Two armoured guards bowed their heads as she passed, as was their duty. She crossed the room to the woman waiting there, standing straight and tall with a sword at her hip.

Queen Janessa of Ikaatan had always had a regal aura about her. Since birth, people had been calling her the ‘Goddess-Queen’ and she seemed fit to rule even at a young age. Though she was rather a short woman, even shorter than a small, lithe warrior like Taria, the Queen of Ikaatan just seemed to have a large presence.

With pale brown hair hanging down to her shoulders, pale blue eyes and perfect ivory skin, Taria awaited her and it was all she could to avoid staring. Of course, though, in many ways she reminded Taria of her old friend Celia and it had been too long since she saw her pretty face...

Taria gave her head a shake. Did I really just think that? What’s wrong with me? Get a hold of yourself, Taria! she mentally scolded, instead focussing on the approaching Queen and her rather impressive battle armour.

It seemed she was prepared to travel, though that was no surprise to Taria who had been summoned to meet with Queen Janessa. Her battle dress was entirely gold in colour, it’s thick, shining skirt stopping well above her knees. Her shoulders would have been bare if not for a heavy, gold coloured plate resting atop them encrusted with jewels of myriad colour. Hanging from her waist was a purple cloth that reached to the tops of her knees, adorning the front of her armour almost as a sort of banner. Gold armlets and shin guards protected her arms and legs along with the shining, gold coloured sandals on her feet.

A wide sword, a shimmering bronze in colour, lay sheathed on her left hip with a shining emerald embedded in the pommel. This matched the gems on the tiara in her hair. Taria thought the crown entirely unnecessary, especially if any real fighting was to be done, but she didn’t bother to question it.

With her own short, bobbed hair, coloured dark blue with the bangs covering her right eye, her intense purple eyes met those of the Queen as she finally reached the Sword master of the Order of Ikaatan.

Brown straps crossed her chest, holding on the studded leather armour on her shoulders. Dressed all in forest green in a sleeveless shirt and tight shorts of quite short length, the warrior stood almost half a head taller than Queen Janessa. When they finally met, Taria reached down and adjusted one of the straps on her knee high leather sandals that had come loose. Janessa eyed the sharp, silver sword on Taria’s hip when she stood straight again and met the Queen’s eyes.

“Are we prepared to travel, Sword Master?” Janessa said in her most regal, authoritative tone.

“Everything is ready, my lady,” Taria said with a slight bow to her head. “Though I must again advise that more warriors escort you into the woods. Having just me out there right now is... much more dangerous than you realize, my lady.”

“I understand the dangers,” Janessa said. “This necromancer’s creatures do not frighten me. And I cannot have her terrorizing my people any longer. You and I must put an end to her. Was it not you who said the fewer to travel the better?”

“I did. But I did not mean just you and I, my lady.”

“Nonsense,” the Queen said. “With Lady Artema’s absence, you are the finest warrior in Ikaatan. And there has been none of the Royal line who were better with a sword than I, Sword Master.”

“I do not doubt your skills, Lady Janessa. But these creatures are... they’re endless, to put it simply. I was lucky to escape them alive the first time.”

“But you shall have me accompanying you this time. Besides, I decree it. The necromancer must be stopped. And you are the one to assist me. It must be done as I say.”

Taria bowed her head again. “Of course, my lady. As you say.”

With two regal, white horses in decorative royal regalia waiting for them at the front gates, Taria and Janessa walked side by side to the very edge of the Disa Royal Palace. Climbing aboard, Taria could not help the creeping doubts in her mind as they trotted off into the city, headed well beyond into the thick Dasi Forest. She had not wanted to face those creatures again. But, being the only representative of her order currently in Ikaatan, Taria had no choice to refuse the summons of the Queen. She was who had created them after all, putting Artema at their head.

As they travelled, Taria’s mind remained on the shambling, horrid creatures of the necromancer Morrina. With her distracted mind, she unwittingly ignored the other dangers that would surround them in the forests of Ikaatan.

...

After about half a day of travelling, and with the sun sinking beneath the western horizon, Taria and Janessa set up camp just at the edge of the Dasi Forest. It was quite a long ride from the capital to the huge forests of the wide Island of Ikaatan. And having just reached the forest meant they were still another day’s ride from where Taria and her old friend Arys had encountered... them. The creatures.

