Princess Hannah of the Jade Harem CH 64

Frank leaned over a gravestone to inspect the damage, where a group of players went overboard to kill a couple of ghouls. They had used fireballs and a hammer of force, shattering stone and burning the ground to leave behind a smoldering ring. He knew it would all restore on its own but he was surprised that they had chosen such overkill. As his giant gray form straightened up, he didn't see the shape that leaped at him from the shadows. It landed on his back, wrapping firm legs around his neck as hands covered his eyes.

“Gotcha!” Hannah cried. “And now you will do as I command.”

“Umm, are you bored?” Frank mumbled from under her thighs.

“I am not bored, you big gray beast,” Hannah countered. “I am simply proving my might in felling the giant of the graveyard.”

“Uh, huh,” Frank said, reaching up to pluck her off. He clutched for her, but she was gone in a green flash, appearing before him with something in her arms.

“Go get him, my loyal companion!” Hannah cried and hurled a large spider his way. Webster landed on his chest with a squeaking war cry, then bounced harmlessly.

“Ha, he’s got you!” Hannah laughed.

“Are you drunk?” Frank asked, looking down to see the spider bouncing as if trying to move him.

Hannah sighed and folded her arms in frustration. “You may as well let go,” Hannah said. “He’s not interested in playing.”

“Is that what you’re doing?” Frank questioned. “It’s a little out of character.”

“I am just trying to embrace this madness,” Hannah said as Webster hopped down. “You know, pretend I am one of those silly players who roleplays everything.”

“That's not silly, and it's fine, but you have never done it before, so it took me by surprise,” Frank replied.

“I am a girl; I am allowed to make and have sudden radical changes in mood, temperament, and desires,” Hannah countered. “It's in the girls' handbook.”

“You don't have a handbook,” Frank laughed and walked up, his gray form towering over her. Hannah lay her head and hands on his cold chest, smiling as her tail swayed.

“So when are you going to begin this contest with our neighbors?” Hannah asked.

“I am still working out the details,” Frank explained. “And I am changing my dungeon to add a level and make it more challenging. I also need to meet with the monster players who want to register to participate. I want to make sure they understand the rules.”

Hannah rubbed her cheek on his chest as her smile grew. She wanted to laugh to think of how much she loved this horrible monster she once found difficult to look at. Frank was her everything and the reason she was finally happy in a world that didn't make sense to her. Her moment became even more special when a second pair of arms wrapped around her, and Quinny joined the hug.

“Hello, my angel of darkness,” Hannah replied as she turned to take the succubi into her arms for a kiss. “And how are you this morning?”

“Working on integrating some of Idris’s zombie invasion stuff with my forest. We want to add more phases to the quest for Frank’s competition. We tested it all last night, but it’s hard to lead players to the right steps sometimes.”

“I see,” Hannah replied with a nod. “Well, since we’re together, why don’t we do something fun?”

“We did that this morning,” Frank replied.

“And you went to the Lovewood for more,” Quinny said.

“Not that kind of fun,” Hannah insisted as she released Quinny. “You know what I mean? Explore something or play a game.”

“I like games,” Quinny said with a toothy smile and a suggestive bat of her eyes.

“My family is full of degenerates,” Hannah said as she stepped back to pick up Webster. “You're not a degenerate, are you?” He Squeaked his reply, and Hannah made a scowl. “You're sleeping in another room from now on.”

Frank and Quinny started to laugh, and Hannah slung the spider under an arm. So let’s do something a harem girl wouldn’t do.”

“Wear clothes?” Quinny asked.

“No!” Hannah growled and pointed a finger at the misbehaving succubus. “I mean, like we used to do in your forest—something normal and not adult.”

“Hmm,” Quinny replied as she pondered it. “I don’t have anything ready.”

“We could do a guild quest,” Frank suggested. “Some of the monster players have dungeons ready. We could run a quest into one of those.”

“Hmm, can we do something that doesn't involve bloodshed?” Hannah requested.

“We could go flying,” Quinny suggested. “We still haven't explored the snowy peaks between the swamp and the valley. There's a lot up there we have never seen.”

“That’s true,” Frank agreed. “And considering the necromancers had a vested interest in this region, who knows what we might find.”

Hannah tilted her head and looked at the mountain face that was part of her tower. They were right. There was a snow-capped mountain range right there that they had never explored. Of course, they didn't explore it because of how hard it would be to navigate, but now they could fly, and the bitter cold wasn't an impediment.

