A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 1101: Iʼve Eaten Some Of Your Kind

Talila ignored the commanders and slipped into the part of the ship where Draconian soldiers had fallen. She gripped her bow tightly and moved stealthily down the dim corridor as a

steady thumping echoed in the distance.

The sound put her on edge as she gripped her bow even more, ʼWhat the hell is that? More Blightborns.ʼ

She summoned a mana arrow, nocking it carefully as she neared a bend. Peering around the corner, she spotted several fallen Dragonknights, now aimlessly wandering with their swords loosely clutched in their lifeless hands.

”Theyʼve been turned into Ghouls,ʼ Talila mused. ʼI need to put them to rest.ʼ

Following that, she poked around the corner and started firing mana arrows at the creatures, which took them out quickly. The bodies dropped to the floor with a few thuds, allowing her to move forward.

Her boots stepped in pools of blood as she continued down the shipʼs corridors, only to encounter more creatures. Talila put them down with dozens of arrows that pierced through their foreheads.

Soon enough, the reason for the Dragonknights death appeared, and the monster caused her blood to run cold, ʼWhat is this thing! Its a nightmare.ʼ

A twisted, gaunt figure shuffled into view, its elongated limbs bending at unnatural angles, skin stretched tight over sharp, jutting bones. Its face was a grotesque mask, with hollow eye sockets that leaked a dark liquid and a mouth that split open far too wide, exposing rows of jagged teeth.

The creatureʼs head tilted as it locked onto her, a slow, sickening smile creeping across its face. When she saw this, the hair on the back of her neck stood up, but she managed to steel her nerves.

ʼDarling did say they have creepy creatures under their control,ʼ Talila thought while gulping as she readied herself for a fight.

Thatʼs when it lunged, its twisted limbs pushing it forward with terrifying speed. She dodged just in time, the creatureʼs claws screeching against the metal wall where her head had been a heartbeat before.

Talila spun, firing a mana arrow that exploded as it struck, sending sparks across the corridor. The creature barely staggered, its hollow eyes now blazing with hunger. It lunged again, clawed fingers reaching, but she rolled beneath its swipe.

She shot upward from her crouch, the arrow piercing the creatureʼs side, yet it twisted in rage, hissing as thick, black ichor oozed from the wound. Talila had no room to evade as the creature cornered her, pressing forward until she felt the cold metal of the wall at her back.

ʼOh shit, this is bad, but I got an idea.ʼ

Without waiting, Talila summoned all her remaining energy in a split second, channeling it into a final arrow that crackled with fierce, blue light. As the creature lunged again, she released the shot, the force blasting it backward.

The creature shrieked as the arrow tore through its chest, collapsing in a heap as its twisted limbs convulsed, then stilled. Talila let out a sigh of relief as she put her bow away while scanning the new monster.

ʼMore crew or something else?ʼ she pondered before continuing.

Talila encountered more of the twisted creatures, but after the first battle, each encounter became easier. Hours passed as she fought her way through the dark corridors until finally, she stumbled upon a group of survivors-wounded crew members and Draconian Marines. She found them hiding in one of the ammunition storage rooms, which had only one entrance, which they covered. When Talila entered the room, she counted twenty people in various states.

An injured man looked up, his voice filled with concern. ”Your Majesty... what are you doing here?”

Before she could answer, howls rang out down the corridor, causing Talila to look in the direction of the sounds and realize that dozens of Blightborns, Ghouls, and bigger creatures charged toward her.

ʼOh no, you donʼt,ʼ she thought while raising her hand.

Talila started casting Moon and Sun Blasts that tore through the monsterʼs ranks. The magic killed many, but more took their place, causing her to grow concerned, ʼHow many of these things are on here! This is getting annoying now.ʼ

”Clearing out the monsters and finding survivors,” she answered the man while ducking into the room and slamming the door shut.

As Talila worked, the eerie slamming and scratching sounds echoed from the bulkheadʼs other side. She exhaled a weary sigh, storing her bow and reaching into her ring to give out health potions among the injured.

