1-144 A lingering doubt
“You seem tense this morning,” Rajeen said as she curled up to Roric's back. He sat on the end of the bed, pondering a thought that had lingered in the back of his mind for far too long. Now that tensions were dying down, it had resurfaced and challenged his ability to find peace. Rajeen curled her arms around him and purred, expressing her love as only she could. Roric let out a sigh and asked her to call for Jaina.
Now, Rajeen shared his tension as Jaina arrived in the bedroom, asking why she had been so quickly summoned. Roric told her to sit on the bed, then looked at them both as he tried to think of where to begin.
“You remember Heather's vile dream about the pyramid and the monster of shadow?” he asked.
“I will remember that for the rest of time,” Jaina said sourly. “But why are you bringing this up now?”
Roric didn’t even know where to begin with that answer. He decided to start where he first learned of the worry and brought them back the night of the dream. “After I carried you home, I tucked you into bed and went to see Frank.”
“You did?” Jaina asked.
“We spoke for about twenty minutes,” Roric said as he looked away to pace. “He told me some things that shocked me so much that I pushed them away. I hid behind other things, so I didn't have time to dwell on it. Now that Heather's secret is put to bed, Alexandria is neutralized, and our home is safe, I find I can't stop thinking about it.”
“I am growing more concerned by the moment,” Rajeen said from the bed where she and Jaina held hands. “What secret does this man carry that has upset you so?”
“That dream,” Roric said as he shook his head in disbelief. “That awful place.”
“It was terrible,” Jaina agreed while snuggling tighter to Rajeen. “I never want to see that place again.”
“This ghost from Hannah’s past can stay buried with her other secrets,” Rajeen suggested.
“That's just it,” Roric said as he looked at the girls. “Frank said that wasn't Hannah's dream; it was his.” He saw the reactions as both women froze, his words striking them like a hammer blow. Rajeen was at a loss as to how to respond, and Jaina tried to articulate a thought but failed to be coherent.
“Wait,” Jaina finally interjected with a wave of her hand. “What do you mean, it’s his dream? Gisley took the memory from Hannah’s head. Hannah was the focus in recreating that dark nightmare.”
“I know how you managed it, but I spoke to Frank afterward,” Roric said. “He insisted that the pyramid was his and that he had been there before. He even said one of those home messages on the wall was written by a ghoul claw. He is positive he is the one who wrote it and thinks he recognizes some of the others, but he can’t place who.”
“Is that why he went so quiet after seeing the wall?” Jaina asked in surprise.
“How can he be so sure the dream was his?” Rajeen asked. “Jaina just said it came from Hannah.”
“I know it did,” Roric replied and came to them to hold their hands. “But Frank thinks that Hannah was with him during the time he was at this pyramid. She may even have played a role in its construction.”
“So they really were together before,” Jaina said.
“What do you mean?” Rajeen demanded and glared at Jaina.
“Heather said that one time while she was out, a voice told her that Frank was selected to be her guardian and had been in previous incarnations,” Jaina explained.
Roric hadn't heard this part before, but he knew that Frank also suspected he had missing memories. Now, he began to wonder how many of them had missing memories and how had they been removed. Did it have something to do with the strange polymorph effect Hannah was under? No, that had to be something else, or they would all have a polymorph effect of some kind.
“So what is to be done about this?” Rajeen asked. “You must have a reason to be so bothered by this.”
“I am bothered by it because Frank made me promise not to say anything to Hannah,” Roric replied. “He intends to go on like it never happened.”
“Oh, he's making a terrible mistake,” Jaina groaned. “That's going to come out sooner or later, and when it does, it will hit her like my comments about Hezzrigozza.”
“The boy lacks skill in dealing with relationship matters,” Rajeen insisted with a shake of her head.
“He's trying not to spoil what Hannah has accomplished,” Roric countered. “She has thrown off all the shackles holding her back and taken bold steps in changing her life. He is afraid that if he puts that on her now, she will go back to focusing on digging up more evidence of her past life.”
