1-82 Here to stay

Roric led his girls down the road as it began to move inland away from the water. The swamps retreated across a rolling plain to his right while low hills dotted the land to the left. Behind them was a rim of low mountains whose peaks weren't high enough to garner snow. Evalynn remarked that it was the perfect land to build the forest from the water's edge to the mountain cliffs.

Roric agreed, but there was far more to consider than the lay of the land. The woman who invited them was extremely dangerous not only for her class but her apparent connection to king Kevin. He didn't know what to make of this Hathlisora story, but Heather didn't deny it could be true. She clung to the excuse that she had no memory of this previous life or what she had done to anger Kevin. It all seemed so muddled and confused as Heather wasn't even sure if she was this mysterious woman. All she knew was that Umtha was sure, and so were other players who saw her uncollared devil form. But Heather also had a letter supposedly written by Hathlisora herself, addressing Heather and asking her to carry on. Wasn't that proof that Heather and Hathlisora were two different people?

“You are awfully quiet,” Jaina said as she walked behind him.

“I have a lot on my mind,” Roric replied as they crested a small hill to look over a vast area. It was more space than they had in the previous forest and left them plenty of room to grow. He tried to take in the potential, but the conversation had to come first.

“So, what do we think of Heather?” he asked as they came to a halt.

“I'm still in shock,” Jaina said as she looked at the others. “I can't believe she's a necromancer.”

“And that Hathlisora story,” Chandice added. “How could she have done all that, died, and not respawned until that statue thing called her back? That's not how the system works, and even if it did, why does she have no memory of it?”

“I have no clue, but Umtha seems certain that she is Hathlisora,” Evalynn said.

“She does,” Roric agreed. “But Frank is sure she's not.”

“More like he's desperate for her not to be Hathlisora,” Jaina said. “Frank loves her dearly, and I think he is protecting her from it.”

“He does seem to care about her, about all of them, really,” Roric agreed as his ear twitched in the breeze. “But I still can't believe the complexity of this story. I would dismiss it as a lie if not for how complex it is and how accurately they all tell the same details.”

“I think she's telling the truth,” Gisley said as she fluttered around to face them. “Nobody would tell a lie like that, knowing it could get them into terrible trouble.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” Roric said.

“Then why did they tell us at all?” Chandice asked. “Wouldn’t it have been better not to say anything?”

“Because Heather cares,” Gisley insisted. “She knows we were considering living here, and she cares about us enough to want us to know her secret.”

“She wanted to make sure we knew what we were getting into,” Roric surmised. “A necromancer that already has people hunting for her and a mad king who might discover his old rival is back.”

“That part I can’t accept,” Jaina said. “She might be a necromancer but this other woman thing has to be a mistake. Don’t forget they found that letter from Hathlisora to Heather. It proves they are two separate people.”

“Did you see the look on their faces, though?” Evalynn asked. “I don’t think any of them know what to believe, especially Heather.”

Roric thought that, too, and hadn't failed to notice the kindness Heather was paying them. It was a tremendous risk to reveal such a secret, but she had done it out of compassion. He had to consider that as he weighed the decision before them.

“I believe Heather is telling the truth,” he said and put an arm around Evalynn. “She isn't sure about the Hathlisora thing but knows there is something to it that can't be ignored. Gisley is right. She shared this terrible secret with us because she cares about our safety. Now we are here, and I think the land looks good. There is plenty of room for the forest, and my camp can easily be hidden in the mountains. Gisley's pond can be placed under a falls in the hills, and Chandice's shop should be to the south, closer to the city.”

“So, you like the land?” Jaina asked with a smile.

“It’s good,” Roric replied with a nod. “And it’s so far south I doubt Alexandria will find us for years.”

“If she’s even free to look” Evalynn interjected. “From what that dwarf woman said, they were going to drag Alexandria back in Jaina’s place.”

“Serves her right,” Jaina grumbled.

Roric turned to the mountains with Evalynn in his arms and pointed to a distant cliff.

“Do you think we could put my camp up there?” he asked.

“I am sure we could,” Evalynn said. “This is a lot more land than we originally used, and we have a long waterfront on the swamp.”

“Heather said this swamp was higher than the lower one,” Gisley reminded. “She said there was a series of falls all along a cliff.”

