Epilogue 1 : Ellamir's Zealousness

4 Months later…

In the outskirts of Elaria, team Valhalla was on a mission to shut down an illegal operation. 

"You'll never capture me alive, Guild dogs!" 

From the mansion's barricaded veranda, the hefty laughter of the deshiveld dwarf rang to the party below who was currently being swarmed. 

A sea Iron golems carrying various weapons flooded the mansion's porch. Their shine, shoddy due to mass production but their above average strength still rendered them deadly. 

With their backs turned against each other, the party repelled the golem swarm from all directions. 

Shatter Sound snarled as her claws ripped through their weak metal like butter. One was about to drop its warmace from behind her until a cannon blast scattered it to pieces

The mermaid and the werewolf flashed a brief smile before resuming battle. 

The Golems, which are usually built for household help, have one track minds that can be fine tuned into nefarious purposes. Given the directive to 'kill', it will not stop until it has fulfilled its purpose. 

Thus, the tin cans cared not how powerful the adventurers are, they shall swing their weapons until their massive numbers had overwhelmed them. 

Stefano had no trouble bashing their heads in with his mace and shield as his training had now progressed, allowing him to fend off the golems coming his way. His shield blocked their sword swing pounding its side, devastating the golem in half. As one fell, another took its place, and another, making the cleric agitated. 

"Where the fuck is Ellamir!?" Stefano screamed as he struck a golem by the knee, flattening its head once it fell. 

The tiefling looked like she was having a jolly good time dancing with the magical automatons. Her sword and shield worked in tandem to repel them. 

Slicing a golem in half, Yulia answered, "You know where she is, don't worry, I lent her Zarg, she's going to be here soon enough. 

"Ever since Antani got pregnant, Ellamir stuck to her side like a damn magnet! Like come on, it's Antani we're talking about, she can take care of herself just fine!" As he complained, Stefano crushed another golem. 

"Give Ellamir a break, it's their first child, she's just too enthusiastic about it all. Speaking of…" 

From afar, the screeching of wyvern echoed in the skies. Riding on top was a dark elf, her eyes brimmed with determination to finish their quest as soon as possible. 

Ellamir jumped from the sky, armoring herself in darkness as she descended. 

The colossal drider flattened a handful of golems upon her thunderous landing. 

Parting the sea of golems, the towering armored drider bulldozed her way towards the mansion, making quick work of those preventing her from spending time with her now pregnant lover. 

The dwarf was starting to get hysterical at how his hand crafted army was failing him, "By the gods, it's just one enemy, stop her you useless pieces of junk!" 

Ellamir lifted one of the golems effortlessly and tore it in half, a brutal gesture that made the dwarf up above gulp in terror. The dwarf calmed his breathing, it was fine, he still.had some traps he can trigger when the drider steps into his mansion! 

Pointing her finger at the Dwarf above, Ellamir threatened with her voice muffled by her dark helmet, "If you don't come down here and surrender this instant, I will go up there and drag your ass down here!"

Now was the time, he must goad the drider into entering her home so he could detonate his traps! 

"Surrender this, you mongrel of a drider! HIYAHAHAHAHA!" 

Unbecoming of an esteemed race master to tinkerer and smiths, the dwarf stood on top of the veranda's railings and flashed his ass at the drider below. 

Balling her fists, Ellamir would make the dwarf pay for such obscene taunting. 

The party huddled together, Ellamir might have been late, but her relentless zeal to capture their target as fast as she could more than made up for it. 

Ellamir didn't even consider being cordial enough to use the front door. The dwarf didn't heed her warning, he only has himself to blame. 

As a spider would, Ellamir used all 8 of her legs to traverse the walls, each leg impaled the walls as far as it could  to support her massive figure. 

The sight of a gigantic drider scaling his mansion made the dwarf whimper in fear. She was supposed to play by his rules and enter her mansion!

He was fucked. 

"You know what, Yulia, I think  Ellamir's a bit more than just enthusiastic." Stefano holstered his mace onto his waist, watching as the vicious spider climbed. 