“Why couldn’t this have been a clean break?” Jaina asked as she put her face in her hands. “Hannah is so happy.”
“Did he say anything else?” Rajeen asked as her eyes narrowed. “He must know more.”
“He told me that he dreamed of building a pyramid from his days in the training to come here,” Roric answered. “It's part of his grave dancer class and why he chose that particular line. He thinks that not only did he build the pyramid we saw in the dream, but they encountered a copy of it in the red sands.”
“Impossible,” Rajeen insisted. “So he is saying this pyramid exists here?”
“No,” Roric sighed as he tried to think of the best way to explain it. “He thinks he's been reset multiple times. Each time, his memories are reset to just before he came in, so he remembers none of his previous time here. From Frank's perspective, he just arrived for the first time. So he arrives with a dream to build his pyramid and eventually does. However, now he thinks that in doing so, he always triggers the eventual fall.
“What fall?” Rajeen asked.
“Whatever disaster keeps happening to him and Hannah,” Roric said. “He doesn't know any more than that.”
“So, how many of these has he built?” Jaina asked.
“He doesn’t know,” Roric said as he got up to pace. “But he told me he was already planning to build one. He even has the location picked out.” He could see the confused looks on the women’s faces as they tried to consider what that meant.
“So, he thinks that he will set the clock ticking on his destruction by building this pyramid?” Rajeen asked as Roric nodded. “And he intends to do it anyway?”
“He didn't say,” Roric replied. “That's what's keeping me up at night. He just said he had been planning to build it and then sort of wandered off.”
“Oh, no,” Jaina groaned and got up with her face in her hands. “This is why he's suddenly so open to letting his girls play. He's hiding in this lifestyle just like Hannah is. Both of them are using this as a distraction to avoid facing the real issue.”
“Which is their forgotten past,” Rajeen agreed.
“I came to the same conclusion,” Roric said. “I know Blackbast has been working with him, and she's done wonders, but I worry Frank made the final decision to try and hide.”
“Uhhh,” Jaina moaned. “I had no idea their emotional baggage would be this hard to sort through.”
“It is hard because they are aware it exists, but nobody remembers any of it,” Rajeen countered.
“Except Umtha,” Jaina cut in as her face brightened. “Hannah told me that Umtha remembers everything from the past life. She remembers Hannah and Frank from when she was Hathlisora.”
“Then why hasn’t the woman filled in the blanks?” Rajeen demanded.
“I don’t know,” Jaina explained. “She never told me.”
“I see,” Rajeen replied as she came to Roric's arms. “In my heart, I desire to question Hannah, but I feel that to do so might set her back.”
“I agree,” Roric said with a nod. “But the real person we need to question is Frank. He's the only one who can explain what is going on. “
“So then we must find him,” Rajeen said.
“Well, that's easy,” Jaina replied with a smirk. “I know where he likes to spend this part of the day.”
Roric wondered what that meant, but Jaina told them to follow and took them through the inn. They went to the hall of magic doors into Blackbast's temple to a private garden tucked in the back. They found Frank sitting on a stone bench while Blackbast rode his cock, her green eyes locked on his.
“We have company,” Blackbast whispered to him before turning her head to regard the others. “I could sense them in my temple.”
Roric was worried that Frank would be embarrassed to be caught making love, but he seemed collected as Blackbast continued her work. The man wrapped his arms around the woman's waist as she made slow love to him, purring in pure delight.
“Did you need something?” Frank asked as he held Blackbast like a lover.
“I wanted to talk to you about something unpleasant,” Roric replied.
“We are sorry to disturb you,” Rajeen said with a bow and a slight smile. “Though perhaps this is a good way to have this conversation.” She turned to Roric and motioned for him to sit on the bench a few feet from Frank. Roric took his place as she and Jaina removed his clothes then Rajeen mounted him, taking his long wolf-like cock as the two men had sex side by side. Jaina sat between them, stroking their thighs as the two made love to a feline woman. It was a strange situation to be in, but he supposed that it was going to happen sooner or later.
