“So what do we do?” Quinny asked as they watched the woman strike up a conversation with a few people.
“We drag her away and kill her,” Umtha spat as she scowled.
“Nobody has to do anything,” Frank said. “None of us look like how we did when she first met us. I doubt she will have any idea who we are.”
“But she must be here for a reason,” Quinny insisted. “And she knows Heather’s secret.”
“Maybe if we just ignore her, she will move on and go away,” Frank suggested.
“Or maybe we should find out why she's here,” Heather said. “Let's not forget the local thieves guild works for us, and Santos owes us about a bajillion favors.”
“That's a good idea considering she likes to hire mercenaries,” Frank agreed. “She may have already made contact with the rogues guild or be planning to.”
“We could get Jaina to talk to her,” Evalynn suggested. “Her skills make her perfect for information gathering.”
“Hmm, I can shapeshift now as well,” Heather said as she pondered an idea. She was already disguised as a human redhead but had another idea forming. If Moon was here, it could only mean she was following a lead, and it was probably princess Hannah's marriage to Frank. Hannah would fit Heather's description, and the woman knew Frank's name. By now, she probably had Frank's human description and that he frequented the jade temple with his harem of girls. It was only a matter of time before somebody pointed them out and sent Moon after them.
“I think all of you should slip away and warn Rajeen about Moon's presence,” Heather said. “Ask her to contact Santos and find out if Moon has spoken to the guild yet.”
“What are you going to do?” Frank asked with a concerned voice.
“I am going to wait for her to get to my table,” Heather replied with a smile as she reverted to her copper-skinned devil form. “And then I am going to see what she says.”
“I think it would be safer to let Jaina play this role,” Breanne insisted. “Moon might have other means to identify you, and people have seen this form with Frank as well.”
“Hmm,” Heather said as she pondered it. Suddenly her form blurred, and she was tall, with straight blond hair and striking blue eyes with slits for pupils. She had soft white horns like a ram curling at the sides of her head and sharply pointed ears. Her skin was fair, with ruby red lips and a slight shadowing of purple under her eyes. She wore thigh-high white boots with golden trim decorated in patterns of hearts. Her waist was a silk panty, and her top was a white leather corset with more golden trim. Around her neck was a white collar with a golden heart hanging from the loop and her hands ended in white silk gloves.
“Whoah?” Quinny said in surprise. “You look amazing.”
“How did you change your clothes in the transformation?” Breanne asked in shock. “And when did you think of an outfit like that?”
“I looked at my interface for an angelic appearance earlier,” Heather admitted. “Now go before anybody sees us together.”
“She looks so hot,” Quinny insisted as Breanne pulled her away.
Heather waited for them to go, then flagged down a harem girl and asked for another glitter bomb. She felt her tension rising as Moon circulated the room, randomly striking up conversations. It wasn't long before somebody stood up to point her way, then looked confused to see Frank and the others were gone.
“So she is looking for someone,” Heather said under her breath as the glitter bomb arrived, but the woman who brought it was not the woman she had spoken to.
“I hear you have a stalker,” the red-headed woman said as she placed the drink.
“Does my disguise fool no one?” Heather asked.
“Your husband described you, or he tried while Quinny went on and on about a hot angel devil,” the woman replied.
“Good, then Rajeen is aware,” Heather said as she picked up her drink.
“Oh, she is very interested in this development,” the woman replied, looking across the room at Moon. “Your husband says she has lied, betrayed, and even kidnapped you twice.”
“That’s her current tally,” Heather agreed. “And her being here can only mean she plans to try again.”
“So what are you going to do?” the woman asked.
“Hmm, maybe you can help me,” Heather said as she coldly calculated her options. “See if you can eavesdrop on her and find out if she is asking about me. If she is, try to cut into her conversation and tell her she should talk to me. If she asks why tell her you have seen me with the woman she is asking about.”
“What should I say your name is?” she asked.
“You're right. I need a name. Tell her my name is Sindra,” Heather replied. “And don’t hesitate to tell her I am a succubus.”
“Alright,” the red-haired woman said with a wink and headed away.
Heather sat back and put her feet on the table before lifting her drink with a gloved hand. She found it exciting to be playing this role and looked around to see a few others had noticed her. A man smiled and waved as Heather tipped her head at him before sipping her drink. She could get used to changing form at will and blending into any situation as needed.