They had so left an impression in her mind that Taria nearly forgot that she had been captured by mercenaries she once knew only a few days before that. The terror the creatures inspired was absolute and, while they set up camp, Taria was only concerned with listening for their hungry growls and horrific screeching.

“Sword Master,” Janessa said, laying out her bedroll inside their tent. Taria tended a small fire, crouched low next to it and did not look up when the Queen called out to her. “You seem rather tense.”

“The creatures, my lady. They remain on my mind.”

“It may be best to relax and try to get some rest, Sword Master,” Janessa said. “We have much further to travel and find that necromancer.”

“I’ll try,” Taria said.

“Then sit,” Janessa said, walking to the fire and motioning downward with her hands. “You have had many trying days since your return, as I’ve heard it. You were hunting bandits, yes?”

“I still am. It... it’s my duty.”

“You and the order have done so much. Leave it to my soldiers to deal with the remaining bandits. You have earned your rest, Sword Master.”

“Not yet I haven’t,” Taria said, her old nickname still echoing in the back of her mind. Maateni... the old tongue... ‘Killer’...

“Well, for this night, you have. Allow me to prepare your supper.”

“My lady?”

“Sit, Taria,” Janessa said. “I command it.”

Taria let out a slight sigh and sat down on the ground beside the fire. “I have hunted before. I will bring something back for you.”

“My lady, it is unwise to travel these woods alone. Allow me to come with you.”

“Sword Master, your Queen has given you a command. Do you wish to commit treason against the Ikaatan Crown?”

“My lady-”

“Do you, Taria?”

Taria sighed again. “No, my lady. I don’t.”

“Then sit and take your rest, as I command. I will call for you if something is amiss.”

Janessa said nothing more, grabbing a bow and quiver of arrows from her horse and heading off into the dark forest alone. Taria watched her go, sitting by the small fire, listening very carefully to any potential sounds around them. All of her senses were on high alert and, despite what Janessa had said, Taria could not relax. Every muscle was tense and her hands twitched instinctively for her sheathed sword laying beside her.

It felt like an eternity to Taria and Janessa still had not returned. Each time she thought of getting up she stopped herself, remembering what Janessa had said. Despite trying to be kind to Taria, the Queen took her commands very seriously. It was likely Taria would be thrown in a dungeon if she got up and went after Janessa, even if it was for her own protection. Unless the Queen called for her, she had to stay put... whether she liked it or not.

After another eternity of waiting, Janessa still had not returned. Letting out a long breath, Taria tried her best to relax, release the tension in her muscles, steady her breathing... and leaping to her feet when she heard Janessa call her name from the forest.

She grabbed her sword and unsheathed it without hesitation, taking off into the trees and leaving their slowly dying fire behind. Her mind raced and she was fraught with worry when Janessa didn’t call out again. Anything could have happened to her. I should have gone with her. Convinced her Taria thought to herself. If those creatures have gotten her then it will be my fault...

Taria stopped in her tracks when she heard the Queen’s voice again, though it sounded slightly muffled. She called out into the woods.

“Queen Janessa! Are you there!?”

“Mmmpphh!!” a voice replied. And then Taria realized her mistake...

Despite coming back to Ikaatan for the bandits, she let Morrina and the undead creatures cloud her mind. The far more prominent danger in the forest was still the many bandit clans and ruthless mercenaries. And she had let Janessa, the Queen of all of Ikaatan, just get captured by some of them...

Taria ran on toward where she thought the voice had come from. Desperate to save her and ready for a fight, she didn’t see the small loop of rope at her feet as she ran... and it tightened around her ankle, pulling backward with blinding speed. She fell to the ground on her stomach, dropping her sword, and felt herself dragged backward and then upward by a rope tightly wound around her ankle.

Quickly hauled up into a tree by a complex snare trap, Taria’s arms dangled above her head as people began to emerge from the trees. They were all women, dressed like bandits... she knew then who they were. Fa’rah’s clan. Her old clan... But neither Fa’rah nor Taria led them anymore. Instead, someone else emerged, pulling the queen along with a makeshift leash of rope tied around her neck. Janessa’s hands were bound behind her back and a thick cloth had been pulled tight over her mouth and tied on behind her head.

