The Jade Harem 1-19

It was nighttime, and the harem had met in a dream to discuss recent events. They set the dream in a noodle shop in Japan, where Gisley waited on them while they sat crowded around a long table.

“This is certainly interesting,” Rajeen said as her whiskers twitched. She glanced out the large window at the dark streets of the city. “Is this a familiar place for you?”

“Yes,” Gisley said, appearing as a simple Japanese girl. “ I used to work in the shop on this street, but I made the inside different so we would all fit.”

“It was a much smaller shop the last time we were here,” Roric explained.

“I see,” Rajeen replied and sat back to put an arm around Blackbast. “Then who will begin?”

“I would like to begin,” Hannah said as she sat at the table in her original blond human appearance. “There are some things I have learned that need to be addressed.” She went on to explain her unique power and that she had already proven it affected essence. That sent a shockwave around the room as Rajeen asked if this was her intent. Hannah said she had hoped it would work as it gave her a way to recover the pool more quickly. Otherwise, it took days for the pool to recover on its own.

Frank and Blackbast debated whether this was a good thing, with Frank worried that a larger pool might lead to more significant side effects. Blackbast didn't think it would make a difference, but she couldn't be sure. Hannah then explained she had a reason to believe there was a way to protect them from the side effects. Blackbast asked her how she knew that, and Hannah shocked the gathered members again.

“You went into a dream to confront her alone?” Blackbast asked.

“I didn't see any reason not to,” Hannah said. “She's connected to my head. She's basically here with us anyway. All I did was ask her to appear to make conversation easier.”

Blackbast blinked and looked to Rajeen, who admitted Hannah was right. There was no reason to see this woman as a threat to Hannah, considering their connection. Hannah then explained the entire conversation, including how Alluzora insisted Hannah only had one previous life.

“But I know you have had more,” Umtha insisted.

“So do other people,” Hannah said. “But when did I have those lives? If I did live them, does that mean we have tried this and failed over and over? Has Kevin wiped all our minds repeatedly in some sick game?”

“She has a good point,” Jaina conceded.

“It is a good point,” Chandice agreed as she tapped her fingers on the table. “If Kevin had reset most of you that many times, then he must be well aware of what Hannah is doing. By now, he knows when and where she will respawn and how to manipulate her. For that matter, if he was this aware of the game, why not just claim her statue and make spawn in his throne room

? Why even go to the trouble of letting her run wild for any length of time?

“I hadn't considered that,” Frank said as he looked unsettled. “And if she had previous lives, they would have to be previous to Hathlisora. But we have reason to believe they came after, so it doesn't work unless they were very short.”

“So she's either had five very short, pointless lives, or it was all a lie Hannah made her promise to keep,” Jaina surmised.

“So some of the lies and subterfuge we are dealing with were caused by Hannah herself?” Evalynn asked.

“It would appear so,” Hannah said apologetically.

“Why must it all be so complicated,” Rajeen grumbled as Gisley set down a bowl of golden brown broth swimming with noodles, mushrooms, and chicken. “At least this is a meeting place where we have little to fear.”

“So what else did this woman tell you?” Chandice asked.

Hannah relayed the whole story about how Alluzora had come to be trapped in Abbadon and how Issicara hated Hannah for an unknown reason. She always warned them about Garnet and how Kevin knew about the second crown.

“This is a new danger we are ill-prepared to face,” Blackbast said as she considered her noodles.

“Alluzora seemed pretty confident she could remain hidden from this woman,” Hannah explained.

“I am more interested in the idea that so many chosen players go insane and refuse to cooperate,” Chandice remarked. “Is it possible they aren't as rare as people think, and most of them freak out and have to be contained?”

“You mean imprisoned,” Rajeen clarified.

“It kind of makes sense,” Quinny said. “Hannah did the same thing at first. She refused to play their game and was going to sit on her rear and wait for them to kick her out.”

“Thankfully, she was chased to Frank,” Breanne added. “He was able to convince her to try playing.”

“I should have been the golden sprite,” Hannah grumbled as she folded her arms and sat back. “It had a flowery appearance.”

