The Jade Harem 1-18

Webster chirped as Hannah tapped through the sub-options of her character sheet. She told him that she needed more time to make a decision as important as this one, but the truth was she was scared. She had reached level one hundred three days ago and was now level one hundred and two. However, at level one hundred, she was given a choice of an advanced power to make her build more unique or perhaps tailor it to her tastes. She couldn't make up her mind and desperately wanted Frank to make it for her, but he said no. They argued about it for an hour, and he insisted she make this choice for herself.

“I don’t know what I want,” Hannah sighed and lay back with an arm over her eyes. “What if I don’t like the choice I make?”

Webster chirped and whistled as she heard his funny voice in her mind. He said there was no hurry and she could pick when she was certain what she wanted. Hannah knew that was true, but she felt a sense of urgency pushing her to make the choice.

Webster insisted that she needed to make the choice that suited her play style. Hannah froze as she listened to what he said and honestly wondered what her play style was. She recalled her early days and how she wanted to plant a flower garden and expand on that idea. Those times had been much simpler, and she longed to go back to the time when Frank was the center of her world.

“He still is,” Hannah said mostly to herself. Webster chirped his agreement, reminding her that he could read her mind. She thanked him for the agreement but began to wonder if he was right. With all the things going on, she and Frank had spent little time together. She spent more time with Jaina than anyone and was preparing to become Roric's slave girl. How little time would she spend with the man she loved when that happened?

“Maybe I don’t want this,” Hannah sighed as she thought about it. “I just wanted to be with Frank. I sometimes wonder if the rest of this is part of the madness of my past.”

Webster whistled and tapped at her with a fuzzy leg, assuring her that he wouldn't judge her. He knew her mind and memories were a mess, so if she made a few mistakes along the way, it wasn't truly her fault. If the time ever came when she decided it was a mistake, all she had to do was talk to Frank and change.

“If only it were that simple,” Hannah replied. “Mistakes like this can haunt a person for the rest of their lives. It can do serious damage to their mental well-being.”

The spider argued that if she honestly thought her mistakes could be that profound, she wouldn't be doing it. He believed she knew instinctively what was going too far and wouldn't do anything that caused lasting harm. Hannah couldn't argue with that logic and let the matter go, returning instead to the choice that still wasn't made.

“Well, Frank wants me to evolve into the matriarch, so it would be useful to pick the path that boosted those in my collar,” Hannah said as she considered one option. “The vampiric abilities that come with the other choice are nice and a serious boost to my combat potential….” She trailed off as her eyes fell on the last option. “But you and I know the truth.”

Webster chirped his agreement, and Hannah opened her panel again to read the benefits of the choice she knew she would make. It would allow her to drain stamina, health, or mana and convert it into any of her power pools.

“Hopefully, even essence,” Hannah said as she tapped and made her choice. She felt relieved that the decision had been made and the course set but hungered to test her new power. She had already evolved into a Lilim Matriarch, so with an outstretched hand, she summoned a succubi.

A red pentagram with hellish symbols appeared on the floor, and in a flourish of flame, a dark woman with red skin like hers but dark black hair appeared. She smiled at Hannah, then bowed slightly, asking what her master desired.

“Oh, I could get used to this,” Hannah remarked as she smiled. “I need Quinny and Umtha to learn how to respond like this.” she addressed the woman who wore a skimpy outfit of leather and chains. She explained she wanted to test one of her skills and asked the woman if she could drain a little stamina. The woman nodded and waited as Hannah stepped closer, leaning in to feed with a kiss. The woman cooed as their lips came together, and the feeding began. Hannah focused on drawing a little bit of stamina and attempted to convert it into essence.

She stepped back and dismissed the woman who vanished in a pillar of flame. Hannah rubbed her tattoo, and the panel came up as Webster bounced in anticipation. Her eyes went to her power pools to see that her usual one thousand points of essence now read one thousand fifty-two.

“It worked,” Hannah gasped before blinking and checking again. “I can’t believe it worked. I can restore my essence and increase the pool size!”

Webster chirped his congratulations and asked her what she would do now. She bounced to the door, eager to rush out and tell everyone, then paused to consider her actions.

“No, I have to be careful about when and where I tell people about this,” Hannah said in a scolding tone. She looked to Webster, who stared back with his tiny eyes, waiting for her to speak. “We don't need any of these spies finding out about my level, or essence, or anything else.” She realized it would have to wait until the dream that night, but then she had another idea.

