∼ Day 239 ∼

A cry rang high in the skies, echoing out above the small battle-torn part of the basin where the mountain pass spilled into it, the shrill sound making all bodies present who were immersed in various tasks to clean up the aftermath stop whatever they were doing to stare up at the large dark figure flying over them.

Sombra seemed excited to return to the home she only knew of from my memories, whereas I only felt a knot of emotions for everything that had happened. There was simply too much on my mind to even spare me a modicum of calm.

Watching the ground below, I could see a gathering of monsters, most of whom I had already long sensed were awaiting me.

Rena, Grul, Ursa, most of the council, and a multitude of other figures who all held positions of authority and power within the clan.

But most of all, who took all my attention, was Bob and Mia.

Watching from the sky as Sombra closed in, I felt a sudden pang of Déjà vu. This was all too similar to when I had returned home from Maldrak, having just broken the chains of my enslavement. The fear, worry, anger, sadness, and even joy were all projected through the bond between me and Mia was the exact same I had felt then.

I could sense and feel her emotions just as strongly as my own, and on the front of it all, she was clearly angry.

As we landed and I dismounted Sombra, I wasn't sure how to handle the sight of my very pregnant wife. During my time away, her belly had swollen considerably and probably would already be ready to give birth in only a little more than a month's time. But not only that, Mia herself had changed.

Not only was she much more powerful, which was obvious from her presence showing through our connection, but she had physically changed too. Slightly taller, though she did still only barely reach my chest with my more than considerable height, she now carried about an air around herself that seemed much more mature than her usually bubbly innocent self.

That was most likely attributed to her being pregnant and being so far along - soon to be a mother.

Still, she looked cute as a button, once again proving me wrong in that she couldn't become any more beautiful than she already was. From back when she had turned into a drow, I had long run out of things to imagine could be even better as everything seemed more than perfect about her appearance. Yet, her evolutions only kept proving that wrong and making it harder for me to take my eyes off her.

With the grey markings that framed her face having changed from the slightly crude and almost wild way in which they ran along her features to now seeming both refined and mesmerizing, exactly like her eyes, drawing me to them in how the markings flowed, she was stunning in all rights.

Her charisma must've gone through the roof as I clearly felt that if I let her charms through the defenses of [A Sovereign's Undying Will] even I would stand little chance to fully resist them.

Practically on instinct, I pulled up her status.

-Codex!-

Appraisal - Mia Tal'chor

Information Attributes

Traits. Titles. and Skills -Name- "Mia Tal'chor" STR 28 Skills 19 -Race- Duriel VIT 98 Traits 9 -Sex- Female AGI 78 Titles 2 -Rank- C- DEX 45 Resistances

-Level- 2/75 INT 145 Health 654/654 CHR 254 Physical Resistance 29 Stamina 230/232 WILL 46 Magical Resistance 68 Mana 829/829 MAG 276 Mental Resistance 16 First Wife of the Sanguine Lord

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Grown she had.

It was shocking just how much more powerful she had gotten. But I didn't manage to get long to inspect her status as the very focus of my attention had closed the distance before I reached her myself, landing one loud slap to my cheek.

There was no pain of course, but the shock of it still easily frazzled me. And yet again, before I had time to react, she thrust herself into me with arms clenched tightly around my waist, burying her face in my chest.

"W-where... did you go?" She spoke, her voice coming out both muffled and sad.

I didn't need anyone to explain to me that she was upset over the fact that I had immediately rushed to the Warlord's army after brutally killing the general assaulting our home. During the time-traveling back, which was little more than a day on Sombra's insanely fast wings, I had reflected on the fact that I had screwed up by storming out there for vengeance in blind rage for what had been done to Lily and my people.

"I... I'm sorry," I said simply, not having an excuse for my recklessness and bad restraint. "I wasn't thinking,"

I could feel through our bond that she didn't wish to be angry with me, relief and joy hidden beneath it all, but she couldn't let me off the hook that easily and I couldn't deny I really hadn't thought straight in those moments.

But as she peeled her face off my chest, looking up to meet my crimson eyes with her own matching ones. She was finally smiling despite a couple of tears smudged against her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise," I apologized, barely able to meet her gaze as I admitted the only other thing than Lily being hurt that had been gnawing away at me.

Mia just looked confused at that, seemingly not understanding what I was getting at.

"But you didn't break your promise," She said.

I frowned, casting my gaze out to the silent battlefield where multiple workers were going around carting off the dead and burning pyres made from the bodies of the fallen enemy.

Seeing my mirrored confusion, realization seemingly came to her.

"Master, you were only gone for a little more than a month," She explained. "The enemy was moving our way before they even knew of us so they came much earlier than expected even without word reaching back to them."

I wasn't sure what to say to that.

I had really thought I had failed in the promise I gave to Lily as time had entirely been lost to me in those damnable Trials and with how I found my home embroiled in full-out war.

A great weight lifted off my shoulders, I simply kissed the petite woman in my ears who was all too eager to meet my lips with her own. Separating, I finally allowed my attention to befall the rest of those gathered here.

First, my gaze fell on the most noticeable amongst the crowd. And by that, I meant the monster that literally towered over everyone else.

Bob, who had already been absolutely huge before I left for the Trials was now even more so. He too had undergone an evolution, one that put his size on match with even a normal ogre, though he looked more like a Greek god with his hulking muscle-bound figure than a potbelly giant like most ogres did.

Flanking him were a dozen monsters, mostly orcs who some were even blood orcs. All females. It was his wives, which had grown in number and who all also seemed to have undergone evolutions. The only thing I could say to that was; good for them, lest Bob literally split them apart. Still, even with the stature of their races, he was still more than twice their size at best, excluding one of them that actually was a unique-looking ogre woman I hadn't seen before.

So how in the hell they made that work, I didn't know - and I most definitely wasn't going to ask.

Having stood with the crowd, barely patient, he practically stormed me as Mia finally gave him a nod to give him his turn. I could only laugh merrily with the giant as he had to hoist me into the air for a hug, the rumbles of his joy at seeing me again making my head rattle from the force of his laugh alone.

Noting the shocking amount of strength in his hold, I found myself pulling up his status with much curiosity.

-Codex!-

Appraisal - Bob

Information Attributes

Traits. Titles. and Skills -Name- "Bob" STR 305 Skills 20 -Race- Mortúlr VIT 232 Traits 9 -Sex- Male AGI 68 Titles 2 -Rank- C DEX 92 Resistances

-Level- 5/75 INT 25 Health 2218/2218 CHR 15 Physical Resistance 46 Stamina 1199/1200 WILL 58 Magical Resistance 45 Mana 0/0 MAG 16 Mental Resistance 23 Sanguine Champion

Baffled at his stats, I had myself look over it multiple times just to make sure what I was reading was correct.

Not only had it been shocking to me that they had managed to evolve while I was away. But to the extent they had with the ridiculous amount of power they had for their level, I was simply left floored.

"Okay - okay! Set me down already, you big oaf," I laughed as there was hardly any appearance being put up for the rest of the clan.