Grotto

She wasn't expecting to see her pursuer to look like the man she caught.

Messy brown hair,ragged clothing and white tattoos on his arms and neck.His blue eyes wide and expression worried as he tried to move around the net,only to get his limbs in a more uncomfortable position.

Seeing him struggle,she was convinced that this man was harmless,only to realize that he was following,silent and unseen.But by the looks of him,he doesn't 

look like he was from the Church.

"Um,mi—miss?"He stammered.Through his teeth,he 

breathed in.

"Can't you see that I am a struggling man and not an animal?"He said.

"Yeah."

She raised her brow."If we disregard the fact that you're following me."

She fixed her aim.

"Tell me,what good will it be if I release you?"

"You—you're misunderstanding,miss!I am now aware that it looks bad but I mean no harm at all!"

He shouted.He awkwardly shifted his position to get a better look at her.

"Look,if I were that dangerous,I should have reacted differently.Should'nt I already have broken free from your trap if that's the case?Come on miss,think about it!"

The net was swaying from his desperate outburst.There was silence between them but he could hear his heart beating loudly.

She aimed the cross bow and an arrow came flying piercing through the rope.

He fell,groaning while he slowly got up.

"Thank you miss.I should explain that—"

He was cut off by a roar then a scream in the distance.He immediately rushed,heading in that direction while leaping on the branches of trees.

A giant bear roared while trying to get hold of the vice owner with its giant paws and sharp claws.He dodged the bear's attacks while screaming for help.

A dart came flying from the branches and hit the bear,seconds later it collapsed on the ground.

The vice owner heaved a sigh of relief before being startled by a man landing on the ground from the branches.

"By the pantheons,thank yo—"He saw the man's tattoos.

"You!"

He let out a startled shout and stood defensively.

The man with the tattoos held his arms up and backed away.

"I—i won't harm you,mister.Are you hurt?"

"No—no.Stay right where you are,thank you!"

The traveler caught up and saw the large bear on the ground.The vice owner gestured for her to come.She looked at the man she had released a while ago before walking towards the vice owner.The man quietly left.

"What happened?"She asked.

"A terrabear came out of nowhere.They usually roam in deeper parts of the forest."

She went closer to it and removed the dart on the bear.She can see the outlines of the bear's ribs.

The vice owner went to her side.

"By the looks of it,it didn't eat for a significant time."

He knelt to take a closer look at its jaw.

"And here I thought the meat shortage is bad.It's worst."

He looked at her then pointed at the bear.

"Do you think this is edible?"

She analyzed the dart.

"It was poisoned though."

"Oh."

He thought for a while."Well,it's worth a shot.Gotta get to it before the scavengers do."

The vice owner hurried but he looked back at her.

"Oh,by the way ma'am,a lot of people went missing these days especially here in the forest.So,I advise you come back to the town once you're finished.Also,did you see that man a while ago?"

"The one with the tattoos?"

"Yes.Please,stay away from him."

"Oh."

He nodded."I'll be going now."

The vice owner jogged back to fetch men to haul the terrabear while she turned to the east.

Though the forest is vast and eerily calm,you can never be too safe as such creatures will likely be prowling near,starving,ready to attack.She can sense someone following her,for the difference between a prowling man and a beast is their intention.

She stopped.

"You claimed to be harmless and there you are in the shadows...do you want to be trapped again?"

A thud,the man landed behind her.

"Sorry,it's a habit of mine when I hunt."He smiled apologetically.

The white tattoos aren't the only noticeable traits of this man,she can also see beads wrapped on his wrists,neck,and ankles and strings of it dangling on his waist.

"I'm no prey."

His smile dropped.

"I know.I'm sorry."How many times did he say that word today?

She cut the silence.

"What do you want?"

He breathed in then out.I suppose I will go straight to the point,he thought.Good thing,he also had a script for this conversation outcome.

"I need your help."

She flinched upon hearing the word help.Her instincts told her to run away but she was sure that he wasn't from the Church and she knew if he was,she would have likely been captured after they found her location.Why wait now?She calmed her nerves.

"What for?"She asked while grasping an escape potion behind her back.

"Every night,my community is being terrorized by these beasts.I saw you drive away one."

She remembered the shadow fiend she nearly captured before it escaped on that night.So someone was actually watching her.Even though it wasn't the Church,every attention may potentially draw them to her.

"We all tried our best to drive away those beasts,both warriors and shamans but they keep coming back.If no one in our tribe can fend off these beasts,maybe a demon hunter can!Please,we are growing desperate."

He pleaded.

"You are wrong."

"Uh,what?"

He asked,confused.

