When Vin heard the growling behind him, he paused for a moment, confused for a second, it seemed the whole time his mind had been preoccupied by something. After a few seconds, he regained his bearings, but he still didn't look at her as he pointed to the meat over the first.
"Zara already hunted, so you can have that" he said, taking another bite of the beast he was eating. Mara seeing that he wasn't going to say anything else to her walked over to the burning flames and took out the steeming hot meat, but this heat didn't matter much to someone like her.
They continued eating in silence for a while, but this silence was killing her inside, until she couldn't take it anymore.
"You still haven't told me your name" she probed, and frankly she half expected him to ignore her, surprisingly he didn't.
"Vin" Vin replied
"Thank you once again for saving me Vin. I am eternally grateful" Mara said as she bowed.
Vin nodded slightly, still not looking at her, his focus on the meat in front of him. "You're welcome, Mara. Just be more careful in the future." He paused, taking another bite of his food. "Those three were just disciples, but there are far more dangerous people in the Mystic Realm."
Mara's eyes widened slightly at the warning, but she nodded solemnly. "I will, thank you for the advice, Vin." She took another bite of her meat, savoring the flavor. "This is delicious, what is it?"
"Zara's hunting," Vin replied, gesturing to the Hellhound lying nearby. "She's a skilled hunter."
Mara glanced at Zara, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. "She's beautiful," Mara said, her voice filled with admiration.
Vin nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, she is."
The silence that followed was more comfortable, with Mara occasionally glancing at Vin or Zara. Vin, however, remained focused on his food, his expression unreadable.
As they finished their meal, Mara spoke up again. "Vin, may I ask you something?"
Vin nodded, still not looking at her.
"What brought you to this place?" Mara asked, her curiosity evident.
Vin's expression remained neutral, but his eyes seemed to cloud over for a moment. "I'm searching for something," he said finally. "Something important."
Mara's eyes sparkled with interest, but she didn't press the issue. "I see," she said instead. "I'm also searching for something. A rare herb, said to only grow in these parts."
Vin's gaze flickered to hers, his expression still neutral. "What's the herb for?"
Mara hesitated, her eyes darting around the cavern before focusing on Vin. "It's for my sister," she said quietly. "She's... ill. The herb is said to have healing properties."
Vin's expression softened slightly, his gaze lingering on Mara's face. "I'll help you find it," he said finally.
Mara's eyes widened in surprise, a smile spreading across her face. "Thank you, Vin."
She was immensely surprised that Vin had offered to help, as it seemed like he had a lot on his mind, and the the thing was, Vin indeed had something on his mind.
Ever since he had stepped into the forest he had felt something unusual, but he was didn't think much of it, but when he had stepped into the Inner regions, that feeling came again, almost like a calling, but it seemed very far away.
And he couldn't pinpoint the location, but if he could take a guess, then it must be in the deepest parts of the Mystic Realm. The faint feeling had been what was occupying his mind, making him look distracted.
Offering to help Mara was a way to distract himself from thinking too much on it, when the time came, he would naturally find out what it is.
Mara's smile was like a ray of sunshine in the dimly lit cavern, and Vin found himself smiling back at her, despite his usual reserved nature.
"I'll need to know more about the herb," Vin said, his mind already racing with strategies for finding it. "What's it called? What does it look like?"
Mara nodded, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "It's called the Starlight Bloom. It's a rare, blue-petaled flower that only grows under the light of the full moon. It's said to have incredible healing properties, and it's the only thing that can cure my sister's illness."
Vin's gaze narrowed, his mind processing the information. "I'll need to use a skill I have called God's Eye to scan for it," he said for some reason he didn't mind revealing some his abilities to her. "But first, we need to rest. We can start searching at dawn."
Mara nodded, her smile still plastered on her face. "Thank you, Vin. I owe you one."
Vin shook his head, his expression softening. "No need to thank me, Mara. We're in this together now."