“Could you watch over me while I take a nap?” Hannah asked the furry spider. He chirped that he would, so Hannah smiled and went to the bed, curling up and closing her eyes. She had wanted to try this later but now seemed like as good a time as any. She was in a secure place, and nobody could watch over her better than Webster.

Her Lilim powers allowed her to fall asleep quickly, and she instantly found herself in a dream. She stood alone in the palace, looking over a pool of warm water where girls often bathed and played. She was nervous about her next action, but she felt it was the best course of action.

“I need to speak to you,” Hannah called to the empty chamber. “I want to talk about what my essence is.” She waited for the woman to appear, and when she didn't, Hannah called her by name.

“Alluzora, I need to talk to you!” she shouted.

“You don’t have to shout,” came the woman’s voice as she appeared beside Hannah with a devilish smile. “And are we friends now?”

“That depends on how this interaction goes,” Hannah remarked as she turned to the woman. “What is essence, and why do I have it?”

“You know I am not supposed to tell you any of that,” Alluzora replied. “But, truth be told, I am not sure why you have it. As I said before, I wasn't around for the beginning. I knew of you and your exploits, but I didn't get directly involved until later.”

That sounded like an evasive answer to Hannah, who pressed the woman on what she knew about essence. Alluzora admitted that she knew Hannah wasn't the only one with an essence bar. There were a few in Kevin's court who had them, as well as Kevin himself. The source of the power was a closely guarded secret, but she did know one thing more.

“I have heard a rumor, and I stress this is only a rumor,” Alluzora stated. “That the source of your particular essence has something to do with your original class.”

“My original class?” Hannah repeated. “What do you mean?”

“I mean what you were at first,” Alluzora clarified. “You do remember that you are under the effect of a powerful polymorph spell.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Hannah replied as she began to pace, her tail thrashing. “But none of this makes much sense.” She moved to sit on a bench beside the bath and dipped a toe in the water as Alluzora sat beside her.

“What doesn’t make sense?” Alluzora asked.

“The timing of things,” Hannah replied. “I am supposed to be Hathlisora, but I have been at this five times already, and it doesn't fit.”

Alluzora looked tense as her eyes searched the room as if trying to spot hidden enemies. Hannah could sense the tension mounting as she went to say something but then choked the words back.

“Hannah, I am about to break my promise to you and tell you something I shouldn't,” Alluzora said as she got up and walked to a nearby pillar. She paused a moment as her tail lashed nervously, then turned to look back. “I lied about that.”

“You lied about my past lives?” Hannah asked as she practically fell over. “But you promised me that you were not lying.”

“I promised Hathlisora that I would protect you from yourself,” she said with a glance her way. “You told me to tell you that.”

“Why would I tell you something like that?” Hannah demanded, but Alluzora said she wasn't sure. Hathlisora seemed to know what was going to happen and was making plans for what would come next. All Alluzora knew was that Hathlisora expected to be destroyed and imprisoned in Abbadon. With the help of the necromancers, she planned her eventual escape, but not without a cost.

“The reset,” Hannah said.

“It was the only way they could make it work,” Alluzora said. “You had to fully reset for the magic statue to force your respawn in the real world.”

Hannah asked when and how she had lost her memory, and Alluzora told her a story that made her stomach turn. Hathlisora had fought Kevin and been captured. She admitted that what happened next was pure speculation, but Kevin kept her alive for just over a week, and then she was gone. She suspected it took that long to weave the spells that now contained her and then finally send her to Abbadon.

“He hates me that much,” Hannah said as Alluzora shook her head.

“No, you hate him that much,” the woman replied. “I don’t know what he did, but your anger for him burns brighter than ten suns. The necromancers used to debate if you were becoming a liability, but then you suddenly mellowed out.”

“Mellowed out how?” Hannah asked.

“The goblin woman, Umtha,” Alluzora replied. “She fell in love with you in a way that broke through that shell. She took away enough of the anger that you were able to see the harm you were doing to your friends, especially Frank. He was heartbroken over how angry you were and felt helpless to change it.”

“As much as I hate to say it, that sounds like me,” Hannah said sourly. “Always trampling my friends and using Frank as a punching bag.”

“You are not a bad person,” Alluzora insisted. “But you were trapped in circumstances that were so beyond comprehension that you began lashing out in defiance.”

“Defiance to what?” Hannah asked.

“The visitors,” Alluzora said. “You hated them most of all for bringing you to this world in the first place. You blamed them for everything that was happening and swore that you would burn their creation to the ground.”

“Oh, sadly, that sounds like me, too,” Hannah groaned. “It also sounds just like the warning Jaina's dragon gave. How I am some kind of supernatural weapon of mass destruction.”

