you know that his battle, if you could call it that, is still being replayed over the comms here in Paris? Your boy was one of those favored to win the Obelisk Cup, but after seeing that footage, the betting odds for him have totally tanked!” He sighed. “Hell of a partner you have working for you.”

“He has his uses,” Amanda snapped, irritated. “And unlike some, HE hasn’t tried to stab me in the back.” Yet, she added silently. Not that I’m overly concerned. If he follows through with his part of the plan, it won’t matter what he or anyone else does. I’ll be unstoppable! “And anyway,” she added with a snide chuckle, “his defeat wasn’t nearly as humiliating as the one YOU suffered a while back. What was that boy’s name again? Wind... something?”

“Windsaber,” Ray growled, all traces of levity gone. “Okay. You have my attention. You want me to help you capture and record the remaining frequencies you’re after, providing your ‘helper’ Marion can find them. I can do that. I actually have an application of that very nature stored on my hard drive back from my security days. I can transfer it over to your server in a few hours. All I need is access to one of your T1 trunks.”

“You’ve got it,” Amanda replied, frowning. “But what do you want in return?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Amanda repeated in disbelief. “That’s uncharacteristic of you, Raymond. I half expected you to ask for half of the empire once I have all the frequencies in hand.”

“Oh no, that’s on the house,” Ray replied with a sigh. “Besides, its pretty much useless anyway... as long as that annoying ‘anomaly’ that’s been plaguing you for the past several years is still in play.” He chuckled ruefully. “Taking care of THAT will cost you, however.”

Amanda frowned at that. The ‘Anomaly’, as they called it, was an extremely annoying, seemingly random glitch that their programmers had been trying to track down and isolate for decades. Created by the original makers of The Reality, it served the singular purpose of stimying their plans and preventing them from retrieving the hidden frequencies. And whether it was a technical computer error or an actual physical encounter, anyone that encountered the glitch was left dazed and confused afterward, unsure of exactly whatever had happened even occurred.

Indeed, despite the number of top-tier computer analysts and technicians working for the past several decades, it was only within the last few months that they’d made any progress at all. If Ray wasn’t just blowing smoke... if he really COULD find and eliminate the Anomaly once and for all... that really would be worth half her empire.

Not that she planned to pay up in the end, mind.

“And you can really do this?” Amanda pressed.

“Yeah, I can. And really, Mandy, I have you to thank for providing me with the motivation for doing this. I was fully prepared to let you flounder around aimlessly and watch as everything comes crashing down around you. That was until you mentioned that kid. James Windsaber,” he growled again. “He and I have a little score to settle. And dealing with him personally will be worth more than what you’re offering me.”

Amanda scoffed. “This isn’t about some personal vendetta, Ray. We were talking about the Anomaly!”

“Yes, we are,” Ray answered coolly. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? This boy, this James Windsaber? HE’S the fucking Anomaly!”

Barena growled to herself, clutching her animal fur wraps tighter around herself as she stared out at the frozen and barren wasteland before her. Her logical mind told her that she was in a virtual reality world. a giant video game... that she wasn’t REALLY standing barefoot in a patch of snow and ice dressed in simple animal rags, that it was just data, an artificial recreation fed into her mind by the system. But the REST of her, the very cold, shaking and shuddering part of her, insisted that yes, she was FUCKING cold!

And I fucking HATE being cold, she grumbled silently as her subordinates scoured the area, looking around for their intended target. This is complete nonsense anyway. I can’t believe I’m actually out here wasting my time on this fool’s errand, she thought dimly, glancing to the side at the silently staring Snow Elf on her left, and following the undisputed Queen of Fools herself! Huh. I guess that actually makes ME the Queen of Fools then, doesn’t it? She shuddered again, sneezing, then scowled. For just an instant, it looked like the enslaved Elf’s face flashed a look of smug satisfaction, as if some part of Vale was still in there, taking delight in her suffering. But it came and went in an instant, so swiftly she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or not.

