Mythran's Master Of All

“Ma'am? Do you have a lot to pack?” Ren asked Maria, the old woman who was Belinda's mother.

“Yes, young man. I have lots of mementos to bring with me.”

Since Maria was now outside the shack, Ren looked at it and saw it only sat on the ground and his Heat Sense showed him nothing living was inside.

“Don't be surprised when I do this.” Ren said as he reached out and touched the shack, then stored it. “There. All packed.”

Belinda stared at the empty space, and the old woman cackled.

“You Adventures sure know how to show a woman a good time.”

“It's a gift and a curse.” Ren said, and she kept laughing. He led her and the others over to the wall, and they all stood there to wait for Princess to come back.

*

Ren's mount Princess had taken Xuunah and Narshan right to the apartment and stopped just outside the door.

“Hurry.” Xuunah said and climbed down from the driver's seat of the carriage. “Ren will be waiting.”

“What's the rush, anyway?” Narshan asked as he hopped off the carriage. “Why did he say only half an hour?”

“He needs time to meet with representatives for the High Elven Kingdom before coming back here to the capital to plead his cases.” Xuunah said. “He's being generous with that time estimate, since it should only take 10 minutes to gather everyone.”

“No, 10 minutes would be unreasonable. Anyone could use up that much time just by getting dressed.”

“Then you help them get dressed.” Xuunah said and entered the large building. “I'll pack for them.”

“I don't think they are going to like you touching their things.”

“I don't care what they think.” Xuunah said. “Ren wants them gathered and they will be gathered.”

“No discussion?” Narshan asked and followed her to his apartment.

“It's not necessary. They are coming and they will want their things. Those things will be brought.” Xuunah said and pointed to his door. “You first.”

Narshan sighed and opened the door. “Mother! Sister!”

“Narshan!” A prim and proper woman, with speckles of grey in her hair, shuffled over to the front door. Her ornate dress was so tight that her feet barely moved, which explained the shuffle.

“Welcome home!” The woman said.

“I've got good news and bad news.” Narshan said and gave his mother a hug.

“You know we hate bad news.” His sister said and shuffled over, and Xuunah saw that her hair was surprisingly like her mother's. It had speckles of grey in it and it was in the same style, as was her dress.

“The good news is that I quit my job and I told that wench to shove it.” Narshan said, and his mother and sister gasped and covered their mouths with their hands, then started to speak at the same time.

“H-how is that good news?” His mother asked.

“What will we do, now that you don't have an income?” His sister asked.

Narshan held his hands up to stop them from talking. “I got an offer to leave the kitchens, so I did.” He said to placate them, and both women visibly relaxed.

“So, what part of the castle are you working in now?” His mother asked.

“I'm not going to be in any part of the castle.” Narshan said. “In fact, I don't even know what kind of job I'll have when I get to where I'm going.”

“Get to where... are you moving?” His sister asked and started to get hysterical. “Is that the bad news? You're abandoning us?!?”

“No, I'm not!” Narshan said.

Xuunah stepped around him and put a hand on each of the women's shoulders and flooded them with calm. “Relax. He is moving, but he is also taking you both with him.”

The mother and daughter looked at her with wide eyes. “We're moving?”

Narshan nodded. “We're here to pick you up.”

The mother sighed. “If that was all good news, I don't know if I want to hear the bad news.”

“You might as well tell us.” His sister said.

Narshan ducked his head. “You only have 30 minutes to get ready.”

“OH MY GOD!” Both women screamed at the top of their lungs and flailed their arms into the air. They started to run around as fast as they could, which turned out to only be a quick shuffle, since their dresses restricted their movements so much.

Xuunah just stood there and watched in disbelief as the two women completely overreact to the time limit.

“I told you.” Narshan sighed.

Xuunah left the apartment and went out to Princess. “You can go and pick up Ren. This is going to take a while.”

Princess nodded and trotted up into the air and disappeared.

