A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 1530: Come By And Say Hello

Archer said his goodbyes to the women as they decided to stay to help the women and his new daughters before heading toward Hecateʼs room, where the other four were. Once he reached there, he was greeted by Leira, who was feeding Evelyn.

A smile appeared on his face as the cat woman greeted him. ʼʼAfternoon, husband, just in time for their daily nap,ʼʼ she cheerfully said.

ʼʼI just wanted to come by and say hello,ʼʼ he responded.

As Archerʼs voice echoed through the room, a delightful chorus of giggles and babbles erupted from his daughters, their tiny voices bubbling with joy at the sound of their fatherʼs return.

Drawn by their infectious excitement, he stepped through the doorway, his heart warming at the sight before him. On a soft, colorful mat sprawled across the floor, Freya, Neoma, and Kela played, their small hands grasping at toys as they tumbled and laughed.

Off to the side, bathed in the soft glow of afternoon light filtering through the window, Sia and Hecate sat at a polished wooden table, sipping tea from delicate porcelain cups. The air carried the faint, soothing aroma mingling alongside the warmth of the cozy scene.

The two women turned their heads in unison as Archer entered, their faces lighting up with affection. The Moon Elf lifted her gaze, her striking crimson eyes shimmering thanks to the warmth and mischief.

A gentle smile curved her lips as she greeted him, her voice soft yet carrying the weight of her love. ʼʼWelcome home, my dearest husband,” she said, her tone as melodic as a lullaby. ʼʼThe little ones have been eagerly awaiting your return, and truth be told, so have we.ʼʼ

Her words were laced with love, her eyes never leaving his as she gestured toward the giggling trio on the mat; their joy was proof of the love that bound this family together. He crouched down and ruffled the babyʼs hair as each one of them let out a yawn.

When Archer saw this, it prompted him to ask their mothers. ʼʼCan I put them down before returning to the war?ʼʼ

Sia agreed, smiling. ʼʼOf course you can.ʼʼ

After exchanging warm smiles with Sia and Hecate, Archer turned his attention to his daughters, their gleeful squeals still filling the room. He knelt beside the colorful mat where Freya, Neoma, and Kela played.

Their big, bright eyes were sparkling with recognition as he scooped them up one by one, showering each with gentle kisses and playful murmurs that elicited more giggles. The winter chill had begun to seep into Draconia, the air outside.

He took extra care to ensure his little ones were snug and warm. With a fatherʼs tenderness, he carried each girl to her cot, their small forms nestled comfortably in his arms. The nursery was a cozy haven enchanted light that cast a warm, golden blanket across the room.

Archer tucked Freya, Neoma, and Kela into their cots, pulling thick, woolen blankets up to their chins, ensuring they were shielded from the biting cold that gripped the land outside as it turned to winter.

He brushed a strand of hair from Neomaʼs forehead, hummed a soft lullaby to soothe Kelaʼs restless wriggles, and whispered a playful promise of tomorrowʼs adventures to Freya, who beamed up at him with sleepy eyes.

As he stepped back, the room now quiet save for the gentle breathing of his daughters, Archer cast a fond glance toward Sia and Hecate, who watched him. The crackling fire in the hearth added a comforting warmth, its flickering light dancing across the walls.

Sia, the dark-haired Dragonkin, fixed her luminous blue eyes on him, a knowing warmth in her gaze as she leaned forward slightly. ʼʼI can see it in you, my love,ʼʼ she said, her tone soft. ʼʼHaving our daughters has changed you, softened your edges, brought out a tenderness I always knew was there but shines brighter now.ʼʼ

Her words hung in the air, accompanied by the faint crackle of the roomʼs fire and the hum of the winter wind outside. His lips curved into a warm, hearty chuckle, the sound reverberating through the nursery as he crossed the room to join Sia and Hecate at the polished wooden table.

Archer settled into a chair, the faint scent of tea lingering as he leaned back, his violet eyes gleaming. ʼʼYouʼre right,ʼʼ he admitted. ʼʼI feel it too, and I wouldnʼt trade it for anything. These girls, their laughter, their tiny hands reaching for me, itʼs reshaped me in ways I never imagined. And I love every moment of it.ʼʼ

His gaze flickered toward the cots where Freya, Neoma, and Kela now slept soundly, tucked beneath their thick blankets, safe from the frosty Draconian winter. The firelight cast a soft glow over the scene.

