Fantasy Justice: Incarceration
Chapter 25

Sunday, April 4th, 2060 — Same Day

Felorius, Unholy Alliance Territory

Pari knelt in prayer in the front pew of the cathedral. No one else was present, though she knew that the bishop was still in the sacristy at his desk. Afternoon mass had long since ended, and the sun was setting.

The mage had spent the day in turmoil, first worrying about the special quest, and then what had happened between Sara and Clare. She also worried over her parents’ visit, which the others seemed to have forgotten about—not that she blamed them under the circumstances.

Though she prayed for guidance, it was not quick in coming today. Had she made the right choice in standing by May? Had that choice reduced the likelihood of the party being restored? And had she been motivated by feelings beyond mere compassion for her friend?

The answer to that last was probably “yes,” Pari had to admit. As for the effect of her choice, it would not necessarily be bad—she might have better luck changing May’s mind because she had stuck by her. Or she might say the wrong thing and screw everything up worse.

Would it be better to let Sara handle this and stay out of the way? It would be easier, certainly. But that was not a factor she ought to be considering.

And beyond all of this were the usual issues she worried over—progressing in the game, the Killers, Invasion Day. And now Pari was the only one in the former party who did not have lethal PvP experience.

All this pondering came to an end when an inmate in typical adventuring garb and a chain shirt entered the cathedral from one of the side doors. He proceeded into the sacristy at a brisk pace.

The man soon emerged again, with Bishop Bell following. Pari made the sign of the cross and then rose to join them. “Are my parents here?”

The bishop paused uncomfortably. “You do have visitors...but not your parents. Cassandra and a companion of hers are in the western visitor’s center waiting for you.” Pari shrank back a step in fear. “You don’t have to speak with her if you don’t wish it,” he reassured her.

The mage got a hold of herself and shook her head. “No, it’s all right. Sandra can’t do anything to me inside the safe area. If she’s planning something against me, I need to know what it is.”

“You’re certain that you’re ready for this?” Bishop Bell asked. She nodded to him.

“Please come with me then,” the messenger said. “I can give you a ride there.”

“Thank you.” She looked back to the bishop. “Good night, Your Excellency.”

“God will be with you, my dear,” he replied solemnly.

As Pari followed the inmate out of the cathedral, she opened her HUD. From the man’s nameplate, she learned that he was a member of the Rough Rider guild, he had been in the game approximately six years, and he was ten ticks ahead of her in XP. It’s funny how quickly you can adapt to even a place like this.

Once they were outside, the rider summoned his horse and then climbed into the saddle before turning to face her. “The Dread Queen returning to inmate territory is a very unfortunate sign.”

“And it’s my fault she’s here.”

“There’s nothing for it. If you learn anything useful, I can relay it to the general for you.” He helped Pari up behind him. When she was ready the horse took off for the western gate. Though the four main city gates were located between the cardinal directions, there were much smaller passages elsewhere.

After passing through a tunnel in the wall barely large enough for two horses to pass side-by-side, they rode past an expansive cemetery. There were a number of cemeteries throughout inmate territory, with plots for many of the over six hundred thousand who had lost their lives in Fantasy Justice. Among those whose virtual bodies were interned in this area were the five members of Death Legion.

The short journey ended at the western visitor’s center. The large, one-story complex was near the edge of safe area, well away from the NPC city guards who would attack any hunter on sight.

Pari got off the horse. “She’s in room seventeen,” the messenger explained. “I’ll be out front if you need me.”

“Thank you.” The mage’s HUD indicated that she had been given permission to enter the building. She walked up to the door, and after a moment of hesitation briefly opened it to step inside.

The room was expansive. There were a number of beds, as well as various other finely-crafted wooden furnishings. Two women were present. One Pari did not recognize—a striking figure with blue skin and medium-length white hair, tied into two low pigtails that rested on her shoulders. Her coloration came from the ice tribe player race. She was dressed in a chain mail bikini—and other than the hint of her underwear beneath it, she wore not a stitch of clothing. The expression on her face was stern, almost angry. Her focus on Pari was laser-like.