“Ok, I like that idea,” Hannah said. “But we are building a snowman.”

“What's a snowman?” came a familiar voice as Umtha flew down, her wings spread wide to catch the graveyard air. She landed in white silks that covered very little and quickly ran to Frank's arms.

“I love you,” Umtha whispered. “You can pick me flowers whenever you want.”

“Umm, I love you too,” Frank replied in confusion.

Hannah thought the comment strange but didn't ask where it came from. Instead explained their plan to Umtha and asked if she wanted to come along. The goblin woman nodded and said she would love to see the snowy areas but asked why they wanted to kill the snowmen.

“No, you don't kill them,” Hannah began, then shook her head. “It will be easier to show you than explain it.”

“Should we get Breanne?” Quinny asked.

Frank shook his head and said Breanne was in the forest, hoping to run into Evalynn. Hannah remarked that Evalynn and Breanne spent a lot of time together and wondered if they had lost her to Roric.

“She would never leave us,” Frank assured. “She just really likes Evalynn.”

Hannah shrugged and spread her wings, suggesting they should go. Frank reminded her he wasn't wearing a collar and couldn't take the incubus form. Hannah summoned a collar and put it around his neck as she leaned into his chest. For some reason, she loved collaring Frank and couldn't help but smile when it clicked into place. A quick kiss and she imparted her blessing, turning him into the male devil known as an incubus. Now, all four spread their wings and flew into the air, soaring for the high mountain peaks.

Hannah held Webster in her arms as the temperature dropped, her breath coming out as mist. She marveled as the gray stone of the cliff gave way to snow and ice that glistened in the sunlight. It had a pristine beauty as they flew over broken ground covered in snow and dotted by fir trees. They reached alpine plateaus with peaks that continued to climb higher all around them. Frank took them into a snowy gap between the peaks and landed in the snow, his dark body starkly contrasting all the white.

“I don’t feel cold,” Quinny said as her bare feet sank in. “This slave stuff is cool.”

“Odd choice of words,” Hannah laughed as she settled into the snow and couldn't feel the sting. She knew it was the naked defense from the slave collar that was protecting her and was grateful. As she looked about, all she could see was snow and rock as a chill wind blew her hair back. It was a barren place, but somehow it was beautiful. The empty quiet struck a cord in her heart as if she longed for such peace. Maybe that was it? She had been fighting for a long time and probably desired it all to end. Truth be told, she wasn't even sure how long it had been. She had once believed that her battle had been to escape, but from those early first steps, she had learned so much more. Those days were new compared to her earlier efforts as a woman named Hathlisora, who was perhaps the second or third incarnation of a long line of tragic figures. From the fragments she had of those pasts, she had always been in conflict. It was a never-ending struggle against a system that held her in prison and the players who wanted her controlled.

Here in this empty place, she felt at peace for the first time in a long time and was startled when snow exploded across her back. She turned in shock to see Quinny packing another snowball as she explained it to Umtha.

“See, that’s how you throw a snowball,” Quinny explained.

“Quinny!” Hannah yelled as she handed the snowball to Umtha. Umtha looked at Hannah as her arm went back, and Hannah tensed. The arm snapped, and Hannah saw it in slow motion, the ball of snow hurtling her way. In the blink of an eye, one of her wings folded around her, becoming a shield that absorbed the impact.

“Hey, that’s cheating,” Quinny accused as Hannah swept the wing back.

“So you two want a snowball fight, do you?” Hannah asked as the broad tip of her tail scooped up a mound of snow. She used the heart-shaped frill to pack the snow and deposited the ball in her right hand, ready to throw.

“Wow, her tail is perfect for this,” Quinny said in awe.

“Oh, you haven't seen anything yet,” Hannah said as a second pair of arms appeared, and she quickly deposited snowballs in each.

“Umm,” Umtha said as she backed up.

“You two just picked a fight with the wrong person,” Frank laughed. Webster squeaked in agreement, and both men quickly stepped out of the line of fire. The moment was tense as Hannah stared down the two girls, snowball in hand, as they wondered who would be her first target. With a snap of her arm, it blasted across the gap, striking Quinny in the chest as she barely had time to react. Umtha ducked for more snow to make another ball, but Hannah's tail had already made one. Umtha stood up, rapidly packing snow as a second ball struck her in the forehead, sending her tumbling.