“Quite the haul...” the woman said, pulling on the rope around Janessa’s neck and stopping her in her tracks. She stepped forward.

“The Royal Majesty herself and the Sword Master of the Order of Ikaatan... or should I call you Maateni?”

“Release the Queen,” Taria said. “In exchange for me.”

“What?” the woman said, laughing. “We’ve got you both. What in all the world would I do that for?”

Looking her up and down, Taria couldn’t say she recognized the woman. Though, of course, being upside down probably didn’t help matters...

She looked young. Quite young, in fact, perhaps only just out of her teens. And, unlike Fa’rah, she was not very large. Janessa and her were, in fact, about the same height. And she was thin and wiry though, by the way she pulled Janessa along, those looks were deceiving. She also carried a heavy looking, round iron shield plated in what looked like pale gold. It was solid iron, too, and she hauled it on her back like it wasn’t even there. On her right hip, the woman also wore a sword so short it may as well have been a dagger. It, too, was the colour of pale gold and oddly curved though it did look deadly...

Long, golden blonde hair fell down her shoulders and her bright blue eyes were intelligent, piercing, and practically sparkled. She wore a singular piece of grey cloth like Janessa’s battle dress on the skirt on hers was even shorter and seemed to have been reinforced with leather that was also dyed grey. Belts crossed her chest diagonally, hanging from each shoulder, made of brown leather. They seemed to be what was holding the shield to her back. The tops of her shoulders were also protected by more of the grey leather material.

She wore long gauntlets of thick leather that covered her hands fully like gloves and protected her wrists and forearms. But topping all of that off, Taria noticed the woman’s peculiar boots...

They stood out more than anything else and almost seemed to... glow. They were made of thick, high quality brown leather and reached up to her knees. But they were reinforced with a sort of ornate silver, wrapped in several bands almost like a skeletal cage. The soles and, to Taria’s surprise, the very high heels of the boots were also made of this silver metal. Another ornate carving of the metal adorned the tops of her boots like a decoration. In Ikaatan, those boots were unlike anything Taria had ever seen.

“You’ve gone quiet, Sword Master...” the woman said. “What’s wrong? Are you just now realizing your situation?”

Listening to her voice, a name came up from the very back of Taria’s mind. A young girl from long ago, back in her old life running with these bandits and leading them... they had taken her in. Brina. They had called her Brina.

“Brina....” Taria said softly.

Brina smiled and stepped closer to Taria. “I know I look different, dearest Sword Master... it’s been a long time. Too long.”

“You... you lead the clan now?”

Brina chuckled again. “What do you think? They didn’t call me ‘Brina the Strong’ for nothing. You know, I ought to thank you for this gift. Ransoming the Queen is sure to make us rich...”

“I didn’t bring her to you.”

“Oh, I know. You went soft a long time ago, Taria. But you still brought her here all the same. I’ll definitely have to thank you now...”

She nodded to three huge bandit women and pointed toward Taria. “Cut her down and get her tied up. And bring me her sword.”

“What are you going to do?” Taria asked.

Brina shrugged. “I like trophies,” she said. “You should see my little cabin. I always was a good hunter. Someone taught me well...”

“Well, remember those days? You don’t have to do this...” Taria said.

“I’m not going to kill you, you soft little baby. I said I like trophies... and I’ve never had a pretty human trophy before. Consider that thanks for making us so rich...”

...

Taria still seethed about everything that had just happened. Mostly about Brina. She was always such a sweet child. How did she grow up to be like this?

Of course, she gave her a head a shake and decided to concentrate. After all, she needed to find some way to escape and get the Queen out of here and back to Disa... if she could escape her tight ropes, anyway.

She sitting on the ground tied to a wooden pole staked into the ground. It was situated in the very middle of the large bandit camp.

Ropes lashed Taria's wrists behind her back, around her waist, and held behind the pole. Two coils of rope framed her breasts and tightly pinned her arms to her sides and also tied to the pole. Her strong, shapely legs were out straight in front of her. They were tied together with two heavy coils of rope. One held her legs together from the ankles to just below her knees. The second coil started just above her knees and ran up to her upper thighs. Another rope was clinched around her ankles and tied to a small, wooden stake in the ground so she couldn't even bend her knees.