“What did you want to talk about?” Frank asked as he never took his eyes off Blackbast.
“It's about Hannah's dream of the pyramid,” Roric said as Rajeen rolled her hips, grinding his cock through her moist body. “I have to admit that when you first told me it was your dream, I was taken aback. I never asked the questions I wanted to, and to be honest, I didn't know what to think.”
“A lot had just happened,” Frank agreed. “Hannah was a wreck, and I had a lot on my mind.”
“But we need to talk about it,” Rajeen cut in. “We need to know how you can be so sure you built this pyramid.”
“What?” Blackbast said and stopped her motion. “What do you mean, you built it?”
“I hope you didn't intend for this to be a secret,” Roric said in embarrassment as he realized Blackbast had been in that nightmare and had seen it firsthand. She was probably shocked to hear Frank had any connection to it, especially since it was Hannah's dream.
“I mean, I built it,” Frank replied, never looking away. “I am sure of it because I have been planning to build a pyramid since before I got to New Eden. While I was in the classes, I drew the whole thing out, planning how the insides would look and what I would under it. I know it from memory, and I could tell you where every secret door or button is.”
“That doesn't mean you built it,” Blackbast argued. “A dozen other classes can build such things, and besides, we were in Hannah's dream, not yours.”
“Blackbast,” Frank said softly. “Remember the canyon wall with all the messages of home?” He waited for her to nod, then used a hand to lift her chin. “One of them was carved by a ghoul about my height and size. I know that canyon because I have been there before. I know that valley in the jagged rocks because I have been there as well. I know that pyramid because I am the one who built it, and I know somewhere in the back of my head that it was where I made my last stand.”
“Your last stand?” Jaina gasped.
“What are you getting at?” Rajeen asked, now stopped in her motion.
“I can't remember,” Frank said, pressing a hand to his head. “I can feel the memories like they are right there, but I can't see them. It's like something is holding me back and preventing me from pulling the curtain aside. All I have are feelings of recognition when I see something familiar or a sense of having done this once before. I know it was Hannah's dream, but that only makes more sense because I know she was there. We were together when the disaster came and promised we would find each other again.”
The room was dead silent as the others struggled to find the words to respond. Roric could see the man was tormented by this past and wished he had never brought it up.
“Frank, I am so sorry,” Jaina said to break the tension as she leaned over and hugged him. “It must be terrible knowing you shared her past, and you can't remember any of it.”
“I keep trying to tell myself that it wasn't real, that I am not mixed up in all this, but I am,” Frank said and locked her gaze on Blackbast. “Remember that ghoul woman in the desert? The one with a pyramid of her own?”
“Yes,” Blackbast said slowly. “Her name is Iskathet, and she is my dear friend.”
“She is also living in a copy of that pyramid,” Frank stated.
“No, that is not possible,” Blackbast insisted. “She built that herself.”
“She built it with undead labor and under detailed directions by the necromancers,” Frank countered. “She told us that she did it exactly as they said, building most of it with labor instead of points. Then, in the lowest chambers, we found a statue of Hannah, as if she were drawn to it.”
“There was a statue of her in the pyramid?” Blackbast gasped.
“Yes,” Frank said. “Exactly where I would have put it. In fact, every hall we passed was exactly where I would have put it. I knew the layout like the back of my hand, and I am absolutely certain that was my pyramid made for some purpose I don't understand.”
“Now this is getting creepy,” Jaina said.
“Why did neither of you ever mention this to me?” Blackbast demanded. “I am practically your wife.”
“You are my wife,” Frank said. “And we were all working to put these sorts of things behind us. I never told anyone but Umtha and Roric because I didn't want it getting back to Hannah.”
“You told Umtha?” Roric asked, thinking that a strange choice.
