NOVPUBMorena led the children into the living room, which was warm and cozy prompting them to glance around in amazement when seeing the well-decorated place. Once inside, out of the cold, she pointed toward a nearby sofa.
''Get comfy and I'll be back shortly, I'll make you guys some tea to warm you up,'' she said to the four.
The children nodded, their weary eyes tracking Morena, who stepped away to prepare hot drinks. Noticing their exhaustion, a warm smile spread across her face as she stirred the steaming beverages, ready to comfort the worn-out group.
She took the four cups of hot tea, and they happily accepted with a smile, sipping at it as the two little girls introduced themselves, as the blonde spoke first. ''I'm Asha, and this is my best friend Lev. We love exploring places and climbing out of the place.''
Morena giggled at this, nodding. ''Yes, I'm fully aware of that. You were lucky it was my husband's Domian and not the real world, he ordered them not to attack any humans they find wandering around.''
The children laughed as the boys went next, as the blonde boy spoke. ''I'm Asta, and this is Rev. Thank you for helping us, Morena.''
''You're welcome,'' she replied with a smile. ''My husband would want me to look after you little ones, he has a soft spot for children and likes to help them.''
They all nodded as Lev added. ''Yes, we heard Mamma saying that he brought us here and gave us so much food that the adults were panicking over it.''
Morena's smile deepened. ''That's Archer, always lending a hand,'' she said warmly. ''He's welcomed thousands into the empire, giving them homes, purpose. Also, well-paying work to build a new life for themselves and their families.
As the children sipped their tea, Morena sprang up with a spark of energy and headed to the kitchen. She returned with a tin of biscuits Archer had left for her, offering them to the puzzled children, who eyed the unfamiliar treats with curiosity.
They sat around a rough-hewn table, their small hands wrapped around steaming mugs of tea, the sweet aroma mingling with the scent of the biscuits they nibbled. Their faces, smudged with dirt and fatigue, showed flickers of relief at the warmth.
The storm's distant rumble echoed through the walls, a reminder of the wilds they'd escaped. Lev dunked a biscuit, her eyes still wary but softening. Rev munched eagerly, crumbs dusting his chin.
Asha sipped her tea, glancing at Morena with cautious trust. Asta, ever curious, set his mug down with a clink and leaned forward, his brows furrowed. ''Miss Morena,'' he said, his voice cutting through the quiet. ''Those giant ants we saw out there, what were they?''
''Were they black or red?'' she questioned with a curious glance.
The boy thought for a second before answering. ''They were black and looked vicious.''
Morena's smile grew wide as she revealed. ''Those would have helped you, they are friendly and love to aid people whenever husband sends them here.''
When the four children heard this, their eyes widened in surprise as Lev curiously asked. ''Why's that?''
''Those belong to Vivienne, one of my husband's other wives,'' Morena said with a warm smile. ''She's the Nightmare Ant Queen—charming, but she'll talk your ear off when she visits.''
The children burst into giggles at Morena's exaggerated eye-roll, only to freeze as a small worker ant, no bigger than a cat, scuttled into the room from the entrance. Panic flashed across their faces, but she raised a calming hand. ''No need to fret, dears. It's harmless, just dropping off a delivery, likely some honey.''
They calmed down at her words as the little ant rushed up to her and dropped a package at her feet. Moments later, the creatures scuttled off, making her laugh as she found them adorable.
Morena leaned down and picked it up with a smile. ''I knew it, they are always bringing me some of their new batch.''
''What is it?'' Rev asked with curious eyes.
She didn't answer and opened the package only for the smell to rush out. This instantly caught the children's attention as the smell of honey wafted through the air, prompting Asta to speak. ''What is that stuff?''
''Honey, that one of the Monarchs grew that Archer gave to all of us women,'' she revealed with an amused expression. ''I've become addicted to it.''
Following that, she gave some to each child, who happily enjoyed the sweet food with the tea. Sometime later, they started falling asleep once the group felt relaxed. While sitting there, Demacia appeared from the labs.
