At the shadowy hours of midnight, surrounded by a field of vivid blue flowers, inside a spidery gazebo, at the masterfully crafted ironoak table, there sat two curious figures: Johny the Magnificent Slug and Spider King, the ruler of the Monster Realm.
Johny was practically glowing today, her blue-tinted but still translucent skin incredibly shiny and her head tendrils bubbly with excitement. Her long slug tail quivered with anticipation, though her upper body maintained an aura of calmness and stoicism—a facade for appearances. She sat at the table, hands propping her ample bust, accentuating the voluminous jelly sacks to give the impression of imminent bursting. One tendril reached for the BlueWax candle, igniting it with the Fire SpiritStone. The candle cast a sinister purple glow from the Darkflame onto the table.
Leaning towards the light, Johny smiled at the King. "That is better," she said, giving him a sluggish wink as a tendril extended towards his hand. "So, how can I help you?"
The King clasped the rather slimy tendril, a matching smile curving his lips. "But Jonny, it was you who called me here at this late hour, away from my bed and my sleeping wife."
Johny preserved her perfectly stoic expression while a tendril retrieved two petite teacups from beneath the table, placing them on equally cute plates. The cups and plates were adorned with pictures of jellybees engaging in rather peculiar type of water sports.
Only after setting down the cups did Johny continue. "Ah, That Is Right. You Know, My King, Some Things Cannot Be Done Through Telepathy, Or Rather They Shouldn't." Her tendril tightened its grip on his hand.
"I see..." the Spider King swallowed audibly.
Johny nodded. Despite the bubbly tendrils, she maintained her mask of perfect stoicism. Her hand moved away from her chest, causing the jelly to jiggle under the sudden force of gravity. It jiggled and bounced and quivered—quite hypnotic!
"Oh!"
Breaking the hypnosis, the Spider King took the parchment she offered. Their fingers touched briefly before parting. He unrolled the parchment, revealing text and a spidery wax seal at the bottom. It was an official letter, enchanted with magic and impossible to tamper with.
===___===
Your Majesty, the Spider King,
It is with the utmost reverence and exhilaration that I pen this missive to inform you of a monumental victory for you and yours. The Holy Empire, that bastion of celestial arrogance, has crumbled to dust beneath the weight of your daughter’s dominion.
The Holy City, once a beacon of false purity, now stands as a testament to the unwavering power of your lineage. Its inhabitants, once blinded by false truths, have been liberated from their intellectual shackles and now look up to your ever-diligent spiders and the true message they spread.
Your daughter, the Chaos Queen, has demonstrated a tactical acumen and ruthlessness beyond her years. Her ascent to power has been swift and decisive, with not a single soul lost in this fight.
However, the path to victory was paved with an unusual confluence of fortuitous events. The untimely demise of the Holy Emperor, a tragic accident cloaked in shadows, plunged the empire into a state of unprecedented vulnerability. Coupled with this unforeseen circumstance was the enigmatic emergence of the DarkFame, a spidery anomaly that has ignited a fervor of devotion among the masses. It is a curious twist of fate that the Holy City already possessed a cathedral dedicated to this mysterious force, a sanctuary that has served as a catalyst for our triumph.
With your daughter securely ensconced upon the throne of the conquered, the work of unification and consolidation commences. The populace, surprisingly receptive to the change in leadership, exhibits a yearning for order and purpose. We are diligently working to establish a foundation of stability and prosperity, guided by the principles of darkness and chaos that are the hallmarks of your reign.
May your daughter’s reign be long and prosperous, marked by an era of unparalleled dominance. We eagerly await your wisdom and guidance as we shape the destiny of this newly acquired realm.
Yours in eternal servitude, Elizabeth the Radiant Angel, Guardian of the Chaos Queen
===🕷️ 🕷️ 🕷️===
As if to confirm the fact, the message appeared in his vision: [Chaos Realm joined the Monster Realm]
The Spider King smiled but his eyes were sad. "Daughters, they grow up so quickly," he said, brushing away a single tear. "So she's a fully fledged Queen now," he added, placing the scroll back on the table.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Johny tapped a tendril on a corner peeking from beneath the parchment. "There is a postscriptum attached under it."
"Thanks, I've almost missed it."
It was a creased, tear-smeared note written in haste and lacking the usual penmanship.
===___===
We’re in a bit of a crisis, Your Majesty. We’ve run out of the exotic delicacies your daughter craves—Centauri Cheese and Drow IceCream. The Queen is becoming increasingly volatile without them. Just yesterday, she attempted to obliterate the Holy Quarters—twice! Thankfully, we managed to prevent catastrophe, but the strain is telling on both the priestesses providing the substitute dairy products and the Queen’s temper. We’re currently pacifying her with Priestess Milk, but it’s a temporary solution at best. Please, send supplies immediately. I repeat, immediately. -E.
===^^^===
She hadn’t even finished signing it properly.
"Priestess Milk? What is this nonsense?" the King offered the creased note to the candle. The Darkflame didn’t take it, refusing to burn it. "...," he sighed. "The realm is expanding too quickly. Logistics is becoming a serious issue," he sighed again.