“I told Umtha because she somehow knows about it,” Frank replied. “If you go into the throne room of her goblin fortress, there is a banner hanging there. She said she based it on one she saw in our past. It features me Hannah, Umtha, Quinny, and Breanne standing before a pyramid. My pyramid.”
“Perhaps it is time we shared some of our secrets then,” Rajeen said as her ears dropped.
“Your secrets?” Roric gasped. “What have you got to do with any of this?”
“It was a long time ago,” Rajeen insisted and looked at Blackbast. “When my lover was a princess over a desert kingdom.”
“Oh my god,” Jaina cried. “How deep is this rabbit hole going to go?”
“If New Eden has a hell, we will most assuredly pass through it,” Blackbast replied.
“So you know more about my past?” Frank asked as he looked at Rajeen.
“No, I never met you, or perhaps I did, and I, too, have lost my memories,” Rajeen said. “But as you know, my pet and I came here to be together. We told you that we chose our classes to play but that our different needs ultimately drove us apart. This is not entirely true.”
“What part of it isn’t true?” Jaina asked.
“We were both priestesses of Bastet,” Rajeen explained. “And we built a temple in the hills of a desert kingdom where we became famous for our hospitality.”
“So famous, in fact, that we were granted the title of princess,” Blackbast added. “And we ruled a vast garden of pleasure.”
“But then the time of turmoil came, and the land was torn by wars,” Rajeen sighed. “For some reason, we do not know the necromancers were working heavily with the king of our lands, a man named Regarius the Bold. He refused to cooperate with Kevin and declared the entire desert his domain. There were clashes on the borders and some serious battles, but Regarius was powerful, and my pet and I stood at his side with our harems.”
“A war fought with harems?” Jaina said in shock.
“We had seven girls between us,” Rajeen corrected. “So it wasn't exactly an army, but we made an effective team. Our numbers were bolstered by hundreds of players who considered the desert their home.”
“So what happened?” Roric asked as he and Frank hung on every word.
“We lost,” Blackbast said flatly. “Goblins came by the thousands, streaming into the sands and heading for the mountains in the center. Regarius ordered us to allow them through then to deny any force of Kevin from reaching them. We fought with hundreds of players a our sides, but Kevin came with thousands. We couldn't hold the lines for long, and when we broke, they swept across the sands, destroying any marker or graveyard that could be used to respawn.”
“Our temple was destroyed,” Rajeen said sadly. “And we both reset.”
“Oh, Rajeen,” Jaina cried, not not knowing who to hug most.
“We respawned in separate parts of the world,” Blackbast replied. “We had no idea how to find one another, so we both did the only thing we knew to do. We made our way back, slowly crossing the world until we reached the sands months later. By then, it was all gone as if it had never been; the desert was a blasted ruin, and the center melted to glass. No trace of our once beautiful temple remained, and not a single stone of the vast city of Dulmar stood. I never saw Regarius again, and when I checked my character sheet, my title of princess was gone.”
“She arrived ahead of me and founded a much smaller temple,” Rajeen explained. “I found it weeks later, and we reunited in pain. She wanted to rebuild, but I couldn't bear to look at the place. I also had changed my class to one that would allow me more harem girls, and the isolation of the desert no longer suited me.”
“We agreed to part,” Blackbast said. “I would remain in the sands, hoping stragglers from our lost kingdom would return to find me.”
“While I went out to build a harem and power network, trying to locate some of the players who once stood by us,” Rajeen said. “I have never found a single one.”
“Where does Iskathet come into all this?” Frank asked.
“She is the only player from that past whoever returned,” Blackbast replied. “But she was back before I was. She arrived at the head of a mall contingent of necromancers with detailed instructions on what to build and where. I don't know why they wanted her to build that exact building there, but I suspect it is important to Frank and Hannah.”