It took several minutes, but the harem girl eventually worked her way into a conversation with Moon and quickly pointed Heather out. Heather swallowed and did her best to steady her nerves as Moon slowly sauntered across the room and stood before her table.
“Can I help you with something, sweetheart?” Heather said in a sultry voice.
Moon looked down at her as a slight smile twisted her lips. Heather could see she was pleased by the sight and took a more relaxed stance as she folded her arms.
“I am looking for a friend,” Moon replied, studying Heather carefully. “Oddly, she looks a lot like you. Her name is Heather, but I believe she calls herself Hannah here.”
“Princess Hannah,” Heather corrected. “And if you want to speak to her, go to the castle.”
“I can’t fly,” Moon replied.
“I meant the one in the capital city under Queen Gwen,” Heather quipped. Obviously, Moon had discovered that Heather was supposedly living in the floating palace and was out of reach.
“Why go all that way when I hear she frequents this inn?” Moon asked.
“She does frequent this inn,” Heather replied. “And she was here earlier.”
“How interesting,” Moon replied and pulled out a chair. “Do you mind if I sit down?”
“Be my guest,” Heather replied, studying the woman who seemed to be toying with her. She wasn't sure what Moon was doing, but something about this encounter was off. Heather began to wonder if Moon somehow knew who she really was and was just buying time. Maybe there were thugs waiting nearby to ambush her, but that would be a huge mistake here. Rajeen would respond long before anyone could whisk Heather away, and even if they did, Gwen would go insane. She would sense where her daughter was and tear the countryside apart to recover her. Heather felt fairly confident, but seeing Moon's deceitful smile had struck a nerve.
“So?” Heather asked as Moon remained quiet.
“I was just thinking,” Moon said, tapping her nails on the table. “The woman I knew used to travel with a ghoul player. I hear the local princess has married a carrion knight who coincidentally has the same name.”
“So?” Heather asked.
“So, I did a little digging, and it turns out this carrion knight is often seen in public with a harem of slave girls. A few even told me they have seen him with at least two different succubi.”
Heather felt her blood chill as Moon laid out her suspicion. Of course, she knew that about Frank, and the gossip about his harem must have been easily obtained. Moon was suspicious of talking to a succubus knowing that succubus might be one of Frank's harem.
“You are worried you can’t trust me,” Heather said.
“Trust is a hard thing to come by,” Moon replied. “But the harem girl says you are the one to talk to if I want to get close to her. So can you arrange a meeting between Hannah and I?”
“And I told you to go to the castle,” Heather pressed, growing annoyed at the game.
“It needs to be discreet,” Moon quipped and stopped drumming her fingers. “I am guessing you are one of Frank's harem girls so you can deliver a little message for me. Heather meets me on the road at the pass through the mountains in six hours, or I spill her little secret. She comes alone, or I vanish and start spreading the news.”
Heather felt trapped by the sudden assertion and realized her mistake. Moon was logically assuming Heather was a slave girl who could deliver the message. Heather could deny the association, but then she risked Moon not believing her. What she needed was a way out, or even better, a way to turn Moon away. If only she could think of some way to convince Moon that chasing her was pointless. She held her smile while she worked on a plan to turn the tables on the deadly woman. There was something she could do, and her current form was perfect for the deception.
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“Now, why would I want to ruin my prize?” Heather said as she lifted her drink to smile over the glass. “After all, I know what she is.” She was pleased to see Moon react to that statement, but the woman's eyes narrowed dangerously as she pondered her next statement.
“What is your game?” Moon demanded.
Heather finished her sip and set the drink down before leaning over the table to threaten the woman.
“My game is that I have spent weeks carefully worming my way into their relationship. My charms keep him unaware while I dig through all their secrets. I know what Heather is hiding, and I know what she's worth to the north. So why would I want to give up my prize for some rogue who wandered in off the street?”
“If you knew how valuable she was, you would already have acted,” Moon insisted. “Nobody would play a dangerous game like this.”
“Oh, you are precious,” Heather said as she fell into character. She was enjoying this moment, pretending to be a sordid woman with dark ambitions. She also loved that Moon was oblivious to the fact that Heather was in charge of the game. “You can't just snatch her away. She is a princess, and powerful people will come looking for her.”
