1-77 Secrets to hide secrets

Jaina and the girls stayed in bed as Roric went out to check the camp. They huddled in a big bundle, enjoying a warm cuddle, and whispered about the dream. They were excited that Idris was on her way and wanted to be one of their group. Still, there was the matter of fitting her into the theme of their forest, and Jaina kept thinking she was a better fit for Heather.

“Do you think she will catch up to us soon?” Gisley asked.

“I don’t think she can travel anywhere near as fast as we can,” Chandice said from Evalynn’s warm arms. “But we do plan to camp for a few days. Maybe she will catch up to us then.”

“If not, we should run into her on the way back,” Jaina agreed as she dreamed of having the sexy woman in her grasp.

“I can’t believe she insisted on wearing the belts in the dream. I think she likes being in chastity,” Evalynn suggested.

“I thought that too,” Jaina admitted. “But I would go mad if Roric couldn’t take me.”

“Or any of your dozen lovers,” Chandice laughed.

“There is only Zorac and maybe Santos,” Jaina protested.

“Only?” Gisley giggled. “I bet we could name five more.”

“Just drop it, little girl,” Jaina insisted. “Or I will pin you down and lick your antenna.”

“No, they are so sensitive!” Gisley said in alarm as Evalynn and Chandice laughed. They pulled together more tightly and smiled to share a collective embrace. It was a lovely way to spend the morning, but eventually, they had to get out of bed.

“Why did our master allow us to stay in bed so long?” Gisly asked as she stretched.

“Who knows,” Jaina said as she scratched a spot on Chandice’s back for her. “But we need to do this more often. Just lay in bed together and enjoy a long snuggle.”

“We snuggle on the disk all the time,” Chandice said.

“I never get to snuggle because I have to pull the disk,” Gisley argued.

“And that's why we need to snuggle in bed,” Jaina replied as she got up and hugged Gisley. “Now, let's find out why we got to sleep in.”

Gisley smiled and shared a kiss before going outside. She looked to the morning sky and felt moved by the beautiful day, asking Roric if they had time for a song. He said they planned to leave soon, but they had time for a quick and asked her to sing something beautiful.

“Does she know any other kind?” Jaina said as she and the others gathered outside as Gisley fluttered into the air and began to sing to the sun. They huddled together as Gisley sang, dancing in the air, her beautiful body on display. She noticed Frank trying not to look but stealing glances as he made his way toward Blackbast and Legeis. Oddly, Heather, Breanne, and Quinny followed behind him, holding hands and walking as if following their master. Jaina thought it was a funny display, but there was something proper about it. She looked ahead to Blackbast and Legeis, who seemed to be locked in a debate involving a map and a lot of pointing to the north. Jaina couldn't hear it over the singing, but when Frank arrived, Blackbast paused to acknowledge the girls being in their proper place.

“Are they following him in submission?” Chandice asked as she took one of Jaina’s hands.

“I thought that too,” Jaina said. “I honestly can’t figure out their relationship. Heather seems to be the key to it, but they all love Frank, or at least they appear to.”

“Yet they wear that Blackbast woman’s collar,” Chandice said. “It’s a very odd relationship.”

“Come sing with me,” Gisley said as she fluttered over and clasped her hands and gave them trembling lips with eyes full of purple sparkles. “Please?”

“Oh, who could resist that,” Chandice groaned.

“That was practically emotional blackmail,” Jaina laughed. “She didn’t even need a power to pull that off.”

“I feel ashamed that we didn’t join her sooner,” Evalynn agreed.

“So what do we sing?” Jaina asked.

“Do you know heaven is a place on earth?” Gisley asked.

“Who doesn’t?” Jaina laughed.

“That’s Belinda Carlise, isn’t it?” Evalynn questioned.

“You know I heard she was here someplace,” Chandice said. “She came into New Eden a year or so ago.”

“Hurry, Roric already pulled down the tent,” Gisley urged.

Jaina laughed, and they began the song, lifting their voices together as Gisley fluttered overhead. It was a beautiful moment of harmony as they filled the camp with their golden voices, sharing yet another moment of love.

As they sang, the battle between Blackbast and Legeis went on, and when they finished the song, it was Frank who was addressing them. Jaina managed to overhear that they needed to go to the meeting point and wait for at least eight days.

The girls noticed that he gave Heather a funny look as she blushed and wore a little smile. Blackbast demanded to know what the two were keeping from them, so Heather grabbed hold of Frank's arm. She clung to him like he was a treasured possession as her smile grew wider.