"My King, I'd Like To Offer A Warm Brew To Soothe Your Worries." Johny looked at him, her tendrils expectant.
But the cups were empty, and there was no kettle or pot present at the table. The Spider King looked at the bottom of his empty cup. "Sure, but..."
"Worry Not," Johny gave a mischievous smile, her hands propping her chest again.
"Oh, I see," the Spider King replied with a mischievous smile of his own.
To his surprise, Johny snapped her fingers. "A Moment, Please," her smile grew a shade more mischievous.
A rhythmic buzzing filled the air. From the nearby orchard, among countless blue flowers, dots of blue and purple filled the sky. They were bees, or rather eldritch JellyBees—half fairies and half bees. They buzzed in with melody, dancing through the air in swirls.
Johny propped Spider King's hand by the elbow, directing the cup higher and closer to his eyes. "Enjoy The Show. Something For Your Royal Eyes Only."
The swirl of blue and purple grew closer, buzzing and flying around the gazebo. The Spider King looked at them in amazement. They were more like fairies than bees, humanoid in appearance but only as tall as a pinky finger. There in the air, they didn't buzz but sang, they didn't merely fly but danced a ballet in the mid-air—a musical performance.
A sole bee departed from the nearby group. She danced around the edge of the teacup, her tiny feet treading the narrow edge in a theatrical performance. Then she sat on the edge, her little feet dangling and her tiny face pointing directly at the keen eye of the King. The little JellyBee smiled and waved at him, her blue cheeks developing a warm shade of purple. There was a sound reminiscent of a miniature waterfall. And then she filled the teacup with hot, fragrant, steaming, viscous... Honey? Or at least an eldritch version of it—the BlueHoney, and only a squirt of it. The little bee blew an air kiss and departed the cup, allowing another to repeat the performance.
Sooner than you might expect, the cup was filled with a warm brew unlike any other.
"Amazing!" The Spider King marveled at the cup full of honey.
Johny made a high-pitched giggle, raising her own cup into the air. "That did Take Your Mind Off Your Troubles, Didn't It?"
"Yes! I have almost forgotten about these little marvels." He took a sip from the cup. "Absolutely amazing! Best thing ever, my mind is soothed and my heart is warm."
Johny slammed her half-filled cup, throwing the little bee off balance. "It Can't Be That Good!!!"
"???" He looked into her deep blues, noticing the beginnings of tears at her eye corners. "On second thought, it is subpar to your jelly, a poor imitation at most."—No, it was just as good—"Yes, any day and any time, I'd take your divine ambrosia over this cheap knock-off."
Johny was smiling brightly again.
"Don't Be That Harsh. And Don't Lie For My Sake. Afterall, Our Minds Are Connected. Indeed, This Honey Is Exceptional." She brought the cup back to her lips, taking a greedy slurp.
The King took a greedy slurp of his own. The honey tasted like youthful indiscretion with a hint of flowery zest. "An incredible product, yes. And the one responsible, the JellyBee Queen, where is she?" he looked around the buzzing cloud of bees.
"She's Buzz-ZZZ-y Making New Subjects." Johny, laughing at her own joke, put her empty cup on the table.
"Is that so..." the Spider King hurriedly finished his cup, putting it by its twin.
The bees buzzed around the gazebo, still singing and dancing.
Johny shifted her hands, adjusting the heavy jelly sacks. “Care For Another Brew?” she spoke directly into his mind. Her tendrill twisted the cups so that their handless touched, forming a familiar shape.
“No thank you. I think another... performance might be just too... satiating," he uttered hurriedly. Too much sweetness is bad for my heart.”
Johny leaned closer to the candle flame, the purple flame reflected in her big blue eyes. “I Think I Heard ‘Too STIMMULATING’, Ha-Ha,” She giggled.
“No! And stop reading my mind!”
“A shame...” Johny released the sacred hills back to gravity, freeing the hands to snap her fingers. *Bounce!*. With a snap of her fingers, the bees disapeared into the night, back into their flowers. Johny continued. “I Don’t Need To Read Your Mind To Know That You Still Worry.”
The King's eyes looked up and down, tracking the motion with perfect precision. “Yeah, about the logistics and the supply lines.”
“No.” Johny shook her head, jer jiggly boddy swaying to the sides from the motion. “About That Girl.”
The King furrowed his brow, his eyes darting from left to right and back again. “My daughter will be fine. She is in good hands.”
Johny jiggled again from side to side, swaying all six of her jelly sacks. “No. Not Her.”
“My wife?”
*Jiggle-Jiggle*, *Bounce*, “No. The Centauri Champion, Her.” Johny pointed her weapons at him.
“Stop reading my mind! And it was logistics then!” He slumped back into his chair and away from jello-like temptations. “Without her it’s hard to coordinate all of the supply caravans. I just wish she would come back soon from the Demon Realm.”
“Yes,” Johny jiggled. “Her Quest Is Taking Too Long. It’s Time You’ve Sent Her Some Spidery Assistantance.”
“As always, Johny, you are right.” He stood up from the table, his gaze distant.
“Hey!” a hand reached to stop him.
“???”
“Don’t Shirk Your Duty! I Am About To BURST!!!”