“May I hold him?”

Ua’s eyes widened to their limits.

She and Heziyn sat beneath a certain tree not too far from their old home and since it was surrounded by houses, the streets were cleared for the safety of the Queen and prince.

Fifty Fire Breakers patrolled the inner city and anyone who was found out of their homes was kindly asked to return to them.

Ua turned to Musa who clung to her while seemingly enjoying the sensation brought about by the sunlight as it bathed his face.

“Sure,” Ua said before offering a one-year-old Musa to Heziyn who embraced him warmly.

“Y-you know, there was no need to rush. I knew you were going to do a good job but to be back within only a few months… I’m assuming you want some kind of reward.” Ua smiled although her eyes trembled.

Heziyn gently tapped Musa’s chin making the boy smile and giggle.

This in turn made Heziyn so ecstatic that her face reddened entirely and her eyes grew teary.

She, however, took a quick and deep breath before sitting upright and facing Ua once more.

“This moment is reward enough.” Heziyn’s smiled before looking around.

“Anyway, how is the great city of Hatua doing nowadays?” Heziyn asked while allowing Musa to hold her index finger, although she kept him from shoving it in his mouth.

“Eh. So-so. The people are alive and that’s all that matters.” Ua breathed while seemingly trying not to glare at Heziyn.

“I see. Mpole told me something about a certain group of Shangazi who had all gotten pregnant simultaneously. Do you know what’s going on or is our dear Mpole losing her mind?”

“Ehh… that group was supposed to lead the research into Soul and Life Magic but, after hitting a wall, they decided to spend all their time…” Ua narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to Heziyn.

“Getting their brains fucked out by… well-equipped Fire Breakers,” Ua whispered before sitting normally.

“Oh- I see- wait. I thought Soul Magic was forbidden.” Heziyn frowned.

“It is but you of all people should remember how I was after Mlezi’s death.” Ua sighed before finally giving up and reaching out to Musa.

Heziyn softly chuckled before handing the boy over to his mother.

“Anyway, you seem far more ambitious than those women so it leads me to wonder what your plans are for after you complete the road,” Ua said while tightly holding Musa although it seemed as though the boy didn’t mind.

“I have nothing in mind. I’m actually going to hand over construction of the road to one of your Shangazi and return to Kimbilio after I’m done here.”

Ua's eyes narrowed.

“Oh? Why?”

“I feel like a lot more could be done to improve the situation there. Making them depend on Hatua more will definitely make them less to try anything in the future.”

“Hoh? Should we change your name to Heziyn the Conqueror?” Ua chuckled making Heziyn weakly smile.

“But you’re right. I’ve heard you’re teaching and training them all while introducing them to improvements to life that they can only get from you. Glass is also a key factor. There are no significantly large reserves down there so after you get them comfortable, they’ll do anything to stay that way.” Ua nodded before sighing.

“Are you going to stay the night?” She asked as she stood up.

“I will, if you let me sleep with you and Musa.” Heziyn grinned while joining Ua in walking south.

“Never! Musa is mine and mine alone!” Ua yelled while comically shielding the boy with her back.

“Then consider this ally of yours lost!” Heziyn scoffed.

“Ha! I’m sure our Mpole will love your job!” Ua scoffed while taking quick steps forward.

“She can have it.” Heziyn smiled.

I assumed a wider perspective and beheld the Southern Continent, which had gained the name of Hatua since Ua controlled almost every part of the continent.

She and every other humanoid was fulfilling my wish.

Surviving.

That’s all that mattered.

But while Hatua was experiencing relative peace, the people who wanted to call Y’shuah home were at war.

A certain egg had hatched and the shrimp had made landfall.

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They arrived in the hundreds of thousands and the only thing that kept the Chofumah from being instantly obliterated was the wall of wood and stone that they had erected.

It funnelled them into the clearing in the Elephantine Forest where they were burnt to ash by magicians who used the Glass harvested from the Cavern to set the Shrimp ablaze.

This tactic, however, wasn’t able to force all of the shrimp into the funnel and some found their way over the wall and into the forest where they were met by warriors, chief among them being Pazia.

Using nothing but a spear he held back their ranks all while a nearby magician disabled the fists and spears of the Shrimp.

This was only the first day of the war and yet the forest was already covered in carcasses.

Pazia grabbed one Shrimp just in time to use it as a shield after seeing that another Shrimp's fists hadn’t properly been disabled.

The attacking Shrimp blew apart its kin before being promptly stabbed in the head.

The first wave would eventually be fought back and Pazia would approach a certain magician who sat by a tree while sobbing.

Pazia grabbed him by his collar and lifted him before letting out a deep growl.

“I almost died because of you.”

The man closed his eyes and turned his blood-covered head away.

“LOOK AT ME!” Pazia snapped, catching the attention of those who were recovering from the battle. They rested their backs against trees and turned their tired eyes to Pazia whose eyes narrowed.

He let out a sigh before gently placing the man back on the ground.

“Look at me.” He sighed making the man open his eyes a little.

“I know what you’ve been asked to do is scary but I- we all need you to find the strength to stand and fight,” Pazia said softly but the man’s teary eyes simply fell in response making Pazia bite his teeth a little.