“We could extend the forest to the edge and use it as our boundary,” Evalynn suggested. “Chadnice's shop should be where the road from the lower swamps comes up.”

“Didn’t they tell us the upper road also went to a town with a fort?” Chandice asked.

“They did,” Roric replied as he considered the land. “So we agree the land is good. Now is it safe to build here?”

The group went silent as they considered all they had learned and the possible risks. Heather was a danger to everyone around her, but that didn't stop others from loving her. Still, they had already suffered the pain of losing a home and didn't want to face the prospect of it happening again. They needed to be sure this would not be a huge mistake.

“I don’t think we are in danger from Heather or her friends,” Jaina said. “She’s a sweetheart who cares about others.”

“But she's got a bullseye on her head the size of the moon,” Chandice reminded. “You heard what they said about necromancers; the bounty on their heads is large enough to buy kingdoms.”

“And people already know she's here,” Evalynn said. “They are looking for her even as we speak.”

“That Moon woman sounds vile,” Gisley spat. “To think somebody would trick a woman in shock into being a necromancer so she could turn her in. She's worse than Alexandria.”

“But Heather seems to have escaped her detection,” Roric said. “Blackbast’s collars are probably helping to keep her hidden.”

“For how long? Jaina asked. “Heather and the others can't wear those forever. Blackbast is growing weaker by the day, and not having proper slaves puts her class at risk. She is going to have to collar at least one proper slave soon.”

“Or Heather is going to have to learn how to be one,” Chandice added and took Jaina’s hand. “You think you could teach her to embrace the lifestyle?”

“What? No, I don’t think I should,” Jaina said as she looked away.

“I seem to recall you saying that if Heather were a blond, you would take her as your second girlfriend,” Chandice teased. “Well, she's as blond as I am and far more innocent looking.”

“Don't remind me,” Jaina sighed as she hungered to kiss Heather's lips. “She isn't mine to lust after, and I don't need you filling my head with ideas.”

“But do you think she might become a real slave?” Gisley asked.

“I doubt it,” Roric cut in. “Frank hates that they are wearing those collars. He hates the whole slavery system even if it is only for play. He will take them out of the collars as soon as he can and probably send Blackbast away.”

“I am more interested in knowing how Blackbast knows Rajeen,” Evalynn said. “She said they came to the world together.”

“Like Roric and I did,” Jaina added. “I wonder if they are lovers?”

“I bet they are,” Gisley cooed and did a little spin in the air. “I can’t wait to see how they react tonight when we bring them together in the dream.”

“I wonder why they parted ways?” Chandice questioned.

“I couldn't hazard a guess, but I can tell Blackbast isn't happy,” Roric said.

“I picked up on that, too,” Jaina agreed. “Something is bothering her, but she is so focused on pushing the girls into Frank's arms.”

“I am surprised she has to push at all,” Chandice laughed. “It’s obvious he loves them. They were his harem long before we met them.”

“Heather said Frank is new to relationships and doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Jaina explained. “She said he needed more time to learn and adjust. He cares deeply about them, but he's afraid Heather will be hurt if he shows it.”

“What does she think?” Chandice asked.

“After that ogre battle, it all came out in the open,” Roric reminded. “She made them admit they loved Frank and took them through the door to comfort him.”

“I wonder how much comfort they gave him?” Jaina said with a smirk.

“I doubt it was that much,” Evalynn said as she looked across the land. “But at least they all know the relationship is going to happen. It’s Heather that is holding it all back.”

“She needs time to adjust too,” Roric said. “She is a very traditional values kind of person, and embracing two other women is going to take time.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t mind teaching her that,” Jaina said.

“So, back to the question at hand,” Roric said, turning to ensure they were all watching him. “Do we risk building here, or is Heather too dangerous to be associated with?”

He studied every face as they considered the question with heavy hearts. To lose everything a second time and potentially be labeled enemies of king Kevin was not a trivial decision. There was no way to know how Heather's enemies would treat them. They might be ignored, killed, or even imprisoned. Worst-case scenario, they might be reset and sent back to start all over again.

“I say we do it,” Chandice said, causing the others to turn to her.

“You were the last person I expected to be good with this idea,” Jaina said.

“The way I see it, Heather has shown us a tremendous amount of trust and respect. She has even promised that her mother would shelter us if need be. I know it sounds cliché, but friends like that are hard to come by, and Heather feels as genuine as they come.”