The man spoke up again, his voice strained. ”The creatures... they appeared on the lower decks. Survivors are on the bridge, but the attack destroyed the main entrance. That leaves only one way in, through the admiral quarters where the secondary entrance is.”ʼ

Talila nodded before sitting down and resting while sending Nala a message. [Chaos on the ships. Thousands dead. Iʼm trying to clear out Archerʼs Wrath, but it will take time] Following that, the howls screams, and whimpering of the injured sounded through the room, annoying her as she blocked the noise out. Soon enough, Talila started scanning her surroundings until she spotted a vent she could travel through.

***

A soft ping sounded from the lionessʼs dragon tattoo, and as she read the message, a grimace crossed her face. ʼDamn Swarm, constantly stirring up trouble for us,ʼ she thought, irritation bubbling up.

Nala shook her head, pushing aside her thoughts as she stepped out of the tent, only to nearly bump into Demetra and Elara chatting nearby. When the shark woman spotted her, she

grinned.

”My favorite lioness,” she said proudly, ”the Alliance has stopped their attacks from the sea, at least for now. I slaughtered hundreds of their beasts before they finally pulled back.”

She gave a nod of approval, ”Good work, Dem. We might finally get a chance to breathe and ainʼt I the only Lion Demi-Human, you know?”

The blue-haired woman nodded as she answered, ”Well, Iʼve eaten some of your kind, but youʼre the first I see as a friend.”

Nala giggled before questioning, ”Have you spoken to the others?”

”Yes. Mary, Brooke, and Ari are staying in the kingdom just in case, as the others are helping with the realm,” Demetra answered. ”Teuila said husband wants to sneak into Pluoria when The returns to cause trouble before we invade.”

The lioness shook her head, ”He will want to deal with Avidia; those damn fire elves have sunk too many of our merchant ships,” she revealed.

Demetra growled at the mention of the Duskfire Empire, her sharp teeth bared in frustration. Elara, the dragon-kin woman, glanced between them, ”What has the Duskfire Empire done

now?” she asked.

Nala sighed, turning to answer, ”We had a trade agreement with them; everything was

smooth. But then they joined the Alliance and, just like that, sank fifty Draconian ships. Aisha sent warnings, but their Empress, Embera Duskfire, ignored them. Sheʼs a powerful fire mage and the strongest fighter on Avidia.”

”Damn fire elves, they are acting like this because Archer isnʼt here, and theyʼre taking advantage of the situation,” Elara answered while staring across no manʼs land.

Following that, the three women watched as the Dragonfire Company started firing their cannons as a Monster Wave charged toward the fortress, but they were quickly wiped out by

the explosions that burned them to ash.

While standing there, Nala questioned, ”How many soldiers did this landing cost us? Have you got the numbers?”

Elara frowned before revealing, ”Just over eight thousand dead; the Healers have healed the

rest.”

The lioness sighed as several roars echoed across the sky as the Thunderbolt Throwers targeted the flying Swarm monsters. Yellow bolts washed over them, causing the creatures to plummet toward the ground.

Just as that happened, several waves of shells slammed against the fortressʼs protective shield, which lit up like a star. The three women looked up as Elara commented, ”The Alliance are using their numbers against us. Should I issue the order to dig under the fortress for more

protection?”

Nala nodded as she responded, ”Yes, and get the earth mages to help; it shouldnʼt take the army too long to do it.”

Following that, the fortress buzzed to life as the legions started digging out an underground network as the shield was failing due to the constant barrage. While this happened, the lioness turned to Elara, ”Do you believe this will last for days as you predicted?” The dragon-kin woman nodded as she started speaking: ”Yes, reports suggest that they combined all their war machines and used them to destroy the fortress. They did it to your homeland alongside the Avalonians.”

Nala didnʼt reply as she turned on her heel and left the wall in silence while planning the upcoming attack, which would use the tunnels they built to drag the enemy inside while the main force left through a new entrance.

Elara had devised the plan, and the Dragon Marshels agreed to it. The lioness watched the legions get to work while the Dragonfall Company returned fire to keep the enemy army at bay until they were ready to spring the trap.

The legionnaires created obstacles for the Alliance using the soil and stones the earth mages

piled up.

[Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the

support you can give]