“I am sorry to be telling you all this,” Alluzora insisted and returned to sit beside Hannah. “I promised to keep it a secret, but I feel like you need a push now more than ever.”

“Yeah, a push over a tall cliff,” Hannah sighed. “But then I have wings, or Frank would dive over the side to save me and then get hurt himself.”

“Just like you dived after Quinny?” Alluzora asked.

“Hmm,” Hannah replied as she recalled the incident. She asked Alluzora to explain how other people also claimed Hannah had multiple past lives. The devil woman said that those were implanted memories meant to keep Hannah guessing. They were all part of the original plan to avoid her learning too much too quickly and revealing herself long before she was ready.

“I am somewhat sorry I asked,” Hannah replied as she swished the water with a foot. “How could things have gotten so bad that I resorted to messing with my own memories?”

“I wish I had known you in those early days,” Alluzora said as she dared to put an arm around Hannah. “I didn't meet you until things were going badly and the plans for your ultimate demise were being laid.”

Hannah welcomed the touch and leaned into the woman, accepting a rub on her arm. The excitement of her special power had died away to be replaced by a gnawing sensation that she had been a monster in her past life. Worse, she now had to contend with the possibility that not only did she have missing memories, but some of the memories she did have were false. How was she ever going to navigate this chaos and arrive at the truth, and more so, did she even want to?

“Do you think I should go on?” Hannah asked as she looked down. “I mean, keep trying to learn who I was?”

“What? Are you really asking me that?” Alluzora said in shock. “I don't mean to be insensitive, but I need you to go on. You are the only one who can get me out of Abbadon.”

“How did you even get there in the first place?” Hannah asked.

“I was sent here by the visitors,” Alluzora replied as she suddenly sounded bitter. “Probably because I was a lot like you.”

“The visitors sent you there?” Hannah asked in surprise as the woman nodded. She explained that Abbadon was full of the chosen who reacted badly to waking up in a world they wanted nothing to do with. They used their gifts to sow chaos, often refusing to participate in the world in any meaningful way. Alluzora admitted to a campaign of stubborn denial, where she used her powers to make people unhappy.

“If you refuse to participate or at least stay out of the way, you get sent here,” she explained.

“So this is a prison for the chosen players that reacted like I did?” Hannah gasped as she recalled her early days when all she wanted was to go home. If not for Frank, she would have walked the same path as Alluzora and probably found herself in this prison world.

“Some people have been sent here by other players using what is known as a banishment spell,” Alluzora explained. “But most of us are players who wanted nothing to do with New Eden. We worked to disrupt it in a vain effort to force the visitors to send us home.”

“But they sent you to a prison instead,” Hannah gasped as she realized the implications of what Alluzora was saying.

“Most of us have realized that we are stuck here and just want out to live some kind of life,” Alluzora said. “But you are the only person I have ever heard of who could open a door out.”

“Why didn’t you come out when I opened the door for the necromancers?” Hannah asked.

“That's complicated,” she explained. “The tide of the war was already going against you when that happened, and they needed my help to ensure your survival. I did come out for a little bit to meet you and Umtha, but I returned to wear the crown and guide you.”

“Couldn’t you just have hidden away in this world and worn the crown?” Hannah asked, thinking she had caught Alluzora in a lie. The devil woman explained that these doorways were part of what she and Kevin had fought over. He was fine with them in the beginning but later insisted Hannah stop opening them. Hannah continued to do it in secret to aid the necromancers, but Kevin eventually found out. He acted to stop her and the necromancers from whatever interest they had in Abbadon. In a panic, the necromancers asked Alluzora to return to Abbadon and guard the linked crown to act as a failsafe for Hathlisora's return.

“You went back willingly to help me?” Hannah asked in absolute shock.

“Don’t think I was being so noble,” Alluzora replied. “First, you should know that Kevin was capturing and imprisoning every person you let out. He sent most of them back to Abbadon, but some of them he vanished completely.”

“Maybe they didn’t respawn like the undead players the necromancers made,” Hannah suggested.

“No, this started to happen long before that occurred,” Alluzora said. “It happened to any of the necromancers he captured. They simply vanished without a trace. They didn’t come here, and they don’t seem to be in New Eden.”

“Wait, is this why nobody knows where the necromancers are?” Hannah asked.

They went on to debate the idea that they might have respawned as new characters and kept their past secret. Alluzora was sure that some of them must have done so, but the bulk of them just vanished into the void. She explained that the necromancers were panicked that Kevin would gain control of the other half of the crown and use it against Hannah. They felt the only way to keep it safe was to keep it in Abbadon in the care of somebody they trusted. If Kevin found out about the crown, he would stop at nothing to get control of it. However, if it was in Abbadon, then he would have no way to get it unless he wanted to risk being trapped there himself.

