Stella:

She was... safe?

Stella and Lien walked side-by-side, with Tarb and Locci protecting their left and right, respectively. The twin mages were the rearguard of their expedition, while Capt. Tash and The Silver Knight took the lead. The latter marched with exaggerated swagger, as always.

Being escorted by a group of armored guards was a disturbing experience for the Human. She never had a good track record with the police in Namadi for blatant reasons.

Even though the Knight and the Lycan Squad were only after her safety, the girl couldn't help but feel like a criminal.

Actually, she wasn't even sure about her safety with these guys. Captain Tash has been eyeing her with this disturbing cold stare since they met, and after Lien revealed their status as a pack, it turned into a subtle scowl.

She'd have to stay as far away as possible from Tash. The only problem was, as you could have guessed, Lien. The pup wouldn't give up on sticking to her, no matter how far she walked, like a putrid fart. While Stella didn't mind, it only made things more dicey.

The girl couldn't believe that thought was crossing her mind, but she'd prefer hearing another one of Kristal's long-winded rants.

Speaking of who. "STELLA! STELLA!"

The universe heard her requests in the oddest of moments.

The Nguruvilú herself was frantically waving her arms to get their attention. The Knight waved back, and so did Euraidd. The rest only stared or ignored her.

Stella waved back. "Hey! Kristal! How's it going?!"

"Girl, I could ask the same of you! What's the deal with those guards?!" Kristal gasped. "YOU'RE GETTING ARRESTED?!" Then she frowned. "Don't worry, bestie! My papá will make these guys leave you alone!"

On second thought, maybe Stella preferred Tash's killer stare. She appreciated the Nguruvilú's support, though.

As the group left Kristal behind, she shouted one last time. "I GOT YOUR BACK, GIRL!"

Her voice still felt like needles in the Human's ears. At least that was finally over.

After that peculiar reunion, they continued walking for half an hour. Strangely, Stella didn't feel as tired as she regularly would, especially after all that action from before and drinking that magic jam.

She was feeling a little hungry, though.

Lien whispered in her ear. "Hey! There's so much stuff we can do when we get home. I can't wait to tell everyone about my Human friend! Speaking of friends, I have so many to introduce you!" Her excitement made her "whispers" quite audible.

Stella snickered as her friend gushed about what they'd do on Pantsti. It was kinda precious! She would rather have the pup chewing her ear off than Kristal. There was just that child-like earnestness that resonated with the Human.

And now Stella had a big, dumb smile on her face. Lien had one hell of an effect on her mood.

At the distance, there was something that sparked her never-ending curiosity. The river expanded exponentially after a certain point, getting wider and wider until it turned out like a lake or when you press a hose when water flows through it, forming a bump.

It was huge! Stella wasn't sure if this was another one of Sayama's weirdness or a natural phenomenon she was unaware of. It was harder to see the Sampiens on the other side. However, the giant mushrooms were too big to be completely unnoticeable.

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The light reflecting in the water created a beautiful mirroring effect that was only slightly distorted by its subtle movements. The bright, blue sky highlighted the "lake's" beauty.

But the landscape's most important detail resided at the heart of the lake. A wooden house supported and anchored by pillars made of the same material. It had two floors, no paint job, a platform beneath, and some stairs that led to another podium where a boat was hitched.

"I assume that's Padda's house?" Stella gestured at the building with her two hands.

Lien stretched her neck. "I guess. Never been there."

The Knight placed his hand above the spot where his eyes supposedly resided. "They're not fishing yet. Do we wait for them?" He turned to the captain.

"Leave it to me." Tash approached the margin. "Cover your ears!" She inhaled all the air she could hold and produced a loud howl! Everyone in the group had to protect their hearing.

The howling lasted about ten seconds, long enough to make two unrecognizable figures come out of the house.

They waved at the group, and the Knight returned the gesture. "SALUTATIONS, CITIZENS! IT'S ME, THE SILVER KNIGHT AND THE DRAGON'S GUARD!" He had a talent for shouting, much to everyone's dismay.

