A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 1457: Come Before and Will Come After?

Archer watched as her eyes sparkled with something akin to mischief as she returned to her human form and instantly straddled his waist. Inara looked down at him, grinning. ’’It’s good to see you, handsome. Now, can we go to the Domain and finish where we left off?’’

’’You lewd lioness,’’ he answered with a chuckle. ’’But yes, let’s go. I was annoyed when the attack happened as I wanted to taste you.’’

When Inara heard this, she jumped up, offering him a hand up. He took it as she replied. ’’We need to check on the fortress first, and maybe get the soldiers out here to loot this place. I can smell expensive metal and other materials all over the ground.’’

He nodded before teleporting them next to Elara, who was sitting down in the courtyard while the Draconians rushed around tending to their duties. The redhead was cleaning her sword as the afternoon sky was covered in dark smoke, and the smell of Mana Shells.

’’We lost just over three hundred Drakeguards and fifty Legionnaires in the initial attack that caught us off guard,’’ the redhead revealed. ’’I’ve sent their bodies back to Emberport as soon as the barrage stopped.’’

When hearing all that, he raised his hand as a soft glow of healing magic pulsed from his palm. The shimmering energy cascaded outward like a tide of energy, washing over the fortress in a wave of warmth and light.

It entered every building and tent, covering the injured Draconians. Seconds later, wounds knit themselves closed, broken bones mended, and weary spirits lifted as every soldier within the stronghold felt the rejuvenating touch of his power.

People who had recently passed away woke up, shocking thousands of men, women, and monsters were healed. The remaining troops, invigorated by a surge of newfound strength, stood taller.

As the glow faded, a thunderous roar of gratitude erupted from the ranks. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Legions raised their voices in unison, their cheers echoing off the stone walls, a triumphant chorus that shook the very foundations of the fortress as they celebrated.

He lowered his hand, his steady, unassuming gaze drowning the electric hum of loyalty that filled the air. A quiet smile spread across his face, drawing warm grins from Inara and Elara at his side.

The redhead tilted her head, curiosity glinting in her eyes. ’’Is this something you ever get used to? Growing up the way you did and now being loved by every single Draconian that has come before and will come after?’’

Archer’s nod was soft, his voice warm with contentment, but there was hidden pain that they sensed thanks to their bond. ’’I was alone back then, with just Ella and Sia. Now? I have trillions who rely on me, women who love me fiercely, and a dozen children I haven’t even met yet, already filling my heart.’’

Just then, the weight of the day’s battles lingered, but a sudden warmth bloomed in his chest, pulling him inward. His vision blurred, the world fading, until a peaceful meadow unfolded in front of him, bathed in golden light.

Three little girls stood in the distance, their adorable laughter ringing like chimes on the wind. They turned, spotting him, and their voices rose in a chorus of joy. ’’Papa!’’ they cried, their small feet pattering across the grass as they ran toward him.

The first reached him, her white hair shimmering like moonlight, big blue eyes wide with adoration as she looked at him. Her pointed ears twitched, a little copy of Sia. She threw her arms around his leg, giggling. ’’Papa, you’re here!’’

Her voice was a melody, pure and bright, tugging at his heart. The second girl bounded forward, her white hair bouncing, her emerald-green eyes sparkling with mischief. Cat-like ears flicked atop her head, unmistakably Leira’s daughter.

She grabbed his hand, tugging playfully. ’’Come chase us, Papa! We’re faster than you! I’ll prove it!’’

He chuckled at her grin was wild, fearless, and full of life. The last girl approached more slowly, her black hair cascading in soft waves, her violet eyes gleaming with a quiet intensity. She was a mirror of himself, yet carried Kassandra’s fierce, soulful gaze.

The little girl stopped before him, her small hand reaching up. ’’We’ve been waiting for you,’’ she whispered, her little voice steady, piercing his soul.

Archer’s breath caught, his knees buckling as he knelt to gather them into one big hug, which made the group giggle as they happily returned it. Each one clung to him like it was the end of the world.