“In eight days, we are getting married,” she said.

Gisley's squeal was ear-shattering as the whole camp abandoned all other tasks to focus on the couple. Blackbast looked stunned by the news and demanded a more thorough explanation. Heather clung to Frank and explained that it had been Viylah's idea, and it made sense. The magic doors made it so no matter where they went, it was like being in the next room. So it didn't make sense to keep putting the moment off, especially when they both wanted to do it.

Jaina had to grab Gisley out of the air and restrain her when Heather started describing her wedding dress. Gisley was so excited and full of energy she couldn't contain herself. She asked Heather if she could sing at the wedding, and Heather pleaded with her to do so.

“Goodness, we actually have to think about what we are going to wear,” Jaina said in surprise.

“Clothing?” Evalynn laughed.

“I will dress you three,” Chandice said in a disapproving tone. “We already agreed to her demand that none of you could go naked.”

“I will wear my silk,” Gisley offered.

“That silk is more a tease than any real covering,” Jaina laughed.

They swarmed around Heather, asking her questions about the event and if they could wear something revealing. Roric congratulated Frank on setting a date and wished him well, as did Legeis. However, Frank looked particularly nervous, and Jaina noted how Blackbast pulled him aside to talk privately.

“Is Frank alright?” Jaina asked as Heather explained her mother's preparations.

Heather looked to see the private discussion and nodded. “Frank doesn't have much experience with girls or relationships,” she explained. “He chose that ugly form so girls wouldn't pay him any attention, and he wouldn't have to worry about things like this.”

“This must be overwhelming for him,” Jaina said sympathetically.

“It is, but I know he wants this too,” Heather said. “I have never met a more honest and good-hearted person, and I got to see him grow into a man.”

“What do you mean?” Evalynn asked at the funny comment.

Heather explained that when she first met Frank, he had a lot of youthful boyish energy. He was a big kid playing with his toys as he built a tiny graveyard. She explained how he used to tell her all about his dreams with a childish energy that she grew fond of. Frank loved this world and the opportunity it presented, but players hadn't been kind to him. He was hiding all alone deep in the south after having been driven away from more populated areas. He was lovely and starting to hurt when she stumbled on him, and despite his looks, the two clicked and got along really well.

“As we spent more time together, he became bolder and more confident. He was always there for me, even when he knew I was making a mistake. He never gave up on me and cleaned up a dozen of my messes. I don't know that I would have survived without him, and I certainly can't go on alone.”

“Oh, that sounds very sweet,” Jaina said. “You two grew together, and now you need each other.”

“That's true in more ways than one,” Heather said. “You know it was my mother's idea for us to get married. She just wanted to use our wedding to get more social points. I was horrified by the idea at first, but Frank just went on being Frank, and one day, I realized I was wrong. I should have been delighted by the idea of marrying the best man in this crazy world. I finally realized that the things I had been hoping for were silly, and I had so much to be thankful for all around me.”

Jaina wondered what Heather had been hoping for but didn't press the question. This was a happy occasion, and she didn't want to put Heather in an awkward spot if it proved to be something private. Instead, they talked more about the wedding and how best to keep Frank at ease, with Jaina suggesting a little premarital sex would likely soothe his nerves. She wanted to laugh as Heather blushed so red they thought she would pop. She then admitted that she and Frank were already active, and it was wonderful.

“Well, good,” Jaina said. “There is nothing wrong with sharing yourself with the one you love.”

“I know, but this really isn't me,” Heather said. “I don't rush into relationships, and I never rush into bed.”

“It sounds to me like you didn’t rush at all,” Evalynn said. “I took you dozens of shared struggles and mistakes before you finally grew close enough.”

“I guess, but to be honest, that first night we met, things just sorta changed,” Heather said. “I saw you all retire to your tent, and Blackbast told me what would go on inside it, and I just changed.”

“You changed how?” Chandice asked.

“I don't know,” Heather admitted and rubbed her arm. “One second, I was fine, and the next second I just needed him.

Jaina cleared her throat as Gisley, Chandice and Evalynn turned accusatory glares her way. Thankfully none of them said anything, and Heather continued her story by saying how glad she was they had finally made love. Before anything more could be said, Frank arrived with Blackbast holding his arm. She handed him off to Heather, the two women sharing a smile before saying they needed to get moving.

