A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 1235: Missing In Action

Morena giggled before taking the captured enemy soldiers into the Domain while the Oathkeepers circled him. Archer watched the last of the Alliance soldiers being locked up in her prison, which made him chuckle.

Once they were gone, the older woman kissed him before returning to the Domain with a big smile. ʼSheʼs beautiful,ʼ he thought with a grin,

He watched her hourglass figure and round ass jiggle with every movement just as screeches rang out above them. Without glancing up, Archer opened another portal and summoned a horde of Venomwings.

The giant dragonflies shot out and headed for the giant eagles that were trying to attack him from the ait. A battle erupted as his monsters tore apart the Allianceʼs flying creatures as the Venonwings swarmed the bigger foes.

Following that, Archer sent the Oathkeepers back to the Domain as he took off and flew west to find Ashoka and the 9th. He flew for hours until spotted carriages set up in a clearing. ʼLooks like the legions supply train, but what happened to them?ʼ he thought before landing in the camp.

Archer quickly realized the place was untouched, yet something about it felt...off. The tents stood neatly in rows; the camp appearing eerily untouched, as if frozen in time, as smoke drifted off the firepits.

Cooking fires smoldered faintly, but no voices called out, no footsteps rustled through the pathways. A strange silence hung over the camp, heavy and unnatural, pricking at the edges of his senses.

He should have felt relieved to see the familiar banners of the tiger womanʼs army, but unease coiled in his gut. Following that, Archer took off and continued west, only to come across battlefields.

Soon enough, his ears twitched as explosions echoed in the distance that he quickly flew toward. Minutes later, he spotted an ongoing as the Alliance surrounded Ashoka and the four knights protecting her.

Archerʼs smile grew when seeing the tiger woman standing there and the closer he got he noticed she was injured. Following that, he dropped the remaining six Oathkeepers on top of the enemy soldiers.

Once the giants hit the ground, he summoned a dozen Chull Guardians who tore through the attackers with ease. The sudden appearance of the massive monsters scared the Alliance commanders, who ordered a retreat.

Following this, Archer approached Ashoka who was heavily breathing while covered in blood but she still smiled when seeing him. He quickly noticed the 9th Legion was nowhere to be seen.

When getting closer, the tiger woman lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders while nuzzling into his neck. As she did this, Archer cast Cleanse and Aurora Healing on her.

Ashoka let out a sigh as the cuts closed, and the blood vanished. Once that was done, the woman cupped his cheeks before giving him a big kiss. Seconds later, the couple broke apart as he spoke. ”Return to the Domain and get some rest. We need to get back to Emberport.”

The tiger woman gave a curt nod of agreement, prompting Archer to open a portal to the treehouse. Without hesitation, she stepped through after giving him a small smile, but he could see the exhaustion on her beautiful face. ʼHopefully she can sleep for a while,ʼ he thought before ordering the Oathkeepers through the portal.

Once they were gone Archer started flying toward Emberport City where the first of the reinforcement arrived. He returned hours later and quickly saw the increased fortifications on the three walls.

Without hesitation, he activated the tattoo, teleporting directly to Elara. He appeared in a spacious room filled with the warmth and chatter of the other harem members. The moment they saw him, Sera and Teuila leapt to their feet, their faces lighting up with radiant smiles.

Before he could say a word, the dragon woman surged toward him like a force of nature. Archer barely had time to steady himself as her arms wrapped around him, her lips colliding with his in a passionate kiss.

Following that, the couple separated while climbing off him as Teuila approached and gave him a tight hug. ”Hello darling, how were things in the west?” ”Bad,” Archer said grimly, his voice heavy with weariness as he greeted Elara and Sia. Their concerned expressions deepened as they awaited his explanation. ”We lost the 17th, 18th, and 19th Legions. The 9th is missing in action. I need to speak with Ashoka.”

The weight of his words hit the room like a thunderclap. Elaraʼs eyes widened in shock, her voice rising as she exclaimed, ”How? They must have suffered an ambush!”