As they settled in for the night, Vin couldn't help but notice the way Mara's eyes sparkled in the firelight. He felt a pang of guilt for noticing, reminding himself that he was only helping her out of kindness.
But as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Mara than met the eye.
The next morning, Vin woke up before dawn, his senses on high alert. He quietly got up and began to prepare for their journey, his movements swift and efficient.
Mara woke up shortly after, her eyes bleary with sleep. "Good morning," she said, her voice husky.
Vin nodded, his expression neutral. "Let's get moving. We have a flower to find."
With Zara leading the way, they set off into the unknown, their quest for the Starlight Bloom beginning in earnest.
As they journeyed through the Inner regions of the forest, Vin's God's Eye scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of the Starlight Bloom. Mara walked beside him, her eyes scanning the ground, her knowledge of herbs and plants guiding her.
Zara, sensing their focus, kept a steady pace, her ears perked up, alert to any potential dangers.
The sun beat down on them, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. Vin's eyes narrowed, his gaze scanning the horizon.
"According to God's Eye, there's a clearing up ahead," Vin said, his voice low. "It's possible the Starlight Bloom grows there."
Mara's eyes lit up. "Let's hurry!"
As they approached the clearing, Vin's God's Eye picked up a faint energy signature. "It's there," he said, his voice filled with excitement.
Mara rushed forward, her eyes scanning the clearing. And then, she saw it - a delicate, blue-petaled flower blooming in the center of the clearing.
"Vin, it's here!" Mara exclaimed.
Vin smiled, his eyes shining with triumph. "We did it."
After that the decided to return to the cave and rest up for the night, after searching for the whole, luckily they were successful.
The cave's darkness was oppressive, yet Mara's exhaustion won out, and she drifted into a fitful sleep. Vin, however, remained awake, his eyes glowing softly in the darkness.
God's Eye, his unique ability, allowed him to see through the veil of night, observing Mara's restless slumber. He sensed her turmoil, the hidden fears and doubts that plagued her.
Vin's gaze shifted to Zara, who lay vigilant, her ears perked up, listening to the cave's subtle sounds. He nodded to himself, acknowledging Zara's unwavering loyalty.
As the night wore on, Vin's thoughts turned to Mara's enigmatic warning. What did she know? Who was she, really?
The silence was broken by Mara's soft murmurs, her dreams troubled. Vin's gaze snapped back to her, his expression unreadable.
Suddenly, Mara's eyes snapped open, her gaze locking onto Vin's. "Vin," she whispered urgently. "We're not alone."
Vin's eyes narrowed. "What do you sense?" he asked, his voice low.
Mara's eyes darted around the cave. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "But something feels off."
Zara's ears perked up, her growl low and menacing. Vin's gaze swept the trees, God's Eye scanning for any signs of danger.
"Get ready," he whispered, his voice dripping with warning. "We may have unwanted visitors."
Mara sprang to her feet, her movements fluid and deadly. "I'll take point," she said, her eyes flashing with determination.
Vin nodded, his gaze never leaving the cave entrance. "Zara, stay close."
The air thickened with tension as they waited, their senses on high alert.
Suddenly, the cave entrance darkened, shadows coalescing into humanoid forms.
"Vin," Mara whispered. "We have company."
Vin's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Let's see what they want."
The figures stepped forward, their faces obscured by hoods.
"Welcome, Vin," one of them said, their voice dripping with malice. "We've been waiting."
Vin's gaze locked onto the speaker, his expression unreadable. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice low and deadly.
The figure chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough."
The hooded figures fanned out, encircling Vin, Mara, and Zara. Their movements were fluid, practiced, and menacing.
Vin's gaze swept the group, God's Eye scanning for weaknesses.
"There are seven of them," he whispered to Mara. "All at the fifth stage of the Spirit Sea Realm."
Mara nodded, her eyes locked onto the apparent leader.
"I'll take the two on the left," she whispered back. "You handle the rest."
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