“I was told the crown was made there,” Hannah replied as she recalled the story. “That woman who people called my twin came out with it and said the necromancers wanted me to have it.”

“Her name was Issicara, and she looked exactly like you,” Alluzora said. “She was also a Lillim of extreme power, and you two were very close.”

“Oh great. Another lover,” Hannah groaned.

“I couldn't say if you two were that way, but I can tell you she wouldn't have said no,” Alluzora replied. “But you need to know something about her. She is known as the queen of Abbadon, and she rules this place from a region known as the Gardens of Delight.”

“I recall her being called the queen of Abbadon,” Hannah said.

“Well, you should know that she hates you,” Alluzora said. “At one time, you were friends, but something happened, and now she rages at the mention of your name. I think you had something to do with her being sent back to Abbadon.”

“I sent her back to Abbadon?” Hannah choked as she struggled to think of a reason why that would be the case. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why she would do something like that, but then so much of her past was missing. One thing did stand out, though, and it was a question that began to nag at her. She asked Alluzora why so many people in Abbadon were succubi.

“Ha, there are a lot of us here,” Alluzora agreed. “But there is a reason for it. Firstly, most of us are chosen, and most chosen are women.”

“They are?” Hannah said in surprise. Alluzora explained that a chosen woman who wanted nothing to do with the game often refused to pick a class. The few that did pick would choose things that were useful to being disruptive. They often picked classes that exaggerated sexual power, and nothing did that like the succubus class. Naturally, some of them leveled up enough to evolve into Lillim, but all of them behaved badly, often causing a great deal of harm.

“But there are plenty of other classes here,” Alluzora said. “But when a chosen refuses to pick a class long enough, they get sent here. Once they get here, it's useful to be a succubi because the racial traits make living here more convenient. It's why I picked it.”

“You seriously picked a sex devil for the convenience?” Hannah questioned.

“This isn't a paradise,” Alluzora explained. “It's either too hot or too cold, and a lot of the landscape is a barren, blasted wasteland. There are pockets that are lush and beautiful, but those are created by powerful players like Issicara.”

“What about that other woman you mentioned before?” Hannah pressed. “Garnet?”

“Shh,” Alluzora said as she looked about anxiously. “Don’t even say her name. I swear she can hear when it’s spoken.”

“Is this somebody I need to worry about?” Hannah asked.

“Yes, and for good reason,” the woman replied with a squeeze on Hannah’s arm. “She works for Kevin as some kind of bounty hunter. She came here willingly to look for me and the crown and has some way to detect its power.”

“So he knows about the crown,” Hannah stated.

“I am not sure what he knows,” Alluzora answered. “I think he knows of the crown and that it is in Abbadon. But I don't think he knows what it looks like or what its purpose is. He sent her in to find out, and she had been stalking the land for years, threatening or bribing anyone she met for information. There's a rumor that she has a way out once she finds it, but I have managed to keep ahead of her. She seems to be able to detect when I am projecting any measure of power through the crown. That's why I try never to use my power and won't unless you absolutely need me to. Thankfully, talking to you in a dream doesn't seem to raise much alarm.”

“So she's hunting for you,” Hannah gasped. “What happens if she finds you?”

“Then somebody else will be in your head, and she won’t show the same kind of restraint I do,” Alluzora said. “That’s why I was so insistent you put on that ring. It will protect you in the event that I am discovered and the crown compromised.”

“So, this is why the goblin test made you upset,” Hannah stated.

“Yes, your little test forced me to use power,” Alluzora replied. “And Garnet became aware that somebody was using the crown. I have spells set up to warn me when she is nearby, and I run when she comes near. I don't think she's aware that I know what she's after, but it's hard to say. But be warned. If you ever meet a woman with long, curling red hair and copper skin who calls herself Garnet, run. Don't think about it or hesitate; just run.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Hannah said as she nodded. “But, you kind of implied there were two reasons you agreed to help me.”

“Yes, the second reason is very personal,” Alluzora said and locked eyes with Hannah. “You promised to help me go home if I helped you.”

“Of course I did,” Hannah complained and threw her head back. “I promised you, Umtha, all the goblins, and who knows who else.”

“You found a way,” Alluzora insisted. “I heard the visitors appeared to challenge you and offered to let you go.”

“Umtha told me this part,” Hannah said as she looked into the water. “I refused to leave without her. I wouldn’t go unless she and the goblins went home too.”