Though she did not make eye contact, the mage purposefully concentrated on this hunter long enough to get a nameplate. The information might prove useful.

Lissa

XP 20% | H2015

Guild: Theia (~150k)

After this, Pari reluctantly turned her attention to the one person she had hoped never to see again. But this did not look like her Sandra. In the real world, Cassandra Tehrani was in her mid-twenties. Pari had met her only four years ago.

This Sandra looked to be about sixteen—that was the age she had been when she had created her character model, Pari realized. Her player race was elf. She had gently-pointed ears, fair skin, and extremely long, slightly wild brunette hair. Her body had a more immature form of the perfect curves Pari regretted becoming intimately familiar with.

Sandra was dressed in platinum-colored cloth. There was a wrap around her breasts, two armbands level with the wrap, and a short skirt. All of it was covered in diaphanous veils. She also wore slippers and a jeweled tiara.

Queen Sandra of the Great Kingdom

XP 100% | NPC (Noncombat)

Guild: Theia (~150k)

“Pari, my darling—I’m happy to see you again,” Sandra said in her usual rich and soothing tone.

Even this innocuous greeting renewed Pari’s terror. How would May handle this? she wondered. That was a better way to approach the encounter than letting herself be intimidated, she decided. “Why are you here, Sandra? I made it clear that I never wanted to speak with you again.”

Sandra’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “This place has changed you. I can’t say that I approve.” Pari did not respond, and she continued. “I’m here to tell you that I’ve forgiven you for killing my father.”

“I didn’t kill him! You framed me.”

“You poor thing. I didn’t understand what was wrong with you at first. But I’ve since put the pieces together. You’ve had a bit of a psychotic break.

“I was baffled when you broke off our engagement to become a nun. But it must have been my father who was the cause. He threatened you or your family in some way—he never approved of us being together.

“But after that, you couldn’t bear to be apart from me. You finally snapped and went after him. But you’ve always been so weak. Unable to cope with the horror of what you’d done, you constructed this elaborate fantasy of being framed.

“I have to say, I’m a little hurt that you’ve cast me as the villain—but then, perhaps I do deserve some of the blame. If only I’d realized what was wrong with you in time, none of this would have happened. I let you push me away too easily, and I’m deeply sorry for my mistake.”

As always, Sandra was a persuasive speaker. It showed how deeply she had controlled Pari, that the mage briefly entertained this notion in spite of herself. “Those are all lies,” she said finally. “I was your favorite toy, and you couldn’t stand that I walked away from you.”

“Honestly, Pari—you’re implying I would murder my own father over that? The man had his faults, but I still loved him.” Sandra shook her head in disappointment. “Why didn’t you accept my help when you were arrested? I told you, my lawyers could have easily gotten you into the best mental hospital in the state. You could have gotten the help you needed, and perhaps become a free woman again.”

“I’d have been a fool to go to any hospital in Kansas—your company administers all of them! You would have controlled me for the rest of my life. At least in here, you can’t drug or manipulate me.

“And I wouldn’t put it past you to kill to get what you want. It took me too long to realize that I was in love with a sociopath. To see how you were using me, how possessive you were. And it’s possible your motives went beyond just me. Maybe you resented your father getting in your way. Maybe you didn’t want to wait for him to die to take his fortune.”

“Oh, Pari, listen to yourself. I was worth nearly a billion in my own right when my father died. I didn’t need more money or want for anything.

“I’m just someone who met a poor and distant relative, and raised her and her family from rags to riches. I went to great expense and effort to win your love. When you told me you wanted to become a nun, I only argued with you twice over it before accepting your decision. Are these actions of a sociopath?”

“You’re extremely crafty,” Pari said defiantly. “Your emotions are all wrong, but you understand how to seem just like the rest of us. Only your enemies—and those closest to you—ever have the misfortune of seeing the real Cassandra Tehrani.”

“Now you’re simply being rude.” The mask slipped ever so slightly, and the barest hint of displeasure briefly appeared in Sandra’s expression. “But you’re very disturbed—so as I said, I forgive you.

“Perhaps I should come right to the point. I was willing to leave you be for a time, and hope that you would come to your senses and reach out to me. I was very concerned to hear that you had started adventuring. And then I learned you were going on a special quest today! That’s too much. I insist that you stop pointlessly endangering your life.”

