[Changed the name of the place Archer's Earth family moved to because it was a city and not a town]
***
Once Archer finished speaking, Tiamat beamed before teasing him even more as they walked down the street, "What form do you prefer? This or my usual one?"
Without missing a beat, "Your usual one drives me crazy, but this one is good when we're in public," he said while the two closed in on the burger van.
Tiamat was happy, and it showed as she leaned over to kiss his cheek, which sent a shiver down his spine. Soon, the couple reached the van, where a few people were waiting to place an order.
The duo joined it, which caught everyone's attention, causing one old man to spin around and question them, "Who are you two? I've never seen ya in Rosemary Beach before."'
Archer was about to reply, but Tiamat spoke first. "We're planning to move here once my fianceÌ's mother settles in."
The old man's eyes widened at her response. He glanced between them. "Foreigners? You sound Italian, but something seems off. Why are you moving to our town?"
Tiamat laughed. "It's not really your business, old man. But if you must know, my lover here needs a place to rest now and then. What better place than his mother's new town?"Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com
The human seemed offended and went to argue back, but Archer spoke in an annoyed tone, "Go away. We're trying to get something to eat."
Once he finished speaking, the old man's face went red, but soon, a woman's voice interrupted them. "Roger, stop starting arguments with the newcomers. They clearly have a reason to be here."
Archer and Tiamat turned to see a blonde girl with big green eyes and a charming smile. The old man, Roger, snapped back, "Maggie, stop defending these people who invade our town; Rosemary Beach will become like other tourist towns!"
"No, it won't. Maybe a few families a year move here," the blonde girl said before turning to Archer. Are you part of the Bennett family?"
He nodded, causing the girl to frown, "It's a shame what happened to Tim, but I'm sure he will turn up one day."
Just as Archer was about to reply, they were ready to place an order as the man in the burger van spoke, "What can I get for you both?"
Archer looked at the menu and didn't know what to pick, but Tiamat nudged him with a smile, "Give me five of every burger, three Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, and ten Classic Hotdogs."
The owner appeared surprised, yet Tiamat calmly handed over some money, prompting the man to begin cooking. They then turned their attention to the girl, who gestured towards a nearby bench.
Archer sat down as a stranger named Maggie filled him in, "Tim and his friends disappeared in a National Park during Spring Break; their bodies weren't found, so there's still hope."
Upon hearing this, Archer's eyes widened, but Tiamat touched his thigh gently and whispered, "Don't fret, my love. They are nearer than you realize."
He turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "They're on Thrylos, aren't they?"
Aisha stood mesmerized as crates upon crates of Mithril were hoisted by a lift emerging from
a nearby cave. The Sea Guards had just cleared out a crab-like monster, allowing the workers to enter and mine a vein the size of a building.
The sight took aback the dragonkin woman, but Farrah danced around excitedly, pointing out the vast array of resources now available to the kingdom. Aisha scanned the crates and noticed they were marked with various names:
Adamantium, Manaheart Crystals, Aqua Crystals, Pearls, Gold, Silver, Star Metal, and Deep Sea Metal. Her eyes widened in awe. 'Draconia will prosper beyond imagination.'
After that, Farrah showed them all the work sites inside the protective shield. Aisha looked through the shield only to yelp as a horde of sea monsters swam past. Farrah approached and explained, "The Mana Shield stops them from getting any closer, but none of the Titan ladies are here to drive them away."
Aisha nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure we can create something to do that. Can we deploy this
all over the seafloor?"
"Yes, My Lady. We just need to tug the Mining Platform along after raising the shield," Farrah
answered.
As Aisha and Farrah spoke, she noticed Dellah and Olivia observing a cave where workers were busily coming and going. Intrigued, Aisha walked over to the two women.
"What are you two doing over here?" Aisha asked.
Dellah looked up and asked, "What is the king going to do with all this wealth?" Olivia
nodded in agreement, her curiosity evident.
"Improve the kingdom and strengthen the military," Aisha explained, motioning to the vast array of resources. "I also heard he has other projects in mind, including the Draconian Railway he wants to build, which we can now achieve. With all this, we can become self- sufficient and won't need to trade for anything."
Following that, the four women were guided back to the lift when a Dragon Marine approached urgently. "My Queen! We have to get back to the battleship. An enemy fleet is closing in on the platform."
By the time they reached the surface, the cannons were firing non-stop. Aisha saw a wave of mana shells flying overhead, but the platform's defenses activated just in time, intercepting the shells before they could hit.
The Thunderbolt Throwers roared to life, destroying all the incoming enemy shells. Aisha was amazed by the display, but her jaw dropped when she looked behind them and saw hundreds of Draconian warships coming to their aid.
Aisha, Olivia, and Dellah returned to the Archer's Pride while Farrah began working on the damaged platform as the battle erupted around her. Once on board, the white-haired woman started barking orders, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"Sailors! Prepare to sail forward. We will take them on in close quarters and ready the Dragon Marines for battle!" Olivia bellowed. "Peter! Order the Battleships into the diamond formation while they fire upon the enemy."'
She just listened to the white-haired woman become professional as they approached the
bridge, and an explosion rang. The Mining Platform was hit a few times, but thanks to Farrah's quick thinking, it was saved.