“You refused to go?” Alluzora gasped. “For the sake of the goblin woman?”

“I made her a promise,” Hannah insisted. “And I love her.” She swished the water with a toe and let out a soft whimper as her heart flooded with pain. Now that she had her memories of Umtha back, she realized just how much she loved the woman. She could never have run off and left her trapped in New Eden, not when Hannah felt the same pain of being away from home.

Tears began to roll down her cheek as Alluzora's head rested against hers. She explained that this was why she trusted Hannah's promise. She knew Hannah would move heaven and earth to keep it and do everything in her power to help. Hannah admitted in a broken voice that she felt like a failure and had let everybody down.

“No, you didn't,” Alluzora insisted. “You fought to the bitter end against insurmountable odds. Even when you knew you were going to lose, you laid the foundation of a plan to recover and keep trying. You risked being trapped here forever to help us, and we will always be grateful.”

“But, what about now?” Hannah asked as she looked up. “I don’t want to go home anymore. I want to stay here and be with Frank and my family. I want Gwen to be my mother, and I want to sing to my city.”

“Hey,” Alluzora urged as she rocked with Hannah. “There is nothing wrong with being happy here. Nobody said you had to go home. To be honest, I have been watching your life, and if you ever get me out of here, I might run right to Rajeen to join your harem.”

“Really?” Hannah asked as she wiped at her eyes.

Alluzora smiled and said she would only join if she could wear one of Hannah’s collars. Hannah laughed and asked what was wrong with all the women in her life. Alluzora said there was nothing wrong with a woman falling in love with her. Hannah was that rare kind of person that people knew they could trust and who always treated others with compassion.

“You mean by having sex with them?” Hannah joked.

“I have to admit I admire your method of meeting people by having sex with them first,” Alluzora joked.

“I learned that from Drellis,” Hannah reminded.

“I know, but watching you make love to Lord Dugal for hours before you would speak to him was intoxicating,” Alluzora admitted. “I am not ashamed to admit that I was busy with my hand while I watched.”

“Oh, god, don’t tell me that,” Hannah laughed. “I don’t need to know you are masturbating to my escapades.”

“I happen to think what you did was brilliant,” Alluzora said. “I figure most of the men you meet see you as a succubus. You have to assume the first thing that comes into their mind is the possibility of having sex. You can't really get to know them when they are too aroused to be themselves. So you get that out of the way, and when they are sated and clear thinking, you can have an honest conversation.”

“Ha, I love how you justify it,” Hannah chuckled.

“I am just saying you should keep doing that,” Alluzora said.

Hannah sniffed and closed her eyes as Webster let her know that Quinny and Umtha were in her room. She let Alluzora know that her family had come for her and that she would have to go.

“I understand,” Alluzora said as she released Hannah. “But I never did answer the question you really wanted. You need to tell your family about the choice and its effect on your essence pool. Then you need to consider marrying Roric.”

“Marrying Roric?” Hannah said in surprise.

“Yes, so he and, in particular, Chandice can share your essence pool,” Alluzora said.

“Aren't you forgetting that anyone who uses it passes out afterward?” Hannah asked.

Alluzora stepped away and started to fade as she smiled.

“I haven’t forgotten, but you found a way to protect your loved ones from it before. I am sure you will find it again,” the woman said as she vanished from sight.

“What? I did? Wait, you have to tell me how I did that! Alluzora, you come right back here this instant! Alluzora!” Hannah spun around in frustration as the woman failed to appear. She could feel her girls trying to wake her, so she growled and let the dream go.

“Hannah?” Umtha pleaded as she shook the woman’s shoulder.

“Webster, is she alright?” Quinny asked, causing the spider to bounce in a yes. He chirped something she didn't understand and then waved a leg Hannah's way. Hannah's eyes popped open and met Umtha's, causing both women to smile.

“Hey, my little green lover,” Hannah cooed.

“Hello, my beautiful devil wife,” Umtha replied in a sultry tone.

“We are all devils now,” Quinny reminded as Hannah sat up and stretched.

“So, have my girls been up to?” Hannah asked and was told about camping near a village and the girls being allowed to go into town to shop. Hannah joked that the boys were spoiling them, then got up and looked to the door. “I suppose it's near time for me to sing.”

“Yes, we wanted to sing with you,” Quinny said.

“And Gisley does, too. She's waiting on the palace balcony,” Umtha added.

Hannah smiled and took their hands while using her tail to scoop up Webster.

“Then let’s go sing and then into a dream because I have so much I need to tell you.”