Archer met her gaze briefly, the anguish in his eyes mirrored by the somber tone of his voice. He pulled a bottle of ale from his pack, taking a long swig before responding. ”They were,” he mumbled. ”The road is littered with bodies.”

Everyone went silent when hearing that before Sia questioned with a curious expression, ”Whatʼs the plan now?” ”We have four legions remaining on Avidia, nine more in bound,” he answered while turning to the window that overlooked Emberport. ”Iʼll lead four legions through the west and conquer everything. Itʼs isolated from the rest of the Duskfire Empire, so enemy reinforcements are unlikely.”

When the women heard this, their faces lit up with excitement, but Archerʼs sharp eyes caught Sia moving more slowly than the others. She quietly sank into a chair as her shoulder slumped with exhaustion.

Concern flickered across his face as he walked over to her. ”Are you okay?” he asked, kneeling beside her.

Archer met her tired gaze. ”Why donʼt you go rest? Youʼve been pushing yourself too hard.” Sia offered him a faint smile, her weariness clear but touched by gratitude. ”Iʼll be fine,” she murmured, though the heaviness in her voice betrayed her. Archer gently placed a reassuring hand on hers. ”Rest,” he insisted gently. ”Youʼll be no good to anyone if you burn yourself out.”ʼ

Following that, Archer picked her up before turning to the others. ”Iʼll take her to bed. I hope you girls donʼt mind.”

They all waved him away as Sera revealed, ”Ever since yesterday, sheʼs been acting weird. I think she may have a severe head cold. The healers couldnʼt heal.” ”Thanks for telling me Sera,” he replied before walking out of the room and headed for his own.

Archer walked through his new castle as the Oathkeepers followed behind when appearing from the Domain. The giants silently followed him through the corridors as Sia suddenly stroked his face with a sweet smile. ”You know Iʼm grateful for everything you do handsome, I promise Iʼll do a good job,” the older woman said in a tired voice. ʼWhat is she talking about?ʼ he wondered while stepping inside his room.

Moments later, Archer placed Sia in bed before bringing out some comfortable pyjamas from a nearby cupboard while thinking, ʼLuckily the harem put some of their night clothes in here. Who comes up with this stuff?ʼ

While he did this, the dragonkin woman was looking at him with eyes full of love. She was rubbing her stomach with a smile, which he missed. He turned around and started stripping her dress. ”Here we go beautiful,” Archer commented. ”Letʼs get you comfortable.”

The older woman giggled softly at his gentle touch, finding it endearing despite its simplicity. Five minutes later, he finished, but Sia wasnʼt ready to let him go. With a playful smile, she grabbed his hand, pulling him into bed. ”Cuddle me, handsome,” she murmured.

Archer climbed into bed, and the older woman rested her head gently on his chest, quickly drifting into sleep. He soon followed, exhaustion taking over as the night passed. When morning came, he awoke to find Sia had already slipped away.

Following that, an alarm started ringing out and he heard someone rushing up to his room just before the door flew open. Elara appeared with a concerned expression as she announced, ”The Alliance are attacking from the north and hitting the fleets out at sea.”ʼ

He jumped out of bed and put on clothes as he replied, ”Howʼs Olivia doing? And is the 1st heading to the wall?” ”Yes, they left Emberport an hour ago,” Elara answered while straightening her armor. ʼʼTalila is leading a few cohorts of magic archers to the wall for support.”ʼ

Archer nodded before effortlessly lifting her into a princess carry, using Blink to teleport them outside. The dragonkin woman gasped in surprise, but a smile soon spread across her face as she wrapped her arms around him. ʼʼNext time, warn me before you do that, my love,” she teased.

He chuckled softly, planting a kiss on her forehead, then soared toward the northern wall. The sound of a sonic boom followed, echoing through the air as they sped off. Soon explosions erupted across the fortifications. [Check out my new novel and let me know what you think: Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend - If you like magic, academies, brilliant romance and dungeons, then give it a go]