Still, having Vale here was a stark reminder of exactly WHY she was trudging around in the hated bitter cold. Marion was seriously about them locating Nora before the tournament tomorrow, and she’d seen first hand what happened to those who failed Marion. And Barena would be damned if she ended up an brainwashed obedient puppet like Vale! Speaking of which...

“Hey, Snowy,” she barked, causing the arcane archer to glance her way. “Have you spotted it yet? The entrance to that hidden place Shadowchaser and the others brought you to? You said you would recognize it again if you saw it!”

“No, Mistress Barena,” Vale responded in a flat emotionless voice. “Not yet. I have not yet spotted it.”

“Fine then. We’ll move on. I mean, it’s not as if this godforsaken wasteland isn’t practically COVERED in ice-encrusted caves and caverns dotting the edge of the landscape,” Barena grumbled. “It shouldn’t take too long to search them all one at a FUCKING timeby morning... in the middle of a damned blizzard...” She sighed heavily. “Dammit... I am so fucked...”

“Mistress Barena. I found it.”

Barena grumbled, about to bark out a stinging retort when Vale’s words actually registered. “SERIOUSLY?!?” she yelled, whirling around. “And you’re sure? Where? Point it out to me.” Obeying, the Snow Elf turned and pointed to a small barely visible cave opening jutting out along the edge of the mountains, between a trio of broken stone stalactites, just as she’d described. Barena laughed aloud. “Well, well... looks like you managed to be useful after all, slut,” she replied. “You three... go in and confirm that it’s not just another empty cave. But be stealthy. Don’t be seen—we don’t want Shadowchaser or his friends knowing we’ve found them.” The other three Viridian Suns departed as ordered, returning a moment ago to confirm it.

“Perfect. That’s just what we needed. Okay, people, let’s get ready to head back to the keep.” Barena announced.

“Pardon me, Lady Barena,” Lieutenant Rowan, one of her subordinates asked, “but aren’t we just going to go and retrieve Lady Nora now? I mean, to leave without her after coming all the way out here looking for her...”

“Our orders were to find Nora AND Shadowchaser, and bring them both back to Marion,” Barena pointed out. “But if his little group is with them, we’re not prepared to take them all on. So we’re going to report in, let the boss know where their little hideout is, and let HIM decide on how to proceed.” She yawned. “Besides, the Tournament starts early tomorrow, and we need to get some rest.” She pulled a teleport crystal from her furs. “Either way, I’m sure this will all be settled tomorrow...”

Amanda blinked. “Are you serious? This kid... some player online is the Anomaly that has been bothering us for more than twenty-five years?!?”

Ray sighed. “Well, yes and no. It’s complicated. There are, actually, two... no, make that three separate anomalies that we’re dealing with. And that’s the thing. They’re not PCs... at least not in the normal way you’d think of them.” He grunted. “I honestly have no idea about the other two... but as for Windsaber, he flat out admitted that he was the son of one of the original programmers.”

“What?!? No! That’s impossible!” Amanda protested. “My... our father, had the original programmers and their families terminated ages ago! He said no one survived the cleansing.”

“Well, looks like dear ol’ dad got it wrong,” Ray retorted, “’cause this kid managed to survive, though to give the old man credit, they did mess him up pretty badly. Basically, from what he let on, his body’s a vegetable, and his mind is logged in permanently to the Reality server. His dad set it up that way before they eventually killed him off. And before you even ask, no, I wasn’t able to track down any information on the kid, his real name, or where he is, or how he’s logged in. He’s like a literal damned ghost in the machine... and he’s got some crazy Super-Op status that gives him access that our highest level Admins can’t dismiss.”

“I see,” Amanda said slowly. “If that’s the case... I could simply shut down the server... just turn off the damned thing and let it reboot! That would take care of our little problem once and for all.”

“I wouldn’t advise that,” Ray warned her, however. “True, disconnecting the program while the kid’s brain is linked to it would probably take care of him for good... but wiping the slate clean would also remove every trace of those frequencies you’re trying so hard to uncover... to say nothing about the outrage and backlash from a few billion people pissed on having their personal data in the game erased and having to start over from scratch.”

