[Nala & Halime's POV]
"Come on, Hali, I see the Eastern Gate," Nala exclaimed while they trekked through the forest before reaching the grassland that led to the city.
While covering her head with a scarf, leaving her yellow snake eyes on show, she spoke in a breathless voice as they ran through the forest: "I know, Nala. Slow down; you're walking too fast."
The lioness turned to her with glowing blue eyes, "Sorry. I'm excited to go wild in a city, especially the Novgorodians who have attacked us many times. It feels good getting some revenge."
Halime nodded as they left the forest behind and saw rolling grasslands covered in fields that were being tended to by the farmers. The duo walked toward the road and saw a group of adventurers passing by.
Three men and two women that looked to be a few years older than them. Nala looked at Halime. "They will invite us to join them. Should we use them as cover to get into the city?"
"No. They will assume something, and I don't want to be near another man," the snake girl answered as they stepped on the road.
While walking, a voice was heard from behind them: "Hello, ladies. Do you happen to be adventurers? If so, would you like to join our party?"
The duo stopped walking, and Nala replied, "Yes, we are, but we're not interested in joining; we are only here to meet our sisters in the city."
That's when the man smiled as the others in his party joined. He stepped forward and introduced himself, "I'm Ronan, the blonde is Gavin, and the short man is Heldric."
Nala and Halime didn't reply until a redheaded woman stepped forward and said, "Sorry about them girls. They are brutish but kind at heart. I'm Sierra, and this is my best friend, Lucy."
"I'm Lara, and this is Sasha," Nala replied with fake names.
Sierra smiled, "Would you like to join us on the road to the city? Many monsters lurk in the forest and attack travelers."
The two girls internally laughed at the woman as Nala nodded, "Sounds good."
Following that, they started speaking with the two women while the men started glancing back, which annoyed the two girls. While walking, Lucy turned to Halime and asked, "Why are you covering your face?"
"Because that's what I choose to do," the snake girl answered.
"I bet you're a runaway slave or criminal," the brunette woman accused. "If you've got nothing to hide, show your face."
"Nala! Halime, what happened?" Ella asked while checking on the two.
The lioness explained everything while Sofia gave them some desserts, which Halime happily
accepted.
***
[Aisha & Fianna's POV]
Fianna had been tending to Archer since the girls had been busy defending the kingdom against the Swarm invasion. One morning, when they received a message that Ella and the others were about to get the last ingredient, something happened.
She had been washing his body until a white light radiated from his body, blinding her, but then a cacoon covered him and sucked Fianna into it, leaving a small hole that led to his body for the potion he needed.
When Aisha discovered the two encased in a white crystal-like substance, she ordered the
White Dragons to move it outside. As they did this, Meera questioned, "Why are you moving the king and Fianna? Why is she even in there?"
"I assume it's because he likes her," Aisha revealed. "Miss Fianna adores the king; she's been tending to him like a worried wife."
They walked down the palace's corridors until reaching the garden where the sun shone above. Aisha continued, "He will transform if this is what I think it is."
Meera glanced at her, expecting her to elaborate, but Aisha kept walking. Finally, the tiger woman asked, "What is it?"
"He's finally become a Demi-God thanks to all the killing the girls have been doing," Aisha
revealed.
"Wouldn't he need to kill millions, if not billions, of monsters to reach that rank?" Meera asked. "I remember him mentioning that during one of our meetings."
Aisha nodded, held up a bracelet, and faced the white-haired woman. She moved her kaftan to the side, revealing a glowing dragon tattoo. "Goddess Tiamat tweaked the White Dragon tattoo so that the experience we earn goes straight to Archer through this," she explained. As she finished speaking, the knights dropped the cocoon in the garden's center and began locking down the area. Aisha continued, "Mary, Brooke, and the others have been fighting non-stop for days. The Titans have killed so many sea monsters that Lucrezia believes the Underrealm will be empty for years."
"Yeah, that makes sense; those women are crazy," Meera said with a shiver. "All I see is them flying between here and wherever the monsters appear."
"They are fighting hard. Did you know Nefertiti, Hemera, and Hecate held back a Swarm that
managed to breach the seawall? If it weren't for them, the nearby settlements would have been destroyed," Aisha informed the tiger woman.