Mythran's Master Of All

Ren and Artemis stepped out of the portal, and Ren summoned Teepo again. He cast the spells necessary to make Teepo solid and gave him a voice, and he landed on Ren's shoulder.

“It's a good thing you don't have anything else to do today.” Teepo said. “The day's almost over.”

“Actually, I think I should warn Railyse about going home tomorrow.” Ren said, and led Artemis over to the large pool he had made for her and the water elementals. He knelt and stuck his finger into the water, and wiggled it. A 6 foot tall water elemental slid up out of the water, and Ren bubbled and gurgled as he asked to see Railyse.

The water elemental nodded and slid back into the pool and disappeared. After a few moments, Railyse and the two elementals rose up out of the water.

“You pay me yet another visit so soon?” Railyse asked and walked over to him. “I cannot take another feeding, and you interrupted my rest.”

“Please accept my apologies. I only came to remind you about going home tomorrow morning.” Ren said and remained kneeling. “Your mother's deadline will expire at noon, and I want you safely back home before then.”

“Ren, I'm not going.” Railyse said. “I want to stay here with you.”

“What?” Ren was surprised to hear this. “No.”

“Ren...”

“Absolutely not.” Ren said. “I will not have a Sea Dweller in your condition anywhere near land when this thing starts.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I can't be here to protect you all the time, and you know if anyone realizes this is where you are, they will try to come for you.”

“I don't care about the danger.” Railyse said. “I've made my decision, and...”

“Then forget about waiting until tomorrow.” Ren said and stood up as he let her hand go. “Gather your things if you have anything you want to take with you. I'm bringing you back to the portal right now.”

“Ren, I'm not going.”

“I wasn't asking.” Ren said.

Railyse frowned. “You can't tell me what to do.”

“Actually, I can.” Ren said and looked at the two water elementals. “I was empowered and entrusted with the safety of the Future Queen by the current Queen.” He told them. “She is putting not only herself, but her potential spawn and the future of her people in danger by staying here after hostilities resume.”

The two water elementals vibrated with agitation, because they needed to follow Railyse's orders and keep her safe. At the moment, those two things were in opposition.

“You must keep her safe, and the best place to do that is back with her family.” Ren said.

Railyse turned and looked at the water elementals. “You will not move until I say so.”

“Railyse, please be reasonable.” Ren said, and she looked back at him.

“You are the one not being reasonable. I am old enough to make my own decisions.”

“If you were making the right one, I wouldn't argue about it.” Ren said.

“I am staying right here for the foreseeable future.” Railyse said.

Ren took out the All-Seeing Mirror and asked it to show him Railyse's possessions. There were shells and odd-shaped rocks, and a kind of shrine with several weapons around it, which included her 2 pronged trident. A bed of seaweed and several other trinkets were scattered around her cave bedroom.

“You've made a nice place for yourself.” Ren said.

“No, you made it.” Railyse said and rubbed her belly. “As is your duty.”

“Railyse, we discussed this. Not only would your family hunt me down and do horrible things to me, we aren't even the same species.” Ren said. “You need to find a suitable mate for your spawn.”

“I have found one.” Railyse said. “No one can compare to you.”

Ren opened his mouth to try and explain again, then decided to try a different tactic. “You and I have been friends for a long time.” He said and she nodded. “We both know a romantic relationship can never work out between us.”

“Romantic?” Railyse thought about that. “You've done everything, more than everything actually, that a potential mate could possibly do. You've given me multiple places to live, given me sustenance well beyond anything I've ever imagined, allowed me to create devoted followers, and provided for all my material needs.” She smiled. “You've even induced my spawning years in advance.”

Ren thought about arguing, then realized he would only be arguing semantics. He really did all those things, and his intentions at the time didn't matter.

“You might not have done it as a romantic gesture; but even by human standards, it was romantic.” Railyse said. “My culture doesn't see it as romantic, though. As you know, we see it as a mate's duty.”

Ren sighed. “You aren't going to listen to me at all, are you?”

“When you start making sense, I'll listen.” Railyse said.

“Then I'm sorry for disturbing you.” Ren said. “Please return to your rest.”

Railyse leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips. “I'll see you in a few days.” She said and moved her head over to his cheek and bit him. She licked his blood as the wound healed over, and she leaned back and cupped the side of his face. Ren didn't say anything to her, and she let his face go and walked over to her guards, then the three of them sank into the water.

“What are you going to do now?” Artemis asked.

“I'm going to do what I promised.” Ren said and walked a hundred feet away from the pool and knelt. He touched the ground and made an offering to the Earth. A few moments later, an Earth being poked her head up out of the ground.

“It's about time you called.” She said.

Ren smiled. “Can I give you all my excuses later? I need a quick favor.”

The Earth being chuckled. “This should be good.”

“Actually, it's going to be bad.” Ren said and explained what he wanted done.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Oh, that's sneaky.” The Earth being said. “When do you want it done?”

“Right now, but make sure...”

“Yes, I understand what you are trying to do.” She said. “If you had your Earth understanding completed, you could have gained the ability and done this yourself.”

“I haven't had time.” Ren said and touched her face. “I'll try to make time later.”

“I've heard that before.” The Earth being said, then gasped as Ren gave her 5,000 Mana in an instant. Her body glowed brightly and she sighed, then slipped back into the ground.

“What are you planning?” Artemis asked.

“Can't you tell?” Ren asked and smiled.

Artemis sighed, because she had worked long and hard to keep Ren's thoughts out of her head, just like the other familiars did, when those thoughts weren't needed. She dropped the barrier she had, and saw his idea.

“Okay, that really is sneaky.”

Ren chuckled. “She's going to be so angry when she finds out.” He said and reached into the arm hole of his Dire Wolf Hooded Cloak and retrieved his pet tarantula. “My Queen, I have a request...”

When Ren explained what he wanted, a portal opened up beside him, and 4 large spider legs came through. They pushed on the edges of the portal and expanded it out, then a 10 foot tall spider crawled out.

Ren stood up as the portal closed. “Thanks for doing this.”

The giant spider clicked it's mandibles at him, and he chuckled as he felt the spider's emotions.

“You would have done it anyway, even if she didn't want you to.” Ren took several steps into the air to reach the top of it's head and scratched it. “Thank you.”

It clicked its mandibles again and Ren felt it's need.

“Oh! Of course.” Ren said and remembered the first time he had been in the hospital and had felt so afraid of the doctors, and poured that into the spider. It shuddered as it fed on the emotion, and when it had enough, clicked it's mandibles again.

“If you need any more, just let me know.” Ren said and pat it, then stepped away. He activated his Craft Wondrous Item ability, and chose the Necklace of Air recipe. He combined it with the Unnatural Armor recipe and added the Ring of Regeneration recipe. He made it into an amulet and gave it to the 10 foot tall spider, and it resized to fit around it's large head.