Jaina the Sex Slave Ch. 60

"We make our stand here," Zorac said as he looked around the room. "Can you respawn the guards?"

"No, it's Rorics camp," Evalynn replied. "But I can add more patrols to the forest to try and slow them down."

"Ouch," Gorm said, causing Jaina to ask why he had that reaction. He explained that the number of patrols any land owner could create depended on the region's size. Pushing beyond the limit took extra points, with each new guard costing more than the one before. It was a terrible waste of points, but what else could they do? They had to stall for time, and tying players down in NPC battles was a good option.

Jaina looked at Evalynn as a sharp pain tore at her heart. The poor woman had been so looking forward to building this home for them and had spent a vast amount of time getting the smallest details right. The care and attention she gave Gisley's lake and Chandice's magic shop had been a monument to her love for them.

Some of these points came from her levels, but most came from the gold. If they fled, they would only be allowed to take the points from the levels and the unspent gold. Jaina knew Evalynn still had several thousand points in gold left to spend that would be useful for a restart someplace else. If Evalynn spent those points now, it would buy them time but leave even less to rebuild with later. She was being asked to choose between her dreams and her love for Roric, and Jaina saw the pain in her eyes.

"Evalynn, I am so sorry," Jaina said as tears rolled down the elven woman's cheek.

"I will do anything for Roric," Evalynn said as she closed her eyes and dumped all the points she could on more guards. She began guiding Santos, speaking to him and steering him away from danger. Half an hour later, he was climbing the ramp as Evalynn prepared to remove it behind him.

They heard the rumbling and felt the hilltop shake as the ramps fell away. Santos staggered into the throne tent a minute later, limping and holding one side.

"They are coming in far greater numbers than we imagined," he said before looking around to see the two strangers. "Who are they, and where is Roric?"

Fresh tears wet the girl's eyes as Santos shook his head. It was clear Roric was dead, and he didn't need to hear the details beyond that Zorac and Gorm were friends.

"Rajeen is going to be furious," Santos said as he hugged Jaina. "I am so sorry."

"You did your best," Jaina said, then introduced him to Zorac and Gorm. She explained to them how Santos was the leader of a rogues guild and how they had been helping to try and secure the forest. However, they had all underestimated the madness that gripped players given any cause to wreak havoc. Zorac tried to reason with her and say that people got bored and jumped at a chance to have something to do. Unfortunately, people also tended to follow the herd, and somebody was whipping this herd into a frenzied mob.

Jaina didn't want to hear it. She insisted those people were monsters who were only out for themselves. Chandice argued that they had plenty of friends but that only made Jaina angrier. She said that people were always nice when they wanted their legs spread so they could use their bodies. But all that friendship dropped away when gold and experience were to be had. She challenged them to deny that some of the hunters knew exactly who Roric and the others were. They had seen the dances and fucked the girls, but they came anyway and didn't care.

"Jaina," Zorac said as he tried to comfort her. "Some of us came to protect you."

"Oh, Zorac," Jaina sobbed and fell into his arms. "I thought people loved us. I made love to them and tried to show all the affection I could. But they came to hunt us anyway, and I don't know that I want to share my love anymore."

"Don't say that. People do love you," Zorac insisted. "Rajeen kept the danger you were in a secret for fear it would get back to your enemies. She didn't want them to question how she had become aware of it for fear they might discover how you were communicating. Most of the city has no idea of the danger you're in, and I know if they did, there would have been many more running to your aid. You three are loved and adored by quite a few people, and once word gets out what is happening here, they will be demanding answers."

"But you know some of them know who we are," Jaina insisted.

"I am sure some of them do," Zorac agreed. "But you moved several days north and east. The towns immediately around you don't really know who you are. I can't explain why anyone who has known the power of your love would come here to harm you. But I can tell you with certainty that they are extremely few and far between. Trust me. People hear the name Jaina, Evalynn, and Gisley and dream of happy things. You three touch hearts, and people love you for it."

Jaina smiled weakly, as did the other girls, to hear the power of his conviction. Even Gorm nodded in approval of the touching words of his friend.

"He speaks the truth," Santos added. "Rajeen was able to speak to some people in private. You don't know it, but several local lords have visited your bedrooms. They are all incensed by what is going on, and I would not be surprised if they show up here in force."

"But when?" Gisley asked. "Will it be in time?"

"Even if they do show up, we can't stay here," Chandice said. "This place will have a reputation as a hunting ground for us. It will take years of hard work to wipe away that stain."

"I am afraid she is right," Gorm agreed. "Staying here is out of the question. Even if you quell this rumor, your enemies will concoct something else to ravage your home with."

"We don't have any points to keep anyway," Evalynn said. "I spent everything I could on guards. I have just enough to make the bridge to allow our escape. This place is done, even before it had a chance to begin."

"My pond is gone!" Gisley cried as she fell to her knees and started to sob. Evalynn dropped beside her and pulled her into a hug, rocking her gently as she encouraged her to be strong.

"I did all I could," Santos said as the emotional display moved him.

"We know," Jaina replied. "Evalynn saw everything. There were just too many."

"So what do we do now?" Chandice asked. "Our mana and stamina pools are drained, and help might be hours to days away."

"Now we hunker down and wait," Zorac said as he walked to the doorway and looked out across the camp that was a ghost town. "Let's hope Roric spawns soon."