“Damn,” Amanda growled. “Fine. Then I guess it’s up to you then. But are you sure you can beat this Windsaber and the other two Anomalies this time?” she asked dubiously. “After all, you faced him before and got your ass handed to you.”

“This time will be different,” Ray replied. “This time I know what I’m up against. And I haven’t exactly spent the last three years with my thumb up my ass, either! I have something very special planned for the next time I meet up with him. All I need from you is that T1 line and unfettered access.”

“You’ll have it,” Amanda replied, before disconnecting the call. She sighed heavily, returning back to her bedroom, sliding into her bed, but unable to drift back to sleep. Her world had just become more complicated within the last hour. Ray was back in her life again, not as an adversary, but as an ally. Even more amazing, she finally had the answer to one of the questions that had been troubling her company since her father’s time. It was as if the very stars were aligning to bring all of the pieces she needed together.

This is it, she told herself, forcing her eyes to close. It’s all coming to a head now. This is the beginning of the end. My time has finally arrived... and by this time tomorrow, I will be the undisputed ruler of the world.

Kyle glanced up as the other members of his party arrived, coming to join him in front of the main pavilion. “Hey! Honor! Serena! Over here,” he called out, waving them over. They all hugged and kissed briefly. “Has anyone seen Leila yet?”

“Here I am,” the young assassin called out a moment later, approaching from the left with J.D. at her side. “I ran into the old guy just as I arrived.”

“And she means that literally,” he grumbled slightly, rubbing his nose. “I mean... really, how does such a little body make such a big impact? I mean, I know technically we’re all a conglomeration of zeroes and ones, nothing but digitized data... but still! A five foot four ninety-eight pound girl should NOT hit like a six foot three, three hundred pound fullback.”

“Aw, quit whining, ya big baby,” Honor replied with a smirk. “For a supposedly all-powerful being, you certainly can be a whiney little bitch.” J.D. merely raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, Honor, you know what would be COMPLETELY hilarious?” he said blandly. “You, fighting in the preliminary rounds, with the entire world watching, going for an overhead slash when suddenly all your clothes fall off.”

“You goddamn creep!” Honor yelled, reaching towards him only to be held back by Kyle and Serena. “If that happens during the tournament—”

“You’ll have only yourself to blame,” JD replied with a smirk. “But back to more important matters. Now, I can assume you all know about the basics of the Obelisk Cup Tournament, either from prior experience or simply watching it all these years, but let me go over it all again just to be sure we’re all on the same page. Today is the qualifying round, where every applicant will compete in their given bracket to see whether or not they get to advance into the real competition. At last count, there were currently one thousand and twenty-four registered teams competing, divided into sixteen brackets groups of sixty-four. Each match is single elimination, with the winners squaring off, round-robin style against each other until a single team is left.”

“The Big Sixteen,” Serena replied, nodding. “I remember watching when I was younger. It always seemed like barely organized chaos to me, having that many separate teams going at it at one time. You never knew who to watch, or who to root for, until only a few were left.”

“Organized chaos is a good description,” JD agreed. “And as to the specifics, each fight is closely monitored by the system. Fights are to the critical point, to one-sixteenth of a person’s maximum health, so depending on how much health they have, and how strong their defense, a match could last for hours, or be over in a few seconds. And of course, every member of a person’s team must be eliminated for the winning team to advance. So obviously, teams with a more balanced roster tend to do better than teams that are not.”

“Hence the group of us representing Team Shadowchaser,” Leila replied with a smirk. “Rini’s basically our tank, with the most HP. Kyle and Honor are our skirmishers, able to strike and move and keep the enemy at bay as well as deal damage or heal if necessary. And I’m the glass cannon, able to one-shot an enemy foe if my team provides an opening for me.” She nodded. “Yeah, I’d say we have pretty much all of the bases covered.”

“Well, I certainly hope so,” JD replied grimly, “because the Cup isn’t all that you’re fighting for. Remember, the real goal here is to take down Marion, prevent him from getting the last relic, and to prevent him from using their power to take down the Pantheon. Anything beyond that is a bonus. Hell, if you could take him out in the first round of competition, the battle’s half won.”

