Claud is almost 40 days traveling and he’s finally getting close to see Astri. He’s more anxious than he ever was.
"Are you all right, Claud?" Galion asks.
Claud asked them to stop calling him Higher Priest, so no hidden beastn learns who he is.
"Yes. I just want to arrive already." Claud answers softly. Galions smiles.
"You must be anxious to et her in person."
"Yes.."
"Do you think she will recognize you? She only knows your voice."
"I don’t know. We are wearing similar clothes too, she might need to hear indeed to know who I am. But I don’t care. I just want to see her."
Claud, Galion, and the other guards are wearing dark green cloaks with hoods.
Galion walks with Claud, and the other guards walk more on the front and on their backs. So if they get attacked, Galion has ti to flee with Claud.
Luckily, they were attacked very few tis because the guards emane strong auras that any beastn or monster knew they’re powerful.
"Will you tell her your feelings?" Galions asks.
"One day."
"I can’t wait to et her too. I want to know the female you got infatuated for. She must be smart like you."
Claud chuckles.
"She’s smarter than . She’s wise, too. But has a playful side. She’s perfect." Claud says.
"It’s amazing that you love her even though you have not t her in person yet."
"It’s for you to see how perfect she is."
Claud felt that they’re just two days from their destination.
One day before they stop at a river to bathe, Claud knows how important hygiene is for Astri.
They finally see the walls and the front gate of the Stone Moon and Red Eagle tribes.
There were people on the front, people who wanted to join the tribe that was into probation period.
But that wasn’t what took Claud’s attention the most. Astri and her mates were waiting more in the front.
Claud’s heart jumped when he finally saw her. He removed his hood to see her better, and when their eyes locked, it was as she always knew.
She runs to his direction, smiling happily.
She jumps on his arms and hugs him tightly. He’s impressed at first because she didn’t mistake him for anyone else.
He didn’t even talk, so she would know it was him. Feeling her little body in his arms, hugging her tightly made him feel that all that worthed.
He could die happy after feeling her warm skin and her sll.
"Claud All Mighty. You finally arrived." She says, happily.
She looked up at him so they could finally see each other’s faces. He touches her face softly, seeing her beautiful eyes.
"Yes. I’m finally here... You’re smaller than I imagined." She giggles." And more beautiful too.. How did you know who I was? Did Cyprian tell you about ?"
"No. Your hair and the energy your face passes made sure of who you are."
He smiles and hugs her again.
"Smart as always."
"Long ti no see, my old friend." Cyprian says as everyone cos closer.
"Cyprian, you look way better than the last ti I saw you personally." Claud speaks.
"It’s because now I have a aning to live." Cyprian says and puts his hand on Astri’s head.
"I understand."
Claud looks to Wayde, Lee and Zin and greets them with his head.
They never imagined they would et the Higher Priest, even wearing simple clothes. They can sense that his aura is powerful, like Astri’s.
Claud sees Lee carrying Yuki and Wayde carrying a basket of curious little tigers with cute eyes watching him.
"Their energies are strong." Claud says, smiling to the cubs." And Yuki is cuter in person." He speaks looking at Yuki.
"She’s a female version of Wayde, don’t you think?" Astri asks.
"Yes. She looks very much like him indeed."
Claud presents the other guards to everyone.
"Nice to finally et Claud’s right hand." Astri says to Galion.
Galion bows lightly.
"And it’s my honor to et you, lady Astri." Galion speaks.
"You must be tired and hungry. Let’s go." She says.
As they walk to the castle, they et Shung midway.
"Leader Shung. This is an old friend of mine. Claud. He also gained his fortune through training beastn like . He borrowed us so of his soldiers to build our castle and walls. Now he decided to co live here and brought his soldiers. We will have strong beastn to train and to protect us." Lee presents Claud to Shung.
"That’s amazing. From which village are you from, Claud?" Shung asks.
"It’s been so years I don’t live anywhere, just traveling and training others." Claud speaks.
"And what made you want to stop now?"
"Males know when is the ti to settle." Claud smiles and looks at Astri, who was holding Yuki that was whining on Lee’s arm, wanting her mother.
Shung understood that actually Claud is after a female and already has Astri in mind.
As they walk to the castle together, they pass so females and they are interested in the new males. Ana was the first to jump in, of course.
The last ti Astri counted, Ana had 12 spouses already, and apparently, she’s not done and wants more.
Ana believes that Astri might have the strongest males, but she’s stupid for not having more.
Ana is trying to have at least one of the priest guards, even if she doesn’t know who they are, but none of them accepted.
They’re loyal to Claud, and they promised to protect him forever. Ana envies Astri so much that she wants to be in her place in that castle.
"New mbers, father?" Ana asks Shung.
"Yes. They’re Leader Lee’s friends." Shung answers, but his eyes are telling Ana to not look for trouble.
"Welco. Being Leader Lee’s friends ans you’re trusted to live here without going through probation. Where do you all pretend to live?" Ana says politely, like she was a proud queen.
Astri pulls Claud and Wayde, who was carrying the cubs, to keep walking.
"That is the worst influence you could get, sweethearts. Don’t stay near." Astri whispers to her cubs and Yuki.
"Her cubs are spoiled brats." Wayde says.
"You expected what coming from her? Hopefully, they will find their own way when they grow older."
Since Ana didn’t get her answer, she turned around and left while the others kept their way to the castle.
"This place is getting better and better. The hygiene law made the miracle of having a city that doesn’t sll horrible." Claud says, looking around, curious.
Astri knows that Claud stayed secluded for many years, and now he must be curious to see the world more.
They arrive at the castle, and then Wayde puts the cubs on the grass. They run and play together happily with a ball Astri made for them.
"Do you want to join us for dinner, Shung?" Astri asks.
"No, dear. It’s my turn to make dinner." Shung answers.
"Then bring Fraz so. Here. Let put so for her." Astri says, giving Yuki to Wayde and then going to the kitchen.
Astri puts so of the food she prepared in a pot and gives it to Shung.
"It slls so good. She will love it. Thank you, Astri." Shung says.
Shung and Fraz are already used to Astri’s good will to give them things. She was always like that since before Dieg’s death. And she still has the sa respect for them after his death.
Lee and Shung talk a bit more, and then Shung leaves. Astri sees Claud and Galion standing near the wall.
"What are you? Statues? Co sit." She says, pulling them to the table.
Everyone is still held to the idea that Claud is the Higher Priest, but Astri treats him as any other beastman.
They even think about questioning if she rembers that, but they’re the ones that need to rember that Astri doesn’t care about status.
And if they had to think about status, she’s way more important than the Higher Priest.
"You will finally try my food. Now you can stop drooling on my mind." She says, putting Claud’s plate of food in front of him.
Claud is so happy to see that she treats him the sa. He slled the food, and his stomach cried for it. He tries the food, and it tastes better than he ever imagined.
"This.. is so good." Claud says as he keeps eating.
Galion tries, and he’s impressed too.
"There’s no better food than Astri’s." Cyprian speaks, and eats too.
Wayde puts Yuki on a little bed on the couch and calls her brothers to stay with her, then he goes to eat too and his plate was already waiting for him. Astri sits near Claud.
"So, tell . How was the trip?" She asks Claud.
"We got attacked a few tis. Mostly by monsters. But besides that it was a good trip." Claud answers.
"Did you see anything that you found curious or different?"
Claud starts telling curious things he watched and that he found interesting.
Everyone can see that living secluded in a temple made him not have the pleasures of even watching a river.
Astri listens to him with a smile on her face, happy that he could have these experiences.
She also shares what she observed, and now her spouses know what they talk so much in the mornings.
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