Chapter 268: War's on the Horizon

{I want to let everyone know that I have a p-a-t-r-e-o-n with two new exclusive stories on it. One is The Aeternus Universe, and the other is a new story with a basketball system. I hope you guys will give it a chance. The link is https://www.p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/easyread. Remove the dashes. Webnovel censors the word.}

{Mom is going much better today and is able to walk around and communicate much better. She's recovering much better than most stroke victims. She still having trouble speaking and remembering certain things, but those will recover over time. Thanks for praying and/or keeping her in your thoughts! It means a lot!}

Tessa is crying on my shoulder, and I'm doing my best to comfort her. She's trying her hardest to be alright. I've considered having a magician block the memories of the events, but I'd need her consent first. I haven't asked her yet if she wants to do that, while it isn't a permanent solution to the problem. It will help her get some ease of mind for the time being. "Sweetie... What do you think about having a magician block out the memories of the attacks?" She looks up at me with wet eyes and has a look of thought. 

She's giving the prospect some thought. "I would really like that... When can we do it?" She agreed to it so fast, and that worries me. She's in such emotional distress that she's willing to do almost anything to feel better. Even forcefully block the memories causing her turmoil. She's looking at me for an answer about when we can do it. I don't have a magician nearby right now. They are coordinating with the generals at the front of the transport. I told them they didn't have to be at the front. They said that leading by example will help morale.

I wrap my arm around her and hug her. "As soon as we meet up with The Dryads in a couple of days. We'll be merging armies, and when we have a meeting, I'll speak to one of my mages about it." She looks disappointed that it can't be done right now. She's going to have to suffer through it a little longer. She leans her head on my shoulder, and I look at her beautiful face. She has deep bags from lack of sleep and has a wary look about her. "It's going to be okay, sweetie... I promise." She leans into my shoulder and hug more as I say that.

My queen is a wonderful woman, and she shouldn't be reduced to this. A woman who is in constant fear for her life. One that looks tired beyond belief but can't sleep. I slowly rock her side to side, in an attempt to lull her to sleep. Even though the nightmares are bad, she needs every second of sleep she can get. She snuggles a little closer, and I continue to rock her. My parents would do this when I had a hard time when I was still a kid. I don't know why, but the comfort of their safety always helped me sleep, and that is something I never thought I'd have to use.

While the armies of Zenith and The Dryads each head towards the same location for a meet-up for the war, there are other creatures in the world planning things of their own. There are monsters, bandits, magical beasts. All these are looking to take advantage of the growing wars in humanity. The most notable of these is probably the first-born child and daughter of the dragon king. Nelmopheous is the princess and second strongest dragon in existence. Right behind her father. She prefers to go by Nelli, with who she's familiar.

I flap my giant wings harder as I fly through the sky. My dragon form making it easy for any living and thinking creature below me to see me. I'm not near any cities or settlements. The world of Gaia is slowly changing, and many more things are still to come. Father has warned me that there is a chance that the wars on the horizon have a chance to bring us in too. How crazy is that? Dragons being interested in a war between creatures that we consider lesser than ourselves. We are inherently peaceful and don't seek conflict. 

It makes me wonder why father is convinced we will be involved in some sort of war. From what I've seen Slayer Zern do, he is mostly to blame for the changes. I've been watching his journey and his choices. He's accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. He gained a lot of power, but in that process, he's unleashed many evils and calamities on the world. He's come to find friendship and love. Experiencing the touch and feel of a woman for the first time. An elven woman no less. When I meet him, he had to use a pegasus to fly. He didn't have wings.

I have the ability to watch a person that I've meet from any place on Gaia. I'll say that I'm surprised about the developments with the half-elf named Sally. She was able to get through that hard exterior that Slayer Zern puts up. I've come to learn his real name, Cera, but I prefer to call him Slayer Zern. One of the most shocking moments I witnessed when I checked in on him was the moments of passion between Sally and him. I'll be honest, I was hoping that I'd be the one to do that to him in my human form, but that half-elf beat me to it.

I can't be mad, and I'm not. It was something that I wanted. Just because I wanted to have sex with him doesn't mean I'm in love with him. Not like how Sally is in love with him. Dragons work differently, and that includes all dragons. Female dragons, like myself, aren't so strict when it comes to sex. It's an easy process that happens when we want to. There doesn't have to be any familiarity between the partner of our choosing and us. As apex predators, we have powerful desires. So it's counter-intuitive for our species to be... Picky.

Our cultural ways are not understood or even known by many outside of our race, and we prefer it that way—enough of this boring train of thought. I close my eyes, and I look at Slayer Zern. He's in some city and is traveling with his elven lover Sally. I've come to learn that Slayer Zern, or Cera, has an entire family. One that came with him from a different world. That's what I've heard from my father, that the new people come from a different world. The other girl with him is Hailey, his full-blooded sister and power legendary class wielder. 

~~~Warning! Disturbing Content Ahead!~~~

~~~Don't read if you're sensitive to fictional sexual violence!~~~

While Nelli flies through the sky and enjoys the freedom that comes with being a dragon, there is a discussion happening at the location where the monster hordes leaders reside. They're gathering for many reasons, and most of them can be guessed. With the growing tension between humans, the monsters are looking for an opportunity to strike. Gain a lot of ground in this war, and bolster their forces. The second general of the monster forces is about to speak at this meeting. Orc Var is notorious for his actions towards humans.

I look at the other leaders in the room, and many of them are whispering to each other. "We all know that we're here for the same reasons." I speak to focus the meeting. My deep voice dragging the attention of the other leaders and monsters in the meeting. "While this is a golden opportunity to strike against the humans, I suggest we capture more cities and take their women. Our reproducers are dying at a high rate from the constant births." We replenish our forces through reproduction with human and elven females. 

My personal favorites are the human females. They can birth so many new monsters before dying. It's amazing. "Your point is valid, Var, but our forces are strong enough to take a capital city and kingdom now. Why should we waste time taking little cities and their women when we can have a whole kingdom?" General Oli tries to put holes in my concerns. He wants the war to progress at a faster rate. That's how you lose wars. Wars take time and effort, and they can't be easily won. We need soldiers, and that means more women.

I lean back in my chair as arguments begin to break out. It's always hard to come to an accord and agree on a big-picture objective. It's nothing new for our forces and effort. However, we are fortunate that the humans are warring amongst themselves. This allows us ample time to plan, and that's what wins wars—correct planning with the management of time. Time is everything, after all. At least in war, cause the longer the war goes on. The greater the casualties on both sides, but we reproduce much faster than our enemies. Using their women no less!!