“Huh. No such luck,” Kyle replied, causing everyone to face him. “I just checked the boards. Marion’s registered in bracket number three. And we’re registered in bracket sixteen. So it looks like we’re going to have to fight our way up to him.” He sighed. “But what about the other part? Has the relic gone active yet? Do you know when we’ll be able to enter the Tower?”

JD shook his head. “It could be any time now. Probably less than an hour, I’d guess. But while we’re on the subject, I am a bit concerned, kid. You’re stretched kind of thin right now, don’t ya think?”

Kyle frowned. “Stretched thin? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, you’re entering the Obelisk Cup to get a chance to take down Marion once and for all. And that’s a good thing. But, well, you also have your own responsibilities to tend to as well,” he pointed out. “You’re ALSO signed up for the singles competition, the Monument Cup, which takes place simultaneously with the main tournament. Your sponsor and financial backers are looking for you to place highly in that competition. And now, add in the fact that you’re going to be racing Marion for the last relic at any time...” He sighed. “I’m just saying, you’ve got a lot on your plate right now, kid.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kyle replied softly, shaking his head. “Yes, I have a lot of responsibilities, and a lot riding on how well I do out there today. But I also know what’s most important. And if I have to sacrifice my own personal glory for the greater good, then fine. I can live with that.”

“Bravo,” a familiar voice spoke up then, causing the group to while around. “Spoken like a true hero,” Marion said mockingly as he, Vale, Barena, and Igmus walked over to them. “It’s good to know that you’re a man with a firm set of priorities, Shadowchaser. I guess when it comes down to it, we’re not that different after all. We both know what it means to make the hard choices... and to sacrifice in order to do what must be done.”

“Watch your mouth, you goddamn bastard!” Serena growled, eyes flashing, as her hair started to grow and spread. “Kyle is NOTHING like you! And we’re not going to stand by and let you insult him that way!”

“Hmph! Brave words, little kitten,” Barena replied, taunting. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go and cower behind your Master like the good little pet you are.” Growling, Serena surged forward, going after the Savage, only to be held back by Honor and Leila, as Kyle stepped in front of her.

“Rini, calm down,” Kyle ordered, staring Marion directly in the eye. “As much as I’d love to let you loose on the entire group of them, remember, this is an official competition. And we don’t want to get disqualified before the fighting even begins. Although something tells me you wouldn’t mind seeing us disqualified and removed from the competition, Marion, now, would you?”

Again Marion chuckled. “I won’t lie, having you and your merry little band kicked out early would be one less obstacle for me. However, doing so would rob me of the chance to pay you back for the disgrace you dealt to me several weeks ago.” His expression darkened. “I’ve so been looking forward to settling the score between us, Shadowchaser. In fact, I think I’ll enjoy it almost as much as I will defeating the Pantheon and taking my rightful place as the ruler of this world!”

“You seem awfully sure of yourself,” Kyle replied back, smirking, “especially considering the fact that you recently lost your most valuable asset. Without Nora at your side, I’d say your chances of winning have taken a turn for the worse.”

“Actually, Shadowchaser,” Marion replied with undisguised delight, “I’d say my chances of winning are higher than ever. And as for my dear Nora... well, let’s just say that that little hiding spot of yours in the Hinterlands, isn’t as well hidden as you thought.” His grin grew as Kyle and the others went suddenly pale. “Yes, I had the Viridian Suns searching the entire frozen wastelands for you after you took off with her. And last night, they managed to locate the caverns which you and your little friends were using as your base of operations. I instructed my men to wait until you and your group were all here, and the cave was undefended before retrieving her,” he added idly. “Of course, by now, they’ve no doubt taken her back into custody, and dispatched that little blue-skinned mermaid left behind as her guardian...”

“No! NO! YOU SON OF A BITCH!!” Kyle yelled, shifting into half-were form in his anger. “If you’ve hurt them, EITHER of them,” he warned, “I swear I’ll—”

“You’ll do nothing to risk disqualifying yourself from the competition,” Marion replied smugly. “Remember, Kyle... its all about ‘seeing the bigger picture’, remember?” Chuckling darkly, he turned away, followed by his team. “Feel free to go and check on your little mermaid friend if you like. Just be warned, you’ll forfeit your spot in the tournament if you’re not back before your team is announced.”