“Oh, I bet it was pretty,” Gisley said as she joined them at the table.

“It was beautiful,” Frank replied and smiled at Hannah. “But she makes anything she plays beautiful.”

Hannah looked down with a blushing smile as Jaina teased her for being so sweet. Frank brought them back to the idea that many chosen rejected being in New Eden. He talked about how focused Hannah had been on her desire to escape. It consumed her like a madness, and he was worried for a little bit that she might break.

“I was in a bad place,” Hannah agreed. “I didn't want to be here, and I felt like it had been forced on me.”

“It was forced on you,” Frank insisted. “I never blamed you for being unhappy about that.”

The others agreed that it was only natural to have such a reaction. It made them wonder why the visitors were so insistent on some people coming in and why they discarded them when those people refused to participate. It was a dark side to the otherwise benevolent visitors, drawing into question what their true motives were.

It was an unpleasant conversation that lasted longer than any of them wanted. In the end, they understood why the visitors would remove players who only existed to disrupt and destroy. However, it was difficult to accept that most of those players were abducted by the visitors themselves. They were directly responsible for them and should have sent these people home.

The conversation eventually turned back to the essence pool and what Hannah planned to do with it. She wasn't fully sure, but tried to articulate how she felt it was important to make use of it. She then suggested that with a boosted pool, she might be able to push Legeis's machine to higher levels.

“That sounds reckless,” Rajeen insisted as she fished around in her bowl for more meat. “Or did I misunderstand how unstable the last test had become?”

“It wasn’t unstable,” Chandice insisted. “It was just pushing levels of power our equipment couldn’t handle. It worked in the end.”

“Barely,” Frank noted and looked at Hannah. “The batteries melted, and some of the cables caught fire. I don't like the idea of putting you in that position again, but I won't say you can't try.”

“Well, she can't try now anyway,” Chandice cut in. “The machine is in a dozen pieces as Legeis tries to use that odd metal he has to make power connections.”

“What odd metal?” Breanne asked. Chandice explained it was the metal he recovered from the quest to return the egg. He had a small store of it that he thought might make a better conductor than the current cables. He insisted his biggest problem was the system overheating as it drew monstrous amounts of power.

“Well, at least that gives us some time to think about things,” Blackbast said.

“Let’s move on to the topic that is about to be an issue,” Roric said as he pushed his bowl aside. “We are far enough outside our lands to start visiting towns. Should we risk going into some towns, and if so, what do we hope to achieve?”

All eyes turned to Frank as he looked deep in thought while considering the question. There was no doubt in any of them that Frank was in charge of this expedition, so they waited for his input.

“We are over a week's hard travel from our lands now,” Frank replied as he leaned back to sit straight. “Certainly, some people in this area know of Gwen and her kingdom, and some should know about our little portion of it. I would like to know what these people think about us.”

“You are not suggesting you walk boldly into town and ask them?” Rajeen asked.

“Not boldly, but subtlety,” Frank replied as he began to smile. “All of us have some means to disguise ourselves, so why not go in under our cover story? We are slavers looking for new and interesting girls. We can talk to the locals about girls and bring up the places we have already been.”

“I see where you are going,” Roric said as he nodded. “You will say that we came through your kingdom and see how people react to it.”

“I want to do more than that,” Frank said. “I want to sow some positive information into our neighbors. The girls can talk to people and tell them about the wonders of our land. From the garden walls of the city to the singing of its princesses, to the mysterious Lovewood, and the sultry women who stalk it looking for lovers.”

“Hmm, this place sounds nice,” Hannah said as she smiled.

“Don’t forget to tell them about the glory hole,” Jaina teased as Hannah shrugged.

“My point is, we can do some good by spreading true rumors about us,” Frank said. “I worry that people think we are just a wildland ruled by monster players and sowing discord among our neighbors. I want people to hear the truth about us to combat the negative.”

“What an amazing idea,” Jaina said as she smiled. “We can pretend we visited the harem and talk about how wonderful it was.”

“And we can fill in real details,” Breanne said. “We can answer questions truthfully because we have seen it for ourselves.”

