Rezu had fought countless battles beside Klaus and Mouse. Every instinct was to trust her. Maybe that is what had been eating at him since he met her again. Klaus often acted odd when she got a new body, but she had always been an individual. Each body would have its quirks, like being more aggressive or more artistic, but she had never taken orders from others.

Klaus had sent him coordinates for the hanger, just before everything went to shit. She had even fought back to save Jade. Maybe she hadn’t known what was going to happen.

A status report had been sent out in a half dozen drones. There was no way to get a signal out from under a Worldtree, especially not with the chaos outside. The drones would be affected as well. With six, hopefully some could get through. But Rezu had never seen such dense energy over a wide area outside of a corrupted zone, so he would not be surprised if all six were lost. He had done his best to warn the others. It would be bad if Karimere or Lilithana stormed this situation blind. The treefolk were vulnerable and would react with force to any trespass.

After they had taken refuge, Rezu had tended to Jade and Klaus. The moment he sealed up their bleeding wounds, their bodies had glowed gold and rejected him even touching them. It was almost dawn before the glow faded and they woke.

Klaus talking about ‘mecromancers’ like they were separate, then had saying ‘we’ when talking about the treefolk had not slipped past Rezu either.

Now Rezu was alone, in hostile territory, with two glowing people, and a titan that he had no control over.

How much influence is Klaus under? And now Jade is glowing gold again…

Rezu tried, again, to send out a trace but got nowhere.

“Come Rezu. We Must Witness.” Klaus and Jade said together. They flanked him and took his hands.

He nodded as they escorted him outside. Rezu had the standard speed and strength increases of a mecromancer. His flashstep was his natural power. It was powerful. And only a few people, like Klaus, could even attempt to block it. The treefolk were blocking him through sheer force of power. Sending out traces now was like trying to talk in tornado.

Rezu’s mecromail allowed him to work arcane into materials with an exacting precision. He had no extra combat abilities other than the vast assortment of equipment he had made. But they had his hands and he couldn’t even access his storage. Even Cinder would be powerless against the level of energy his two escorts held.

Outside, the new dawn showed that the Worldtree was gone. Leaves covered the land like deep brown snowdrifts. Dried bits of oversized roots, bark, and limbs littered the landscape. Desiccated bodies of dryads covered the large root that they had crossed the day before.

The grass grew like a platform, lifting them skyward.

They stepped off onto a rooftop that was now covered with countless dried and cracked bones. They dryads had even chewed the marrow out of them. The root, the only living plant left, now held a large, smooth, bright green cocoon, with a seam down the middle. It slowly pulsed with golden energy.

He had seen a lot in his millennia on Endrala, but being held hostage by mind controlled mecromancers was not on that list. Rezu tried to keep the growing panic out of his voice. “Ok. We saw it. Can we leave now?”

They gripped his hands tighter.

Klaus said. “You will witness the birth of a Worldmother.”

“This is a glorious occasion for you.” Jade said.

“The treefolk are glad that you are here.” Klaus said.

“I’ll take that as a, ‘no’.” Rezu said as he looked for any way out. This was getting way past creepy.

The cocoon glowed bright for a second then split open, pouring out bathtubs worth of a slimy liquid that sloshed over his feet and soaked his leather clothes below the knees. His boots were now filled with the sweet, sap-smelling fluid.

Rezu had been with more than a few dryads in his long life. But he had avoided them ever since one tried to take a bite out of him about a thousand years ago. Their aggression towards their fleshier neighbors had only grown since then. He asked his escorts the obvious, and ominous, question. “You don’t plan to eat me, do you?”

A silky laugh came from the cocoon.

Rezu stared as the cocoon parted to reveal the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She was dryad, perfected.

He blinked and shook his head.

She had a cute face and was firm in all the right places, but he was certain the slimy liquid, or the gold arcane, was affecting his mental adorations.

“Why did you bring me here?” He asked trying to maintain control.

“Isn’t it obvious? I need to give birth to Worldtrees. Therefore, I need a mate.”

“I’m sure I can find-“

“’Find’?” She stepped close and ran a hand up his chest. “I found a strong mate already.”

He swallowed as blood was rerouted away from his brain.

“I believe the one you call the Eleventh could, potentially, be stronger, but you are fully matured. Your strength is certain. You were touched by the Worldtree. You will make strong offspring.”

“I am flattered, I really am, but isn’t there anyone else?”