Growling, Kyle, pulled a teleport crystal from his belt pack. “Hey! Whoa, kid, hang on!” JD protested. “You can’t seriously be thinking of... sigh No, actually, after getting to know you all the weeks, I KNOW what you’re thinking of. But you can’t go. We JUST talked about this—you have to stay here and be ready to go when the relic becomes active! Otherwise, this is all for naught! Bigger Picture, Billy.”

“It’s KYLE, not Billy,” he growled, eyes still glaring red, “and I told YOU I know what’s most important! And if two people I care about are in danger, I’m not just going to stand around here—”

“Relax, okay? I’ll head back to Kêr-Is and make sure everyone is all right,” JD replied. “I’ll keep you guys updated soon as I know the situation. And believe me, kid,” he said, his expression darkening, “if anything has happened to Calypso or Nora, you won’t have to worry about facing him in this competition...” With that, he vanished in a flash.

Kyle stood for several more seconds, panting, hands clenched tightly. The very idea that Marion had invaded their cove, that he’d taken Nora—again—and that he’d hurt Calypso... his girls, his loves... Bonnie, who wasn’t a fighter, who had never done anything to anyone... the wolf inside him was scratching at the gates, begging to be released.

“Master, please,” Serena whispered urgently in his ear, “try and calm down! It’s going to be okay! But you can’t go ballistic out here in public.” She shook her head. “I know how you feel. My blood is boiling just as hot as yours about what the bastard said... but we have to stay calm and focus on the tournament.”

“She’s right, Master,” Leila said gently, hugging him from behind. “Marion’s trying to make you lose it. He even admitted that having your disqualified would make things easier for him. For all we know, Nora and Calypso might be perfectly fine...”

“Leila’s right,” Honor chimed, hugging him from the other side. “There’s no need to get all worked up until we know for certain what’s happened.” She paused as a loud buzzer sounded, signaling the start of the next round of competition. “in the meantime, Kyle, your first bout of the Monument Cup is about to start. That has to be your focus right now.”

Kyle sighed, letting out a deep breath. “Thanks, guys. You’re right. I have to keep calm for now. And... I should try and stay positive. Marion is a bastard and a liar. There’s almost no chance that anything happened...”

Just then, a bright flash of light caught their attention. Everyone turned to find a very grim-faced JD standing there, his usual brown robe noticeably bloody. “Nora’s gone,” he said tersely, letting out a deep sigh. “The bastard... he wasn’t lying. Several of the Viridian Suns were waiting when I arrived, but the others had already taken her away before I’d got there.” He growled, shaking his head. “All the time and effort I put into making that cove a safe place. Not safe enough, I guess...”

“Shit!” Kyle yelled, incensed. “Dammit! Okay... fine. We can get her back once we beat Marion. But... what about Calypso? Is she okay? They didn’t hurt her did they?”

JD turned to stare at Kyle again, his face utterly devoid of its usual humor. “Bonnie... she... put up one hell of a fight. She certainly wouldn’t have surrendered Nora if there was any way she could help it. But, I... they overwhelmed her. And that place, the cove... it was set up as a permanent ‘safe zone’. No kills.” He turned away. “Whoever was there, it wasn’t just one of the normal guys... had to be an Admin. Had to be. All my protections... all my safeguards... they were gone. They hacked my code. And the cove... it’s... it’s a goddamn smoldering hole...”

“WHAT!?!” he and the others yelled. Leila and Honor drew back in horror. Serena gasped, hand covering her mouth in shock. And Kyle merely stood there, staring blankly. Trying to understand, comprehend, how this could have happened.

“It’s true. The cove is gone. And Bonnie... Calypso. They... she... she’s... gone, too.” He turned to look at them all, his expression haunted. “My sweet sweet innocent Bonnie... they killed her. She’s dead.”