Apparently, they managed to understand his words from that distance, or at least went to investigate who were these damn bastards screaming at their riverstep. They entered their boats and started approaching the group's location. However, they were not rowing, so was the vessel motorized? That or magic.

Stella's first hypothesis was confirmed when the two Monoke docked next to them. Seeing these fairytale-like beings with technological advancements was weird still, but she would get used to it.

One of the Monoke exited the boat and immediately went to shake the Knight's hand with a big smile. He was an anthropomorphic frog with brown-yellow skin, wearing old, slightly torn blue overalls and a straw hat.

"Wouldja look at that! Didn't ask for anything yet!" The Frog spoke with a hint of suspicion.

The hero shook his head. "No, no! We came here because we need your hospitality! Well, someone specific is."

He raised a... Uh... He made the anuran equivalent to raising an eyebrow. "Well, who's the poor bastard?!"

The Knight gestured at the Human girl. Padda's big eyes widened, and whatever he was about to say was stuck, only letting out a weak croak.

Judging by the Frog's reaction, Stella was expecting rejection already. Maybe some crazed shouting, tons of panic. However...

"Tizohi almighty! Another one?! Already?!" He was surprised, but his voice carried more amusement rather than fright.

More importantly, something he said caught the girl's attention. "Another?" She whispered to herself.

The other Monoke, who remained in the boat, turned their head to see what was happening with their partner. "Who're you talking to? Is that that kind young fellow again?"

They looked like a humanoid blue turtle, down to their head, beak, and shell on their back. However, they also possessed pointy human-like ears and webbed hands with pointy claws for nails. The Monoke's eyes seemed to be constantly closed shut, and their grey hair covered most of their scalp, except for a hole at the top of their head.

"Yeah!" The Frog answered. "Along with some guards and a Human!" He laughed. "Can you believe that?!"

The seemingly blind Monoke tilted their head toward their partner's voice. "A huge pan?!" He addressed the crowd. "We appreciate it, but it won't fit in the kitchen!"

The Frog grunted in slight frustration. He took off his hat and scratched the top of his head. "I don't know. It's gonna take a lot of fuel to make y'all cross."

Captain Tash interjected. "A few electronic devices aside, everyone in my squad can swim."

"Uh..." Euraidd took everyone's attention. "I... don't know how to swim yet."

Hufen and Locci facepalmed. Tarb started laughing his ass off while pointing at him while Tash stared at him, dumbfounded.

"You told me you'd take lessons." The captain tried her best to not let her anger seep through. She failed.

Euraidd nervously laughed. "You know how it is! Guard life is too busy for that stuff!"

His sister chimed in. "Is that why you spent your whole week off playing that 'videogame' thingy?"

"BACK ME UP, SIS!" The betrayed mage shouted, then he pointed at the hero. "The Knight gifted me that game! Not my fault that it was so addicting!"

The hero shook his hands. "I'd appreciate it if you don't associate me with your procrastination."

Stella was smiling through all of this while Lien chuckled. The two girls immediately stopped when Tash put an end to that embarrassment. "Locci! You carry him through the river!"

Euraidd sighed with relief while Locci eyed him with an uncomfortable expression. Tarb lifted his paw. "Sister?"

Upon hearing that, the captain produced the most horrifying stare the Human had seen.

That's siblings for you. I wish I had one... Better be annoyed rather than bored.

Returning from this tangent, the humanoid bulldog immediately caved to his sibling's intimidation. "Captain?"

Tash sighed. "Speak."

"I don't think I can swim that well anymore." He pointed out.

The captain's eyes immediately went to Hufen, who responded by shaking her head frantically and joining her paws in a begging gesture.

The Knight turned to the Frog. "Please, Mr. Padda. If you do this, I will make your next 'refuel' free of charge!" He bowed.

Padda's eyes sparkled, and his demeanor went 180° after hearing those words. "Why didn't ya say so! Y'all are welcome! Hop in!"