“This could really help our reputation,” Hannah agreed.

“It is a good idea,” Roric stated as he looked at Chandice, who was eyeing Frank suspiciously. “Is something wrong?”

“Does he ever miss an opportunity to work a scheme?” Chandice asked.

“This one was born to rule,” Blackbast replied with a sly glance at her husband. “He has the will to rule, the compassion to care for his people, and the desire to lift everyone and not just himself. But he knows his enemies well, and no, he does not waste opportunities.”

“Frank is hella smart and brave,” Quinny agreed.

“Bravery only goes so far,” Rajeen said, considering Frank as well. “Without the wisdom to know when to use such bravery, one is often just reckless.”

“I have never known Frank to be reckless,” Breanne said. “Hannah, on the other hand.”

“Hey now,” Hannah snapped as others around the room laughed.

“Hmm, I still think his using the girls as bait was reckless,” Rajeen said as she locked his gaze.

“I told you I was sorry, I didn't tell you,” Frank replied. “I did make plans to ensure they couldn't escape…” He went to continue, but Rajeen held up a hand and asked him to give her a chance to speak.

“I forgive you,” Rajeen said in a soft tone. “And I am sorry I have been so angry about it. I suppose I am used to my girls being safe inside the walls of my palace. I have come to see all of your girls as part of my heart, and I desperately want to hide them away where nobody will ever harm them. It is taking me some time to come to terms with the fact that I cannot protect Hannah, Jaina, and the rest of your girls from the dangers around us all the time.”

“We truly have disrupted your way of doing things,” Roric agreed.

“I am happier for it,” Rajeen said. “Having the Jade Harem with a council of masters has been a tremendous blessing to me. But, I have to admit, I am struggling to adjust to the troubles that surround us.”

“All the more reason why we should go into towns and start finding out what people think of us,” Frank said.

“I am in full agreement,” Rajeen replied, then leaned forward to look Frank in the eyes. “And when this meeting is over, would you be so kind as to come to my chambers? I would like to apologize to you personally.”

Hannah could barely contain her laugh as Frank reverted to a little boy, suddenly bashful and dizzy as a woman made it clear she wanted him. He agreed to come right away and then looked back at the room as the others tried to pretend they hadn't noticed.

“Oh, don’t come too soon,” Jaina said with a pleased smile. “Give the poor woman some time to enjoy it.”

Quinny lost it and was quickly followed by many of the others. Frank rolled his eyes as Blackbast struggled not to join the laughter. Roric scolded Jaina for her joke, but the effect was pointless. Everyone felt much better now that they had a solid plan for towns, Rajeen and Frank were mended, and Hannah had gained valuable insight into her past.

The meeting was about to end when Hannah stood up and asked to make a special request.

“About what?” Frank asked.

“Well, I have been thinking about Alluzora,” Hannah said as she played with the blue crystal ring on her finger. “She's trapped in Abbadon to keep the crown from Kevin and protect me. I don't know how long she's been there, but it doesn't sound like a very nice place. I was thinking, maybe I could take the ring off for a little bit, and she could experience a little fun through me.”

“You mean, let her take over your body?” Frank asked as the others in the room looked up in surprise.

“Yeah, just for an hour, now and then,” Hannah said. “Maybe she could have a little sex in the harem or with a master.”

“Hmm,” Rajeen purred as she smiled widely. “Perhaps she would like to join Frank and I tonight.”

“Oh hell yes!” came a woman’s voice as the succubi woman appeared at the side of the room. She saw all the shocked expressions, then looked down at her hands. “Am I visible?”

“Ha, she liked the idea so much she lost control and became visible,” Jaina laughed. This sparked another round of laughing as the room turned to regard the new arrival, who blushed deeply.

“It has been a while since I had some intimacy,” Alluzora admitted with her head cast down.

“It’s kind of creepy to know she’s always here,” Chandice said.

“So is my dragon,” Jaina added. “He is always watching us, even here.”

“She is here because she is protecting Hannah,” Breanne said as she got up and greeted the woman with a hug. “And if Hannah trusts you, then so do I.”

