Daisy was already leaving the dorm building when Cedric caught up with her. "Oh good! You're already ready to go."

Cedric smiled as he looked her over. "You sure? You just, um." He wobbled a hand. "You're a new mother."

Daisy leaned over to kiss him on the forehead. "And if I do nothing, this might run right over her. Bonus, my new daughter isn't entirely new, so she knows exactly what I'm doing. A real baby would be very confused and lost right now."

***

"I want her back!" Michelle stomped her foot on the ground, pouting as she glared at Cedric. "Bring her back, now."

Cedric laughed awkwardly. "Um, kiddo, it isn't going to work like that." he crouched down to be closer to Michelle's level. "She's fighting a war, so we don't get caught in it."

Michelle huffed softly. "But what about you? You can fight." She poked his chest. "You've got magic. You should go with Mommy."

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm not ready for that yet." He reached out and ruffled her hair gently. "Besides, Daisy can handle herself better than I ever could." He slipped to his bottom. "Besides, someone has to keep an eye on you." He pulled her up into his lap. "And that's me."

***

Daisy stood in line with the others, her hands on her hips as she waited for their briefing to start. A tall, burly man was walking along the ranks of the troops, looking over the various people.

The man stopped, turning to look Daisy over a moment. "Army rules say not to comment on whatever crazy form people decide they like, but you're clearly not built for any real battle." He tapped Daisy's shoulder, his touch making a soft clinking sound against the armor he was wearing. "What are you even here for?"

She folded her arms. "I am here to be a walking fortress, healing those who need it and helping where I can." She tapped the ground. "I've slain dragons in this form, I doubt our enemy's going to match that."

"Well!" The commander gave a hearty laugh at that. "A dragon! Sure! But you'd still be more use keeping our supply line up and running. How many others do you have?"

She raised her hands. "Others?" She reached for Cedric. "He's with me, and her." She grabbed Selena with her other hand. "We're all adventurers, tried and tested."

That commander shook his head. "Oh. Shoulda said you were adventurers to start." He waved off the entire affair. "As you were. Keep the troops patched up."

They walked away, leaving Daisy with a small frown as she looked after the departing figure, but then shrugged it off. She looked at the other soldiers that were around them.

Most of those assembled looked more like town guard, though she recognized a few other adventurers. Including one coming towards her at an unfortunate rate. He was the one that had made her uncomfortable at the tavern. She took a slow breath and tried to look almost anywhere other than at him.

"Hello again, mouse." He walked up towards Daisy and looked down at her. "Oh! And your little friends. How adorable." He smiled at Selena.

"I am not her friend." Selena leaned in, wrapping one arm around her. "I'm her girl. We're her family."

Daisy let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah." She scooped Cedric close to join in. "I, um, need something?"

"Hey, I'm here to fight, just like you are." He waved at the other soldiers that were milling about. "But I wanted to come over and talk for a minute. Maybe you're a little more receptive to it now."

Daisy skewed an ear aside. "Y-sure." She took a calming breath. "Look, you're an adventurer, like us. We're, um, not trying to brag, but cut different from the people who avoid dungeons."

The man smiled at this. "Yes, adventurers tend to be a cut above, even if they're green." He gestured around himself. "So, why don't we join forces?" He tapped his own chest.

Daisy blinked at that. "We're all on the same team here. What forces would we be joining?" She realized a moment later. "And I'm not green. I've finished a fair number of dungeons, and a dragon to my name."

"Finished them? Well now." He smiled as he held up a hand. "I'm talking about fighting together. Strength in numbers, you see. Us adventurers have to stick together."

Selena huffed softly at that. "We're all fighting together."

Daisy held up a hand. "Actually, that isn't an awful idea. Let's be available. If things get out of hand, we fix it. Let's keep an ear out for the other if we see signs of trouble."

Cedric nodded at this. "Okay." He looked at the man and smiled nervously. "Nice to meet you. My name is Cedric." He pointed over at Selena. "And this is Selena."

"Daisy," she offered before anyone pointed at her. "And you are?"

The man smiled at this, holding out his hand to her. "I'm called Rast. Nice to meet you, Daisy."

She reached to shake the hand. "Nice meeting you." A moment later she drew back her hand. "Let's win this battle."

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

The time for talk ended as calls to march sounded, the whole line marching in time with one another, albeit with little of the crispness or order of a professional army.

Daisy kept an eye on Rast. He was going to make himself useful or he'd have to answer to her again and again until it stuck.

Rast did seem to be taking it seriously, moving alongside them as they marched down the road. Daisy kept her pace steady, though it was a bit weird being one of the clearly most stacked members of the group. The females, which there were plenty of, were subdued in curves under protective armor that made everyone about the same shape.

Except Daisy, marching along looking like she wandered into the wrong crowd and never left. She couldn't imagine herself as a soldier long term. Even if her breasts weren't as absurdly massive as they were, she still would rather be adventuring. She stomped a foot, redetermining to protect her family and their homes. "Focus."