Frank and Webster stood at the side as a brutal war erupted. Quinny and Umtha were pinned down as Hanna's tail provided her with a constant stream of snowballs to throw. The girls started to use one another for cover, managing to throw a few snowballs back, but standing still to throw was a risk.

“I think you have defeated them,” Frank called from the side to no avail. He asked Webster what they should do, and he squeaked his uncertainty. Frank took that to mean they shouldn’t do anything to draw her fire and wisely did his best to avoid her attention.

Hannah cocked her hand but paused as she smiled at the site. Quinny and Umtha were huddled together, backs turned her way as they used their wings as a protective wall. The little miscreants were defeated and unable to defend themselves, so she dropped the ball and walked over.

“Alright, I will accept your surrender,” Hannah said as she towered over them.

The wings parted to reveal two beautiful faces splattered with snow. Their look said they weren't certain if it was safe to come out, so Hannah reached down to pull them to their feet and gently wiped the snow from their faces.

“Now for the terms of your surrender,” Hannah said. “I demand a kiss from each of you.”

Her heart melted to see the delighted smiles. She started with Umtha, putting her four arms around the goblin woman as she lavished her with a long, passionate kiss. She then turned to Quinny, who held her arms out, eager for her hug. Hannah wrapped her up and planted a kiss to melt her soul. When she released it, Quinny's cheeks were hot, and she smiled in a playful way.

“Now, let’s do something a little less combative,” Hannah suggested.

The girls nodded, and Hannah called for Frank to help them. Together they showed Umtha how to roll balls of snow to enormous size. They then worked together until the snow was stacked up creating a tower three high.

“This is a snowman,” Hannah said as she stepped back.

“It’s just piled snow,” Umtha replied.

“Well, normally, you put coal and carrots on it to make a face and some sticks for arms,” Hannah said.

“Yeah, and a hat and scarf to finish it off,” Quinny added.

“Why?” Umtha asked. “Is this a spell? Does it come to life if you do it right?”

Hannah wanted to laugh at how Umtha didn’t understand the silly cultural significance of a snowman. She supposed that Umtha’s people lived in warm, tropical valleys and probably didn’t have much experience with snow. She took a moment to explain how this was just a silly game people did to enjoy being out in the snow. She then took them for a walk along a snowy slope, explaining the other things people did. Umtha was very interested in skiing and asked what they did when they reached a cliff or ledge.

“Well, Usually, you ski on a slope that ends in a safe area,” Hannah explained.

“Oh,” Umtha said as she nodded.

“We should build an igloo,” Quinny said as they began to trudge up the slope and climb higher.

“I think that requires pack ice,” Frank replied. “This snow is only icy on the bottom and isn't deep enough to make blocks. We could explore that cave, though.”

“What cave?” Hannah asked, and Frank pointed to a dark spot on the cliff above them. It was at the top of the slope, where the mountain wall was nearly hidden behind an outcropping of rock. It almost appeared to be a shadow on the cliff face, but now that Frank pointed it out, they could see it was indeed a cave.

Quinny and Umtha ran ahead, eager for a new adventure. Hannah released her extra arms and used one to hold Webster while the other took Frank’s hand. She smiled as they walked together, joining the girls at the mouth of the cave.

“It's a funny cave,” Quinny said as she peered inside. “It's just big enough for a large person to walk in.”

Frank stepped into the entrance, their brave knight in shining armor leading the way. Hannah and Webster followed, with the spider insisting he be put down to scurry on the walls and be out of the way. Quinny and Umtha were slender enough to walk side by side, the two girls' hips and tails swaying in unison as they entered the crooked tunnel.

Wind howled in the narrow tunnel, blowing snow across icy walls as the group picked their way down the twisting tunnel. Hannah looked about as she enjoyed their little adventure, wandering into the winter cave. She wondered why the tunnel wasn't pitch black, as even with her devil's sight, it seemed unnaturally illuminated. Surely, this couldn't be a player-made tunnel, so maybe the world spawned random caves with light?

All that questioning faded to the back of her mind as they stepped into a wide chamber and gawked in awe.