The younger necromancer looked at the children, asking. ''New guinea pigs, sister?''
Morena narrowed her eyes at her. ''No Dem. I'm looking after these kids until our husband can take them back to their home,'' she revealed.
Afterward, she sent a message to Archer telling him everything that had happened. Once that was done, Demacia looked at her and curiously questioned. ''When do you think this storm will stop? It's messing with my instruments.''
''A couple of more hours,'' Morena replied while finishing her tea. ''I can already feel the mana calming down and now the Domain is sucking it in through husband.''
''Interesting,'' Demacia muttered. ''I need to get hold of one of those Mana Generators Dellah created, it will help with the upcoming Death Crawlers upgrades.''
The two sisters chatted animatedly until a shimmering portal tore open nearby, cutting their conversation short. Their heads whipped toward it as Archer stepped through, his charming smile igniting a flutter in their hearts.
***
(Sometime before Demacia appeared in the living room)
Archer soared over the churning ocean, waves slamming against the island's towering mountain with earth-shaking force. As the waters grew wilder, he climbed higher, piercing the storm's fury to rise above the roiling sea.
The sea roiled, a chaotic dance of foam and fury, as he climbed higher to escape the storm's grasp, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. Suddenly, an enormous shadow surged beneath the surface, parting the waves with primal might.
A giant whale, its barnacle-crusted hide gleaming like polished obsidian, breached the ocean in a breathtaking arc. Its massive body, longer than a warship, rose skyward, water cascading off its flukes in shimmering torrents.
The beast's eye, ancient and knowing, seemed to meet his for a moment, a spark of wild majesty that stole his breath. ''By the gods,'' he murmured, hovering midair.
Moments later, Archer watched as the monster plunged back into the sea with a cataclysmic splash, sending waves rippling outward. He was shocked but decided to fly back to the island where the 1st Fleet was anchored.
An hour later, he landed on the bridge of the 1st Fleet's Flagship as Olivia stepped out to meet him. ''How's the surrounding sea?''
''Bad,'' he replied with a sigh. ''You'll have to stay here until it calms down, but the bay should protect the ships.''
The older woman nodded with a smile. ''That's the main thing. We can't lose any vessels to the nightmarish waves,'' she said.
Following that, Archer hung out on the island for two days until the Mana Storm stopped allowing him to return to the Domain. When he entered and scanned, it only sensed all the destruction from the weather.
'Damn it must have been bad,' he thought while teleporting to the chicken island that was fine with the birds hiding high in the trees.
Archer chuckled as the feral creatures clucked at him, leaping from branches to hunt the wild pigs living among them. Unable to hold back his laughter at the sight, he then turned to check on the aphids.
Moments later, he materialized in their field was a mess, but the little creatures survived in their hive. Without waiting, he poured mana into the surrounding landscape, making sure to heal it from the storm.
Once that was done, the Aphids appeared and started getting to work as it was safe now. He teleported to the Honeybee lands to see if they were okay, only to see thousands of hives covering everything.
'Seems like Bella is expanding faster then I expected,' he mused while watching several Dragonbee Warriors passing over.
Following that, Archer teleported to Morena and Demacia's place, only to materialize in the front room where he saw the older woman looking into the fire. She was drinking some tea with four children fast asleep on a nearby sofa.
''Hello, beautiful,'' he greeted the older woman. ''Thank you for helping.''
Morena flinched, then turned to Archer with a warm smile. ''Oh, Archer, sorry. I was lost in thought about the experiment, trying to figure out how to power everything. My sister's mana and mine just aren't enough now.''
Archer inclined his head, a faint smile playing on his lips as he flicked his wrist with practiced ease. In an instant, six sleek Mana Generators shimmered into existence, their polished surfaces glinting under the dim light.
Beside them, a sturdy wooden crate appeared, containing the glow of countless Manaheart Crystals, each pulsing thanks to the pure mana running through them. The air thrummed with the subtle hum of raw power, filling the space with an electric anticipation.
