"You look upset." Michelle tapped Daisy's nose. "What's wrong? I thought you said he could do what he wanted."

"I said that," Daisy said slowly. "But I feel, I don't know." She pulled Michelle to her and hugged the girl tightly. "I'm not from here, and you aren't either. How would you feel, having someone really close go and do that?"

"Huh." Michelle looked down at herself. "Well, back home, I was a married guy. He cheated on me for years, so we split up and got a divorce." She smiled up at Daisy.

Daisy blinked and inclined her head at her daughter. "You were a gay man then? No shade or nothing, but I didn't expect that."

"Well, I was married to my wife, but she's not relevant to this conversation." Michelle pouted as she put her hands on her hips. "My point is that cheating is a big deal back home."

Daisy was quiet a moment, imagining the complex life Michelle once lived. "I get that. Um, but it sounds like you were cheating too." She tapped Michelle gently on the nose. "Bad girl. Lucky you, seems this world doesn't mind that. In this world, you are a cute little daughter who has some fun with her many parents."

"Sounds great to me!" Michelle smiled as she leaned against Daisy.

Daisy snorted at Michelle, patting her gently on the head. "Are you alright, speeding through growing up? I figure you might even be happy about that."

Michelle nodded. "I am! It's really exciting. I want to see where it takes me." She giggled as she rubbed her hands together.

Daisy set a hand on one of her mutagenic breasts. "You were a bisexual male, sounds like. Now, all girl, but what gender remains to be seen. If we go by your old mind, bi is likely, but I guess you're getting the chance to find that out."

"Wow." Michelle blinked as she thought about this. "Yeah, that's true. I guess I'll just have to wait and see if I fall for a woman here."

Daisy raised her brows as one. "I wouldn't ask a normal baby, but I could start, with you, asking what you think of your mom."

Michelle blushed and giggled nervously. "Oh! Well, that's easy. You're my mother now, but you're also very hot. I could totally go for you."

Daisy hugged Michelle, the baby girl pressed against her breasts. "I think that's a yes, then? A point in favor of bi." She gave her daughter a gentle kiss. "It's interesting that your old world mind is being changed too." She paused. "Can't say mine hasn't been, but there's for sure parts of the old me still rattling around, like being annoyed that Cedric is in there, playing around with another mouse."

Michelle giggled as she nuzzled up against Daisy. "He'll be back." She placed her hands on her belly. "I can wait. I don't want him to leave us."

"That would be awful." She nuzzled in and curled about Michelle. "I'm glad you're here. If I had to wait alone, momma might have gotten so much angrier." She sighed, leaning back. "Hoping he's okay."

The two rested quietly against one another for some time, waiting patiently for Cedric to return. After a while, the wall blocking their exit vanished and Cedric came walking towards them. He was limping, his body covered in bite marks and scratches. Daisy was quickly to her feet, holding Michelle carefully. "Ced! Was, um, she that rough?"

Michelle gasped as she peered over at Cedric. "Oh my! Are you okay? You look a little roughed up."

"I'm fine!" He smiled at them as he walked up to them. He looked ready to say something else when Daisy grabbed him close in a fierce one-armed hug, her healing magic brightening as a window popped open in her eyes, showing his hit points returning.

"Daddy!" Michelle threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.

"Hey, you're alright," Cedric said as he hugged her back. He looked at her and smiled warmly. "I'm okay."

Daisy smooched his cheek. "You were clearly not, but I'm glad to have you back. She got what she wanted then?"

"Yeah." Cedric laughed nervously. "That's for sure." He straightened himself out as he walked with them out of the dungeon and into the cave. "I think that was enough excitement for today."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Daisy trailed along with him, then pointed. "That way's out. Thanks for coming with us, but I say we hustle on home."

"Right, let's go." Cedric took a step in the direction Daisy had pointed.

Moving swiftly, they skirted around the giants and made their way home without much else standing in their way. In the distance ahead, they could see their home city of Raela.

The guards looked a little stiffer than usual, so Daisy gave them a wave. "Hi there! Is something up?"

"Who is asking?"

"Daisy. I live here, I adventure here." She thumbed back at Michelle and Cedric. "Partner, child." She folded her arms under her chest. "Something going on?"

"I am not sure if you've heard." He gestured back at the city. "But a war is starting, with a nearby kingdom, the Kingdom of Lioral."

Daisy sucked in a breath. "Dang it. Is that a war with Raela, or a nation Raela's part of?"

He shook his head. "No, we are the city-state of Raela. We're sovereign from other kingdoms and answer only to ourselves and our neighbors. That being said, we do have some sort of alliance with the Kingdom of Lioral."

"Had, I presume." Daisy sank miserably. "Crap. That sounds like war's coming to us directly."

The guard nodded at that. "Quite likely. The king here seems to think we'll be attacked before long, though it's hard to say. But everyone is preparing for a fight."

Cedric blinked. "Well, that's concerning." He looked at the guard. "Do you know how long until it starts? Are they already on their way here?"

The guard held up a hand. "I can't say more than I have, ma'am. You're not in the army, you see."

Michelle pouted at this. "But we want to help!"

Daisy rubbed Michelle's head, then looked back towards the guard. "Let me guess. We sign up and tell the recruiter we're adventurers and he'll tell us we can do some things?"

"Good odds, but I couldn't say more than that." He waved Daisy forward. "You're backing up the line, well-intentioned or not."

Daisy bowed to the guard as she walked past him, then turned back towards Cedric and Michelle. "Seems we're headed into danger again."

Cedric sighed softly. "Yeah." He pointed to little Michelle. "We're not taking her on this, right?"

"Nope." She looked down to the little mouse girl. "It's up to you, but if you want to grow up faster, you can drink my milk."

Michelle beamed. "I'd like that." Since she had permission, she attached and nursed eagerly.

Unfortunately, even with both mother and child in agreement about growing being a fine thing to do, Michelle's little body only grew so fast. Daisy drew up Michelle's statistics, looking for an age.

─Age: 1

Daisy held Michelle gently, walking towards the campus even as the little one nursed. "You won't be big enough to take part, maybe for the best." She smiled down at Michelle. "But, I know someone who might like to look after you." Daisy peeked over at Cedric. "I'm not sure you'll have a choice about fighting, though."

Cedric shook his head quickly. "Now if you plan to hop in. You go, so do I!"

With that in mind, they waited for the others. Theo looked at them quite oddly. "Why would you get involved in that?"

Selena showed more enthusiasm. "I'd love to show those Lioral's what's coming to them." She clapped her hands at the thought. "They'll write stories about us."

Daisy shrugged a bit as she waved towards the other three. "I don't know if we can make the difference. But, we're in danger either way and I feel we stand better on the battlefield than crouched in a basement."

Theo tapped Daisy on the back. "The university has guards and wizards way better than any of us. One of the safer places to be."

"Maybe, but that doesn't sit right." She tapped Theo gently on the nose. "And if you want to spend the battle hiding, I won't shame you for that, but I'm going to go out and try to do something."

"And I'm coming." Selena moved to Daisy's side. "I feel invincible next to you anyway."

Daisy considered her buffs. "Tougher, at least. Oh! Theo, you can help actually." She pointed to Michelle. "You're on Michelle duty."

Theo looked down at the baby mouse and sighed softly. "Alright, fine."

Cedric laughed at him. "Hey, it's not that bad! You'll get to watch the fight and see what happens without being in any danger."

"Now we go sign up." Daisy took her two family members towards the barracks to find someone that could help with that.