Chapter 7: The Cost Of Ruling The World

We didn't have far to walk, which was good for us. Suddenly a hand full of giant eight-legged-freaks came at us from all directions and surrounded us. I looked at Kyra on my arm, and she nodded and let go of my arm finally and stepped up to meet the furry bastards.

"We are here to see the Queen. Please take us to her."

*Indistinct chittering from the spider.

"Where is she then?"

*more chittering.

Kyra turned to me and said, "she is just up ahead waiting for us."

"Well, better than trying to look for them."

'Be on your best behavior!' -Gripton.

'Why is she a crotchety old queen?'

'Yes, she can sometimes be!' -Gripton.

'Ugh'

"The god again?" Kadence asks from my other arm, which she took to holding like Kyra.

"Mmhmm."

"Why is he with you? Is that OK to ask?"

"He thinks I'm wreckless and that he needs to watch over me like some child so I don't make things worse than they are. He actually pretty pushy."

'I am not!' -Gripton.

Kadence laughed as Kyra lead the rest of us ahead. Ganth jogged up to my side. It was weird to see him almost my height now. No longer the little runt from before, I had to admit this was kind of cool since I had no choice anyway.

"What do you think the queen will be like?"

"Let's not talk about it. The images I have in my head are pretty jaded from the internet."

"The internet?"

"It was a thing from my world that everyone across the world connected. We shared stupid cat videos and other garbage, but there were also shit smart people posted."

"Sounds amazing!"

"Not everything is perfect, anyways, be polite to this Queen."

Ganth nodded his head, falling back with Harmonie, picked up another fist-sized stone, and started to shape it into a sword. Trem had floated down from the trees like some spirit, and I was a bit jealous of him. Hell, I was jealous of all of them. When I watched them with their cool new power, I couldn't help this what if I had one? But that not the way this story goes, and I shouldn't complain, but fuck.

'You word commands these people and their magic. A magic YOU gave them, when they wield that magic at your target's, it's as good as you wielding power yourself' -Gripton.

'Thanks, Grip'

We continued to follow the spider group that no longer had us surrounded since they knew we were here to see the Queen. The spiders lead us to a cave, and they stopped.

*Multiple sources of chittering.

"Only the three of us?"

*short chitter

"What three?" I asked Kyra.

"Kadence and us,"

'Oh, no' -Gripton.

'What the fuck does that mean?'

'Don't worry about it, I am probably wrong' -Gripton.

'I don't like the sound of them, and that cat elf has an evil look on her face again. Did you see how readily she accepted fricken Kadence? This better not be another marriage trap!'

'Oh, I'm sure that isn't it…' -Gripton.

The girls pulled, though it was more like dragged me into the cave, and we soon reached a perfect sized cave decorated with purples and blacks as drapes hanging to hide the fact that you were in a cave. Honestly, the place wasn't bad. I really expected the area to be filled with comb webs and shit. Then, a half-woman half-spider fucking bombshell walks out from behind a standing blind.

"Well, your not what I expected, mortal."

"Ditto, none of this is what I expected, I'm Hyde, and these freeloaders hanging off me are Kyra the Elf-cat and Kadence, our fire expert."

"WAH! LOOK AT YOU!" The spider lady dashed to me and ripped Kyra from my arm, pulling her and squishing Kyra into her massive chest. Her enormous chest!

"STOP IT!" Kyra's squeal was mostly muffled by the Queen's chest.

"Hmmm?" I wondered, not trying to stop it.

"YES! It's been so long since I have seen you, little girl! This one is my niece, her father is my brother. My name is Alexcoria, The AraciQueen. Welcome to one of my little home away from homes!"

"Why didn't you tell me she was your auntie!" I asked with furrowed brows.

"Sorry…didn't…know," was all Kyra could get out as she was pressed into Alexcoria's chest.

"She wouldn't with the state of my brother's kingdom. Things are getting pretty intense in the north."

"Wait, so hold on just a minute. You a Goddess, right?"

"Mmhmm."