“She has shown us love,” Gisley added. “She loved us enough to share her darkest secret. We could run off to claim the bounty ourselves, but she trusted us.”

“What about you?” Roric asked as he looked at Jaina.

“I don't want to see our home destroyed a second time, but Chandice and Gisley are right. That Heather shared such a terrible secret with us only proves how much she cares. I even got to see her ask Viylah to join her home purely because she was afraid the woman was lonely. Heather is as good and wonderful a person as we are likely to find, and I love her.”

“Oh, I love her too,” Gisley squealed. “And besides, none of this is her fault. People did this to her. She's the victim here.”

“And you?” Roric asked the beautiful elf maiden in his arms.

Evalynn sighed and looked down as she worked out her thought.

“I have always considered it my role to help you protect the others, so in this regard I have concerns. However, I would give anything to see Heather and Gisley dance over a field of magical flowers again. I agree Heather is as sweet and genuine as anyone can be, but her circumstances have driven her to desperation. None of this is her fault, and everyone who takes any time to get to know her falls in love with her.

“Even the goblins,” Jaina laughed.

Evalynn nodded and stepped out of Roric's arms to plant her spear in the soil. “So I say this land is now our home, and let's finish our task so we can build our forest.”

“Yay!” Gisley cried and tackled Evalynn from behind. “I knew this would be our home the moment I saw it.”

“So be it,” Roric nodded but in the back of his mind, he still had concerns. Who knew what dangers would come when Heather, the necromancer, was discovered again? All he could do was build and hope that when the danger came, it passed over his home and left his girls unharmed.

“I have to admit I feel excited,” Jaina said and took Chandice’s hand. “We have a site for a new home.”

“And a new girlfriend,” Chandice added with a wink.

“Oh, don't start that,” Jaina sighed. “Look, you know I would take that beauty to bed in a heartbeat, but she's going to be married soon. I just can't bring myself to lay a finger on her unless she made it clear she wanted it.”

“And if she does?” Chandice pressed.

“I am ravaging her until she begs me to marry her too,” Jaina laughed.

“That would make you a princess as well,” Gisley said as she clung to Evalynn. “Then I could make love to a princess.”

“Could you imagine the draw princess Hannah dancing and stripping on the stage would bring?” Evalynn asked.

“We would need a much bigger place to dance to hold all the people,” Jaina said.

“And you would all be fucking for days afterward,” Chandice laughed. “Especially Heather.”

“I would love to see that,” Jaina said as she started to get hot. “Heather, naked and tied to a bed while hundreds of men pounded her body and filled that sweet pussy with cum. I would love to be in the room just to eat her out between them.”

“You just love to eat pussy,” Chandice said and stroked her cheek. “Mine is here anytime you need it.”

“As much as I would enjoy doing that, we have a time limit,” Jaina pointed out and turned to Roric.

“We do have to return before dark,” Roric agreed and looked over the expanse. “But let's get a little close to the mountains first.”

He had Gisley summon a disk and fly them off at much greater speed. They inspected the hills along the edge of the mountains, finding a beautiful pristine pond feed by a stream that tumbled down the hill. Evalynn promised to make it even better than Gisley's last pond, and they moved on. Roric was pleased with the place and felt a twinge of hope that this could be their home. He was still concerned about Heather and her dangerous past, but something inside told him to take the risk.

After a few hours of fluttering, they found the rim of the upper swamp and looked down in amazement at how far down the lower swamp was. It was easily fifty meters with hundreds of little waterfalls pouring water from the upper swamp to the lower one. The ridge went beyond their sight and vanished into a mist at the falls' edge.

They were struck by its unusual beauty and the view it gave of the lower region. Chandice immediately planned out where her shop should be, asking Gisley to fly back to the road. He let them imagine the future for a bit, then suggested they head back. Gisley was delighted to fly them along, this time following the road as it clung to the edge of the swamp itself. Evalynn suggested they use her tools to push the swamp back a little and make the road less muddy. Gisley wanted to light the path with magical lamps, and Chandice looked forward to putting up signs for travelers.

When they reached the graveyard, Roric took a moment to explore the immediate area with Jaina sharing what she had seen the last visit here. It was strange to see zombies and skeletons moving about, but nothing so much as looked their way.