“This just blows my mind,” Jaina said as she got up to pace. “While you two were leading harems in battle, Umtha was in that mountain in the desert working on a goblin machine to help Hannah.”
“It's like you were all working together but didn't know it,” Roric said. “And somehow, you have ended up together again.”
“Oh goodness, do you think we are part of this madness?” Jaina asked as she turned to Roric. “Are we missing memories, too?”
Roric wanted to insist that couldn't be the case, but now he had his doubts. Somehow, everyone proved to be connected to Frank and Hannah and was once again building a kingdom bent on resisting Kevin. He began to wonder if maybe Frank was Regarius and Hathlisora had been his queen. That all these pyramids were related to Frank was amazing enough, but the precision with which the one in the desert was built raised questions.
“Does Iskathet know why it was built where it was?” Roric asked.
“She never told us,” Frank replied. “She knew it was important but didn't know the reasons. She hinted that the necromancers wanted her to guard it and keep it safe until its purpose was revealed.”
“Secrets, hiding secrets, hiding more secrets,” Rajeen groaned. “And it all comes back to Hannah. What was that mad woman working on?”
“I wish I knew,” Frank replied. “I feel like I do, but I can’t remember it.”
“This is awful,” Jaina said. “People overlook the motives behind why the visitors abduct people, but now I have questions. They caused so much pain and strife by bringing Hannah here, then stood back and did nothing to fix it. They should have sent her home a long time ago. Hell, they should never have taken her in the first place. All the poor girl wanted was to go home.”
“She doesn’t want to go anymore,” Frank corrected. “She wants to stay and be a sex slave.”
“Does she?” Jaina asked.
“Actually,” Roric cut in before Jaina went too far. “That was part of why we are here. We are worried that you are only allowing your girls to mingle with us because you are hiding from your past, too.”
“Yes,” Rajeen said with a firm tone. “We need to know that you truly want this.”
Frank nodded and admitted that it did help clear his mind. But then he looked into Blackbast's eyes, and there was a spark of genuine love. Roric could see it in their body language, how the feline woman tensed as his hands came around her waist. She was his as completely as any woman could be, and he loved her with all his heart.
“I think you all need to remember that I came to New Eden chasing my own fantasies,” Frank replied. “I loved harem manga and anime because so much of it reflected my real life. I was the awkward guy girls never seemed to notice, and when they did, it was only to scorn. I dreamed of having a dozen smiling girls in my arms, happy and content just to be with me. But I never believed I could have that, and when New Eden became available, to convinced myself that I needed to be a monster instead. Even if I had a slave class, I would be too awkward to use it, and the ghoul was a sort of alternate fantasy. So I became what I am and was almost happy until I realized I made a mistake.”
“So you always wanted a harem?” Jaina asked.
“I did, but I was a ghoul now, and I tried to focus on being that. I built graveyard after graveyard, and sometimes they lasted for a bit, but sooner or later, a group of high-level players would show up and reset me,” Frank explained. “I kept moving further south, away from the big cities in the north, but it never helped. I eventually ended up just outside the southern spawn ring, living in a pathetic little yard while dreaming of one day having a girlfriend.”
“Then Heather literally fell down your steps and landed at your feet,” Jaina said.
“She did, and everything changed,” Frank said. “At first, I wasn't trying to win her over. I just wanted somebody to talk to, but over time, I started to like having her around. Then she made friends with Quinny, Umtha, and Breanne, and suddenly, I had four women around me at all times.
“And you started to treat them like they were yours,” Jaina said.
“They are his,” Blackbast stated. “I saw it the moment they came to my temple. He was their leader, the one they all looked to for safety, comfort, and rest.”
“The point is, I began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, I could actually have that harem,” Frank said. “The only thing holding me back was how ugly I was, but then Blackbast gave me the figurine.”
“I helped you recover that,” Rajeen said with a purr. “We barely escaped that place alive.”
“It was a gift given in love,” Blackbast replied. “He needed it more than I did.”
