Mason and his small pack of women (plus Streak) walked around the Nexus platforms, taking a lift down near the menagerie.

"The view is brilliant,” said Lexi the little Brit as she shook Rosa's arm.

"Yeah we can see it." Rosa rolled her eyes but grinned as she glanced at Mason and stuck out her tongue at her friend.

Honestly Mason wasn't sure if the view of the forest or the women was more eye-catching. How exactly he'd gone from an almost hermit-like life of solitude to being surrounded by beautiful girls, most of whom he was sleeping with, remained a bit hard to comprehend.

But since he'd also gained superpowers, immortality, and 'rulership' of the most amazing place he'd ever seen, he supposed it was just par for the course.

"Your mind is busy again," Haley said, taking his hand as they walked. For a moment as he met his ‘assistant’ slash wife’s blue eyes he forgot about whether or not Naya (or anyone else) was watching, or the many problems and challenges ahead. He just held her hand and grinned, taking deep breaths of the incredible forest air.

"Occupational hazard," he said, and Haley just nodded with a smile.

When they reached the ground, Streak took off like a rocket. Everyone laughed as the wolf jumped a cart and startled a few civilians, flying into the menagerie 'dog door' and vanishing.

The inside looked like a giant jungle gym mixed with a forest. There were trees, ramps, caverns, brooks, and an endless number of vines, bushes, and logs. Mason realized it had a kind of tunnel that led to the wall, and he was guessing it had a way to let animals in and out. They found the dark skinned ‘beastmaster’ elf inside (whose name Mason already forgot), as well as several wolves already playing or resting.

The elf stood when she saw Mason and the others, her hands moving awkwardly together as if she were nervous.

"My lord, and lady. I didn't know...I hope it's alright. I couldn't help myself. It's just so..."

"Stop worrying, I'm glad you came," Mason said, stepping forward and doing his best to smile.

"Maybe you should take that armor off," Haley whispered to him. "You still look terrifying."

Right. He’d completely forgotten. The whole 'horns and scales' thing. Mason blinked and transformed his armor back to the green 'vestments' that looked a bit like the system uniform. Then he glanced around the menagerie and reached out with his senses, looking for the very neglected Violet. He grinned when he sensed her warm and happy and full nearby.

The elf bowed and touched her fingers to her temple, and Naya and Ayet did the same before moving off to speak alone. Mason let the other girls go where they liked, moving deeper to see the wolves and Violet.

Streak was busily playing with the other wolves, chasing down his mate with a playful growl. He was so much bigger and more powerful than them he never displayed any attempts at dominance. There was absolutely no need.

Mason decided it was the best way to actually create peace. To be so obviously the strongest that everyone else just accepted all they had was negotiation and compromise.

As he wandered into the menagerie, he started re-thinking the system's tournament and realizing the thinking behind it, maybe even the wisdom. A fight only ever happened because someone miscalculated.

If everyone knew exactly how a fight would end, there would be no point to the fight. Maybe if Mason could show this emperor and his people what would happen if they really fought, he could end a war before it began.

But how? What did that mean, exactly? Men weren't like wolves. They were more subtle, more clever and adaptive, with many kinds of power. You couldn't just be bigger and stronger and expect all your rivals to recognize that and give up. You had to make them think it was hopeless.

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He found Violet lying in the shade next to a small trickle of water, occasionally dousing her mouth with a semi-conscious bob. He reached out with Speak with Nature and sensed the barest remnants of awareness, the creature in a kind of blissed out trance. Mason chuckled and ran a hand over her rough skin, which didn't seem to wake her up.

"You definitely earned this," he said, thinking of the giant worm fighting with orcs where she may have saved his life twice. "You and I need to figure out how the hell I actually bond you."

"I can teach you," said the beastmaster elf behind him, and he turned with a raised brow.

She'd taught him how to summon Streak with ease, so he wasn't about to doubt her now.

"The student awaits the master," he said, bowing his head like the elves and touching his fingers to his temple. The dark elf went a little pink and came forward.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, lord. It's just that, if the lord wishes, I can..."