Yulia sheathed her blade, "If she's that energetic right now, just imagine how she's going to act when the baby comes out."

The dwarf retreated into his personal chamber. A metal door slammed shut, barricading the veranda's entrance. 

The Dwarf was about to head out into his hidden vent leading to safe escape until the metal door came flying to hit him. 

"AAAAAAAAH!" The Dwarf was pinned by his metal door as he slammed onto the wall. The pain it brought immediately made him fear for his life. "I surrender, I surrender! Mercy!" 

Ellamir landed on her feet as she dispelled her armor, pulling the dwarf out of the debris. 

The Dwarf haphazardly offered Ellamir a smile, hoping to temper the dark elf's wicked grin. 

+++

Gigantic swinging overhead blades, flaming bolts, and even poisonous gasses. It took the party a while to disarm the traps. By disarming it meant Yulia had to destroy them by force and ignite the poison gasses with her flame. 

The party kicked open the door at the dwarf's personal chamber to see…

"Ellamir, I think you might have overdone it." Yulia commented. 

"Nonsense, I just made sure that he won't be able to escape as you haul him to jail." 

Right in front of the party was a dwarf turned into a caterpillar as he was bound by ropes from mouth to toe. 

"For once, I agree with Ellamir." Stefano sat at the poor dwarf, making him squirm harder. 

The cleric was still mad at how he sicced at them what appeared to be hundreds of golems. 

Yulia sighed. Might as well get done with it. The paladin coughed, "Golem maker Mordi, the government has contracted us to arrest you for the violation of manufacturing an illegal army, supplied to the 'Cult of the First Fallen'. We will now hand you over to the city guards. Any objections?" 

"Hmmmpphhh!" The dwarf sounded like he wanted to say something but with his mouth roped like it is, he could only do a muffled groan. 

"Didn't think so." Yulia chuckled. 

"Yulia, I'll be leaving now. Thank you again for lending Zarg to me. I couldn't stress how grateful I am." Ellamir said. 

"Think nothing of it. Say hi to Antani for me." 

"Will do." Ellamir's gaze fell onto Stefano. "Take care of my share, pipsqueak, I'll get it from you once you're back at the apartment." 

"Yeah, yeah, just go back to Antani already, we know how much you're dying to return there." The cleric waved Ellamir off. 

Ellamir ran towards the veranda entrance she ruined, whistling before jumping into the air and landing at their wyvern. 

+++

"Welcome home, how did the quest go?" 

Ellamir opened the door to be greeted by Antani in the middle of the living room, trading the abs in her stomach for a considerable lump.

A greeting from her pregnant lover deserving of a heartwarming smile, but instead, Ellamir scowled. 

"Antani, we've talked about this, no sword practice until after your pregnancy!" 

Antani halted her sword swings, "Can you please calm down? I'm not practicing, it's merely an exercise." 

"Even so! Moving too much is bad for the baby!" Ellamir raised her tone. 

Antani's brows furled. Who suddenly made her lover an expert on pregnancy? 

For raising her tone simply because she was exercising, Antani was ready to have a full on fight with Ellamir, until she realized…

Antani sheathed her sword and shelved it away. 

"You know what's bad for our baby? If you stress me out." Antani took on a more mellow approach, even with how Ellamir was behaving, she knew it was brought about by wanting to ensure that their daughter comes out safe and sound. "I know my limits Ellamir, trust me." 

Ellamir clicked her tongue. What can Ellamir do? She didn't want to constrict Antani, she was trying to ensure Antani and their baby's safety. 

"Fine, then." Ellamir then came close to hug her lover's round belly from behind. Ellamir's usual embrace now provided twice the bliss as she wrapped her arms around not just around her lover, but also around their unborn daughter as well. Ellamir's ire evaporated, replaced by a soothing, fluttery sensation inside her chest. "Just promise me you won't overdo it, okay?" 

With a hearty smile, Antani laid her hand on top of Ellamir's, Antani then answered, "Don't worry, I won't." 

Suddenly, both of their eyes went wide in pleasant surprise. Followed by joyous laughter. 

They just felt the baby move for the first time.