“She really does go a lot slower for us.” Xuunah commented, then went back inside to try and bring calm to two irrationally hysterical women.

*

Princess slowed down when she entered Ren's Aura and stopped above his head.

“You're back early.” Ren said and she came in for a landing.

“Xuunah is busy corralling the clucking hens and sent me back.”

Ren chuckled and scratched her chin. “Then we'll use your talents to get these good people back to the county.”

“Can I go see my brother first?” Belinda asked.

“Of course.” Ren said and opened the carriage door and held a hand out for the old woman. “Everyone climb aboard.”

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“Thank you, My Lord.” Maria said as she took his hand, and he helped her to a seat. He helped everyone else be seated and saw it was quite crowded.

“If your brother accepts, I might have to switch to the covered cart to fit him in.” Ren said and asked the All-Seeing Mirror where Belinda's brother was. He showed Princess where it was, then on a whim took out his shop tower and went inside. He came back out and stored the tower, then gave a heavily modified Amulet of Unnatural Armor to Belinda, her mother Maria, and Sharlee.

Ren was used to people's reactions to his crafted items and ignored their shock and surprise. “Go ahead and equip them.” He said, then climbed up and sat down on the driver's seat of the carriage. “Hold on, everyone.”

Princess trotted off towards the Mage Guild to where Belinda's brother was working as a scribe.

*

Lady Eleanor felt Ren's warm presence leave her perception, and she took in a deep breath. She pulled her composure around herself like a blanket and lifted her head high. She walked over to the dining room door and opened it, and a guard appeared out of nowhere to accompany her. She nodded to him and walked across the hallway and down the stairs, then went down another hallway. She came to the door she wanted and the guard knocked on it.

“Come in, Your Highness.” A woman's voice said.

The guard opened the door for Lady Eleanor and she stepped into the small room. The guard stayed outside and shut the door behind her.

“Thank you for seeing me.” Lady Eleanor said. “I am having improper thoughts.”

“Please, sit.” The woman said, and Lady Eleanor sat on the chair in the middle of the room. “Hmm.” The woman's hands glowed and she waved them around Lady Eleanor's head. “Yes, yes. I see.” The woman said. “You aren't attracted to the Adventurer at all, but he represents an appealing life for you.”

“I can't get the thoughts of trying to escape out of my head.” Lady Eleanor said. “I fought hard to be where I am today, and I am not giving it up!”

The woman chuckled. “You are trying too hard to convince yourself of that.”

“Wh-what?”

“Those that protest too much are the ones that are so easily swayed to change their minds.”

Lady Eleanor sighed. “Is that what I'm doing?”

The woman nodded. “Within this room, for the next 10 minutes, you can be whoever you want.” She said, and cast Full Illusion to put them in the middle of a field of flowers. “Who do you want to be? A wench in the local tavern?” She asked and cast Disguise Self on Lady Eleanor to change her beautiful dress into a barmaid's outfit.

Lady Eleanor looked down at herself and shook her head.

“Perhaps a young girl waiting for a date with her boyfriend?” The woman asked and cast Disguise Self again and made Lady Eleanor look half her age and made a silhouette of a man appear beside her.

“No.” Lady Eleanor said. “Nothing like that.”

“Then tell me, Your Highness. What do you want?”

Lady Eleanor thought about Ren taking people away from their normal lives, and the freedom that gave them. “I... I want... to be free.” She said and finally admitted it to herself. “If only for a moment, I want to be free of responsibility. Free of structure. Free of rules. Free of... everything.”

“Then close your eyes and keep them closed until this is over, Your Highness.” The woman said. “I will grant you that wish.”

“Thank you.” Lady Eleanor said and closed her eyes, then waited patiently for the feeling of freedom to fill her.

“No, Your Highness.” The woman said and unsheathed a short sword. “Thank you for this opportunity to give you what you deserve.”

*

Princess arrived at the Mage Guild and Belinda went inside, and then Ren received a popup.