And they were off, heading down the narrow trail to find the distant ruins. Gisley sat on Roric's shoulders again as he ran beside Legeis. Blackbast reclined on the back of the metal machine as only a cat could. Quinny and Breanne rode in the palanquin floating on Blackbast's magical disk. Heather rode on Frank's shoulders, and he ran between the Palanquin and Gisley's disk.

Jaina thought to ask Heather about Idris but decided against it. Until they knew they were going to build their home next to them, it was pointless to make plans. Idris could wait until Roric had seen the land and decided to settle there, and that would likely wait until after they found the meeting place. Jaina decided to settle in and lay in Evalynn's lap. Chandice settled in beside her, passing the time by braiding Jaina's hair. It was a restful moment as the strange company marched through the forest, looking for the adventures that lay beyond.

Jaina and the others overheard Heather and Frank talking. Heather suggested getting on the disk with Jaina so Frank could carry Breanne and Quinny. Frank was concerned about why Heather was suggesting such a thing. Jaina could tell he was nervous about this change in his relationship with Heather and the others. He didn't have a lot of experience with girls, and this was too much for him to handle.

To Heather's credit, she asked him to look at Jaina and her sisters, pointing out how sweet their relationship was. Frank admitted it looked nice but didn't understand why Heater was suddenly considering a bigger relationship. Heather admitted to having kissed a girl before and found the experience enticing. Nothing had come from it, but it planted a seed, and recent events had caused her to reconsider the option.

Frank asked her if she preferred girls, and Heather was quick to say no. She made it clear she preferred men but was curious if she and Frank could build a relationship like Jaina had. Some conversation was had about Quinny and how they both knew she loved them. Frank finally admitted that he was scared because he had been so happy in his life, and he was terrified of making a mistake that drove her away.

“This is all happening too fast for you,” Heather agreed. “I kind of went from cold to hot overnight, didn’t I?”

“Maybe,” Frank agreed as Chandice tugged at Jaina’s hair.

“Ow,” Jaina said and looked up. “What was that for?”

“You know what, change of plans,” Heather announced before Chandice could reply. “Sorry for all the whispering, but Frank and I need to speak to Blackbast.”

“We don't mind,” Jaina replied. “I just assumed you were exchanging sweet talk.”

“We don’t do that often enough,” Heather laughed. “We will be back in a few minutes.”

Jaina watched them go, then turned back to Chandice, who shook her head disapprovingly.

“You had something to do with that, didn’t you?” Chandice asked.

Jaina squirmed as Chandice and Evalynn looked down at her with firm glares. She finally sighed and admitted she had used a seductive smile on Heather, but only because Blackbast asked her to.

“So you got her aroused, and she ran to the arms of her lover,” Chandice said. “You prematurely started this whole process.”

“Are you sure it was premature?” Jaina questioned. “You heard what she said. She was already deeply in love with him; she just hadn't managed to express it physically yet.”

“I agree with that sentiment,” Evalynn said. “Heather is madly in love with him, and we are all guilty of stirring this new interest in girls.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Jaina said. “She had already kissed one.”

“Kissing a girl is nothing,” Chandice countered. “I have kissed several of my friends, and it was nothing more than a kiss. She is talking about sharing the man she is going to marry in eight days with two other women. That's not the same thing at all.”

“She said she was curious about the kiss leading to more but never got the chance,” Jaina corrected. “And she didn't say she would bring the others into her bed on her wedding night. She is going to marry Frank first, then worry about the others.”

“She never said that,” Chandice argued.

“I am making assumptions,” Jaina agreed. “But I think it’s safe to say she is going to worry about the wedding first.”

“I would if I were in her shoes,” Evalynn agreed. “But did you notice some strange moments in her story? She kept hinting that Frank had been or currently was doing something very special for her, but never said what it was.”

“I noticed that too,” Chandice said. “She made it sound like whatever it was, it was his biggest display of love.”

“But she couldn’t tell us what it was,” Jaina added as she pondered what it could be.

“More secrets from the woman shrouded in them,” Evalynn said. “This doesn’t bode well.”

“Let’s hope these secrets don’t come to haunt us,” Chandice said.

Jaina could only agree, but somehow she didn't feel threatened by their new friends. Whatever Heather was hiding, she was sure it was for a good reason. Heather had already admitted that she had made mistakes and angered powerful people. What if those mistakes were supporting and showing kindness to monster players? Surely she traveled with a whole group of them, with Blackbast being the only Hero player besides Heather. What's more, she pointed out that political rivals were keen to lay their hands on her, probably for some kind of blackmail or bribery. There were plenty of perfectly logical reasons for Heather to keep secrets that didn't make her a threat.