"You can call me Mason. And I'm just giving you a hard time. I'd love to hear anything you can teach me. Honestly I feel like I don't know anything. And I’m sorry I’m bad with names, so if you could..."

“Kitya, my lord. Mason.”

Kitya smiled a little, clearly awkward. Like all the elven women she was thin and beautiful, though with far darker skin than most of the others. She knelt down next to him and put her hands on Violet next to his, and her incredible scent washed over him. She smelled like sea air and fresh rain on green grass, and he did his best to ignore it.

But failed. And at this point Mason honestly wished he had a few more men around just to keep his life less complicated.

"You have bonded only one other companion?" Kitya asked. Mason nodded, and her eyes closed slightly as she concentrated. "I cannot bond the animal to you, as I could with an elven ranger. You must have some kind of…other method. Sometimes you need to spend more time together, to understand one another more."

Mason nodded. He hardly understood Violet at all. His bond with Streak had been far more instant and natural, but he supposed men and wolves had been in something like a symbiotic relationship for thousands of years. There was no human guidebook on domesticating giant, intelligent, purple apocalypse worms.

"I'll change that and we can try again."

Kitya nodded, pushing black hair behind a delicate ear.

"This place will help you. It keeps the animals calm, makes them feel at peace. She will be more open to your senses here. Return when she is awake in the evenings."

Nocturnal, then. Got it. Mason nodded and smiled in thanks.

"Thanks again." He knew he was this woman's new 'lord' and he'd hardly said two words to her except when asking for her help. He took a breath and shrugged. "If there's anything you need, or any request, please just ask. I feel I owe you."

Kitya maybe blushed and looked at her lap.

"My duty is to serve, lord. Er, Mason. You owe me nothing."

"I'm pretty sure a lord's duty is to look after his followers. So remember what I said."

"I will, Lord Mason." Kitya smiled, seemingly pleased she'd found a compromise.

Mason smiled politely and stood, walking back towards the others with another task floating in the back of his mind.

Naya was waiting not far off, and had probably been the one to send Kitya to speak with him. Her face lit with a glowing smile when he came towards her.

"We haven't had a chance to speak. Since you returned," she said, glancing around to make sure they were alone. Then she picked up her silks and closed the distance, throwing her arms around him. "I missed you," she said, squeezing her head against his chest.

He hugged her back and tilted up her face, kissing her lips softly at first, then with growing passion.

"I haven't..." Naya swallowed and went a little pink as she met his eyes. "I've thought of nothing but...our night together. It's been so difficult. With you away."

Mason smiled and ran his finger down her cheek. "I missed you too. Everything's alright? You're not..." he gestured towards the trees and other women. "All this. It doesn't bother you? I know it's a lot."

Naya shook her head.

"Not since our night together. I know how you feel about me now. How I feel about you."

She pressed herself against him and kissed him again, swallowing his tongue eagerly with a little moan. Mason's body was reacting now. And if Naya was really getting comfortable with her situation it definitely took some weight off his mind. And added to the discomfort in his pants…

The idea of going back to his new 'hall' with all his women happy and comfortable, equally ready and willing to do whatever he wanted…it was a heady potion and almost hard to grasp.

He groaned when Naya's hands started moving down his chest.

"I need you tonight," she said. "However you wish, husband. Whatever bed you choose, please let me be in it."

Mason didn't bother playing coy. Was Naya maybe also securing her place? Getting him alone before the other girls to make sure she had him tonight?

Almost certainly. But he didn't really care. Any of his girls who got over the jealousy and said 'wherever with whoever' were getting to the top of the list. Mason just didn't have the time or energy for anything else.

He nodded and groped Naya's ass with both hands, lifting her up to kiss her.

"Tonight," he said. "You'll be with me. Don't worry."

Naya bit her lip and nodded, hugging him one last time before he set her down and watched her sway back towards the others.

Some problems, he decided, were more fun to solve than others.