As the fire crackled softly, casting a warm golden glow across the nursery, Archer, Sia, and Hecate continued their conversation, their voices a gentle murmur that blended with the peaceful breathing of Freya, Neoma, and Kela, now fast asleep.

The trio spoke of small joys, Kelaʼs newfound love for stacking toys, Neomaʼs curious babbling that sounded almost like words, and Freyaʼs fearless attempts to toddle across the mat.

The last sips of chamomile tea had just been drained from their cups when a familiar tone, vibrant and resolute, echoed in his mind. ʼWeʼre closing in on Starfall City to wash out the remaining Alliance forces, handsome,ʼ Inaraʼs words rang with her characteristic blend of confidence and affection.

A wide, proud smile spread across Archerʼs face, his violet eyes glinting with excitement as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He turned to Sia and Hecate, his voice brimming with anticipation.

ʼʼInaraʼs done it,ʼʼ he said. ʼʼSheʼs beaten the Alliance and has them on the run from Starfall City. Weʼll be ready to push into Orientia in the coming days, once youʼre feeling stronger, Sia.ʼʼ

He glanced at the older woman, as her eyes sparkled with a mix of intrigue and resolve, though her body still bore the faint weariness of recovery. Siaʼs lips curved into a determined smile, her hand brushing against his in a gesture of quiet solidarity.

ʼʼThen weʼll make them regret ever crossing us,ʼʼ she said softly.

Archer lingered longer in the forsaken depths of Starfall City before meeting Inara on its outskirts. The city, once a beacon of life, now lay in ruin, a desolate, cursed wasteland swallowed by an oppressive, unnatural silence.

A suffocating darkness clung to its crumbling spires, seeping from the cityʼs heart like a venomous miasma. The air pulsed with a malevolent aura, thick with the stench of decay and dread, as if the very stones wept with torment.

ʼʼDonʼt send any soldiers in yet,ʼʼ Archer hissed to the lioness, his voice low and urgent. ʼʼA monstrous presence stalks the fog, something ancient, ravenous, and unspeakably evil.ʼʼ

Inaraʼs red eyes widened, her fur bristling as she faced Archer on the desolate outskirts of Starfall City. The air hung heavy, choked with a sickly, unnatural fog that pulsed thanks to malice from the cityʼs decayed core.

ʼʼI... I sent them in already,ʼʼ Inara stammered, trembling with dawning horror. ʼʼOne hundred soldiers, Archer. They marched into the city at dawn, seeking to reclaim it.ʼʼ

Archerʼs face paled, his claws appearing. ʼʼYou what?” he growled, but before he could say more, a blood-curdling scream tore through the silence.

It was followed by another, then a chorus of agonized wails echoing from the fog-shrouded ruins. The shrieks twisted into something inhuman, laced with terror and pain, as if the very souls of the soldiers were being ripped apart.

The ground seemed to shudder beneath the weight of an unseen, ravenous force, feasting within the cityʼs blackened heart. Archer summoned his wings and shot into the air as the Legionnaires rushed out of the mist-covered streets.

Creepy humanoids that resembled Wendigos chased after them. Without waiting, he cast dozens of Mana Blasts into the creatures, explosions echoed out, and sent the monsters flying all over the place.

The piercing screams of the soldiers offered a fleeting chance for some to flee as the Dragonknights charged into the battle, their colossal warhorses thundering toward the grotesque horde lurking in Starfall Cityʼs fog-choked ruins.

The monstrous creatures were pulverized under iron-shod hooves. Viscous blood sprayed in sickening arcs, coating the cracked cobblestones and shattered walls in a crimson sheen. Guts and shattered bones littered the ground as the knightsʼ attack reduced the fiends to a mangled, oozing slaughter, their unearthly shrieks fading into the darkness.

Archer landed, letting out a heavy thud between his battered army and the remaining horde of grotesque humanoids, their malformed bodies twitching with hunger in the fog of Starfall City.

Drawing a deep breath, he unleashed a roaring torrent of violet fire from his lips, the unnatural flames surging forward like a living tide. The creatures shrieked, their flesh blistering and crumbling as the blaze consumed them.

The ash drifted upward, carried away on a chilling breeze that whispered through the cityʼs ruined streets, leaving only silence and the reek of charred decay in its wake.