“It isn’t any business of yours how I choose to live.”

Another slight frown quickly vanished. “Of course, even if you were to remain inside the inmate capital, you would not be safe for long. You see, I’ve come into more free time lately. My company is so successful that I feel confident delegating its day-to-day operations to my subordinates. Likewise, the assets I’ve inherited are all in good standing. So I thought, why not take up my favorite hobby again?” Sandra grinned pleasantly.

Pari’s panic returned. “Please don’t!”

“But Fantasy Justice is so much fun—and I’m so very talented at it. Come December, I’ll be leading my guild on Invasion Day. And I think the inmates’ undefeated streak has gone on long enough. It’s about time that fearsome black castle of yours was reduced to so much rubble.”

“How can you be so calm about killing so many people?!”

“Need I remind you that all the inmates in this game are rapists and murderers? I’m simply winning justice for the victims and their families.

“Of course, as I’ve made clear I want no harm to befall you. You may be a killer, but you were motivated only by your love for me. So I am offering to shield you, and you alone from the coming devastation. You will live safely in my castle in Kingdom territory, which no one may enter without permission. Your surroundings will be luxurious, and you’ll have access to whatever diversions you wish.

“I hope that you’ll consider pursuing therapy for your psychological problems, but I won’t force the issue. And I hope that someday, you will accept your true feelings for me again. But regardless, I will do my best to meet your heart’s desires.

“If you agree to this, Lissa can escort you home at your earliest convenience.” The blue-skinned woman nodded slightly in response to this. “Or if you would feel safer, she can assemble a raid of my finest hunters to guard you on your journey.”

“...And if I refuse?”

“So dramatic!” Sandra scoffed. “If you refuse, then I can’t guarantee your safety. Though I have already instructed my guild and all my allies that you are not to be harmed. Any hunter who kills you will be blacklisted by every Kingdom guild—not much of a sanction, but I’m afraid it’s the best I can do in a mere video game.

“Keep in mind that if you were to acquiesce to my offer, I would be too preoccupied with being an attentive host in my castle to bother with Invasion Day.”

Pari did want to prevent as many executions as possible, so this gave her pause. “I don’t trust you to keep your word.”

“Why not? Lying publicly would hurt my reputation. And I will give my consent for this conversation to be featured on your show—it’s as good a way to announce my coming out of retirement as any.”

“Even if I did believe you...” She shook her head. “I couldn’t stand letting you abuse me again. I’d rather die!”

“Abuse you? This delusion of yours is certainly extensive.” Sandra sighed. “I’m sorry, Pari—I wish that I could respect your decision, but you’re not of sound mind and you’re making a self-destructive choice.

“I will be offering a ten billion gold reward for your capture and safe delivery to my castle. If any of the three irresponsible young women who tricked you into adventuring get in the way of this, I don’t expect that they’ll survive long.”

“Leave them out of this!” Pari pleaded. She did her best to hold back from crying.

“They’ve already involved themselves by pushing you into danger.”

“But it’s not even possible to hold someone against their will outside of combat!”

Sandra smiled. “You don’t think I’m resourceful enough to overcome an issue of game mechanics?”

Pari tried to fight off her feeling of helplessness. “If I don’t leave the city, none of your hunters can touch me.”

“That’s true. Then I will just have to come for you myself on Invasion Day.” Sandra paused and sighed once more. “I don’t seem to be getting through to you. If you change your mind, unblock me and I’ll text you instructions.”

“I won’t,” she insisted angrily.

“So be it. ...By the way, I’ve tracked your parents’ progress. Barring an inmate attack, they should be here in about an hour. Say ‘hi’ to them for me.

“It’s been a pleasure, my darling.” Sandra smiled again. Then she and Lissa glowed white and dissolved into wind. They had logged out.

Pari sat down in a nearby chair and sobbed. She had given up every other freedom in her life to be free of Sandra—and it was all for nothing.

It was some time before Pari finally collected herself. She rose to replace the messenger, and give him the terrible news that the Dread Queen was coming for them all.