"So..... I'm a Vampire. A natural born blood-fiend. And the prince of a Low-Earth kingdom. My mother-- a warrior-Druid and princess of a fallen Center-Earth kingdom, rescued me after learning the Shadow-Kin and Moon-Born are victims of experimentation from the fourth world. The core. She left yesterday to continue trying to find an entrance into The Core. I wish I could go with her. I wish I knew if other Vampires got lumps in their throats at the thought of their mothers....?"
"....."
"Meow..." The wild-cats surrounding him cooed as he sat at the entrance into a large forest.
In the pre-morning darkness the only thing visible was their slitted glowing eyes. At least that was the case for humans.
Murciel was no human. As he sat with his eyes closed, snapping his fingers, he could see them just fine.
The cats meowed again.
"Well, thank you for hearing me out, friends. Have your fill." Murciel pulled a satchel of jerky from his belt and poured it in the grass.
The cats lunged, meowing and snarling as they dined in the dark.
As they ate, he began pulling rich Ambient-Mana from the roots below ground. More commonly known as Rooting. He could feel himself sticking to the earth as the pull of Mana became magnetic. Once absorbed, it swirled and transformed into Inner-Mana, warming his chest and limbs as it fortified his body.
All the while, the cats continued eating. Their fur stood on end from the swirl of magic in the air.
"I should probably get breakfast too...." Murciel jumped to his feet and adjusted his gear. With his body primed from the small session of Cultivation, he felt ready to take the day. He felt fresh.
Even if he wore the same thing as always. An undersized green cloak. Pants that were entirely too short, and a sleeveless sweater. His hair was long and bounced in wild curls, standing out against his pale skin. He'd have to redo his tattoos at sunrise. Hed have to earn them again.
The thought excited him. He dashed into the forest. No more than a few miles from home. There were no Foul-Beasts, so he simply tested his physical limits, training his strength and speed in excess. He scaled large trees and ran along the branches. He unsheathed his tonfas and slashed the dead oaks down to size, to be regrown fully again by the next spring. He pushed aside boulders and jumped over streams until the sun rose.
It's rays bled through the canopy and bathed him in greenish gold light as he washed his face at a river that smelled like rocks. Fish with scales like tied down coin flew with the waves of rock water. He followed the smell to a hill that rose up over the cover of trees. It was so deep, he had to crawl so he didn't slip.
Once he reached its apex, he found himself staring into the ice cold mouth of a cave. A stone behemoth with jagged stalactite fangs and a tongue of shadows. Algae sat on the surface like fur.
He crouched at the entrance. Taking the small grey flowers at it's entrance into consideration.
"These are moisture flowers. They don't need much water or light. They grow in caves that have a lot of water hidden inside. Water attracts life.... Life attracts Foul-Beasts. I could create some Cultivation Techniques fighting them. Then I can save the world. I think Mrs. Augustus would like this math...."
Murciel entered the cave. With every step, it grew darker until his eyes were completely useless.
He shut them and clicked his teeth. Waves of sound washed over the stones and painted a clear picture of his world. All the way down to the bugs moving in the cracked earth.
He continued on that way for a mile into the cave, even ripping off a strip of his cape to cover his eyes in the way of his mother.
"What is this?" Murciel thought as he came to a stop at the sight of cracked porcelain pieces on the stone floor. They sort of smelled like old blood and urine. The first scent made his heart beat a tick faster.
He crouched over the pieces, picking one up out of curiousity.
"Wait.... this is an eg--"
A hissing roar shook the cave so hard stalactites fell and rubble rolled. Murciel rolled with it as his vision went haywire and his brain bounced in his skull.
The stone floor was cold against his face. It took him a moment to realize it was shaking in sequences. Steps. Something was coming.
Murciel hopped upright and unsheathed his tonfa blades.
Suddenly it was dead silent. But he could smell it. Feel the warmth it's body generated.
He clicked his teeth. As if the beast knew it would be found, it lunged.
And their battle began.
A hunt for food and a journey in cultivation. Blind. In a cave. Both brings unknown to each other. Like all of nature, it was balanced.