“Me too!” Quinny said and rushed to join the hug.

“Well then,” Rajeen purred as she eyed the woman. “I will agree to this on the one stipulation that whenever she assumes control of Hannah, she takes her own appearance. I do not want her pretending to be Hannah.”

“I am in full agreement with that idea,” Frank said.

“Of course not,” Alluzora agreed. “But please don't press me for answers to things. I told Hannah all I dared to tell her for now. I will volunteer things when I am sure it is safe to do so, but I have to be careful.”

“We all understand,” Roric said, then pointed to Hannah’s neck. “But you understand you will be a slave girl when you are here.”

Alluzora smiled and altered her form to show a thick collar with a metal ring. She assured Roric that if she were here for real, she would beg them to collar her and make her a girl in the harem. She had been watching it all through Hannah's eyes, and her heart ached to be a part of it.

“Then, I see no reason to delay,” Rajeen said. “Let us return to the real world and meet our new slave girl.”

“What? Really?” Alluzora said excitedly.

“Oh, can’t we give her a proper welcoming?” Jaina asked with a hint of disappointment.

“I am already branded,” Hannah remarked, “Unless you want to put a paw print on my other cheek.”

“The paw print I want to put on you goes on your shoulder,” Jaina said in a seductive tone.

“Why would it go on my shoulder?” Hannah asked. When Jaina only gave her a hungry look, she turned to Alluzora for answers.

“I will tell you later,” Alluzora said with a wicked grin while Rajeen shook her head.

“Girls, no more deviance,” she warned with a waving finger. “Now let us go. If Hannah is willing, we can give her a proper introduction tomorrow and put the brand in the same place.”

All agreed, and rapidly, they began to slip from the dream, vanishing until only Hannah and Alluzora remained.

“I am so happy,” Alluzora said. “Why would you do this for me?”

“Why would you voluntarily go into exile in a prison you can’t escape to protect me?” Hannah asked.

“I told you, you promised to get me home,” Alluzora said.

Hannah walked up to her and took her hands as the two stared deeply into each other's eyes.

“When I get you out, I want to keep you,” Hannah said. “I know what I promised, and I will do my best to keep it, but I want you to think about staying as one of my slave girls.”

“You don't want to go home anymore?” Alluzora asked.

Hannah shook her head and pointed to the collar on her neck. “This is what I want now. I want to be here with Frank and my family as a slave girl. I will never be without him again. Now, go so I can wake up, and your fun can begin.”

Alluzora leaned in quickly and planted a kiss on Hannah's lips. Her arms wrapped around her in a hug so full of passion that Hannah was sure it would never end. Then she slipped from the dream, and Hannah stepped back. With a snap of her fingers, she was awake and in bed with her girls, who looked on anxiously. Frank stood at the side of the bed, waiting to see what Hannah would do.

“Well,” Hannah began as she reached down and took the ring from her finger. She turned to the girls and put the ring in Breanne's hand. “I am entrusting this to you three and especially you,” she said as she looked deep into the woman's eyes. “Make sure this gets back on my finger in just over an hour.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” Breanne said.

Quinny agreed, and Umtha nodded as Hannah closed her eyes and shook for a moment. Then her skin turned a grayish-blue as her horns transformed into small, wavy spikes. Her eyes opened to reveal they were now yellow with dark slits, and her hair shortened to her shoulders and changed to black.

“Alluzora?” Frank asked as the woman stood and ran her hands up her body.

“I can’t believe she would do this for me,” Alluzora said as a tear formed in her eye. “Why is she so wonderful?”

“That’s just how Hannah is,” Frank said as he took her hand. “But what you are doing is every bit as great a sacrifice. You are just as wonderful, and no matter what, I will find a way to get you out of there. Now, are you ready to take your place in the harem?”

She nodded nervously, and Frank took her away to escape the torments of her prison for a single hour. That night, Hannah was the one who watched as Alluzora showered Frank and Rajeen with a passionate hunger that had long yearned to be set free. She cried through it all, unable to contain her tears as Rajeen and Frank took her to be a harem girl.