***

Rast looked over at Selena, then back towards Cedric. "So, what's your deal?" he asked them bluntly as they walked.

Selena shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I just go with the flow and fight when it needs doing."

Rast wobbled a hand. "You don't fit in. Selena has that wild appeal. Daisy's charms are quite obvious at a glance, but then there's you, looking plain."

Cedric smiled at this. He clapped his hands. "I'm a proud rabbit man." He puffed out his chest. "And I do what I can to keep my two girls safe."

Daisy smiled at him, then looked at Rast. "He does good work." She put an arm around him protectively. "And I love him."

Rast backed an inch, hand raised. "Easy there, just curious."

They had left the city, though it was still in sight by the time the order to stop and set up camp came. The tents were set up in no particular order and they all gathered for their evening meal together. Daisy drove the spike of her tent into the ground with one slam of her great hammer. "We're much higher up than we started. No wonder I can still see a few lights from town."

Cedric nodded as he helped Selena set up their own tent. "It's a nice view." He smiled as he looked back over his shoulder. "I think I see the university."

Daisy followed that glance. "I think you do!" She crouched down, squinting into the gloom.

─ Stealth check passed.

"Psst." The voice was low enough to avoid notice. "Daisy, over here." She looked aside to see Rast was standing there, leaning against a tree.

She blinked in surprise, rising up to wander that way without making a show of it. When she was close enough, she spoke quietly, "What? Why are you over here?"

Rast smiled as he stepped closer to her. "Oh, I just wanted to talk." He chuckled as he looked her over. "We're going to be working together, so we should get to know one another."

Daisy backed a step at that. "You could ask that at the fire, with everyone else." She tapped her chest. "I am not interested in anything quiet."

"Alright." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I guess that's fine."

"What did you want?" She didn't back away any further, but kept her arms in front of herself. "And be honest." She could feel a tension, part of her wanting to flee that conflict.

"Why don't you introduce yourself? Tell me about your family?" He tilted his head to one side. "You know, get to know each other?"

Daisy blinked, rubbing one arm. "That's, um, not at all what I was expecting." She considered how to even answer that, but it came to her. "I'm an otherworlder. My family may as well not exist, considering." She pointed towards her tent. "They are my family."

He nodded along. "I figured you were one of those." He looked back towards her. "But you look great. Not everyone does when they change bodies like that, you know."

Daisy blinked, struck dumb a moment. "What do they tend to look like?"

"Oh, sometimes they're fine. Some get a bit off model." He shrugged, then pointed down. "A wolf man I knew didn't get his tail right." Rast chuckled. "He was a bit odd."

Daisy imagined those otherworlders, not quite resolved correctly. "Odd, but wouldn't a quick bit of mutagen fix that for them?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes. Other times it makes it worse. I don't really get all of that." He waved at the sky above them. "I'm not exactly a scholar, you see. Just a fighter."

"Yeah." She kept her eyes on him, not meeting his gaze, or even trying. His statistics began to hover before her eyes.

─ Rast - Lvl 5 Human

─ Skills: Dodge, Sword, One Hander

"Nice skills." Daisy gave him a thumbs up. She could see others, but ignored most, especially the ones involving things she didn't plan to do with him.

He chuckled softly as he looked over at her. "How would you know? Oh! You're a soul appraiser too? I thought those needed a crystal or something to work with."

Daisy shrugged. "Maybe. Mine doesn't, and it's a permanent skill. I am a lot more than just some big-chested mouse girl."

"I'm sure of that." He smiled as he looked her up and down. "You know, most mouse girls are slender little things. I've never met one who looks quite so..." He gestured with his hands as though trying to find the words. "Um, curvy."

Daisy pointed at herself. "Long story, but also not that important." She turned away from Rast. "We're going to fight."

"Don't you know? Otherworlders, so charmingly naive." He swatted her on the side. "Fighting comes in two varieties, and both are likely to come up."

Daisy blinked at that. "You have to make everything sexual."

He held up his hands. "I don't know how it worked where you're from, but those that fight you will try to cut you down, smash you, send furious elements at you, or just try to have their way with you, whatever looks like it'd get victory."

Rast waved a hand towards the rest of the camp. "It's just what the winners get, when the losers can't stop them. You can only resist if you are standing with the victors. Another reason I don't intend on losing."

"What?" Daisy glared at him. "You're saying if we win, everyone can do what they want?"

"And you can't stop it." He smiled back at her. "The rules that keep people acting nice, those go out the window." He pointed up to the stars above them. "Only they judge, and they're not very loud."

Daisy took a step back, unable to keep her cringe of an expression away. "Thanks, really, um, good to know." She fled towards her tent.

"Good night!" Rast called after her.

"Good night." Her response came as she retreated into the tent. Cedric was already there, looking up at her from the floor.

She slid in beside him and hugged him. Selena came in from behind and she closed her eyes. Being in the warmth of the two felt like the only good thing at that moment.