Topping it all off was a humiliating gag like a horse's bit. A wooden dowel covered in leather filled her mouth and pulled between her teeth, held tight by a web of straps that went around the back of her head, under her chin, either side of her nose and around her forehead.

Several of the bandits laughed when Taria would snarl into the gag and growl in frustration when she struggled and couldn't free herself. And from her vantage point, Brina made sure to keep Queen Janessa within Taria’s line of sight.

The Queen of Ikaatan was tied rather simply. Her wrists were tied behind her back, a coil of rope held her arms and they kept her ankles tied together. She was inside a wooden cage and struggled away on the floor, grunting and grumbling into a cloth gag over her mouth and tied on behind her head. The knots were clearly effective as the Queen could not escape no matter how much she struggled.

Taria watched her for a bit, catching her breath and ignoring the sweat dripping down into her eyes. She knew her body was drenched in sweat from the struggling and the warmth of the night made it worse.

While she struggled and growled into her humiliating gag, Brina stepped in front of her and knelt down to meet her eyes. Taria stopped struggling for the moment and glared into the eyes of her captor.

“I’ve been wanting to catch up with you,” Brina said.

Taria furrowed her brow. She sounded serious.

“Everyone’s been wondering what happened to you. Ever since you left us for those mercs... that broke my heart. You were the one who brought me in. When I thought you would kill me, you turned around and offered me a place in the clan. I guess that was the start of it. You getting soft.”

“Mmnnffff....”

“I never could kill like you. Even when you joined up with Lila I never thought of hurting you. Or anyone, really. I didn’t want that. But this way of life, it’s hard to break away from. I don’t know how you did it.”

Taria took in several sharp breaths, her eyes beginning to soften as she and Brina continued to look each other in the eye.

“I guess the reason I resented you was that Fa’rah took over soon after you left. And I never liked her. But she was the strongest. What could we do? But as soon as she disappeared... I took my chance. And we’ve thrived.”

“Rghhggfff...” Taria said, her voice oddly distorted by the wooden bit in her mouth.

“I wish you’d been around when I started getting older. I don’t think I ever would have spent a moment in a prison cell if it were you leading us instead of Fa’rah. I don’t even know where she came from. Just showed up one day after you left and kicked the crap out of so many of us. She led us to ruin so many times. Got half of us captured one time...”

Brina sat down on the ground and crossed her legs. “So I bet you’re wondering why you’re here. Why I did this. How I changed. The truth is... I didn’t really change that much. But this whole kidnapping thing, the robbing, the protection rackets... we can’t just give them up. That’s what we do. You taught me that.”

Taria sighed into her gag. It was true. She had taught Brina everything she knew. Back when she was... Maateni. The ruthless, murdering bandit. And then mercenary. What Brina had said about her leadership was true as well. There weren’t many who got captured on Taria’s watch. The few that did were soon rescued and then duly punished by Maateni herself. She never killed one of her own unless they did so first. But she would strike the fear of the Goddess into the women of the clan by making them face her in one on one combat. She made them think she would kill them, scare them, terrify them... Taria gave her head a shake. She hated thinking about those days...

Brina continued speaking. “I’m keeping you here as a message. It’s the principle of the thing. No matter my own feelings, I have to show them that you can’t just leave this life without consequences. Show my strength. They don’t call me ‘The Strong’ for nothing, Taria. So I kind of have to make you my ‘trophy’. It’s the only way to keep you alive and make them respect me. I hope you understand.”

“Mmmnngghhfff!!” Taria growled, struggling against her bonds again.

“And, I mean, we have to ransom the Queen. Really, what were you thinking coming out here alone with her? We saw you two coming from miles off. That’s a gift horse if I’ve ever seen one, Taria. You know better than that.”

Taria rolled her eyes and growled under her breath. That wasn’t my idea... she thought to herself.

“Well, I guess we’ll be rolling in it before long. And you, well, you’ll be staying with me as my prisoner. That’s just the way things have to be, Taria. I’ll keep you fed and healthy. Like I said, I don’t want to kill you. But I can’t just let you walk free. They’ll lose respect for me. And if that happens I’m finished.”