“You have family waiting for you back in the Cavern, right?”

The man looked back at Pazia with a gasp.

“If you are unable to do your job properly and I die… you will be next. And you know damn well what those things have their sights on. So please… focus.”

The man took a deep breath before weakly nodding.

Pazia nodded back before glancing at the other fighters who all nodded in approval.

He then turned to the south and I wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at but it seemed to be beyond the forest.

I turned to Pele and saw that he and Vah were in a Classroom watching over some of the children as the sounds of war died down.

“Sir, is it true that you killed a million Pangolins?” One of the children asked.

“Haha! Unfortunately, I did not. I killed maybe a hundred on my own before we completely drove them to the eastern and western coasts.” Pele gingerly laughed as Vah stood expressionlessly next to him.

“Aww! I heard you killed a million.”

“I heard it was a thousand!”

“Didn’t he just say he only killed ten?”

“Come now, boys and girls. Let’s talk about something less… violent.”

“Aww! That’s boring!”

“Yeah! Tell us about the Queen!”

“Is it true that she steals naughty children?”

The children all said, each louder than the last.

“I…” Pele began, bringing the room to silence.

“The Queen does not, in fact, steal naughty children.” He smiled.

“Phew! I thought it would be weird if she came all the way here just to steal us. I guess my dad lied.”

“Yeah, they just say that so we can sit still.”

The children said and Pele shyly scratched his cheek as he received glares from the teachers who sat across him.

His little meeting with the teachers and their students eventually came to an end.

After waving the children goodbye, he and Vah then made their way to one of the two storerooms where food was kept.

A Shangazi detailed just what they had in stock and things weren’t looking good.

They had almost depleted the supplies they’d brought from Hatua and their rush to defend themselves from the Shrimp meant that they hadn’t gotten a chance to begin any sort of agricultural development.

“My suggestion would be that we send some people north. They will test the soil and the seeds to see what works. They can then send whatever they grow down here during harvest season.” The Shangazi suggested but Pele crossed his arms in response.

“That’s a good idea but this land is dangerous. Who will protect them while they work since most of our warriors are down here?” He asked while tapping his foot.

“Surely it wouldn’t hurt to send a handful of warriors north. And besides, what are your warriors down here going to do when the food runs out?” Vah asked.

“Mmm… good point.”

“I know. So, you, gather some magicians and farmers and have them ready to move north within the next couple of days. And you, get two hundred of your men out of that forest immediately.”

Pele exchanged glances with the Shangazi.

“O….k.” He said before following Vah out of be storeroom.

Vah maintained a stiff expression that remained on her face throughout the day as she and Pele fulfilled their administrative duties.

She finally let out a sigh when she and Pele returned home.

“Whew! A part of me wishes I could join those I’m sending north but alas.” Pele’s shoulders drooped and he dragged his feet towards his room but he stopped as Vah stood in his way.

She then looked him over all while narrowing her eyes.

“How are you feeling?” She asked but the man, who stood almost three times her height, shrugged.

“I feel quite good, actually.”

“Mmm…” Vah droned before moving aside, allowing Pele to enter the room.

She followed him inside and joined him in bed.

A moment passed as the two laid and while Pele closed his eyes, Vah stared at the ceiling.

“Why… did you reject their offers?” She whispered.

“Mmm?”

“You need a successor, regardless of your feelings on the matter. Choosing Emunah’s daughter would gain you the support of three leaders. Choosing Mashouah would gain you the loyalty of his many experienced warriors... And yet you chose neither. You really must be an idiot.” Vah sighed while lightly tapping Pele’s chest with her small index finger.

“Mmm… which is more harder to move, a large boulder or a mule?” Pele asked without opening his eyes.

“What?” Vah frowned in confusion.

“It is the mule because even though it can, it stubbornly refuses. As admittedly insulting as it seems, I am like a mule. It’s not that I can’t do as you say and marry those women. I just don’t want to.” Pele scoffed making Vah’s eyes widen.

“So… I might be the only woman you share a bed with.”

Pele finally opened his eyes and looked into Vah’s.

“You are the only woman I will ever share a bed with.”

“And why is that?”

“I can’t say. Why are you in bed with me?”

Vah’s eyes widened further.

“Because… you are chief of the Chofumah.” She said while sitting up.

Pele sat up as well and looked intently into her eyes which brilliantly reflected the pale Cyan light that came from the Cavern via the room’s only window.

“Is that the only reason?” Pele asked.

“Because… you are strong enough to protect me,” Vah whispered while leaning closer to Pele who did the same.

“And?” He whispered while moving his lips closer to Vah’s but she suddenly gasped and moved back a little.

“Wait! If… if I am to be yours and I bear your child… can you make me a promise?” Vah asked with an expression twisted with fear.

“Anything,” Pele said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Promise me that they won’t be your heir.”

Pele’s brows furrowed a little.

“But who will then take my place?” He asked.

“I… I am willing to allow you to have another woman bear that child.” Vah said and although Pele’s eyes fell for a moment, he returned his gaze to Vah and nodded.

“Alright.”

Vah nodded before closing her eyes and finally allowing her lips to meet Pele’s.