Rescuing The Researchers

Job Title: B-Rank Free-form
Rank: B
Job Location: Anywhere
Solo Word Count: 3,500 words
Group Word Count: 7,000 words
Additional Requirements: N/A
Job Description: Whatever the player chooses
Enemies: Whatever the player chooses
Reward: 25,000 jewels

-Outside Silent Cemetery gates-

Standing just outside the gates to Silent Cemetery, Leona took a moment to glance around to make sure that she was not followed by any unfriendly entities such as werewolves or spirits. Once no enemies presented themselves, the blonde checked her gear. She wore a long-sleeved blue t-shirt and khaki cargo pants with boots. She also carried her backpack of supplies and wore her Argent Gloves. This time she made certain to bring her Nightshade Machete because the job notice indicated that she would need it.

"This place is so creepy. I know we're in the middle of the Cursed Lands, but seriously. There's no sound." Sylvia commented.

"Duh. It's called Silent Cemetery for a reason. 'Cause, you know, there's dead people buried here. And you guys call me dumb." Daphne snarked. Sylvia frowned. Leona sighed.

"Let's just get the job done and go." Sandy suggested.

According to the job notice, some researchers from a magic university in Capital Crocus traveled out to Silent Cemetery in order to study why the dead came back to life in the Silent Cemetery. They were also trying to figure out why and how the undead came back in such large numbers. They had contracted the services of a mercenary band to protect them, but it did not go quite as planned.

Unfortunately, their mercenary escort bailed on the team while they were deep in the cemetery and left them high and dry. Some of the researchers were stuck inside. That was twelve hours ago.

Leona took a deep breath and entered the cemetery gate. Her harpies flew overhead. She had a feeling that things were about to get intense.

-Inside the cemetery-

Leona had just shut the gate behind her when she spotted two young people in lab coats running towards her. Behind them were two zombies. Leona rushed past them and stabbed the first in the forehead, then kicked it off the blade and withdrew it in time to stab the second zombie in the forehead, putting an end to that pair. The research assistants walked up behind her.

"Thank the Wizard Saints you're here!" The female exclaimed. She wore glasses and had wavy blonde hair. She wore a white shirt with a black skirt and matching shoes.

"We're research assistants. Dr. Miller and the others are still trapped further in the cemetery!" The male exclaimed. He had black hair and wore a lab coat with a right side that had been ripped and was hanging freely. His white dress shirt and brown dress pants were dotted with blood. He apparently had a close call with some of the cemetery's residents.

"I'll go get them. You guys find a safe place to go!" Leona instructed them.

"Thanks!" The pair said in unison before pulling out a crystalline key-shaped object and chanting some words in an unknown language. They immediately disappeared in a flash of golden light. Now that two of the researchers were safe, Leona pressed on in hopes of rescuing Dr. Miller and the others.

[Word Count: 508]
[Total Word Count: 508/3,500]

Leona pressed ahead into the cemetery and kept an eye out for trouble. Trouble soon approached her in the form of a dozen zombies. The harpies immediately attacked while Leona took care of some other zombies that literally popped up next to her like rotting gophers. She instinctively kicked at them and their heads came off without much resistance. The blonde kept playing the ghastly game of soccer with the three zombies while her harpies whittled down the horde shambling towards her.

"Hey Leona! Five of them got through!" Sylvia warned her mistress.

"I'll deal with them. You look for more survivors! Daphne, Sandy, go with Sylvia!" Leona commanded. The trio flew higher to look for any researchers in the area. Meanwhile she started dispatching the undead that shambled towards her. To an experienced mage like herself the undead were not very frightening. The only reason they were even a danger to her was their sheer numbers.

Once all five zombies were down, Sylvia shouted something down.

"There's two people in white coats standing on top of a building! Those undead things are surrounding it!" Sylvia shouted. Leona knew what she had to do.

"I'm on the way!" Leona shouted back.