Heather and her entire group were sitting on a bench outside the tower. Frank was in the middle, with Quinny on one side and Breanne on the other. Blackbast paced anxiously, her tail twitching from side to side. Heather sat on the ground with a book in her lap while her spider lay curled into a ball at her side. Gisley giggled when they heard the spider snore in a high-pitched squeak.

“Heather!” Jaina called and ran forward, quickly followed by the others.

“Oh, good. You’re back,” Heather said as she closed her book. “So what did you think?”

All at once, the girls began talking with each one, explaining what they liked about it. Chandice began describing her shop as Evalynn tried to explain how she planned to create the woods. Gisley went on and on about finding the perfect place for her pond as Jaina talked about the cliffs for Roric.

“I assume this means you liked it?” Heather laughed as Roric brought the excited women under control.

“We loved it,” Roric said with a nod. “And if your offer still stands, we would like to claim it as our home.”

“Of course,” Heather said as she stood up. “I am so happy you want to stay, especially considering me.”

“I admit we had a long talk about you and what it meant to be your friends,” Roric said as he approached with Jaina on his arm. “But we agreed unanimously that you were worth the risk.” He noticed how Heather smiled and slightly blushed at his remarks. He decided to push on to the next order of business and suggested they head back to enter the dream. He told them how Gisley’s glitter could be used to put them to sleep, speeding along the process.

Heather agreed before turning to Frank to hold out her hand.

“Collect your girlfriends and let's get back so we can do this dream thing,” she suggested.

Roric tried not to laugh as Frank looked visibly shaken to hear her say that. He stood with a woman on each arm and walked with them to lead the way as Heather fell back to talk with Roric and Blackbast.

“So, who is this Rajeen to you?” Heather asked as they entered the tower.

“A very old friend,” Blackbast replied. “One I had not expected to meet again for a very long time.”

“Is she nice?” Heather pressed.

“She’s wonderful,” Jaina answered. “I love her like a part of our family.”

“So do I,” Evalynn said as Gisley nodded in agreement.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet her,” Heather said and took Blackbast’s arm. “But you seem you would rather wait.”

“No, I am very much looking forward to this,” Blackbast replied. “This is a happy, nervous.”

Roric noted that Heather let the matter drop as they made their way back. By the time they reached the campsite, the sun had moved, and stars now dominated the sky. He suggested they all share his tent, with his girls in the bed, while Frank and his harem could use the cushions on the other side. Heather once again agreed, and they went inside, separating into their areas as Gisley waited to begin. Again he tried not to laugh as the girls piled on Frank; all three of them were lying in his arms. He looked like a man lost at sea and praying his lift boat wouldn't be eaten by a shark.

“She looks nervous,” Gisley whispered to Roric as Blackbast stood nearby.

“You get ready. I will talk to her,” Roric said and approached Blackbast.

“You seem tense,” he said as he noted the rapid twitch of her tail. “Maybe you should join them before we begin?” He gestured to Frank and his harem, but Blackbast didn't immediately react. He wondered if she and Rajeen had parted on bad terms and this meeting wasn't a good idea after all. “We don't have to do this if you don't want to,” he said.

“No, we must do this,” Blackbast said and turned to look into his eyes. “It has been a long time since we last saw each other. I am nervous about seeing her again.”

“Don't be,” Gisley urged as she fluttered over. “She never mentioned you by name, but she did talk fondly about a friend she came to new Eden with. I think she will be happy to see you.”

“Oh, I am sure she will be happy to see me,” Blackbast laughed. “It is what she will want after she sees me that worries me.”

“Ha, will she want to negotiate for one of your girls?” Jaina called from the bed. “Roric and her negotiated a lot over us.”

Gisley and the others started to snicker as Blackbast shot Roric a confused look. He had to explain how he had sold Jaina to Rajeen for a short while after some very aggressive negotiations.

“I had to wrestle with some of her terms,” he said as Gisley leaned into him and smiled.

“I see,” Blackbast replied as she grabbed her twitching tail. Then she has not changed in the time I have been away. I supposed there is no point in delaying this any longer.” She turned and strutted toward Frank with her hips swaying seductively. She dropped to all fours and crawled over them like a cat, purring as she rubbed in close and put her head down on his chest.