“Then teleport her away,” Moon challenged. “Hire a mage to open a portal.”
“Oh, so unsophisticated,” Heather cooed as she realized Moon was becoming angry. She didn't want the woman's anger to spoil the fun so she dipped into some of her new powers. A succubus was just a racial version of the seductress class, and she was as armed to charm people as Jaina was.
[lvl 2 Lilim racial power: Pleading innocence] Fall into a state where she appears to be innocent, causing angry or aggressive targets to change their opinion of her. Even swaying people to believe she is innocent of crimes she has committed. Friendly targets will become more reasonable and open to the user's suggestions. Targets already attacking are not affected. Does not affect undead, or constructs.
Heather batted her eyes and chewed on her lower lip as she explained that Hannah was heavily warded by magic from a crown she had been given. Queen Gwen watched her like a hawk, and she couldn't just be snatched away. She had to be carefully led, so no one suspected the danger until it was too late. Moon looked dazzled by the explanation, and for a moment, her smile faded. She blinked a few times, then licked her lips as if confused.
“So you already intent to collect the bounty?” Moon asked.
“Signed, sealed, and just waiting to be delivered,” Heather replied, narrowing her eyes at Moon. “Unless you plan to get in my way. I do hope that isn't the case. I don't really like competition.”
“But I can help you,” Moon insisted. “I have agents scouring the land.”
“I already have her in hand,” Heather said, leaning back. “She and her husband believe I am a trusted member of their harem. She tells me everything about herself, from her dreams to her fears. You would be surprised what a person will say late at night after a few hours with a succubus.”
“This isn’t fair!” Moon shouted and slammed her fist on the table. “You have no idea how hard I worked.”
Heather was struck by the sudden shift in temper, especially considering she should be under the effect of the pleading innocence. Moon must have been so desperate to recover Heather that hearing she had lost broke the effect. She hoped Rajeen and the others were watching from some mirror or magical device as Moon became threatening.
“Are you about to lose your temper?” Heather asked, trying hard to keep up her act.
“I have every right to be mad,” Moon snapped and pointed a finger at Heather. “I was the one who discovered her and lured her into the trap. If it weren't for those bloody goblins, I would be a queen right now. But instead, I got reset, and it took me weeks to rebuild to half the level I had.”
“I knew it was you,” Heather replied, smiling wickedly. “You're the one who tricked her into picking the necromancer class.”
“Keep your voice down!” Moon hissed and looked about to see if anyone had heard. “I can’t believe she would tell you something like that.”
“I told you, a few kisses and a bit of seduction power, and she tells me everything,” Heather replied. “Such a lovely little thing. She really is a good lover.”
“Bloody succubuses,” Moon groaned. “Why would anyone want to play that disgusting class?”
“Oh, are you afraid of a little sex?” Heather demanded.
“I have my lovers,” Moon replied.
“From what Heather says, you will betray anyone for profit,” Heather laughed. “I bet your lovers don't last long.”
“And isn't that what you're doing?” Moon demanded. “Or is there some altruistic motive at play?”
“Why, you wound me,” Heather quipped. “I happen to love her. In fact, I love her so much that I can't bear to see her suffer under that burden. So what I do is for her own good, and of course, I will share the reward with her.”
“I don't believe you for a second,” Moon said with a scowl.
“You don't have to,” Heather said as she used her shapeshifting powers to make her eyes bright red. “All you need to do is understand I already have my claws in her, and I won't tolerate your interference. If you spoil my weeks of work, I will make you regret it.”
“And how do you plan to get her out?” Moon asked.
“Why? So you can set an ambush to steal her away from me?” Heather laughed. “Please, give me more credit than that.” Heather delighted in the look of rage that crossed Moon's face as she spared with a rival. Heather had her by the throat, and the woman had nothing she could do to counter it. It was then that something strange happened, and a tear rolled down Moon's cheek. Her eyes trembled as she recognized she had been defeated, and she silently mouthed a word. Heather was sure she was about to break down, but then she looked away, ashamed of her reaction. With a last mournful look, Moon quickly got up and fled the inn, leaving Heather very startled.
“Ok,” Heather said aloud as she looked about herself. “I assume you guys are watching me. What should I do now?”