She rushed into the next part of the cemetery and spotted two middle-aged researchers standing on the roof of an above-ground crypt that was surrounded by fifteen zombies reaching up for their prey. Leona and the harpies hurried to clear them away before the researchers fell and became a meal for their relentless pursuers. The zombies immediately turned their attention to her, shambling away from the scientists and towards the mage. The blonde began clearing them out with machete stabs to the head and Wind spells while the harpies dive-bombed the shambling corpses with their talons.

The scientists took the opportunity to pull out the same golden keys that the younger researchers had and chanted the same words. They soon disappeared to wherever it was they were going. Hopefully they were safe.

"There's no time to waste, Leona! I see another group up ahead! They're out in the open!" Sylvia shouted while Leona dispatched the last of the current threats. Leona withdrew the machete from its head and was running before the corpse even hit the ground.

Leona heard the sound of shouting. Two more researchers were sandwiched in between three people armed with magic weapons trying to protect them from the onslaught. Unlike the scientists, the three fighters were dressed in steel plate armor and wielded swords.

"WE COULD USE A HAND OVER HERE!" One of the fighters, a muscular man with close-cut brown hair shouted. Leona obligingly ran to them and used an Air Burst spell to thin out the two dozen zombies trying to get to them. She managed to kill three and knock down two more While Leona distracted the attackers, the brown-haired man's hand glowed gold as he chanted a lengthy incantation. He then pushed outward and the remaining undead were instantly vaporized in a beam of light.

He dropped to one knee for a moment, then stood up and greeted a concerned Leona.

"Thanks kid. I'm Thomas. The blond guy's Steve and the black-haired girl's Karen. We got left behind when the rest of our group pulled out. We couldn't stand for leaving the researchers to die, so we were left behind too." Thomas explained bitterly. Steve and Karen nodded their agreement. The two researchers spoke up.

"We're glad you're here. We got trapped when the mercenaries pulled out. These three stayed behind and saved our lives." A middle-aged woman wearing glasses said to Leona. The collar of her coat had bloody handprints around it.

"We believe that Dr. Miller and the others are still in the cemetery. We haven't been able to get in contact with them, not at all. Those things are everywhere. We don't have any magic or weapons, so you'll have to go rescue them." The older man said while pulling out a golden key.

"Hey, what's that key for?" Leona asked him.

"It's an experimental device that allows us to teleport back to the university from anywhere in Earthland. Unfortunately, we have to focus in order to use it. That's why we're still trapped here. It's hard to focus on using the incantation when those zombies are grabbing at your ankles." He answered. Leona could not argue. He had a very good point about why they could not just teleport out and avoid a rescue mission to start with.

"I've already saved four of your colleagues. I saw them pull out those keys and chant some words, then disappear in a flash of golden light. I was hoping they were safe." Leona added.

"They're safe at the university. Just save Dr. Miller. Please." The main said before he and the woman used their keys to teleport to safety. Thomas and the others turned to her. Leona looked at them.

"We've still got researchers to save. Let's get going... sorry, I don't know your name." Thomas said to Leona.

"It's Leona." The blonde mage told him.

"OK Leona, let's get going." He urged her. The four pushed on in the search for survivors as the harpies flew overhead. Leona was glad to have some help for this job.

[Word Count: 880]
[Total Word Count: 1,388/3,500]

Leona and her newfound allies pushed on and came across a mercenary defending a single researcher who had a broken arm in an improvised sling. The trio literally had their backs to the wall and were in danger of being overwhelmed by the eight zombies closing in. Leona and the others rushed to the rescue.

"OVER HERE, THOMAS!" A green-haired woman wielding a bow shouted. Leona closed in and stabbed one of the zombies through the head while Steve and Karen cut the zombies in half at the waist and stomped down on the heads. The woman fired arrows into the heads of the horde and it was soon gone.

"Thanks. I'm Robin. I was starting to run out of arrows." The mercenary introduced herself. Unlike the others, she wore a brown leather cuirass and pauldrons for armor. A quiver was slung across her back. Robin began to pluck arrows from the undead to replenish her ammunition supply. Leona's attention turned to the researcher.