She looked up as Frank and Heather approached, heading to their palanquin. Frank's shoulders slumped, and in a flash of light, he was a handsome human man. Jaina wouldn't mind spending a few hours alone with him, but she was pretty certain Heather would object. She watched as they climbed into their little traveling home and settled in, with Breanne complaining that Quinny was molesting her.

The group began to travel a few moments later, and the two discs floated side by side. Heather drew open the curtains and smiled as she saw Chandice, Evalynn, and Jaina sitting on the lip, inches away.

“Oh, hello,” Heather said.

“Hello to you,” Jaina replied before Chandice cut in.

“We thought you should know that we are close enough to hear most of what you are saying. We heard all about Breanne being molested.” Evalynn laughed as Breanne blushed and swatted Quinny, who was nestled to the woman's chest. “Oh, that's just wonderful. This is all your fault.”

“I don’t care,” Quinny sighed and hugged tighter. “I like molesting you.”

“Well, you two look good together,” Chandice said as Evalynn leaned in.

“It must be nice to travel in comfort like this,” Evalynn remarked as she looked inside the palanquin. “You even have a roof if it rains.”

“Legeis is building you one that I am sure will be just as nice,” Heather reminded.

“That is very kind of him,” Evalynn replied and sat back as Jaina pushed the three of them together. She noted that Frank and Heather sat together, but he was doing his best not to see them. He was still bashful about looking at naked women and twitched nervously when he accidentally made eye contact.

“I hope there will be dancing at the wedding,” Jaina said to try and break the ice.

“Oh, god! Dancing!” Frank groaned and put a hand over his eyes.

“Not a big dancer?” Evalynn laughed.

“As I said before, Frank is new to all this,” Heather said and took his hand to comfort him. “But you will never find a more honest and decent man.”

“Very true words,” Breanne agreed. “I have never known a man like him.”

Jaina noted how Frank blushed at Breanne's words, but his gaze on her looked full of concern. He was upset about the push for Breanne to consider being sold to the ogre they rescued and had started to become vocal about it. She recalled the earlier argument where he outright declared that Breanne belonged with them and didn't want to go. She hoped this wouldn't bloom into a full-on conflict between him and Blackbast, but then he seemed to go to her for advice.

“Well, if you're not comfortable with dancing, then you should practice,” Jaina urged. “You have plenty of girls to help you learn.”

“I wouldn’t mind teaching him how to dance,” Chandice offered.

“Evalynn or I should teach him how to dance,” Jaina argued. “We did quite a bit of it, if you remember.”

“That’s stripping, not dancing,” Chandice laughed. “I doubt that will fly at a royal wedding.”

“It might,” Quinny laughed.

“I think Gwen is planning on a more formal affair,” Heather insisted. “It would be traditional ballroom dancing, and to be honest, I don't know much about it either.”

“Ballroom dancing,” Jaina said with a frown. “I don’t know anything about it.”

“I do,” Breanne said and looked up. “I have a lot of practice in formal dancing. It was more popular in the area I grew up in. I would be happy to teach you all some of the dances.”

“That would be great,” Heather said with a smile. “We have eight days to get good at it.”

“That is a very short window to learn dancing,” Breanne said.

“Then we should go to the graveyard and practice,” Quinny suggested.

“Not without telling somebody this time,” Heather suggested.

“Yes, you wouldn’t want your master to get upset with you again,” Jaina teased.

Heather looked lost in thought for a moment, and her expression softened as her gaze fell on frank. “Blackbast isn't my master,” she said and rubbed his hand. “You are.”

“Me?” he said in alarm and sat up.

“Awww,” Evalynn cooed.

“I am just saying I would wear this for you,” Heather said as she ran her fingers over the collar around her neck. “I would let you lock it and keep me forever.”

“I don’t want you to wear a collar,” Frank said. “I love the real you, not the disguise.”

“Oh, he’s so sweet,” Jaina groaned. “I just want to drown him in kisses.”

“I will do that later,” Heather said as she leaned over to brush a finger over his lips. Jaina and the others laughed as he flushed a deep shade of red while unable to reply.

Jaina gave them a minute, then called Roric to ask if they could all visit the graveyard.