Their warmth was real, their laughter a balm to the loneliness he’d carried for so long until meeting their mothers on his journey. ’’My girls,’’ he murmured.

The vision trembled, the meadow fading, but their faces lingered, Sia’s daughter with her radiant joy, Leira’s with her boundless energy, and Kassandra’s with her quiet strength; they reminded him of their mothers.

He pressed a hand to his chest, vowing to hold them first when they were born. As the two women saw this, they looked concerned as Inara grabbed his hand. ’’Is everything okay, love?’’ she questioned.

’’Yes,’’ he said, shaking his head. ’’I just saw three of my daughters, Sia, Leira, and Kassandra. They were so adorable.’’

They looked shocked, but Elara curiously inquired. ’’Why do you get these visions?’’

Archer pointed up, answering as something caught his attention, his senses screaming at him to react. ’’The gods but get everyone into the Domain NOW!’’

Just then, he cast a Cosmic Shield around the fortress as a powerful being appeared, punching it, causing him to grunt as the force sent pain shooting through his body, as the stranger was a little stronger than himself.

The two women looked shocked. Elara got to work and started ordering the soldiers through the portal. Inara took out her sword, but he warned. ’’You can’t stand up to him, only I can, my love.’’

Following his words, a menacing voice echoed out from the grinning stranger. ’’Why are you running, White Dragon? Come fight me! You killed my wife, and now yours will become my playthings.’’

Something snapped, Archer’s laughter erupted as he turned to the Terravian Pseudo God, a low chuckle at first, rippling through the charged air like a distant storm, catching everyone’s attention.

But it twisted, spiraling into something unhinged, a manic cackle that echoed off the shattered cliffs around them. His violet eyes blazed, twin stars igniting with a feral glow, casting jagged shadows as he threw his head back and roared.

’’Run?’’ The word was a taunt, a challenge, dripping with unbridled madness.

His aura surged, a tidal wave of raw, untamed power that warped the air, crackling with sparks of violet lightning erupted around him. Moments later, the ground trembled beneath him.

Even Inara and Elara staggered, their breaths catching as the sheer weight of his presence pressed against their souls. The women exchanged wide-eyed glances, their hands twitching toward their weapons.

’’Running?’’ his voice boomed, no longer human but a force of nature, his grin wild and predatory. ’’Who’s running? And why?’’

Each word was a hammer strike, shaking the confidence of the towering Terravian before him, its crystalline eyes flickering with uncertainty. His entire being shifted; gone was the steady leader, replaced by a maelstrom of chaos.

Archer’s body moved before thought, a blur of motion as he launched forward, the earth cracking beneath his boots. ’’I’M HERE!’’ he bellowed, his voice a thunderclap that split the sky.

He crashed into the Terravian with world-ending force, the impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Dust and debris exploded outward, and the creature reeled, its massive form staggering under the onslaught of his manic fury.

The air hummed with his laughter, wild and unbroken, as he stood amidst the chaos, violet eyes burning, daring the universe itself to challenge him.

***

Inara’s heart pounded as she braced against the trembling earth, her gaze locked onto her lover, the man she fell in love with when they met again all that time ago, bringing a small smile to her face.

She felt the air around the fortress seethed, a maelstrom of violet light and crackling energy that made her skin prickle. His laughter tore through the battlefield, a wild, unhinged sound that started as a low rumble and spiraled into a manic crescendo.

This sound scared everyone as it wasn’t normal and felt like he was holding something dark back. Just then, Elara leaned in and whispered. ’’Remember, he isn’t a human or elf, Inara, his a dragon. A white one at that, and it’s always fighting to come to the surface.’’

’’Oh,’’ she replied. ’’I keep forgetting that, he hides his features all the time, and thanks to his childhood, he’s damaged beyond repair, allowing the beast to come out when we were threatened.’’

The redheaded woman nodded in agreement. ’’He leaves his dragon eyes behind, I think he loves them,’’ she revealed.

Inara noticed Archer’s violet eyes blazed thanks to the incoming mana and power that was surging through his body, boosting his strength to even higher heights.