"That was close! If it hadn't been for her, I would have already been dead!" The injured researcher gasped. He was an older man with a white handlebar mustache and wore glasses with a broken lens.

"Have you seen anyone else?" Thomas asked him.

"No. I lost sight of Dr. Miller earlier. She told us to get out of here. I didn't have any magic or weapons, so I ran for it." He answered.

"Where was Dr. Miller last seen?" Thomas asked.

"In the back of the cemetery. She was investigating the area around a sealed tomb. She said it had a strong magical signature that wasn't natural to the area." The scientist answered. All five fighters expressed concern.

"When the zombies came, she urged us to run while she held them off with her magic. Some of us got separated from the group. I'm not sure if they're still alive. If you can, please save them. If they're already dead, please collect their ID badges and bring them back to the university." The scientist requested.

"Do you know how many other researchers we should look for?" Robin inquired.

"I would say thirteen." The man answered. Leona took a tally. She had rescued six of the thirteen researchers. The older man would make seven.

"OK, we'll handle it. Just get out of here." Thomas instructed. The scientist retrieved his key and muttered the incantation. Seconds later he was gone. Thomas turned to Leona and the others.

"There's still some of them out there. The job's not done yet." Thomas said to the group. They briskly walked deeper into the cemetery. Moments later they came across three zombies, but these were different. Their heads were blood red and their fingernails were elongated. Their mouths dripped blood.

They gave a feral roar and charged the group at human running speed.

"Damn! These guys can run!" Steve commented. He, Karen, and Leona strode forward while Robin peppered them with arrows. One was hit squarely in the forehead but kept charging without slowing down. Leona kicked it in the chest, knocking it down. Steve rammed his longsword through the second one's forehead, hurting it badly. It kept growling and clawing until Steve pushed the sword out of the back of its head, killing it for good.

Karen used an Ice spell to freeze the zombie's feet. It growled and flailed wildly at Karen as the black-haired mercenary approached to deal the finishing blow. Karen strode forward and rammed her longsword through its forehead, not stopping until the blade punched through the back of its skull. The zombie went limp and slumped forward.

Leona was still dealing with her attacker, which slammed into her and knocked her to the ground. The blonde shielded her face with her arms. It stood over her and began slashing at her arms with wild claw strikes that had no rhyme or reason. It just wanted her dead. Leona's arms had sustained a few gashes where the Argent Gloves could not offer protection.

Sensing that it was getting nowhere, it changed tactics and jumped on top of her. It began slashing at her, tearing into her unprotected arms. Leona held its head up while its jaws snapped at her fingers and its claws began raking her stomach.

Moments later its head disintegrated in a beam of golden light. Thomas' hand reached down to her.

"Are you OK?" Thomas asked. Leona shoved the body off of her before groaning in pain. She slowly stood up. Her shirt was a bloody mess. She began to pull out the bandages and antibiotic ointment.

"LEONA!" The harpies cried out in unison as they landed beside her. The blonde removed her shirt and began treating the superficial but bloody gashes with antibiotic ointment. She hoped that she would not be turned into one of the undead.

"I'm... OK. Just a bit bloody, that's all." Leona replied.

"Do you think she's infected?" Steve asked everyone.

"If I am and I start to turn into one of them, you have my permission to kill me." Leona told them. She then began treating her wounded arms with antibiotic ointment and wrapping them in bandages. Once that was complete she cleaned off the blood on her stomach, bagged up the bloody long-sleeved shirt in a plastic bag for later disposal, and put on a clean olive green short-sleeved t-shirt.

"I hope it doesn't come to that." Thomas said. The harpies echoed his sentiment. In the distance they spotted a lone zombie in a white lab coat shuffling towards them.

"I've got this. I'll make it quick." Robin said solemnly as she nocked an arrow and fired an arrow at its head. The zombie went down in a single shot and did not stir. The group walked over to it and confirmed their fear.