“Be back when the sun moves,” Roric called back. “And try not to find any more mimics.”

“No promises,” Jaina replied and looked at the disks. “I bet we can just crawl over.”

“Let us go through first,” Heather suggested, sending Frank through the door. Breanne and Quinny followed him before Heather went through herself. Jaina crawled over first, with Chandice and then Evalynn close behind.

“This is a magic door?” Evalynn asked as she stared at the empty frame mounted to the back wall of the palanquin. “I can see the wall behind it.”

“Just watch,” Jaina said and crawled into the space, her body passing through to the magic room on the other side. She found Heather and her companions waiting with three goblins and Umtha, who stood between them and the egg.

“They are going to swamp,” Heather insisted. “Nobody is going to touch the egg.”

“Good,” Umtha grumbled as Evalynn stuck her head through. “There is a room here?”

“Just come through,” Jaina insisted, waiting for her to crawl in. Chandice came last, looking awkward as she stepped through but soon they were gathered.

“What is that?” Chandice asked as she went up to the skeleton in black armor standing in the corner.

“Oh, that's a creation of Franks,” Heather said as she squeezed his hand. “He guards the room for us.”

“Carrion knights must be fun to play,” Chandice said as she looked over the skeleton warrior.

“Common, this way,” Quinny urged, taking them through an open door into another room.

“So, where is this second magic door?” Evalynn asked as they entered the next room.

“You just walked through it,” Heather said and pointed to the open door.

“Wait? That was the door?” Evalynn balked.

“That room is back with the palanquin,” Heather explained. “I used a set of magical doors given to me by my mother to link that room to our lair.”

“Let me try to understand this,” Chandice said. “The simple wooden frame in the palanquin takes you to a magic room. Then, inside that room is a second magic door that takes you to your home?”

“That’s right,” Heather said as Breanne walked up to a barren part of the wall.

“Open,” Breanne commanded as Chandice and Evalynn looked on in surprise to see what appeared to be a round hole open in the wall. It grew until it was large enough to walk through, revealing a hall outside.

“And this is a magical secret door to hide this room,” Heather explained.

“The girls have secret doors to hide secret rooms that contain even more secret doors,” Evalynn whispered to Chandice.

“Just keep your eyes open,” Chandice whispered back as Quinny led them into a hall.

They passed bedrooms and the great bathroom that Jaina had told them about before arriving in the kitchen. Quinny ran to a metal box and threw open the door before pulling out plates full of treats. Cakes, cookies, and sweet creams were piled on a nearby table before they were asked to help carry them away. They took them through a maze of tunnels, through a secret door into a tower, and then down the tower floors until they reached a massive gate. This was already open, causing Evalynn and Chandice to gawk in amazement as they entered the graveyard.

“This is your home?” Chandice asked as she spun around, holding a strawberry cake.

“This is our home,” Heather said

“Idris would love it here,” Evalynn commented as she noticed the gothic architecture and gargoyles.

“Let's not talk about that,” Jaina suggested as she felt Evalynn was right. Maybe Idris was better suited to Heather, and they should consider giving her to them.

Heather and Frank led the way, taking them into the graveyard, and headed for a central plaza dominated by an old mausoleum. Just as the group arrived, the stone walkway shifted as a gray mass grew into the form of a woman. It snapped into focus and smiled at Jaina, welcoming her back to the graveyard.

“Hello,” Viylah said with a wave.

“This is the mimic?” Chandice asked as she approached with the cake.

“Oh, is that a cake?” Viylah said in delight.

“Yeah,” Quinny replied and held up a plate full of cookies. “We were going to practice dancing and thought you might want to help and have some treats.”

“Here, set all that down,” Viylah urged as more gray ooze shifted and rose, forming a long wooden table. She added a few chairs and even a couch before going to the table in her strange, fluid walk. A knife formed on the table's surface, and Viylah cut the cake like an expert, slicing in rapid, fluid strokes.

“She’s handy with a knife,” Chandice noted.

“She’s like a mobile home,” Jaina laughed as Evalynn marveled at the size of the graveyard and the towering mountains.

“This place is huge,” Evalynn commented. “What’s beyond the mist in the distance?”

“My swamp,” Breanne replied. “I haunt nearly the entire upper swamp.”

“What do you mean by upper swamps?” Evalynn asked.

“There are two swamps,” Breanne explained. “This one is on a high plateau overlooking the lower one. People refer to them as the lower and upper swamps because of the change in elevation.”