“So now I had a human form, and I knew Heather had feelings for me,” Frank said. “Quinny had told me she loved me, and Breanne and I talked all night most nights, even holding hands from time to time.”
“You cad,” Jaina laughed. “You had those girls lined up to be yours even before you met us.”
“And when I did meet you, I really thought about it,” Frank said. “I tried to fight against it at first, but the more I saw how your harem worked, the more I wanted it. Blackbast and I started to make love, and she helped me work through my fears until I realized I wanted this. I really, really wanted this, and I wasn't going to let my old life hold me back.”
“I am very relieved to hear you say that,” Rajeen sighed.
Roric nodded in agreement as it finally all made sense. Now he understood why Frank was so agreeable to this because deep down, he had been dreaming about it for years but never believed he could have it. This was why he was so open in the dream and insisted Hannah come to make love to Roric. It explained why he wanted them to serve in the temple and play in the forest. Frank was ready to take this step and eager to begin the life he secretly desired.
The two feline women nodded and resumed their dance, riding the men beneath them. Roric put his hands around Rajeen’s waist as she used her legs to take his full length, her warm silky pussy swallowing his cock. Beside him, Blackbast and Frank were making love; the two locked eye to eye as if trying to see their souls.
“I hate to be the one who sours a moment of sex, but we haven’t resolved what the pyramids mean,” Jaina reminded. “And now it’s clear this Regarius was helping the goblins. What does that mean?”
“It means we all had a tragic past that we are trying to leave in the past,” Rajeen said, then looked at Roric. “But are your worries soothed?”
“I suppose it’s good we know more, but I can’t help but wonder what was so powerful that it crippled Gisley and chased them out of the dream?” Roric said.
“I wish I could tell you,” Frank said as he began to tense, Blackbast driving him to a release. “To be honest, I have been dying to talk to somebody about it, but I was afraid it would hurt Hannah. She was making such huge strides toward putting this behind her, and I didn't want to do anything to hinder that.”
“You have been keeping this inside to protect us,” Blackbast said between moans. “But you must not suffer in his alone.” She threw her head back and let out a low purr as she had an orgasm. “I will not allow you to hurt anymore.”
“Why don’t we just agree to meet whenever one of us learns something more and share what we know,” Rajeen suggested. “That way, we can all be involved in unraveling the mystery and offer advice.” She then looked at Frank and smiled softly. “And I know you are trying to protect her, but you must tell Hannah.”
“But she’s so happy now,” Frank argued. “I don’t want to take that away from her.”
“She needs to know,” Rajeen said. “You need to sit down and tell it to her gently while being strong for her. If you like, I can send for her, and we can do it together.”
“No, I will tell her,” Frank said, putting an arm around Blackbast to pull her to his chest. “I want her to hear it from me.”
Roric felt better that Frank had agreed she should be told, but he wasn't quite sure he was settled. Still, he found it hard to concentrate on his worries as Rajeen worked hard to keep his attention. It wasn't long before the tension was growing inside, and he hungered to fill her with his seed. She knew what he wanted as she worked harder to pleasure him until, at last, he could hold on no more. Both men finished inside their lovers, and then Jaina cleaned up, licking the men clean first, then feasting on the women. When it was over, the women switched with Rajeen going to Frank and Blackbast to Roric. They made love again, but Roric noted the energy was different. There had been a genuine spark between Frank and Blackbast that just didn’t exist with Rajeen.
It was something interesting to note as the women soothed away all their worries. He was still concerned about what the pyramids meant, but for now, he was content to know that Frank was not ignoring it. He was only trying to protect them and Hannah from more chaos hidden in their past. His motives were good, and most of all, the fear that Frank was hiding as well was put to rest. Frank had answered well and proven he truly wanted this. Hannah and her sisters were part of the harem, and from now on, Roric would take them when he wanted. He wouldn't worry he was pushing Frank too fast. From here on out, Hannah was his to use as he desired.