Left side of the zombie's face was gnawed to the point it was not recognizable. Leona leaned down and examined the ID card clipped to the bloodstained lab coat. The name belonged to a man, Dr. Kenneth Gerhardt.

"Here's Dr. Gerhardt." Leona said grimly as she removed the ID card and put it into a side pocket.

"That's eight researchers so far. Seven survivors and one dead." Thomas gave the tally. Moments later they heard screaming. They had to hurry.

[Word Count: 1048]
[Total Word Count: 2,436/3,500]

The group followed the screaming until they found its source. An older man in a white coat was pressed against an above-ground crypt door and was being slashed and bitten by a red zombie. The red zombie had company in the form of fourteen normal zombies. The team got to work.

Leona, Steve, and Karen rushed forward while the harpies attacked from above. The six began cutting their way through the zombies in an effort to save the older man, but they were too late. The red zombie turned from his mortally wounded prey and rushed at Karen. Thomas fired a beam of light that destroyed its head. The remaining zombies were easily dispatched.

Leona walked over to the scientist, whose throat had been torn out. She leaned over him and collected his ID. The man was Dr. Richard Patterson.

"Here's Dr. Patterson." Leona said his name before placing the card in her pocket. Suddenly the crypt door creaked open. The party readied their weapons but instead found a young woman with four parallel scratch marks across her right cheek. She looked down and saw the late doctor's body.

"Dr. Patterson... no." She said softly.

"We tried to save him, but it was too late." Thomas told the young woman.

"He pushed me inside the crypt when they attacked. He blocked the door with his body so they couldn't get in." She said to them.

"Are you OK?" Leona asked.

"I'm fine. Dr. Patterson made sure of that." She replied softly.

"Can you get out of here?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah. I've got my key." She said. She produced it, spoke the incantation, and vanished. Ten of the scientists had been accounted for. That left only Dr. Miller and two more.

"HEY LEONA, I see a green-haired woman in a lab coat running towards us! She's got two people with her!" Sylvia reported. Leona and the others raced to meet them. That had to be Dr. Miller and the other researchers.

"OVER HERE!" Leona shouted, waving a hand. She then saw one of the people behind the green-haired woman trip and fall. Leona gasped. Seven zombies started to surround the person. She had to save them!

"NO! SANDRA!" The green-haired woman shouted. Leona raced by her and used an Air Burst to clear away some of the zombies. A young man ran by her and went to the aid of the woman.

"HELP THEM!" Leona shouted to her harpies. The dove to the rescue as Leona rushed in to clear away the zombies, but it was too late. The woman was dragged out of the man's arms and bitten repeatedly as her screams filled the air. The young man soon followed as zombies bit into his neck.

Leona then used a Wind Blast to clear out most of the zombies. She fought to reach the young couple but was blocked by a pair of red zombies, who growled and ran towards her. The green-haired scientist stepped in front of her, raised her hands, and fired a garnet beam of energy that disintegrated their upper bodies. Thomas stepped in front of them, chanted a lengthy incantation as his body glowed gold, and slammed his hands palm-first onto the ground, sending out a golden dome of energy that turned the undead to golden dust that blew away on the wind.

Thomas collapsed onto the ground and began breathing deeply. Steve, Karen, and Robin walked over to him and helped him up.

"I'm sorry about your friends." Leona consoled the green-haired scientist.

"No. You and the others did everything you could. There were just too many of those zombies." The woman said. Leona did not feel any better. She walked over to the deceased female and read the ID card. She was Research Assistant Sandra Brinson. The young man was Research Assistant Todd Barclay. The blonde collected both ID cards and pocketed them.

"We saved eight of your colleagues. The rest are dead." Leona informed her.

"I had a feeling that was the case." The scientist said. Behind them was a new group of fifteen zombies shuffling towards them, all of them wearing armor and some listlessly dragging swords and axes. Thomas' face showed a mixture of pain and pride.

"They didn't run away. They stayed to the end." Thomas said. Leona began to walk forward to engage them when he stopped her.