“So, all four of your homes are here?” Chandice asked as she stepped aside to make room for a zombie to shuffle by.

“There are five homes here if you count Finneous and his keep,” Quinny replied, then explained the layout of their homes. The upper swamps were almost perfectly round, with the central swamp dominating the area. The graveyard and Heather's tower made up the northmost tip of the area, while Breanne claimed the swamp. Quinny had a haunted forest on the dry land to the west, following the rim of the mountains. The fifth home was an old fort on the rim between the two swamps where a friend of theirs lived.

“If you go east and into the mountains, you run into Umtha's goblin village,” Quinny explained. “But everything beyond that is unclaimed. It's miles of rolling hills and some good flat areas before the swamps. So you have plenty of land to build a huge forest like mine.”

“Now that I have seen it for myself, I hope Roric comes soon,” Chandice said. “I am tired of talking about our home. I want to build it again.”

“So long as it doesn’t end up the same way the last one did,” Evalynn complained.

“What happened the last time?” Frank asked as Evalynn looked pained.

Jaina set her cake aside as Evalynn explained the fall of their previous home and how jealous players sabotaged it before driving them away. She told them how they invested nearly a hundred thousand gold in points to build the most beautiful forest. She teared up a little as she described their dead home's beauty and how magical a place it was.

“So players just up and decided to raid your home?” Breanne asked.

“One player, in particular, put them up to it,” Chandice said with a sour tone. “Her name is Alexandria, and she has had a hate crush on Jaina ever since she got here.”

“What’s a hate crush?” Quinny asked as Heather shrugged.

“I should explain what she means,” Jaina said. Alexandria is a slave master class of some kind and sticks to the spawn ring. She is looking for fresh, naive young girls with the right skills to be a part of her brothel.”

“She runs a brothel?” Heather asked.

“There are a lot of brothels,” Jaina explained.

“But Alexandria is also a class known as a deceiver. She can convince you to do things and make you think it was your idea. When I arrived with Roric, she found a player who could not only shapeshift but had seductress as a secondary class. She saw huge potential for profits with me, but I’m nearly immune to suggestion and was already Roric's, which drove her mad.”

“Did she try to buy you?” Quinny asked.

“Buy me, entice me, convince me to leave. She even tried to kidnap me a few times, and when all that failed, she tried to steal the money we made,” Jaina said.

“Oh, she is a terribly wicked person,” Evalynn added. “She hates not getting what she wants.”

“And she destroyed your home?” Heather asked.

Jaina nodded and took Chandice's hand for strength. “I know what I am about to say will shock you, but Gisley, Evanlynn, and I made quite a bit of money charging men for sex. We made so much that we were ready to build a massive home when most of us were still below level thirty. Alexandria tried to steal the money once, but we turned the rogues that were helping against her and got it all back. A little bit later, we headed off to do some adventuring, and on our travels, we discovered the perfect place for a home. What we didn't know was that we were being followed, and Alexandria was just waiting to strike. She let us start our home, and we converted most of the money into points, building a massive magical forest, a shop for Chandice, and a rustic camp for Roric.”

“Don’t forget Gisley’s amazing moon lake,” Evalynn said. “She only got to sing over it once before it was gone.”

“Oh, I try not to remember how sad that made her,” Jaina replied and shook her head. “The fact is Alexandria knew we had that gold, and she waited until she was sure most of it had been spent. Then she used her deceiver skills to convince people we were a threat. She bribed people, used sex to gain favors, and outright tricked them into thinking our forest was some kind of haven for degenerates. A few days after we started building, parties of players began raiding the place, destroying everything, and in the end, it became too much of a hassle to keep up with them. We started getting killed at an alarming rate, and poor Roric was hunted like an animal a dozen times. We eventually had to leave it all behind and flee far enough away that she couldn't find us.”

“How terrible,” Breanne commented. “The horrible things some players do.”

“Yeah, horrible things,” Heather agreed.

“You converted all that gold and then had to leave all those points behind?” Frank asked with shock in his voice.

“We lost all of the points,” Jaina replied with a shake of her head. “Which is why we are being so careful about choosing a new home. It has to be hidden and out of the way. Someplace where Alexandria won’t find it. That’s why I want Roric to come here and look at the land. Maybe this is far enough away that nobody will find us.”