“Neat!” Quinny cried as they gazed at a round chamber whose ceilings and floors were covered in icicles. They hung from above like teeth, creating a glistening display of blue and white. There were matching teeth on the floor, rising up to meet their counterparts in a forest of ice and snow. Light glistened through the ice in places, causing Hannah to wonder if there was a crack of fissure to the surface, allowing sunlight to leak in. Frank picked his way into the ice maze, slipping on the floor in places as they braved the depth.

“This is very pretty,” Umtha said as she looked around. “I had no idea places like this existed.”

“Nor did I outside of movies,” Hannah replied.

“What’s a movie?” Umtha asked and Hannah had to smile and assure Umtha she would explain it later.

“Do you think a dragon lives in here?” Quinny asked as they picked their way through the teeth.

“It would have to be a very small dragon,” Frank replied, his voice slightly echoing. “Nothing bigger than us would be able to pass through this room or the tunnel outside.”

“Did we ever get an idea of how big Jaina’s dragon is?” Hannah asked as she pondered the size question.

“She said it was bigger than a house,” Frank answered. “And lives in the mountains north of the Lovewood now.”

“Gisley told me that all the girls with forest tattoos are his brides,” Quinny said with a wicked smile. “So we're all dragon wives.”

“Hmm,” Hannah remarked as she shook her head. “I have only one husband, and he is an undead prince.”

Frank looked back with a smirk, then paused with an arm out.

“There's another tunnel here,” he said while leaning closer. “But there is something else.”

“What?” Hannah asked as she and the girls gathered closer. She saw the reason for Frank's alarm and had to admit it was a good reason. A woman with gray skin and small horns was dead against the tunnel wall. She was iced over and preserved, her narrow eyes open as if her doom had come quickly. She wore dark-colored leather armor and had a small pack, a sword, and some daggers.

“A rogue?” Quinny asked as she knelt to look closer. “And she’s a small race. I bet she’s just under four feet tall.”

“What killed her?” Umtha asked.

“It's hard to tell,” Quinny said. “She's badly iced over but doesn't look wounded.”

“How did she get up here without wings?” Hannah asked as she joined Quinny in the inspection.

“She could have wings that can be hidden like ours,” Frank reminded. “Or some magical item of flying.”

“If she is a rogue, she could have climbed,” Quinny added. “Some rogues have a climbing skill that allows them to climb almost anything, even with significant weight on their backs.”

“There are a hundred ways she could have gotten here,” Frank said as he stared into the tunnel. “The real question is why did she come here, and how long has she been dead?”

“Maybe she was exploring like we were,” Umtha suggested.

“Maybe, but if she's a player, she couldn't have been dead for very long,” Frank said before tapping her ice-covered skin. “So how did she end up covered in ice? It has to take days or even weeks for the wind to do this.”

Hannah realized he was right and now her curiosity was peaked. How were players dying and leaving behind bodies when they vanished from the world in a matter of days? The necromancer in the tower and the paladins in the shadow world had all managed it somehow. There had to be a reason behind it, but what could it be, and more importantly, how was this woman mixed up in it?

“Maybe there is an answer deeper in the cave,” Hannah suggested as she looked down the tunnel.

“Maybe,” Frank agreed as he grabbed the frozen woman and tore her free of the wall. Hannah was about to object to what Frank was doing until she saw he was going for her pack. Inside was an assortment of potions, food, rope, hooks, a small hammer, and other adventuring equipment. Frank ignored it all as he poured the contents onto the ice until a sealed leather tube came out. He carefully pulled the stopper and the end and took out a fine parchment.

“Anything interesting?” Hannah asked as she leaned in to see a map. It looked like a mountain range with some key locations marked, including the swamp at the base. It had an arrow pointing to a peak, and in a funny language, it said.

“I hid it in the cave,” Hannah read, then blinked. “Wait, how can I read that? I don't even know what language it is.”

“It's goblin,” Umtha said, pointing to a message on the bottom. “It says, to my dearest one. I had to leave in a hurry, so I made you a map to find what I promised.”

“It's signed H,” Quinny said, then looked at Hannah. “Do you think that's Hathlisora?”

Hannah blinked as she stepped back, unable to answer. If those were her initials, then who was this woman, and what was hidden in the cave for her? Frank looked over the map before handing it to Umtha for more study. She said there were some goblin words to mark locations but nothing that would help.

“So, what do we do now?” Quinny asked.

“Well,” Frank began as he looked down the ice-slick tunnel. “We go on a treasure hunt.”