In the dry acrid desert, a naked woman cheerfully marched into dry deserted lands past all manner of scattering wildlife hiding from the punishing sun under what rocks crevices and holes they could find as they make their advance.

Behind her less cheerfully followed two more naked girls covering themselves in vain as the sun beat down on their reddened skin both from the sun and the embarrassment of having to endure this trek in a state of undress.

"Master, can't we put our clothes on now?"

The girl in the lead clicked her tongue while wagging her finger back and forth.

"Be patient and enjoy this rare opportunity to enjoy the only time in life when it's legally acceptable not to wear clothes apart from the safety and comfort of your own home. Besides..."

She stopped in her tracks before one particular skull in the sand.

"We're already here"

A dry laugh starts as the skeleton in front of her emerges from the sand. A blue-skinned face begins to materialise around the skull as if it were always there and his skeletal arms begin forcing themselves out from the earth taking on skin as they hit the light of day.

The man wore black clothes embroidered with colourful ornaments of skulls flowers snakes and blood. Gold tassels hung off of various parts of his clothes and as he stood from the earth he pulled from beneath the sand a wide-brimmed hat adorned with gold tassels all around.

When his movement stopped and he'd fully emerged he stood two heads taller than any of the girls. His blue wings glittered in the harsh light of day. As he began staring at the girls his skin disappeared once again and they were left standing face to face with a well-dressed skeletal man.

"What right do you have to enter our lands?"

"I just want to party but the current queen wants peace."

At the end of the daemon's question, Adeliza responded not with fear as he'd expected but with the flutter of a peace treaty she'd been juggling around like a toy since she'd left the castle.

"If you've come to party you must have come prepared yes? You only get into our parties one of two ways."

"I brought beer." The barrel materialised in her hand.

His eyes lit up and his skin became fully apparent for the first time since they saw him. His smile was impossible to hide. As he threw his fist up into the air a cheer of multiple people began to resound from their surroundings and a bunch of colourful skeletal people began emerging from the sands around them.

"That's my favourite answer."

"Right? We'll deal with the boring paperwork later."

As they spoke the blue man threw his arm around her shoulder and began leading them towards their town. The other two girls were now even more tightly gripping the areas they wanted to be hidden.

"Is ten barrels enough to get all of us in?"

"For ten barrels you can invite whoever you want."

"Alright, I have a student, a blond short stack, if you see her be sure to give her a warm welcome for me."

"Ha ha, you got it."

Meanwhile back at the place with the blond short stack. In the under basement basement, Laurentius and Lagina were discussing splitting the encampment as some of the freed slaves were settling into the role of bandit a bit too well and were getting a bit handsy four men were already in Latif's med-bay for touching Mia while she was eating.

"We should probably split our forces between men and women so we have fewer injuries due to people not recognising Mia's strength."

"Best to stop them now before a whole group of them get incapacitated at once... But will you be Ok here without me to guide you?"

"That aside would you be able to defend yourself from all these guys if Mia was gone to protect the girls?"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"You're just waiting to do something stupid aren't you?"

"If you're really that worried I'll come to visit you guys to discuss our plans every week or so, you aren't planning on heading that far away are you?"

"No just a day or two upstream towards the southern Mountain away from the road. We're going to have to take Latif though."

"It's going to be a bit hard if people keep getting injured."

As they discussed Mia entered the room. The slow creaking of the door broke their eye contact and drew their attention to her as she stood at the entrance. She scratched the back of her head nervously before telling them.

"Lahahana said dinner's ready and it would be a shame if your plates got cold so..."

Laurentius and Lagina shared a brief look before smiling at one another and saying to her together.

"Mia, can you stay in the women's barracks for a few days? Just until we're ready to split up."

Mia looked between the two it seemed as though only business was on their minds but still she had to ask.

"If I stay in the women's barracks could you keep Lagina in your room?"

"Wait..."

"I'm good with that."

Laurentius tried to oppose the idea but Lagina quickly agreed.

"Wait what?"

"It makes sense. Mia doesn't want to sleep anywhere near me, and we might as well make this compromise if it keeps guys out of the infirmary before we have to leave."

"But there's only one bed in my room."

"So?"

Lagina turned to face Laurentius for the first time in the conversation and at the sight of his troubled expression, a wide grin crossed her face.

"What are you scared?"

"Why would I be scared?"

"Yeah, why would you be scared even if you sleep naked it's not like it'd be the first time I've seen you naked. wouldn't even be the first time you saw me naked."

"S-shut up..."

"Don't worry I wouldn't want to take your first time I'm just a maid, after all, I'm much more suited to be your concubine."

Laurentius tried to look to Mia for help but she was no longer standing near her seat at the war room table, instead, she was quietly shutting the door behind her as she was trying to sneak away. When she noticed his gaze she stopped trying to hide and just shut the door.

Mia abandoned them to their quarrel and went back to the mess hall. The second she arrived all the girls invited her to their table as she'd gained a reputation for attacking anyone who disrespected her and they were trying to befriend her to keep the men at bay.

She wasn't exactly happy to be crowded as she was; but remembering that fame comes with being a hero, she figured she'd take the opportunity to get used to the attention. The fashion within the encampment was very ragtag and looked almost hobbled together at the last possible second.

Everyone wore the bare minimum coverage. Materials to make clothes were scarce and short of destroying Mia's taxidermy animals for clothes making loin clothes and using bandages to cover the chests of the women was the best they could do without destroying the forest's ecosystem.

There were a few men and women helping Latif with first aid in the infirmary in an attempt to lighten his load. After Mia had eaten Laurentius and Lagina took a cart of food down to his infirmary to feed both the medics and the patients.

Latif wouldn't have the time to teach them magic in the short time frame they had to starve the elves but he could at least teach them the basics of first aid and field hospital training. He took extra care in teaching the women as after he'd be finished helping them set up their secondary base closer to the summit with the idea of recognisance in mind they'd have to deal with their own injuries.