"No, Leona. They're my responsibility. They were my men. They're my responsibility. No one else's." Thomas sternly insisted. His hand glowed gold as he muttered an incantation, raised his hand, and disintegrated them. She could see the pain on his face and those of the other mercenaries.

The group walked to where the doctor came from. They spotted at least five dozen dead zombies lying on the ground in front of a crypt with black doors. On the doors was a pattern that looked like a skull resting in a pair of hands.

"That was what I was investigating when the mercenaries left us." The green-haired scientist said.

"Are you gonna go back?" Leona asked.

"No. Too many people died today. We should quit while we are ahead." The woman suggested.

"What about the bodies of the dead scientists?" Steve asked.

"Gather them. We cannot leave them here." The woman said.

[Word Count: 880]
[Total Word Count: 3,316/3,500]

-Capital Crocus, the university, ten hours later-

After the six brought the bodies of the deceased scientists to Capital Crocus and had them cremated to make sure they did not reanimate, they went to the university. They made their way through halls lined with pictures and awards. Eventually the green-haired woman opened a door and ushered them in.

"I am Dr. Katrina Miller of Crocus Magicka University." The green-haired scientist finally introduced herself when they stepped into a laboratory of some sort.

"I'm Leona Jarnefeldt." Leona introduced herself. Dr. Miller's garnet eyes widened.

"So you are the Rising Star of the guild known as Silver Wolf?" She inquired.

"Yes, Doctor." Leona answered.

"I've heard of you." Thomas said.

"I hope it's all good." Leona said.

"It is. It took a lot of guts to raid that Crimson Sashes camp to save your friends. I also heard about you protecting Wolfsmane from those werewolves." Thomas answered.

"I heard about you killing Bladdi Maccoi and that Mutura guy. Facing them by yourself was pretty gutsy!" Steve chimed in.

"I heard about you killing Jacob Goodnight and that Hydro-Arsonist." Karen added.

"Well, I had help on some of those jobs. It's not like I'm some amazing super-mage." Leona said to them. Mark had saved her bacon during the Wolfsmane job. The Hargeon police helped her with both the Jacob Goodnight and Hydro-Arsonist cases by making sure her quarry did not get away.

"It doesn't matter if you're a strong mage or not. You stood up to the danger, and that's what counts the most." Thomas assured her.

"So, what are you guys gonna do now?" Leona asked the four mercenaries.

"We're gonna go freelance. Maybe go into VIP protection." Thomas answered. Dr. Miller gave a smile.

"Maybe I can help. The university is looking for a few security officers. We will also need escorts for research in dangerous areas." She said. Thomas and the others looked at her.

"Really?" Thomas asked.

"I will put in a word on your behalf." Dr. Miller answered in all seriousness.

"Thanks Doctor. It means a lot." Thomas said. The others gave their thanks as well. Dr. Miller then turned to Leona.

"You look like you have seen better days. Let me examine those wounds." She said while gently unwrapping the bandages on Leona's arms and stomach.

"Am I gonna turn into a zombie?" Leona asked her. If she was going to become a zombie, Leona would have someone kill her before she became a threat. If she died the guild would be in Eoduun's hands. He was a capable replacement.

"No, Leona. From what I have read and observed, humans only turn if they are bitten. Since you were only clawed, you should be fine. Still, I would like to keep you for observation in our medical wing." Dr. Miller said.

"OK." Leona consented to being quarantined. Dr. Miller led Leona down the hall and into the medical wing, where she was given a medical gown to wear and placed in an isolation room. Except for the bloody shirt in a bag, her belongings were sterilized and placed into safekeeping. The bloody shirt was burned in an incinerator and the ID cards of the researchers were sterilized and taken to Dr. Miller's office. Leona would have to wait for three days for Dr. Miller to determine whether she was cleared to go back to Silver Wolf Guild Hall or not.

Dr. Katrina Miller:

[Word Count: 574]
[Total Word Count: 3,890/3,500]