A minute later, a harem girl showed up and whispered that Heather needed to go to Rajeen's chambers. Heather nodded and quickly headed out, using the private doors to slip deep into the inn. She tried to sort her thoughts and come to any conclusion as to why Moon would start crying. Heather had always assumed she was an emotionless witch, but something had struck a nerve. She pondered that until she was whisked through the harem and into Rajeen's private chambers, where her friends were all assembled, including Blackbast, who looked very concerned.
“So that woman was the one who tricked you into your curse,” Blackbast said with a nod. “She looks every bit like a deceitful liar.”
“Did you hear that conversation?” Quinny laughed. “Heather lied like a champion.”
“I have to agree,” Breanne said. “I am willing to bet she earned points in the deceit skill.”
“Can we focus on the task at hand?” Heather asked as her distress grew. “She came here for me, but what made her start crying when she realized she couldn't have me?”
“The loss of the prize?” Breanne suggested. “A royal title in Kevin’s empire and enough gold to set up a kingdom is nothing to sneeze at.”
“True, but her reaction seemed almost afraid,” Heather said. “She was barely holding some kind of pain in.”
“Greed has a way of making one suffer,” Rajeen offered. “She must have craved that prize so desperately that she could not accept it was lost.”
“Do we think Moon believes it is lost?” Frank asked. “She isn’t one to just give up.”
“It is possible that Moon believes she has met her match,” Blackbast said. “She met a woman who had gotten herself into place with all the tools necessary to extract Heather quietly. It was a brilliant ploy to use yourself as a rival already in place and working on claiming the reward.”
“Maybe,” Heather agreed as she paced a few steps. “But we need to know more.”
“Indeed,” Rajeen said. “Several of my girls are following her as we speak. I will see to it that she is watched for as long as she remains inside the kingdom.”
“Santos has been alerted as well,” Breanne said. “He and his people will relay anything they learn. Especially if she makes contact with them.”
“I think we should take Heather to the goblin fortress until Moon is gone,” Umtha said. “She will be much safer there.”
“Do I have to go into hiding?” Heather groaned. “I hate that my life can be so easily turned upside down.”
“I would hate for you to have to hide as well,” Blackbast agreed.
“It won’t really matter,” Frank said. “Moon thinks Heather is being slowly manipulated and lured away to be turned in for the bounty. Even if she leaves now, she will only come back later when she wonders why the bounty was never turned in.”
“This is a good point,” Breanne sighed. “All we did was buy time, and we can't run away to hide again unless we want to give up all we have built.”
“Then we have to deal with Moon,” Heather said as she considered her options and had another idea before looking at Frank. “Or we trick her!”
“You mean more than you already did?” Frank asked.
“Yes,” Heather said. “Do you remember how we accidentally switched bodies with your figurine?”
“Yes,” Frank replied as he looked confused.
“Well, we do it again,” Heather said. “I will use it to take your form, and somebody else can take mine. Then we confront Moon with the new version of me and let her see I am no longer a necromancer.”
“But you already told Moon that you knew you were a necromancer,” Umtha pointed out. “She is going to wonder why you said that when presented with a false copy.”
“Hmm, then we do it if she comes back,” Heather stated. “We watch her for now and wait to see what she does. If she leaves, we let her go and don't worry about her. If she comes back, we present her with a fake me and let her see the class is gone. I can even play this role again and tell her Frank spirited me away to the spawns one day and reset me.”
“I don’t like the idea of being the one who kills you repeatedly,” Frank interjected.
“It’s only for the ruse,” Heather insisted. “But anyone can do it.”
“I will be the one who does it,” Blackbast stepped in. “You can tell them I did it to free you from the curse.”
“We are forgetting one thing,” Breanne said to spoil their mood. “Moon knows Heather is a chosen. She isn't going to be fooled by a non-chosen duplicate.”
“She’s right,” Umtha replied. “Even if you let her see the character sheet. She will notice you don’t have the requisite three classes. So I will take your form and pretend to be you.”
“Right, because Umtha is a chosen,” Quinny said. “That works perfectly.”
“This is all a very complex ruse,” Rajeen said with a rub of her chin. “But it still doesn't work. If Umtha is to take your place, we will have to explain why you no longer match your known public persona. All it will take is one of her agents to see you as yourself to spoil it.”
“Oh, why is this all so complicated?” Heather groaned. “I thought I was doing so well, but you're right; she's going to become suspicious if I am never turned in, and I don't see how to trick her into believing I reset.”