“Well, it's not exactly hidden,” Quinny said as she nibbled on a cookie. “We have been trying to bring players in to adventure in our lairs, and they are starting to come. But Gwen has promised to protect us from marauding players. If needs be, she will send her army to protect us.”

“Your mother sounds very nice,” Chandice said as she started on some cake.

“She is nice, and she loved being called my mother,” Heather complained. “So you may as well keep saying it, but she isn’t really my mother.”

“Why isn’t she?” Evalynn asked. “This body wasn’t exactly born and raised by somebody. So your mother is whoever your heart says it is.”

“Yeah,” Quinny agreed. “Gwen could be your mother as easily as Breanne could.”

“Don’t ever say that about me again,” Breanne scolded as Quinny shrugged.

“I don’t mean that your old, just that you are mature enough to be a good mother,” Quinny said. “You need to stop thinking about the past and see yourself now. You are young and beautiful and always will be.”

“Oh, were you older when you came to New Eden?” Jaina asked.

“Very,” Breanne replied. “Enough that most of the people in my life had already passed on and the few that remained weren't fit enough to understand the opportunity New Eden offered.”

“At least you made it,” Chandice said. “Maybe it was fate, and you were meant to have a new life with new people to love.”

“I suppose,” Breanne agreed as Quinny moved to sit with her and put an arm around her waist.

“Not going to complain that I am molesting you?” Quinny asked.

“No, I am growing accustomed to you being attached to me all the time,” Breanne relented and put her arm around the zombie woman.

“I try to forget my past life,” Evalynn said. “As far as I am concerned, this life is all there has ever been. I am a young sexy elf maiden, and I am going to enjoy my life with the people I love most.”

“And you do it so well,” Heather said. “I have to admit I have never seen anyone as happy to be here as your group is.”

“Why shouldn't we be happy?” Chandice asked. “Oh, we have the occasional sourpuss like Alexandria to deal with, but all she can do is waste our time. She can't take away our love or dreams, and we know we will have everything we want one day.”

“And we will get to hear Gisley singing under the moon,” Jaina sighed.

“Well, we should get to practicing,” Breanne said and stood up with Quinny in her arm. “I will use Quinny to show you some dances, and then we can practice them.”

“What about Gisley?” Heather asked. “She should get to practice too.”

“Trust us, Gisley knows how to dance,” Chandice replied as she got up and took Evalynn's arm. Frank stood with Heather, and Jaina walked over to a surprised Viylah and asked her to dance.

“You wish to dance with me?” Viylah asked.

“I figured you wouldn’t mind dancing with a fellow mimic,” Jaina said.

Breanne hurried over and showed them how to stand and hold one another, pressing the two together. Jaina somehow felt at ease in the mimic’s arms but noticed she kept glancing at Heather.

“Is something wrong?” Jaina asked as Breanne took Quinny and demonstrated some steps.

“No, it’s just she reminds me of someone,” Viylah replied. “They are so close in appearance but distinctly different.”

“Heather reminds you of your lover,” Jaina surmised.

“I never called her my lover,” Viylah said indignantly as they spun in a few steps.

“You didn't have to,” Jaina replied. “I could tell by the way you spoke about her and your devotion to waiting for her to return.”

“I suppose that does give me away,” Viylah sighed. “But yes, I loved her, and Heather is the same race as she was. She was a beautiful lilithu though she had other forms that were equally as pretty.”

“She must have made a deep impression on you,” Jaina said.

“Oh, she made a deep impression, alright, and I will do anything to find her again,” Viylah replied. “I know one day I will, and then we will finish what we started.”

Jaina was struck by the tone of that last comment, as it almost sounded angry. She wanted to ask why the sudden change in tone but thought better of it. Instead, she focused on dancing as Breanne proved to be an excellent instructor.

The graveyard proved to be a poor place for dancing, but they managed despite the tombstones getting in the way. Eventually, they began switching partners, and Frank ended up with Chandice. Jaina didn't want to embarrass him by paring him with a naked dancer, but the true magic happened when Heather ended up with Breanne.

The two danced and swayed as if perfectly matched, doing so well that the others stopped to watch instead of practicing it themselves. When the paces ended, Breanne looked into Heather's eyes and blushed slightly before suggesting they stop. The sun suddenly moved, racing across the sky to signify the time was up anyway.

“That was fun,” Quinny said as she clung to Frank for the walk back.

“It was fun,” Jaina agreed as she looked over her shoulder to see Viylah watching them go. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”