Princess Hannah of the Jade Harem CH 44

Hannah was bothered that the librarians had been so forward and open about their desires. When she returned to ask for directions, they fawned over her, with one even offering to show them the way. She had to reject them all and fight for the answer before rejoining the group to find the tavern.

Now, they stood outside a modest building of stone and wood that looked like it was made for a fantasy festival. There was even a yard to one side set with tables so people could sit outside like a beer garden. Only three people sat at those tables, but there appeared to be more inside, so Hannah led the way, shoving the doors open to glare into the room.

Whistles and catcalls greeted her as she stood mostly naked, silhouetted by the light in the street. For a brief moment, she considered setting the entire place on fire, but then she would have to explain it to her mother.

Frank stepped into the door beside her, and the calls died away, that is until the waitresses noticed him and started to smile as they walked suggestively.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Hannah grumbled and stomped in as the others followed. Breanne, Quinny, and Umtha clung to Frank as the patrons took in the new arrivals.

“Are we being invaded?” one of the players asked. “A horde of demons has come into the bar.”

“Those are devils,” another said. “And If I am right, those are the princesses.”

“You are right,” Hannah said and pointed to the incubus. “And this is Prince Frank.”

“That’s the prince?” one of the nearby women said. “Oh, he’s so yummy!”

“I am never letting you take this form again,” Hannah growled at Frank.

“You are the one who insisted I take it,” Frank countered.

“Hey, I got a question,” an elf man said as he staggered up. “How did you manage to get so many succubi in your bedroom?” This produced a round of laughter as Frank turned to the man and shook his head.

“Come, one, what's your secret?” a man pleaded as he ogled Umtha's chest.

“For one, he treats us like people,” Hannah interjected and clung to his arm. “He doesn’t whistle or make crude comments when we enter a room.”

“Seriously?” the man pressed. “Why did you play a succubus if you didn’t want the attention?”

“I didn't want to play a…” Hannah began but stopped as her tail thrashed. “You know what, I don't have to explain myself to you. We came here to find some harem girls.”

“I want a sandwich,” Quinny added.

“I want one too,” Umtha joined in.

“And sandwiches,” Hannah added with a raised finger.

“We may as well get a table,” Breanne scoffed as she pulled Frank to a corner.

“So, did any of you see some harem girls today?” Hannah pressed as her family headed for an empty table in the corner.

“You mean the library girls?” a man at the bar asked. “The ones with all them books?”

“Yes,” Hannah sighed. “Did they come here today?”

“They were here earlier,” he said with a shrug and sipped his beer. “But more information is going to cost you.”

People laughed as Hannah considered what he meant by it would cost her. She flared with anger and was about to call on her scythe when Frank caught her arm.

“You shouldn't make her angry,” Frank said as he stepped before her. “She is trying to resolve an issue with the jade harem peacefully.”

“I bet she gets hot when she's angry,” a man laughed, causing others to join in.

“No,” Frank replied calmly. “When she gets angry, I step in and ask nicely. You have one chance to tell us what you saw, or I will wait outside while she and the other three burn this building and everyone in it to the ground.”

Hannah smiled wickedly and held up her palm as a flame danced between her fingers. When nobody had a funny comment to make, Frank nodded and turned to go back to his table.

“And I want five of these amazing sandwiches,” he called as he headed back.

“They had better be good!” Quinny shouted. “Or there will be a zombie outbreak in this part of the city.”

“I had no idea the royal family was so violent,” the man said.

“Oh, will you just tell me what you saw so I can have a sandwich!” Hannah demanded.

“They were here,” a woman said. “Five of them with their noses stuck in books.”

“They ordered food but left before it arrived,” a waitress added.

“They left before the food arrived?” Hannah pressed.

“They were acting all strange,” a man said. “Looking over their shoulders, watching the door and windows.”

“And whispering,” a man at the bar said as he leaned closer. “Something had them spooked, and they looked like they expected it to appear.”

“So what happened?” Hannah asked.

“That warrior guy spoke to them,” A dwarf on a stool said. “He and his buddy were in the corner where your friends are now. He walked over and said something to them, and they got up and left with them.”

Hannah tried to piece together the train of little facts as she asked some questions. A human warrior in gray armor trimmed with blue had come in with another man. This other man was thin, wearing a large hood, while his body was wrapped in black cloth. His face was concealed, and he never spoke, preferring to let his partner do all the talking. They came in a few times over a few days, but once it was with a woman with short blond hair and a red dress.

“Oh, she was a fiery thing,” one of the waitresses said. “She spoke with the other two for a good hour, then left. I think I overheard her say it was time they started. Something like that.”

“Ok, so the girls came in earlier today,” Hannah summarized. “They looked upset and behaved oddly, ordering food but leaving with the two mystery men before it arrived.”

“Yeah, they were in a hurry to get away,” the dwarf said. “Like somebody was after them.”

“Well, that doesn't make any sense,” Hannah replied. “If they were in trouble, they would have run straight to the harem, not stopped for lunch.”

“We are only telling you what we saw,” the dwarf replied.

“And nobody knows who those two players were?” Hannah asked.

“They only started coming in here a few days ago,” a waitress said. “But I did overhear them say they had been to the jade temple.”

Hannah twitched to hear that this pair had been to the jade temple and wondered what the connection was. She thanked the group and returned to her table to relay everything she had learned. To her surprise, Umtha knew the man wrapped in dark clothes, or at least she had seen him. She had seen him four days ago at the jade temple, sitting in a private booth with a woman in red. Quinny thought she had seen the same man in the graveyard, skulking around the mausoleums with the warrior in blue.