Brina got to her feet again, still looking down into Taria’s eyes. “Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll let you earn your freedom in a one on one fight. Maybe. I’ll have to think it over. In the meantime, don’t try anything. I don’t want to hurt you. Okay?”

As Brina left, Taria couldn’t help but feel that everything Brina had said was sincere. She really hadn’t changed. It just turned out that Taria had taught her too well. Back there in the forest, that was all for show. It was all for the sake of the other women in the bandit clan. They had to see her as the confident, fearless leader. ‘The Strong’ as they called her...

Still, though, Taria would be no one’s prisoner. So she fought her ropes, fruitless as it was, grunting and growling into her gag. Though she was stubborn, it had become apparent that she was helplessly tied and there was no way she was escaping on her own. And that was a problem...

...

Taria awoke with a start, realizing she was still tied up and gagged, tied tightly to a pole... and a wild snarling sound surrounded the camp. Everyone in the clan was panicking and picking up weapons and battling... something.

“Mmmnnggghhhh!!” Taria said into her gag, once again battling her restraints and failing. She growled and grunted, twisting and turning every which way to try and loosen the ropes but nothing would budge.

While she struggled, a rabid shriek caught her attention and a pale, gangly humanoid creature was charging straight for her, jaws open wide and slashing claws ready to cut her wide open.

“Nnnghhhmmmph! Mmmmngh! MMMMPPHHH!!!” Taria struggled wildly and squealed into her gag, unable to free herself and her heart pounded from the terror of seeing the creature. Just as it reached her, something shimmered in front of her vision and blood spurted from the creature’s neck as its head fell to the ground. Taria looked up and Brina stood over her, sword in one hand and shield in the other, frantically searching for more of the creatures.

Brina knelt down and started untying Taria, tossing her sword to the ground beside her.

“We need you, now!” Brina said. “Those damn creatures have us completely surrounded! There’s dozens of them!”

Her deft hands removed the gag from Taria’s mouth but it took her a bit of time to untie the ropes. She had Taria’s arms free but the ropes on her legs were taking some time.

“Damn it!” she said with a grunt. “Who tied these damn knots so tight!?”

Taria looked up and another of the creatures was rushing toward her. “Brina...”

“Hold on! I’ve almost got this one!”

“Brina... turn around...”

“I have to get you... free!” Brina said, still struggling to untie the knot.

Taria managed to grab her sheathed sword and pull it out with her legs still tied and Brina working feverishly against a very tight knot.

“Brina!” Taria shouted as the creature was on her, leaping and slashing out with it’s claws.... and stopping dead in mid air as the blade of a sword passed straight through its skull and it slumped over, lifeless.

Taria pulled the sword out and met Brina’s eyes. “Thanks...” Brina said.

“Just cut them off,” Taria said. “And let me up already.”

Brina hadn’t wanted to cut them but she relented and cut the ropes from Taria’s legs and helped her stand up again. Taria stretched her muscles and peered behind Brina to Queen Janessa, who was safe and unscathed inside the cage, still tightly bound and gagged. Her eyes darted back to Brina.

“Come on! We need to help them!”

“No...” Taria said.

“What!? Taria, look, I’m sorry about the whole kidnapping thing but this is serious! Do you want all these women to die?”

“No. I don’t. But I won’t help you unless you release the Queen...”

“Taria, we don’t have time for-”

“Let her go and I’ll kill these things for you.”

Brina took a moment to think. Taria always had been a shrewd negotiator... but she had taught Brina all too well and she, like Taria, was good at thinking on her feet.

“I’ll let her go. If you stay. When you’re done fighting the creatures, you’ll still be my prisoner. That’s the trade you wanted, right? You for the Queen?”

“I could just run...” Taria said.

“But you won’t. And after the fight, you’ll be outnumbered again.”

“I could take you all.”

“Could you? Maybe. But there’s no way you’re leaving without killing me. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll hunt you down, Taria. You forget, you taught me everything. I’ll find you. You’ll have to kill me to get me off your trail. Do you really want that?”

Taria growled under her breath. She tightened the grip on her sword and considered striking out at Brina... but stopped herself.

“Fine. Have it your way. I’ll... I’ll stay,” Taria said.

“Good. It’s better for all of us that way. Now, help us fight these things! I’ll get the Queen untied...”