“Perhaps the solution is in what this Moon does next?” Rajeen suggested. “You were correct that her reaction seemed far more emotional than the situation warranted. If we could learn why she reacted that way, we might gain some insight into how to deal with her.”
“Well, it’s better than talking in circles,” Heather agreed.
“I think we should put your ruse into play in the meantime,” Blackbast suggested.
“My ruse, how?” Heather asked with a raised brow.
“Take your normal form and switch it with the figurine. You can then use your shapeshift to change back to this appearance while I take your normal form. Then we make a public appearance so that Moon can see us together,” Blackbast bast explained.
“It would help to establish your story,” Rajeen agreed. “I will contact my girls and find out where our quarry is so that you can just happen to cross her path again.”
Heather realized they were right and a public appearance would go to great lengths to help establish her story. However, when Frank held out the figurine, she felt a sudden sense of dread. Since the accident with Frank, she hadn't been able to bring herself to use the raven figurine. Seeing someone else in her body caused a sense of panic that gripped her heart, and knowing it was about to happen again was terrifying.
Frank held it out as she hesitated, holding her hand over the statue as if it might burn her. When she finally took it, her hand was shaking and Blackbast quickly took her aside.
“What is the matter?” Blackbast asked. “You are shaking like a leaf.”
“I know it was my idea, but I don't like doing this,” Heather said. “Something about seeing someone in my body dredges up a feeling of intense anxiety.”
“How long have you felt this way?” Blackbast pressed.
“Well, Quinny accidentally took my body once,” Heather said as she thought back. “I snapped at her and demanded she change back. But it really came to the surface when Frank and I switched bodies on accident. We got interrupted before we could change back, and I had to endure several hours watching him pretend to be me. I was going out of my mind like the world was closing in on me.”
“You should have told me about this sooner,” Blackbast insisted. “This could be a remnant of your forgotten memories.”
“I just didn't want to think about it,” Heather said. “I haven't even been able to use my bird figurine since the incident. I am afraid of losing my form.”
“Well, why don’t we do this another way then,” Blackbast said and pulled Heather into a hug. “You are not the only shapeshifter we have at our disposal.”
Heather was relieved when Jaina was sent for, and the woman arrived with Roric at her side twenty minutes later. They explained the situation, and Roric readily agreed to let Jaina play a role in the ruse. They decided that Jaina would copy Heather's succubus appearance, so Heather could go as herself and display a little flower singer power if necessary. Jaina teased Heather about how the succubus form was very similar to her human form.
“I happen to like how I look,” Heather insisted.
“So do I,” Jaina cooed. “And I love this innocent yet sexy outfit.”
“Can we just go and let her see us?” Heather groaned.
Rajeen used a magical spell to get an update from her scouts to discover Moon was at the gate to Gwen’s city. She was asking nearby players questions about the gate and why the two cities were linked. Blackbast cited this as a perfect opportunity to present themselves. They would march through the gate as if on their way to see the queen, putting on a show of their passing.
To help sell the scene, a few city guards were pressed into the escort, walking before the group as they headed down the street. Frank led the procession with Heather at his right and Blackbast at his left. Quinny, Breanne, Umtha, and Jaina brought up the rear, with Jaina doing her best to play the role of the succubus.
The group garnered a lot of attention, with people calling out to wave at the prince and princess. As they approached the magic gate, they spotted Moon hiding in the shadows of an alleyway. They paid the woman no attention as the group passed by, Heather wearing a lovely white gown woven with green flowers and a wide-brim hat. She waved a white-gloved hand to the crowd and broke into a soft song, causing nearby flower boxes to bloom. Jaina brought up the rear, turning her gaze squarely on Moon to let the woman know she had seen her. She flashed a devilish smile to remind the woman that Heather was hers, then passed through the gate, heading for Gwen's castle.
“Do you think it worked?” Quinny asked as they headed down the street.
“Only time will tell,” Breanne replied.
“At the very least, it helped establish Heather's story,” Blackbast said. “Moon will certainly believe that Sindra is making a play to claim the bounty herself but is only biding her time until it is safe to do so.”
All they could do was hope their little ploy worked and Moon would give up. If not, they would have to find another way to buy her silence, or their happy home would be at risk.