"You're mistaken.I am no demon hunter."

"But you can still help—"

"No."

His stomach dropped and so was his hope."No?"

"If you have nothing to say now,excuse me."

She said while passing by him.

He quickly stepped in front of her.

"Please."He said softly.

"Someone told me to stay away from you."

He was to plead again but upon hearing what she just said,a warning about him,his whole determination waned and was replaced by shame.

He looked guiltily on the ground.

"I'm sorry."He muttered and stepped aside,letting her walk away.

She returned from the forest,carrying those curved hairy stalks that the apothecary tasked her.She laid it on the counter.Keeran with his exquisite smile,hummed in satisfaction upon seeing those plants.

"Excellent job,missy~"

"Are those enough?"

She asked.

"Hmm,is that a permission to ask you for more?I'm only kidding.Say,I heard from Liam.You know him,right?"

"No."For her,names don't hold that much significance.

"He's the vice owner of the bestiary.He told me that you are hunting a shadow fiend,now my curiosity was finally satisfied.You know,I sometimes wake up at night wondering what you could possibly be doing to my eucalyptus stock."

He sighed with relief.

"Finally,I can sleep well."

"So you don't have any eucalyptus left?"

She asked.

"Is it weird that I am anticipating that question from you,missy?"

He turned to her and smiled widely.

"Congratulations,you officially bought all of it!"

"So when will it be restocked?"

"Normally,it will take 3-5 days but the caravan outside town didn't arrived for weeks!"

"So,it's safe to say it won't for a very very long time."

She said flatly.

"You're not wrong,missy.The forest has been...hostile lately.I think you already know this but please be careful."

"So,you don't have any alternatives incase your eucalyptus runs out?"

"Missy,I would if my stock runs out frequently!"

"Oh.Well,you should from now on."

"Maybe."He thought of something."Missy, you're in luck because I just remembered something.There's this rock in a grotto somewhere in the forest,it's been concentrated with pure mana for 9 years straight.Say,do you want it's location?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"If you confirm that it's a concentrated crystal,then yes."

"Well,it is,however,you wouldn't mind gathering those plants again.Don't you?"

"Do I even have a choice?"She asked.

"No."

Keeran answered.

She decided to go to the grotto Keeran mentioned but before that she went to Liam's to borrow some ropes,nails,and a pick.She went before afternoon a day later,northeast of the forest.

The mouth of the cave was pitch dark,she lit a torch and entered.The cave gets larger as she gets deeper,a light on the distance.

She covered her eyes against the glaring light.When her eyes adjusted,it was revealed that the cave is large enough for an underground city.The place was lit up by numerous luminous fruits from lush vines hanging way up on the ceiling while moss carpets are scattered on the cave floor alongside tiny streams of water.

She ventured deeper on the cave,carefully stepping on wet lime ground and moss while being intrigued by the cave's vegetation.Despite the lack of sunlight,the mana inflow and the luminous glow is somehow enough for these plants to thrive underground.

She sat down on a rock as she looked with awe at the peculiar terrain.She couldn't believe that this was underground.

The ground suddenly shook.Earthquake?No,it was the rock she was sitting on that was shaking.She quickly got up and she could see an earth golem slowly getting up.It turned out,she disturbed a sleeping golem.How was she supposed to know when earth golems look exactly like normal rocks?And now the golem was right after her,trying to smash her.

She was running,trying to not tumble while the ground was shaking.She turned right and the golem smashed its head on a lime pillar.She thought she was safe only to see a dead end and she left her tools where the golem woke up!She could use the explosives she brought but it could potentially wake up more golems.The ground was shaking tremendously as the earth golem neared.

Then,a vine was thrown.She tugged on it making sure it was safe then climbed to safety.On top,she isn't expecting to see him,the man with the tattoos.

He blinked several times upon seeing her.

"The spirits told me that someone is in trouble.I didn't expect it to be you though.You're welcome,I guess!"The man gave a small smile.

...

After she left him,it took a while before he recovered from her rejection.He went to find somewhere secluded in the forest to vent to his spirit companions.Seeing their human friend,dejected and desperate,they told him about a rock in a grotto in the northeast that could possibly help him.He is delighted and a newfound determination filled him.He thanked the spirits and with their help,he was able to navigate the grotto without disturbing the resident earth golems.

Then he was alarmed by one of the wind spirits that someone had woken up an earth golem and was about to be smashed and he rushed to help the person.

He wasn't expecting to see the woman or to ever meet her again,but he is still glad to help someone nonetheless.

While the woman was glad she was saved,she didn't know what to feel that she was face to face with him again.