“I only have knowledge from my mothers, and my kind. If you know of another, tell me. Time is short.”

“I…” It took willful effort to stop himself from making his clothes disappear.

“The treefolk are vital to the defense of civilization. If they die out, Endrala is doomed.” She repeated his words back to him.

He sighed and nodded. She was right. The only males he knew of, anywhere near his strength, were Klaus and Zagreus. One of those was currently a little girl. And putting a Worldmother anywhere near the Eleventh’s spider web of relationships would likely start a war. Rezu had to admit, he was the only sane option.

“Ok.” He pulled loose from his escort’s hands and changed his clothes to a red silky jacket and pants. “I will do this, on three conditions.”

She smiled, “Name them.”

“Everyone knows I like being watched, but I don’t want to do this in front of your, um, parents. Not with you controlling them. Let me put them back in the hanger. Second I want you to stop this, control effect. Third let me, Jade, Klaus and Mouse leave here freely, and unharmed afterwards.”

“I agree. We only kept you here to fulfil your purpose as Seedfather.”

He didn’t know that word, but he suspected there was more to it than a quickie.

Jade and Klaus blinked and looked around.

Jade spoke. “ArcFury.”

“Is that my name?” The Worldmother said.

Rezu shook his head. “No. Jade wants to salvage the equipment from this location.”

Worldmother bowed to Jade. “You are welcome to take the old tech from this place. This land is depleted, we will leave it open to you, for a year.”

“Thank you.” Jade said.

“We will think of a name for you, while we wait.” Klaus said.

“I am so glad that you were spared mothers.” The Worldmother bowed low. “But it is time, Rezu Archinius. Send them away.”

“Azona.” Rezu looked at the three of them, “I kind of have a rule that I know your name first. Do you like that one?”

“What do you think mothers? Azona Archinius?”

FUCK! SHIT! I KNEW IT! FUCK!  His mind screamed profanities as held his tongue, barely.

“I like it.” Klaus giggled at him.

Jade stifled a laugh. “Sounds nice.”

Azona smiled. “It is settled. And, it is time. Take them to the hanger.”

Rezu shook his head and flashstepped Klaus and Jade back into the hanger. It was good to get rid of the giggles, but it also showed that Azola could control the local energy enough for him to move things around. She was in total control of this place.

“Take us to the center of the world tree’s base.” Azona pointed.

He took her hand and found the spot. There was a dense source of energy beneath it. Flash. He found himself on the flat to of a massive stump. A bed shaped out of vines was covered with a soft bedding of leaves. Rings of dozens of naked dryads surrounded it. They stood stiff as statues and but he saw hunger in their eyes.

Azona bowed, “My mothers hold great respect for you Rezu. I am glad you are my mate.”

He spawned a blanket and covered the bed. “I would like to talk more, about all of this, but you seem to be on a schedule.” He despawned his clothes.

Azona kissed him slowly, then said, “I too would like to take my time as well, but, we must breed now.”

“Then I will make it quick.” He grinned, “Don’t judge me too harshly.”

She pulled him down on top of her as she fell back onto the bed.

He made his clothes disappear. “This might hurt a bit.”

She smiled as dense golden energy enveloped them.

All he could feel was lust as he drove hard into her tight hole. She cried out in pain but his body would not stop. He pounded into her with his only thought being to fill her body with his seed. Her cries became deep moans as he emptied himself into her repeatedly, but the golden energy would not let him stop.

The glow eventually faded, the lustful cravings released, and he was able to stop assaulting her body. He looked down to see a beautiful woman smile as she slowly writhing on his cock. The bed was drenched with sweat and other body fluids. He collapsed onto her chest.

She kissed and caressed him softly as his body went numb and limp. “That was wonderful.”

“Maybe next time we can try it without all the glowing.” He panted. “I didn’t even get to show you any of my special skills.”

She giggled then rolled them over, putting him on bottom. “I would like that.”

His head was still foggy and he was trying to put his brain back together, “So what now?”

She stood. “Now, I must see to your associates, and you, must fulfill your duty as the Seedfather.”

“Seedfather…?” That word again….

Azona smiled as the rings of dryad’s descended upon him. The gold energy covered them with another haze of lust. He was buried under the plant women desperate for his seed. Kisses, breasts and bodies covered every bit of his flesh. The moment he came in one, another would take her place in the arcane fueled orgy.