“So they are just players,” Breanne said.

“But why were the harem girls so nervous, and why did they leave with them?” Hannah asked.

“The better question is, where are these two now?” Frank asked. “Or the woman in red, for that matter.”

“Wherever they are, you can bet the harem girls died there,” Breanne said. “They must have something to do with it.”

They all agreed the two men and the mysterious woman in red had to play a role in what happened. As they pondered the idea, a tray of toasted sandwiches was placed on the table. They were thick with cheese, meat, and what appeared to be coleslaw and came with cups of sauce to dip them in.

“Wow, these are good,” Quinny said as she took a bite of the warm sandwich.

“They are,” Breanne agreed. “A kind of Reuben.”

Hannah took one of the triangular slices and dipped it in the sauce. Her first bite was like heaven, a lovely blend of cooked meat, melty cheese, and sweet slaw. It did little to dispel her mood as she pondered what to do next. Frank said they should report the findings to Rajeen and maybe press the rogues guild into looking for where these players lived. He and Quinny would check the graveyard and ask Viylah if she had seen anything.

Quinny suggested they find Roric since he was in the tunnels below and ask him about it. Frank agreed and suggested they finish their meal when a waitress showed up with an arm full of books.

“Your girls left these behind,” she said, setting them on the table. “I am sure the library will want them back.”

“They even left their books behind?” Hannah asked with a raised brow. “If they were in that much trouble, why didn't they go to the harem?”

“Maybe they couldn't,” Breanne said as she picked up a book. “Maybe they were afraid the danger would follow them there.”

Hannah took up a book as well to see it was a history of knightly orders in the north. Several pages had bookmarks where descriptions of paladin orders were written. The next book was a collection of maps of the center of the spawn ring. Hannah was surprised to see it was a body of water akin to the Mediterranean and that several islands had been marked off-limits.

“How interesting,” Hannah said. “Did you know there was an ocean in the middle of the spawn ring?”

“Yes,” Breanne replied. “And I told you about once.”

“So did I,” Frank added. “We also told you there was an ocean beyond the ring in the east.”

“Yeah, well, I have had a lot on my mind,” Hannah grumbled and took up the next book to see a history of the problems with necromancy. “And this one I am going to read.” She set the book down as Frank laid out his plan to split up and cover more ground. He suggested Breanne and Umtha visit Rajeen to update her on their progress. He and Quinny would go to the graveyard and do some digging. Hannah would remain in the tavern and wait to see if these adventurers returned. She would wait until Rajeen sent rogues to replace her, then she would join Frank in the graveyard.

Hannah shrugged, as it meant she had more time to eat her sandwich, and waved as her family split up and headed out.

“Hey, uh, you want some company?” the dwarf called when Frank was gone.

Hannah didn't even look up from her sandwich as she used her tail to make a slitting motion, threatening the man into silence.

“Sheesh, I thought them succubi were supposed to be interested in that sort of thing,” she heard him say to his companions. She didn't blame him for his beliefs, as she was playing a sex-based race and was certainly underdressed. Still, she wasn't at liberty to entertain others without the express permission of her masters, and she most certainly didn't have that.

She focused on the lovely delight in her hands, hoping the rogues didn't get her too quickly. Suddenly, there was a series of loud gongs, and the building shook, dislodging some dust, and the patrons looked about.

“What the heck was that?” Hannah asked as she looked around.

“Princess Hannah!” a barmaid called as she came running from the back. “The man you wanted!”

“What, man?” Hannah asked. “I didn't ask for a man.”

“Oh, now she wants one,” the dwarf bellowed. He dived behind the bar as Hannah hurled a ball of fire, setting his stool ablaze and causing the other patron to smile and slowly move away.

“Now, what man are you talking about?” Hannah asked.

“The one in the dark wraps,” the barmaid explained. “He just appeared out of a magic spell in the back alley.”

“He's back there right now?” Hannah asked as the woman nodded. Hannah tore across the barroom and into the back hall, guessing her way through the tavern. She passed through a kitchen that smelled of lovely cooked meats and out an open door into an alleyway. She turned to see a man whose limbs were entirely too narrow leaning against a building as he coughed. He was dressed in a thick hood and covered in black wraps, appearing more like a mummy than a man. He took a few steps, and Hannah noticed droplets of black blood falling to the ground.

“I knew she was pushing too hard,” the man grumbled and slammed a fist against the wall.

Hannah was sure she recognized his voice as it was so unusual. It clicked in places and had a strange hiss behind it as if he were breathing out with every word. He walked with a funny gate as well, his legs not bending like a humans did.

“I know you,” Hannah said to herself as the man staggered off with his back to her. She tried to place where she had seen this odd man before and her mind kept thinking about Moon. Suddenly, it all flashed back into place. Frank's first graveyard, Moon, and the deal they made to allow players to adventure there. That first team of adventures had a man who also clicked when he spoke, an insect man with unnaturally narrow limbs.

“I have lost the element of surprise now,” the insect man grumbled while striking the side of a building.

“I wouldn't say that,” Hannah replied, alerting him to her presence. He spun around, and his hood fell back for a moment, allowing her to see the mantis-like face with black plates and large faceted eyes. “Hello, Thexis,” Hannah said with a soft smile. “What a surprise.”