Roric heard Heather accuse herself as Quinny threw an arm over Blackbast to hug tightly into her back.

“Now?” Gisley asked as Roric nodded.

She fluttered into the air with her wings spread wide and produced a cloud of silvery glitter. It drifted over the group of snuggling women, and they all suddenly felt tired. In seconds they were asleep on Frank's chest, a little bundle of love waiting to be collected.

Gisley then turned to her group as Roric joined them in bed. She fluttered over and settled among them as sleep took them all to another land.

“Do you see them?” Jaina asked as Gisley collected her family first. They were standing in a dream version of Rajeen’s inn among the tables where people sat to watch them dance. The space was empty except for them as Gisley stared into the void looking for the other dreamers.

“I see Heather,” she said and reached out a hand as if to pull the woman from thin air. A moment later, Heather appeared and spun around in confusion, finally looking at Jaina.

“Well, you made it,” Jaina said and took her hand.

“Where is this?” Heather asked. “Is this some kind of Turkish restaurant?”

Roric thought that was a perfect description of the space and tucked that comment away to use on Rajeen later. Jaina explained that it was an inn just as Gisley plucked Quinny from the void. She went on to describe how it was based on a palace in the far east and was home to the largest harem any of them had ever seen.

“There is a harem here?” Heather asked and looked around to see it.

“Usually, it's fifty or more girls strong,” Jaina replied as Roric joined the conversation.

“Are you filling her in?” he asked.

“Just the basics,” Jaina said.

“And all this is a dream?” Quinny asked as she pushed the chair. “It feels so real, and you're all really here?”

“We are all here,” Roric said.

“That's the power of giggly,” Jaina replied and hugged the fairy, who giggled to match her namesake. She pulled Breanne into the room and then hunted for their missing man.

“How does she do it?” Heather asked and walked around a bit.

“Gisley is gifted in creating dream spaces,” Roric replied. “Manipulating dreams is part of her class as a lunar fairy. We stayed at this inn for a few weeks, so she knows its interior well. This is Rajeen's home and where we agree to meet her when the nights call for it.”

“I got Frank,” Gisley announced and pulled him out of the air. He looked confused, but Evalynn took his hand and caught him up to speed.

“So this Rajeen woman is here someplace?” Heather asked as Frank joined her side.

“She should be,” Jaina replied and looked about. “This is one of the nights we agreed to meet. I am sure she will turn up sooner or later.”

“Missing me already?” came a seductive voice that drew all eyes to an ornate archway hung with a golden curtain. It was pulled open to reveal a woman with a tiger-like face, generous chest, and a thin cat-like body. She stepped through the doorway wearing only a sheer fabric at her waist, allowing them to see the snow-white fur that covered her skin. With a hungry smile, her eyes fixated on Roric, and she began to stalk across the room like a lion hunting its prey.

“Lady, Rajeen,” Roric said with a smile that was quickly washed away when Rajeen grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. Roric's tail thrashed as Rajeen's arms wrapped around him. He was pulled into a hug he reciprocated as their bodies pressed together.

“Umm,” Heather said with a funny look. “Are those two in love?”

“They most certainly are,” Jaina said. “I am surprised they haven’t married.”

“There goes my chances of marrying Roric. It looks like I will have to settle for marrying you,” Chandice said and nudged Jaina.

“Not until I see a ring,” Jaina insisted and looked away.

“Wait, why do you get the ring?” Chandice balked. “You asked me out, so I get the ring.”

“I am the sex slave,” Jaina countered. “If you want a ring on my salary, you will have to settle for a flower tied into a loop.”

“Ha,” Quinny laughed as the two lovers came apart.

“I have missed you,” Rajeen said as they parted. “Please tell me you are coming back.”

“I am afraid we have found a new home in a most unexpected place,” Roric replied. “But that isn’t why we came.”

“No?” Rajeen asked as her ears perked up. “Then what has brought the keeper of my heart back to me?”

“You could say I ran into someone who claims to hold that title already,” Roric replied and turned to Gisley as she pulled the last person into the dream.

“It can't be,” Rajeen gasped as Blackbast stood tall and smiled wickedly. The two stared at one another with obvious recognition before Blackbast fell to one knee before a stunned audience.

“Hello, my master.”