"Please stay here, lady Rhea," Ragna said as he took out his sword and leaped into the desert sand.
Just in time when the lion man tribe had finally gotten used living in the oasis, a swarm of giant ants came to attack us. There's half-a-hundred of them, all creepily crawling on the sand. From their trajectory, they're most likely targeting my main body.
W-What do I do?
Faced with threat for the first time, I was cowering in fear.
I would have been more useful if I can control the lifeless sand, but I cannot. I can only send my earth golems to support the lion men. I tried to attack with water magic, but it wasn't powerful enough to be effective.
Fortunately, it seems that Ragna and his men are strong enough to hold the giant ants back. Ragna in particular was cleaving their large bodies in half with only one swing of his bastard sword. The others were not struggling in their matches either.
However, my worries won't disappear, as there's just too many of them.
"Kovu, Scar! Protect lady Rhea!" Ragna ordered from afar.
"Yes, sir!"
"On it!"
Kovu and Scar are the two youngest members of the lion man tribe. But young as they might be, they're the healthiest and most skilled amongst them. They're only second to Ragna.
Seeing how some ants had gotten unexpectedly closer to me, they're sent to protect me.
"Don't fear, lady Rhea. We'll protect you," Scar said.
"Make sure of it!" I said in panic.
Scar dual wields a pair of short swords. His lean body type makes him more suitable for fast attacks. Kovu uses a large shield and a spear. He has a more balance way of fighting, engaging himself on both offense and defense.
The two of them work perfectly in tandem.
Seeing them easily dismantle every ant that comes near me, my heart finally calms down a little.
Before I knew it, all the ants have been defeated, and I was still alive.
"Fuu..." I breathe a sigh of relief. "So, what was that about?" I asked Ragna.
Now that the threat was gone, Ragna and I went back to the center of the oasis, my main tree. The other lion men were on their base, treating their wounds. In another display of their elite skills, none of them had sustained any heavy injuries.
"Those were colossal ants. They're common in the desert. They must have a nest nearby."
"Isn't that bad?"
"Not at all. As long as you have us around, they won't be a threat."
He sure sounds confident.
"With that said, we would prefer you not to expose yourself in danger like you did."
"Hmph!"
I didn't feel safe being alone when we're under attack, so I sneaked out. I have my golems, but I'm unsure they would be enough.
And well, I admit, I also wanted to see Ragna and the others fight. I wanted to see a bunch of two-meter tall lion men fighting giant bugs.
"Are you feeling fine?" Ragna worriedly asked, his eyes darting on my stomach.
"Stop worrying so much," I sighed.
But I perfectly understand why he would be so. With a swollen stomach, I'm visibly pregnant now. So I can move more freely and also to hide it, I changed my dress to a looser one.
I've mistakenly believed I would give birth within two or three months. At this rate, it will only take a whole month. That should be a good thing, but I'm actually starting to feel nervous about it.
In just a few days from now, I would become a mother and have my first child.