"So then that means Kyra's father is a God, right?"

"Yes, Maxven is the AlphaKing, The Wolf God."

"What does that make Kyra? And what was she doing with this shit hole tribe of elves on the verge of starvation, hmm?"

'That's a long story' -Gripton.

"That's a long story."

Both said it at the same time as it echoed into my brain.

"Hey, before you start this long ass story, do you happened to know a God named…"

'DON'T DO IT!!' -Gripton.

"…Gripton?"

'Ah, shit. Now you have done it! I can't protect you anymore!' -Gripton.

'What do you mean you can't protect me? When have you saved me?'

'You know how there are gods?' -Gripton.

'Okay?'

'Well, I am a bit of a big deal with the people of this world' -Gripton.

'What's that supposed to mean?'

But then I saw it, me and my big fucking mouth. I gotta go and take my boot off right now and just shove it in my mouth and keep it there. Everyone was on the ground, on their knees, heads to the floor. FUCK.

"Is it true, Hyde? The God in your head is the almighty ruler god Gripton??" Kyra asked with her head still bowed from the place Alexcoria had dropped her.

'You really stepped in it this time!' -Gripton.

'How was I supposed to know you were the fucking boss God?'

'Well, you have a point there. After this, we will have a heart to heart, but for now, you have to deal with the mess you have just made of your life.' -Gripton.

'Mess of my entire life?'

'Come on now, don't play dumb with me. What do you think will happen, now that everyone is going to know that the new summoned hero has the almighty Gripton as his guide?' -Gripton.

'Ummm…'

"Are you two done yet?" Came Alexcoria's voice from the ground.

"Stand up, for God's sake!"

"My sake? Or the sake of the almighty one in your head?"

"Grrr…"

"Just playing! But, truly, I could have never imagined the Almighty Hand would step to the mortal plane!"

'That should tell you how much you all have messed things up!' -Gripton.

"He said that you're all a bunch of children that need their asses warmed and that he's here to help me fix it."

'Oooooo?! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT!' -Gripton.

"Oh? Did he now? Does mother know you're here, father?"

*gulp* -Gripton.

"That's what I thought. Regardless, now that I know, my choice is in cement. Do you wish to wield my kingdom? Are you prepared to carve a path through this kingdom?" Alexcoria spoke with a challenging tone but with a look of excitement and eagerness.

"Kingdom? Is that all you want?" I asked with a fake yawn.

"What?"

"Is that the only thing that you want? Just to fix this one small shit hole on this entire rock? You're a Goddess! You can do better than that!"

"What more do you need?"

"Is that what this will be for you? Fix our problems and then let the world burn?"

"That's not what I'm trying to say!"

"Well, I'll tell you what my plan is. From there, you can decide if you want me to wield you!"

'Woah, you missed some words at the end of the last sentence!' -Gripton.

'Shit!'

It was too late. Alexcoria was blushing now and looking at me like Kyra did before. If my head wasn't shaved stubble, I would start tearing out my hair in chunks. I took a deep breath and continued.

"I don't just want a kingdom or two. I will conquer the entire world and slap the shit out of anyone who tried to stop me. I can't run around fixing every person's problems one by one. That's not gonna work."

"OK."

"…just, OK?"

The choice was made before we entered the room, but saying my name put in down in writing.' -Gripton.

"Yes, I will become your wife, and you will have control over my kingdom. I will follow you and your dream, considering you have my father's support, it's almost like I have no choice in the matter, hehe."

"What about the other two? Your niece is my first wife, and Kadence, my fire mage is my second. Is it OK to have so many wives?"

"Well, you have an entire kingdom now to support them with! A king can have as many wives as he can support, right girls? And from what you are saying, you plan on being more than any king has ever been in this world!"

I turned to Kadence and Kyra, who were standing together now. Kyra had scrambled back to her side when I told everyone to stand. The two girls just nodded heads to the question with smiles on their faces.

'I'm trapped'

'Well, we are both at fault here, but this will make things a lot easier for you.' -Gripton.

'Grrr…'