Brina rushed off to the wooden cage and cut it open, beginning to untie Janessa from her bonds. Taria, meanwhile, rolled her shoulders, stretched her muscles, and tore off into the forest.

The bandits were faring well and none had been wounded by the creatures yet but they were quickly being overwhelmed and pushed back into the camp. Brina was right. They were completely surrounded and an impenetrable wall of creatures pressed in tighter and tighter... until a green blur dashed between the bandits and cut the creatures down again and again.

Focussed and lightning fast, the lithe, nimble warrior had no equal in skill or ferocity. A few stopped to watch in awe as Taria sliced the head off one creature, spun in place, and stabbed her sword through the chest of another that flailed at her still. With a grimace, she pulled the sword upward and cut through the creature’s body all the way to its head, splitting the rotting, undead thing in half and making it fall to the ground.

Another lunged at her and Taria buried her sword in its skull, quickly pulling it out, whirling around and cutting off another creature’s head. Yet another came for her, flanked by two others, and Taria leapt between them, cutting off one’s leg to slow it down and kicking one back, causing it to stumble and buy her enough time to lop the head off the third creature. She used her momentum to cut off the head of the legless creature before awaiting the final creature, burying her sword so deep in its skull that it pierced all the way through and out the other side. Taria kicked the creature from her blade and noticed then that they seemed to stop and... retreat back into the woods. As they did, she caught a glimpse of someone through the trees.

She had bright red hair and her skin was... purple. It was pale but she looked purple. Taria was certain of that. The figure of the woman wore black, Taria knew that, and the sort of crown on her head glowed with a dark red energy but... she was gone in a blink.

Taria didn’t get much of a look at her but, with certainty, she knew then that she had seen the necromancer Morrina. Having met the eyes of the ferocious warrior who had now, twice, slaughtered her undead creatures and lived to tell about it, it seemed the necromancer had no choice but to flee.

With the creatures staved off, Taria walked back to camp and was quickly surrounded by Brina’s bandits. She looked to the centre of camp at the pole she had been tied to and saw Brina standing next to the Queen, who was free of her bonds and the cage.

“Looks like we have to hold off on the riches...” Brina said to the assembled bandit women. “I had an agreement with Maateni here.” She nodded to Taria. “You know we honour our agreements around here. Unlike Fa’rah...”

The bandits spit on the ground at the mention of their former leader and Brina joined them.

“So... we have to let Queenie here go... for now.”

Some of the bandits spoke up in protest but Brina slammed her shield with the flat end of her sword. “Quiet!” she shouted. The bandits fell silent.

“This has to be done. But the good news is... I get to keep my trophy. Maateni is staying with us.”

At this news, the bandits seemed satisfied and laughed and clapped though they hesitated to approach her. The memory of her ferocity against the creatures was still fresh in their minds.

Brina shoved the Queen forward and the bandits stepped aside to allow her through. She stopped for a moment and caught Taria’s eye.

“I am sorry. I should have listened to you.”

“It’s fine,” Taria said. “You should go. If you don’t, I doubt I could negotiate your release again.”

“I will come for you,” Janessa said. “You will be free. I will ensure it. Take me at my word, Sword Master. I will send whoever I can and I will come myself. You will be free.”

“I understand, my lady,” Taria said. “Go. Now. Please.”

With one final look, Janessa took off into the forest and Taria closed her eyes, dropping her sword on the ground again.

“Wise choice, Taria,” Brina said. She nodded once and the assembled bandits grabbed her arms. They were forced behind her back and crossed together, quickly and tightly tied with rope. She was led into the middle of the camp to the wooden pole.

“Don’t forget the bridle,” Brina said with a smirk. Though she felt a pang of guilt as she watched her old friend led back to the wooden pole to be bound and gagged once again. Still, she had to keep up appearances if she was to lead her clan. There was nothing else for it.

And while she was behind lashed to pole again and tightly gagged with the humiliating bridle, Taria mentally prepared for at least a short time in captivity. Again. Though she had succeeded in freeing the Queen from the grasp of bandits she was now, herself, their prisoner. And although the Queen had promised to rescue her, Taria knew there were always complications. Like it or not, complications always seemed to find her these days...


Story Theme Song: Jungleboi- Prisoner